The family is well this Memorial holiday and I salute those who are standing on Freedom’s frontline. I ask God to bring you home safe and sound.
I heard a news report the other day that just boggled my old mind. A man raped a 12 year old girl and was found guilty by a jury. The expectation was that due to the brutalness of the crime the man would get the maximum of 10 years. Utter shock and my confusion set in when the judge gave the man only 10 years of probation. The reason -- since the man was only 5 ft 1 inch, the judge felt "he was too small to survive in a state prison." Excuse me he was big enough to commit the crime. Besides, he might get a better understanding of what he did when a bigger man forced himself upon him. Even sadder is these judges that have no concept of reality in making these cockamamie judgments. There ought to be some Judge Review board so if a judge loses touch he can be removed.
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=803274
Have you ever wondered what a newborn baby dreams about? As I sit here today holding Julian as he sleeps, I couldn't help wondering what he was dreaming about. My dreams come from life and what I experience each day. Hmmmm.
What that new HBO series last night where they show the life of a Surgical Hospital in Baghdad. They made it very real. Several times I could feel the emotion they were showing as our brave men made the ultimate sacrifice. What it also did is make me wonder why we are playing around with the insurgents. Make it an area under martial law, seal it off and then sweep all the weapons from it. Anyone after that carrying a weapon will have deadly force used to remove it. The same goes with explosives. If they like car bombs -- then get ride of the cars, trucks and such until the insurgent threat is over with. You say the civilians won't like it -- so what -- it is war. If any attack comes from a mosque then obviously there is no religion there so raze it to the ground so it can't ever be used for war again. Once the clerics get tired of their mosques being destroyed because they are used as staging areas for attacks then maybe they will step forward and help stop the attacks or at least help us stop them. It is time we get serious about the conduct of this war on terrorism or we should get ready to receive more good men and women hope with wounds or in flag draped caskets. War is horrible and full of death .. Let’s stop it now by executing it to the best of our ability.
Work continues to be fun but it has its frustrating moments. One project gets completed and another is started up. There is a never ending supply of projects to be done. You would expect that people would pride themselves in the use of their tools, i.e. computers. I also love how everything they need fixed is a crisis of earth shattering importance but after I fix it, it is two weeks before they even use it again. Or the ones who love to say I need this for Boss X today only to find out later Boss X is off or out of the office. Oh well, life never changes and in two weeks the paycheck will be delivered and all will be forgotten.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Can You Believe?
Well, all the birthday events for Lady are done. We had a lot of fun. Saturday was a meal at our favorite restaurant (El Agave). The surprise birthday get together worked great and left her breathless and a bit bewildered on how many people were involved. Personally, I look forward to the next 50 years because the first 31 have been a lot of fun. Would I do it differently if I had to do it over? No.
With our company gone, I was looking forward to a good nights sleep but Paul had problems last night with seizures causing him to spend the night in the hospital. To add to the fun, Tabby was dealing with a lot of pain as Max moved around constantly. Lynne will have more details soon in her email.
Lady's mom and dad headed for home Wednesday morning after a great few days with us. They were great in their participation with the surprise party.
The paperwork has started with princess as we help her get her finances and other affairs straightened out. She is so easy to handle now that I have found out how ticklish she is. <>
Julian baptized the couch once again. Seems someone left the fire hose unattended and the line was charged resulting in the couch, his clothes, the blanket, mom, and grandma getting a drenching before things were brought under control. Where did it all come from? He only weighs 6 pounds 9 oz.
Wild mom has a new companion. I thought she might play the single scene a bit longer but after 90 days she met Bubbles. Bubbles is a white poodle.
With our company gone, I was looking forward to a good nights sleep but Paul had problems last night with seizures causing him to spend the night in the hospital. To add to the fun, Tabby was dealing with a lot of pain as Max moved around constantly. Lynne will have more details soon in her email.
Lady's mom and dad headed for home Wednesday morning after a great few days with us. They were great in their participation with the surprise party.
The paperwork has started with princess as we help her get her finances and other affairs straightened out. She is so easy to handle now that I have found out how ticklish she is. <>
Julian baptized the couch once again. Seems someone left the fire hose unattended and the line was charged resulting in the couch, his clothes, the blanket, mom, and grandma getting a drenching before things were brought under control. Where did it all come from? He only weighs 6 pounds 9 oz.
Wild mom has a new companion. I thought she might play the single scene a bit longer but after 90 days she met Bubbles. Bubbles is a white poodle.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Mumble Mumble
The adventure continues. While things have been hectic since last week, we are slowly returning to normal. Oh, by the way, what is normal? It is amazing how much paperwork need to be done to get Princess settled in. Yesterday, I got rid of my little escort wagon with 256,000 miles to give us more room for parking all the cars. We are afraid to park the cars on the street because the neighbors don't know how to backup without hitting everything in sight. After 3 times I err on the side of caution. After all the hours of work keeping the escort running, I will miss it.
#1 and #2 continue their string of going good. Who knows maybe we will get spoiled.
Jacqui and the baby will be there this evening. It will be god to see the little one. I wonder how much he has grown?
I am looking forward to attending the Promisekeepers event in Baltimore on 9-10 June. It has always been a great time and it usually gets me to thinking about many things in life.
June 11 is Jessi's graduation from high school. We are extremely proud of her. When we first met her years ago, this goal seemed almost like a fantasy dream. But she did it and will be forever better for doing it.
Wild mom has her new furniture and with it goes my hope of a life of leisure when I retire on my inheritance. Really, it does look nice and next time I go home I will test its sleep-a-bility.
No more S.F. Giants games or any event Bonds is in. MLB has tarnished the record of a great man (the Babe and Aaron) by letting Mr. Juice tie the Babe's record and set his sights on Hammerin Hank. On Realsports he admitted he used the junk .. "I didn't know what it was." I can't imagine letting some one injecting me without knowing exactly what it was. But then again he was juiced up and not thinking straight. MLB acknowledges that since 1990 they have sold out by choosing juiced players over integrity since it "makes money." Baseball ought to suspend all the rules .. What ever makes you score more is legal and the fans are entertain by the 35-27 scores. Juiced players with corked bats connected to their eyes and brains by electronics similar to the 6 Million dollar man, they would face juiced pitchers batting 325 and throwing 90 mph spitters from a mound they groom the hour before the game starts and that happens to be 5 feet closer to home plate because they moved it without the ump seeing it being down. Shoot, with the any goes mentality that makes a profit why not serve hard liquor in the stands .. Drunks will buy more. Allow the fielders to use gloves twice the size .. they can use any size they can hold. Oh, and don't forget the starting blocks for the runners so they can get a better start. Shame on you MLB .. Americans Past-time is being degraded by you unmannerly reach for every dollar you can get and thus making the Teams richer.
With the second police officer dying last week following the Sulley Station shootout, the parents should be held liable for providing the weapons used by the mental case son and for failing to secure their weapons. Perhaps the NRA should rethink their position .. You have the right to bear arms but you also have the responsibility to do it safely and protect them that elect to be unarmed .. Such as the unarmed and un-armored police officer.
Gee, another crooked politician from Louisiana .. Perhaps Nagin will be caught soon too.
#1 and #2 continue their string of going good. Who knows maybe we will get spoiled.
Jacqui and the baby will be there this evening. It will be god to see the little one. I wonder how much he has grown?
I am looking forward to attending the Promisekeepers event in Baltimore on 9-10 June. It has always been a great time and it usually gets me to thinking about many things in life.
June 11 is Jessi's graduation from high school. We are extremely proud of her. When we first met her years ago, this goal seemed almost like a fantasy dream. But she did it and will be forever better for doing it.
Wild mom has her new furniture and with it goes my hope of a life of leisure when I retire on my inheritance. Really, it does look nice and next time I go home I will test its sleep-a-bility.
No more S.F. Giants games or any event Bonds is in. MLB has tarnished the record of a great man (the Babe and Aaron) by letting Mr. Juice tie the Babe's record and set his sights on Hammerin Hank. On Realsports he admitted he used the junk .. "I didn't know what it was." I can't imagine letting some one injecting me without knowing exactly what it was. But then again he was juiced up and not thinking straight. MLB acknowledges that since 1990 they have sold out by choosing juiced players over integrity since it "makes money." Baseball ought to suspend all the rules .. What ever makes you score more is legal and the fans are entertain by the 35-27 scores. Juiced players with corked bats connected to their eyes and brains by electronics similar to the 6 Million dollar man, they would face juiced pitchers batting 325 and throwing 90 mph spitters from a mound they groom the hour before the game starts and that happens to be 5 feet closer to home plate because they moved it without the ump seeing it being down. Shoot, with the any goes mentality that makes a profit why not serve hard liquor in the stands .. Drunks will buy more. Allow the fielders to use gloves twice the size .. they can use any size they can hold. Oh, and don't forget the starting blocks for the runners so they can get a better start. Shame on you MLB .. Americans Past-time is being degraded by you unmannerly reach for every dollar you can get and thus making the Teams richer.
With the second police officer dying last week following the Sulley Station shootout, the parents should be held liable for providing the weapons used by the mental case son and for failing to secure their weapons. Perhaps the NRA should rethink their position .. You have the right to bear arms but you also have the responsibility to do it safely and protect them that elect to be unarmed .. Such as the unarmed and un-armored police officer.
Gee, another crooked politician from Louisiana .. Perhaps Nagin will be caught soon too.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Fresh Start
Well, another Saturday. This past week has been a hectic one. With the birth of Julian and our Friday court date, we had no down time.
#1 and #2 helped a lot this week helping to get things ready for guests and the dreaded home study by the State.
Jacqui & Julian - Mom and son are at home now and doing well. Tuesday he has his first appointment and they will drop by the house.
Jessi and Keith are back home now. We will be venturing down there for her graduation ceremony June 10-11. She has grown up so much and we are proud of here.
Lady's parents arrived today to celebrate the wife's birthday this weekend. Perhaps they came to help her get over the top of the hill .. sort of a "helping push."
The court date went very well. We got there at 1:30 and didn't see the judge until 3:30ish. It was odd in that everything we had been told by the Attorney (temporary custody) and the State (did not want another change in custody) cornering their recommendations didn't happen that way. They all were very supportive and painted the best picture possible. The judge smiled a lot and kept making a reference to "I foresee a closure to all this." No one contested the change of custody and in the end we were granted full custody of Victoria. So the mind boggling adventure of raising a 16 year old female begins.
In reality, we have no reservations about this move. We hope to provide the love, stability and home she has not had for a very long time. We know there will be bumps but also there will be super times and they will far outweigh the bumps. Several times we heard the statement "You seem so calm and in control and nothing seems to phase you". Well, someone needs to be and besides, this custody stuff isn't new to us and the peace comes from inside, a product of many years of trying to be a Christian.
When I read the court papers that said "she has no relative or responsible adults willing to take her in" just grated on me. No child or young adult should ever have to read that they are not wanted. Perhaps that is the problem today, people are so consumed with their self-gratification that there is nothing left to help a child. I think back to what Christ said about a young child and wonder if they are prepared to accept the consequences when they are quizzed on their actions?
Our day ended with an ice cream cake and balloons that said, “WELCOME HOME.”
#1 and #2 helped a lot this week helping to get things ready for guests and the dreaded home study by the State.
Jacqui & Julian - Mom and son are at home now and doing well. Tuesday he has his first appointment and they will drop by the house.
Jessi and Keith are back home now. We will be venturing down there for her graduation ceremony June 10-11. She has grown up so much and we are proud of here.
Lady's parents arrived today to celebrate the wife's birthday this weekend. Perhaps they came to help her get over the top of the hill .. sort of a "helping push."
The court date went very well. We got there at 1:30 and didn't see the judge until 3:30ish. It was odd in that everything we had been told by the Attorney (temporary custody) and the State (did not want another change in custody) cornering their recommendations didn't happen that way. They all were very supportive and painted the best picture possible. The judge smiled a lot and kept making a reference to "I foresee a closure to all this." No one contested the change of custody and in the end we were granted full custody of Victoria. So the mind boggling adventure of raising a 16 year old female begins.
In reality, we have no reservations about this move. We hope to provide the love, stability and home she has not had for a very long time. We know there will be bumps but also there will be super times and they will far outweigh the bumps. Several times we heard the statement "You seem so calm and in control and nothing seems to phase you". Well, someone needs to be and besides, this custody stuff isn't new to us and the peace comes from inside, a product of many years of trying to be a Christian.
When I read the court papers that said "she has no relative or responsible adults willing to take her in" just grated on me. No child or young adult should ever have to read that they are not wanted. Perhaps that is the problem today, people are so consumed with their self-gratification that there is nothing left to help a child. I think back to what Christ said about a young child and wonder if they are prepared to accept the consequences when they are quizzed on their actions?
Our day ended with an ice cream cake and balloons that said, “WELCOME HOME.”
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Gee Whiz!
Julian Russell was born at 2:19 pm on 05/16/06. He weighed 6 pounds 9 oz. and stretched out at 19". Mom and baby are doing great and maybe home on Friday. Gee he is soooooo tiny.
Jessi and Keith are here and we are having a great time getting to know each other. Son-In-Law ... hmmmmm and he wants to do what with my daughter?
Met with the Guardian ad item yesterday. Paperwork is now filed for guardianship of our newest daughter to join the clan. The home Study is at 3:30 pm today and we go to court at 1:30 pm on Friday. Keep the prayers going that all goes according to God's plan (and we get her).
Proud of #1 and #2 in how they stepped up this week to help us.
More too come later!!
Jessi and Keith are here and we are having a great time getting to know each other. Son-In-Law ... hmmmmm and he wants to do what with my daughter?
Met with the Guardian ad item yesterday. Paperwork is now filed for guardianship of our newest daughter to join the clan. The home Study is at 3:30 pm today and we go to court at 1:30 pm on Friday. Keep the prayers going that all goes according to God's plan (and we get her).
Proud of #1 and #2 in how they stepped up this week to help us.
More too come later!!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/15/06
Dear Friends:
Today was yet another good day. Dad got to Paul's house this morning to find that Bobby had an injury to his eye. Tabby took Bob to the emergency room. I came to relieve her so she could go to work. It turned out that Bobby has a cut on his eye and the doctor gave him some antibiotic cream to put in the eye. He should feel better in a couple of days. Dad asked Paul if he had heard about Bob's eye injury and he nodded "yes". After breakfast Dad put Paul back in bed to relax for a bit. He handed Paul the remote for the bed and Paul reached for it with his right hand. When he realized he couldn't get it, he reached with his left hand. He is trying more and more to use the right hand. He doesn't have any strength in it yet but he is able to move his fingers more. He adjusted the bed so he was comfortable. He even likes to turn on the messaging feature for the bed! He put it on the low setting and then he took a nap with it running. Early this morning when Tabby gave Paul his motion sickness pill, he put it in his mouth and chewed it up (YUK) and then washed it down with water. Later, Dad asked him if he had a headache today and Paul nodded "yes" so Dad went to give him some Tylenol and said "I don't want you to chew this". Paul put it in his mouth and then took a drink and swallowed it ... he didn't chew it!! After lunch Dad gave Paul a snack. He had some Fritos and Paul kept reaching out past the bowl. Dad asked him "how many bowls do you see?" and Paul put up two fingers. Dad asked him (just to make sure he understood) "do you see two bowls?" and Paul nodded "yes". The visiting nurses came by today. When Dad told the nurse about Paul saying he saw two bowls she said that it may be the reason for him having headaches and nausea. He has an ophthalmologist appointment on Friday so maybe we can determine if he is seeing double. The nurse was impressed at how good he looks. When she asked him to take a deep breath so she could listen to his lungs, he took a breath and he did that each time she asked him to! She and Dad were pleasantly surprised that he did that on command each time. Bobby came downstairs later this evening and he was talking to Paul. Paul kept reaching up with his hand to scratch his head. Bobby asked him if he wanted a hairbrush. He got the hairbrush and put it in Paul's hand. At first he tried to put it in his mouth. Bobby said "no, that isn't something to eat ... it is a hairbrush" and put it back down for Paul. The second time he did the same thing. The third time Paul put his brush up to his head ... and actually brushed his hair from the front of his hairline back to his neck!! Tuesday is Paul's appointment with the neurologist to follow-up on the tests that were run at the hospital last week. Tabby wants to wait on giving the motion sickness medicine regularly until the ophthalmologist appointment since his symptoms could be vision related ... she will talk to the neurologist about this when he sees Paul. This is going to be a very busy week for Paul. He sees the neurologist on Tuesday, his foot surgery is Wednesday and the ophthalmologist appointment is Friday.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Today was yet another good day. Dad got to Paul's house this morning to find that Bobby had an injury to his eye. Tabby took Bob to the emergency room. I came to relieve her so she could go to work. It turned out that Bobby has a cut on his eye and the doctor gave him some antibiotic cream to put in the eye. He should feel better in a couple of days. Dad asked Paul if he had heard about Bob's eye injury and he nodded "yes". After breakfast Dad put Paul back in bed to relax for a bit. He handed Paul the remote for the bed and Paul reached for it with his right hand. When he realized he couldn't get it, he reached with his left hand. He is trying more and more to use the right hand. He doesn't have any strength in it yet but he is able to move his fingers more. He adjusted the bed so he was comfortable. He even likes to turn on the messaging feature for the bed! He put it on the low setting and then he took a nap with it running. Early this morning when Tabby gave Paul his motion sickness pill, he put it in his mouth and chewed it up (YUK) and then washed it down with water. Later, Dad asked him if he had a headache today and Paul nodded "yes" so Dad went to give him some Tylenol and said "I don't want you to chew this". Paul put it in his mouth and then took a drink and swallowed it ... he didn't chew it!! After lunch Dad gave Paul a snack. He had some Fritos and Paul kept reaching out past the bowl. Dad asked him "how many bowls do you see?" and Paul put up two fingers. Dad asked him (just to make sure he understood) "do you see two bowls?" and Paul nodded "yes". The visiting nurses came by today. When Dad told the nurse about Paul saying he saw two bowls she said that it may be the reason for him having headaches and nausea. He has an ophthalmologist appointment on Friday so maybe we can determine if he is seeing double. The nurse was impressed at how good he looks. When she asked him to take a deep breath so she could listen to his lungs, he took a breath and he did that each time she asked him to! She and Dad were pleasantly surprised that he did that on command each time. Bobby came downstairs later this evening and he was talking to Paul. Paul kept reaching up with his hand to scratch his head. Bobby asked him if he wanted a hairbrush. He got the hairbrush and put it in Paul's hand. At first he tried to put it in his mouth. Bobby said "no, that isn't something to eat ... it is a hairbrush" and put it back down for Paul. The second time he did the same thing. The third time Paul put his brush up to his head ... and actually brushed his hair from the front of his hairline back to his neck!! Tuesday is Paul's appointment with the neurologist to follow-up on the tests that were run at the hospital last week. Tabby wants to wait on giving the motion sickness medicine regularly until the ophthalmologist appointment since his symptoms could be vision related ... she will talk to the neurologist about this when he sees Paul. This is going to be a very busy week for Paul. He sees the neurologist on Tuesday, his foot surgery is Wednesday and the ophthalmologist appointment is Friday.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Monday, May 15, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/14/06
Dear Friends:
This morning we started off early to go to Bob Evans for breakfast. Paul had scrambled eggs & bacon, English muffin, juice & coffee. He loved it and ate it all. He had a little trouble at one point getting his eggs on the fork to his mouth ... they fell off and he got really mad. He was given his spoon and did lots better. It is amazing to watch him eat. He does so well. Then he picked up his coffee with the handle of his coffee cup and took sips! Towards the end of breakfast he took a straw and put it in his coffee ... then he put his finger on the end of the straw and put the other end of the straw in his mouth to sip the coffee out of the end of the straw!! It was amazing to watch....he did that about 3 times. He was really careful to not let go of the end of the straw until it was in his mouth! The funny thing is ... this is something he would have done before the accident!!! Dad, Tabby & Audrey (the CNA) took Paul back home after breakfast. Paul & Tabby went back to bed for a bit. Dad went off to church. After church Dad, Bill, Tabby & Carolyn went to look at a Van that a friend had for sale. The hope is to retrofit the van to be handicap accessible. This van is a "one-owner" van ... has low miles and is in pristine condition. It was reasonably priced so Tabby decided to buy it. The next step will be going to DMV for tags and then they can take it to someone to do the customizing for accessibility. That will happen later in the week. It was pouring down rain when they got back home. As soon as the rain cleared Paul went outside to see the van ... he loved it. Paul was pretty tired today. He still says he has a headache ... maybe it is from the weather change. His eyes hurt also today. Good thing he will see the ophthalmologist this week. Before dinner (around 3pm) he wanted to lay down. He laid in bed and watched TV. He seemed very alert ... just tired. Bobby went to Taco Bell for dinner and got Paul a bean burrito. Hopefully speech therapy will start this week. He seems to make several different sounds that appear to be words. It would be nice to start teaching him HOW to make sounds that are words!! Paul & Tabby were ready for bed early tonight so Dad was able to come home before 9pm. So we start another week!!
Blessings, Carl & Lynne
P.S. Some folks have said they could not see the picture I send a couple days ago....here it is...hope this is better! In case you don't know...Bobby is on the left and Paul is on the right!
This morning we started off early to go to Bob Evans for breakfast. Paul had scrambled eggs & bacon, English muffin, juice & coffee. He loved it and ate it all. He had a little trouble at one point getting his eggs on the fork to his mouth ... they fell off and he got really mad. He was given his spoon and did lots better. It is amazing to watch him eat. He does so well. Then he picked up his coffee with the handle of his coffee cup and took sips! Towards the end of breakfast he took a straw and put it in his coffee ... then he put his finger on the end of the straw and put the other end of the straw in his mouth to sip the coffee out of the end of the straw!! It was amazing to watch....he did that about 3 times. He was really careful to not let go of the end of the straw until it was in his mouth! The funny thing is ... this is something he would have done before the accident!!! Dad, Tabby & Audrey (the CNA) took Paul back home after breakfast. Paul & Tabby went back to bed for a bit. Dad went off to church. After church Dad, Bill, Tabby & Carolyn went to look at a Van that a friend had for sale. The hope is to retrofit the van to be handicap accessible. This van is a "one-owner" van ... has low miles and is in pristine condition. It was reasonably priced so Tabby decided to buy it. The next step will be going to DMV for tags and then they can take it to someone to do the customizing for accessibility. That will happen later in the week. It was pouring down rain when they got back home. As soon as the rain cleared Paul went outside to see the van ... he loved it. Paul was pretty tired today. He still says he has a headache ... maybe it is from the weather change. His eyes hurt also today. Good thing he will see the ophthalmologist this week. Before dinner (around 3pm) he wanted to lay down. He laid in bed and watched TV. He seemed very alert ... just tired. Bobby went to Taco Bell for dinner and got Paul a bean burrito. Hopefully speech therapy will start this week. He seems to make several different sounds that appear to be words. It would be nice to start teaching him HOW to make sounds that are words!! Paul & Tabby were ready for bed early tonight so Dad was able to come home before 9pm. So we start another week!!
Blessings, Carl & Lynne
P.S. Some folks have said they could not see the picture I send a couple days ago....here it is...hope this is better! In case you don't know...Bobby is on the left and Paul is on the right!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/13/06
Dear Friends:
Boy ... what a busy day for all of us. Dad left early to go to Paul's. Saturday is Starbucks day so Dad had to be there early. As you know, Paul enjoys the Starbucks outing. He is feeling much better and is very alert once again. Carolyn, Nana, Aunt Ann Z & I spent the morning preparing for Tabby's baby shower. Wrapping presents, preparing food, shopping for last minute stuff. It was a nice time to share with each other even though it was a busy time! The blessings of family and friends that share our lives are so wonderful. It is special when we can spend time together. We celebrate all that God has given us. Mother's day is especially wonderful for our family this year. As with many holidays we thank God that Paul is able to be with us and enjoy being together. Tabby's baby shower was at 3pm. It was amazing to see all of our friends & relatives that came to share with us. As I looked around the room I realized we had folks from many parts of our lives there. Childhood friends, Scouting friends, Neighbors (new and previous), our friends from Fairfax Hospital that share a bond that we will always treasure although tragedy brought us together, our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, nieces, our daughters & granddaughters, our church family and even a few special men in our lives! So many people who have special places in our hearts. Tabby was so blessed by the event! Paul was able to come and participate for about an hour. He ate cake, drank punch and watched as Tabby opened presents. I think he enjoyed the event! Dad brought him and kept a close eye on him but he was able to sit by Tabby and share in the fun. She must have gotten close to 150 rubber duckies (that's what she wanted!!). After the baby shower Tabby & Paul went out to dinner with Tabby's parents, her brother & her grandmother. Some of the girls stayed at the church to enjoy the "Daughters in Christ" banquet that the men of the church do for all the ladies. It is always a fun time and our women are so blessed to have men that care enough to honor us. Sunday will be a special day to enjoy our family. Thanks so much for being there as our support and our friend. I spent much time thanking God for our blessings and your part of that!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!!
Love Lynne & Carl
Boy ... what a busy day for all of us. Dad left early to go to Paul's. Saturday is Starbucks day so Dad had to be there early. As you know, Paul enjoys the Starbucks outing. He is feeling much better and is very alert once again. Carolyn, Nana, Aunt Ann Z & I spent the morning preparing for Tabby's baby shower. Wrapping presents, preparing food, shopping for last minute stuff. It was a nice time to share with each other even though it was a busy time! The blessings of family and friends that share our lives are so wonderful. It is special when we can spend time together. We celebrate all that God has given us. Mother's day is especially wonderful for our family this year. As with many holidays we thank God that Paul is able to be with us and enjoy being together. Tabby's baby shower was at 3pm. It was amazing to see all of our friends & relatives that came to share with us. As I looked around the room I realized we had folks from many parts of our lives there. Childhood friends, Scouting friends, Neighbors (new and previous), our friends from Fairfax Hospital that share a bond that we will always treasure although tragedy brought us together, our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, nieces, our daughters & granddaughters, our church family and even a few special men in our lives! So many people who have special places in our hearts. Tabby was so blessed by the event! Paul was able to come and participate for about an hour. He ate cake, drank punch and watched as Tabby opened presents. I think he enjoyed the event! Dad brought him and kept a close eye on him but he was able to sit by Tabby and share in the fun. She must have gotten close to 150 rubber duckies (that's what she wanted!!). After the baby shower Tabby & Paul went out to dinner with Tabby's parents, her brother & her grandmother. Some of the girls stayed at the church to enjoy the "Daughters in Christ" banquet that the men of the church do for all the ladies. It is always a fun time and our women are so blessed to have men that care enough to honor us. Sunday will be a special day to enjoy our family. Thanks so much for being there as our support and our friend. I spent much time thanking God for our blessings and your part of that!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!!
Love Lynne & Carl
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/12/06
Dear Friends:
Today started off a little rocky. Carl arrived at Paul's house to find that Paul didn't want to get up. He asked Paul if he had a headache and he nodded "yes". Dad tried to get him up and he lost his balance and couldn't walk. Tabby called the neurosurgeon and he advised her to take Paul to Fairfax Hospital so they could do a CAT Scan & some x-rays. They arrived at the hospital around 12pm. The CAT scan showed no change since the last test. They took blood and said everything looks good. Dad asked if he could be experiencing some motion sickness. They thought that seemed possible so they called the doctor and he prescribed medicine for motion sickness. They also did x-rays of his stomach and said all was fine there. After the tests he was sent home. On the way to the hospital Tabby brought a water bottle for Paul and a Diet Soda for herself. He was drinking his bottle and noticed that her soda was in the cupholder so he reached for her soda and began to drink it ... little sneak!! Dad had to stop at a gas station. Tabby went into the store to get a soda and Dad had laid his glasses on the dashboard. Dad looked at Paul and said "Paul give me my glasses" and he reached out to try to give them to Dad. If he hadn't been seatbelted in he would have been able to reach them. This evening he seemed to feel better. When they got home Tabby went to Dairy Queen and got chicken strips & french fries for Paul. He was having trouble getting the french fries with his fork so Dad cut up the french fries. Then Tabby poured gravy on them ... he looked at her and frowned. He wasn't happy but he ate them anyway! Tonight Nana Richard, Aunt Ann & Aunt Cathy came by to visit. He seemed to recognize them. It was nice to have them and they were surprised how good he looks. Saturday we will start Physical Therapy with the new company. Still no news on the Speech Therapist ... hopefully we will start that next week. Saturday is also Tabby's baby shower. She has less than 4 weeks left before little Maxwell is due! We are so happy to be able to celebrate with her and prepare for this blessing.
Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl
Today started off a little rocky. Carl arrived at Paul's house to find that Paul didn't want to get up. He asked Paul if he had a headache and he nodded "yes". Dad tried to get him up and he lost his balance and couldn't walk. Tabby called the neurosurgeon and he advised her to take Paul to Fairfax Hospital so they could do a CAT Scan & some x-rays. They arrived at the hospital around 12pm. The CAT scan showed no change since the last test. They took blood and said everything looks good. Dad asked if he could be experiencing some motion sickness. They thought that seemed possible so they called the doctor and he prescribed medicine for motion sickness. They also did x-rays of his stomach and said all was fine there. After the tests he was sent home. On the way to the hospital Tabby brought a water bottle for Paul and a Diet Soda for herself. He was drinking his bottle and noticed that her soda was in the cupholder so he reached for her soda and began to drink it ... little sneak!! Dad had to stop at a gas station. Tabby went into the store to get a soda and Dad had laid his glasses on the dashboard. Dad looked at Paul and said "Paul give me my glasses" and he reached out to try to give them to Dad. If he hadn't been seatbelted in he would have been able to reach them. This evening he seemed to feel better. When they got home Tabby went to Dairy Queen and got chicken strips & french fries for Paul. He was having trouble getting the french fries with his fork so Dad cut up the french fries. Then Tabby poured gravy on them ... he looked at her and frowned. He wasn't happy but he ate them anyway! Tonight Nana Richard, Aunt Ann & Aunt Cathy came by to visit. He seemed to recognize them. It was nice to have them and they were surprised how good he looks. Saturday we will start Physical Therapy with the new company. Still no news on the Speech Therapist ... hopefully we will start that next week. Saturday is also Tabby's baby shower. She has less than 4 weeks left before little Maxwell is due! We are so happy to be able to celebrate with her and prepare for this blessing.
Have a great weekend, Lynne & Carl
Friday, May 12, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/11/06
Dear Friends:
Dad stayed over at Paul's on Wednesday night so he had Paul up early this morning. He got him up at 7:00, bathed him, dressed him and gave him breakfast. Tabby had false labor that lasted about 24 hours. She was uncomfortable all night but the doctor sent her home from the hospital and said to come back if they persisted. She is ready to be finished with her pregnancy but she also hopes the baby will wait until at least the end of the month before he comes. Paul was awake a lot during the night ... he seemed pretty worried about her. She finally fell asleep at 5am. She had some sleeping pills but they only made her groggy. So each time she would get pain, she was awake. She was planning to try to go to work but Carolyn talked her out of it. It was good that she stayed home because the new nursing service came to do the intake and needed Tabby to sign paperwork. They were pleased that Paul is doing so well and they even thought he didn't really need in-home nursing and planned to be "on call" if we need them. But they decided that since he will have surgery next week they will do a few in-home visits until he recovers from that. The Physical Therapist will start on Saturday. Dad asked about the Speech Therapist and the nurse said she would check on that. Dad had to move Paul more in the wheelchair today since he was tired from not sleeping all night. He was very responsive though. Dad seems to think that Paul may be experiencing dizziness and would like to try some medicine for motion sickness but the doctor wants to finish taking him off the medicines that he is being weaned from before we do that. He is completely done with the Arisept and will finish his last dose of Provigel this weekend. Paul wasn't ready to go to bed tonight until after Tabby said she was going to bed ... then he was ready!! He really likes his new bed. He likes to use the remote to set the contols on the bed by himself. He also has the remote control for the TV now. He set the TV on TV Land so he could watch Bonanza and Gunsmoke this afternoon. Paul is smiling more and more ... Dad is anxious to hear him laugh (we all are!). It is nice to see him smile! Tabby gave Paul a bowl of peanuts tonight. He had a little trouble picking them up. Dad said "you just need to pick them up" and Paul looked at Dad with a "mad" look. Dad said "I know your trying" and Paul shook his head "yes" and smiled! He finally picked them up and he enjoyed them. Friday should be a quiet day. It is the first quiet day all week!! So many good things happened though ... blessings, blessings, blessings!! Praise God!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Dad stayed over at Paul's on Wednesday night so he had Paul up early this morning. He got him up at 7:00, bathed him, dressed him and gave him breakfast. Tabby had false labor that lasted about 24 hours. She was uncomfortable all night but the doctor sent her home from the hospital and said to come back if they persisted. She is ready to be finished with her pregnancy but she also hopes the baby will wait until at least the end of the month before he comes. Paul was awake a lot during the night ... he seemed pretty worried about her. She finally fell asleep at 5am. She had some sleeping pills but they only made her groggy. So each time she would get pain, she was awake. She was planning to try to go to work but Carolyn talked her out of it. It was good that she stayed home because the new nursing service came to do the intake and needed Tabby to sign paperwork. They were pleased that Paul is doing so well and they even thought he didn't really need in-home nursing and planned to be "on call" if we need them. But they decided that since he will have surgery next week they will do a few in-home visits until he recovers from that. The Physical Therapist will start on Saturday. Dad asked about the Speech Therapist and the nurse said she would check on that. Dad had to move Paul more in the wheelchair today since he was tired from not sleeping all night. He was very responsive though. Dad seems to think that Paul may be experiencing dizziness and would like to try some medicine for motion sickness but the doctor wants to finish taking him off the medicines that he is being weaned from before we do that. He is completely done with the Arisept and will finish his last dose of Provigel this weekend. Paul wasn't ready to go to bed tonight until after Tabby said she was going to bed ... then he was ready!! He really likes his new bed. He likes to use the remote to set the contols on the bed by himself. He also has the remote control for the TV now. He set the TV on TV Land so he could watch Bonanza and Gunsmoke this afternoon. Paul is smiling more and more ... Dad is anxious to hear him laugh (we all are!). It is nice to see him smile! Tabby gave Paul a bowl of peanuts tonight. He had a little trouble picking them up. Dad said "you just need to pick them up" and Paul looked at Dad with a "mad" look. Dad said "I know your trying" and Paul shook his head "yes" and smiled! He finally picked them up and he enjoyed them. Friday should be a quiet day. It is the first quiet day all week!! So many good things happened though ... blessings, blessings, blessings!! Praise God!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Soap Box 3
I was reminded today of a story about two children who believed the other was after them. It was a clear game of one upsmanship in which neither one ever gained the upperhand. The facts that each child offerred as explanation to their parents after each incident never held water. The scrutiny the parents applied just showed it was nothing more than paranoia. Finally the parents gave up in frustration as the two kids continued their needling and immature attitudes.
Soap Box 2
Let me see. What is new here in Virginia?
Jacqui is still in the holding pattern but next Tuesday is the day they will land regardless of how comfortable the child is.
Tammy is due this weekend.
Tabby spent the night with false labor but still has 4 weeks to go.
Another young lady, who has been in our life a long time, has approached us about staying with us while she gets her life organized. So we are thinking and trying to come up with best solution.
We are looking forward to seeing Jessi very soon and even meet her fiancée.
##########
Another attack on a police station by a mentally sick youth sparks many thoughts. He brought seven weapons from home, carjacked a ride to erase 1 life and the jury is still out whether the 2nd police man will survive. They found even more weapons lying all over the house. I know the NRA and gun rights advocates will argue the constitutional right to bear arms. I can even hear the argument that people kill not the gun. But I see it similar to is a drunk kills someone when he drives home .. the bartender can be liable for serving the drink to him. If a child does something when he is a minor ... the parent can be held liable. So in this case a parent that leaves a house full of weapons laying about knowing they have a mentally disturbed child fresh from a facility .. they are liable. Yes the parents have the right to bear arms and have them for defense but they also have a requirement to maintain the weapons in a secure and safe manner. In my thoughts the parents should be charged as an accessory or even as negligent. It is time to get this problem under control. If you want to express your constitutional right .. go ahead and get as many weapons as you like ... but also understand you are required to be responsible for the security of them.
Well, I see Venezuela is conducting a war of resistance against United States oil interests. Gee, how quickly they forget all the aid when things go wrong. If they want to use oil to hold us hostage then we counter by removing all their aid and see who collapses first.
The United States needs to quit being Mr. Nice Guy and expect something in return when we come to their aid when their policies and actions create a massive problem. There is a big difference between Charity and being taken advantage of. Wake up George Bush and do what is right and don't let the flag be trampled on.
Jacqui is still in the holding pattern but next Tuesday is the day they will land regardless of how comfortable the child is.
Tammy is due this weekend.
Tabby spent the night with false labor but still has 4 weeks to go.
Another young lady, who has been in our life a long time, has approached us about staying with us while she gets her life organized. So we are thinking and trying to come up with best solution.
We are looking forward to seeing Jessi very soon and even meet her fiancée.
##########
Another attack on a police station by a mentally sick youth sparks many thoughts. He brought seven weapons from home, carjacked a ride to erase 1 life and the jury is still out whether the 2nd police man will survive. They found even more weapons lying all over the house. I know the NRA and gun rights advocates will argue the constitutional right to bear arms. I can even hear the argument that people kill not the gun. But I see it similar to is a drunk kills someone when he drives home .. the bartender can be liable for serving the drink to him. If a child does something when he is a minor ... the parent can be held liable. So in this case a parent that leaves a house full of weapons laying about knowing they have a mentally disturbed child fresh from a facility .. they are liable. Yes the parents have the right to bear arms and have them for defense but they also have a requirement to maintain the weapons in a secure and safe manner. In my thoughts the parents should be charged as an accessory or even as negligent. It is time to get this problem under control. If you want to express your constitutional right .. go ahead and get as many weapons as you like ... but also understand you are required to be responsible for the security of them.
Well, I see Venezuela is conducting a war of resistance against United States oil interests. Gee, how quickly they forget all the aid when things go wrong. If they want to use oil to hold us hostage then we counter by removing all their aid and see who collapses first.
The United States needs to quit being Mr. Nice Guy and expect something in return when we come to their aid when their policies and actions create a massive problem. There is a big difference between Charity and being taken advantage of. Wake up George Bush and do what is right and don't let the flag be trampled on.
Paul's Update - 05/10/06
Dear Friends:
This email will be shorter than normal since Dad is spending the night with Paul (he's my "source" you know!!). Tabby went to the emergency room tonight with labor pains. She had seen her doctor earlier today and he suspected she was having some "pre-term labor" but when she timed them this afternoon they were 6 minutes apart and by tonight they were 4 minutes apart so Carolyn took her to Fairfax Hospital. As of this writing I don't have more information than that. I will keep you posted. Today was a day at home. Paul & Tabby's bed was to be delivered sometime between 12pm & 2pm. Paul had to sit up in the wheelchair for quite a bit since they had to take down the hospital bed in order to make room for the new bed. He doesn't mind sitting up though ... he actually prefers it. Dad said that Paul was saying things today that sound more and more like words ... like "I know" and "no". Maybe once the speech therapist starts he will learn how to formulate his words more clearly. The Nursing Agency called and said they should have a nurse out by tomorrow to do an intake. The Occupational Therapist that we had with PW Health Services is also going to be with us when we start with Livin Rite. He is employed by both health care agencies. When I came in tonight ... I saw Bobby & Paul both laying in Paul's new bed. They looked pretty comfortable and Paul was smiling. Dad asked him if he liked his new bed and he nodded "yes" and smiled. The bedroom looks lots less like a hospital room now! Tonight we had Chinese food for dinner. Paul ate Beef & Broccoli with rice. There really seems to be no limit to what he is able to eat. Praise God! Imagine it was only about 3 weeks ago that he even started eating foods!! I noticed tonight that Paul is also walking better. Dad still has to hold him and guide him but he is doing all the leg work himself and it actually looks more like walking now. He takes good steps with both feet now! Once he has better balance on his own we believe he will walk by himself one day!! Thanks for your prayers ... please keep Tabby & Max in your prayers too!
Love, Lynne & Carl
This email will be shorter than normal since Dad is spending the night with Paul (he's my "source" you know!!). Tabby went to the emergency room tonight with labor pains. She had seen her doctor earlier today and he suspected she was having some "pre-term labor" but when she timed them this afternoon they were 6 minutes apart and by tonight they were 4 minutes apart so Carolyn took her to Fairfax Hospital. As of this writing I don't have more information than that. I will keep you posted. Today was a day at home. Paul & Tabby's bed was to be delivered sometime between 12pm & 2pm. Paul had to sit up in the wheelchair for quite a bit since they had to take down the hospital bed in order to make room for the new bed. He doesn't mind sitting up though ... he actually prefers it. Dad said that Paul was saying things today that sound more and more like words ... like "I know" and "no". Maybe once the speech therapist starts he will learn how to formulate his words more clearly. The Nursing Agency called and said they should have a nurse out by tomorrow to do an intake. The Occupational Therapist that we had with PW Health Services is also going to be with us when we start with Livin Rite. He is employed by both health care agencies. When I came in tonight ... I saw Bobby & Paul both laying in Paul's new bed. They looked pretty comfortable and Paul was smiling. Dad asked him if he liked his new bed and he nodded "yes" and smiled. The bedroom looks lots less like a hospital room now! Tonight we had Chinese food for dinner. Paul ate Beef & Broccoli with rice. There really seems to be no limit to what he is able to eat. Praise God! Imagine it was only about 3 weeks ago that he even started eating foods!! I noticed tonight that Paul is also walking better. Dad still has to hold him and guide him but he is doing all the leg work himself and it actually looks more like walking now. He takes good steps with both feet now! Once he has better balance on his own we believe he will walk by himself one day!! Thanks for your prayers ... please keep Tabby & Max in your prayers too!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/09/06
Dear Friends:
Paul had another really great day. Tabby made Paul a smoothie this morning after breakfast. She had some bananas that needed to be used up and some frozen strawberries. He loved it. He even held the straw in his mouth and moved the cup around to stir the smoothie!! He had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon today. The doctor plans to do surgery on May 17th. He will remove the plate and as many of the screws as possible. When they arrived the first thing they had to do was x-rays of Paul's foot. That took an hour. When the doctor looked at them he said he will try to get all the screws but it won't hurt if he leaves two of them. The day of surgery will be long. Paul will need to be at Fairfax Hospital at 8am. Surgery is scheduled at 11:30am. By the time all is done it will probably take most of the day before he will be able to go home. The doctor told Dad that he had just been thinking about Paul a couple of days ago. He had done another surgery just like Paul's only the other patient was worse. The doctor was amazed at how well Paul is doing and was surprised to see him be able to eat! The nurse brought Paul some graham crackers since she knew he'd missed lunch. When they got home Paul sat outside. Tabby sat on the swing and Paul wanted to sit with her. He was trying to get out of the wheelchair. Dad said "do you want to sit by Tabby?" and he nodded his head. So Dad put him in the swing and he smiled and put his arm out for Tabby to hold. Then he used his feet to push the swing. I wish you could have seen how good he looked. He sat proud and happy with his wife on a beautiful day in front of their home!! How great is that?? When he was ready to go back in the house. He held out his hand and dad thought he wanted a drink so Dad went and got a cup of Kool-Aid. He took the cup and drank a couple of sips, gave it to Tabby and she took a drink. When she gave it back to Paul he took another sip and looked at it for a second. Then he held the cup out and tossed the rest of it on the ground! He took everyone by surprise. Tabby told him "please don't do that in the house" and he nodded his head. That's one way to say "I'm done with this"! Tabby rearranged the bedroom today so Paul's bed is now facing the TV. Tabby has decided to buy a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed so they can both sleep in the same bed. He really doesn't need the hospital bed as long as the head and feet can be adjustable. The bed comes Wednesday. Paul had to get in the hospital bed on the opposite side tonight. It was an interesting change for him. Instead of getting in and laying down to the right side he needed to go to the left. He didn't of course ... he is use to going to the right and so he did. He ended up laying across the bed instead of in the bed! He realized that it was wrong and pulled himself up from a completely laid out position back to a sitting position. Dad helped him get into the right position after that! Paul was pretty tired by then but he did take a little time to play with the bed controls!! We still haven't really had a time to meet with the new nursing service. Someone is suppose to come Wednesday but it may only be for an evaluation. Hopefully, they will start the therapies by Thursday!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Paul had another really great day. Tabby made Paul a smoothie this morning after breakfast. She had some bananas that needed to be used up and some frozen strawberries. He loved it. He even held the straw in his mouth and moved the cup around to stir the smoothie!! He had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon today. The doctor plans to do surgery on May 17th. He will remove the plate and as many of the screws as possible. When they arrived the first thing they had to do was x-rays of Paul's foot. That took an hour. When the doctor looked at them he said he will try to get all the screws but it won't hurt if he leaves two of them. The day of surgery will be long. Paul will need to be at Fairfax Hospital at 8am. Surgery is scheduled at 11:30am. By the time all is done it will probably take most of the day before he will be able to go home. The doctor told Dad that he had just been thinking about Paul a couple of days ago. He had done another surgery just like Paul's only the other patient was worse. The doctor was amazed at how well Paul is doing and was surprised to see him be able to eat! The nurse brought Paul some graham crackers since she knew he'd missed lunch. When they got home Paul sat outside. Tabby sat on the swing and Paul wanted to sit with her. He was trying to get out of the wheelchair. Dad said "do you want to sit by Tabby?" and he nodded his head. So Dad put him in the swing and he smiled and put his arm out for Tabby to hold. Then he used his feet to push the swing. I wish you could have seen how good he looked. He sat proud and happy with his wife on a beautiful day in front of their home!! How great is that?? When he was ready to go back in the house. He held out his hand and dad thought he wanted a drink so Dad went and got a cup of Kool-Aid. He took the cup and drank a couple of sips, gave it to Tabby and she took a drink. When she gave it back to Paul he took another sip and looked at it for a second. Then he held the cup out and tossed the rest of it on the ground! He took everyone by surprise. Tabby told him "please don't do that in the house" and he nodded his head. That's one way to say "I'm done with this"! Tabby rearranged the bedroom today so Paul's bed is now facing the TV. Tabby has decided to buy a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed so they can both sleep in the same bed. He really doesn't need the hospital bed as long as the head and feet can be adjustable. The bed comes Wednesday. Paul had to get in the hospital bed on the opposite side tonight. It was an interesting change for him. Instead of getting in and laying down to the right side he needed to go to the left. He didn't of course ... he is use to going to the right and so he did. He ended up laying across the bed instead of in the bed! He realized that it was wrong and pulled himself up from a completely laid out position back to a sitting position. Dad helped him get into the right position after that! Paul was pretty tired by then but he did take a little time to play with the bed controls!! We still haven't really had a time to meet with the new nursing service. Someone is suppose to come Wednesday but it may only be for an evaluation. Hopefully, they will start the therapies by Thursday!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Chuckles - IV
Well, wild momma has left for home. We had a great time and love having her here but it was time for her to return and terrorize Florida for a while. I was trying to recall the last time I spent that much time (4 weeks) with mom. To recollection I would have to go all the way back to 1971. Love you Mom and hurry back -- down the road.
My best friend in the world turns 50 this month. It was fun giving her an AARP card this week. When she asks for Geritol I will know the transformation is complete.
Over the next four weeks, three of the young ladies in our life will bring a new life into the world. I am preparing for goochee-goochee overload. I am proud of them for choosing life.
This weekend I watched a PBS series called "Texas Ranch 1867". It was a good demonstration of life in 19th Century Texas. It was funny watch the people live in that environment. The Ranch Owner and his family couldn't get the 21st Century mindset out of their head. The women were the worse in not accepting their roles in that period. The Ranch owner couldn't say no to his wife and it showed. Also he was a crook, making promises and then breaking them if he thought he could profit from it. The Ranch hands did well and were the real bright spot of the show. I would recommend the show to anyone interested in those types of reality shows.
Some people in this world deserve a good smack up side the head to hopefully dislodge their common sense into motion. It is frustrating at what some people to help only to make failure more likely to happen. Yes, I stepped into their trap and will most likely have to pay the price. What knucklehead would ever to that? Sheesh ...
Thanks wizards for a thrown away season. You wanted Cleveland in the first round because you beat them in the regular season series. Well, your less than stellar play gave the series away. Even the manager won't watch the 6th game on tape because it is so bad. I wish I could just focus on the Nationals but I am tired of watching losing teams.
Baseball is about to let Juiced-up Barry lessen the integrity of the game when he breaks the Babe's record. He said he took the juice thinking it was something else. If he was as good as he said he was in the Costa's Interview then why didn't he stay clean? He said the juiced guys even with the juice weren't as good as him -- so why juice up or take anything "you didn't know what it was?" Barry, you have smeared the integrity of the game. Step back and honor the Babe and don't hit number 714.
My best friend in the world turns 50 this month. It was fun giving her an AARP card this week. When she asks for Geritol I will know the transformation is complete.
Over the next four weeks, three of the young ladies in our life will bring a new life into the world. I am preparing for goochee-goochee overload. I am proud of them for choosing life.
This weekend I watched a PBS series called "Texas Ranch 1867". It was a good demonstration of life in 19th Century Texas. It was funny watch the people live in that environment. The Ranch Owner and his family couldn't get the 21st Century mindset out of their head. The women were the worse in not accepting their roles in that period. The Ranch owner couldn't say no to his wife and it showed. Also he was a crook, making promises and then breaking them if he thought he could profit from it. The Ranch hands did well and were the real bright spot of the show. I would recommend the show to anyone interested in those types of reality shows.
Some people in this world deserve a good smack up side the head to hopefully dislodge their common sense into motion. It is frustrating at what some people to help only to make failure more likely to happen. Yes, I stepped into their trap and will most likely have to pay the price. What knucklehead would ever to that? Sheesh ...
Thanks wizards for a thrown away season. You wanted Cleveland in the first round because you beat them in the regular season series. Well, your less than stellar play gave the series away. Even the manager won't watch the 6th game on tape because it is so bad. I wish I could just focus on the Nationals but I am tired of watching losing teams.
Baseball is about to let Juiced-up Barry lessen the integrity of the game when he breaks the Babe's record. He said he took the juice thinking it was something else. If he was as good as he said he was in the Costa's Interview then why didn't he stay clean? He said the juiced guys even with the juice weren't as good as him -- so why juice up or take anything "you didn't know what it was?" Barry, you have smeared the integrity of the game. Step back and honor the Babe and don't hit number 714.
Paul's Update - 05/08/06
Dear Friends:
Dad arrived at Paul's house very early today. The gastroenterologist appointment was at 8am today. Dad got Paul into the car and took him to the office. The doctor decided that it was time to take out the G-tube (feeding tube). He couldn't do it in his office because he was not familiar with the type of tube that was installed. He said he had an opening to do the procedure at Prince William Hospital this afternoon. Dad took him home and let Paul rest. He wasn't able to eat anything three hours prior to the procedure. He got chicken broth for lunch but he didn't like it. Dad told him he had to go back to have the tube taken out and he nodded. Dad helped get him in the car. When they got to the hospital to get ready, Tabby told him that in a few mintues someone was coming to take him so they could remove the tube ... he smiled. He was ready. They had a little trouble getting the IV in and the nurses were slapping his hand. He wasn't very happy about that!! The anesthesiologist came and put the IV in the neck vein. The doctor started with a scope to see what the device looked like and also how Paul's stomach and esophagus were. The procedure went quickly they used a scope and went into the stomach and snipped the tube and pulled it out. Evidently they were able to see that Paul has a hiatal hernia but everything looked good and they were able to remove the tube without any trouble. Afterwards Paul came home and rested for a bit. He had some of Ensure and laid in bed resting until around 7:30pm when we went out to get our dinner. We bought him a Ham & Cheese sub at Subway. He ate it all by himself. He loved it. He seems to be more alert every day. He is also responding more directly to our questions ... instead of staring at us he responds immediately. He is also standing and walking better. He does about 90% of the work while Dad keeps him balanced and prevents him from falling. Tonight when Dad went to put him back in bed after dinner he did most of the work to get back in the bed. Tuesday is the appointment with the orthopedist. This will only be a consultation but it will be the time for the doctor to decide when he wants to do surgery to remove the plate in Paul's foot. That should be the last scheduled procedure for Paul. The only "equipment" we have to worry about now is the shunt. Tabby plans to call the neurosurgeon Tuesday and let him know that Paul seems to be having headaches and see if there is reason to be concerned. Hopefully it will just be a normal symptom of living with a shunt! Not fun ... but not dangerous!
Have a great day! Love, Lynne & Carl
Dad arrived at Paul's house very early today. The gastroenterologist appointment was at 8am today. Dad got Paul into the car and took him to the office. The doctor decided that it was time to take out the G-tube (feeding tube). He couldn't do it in his office because he was not familiar with the type of tube that was installed. He said he had an opening to do the procedure at Prince William Hospital this afternoon. Dad took him home and let Paul rest. He wasn't able to eat anything three hours prior to the procedure. He got chicken broth for lunch but he didn't like it. Dad told him he had to go back to have the tube taken out and he nodded. Dad helped get him in the car. When they got to the hospital to get ready, Tabby told him that in a few mintues someone was coming to take him so they could remove the tube ... he smiled. He was ready. They had a little trouble getting the IV in and the nurses were slapping his hand. He wasn't very happy about that!! The anesthesiologist came and put the IV in the neck vein. The doctor started with a scope to see what the device looked like and also how Paul's stomach and esophagus were. The procedure went quickly they used a scope and went into the stomach and snipped the tube and pulled it out. Evidently they were able to see that Paul has a hiatal hernia but everything looked good and they were able to remove the tube without any trouble. Afterwards Paul came home and rested for a bit. He had some of Ensure and laid in bed resting until around 7:30pm when we went out to get our dinner. We bought him a Ham & Cheese sub at Subway. He ate it all by himself. He loved it. He seems to be more alert every day. He is also responding more directly to our questions ... instead of staring at us he responds immediately. He is also standing and walking better. He does about 90% of the work while Dad keeps him balanced and prevents him from falling. Tonight when Dad went to put him back in bed after dinner he did most of the work to get back in the bed. Tuesday is the appointment with the orthopedist. This will only be a consultation but it will be the time for the doctor to decide when he wants to do surgery to remove the plate in Paul's foot. That should be the last scheduled procedure for Paul. The only "equipment" we have to worry about now is the shunt. Tabby plans to call the neurosurgeon Tuesday and let him know that Paul seems to be having headaches and see if there is reason to be concerned. Hopefully it will just be a normal symptom of living with a shunt! Not fun ... but not dangerous!
Have a great day! Love, Lynne & Carl
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/07/06
Dear Friends:
I apologize for the dates on the last couple of emails...I just can't believe it is May...sigh! I guess the late night thing sometimes shows through!
Sunday was yet another great day for Paul. Dad went over to Paul's after church. Paul was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Tabby said Paul had pancakes for breakfast ... he loved it! They got him up once dad got there and made a TV dinner for lunch. He did real good with it. He seems even more alert this weekend. He tries to communicate more and seems to know what is happening around him. He seems to be trying to do more task oriented things. Yesterday when he was done with his drink he dropped the cup on the floor ... today when he was done Dad told him not to drop it on the floor. There was a trash can close to him and he reached over and dropped the cup in the trashcan! Dad had him up and walking today. He is taking better steps even though he still has trouble with the right foot. He is also using his right hand more to accomplish the tasks he wants to achieve! Tabby now has a name for the baby ... she asked him about several names and he said "no" to all of them. When she asked if he liked Maxwell Lucas he said "yes" ... so there you have it ... Maxwell Lucas it is! Ronda & Shirley came by to visit, Ronda asked Paul if he was ready to be a dad ... he immediately nodded "yes"! Paul's cousin came by with his wife. This was her first visit since the accident and she was pretty emotional. It is hard to see someone you know in Paul's condition. Dad explained to her that Paul has come a long way and still has a long way to go but God is blessing us each day and he has made remarkable improvement. We hold on to the stories we hear about people that recover quite well over a long period of time and lead fairly normal lives. Dinner tonight was Tuna Noodle Casserole. This is a favorite meal for Paul & Tabby. It is also one of the only things that Paul could cook before the accident!! He loved it and ate two helpings of it. When he was almost done Tabby said "it's all gone baby" and he took his spoon and found one more bite!! LOL Monday is the appointment with the gastroenterologist to find out when we can have the G-Tube taken out. The new company for therapy starts also. Hopefully they will start the speech therapist right away!! Paul is trying more and more to vocalize his answers along with his head movements. It seems that NOW is the time for the best results from speech therapy. Paul has been complaining a lot about his head hurting. This may mean that we need to contact the neurosurgeon (Dr. Azzam) to see if there is a problem with the shunt. That is a possible symptom of problem so it may be wise to find out. With all the progress we have had certainly we pray that we aren't looking at a setback!! Keep praying ... God is doing amazing things!
Love, Lynne & Carl
I apologize for the dates on the last couple of emails...I just can't believe it is May...sigh! I guess the late night thing sometimes shows through!
Sunday was yet another great day for Paul. Dad went over to Paul's after church. Paul was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Tabby said Paul had pancakes for breakfast ... he loved it! They got him up once dad got there and made a TV dinner for lunch. He did real good with it. He seems even more alert this weekend. He tries to communicate more and seems to know what is happening around him. He seems to be trying to do more task oriented things. Yesterday when he was done with his drink he dropped the cup on the floor ... today when he was done Dad told him not to drop it on the floor. There was a trash can close to him and he reached over and dropped the cup in the trashcan! Dad had him up and walking today. He is taking better steps even though he still has trouble with the right foot. He is also using his right hand more to accomplish the tasks he wants to achieve! Tabby now has a name for the baby ... she asked him about several names and he said "no" to all of them. When she asked if he liked Maxwell Lucas he said "yes" ... so there you have it ... Maxwell Lucas it is! Ronda & Shirley came by to visit, Ronda asked Paul if he was ready to be a dad ... he immediately nodded "yes"! Paul's cousin came by with his wife. This was her first visit since the accident and she was pretty emotional. It is hard to see someone you know in Paul's condition. Dad explained to her that Paul has come a long way and still has a long way to go but God is blessing us each day and he has made remarkable improvement. We hold on to the stories we hear about people that recover quite well over a long period of time and lead fairly normal lives. Dinner tonight was Tuna Noodle Casserole. This is a favorite meal for Paul & Tabby. It is also one of the only things that Paul could cook before the accident!! He loved it and ate two helpings of it. When he was almost done Tabby said "it's all gone baby" and he took his spoon and found one more bite!! LOL Monday is the appointment with the gastroenterologist to find out when we can have the G-Tube taken out. The new company for therapy starts also. Hopefully they will start the speech therapist right away!! Paul is trying more and more to vocalize his answers along with his head movements. It seems that NOW is the time for the best results from speech therapy. Paul has been complaining a lot about his head hurting. This may mean that we need to contact the neurosurgeon (Dr. Azzam) to see if there is a problem with the shunt. That is a possible symptom of problem so it may be wise to find out. With all the progress we have had certainly we pray that we aren't looking at a setback!! Keep praying ... God is doing amazing things!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Ho Hum
Another week passes and life has remained pretty much constant. I sometimes wonder where all the free time has gone. Have I grown less efficient in my work that it has taken a bite from the free time? Perhaps the time burgular has swiped it and is enjoying it as part of his cruise. Maybe I just need to focus on Reno next march and then time will fly by.
Friday I came home early and Lady asked me .. Did you quit your job? Have I been gone that much? No seriously, I suprised them, got home early and then we went out for dinner.
Jessi has got her GED now. My how she has changed. We are proud of her and hope she continues to push herself to do better.
Still waiting for Jacqui. That kid wanted out so bad in March they had to use medicine to keep him in, remove that medicine and now he doesn't want to come out. Independent lil sucker he is.
Mom's wild days are catching up to her. She is getting addicted to cranberry cocktail juice. We told her that drinking would lead to this but she knew better. Now she drowns her worries with that bright red liquid. Next thing you know she will be spending my inheritance to buy more bottles of that elixir. Where did we go wrong? I guess her returning home Monday morning will lessen the temptations and she will return to that little old lady in Pace.
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Patrick Kennedy - you just have to love it. He denied being under the influence but checked into a drug rehab program the next day. He denied drinking but the Officer smelled it and a local hostess made a statement that she saw him drinking earlier. Why lie? It would have been simplier to say, I made a mistake and need some help. But no, like the Kennedy family is so adept at doing, lie first and dodge like hell. Shame on the Police for giving him preferential treatment. I hope they drive me home and not book me the next time I get drunk, drive and crash into a barrier while they follow me.
The Nationals are at it again. They are playing horribly and now the excuse is because they don't like the stadium and for some reason they will play better when the new one is completed. Just admit it ... the problem is with the team.
Friday I came home early and Lady asked me .. Did you quit your job? Have I been gone that much? No seriously, I suprised them, got home early and then we went out for dinner.
Jessi has got her GED now. My how she has changed. We are proud of her and hope she continues to push herself to do better.
Still waiting for Jacqui. That kid wanted out so bad in March they had to use medicine to keep him in, remove that medicine and now he doesn't want to come out. Independent lil sucker he is.
Mom's wild days are catching up to her. She is getting addicted to cranberry cocktail juice. We told her that drinking would lead to this but she knew better. Now she drowns her worries with that bright red liquid. Next thing you know she will be spending my inheritance to buy more bottles of that elixir. Where did we go wrong? I guess her returning home Monday morning will lessen the temptations and she will return to that little old lady in Pace.
##########
Patrick Kennedy - you just have to love it. He denied being under the influence but checked into a drug rehab program the next day. He denied drinking but the Officer smelled it and a local hostess made a statement that she saw him drinking earlier. Why lie? It would have been simplier to say, I made a mistake and need some help. But no, like the Kennedy family is so adept at doing, lie first and dodge like hell. Shame on the Police for giving him preferential treatment. I hope they drive me home and not book me the next time I get drunk, drive and crash into a barrier while they follow me.
The Nationals are at it again. They are playing horribly and now the excuse is because they don't like the stadium and for some reason they will play better when the new one is completed. Just admit it ... the problem is with the team.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/06/06
Dear Friends:
Friday was a pretty good day. PT came out today and the first thing she said was that this is her last day. Evidently the insurance company has reassigned a new company to provide therapy. She got right to work with Paul's walker. She had him help himself to get up with the walker. He was doing about 90% of the work. Then she had him walk out to the kitchen. The CNA put the wheelchair by the sink. He walked to it, turned around and sat in the wheelchair. She told Paul today was her last day and she asked him if he would shake her hand. He shook his head no. She said "that is just rude" he smiled and then he held out his hand so she could shake it!! He walked back and forth to the bed about six times. She wants him to do more of the work himself. He did all the leg movement by himself. Dad was in front to keep him from going too fast and the therapist was behind keeping him from falling back. It appears that if he could get his balance ... he would be able to walk by himself. Paul complained about not feeling good again. Dad gives him baby Tylenol when he doesn't feel good. Most of the day was quiet. Dad took him outside for a bit. When they came back in they watched TV for a bit.
Saturday when Dad arrived Paul seemed to be sleeping. Tabby asked Paul if he wanted to go to Starbucks. This is a regular routine for them. He nodded his head "yes" so Tabby got him dressed and gave him breakfast. They went to Starbucks and Paul had a great time. Tabby bought him a decaffeinated coffee and he drank it with a straw. He really enjoyed that. Then they took a trip to Giant to get some groceries. Tabby would ask him what he wanted he would answer. She would give him a choice and let him pick what he wanted. This really gives him some control about what he gets to eat. He is so alert these days. He still does things he shouldn't do. He will even tell you he knows he shouldn't do it but he still does it anyway. For instance ... he knows he shouldn't play with his feeding tube. Dad says "you know you shouldn't play with that" and he will shake his head "yes" but then he will reach for it anyway. Paul got to sit outside for a bit. It was a beautiful day. Dad had Paul up walking several times today. He walks him to the bathroom several times every day. Dad & Bobby went to visit a friend at the hospital today. Big Steve has an infection in his leg that they are having a hard time treating. Please keep him in your prayers. We also have another friend Al (Pop) Ford is in the hospital also. He has pneumonia and is an asthmatic. He is on oxygen and they are keeping him quiet. Keep him in your prayers too. Monday we will start with the new Nursing service. Prince William Health Services will no longer be providing nursing or therapies. The new company is Livin Rite. Evidently they have a speech therapist so they will take over all the therapies. Hopefully the speech therapist will start right away! Paul sure is ready for it!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Friday was a pretty good day. PT came out today and the first thing she said was that this is her last day. Evidently the insurance company has reassigned a new company to provide therapy. She got right to work with Paul's walker. She had him help himself to get up with the walker. He was doing about 90% of the work. Then she had him walk out to the kitchen. The CNA put the wheelchair by the sink. He walked to it, turned around and sat in the wheelchair. She told Paul today was her last day and she asked him if he would shake her hand. He shook his head no. She said "that is just rude" he smiled and then he held out his hand so she could shake it!! He walked back and forth to the bed about six times. She wants him to do more of the work himself. He did all the leg movement by himself. Dad was in front to keep him from going too fast and the therapist was behind keeping him from falling back. It appears that if he could get his balance ... he would be able to walk by himself. Paul complained about not feeling good again. Dad gives him baby Tylenol when he doesn't feel good. Most of the day was quiet. Dad took him outside for a bit. When they came back in they watched TV for a bit.
Saturday when Dad arrived Paul seemed to be sleeping. Tabby asked Paul if he wanted to go to Starbucks. This is a regular routine for them. He nodded his head "yes" so Tabby got him dressed and gave him breakfast. They went to Starbucks and Paul had a great time. Tabby bought him a decaffeinated coffee and he drank it with a straw. He really enjoyed that. Then they took a trip to Giant to get some groceries. Tabby would ask him what he wanted he would answer. She would give him a choice and let him pick what he wanted. This really gives him some control about what he gets to eat. He is so alert these days. He still does things he shouldn't do. He will even tell you he knows he shouldn't do it but he still does it anyway. For instance ... he knows he shouldn't play with his feeding tube. Dad says "you know you shouldn't play with that" and he will shake his head "yes" but then he will reach for it anyway. Paul got to sit outside for a bit. It was a beautiful day. Dad had Paul up walking several times today. He walks him to the bathroom several times every day. Dad & Bobby went to visit a friend at the hospital today. Big Steve has an infection in his leg that they are having a hard time treating. Please keep him in your prayers. We also have another friend Al (Pop) Ford is in the hospital also. He has pneumonia and is an asthmatic. He is on oxygen and they are keeping him quiet. Keep him in your prayers too. Monday we will start with the new Nursing service. Prince William Health Services will no longer be providing nursing or therapies. The new company is Livin Rite. Evidently they have a speech therapist so they will take over all the therapies. Hopefully the speech therapist will start right away! Paul sure is ready for it!
Blessings, Lynne & Carl
Friday, May 05, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/04/06
Dear Friends:
Paul started out today not feeling well. Dad gave him some Tylenol. He felt better. Dad is making Paul choose his meals all the time now. He holds a couple of meals in front of Paul and lets him touch what he wants. He doesn't seem to like the Chicken Fried Chicken ... Dad keeps giving it as a choice and he picks something else every time. Even when you change the order of where it is he seems to go around it. There wasn't any therapy today. Dad walked him into the bathroom several times today. Now that he is able to get around a bit better he is encouraging Paul to use the toilet seat we have for him. Since he cannot really tell us when he needs to go into the bathroom, Dad takes him several time throughout the day. It is a lot of work to get him in there ... it's a good thing Dad is strong! Paul seems to be OK with going in there but isn't always successful yet. Paul went to the dentist today and was evaluated. He did really good in the car. Our car has leather seats and he seemed to be able to get in and out easier. He cooperated when the dentist asked him to open his mouth and also when they did X-rays. Dad had to help Paul hold the film card in his mouth so they could get a good set of X-rays without Paul dropping it. It is going to be very expensive to fix his teeth. Lots of damage was done from the accident and the lack of care since the accident. Tabby wants to get a second opinion and see if she can find someone that will be covered by Medicaid. When they got back from the dentist Paul didn't want to get out of the car. He stiffened up his legs and wouldn't let Dad move them out of the car. Dad had to promise to let him sit outside before he would loosen his legs get out of the car. After they went inside Dad & Paul watched HGTV for a little bit. They seem to enjoy watching house makeovers!!! Tabby always knew she would convert Paul to HGTV someday!! LOL Later in the evening Bobby went to Wendy's for dinner. Dad got a Frosty and split it with Paul. He loved it ... Dad had to keep reminding Paul that he had to eat a little bit at a time and slowly so he doesn't get "brain freeze". Tonight Paul was playing with the feeding tube again. When Tabby moved his hand away a couple of times he got mad and squeezed her hand. This is his way of letting her know he was mad! As frustrating as this is ... it is good to see some personality! Dad said he has been seeing Paul smile more. Maybe we will hear him laugh again someday. We miss things like that. We are so thankful for what we have though ... it is nice to see him progress each day!
Blessings, Carl and Lynne
Paul started out today not feeling well. Dad gave him some Tylenol. He felt better. Dad is making Paul choose his meals all the time now. He holds a couple of meals in front of Paul and lets him touch what he wants. He doesn't seem to like the Chicken Fried Chicken ... Dad keeps giving it as a choice and he picks something else every time. Even when you change the order of where it is he seems to go around it. There wasn't any therapy today. Dad walked him into the bathroom several times today. Now that he is able to get around a bit better he is encouraging Paul to use the toilet seat we have for him. Since he cannot really tell us when he needs to go into the bathroom, Dad takes him several time throughout the day. It is a lot of work to get him in there ... it's a good thing Dad is strong! Paul seems to be OK with going in there but isn't always successful yet. Paul went to the dentist today and was evaluated. He did really good in the car. Our car has leather seats and he seemed to be able to get in and out easier. He cooperated when the dentist asked him to open his mouth and also when they did X-rays. Dad had to help Paul hold the film card in his mouth so they could get a good set of X-rays without Paul dropping it. It is going to be very expensive to fix his teeth. Lots of damage was done from the accident and the lack of care since the accident. Tabby wants to get a second opinion and see if she can find someone that will be covered by Medicaid. When they got back from the dentist Paul didn't want to get out of the car. He stiffened up his legs and wouldn't let Dad move them out of the car. Dad had to promise to let him sit outside before he would loosen his legs get out of the car. After they went inside Dad & Paul watched HGTV for a little bit. They seem to enjoy watching house makeovers!!! Tabby always knew she would convert Paul to HGTV someday!! LOL Later in the evening Bobby went to Wendy's for dinner. Dad got a Frosty and split it with Paul. He loved it ... Dad had to keep reminding Paul that he had to eat a little bit at a time and slowly so he doesn't get "brain freeze". Tonight Paul was playing with the feeding tube again. When Tabby moved his hand away a couple of times he got mad and squeezed her hand. This is his way of letting her know he was mad! As frustrating as this is ... it is good to see some personality! Dad said he has been seeing Paul smile more. Maybe we will hear him laugh again someday. We miss things like that. We are so thankful for what we have though ... it is nice to see him progress each day!
Blessings, Carl and Lynne
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/03/06
Dear Friends:
We had another good day. PT & OT came today. They worked together. PT put 7lb weight on each leg and Paul did 50 reps with each leg. The therapist said she is surprised Paul can do this since even she couldn't probably do it! She tried tossing a ball to him to get him to catch it with his good hand. Then she wanted him to toss it to her with both hands. He couldn't throw with both hands but could throw it across the kitchen with one hand. Then she had him catch it and hand it to the OT. After they had exercised the legs and upper body they had him stand at the sink and do some balancing. Dad is having him walk more and he is trying to get up from the wheelchair by himself more. They are having him bend forward to get up and when he gets forward to stand they have him set back down. This exercises the stomach muscles. The therapists want us to continue to give Paul things that don't go in the mouth like his hairbrush so he starts using familiar things correctly. He is now deciding what he will eat most of the time. Dad makes him choose what he wants. He usually has 2-3 choices. He seems to like what he chooses. Tonight Dad gave him a choice between a chicken dinner and Pizza. He chose pizza and ate it with his fingers (pizza is "finger food" you know!!) He did really well and even licked his fingers to get the cheese and the tomato paste off. He is trying more and more to respond with sound. We cannot understand the sounds yet but every time you talk to him he responds with sound. He even changes the tone of the sound like he is trying to get different words out. Today Tabby told him he also needs to give head movements along with the sound so we understand him. At one point he shook his head and it sounded like he said "no" so it appears that he understands what he needs to do. Tabby made several doctor appointments for next week. May 8th he sees the gastroenterologist who can decide when the feeding tube can come out. The 9th he sees the orthopedist to decide when he can have surgery to remove the plate in his foot. The 18th he will go to the ophthalmologist to determine what he sees. Thursday this week is the dentist. Over the next two weeks the meds that are being discontinued will be decreased. Paul has now been home for a month and has made such great progress. A friend came by today that hasn't seen Paul since he was in the nursing home. He was quite impressed at the improvements he saw. Paul & Tabby's baby is due on June 8th (five more weeks!) and it looks more and more like Paul will be able to be there for the birth and will be able to enjoy his son when he arrives! Praise God!
Have a great day!! Lynne & Carl
We had another good day. PT & OT came today. They worked together. PT put 7lb weight on each leg and Paul did 50 reps with each leg. The therapist said she is surprised Paul can do this since even she couldn't probably do it! She tried tossing a ball to him to get him to catch it with his good hand. Then she wanted him to toss it to her with both hands. He couldn't throw with both hands but could throw it across the kitchen with one hand. Then she had him catch it and hand it to the OT. After they had exercised the legs and upper body they had him stand at the sink and do some balancing. Dad is having him walk more and he is trying to get up from the wheelchair by himself more. They are having him bend forward to get up and when he gets forward to stand they have him set back down. This exercises the stomach muscles. The therapists want us to continue to give Paul things that don't go in the mouth like his hairbrush so he starts using familiar things correctly. He is now deciding what he will eat most of the time. Dad makes him choose what he wants. He usually has 2-3 choices. He seems to like what he chooses. Tonight Dad gave him a choice between a chicken dinner and Pizza. He chose pizza and ate it with his fingers (pizza is "finger food" you know!!) He did really well and even licked his fingers to get the cheese and the tomato paste off. He is trying more and more to respond with sound. We cannot understand the sounds yet but every time you talk to him he responds with sound. He even changes the tone of the sound like he is trying to get different words out. Today Tabby told him he also needs to give head movements along with the sound so we understand him. At one point he shook his head and it sounded like he said "no" so it appears that he understands what he needs to do. Tabby made several doctor appointments for next week. May 8th he sees the gastroenterologist who can decide when the feeding tube can come out. The 9th he sees the orthopedist to decide when he can have surgery to remove the plate in his foot. The 18th he will go to the ophthalmologist to determine what he sees. Thursday this week is the dentist. Over the next two weeks the meds that are being discontinued will be decreased. Paul has now been home for a month and has made such great progress. A friend came by today that hasn't seen Paul since he was in the nursing home. He was quite impressed at the improvements he saw. Paul & Tabby's baby is due on June 8th (five more weeks!) and it looks more and more like Paul will be able to be there for the birth and will be able to enjoy his son when he arrives! Praise God!
Have a great day!! Lynne & Carl
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Paul's Update - 05/02/06
Dear Friends:
Monday was a good day. OT came at lunch to watch Paul eat. Paul was eating country fried steak, mashed potatoes & corn. He was impressed at how well Paul eats and drinks. After watching him eat the therapist said he is going to try to get approval to come an extra day each week (three times instead of two). The Nurse came by to see Paul. He watched Paul drink water and was also impressed. He checked all Paul's vitals and said everything was great. He and the other therapists are happy to see the progress Paul has made since they started working with him. The attribute a lot of it to the family support. One of the men from church came by and delivered some medical supplies that he & his wife had and while he was there he mowed the grass ... what a blessing for Tabby. Another friend from church came by. She is a recreational therapist and brought some pictures to help with communication. She had a "yes" card and a "no" card along with other pictures that he could point to when he wants something. When you ask him if he can read them he nods "yes" but when you ask him to touch them he wouldn't do that. Tabby asked him to tell her what they say and when she pointed to the "yes" card he nodded "yes" then the "no" card and he shook his head "no". The therapist wants us to work on other things besides "are you hungry?". Since he communicates to us that he is hungry or thirsty she would like to see him be able to communicate other things like "I want to watch TV" or "I want to get up". Twice Paul stole someone else's drink. Dad was clearing the table at dinner and he had his tea at the far side of the table. When Dad came back Paul was drinking his tea and had a smirk on his face ... I think Dad's drink must have been better. Then when Tabby had a diet soda on the table ... she turned her back on Paul ... he put down his water and took her soda!! Paul also grabbed Tabby's hand and she thought he was going to nibble her hand but instead he pulled it towards himself and kissed it.
Today was a very busy day. We (Dad, Tabby, Bobby, Carolyn & Myself) met with the case manager from Brain Injury Services. We told her our concerns about getting a gastroenterologist, speech therapist, transportation, Dental care and vision care. She is going to check on the different doctors to see if there are some that handle, specifically, brain injury patients. She is also going to check on locating a van. Since we have the opportunity to get a speech therapist on our own (according to the insurance company) she is willing to make calls to some of the ones that work in the school system and see what she can line up for Tabby since she hasn't had the time to do this. After she left Dad, Tabby, Carolyn & Bobby went to Area Access which specializes in products that promote independent living. They provide scooters, starilifts, accessible vans, elevators etc. Tabby is considering a stairlift or elevator to move Paul to the upstairs portion of the house. Paul had a doctor appointment with the neurologist at 3pm. The trip with logisticare was not pleasant. The driver was less than efficient ... he didn't even strap Paul into a seatbelt and the van was dirty and smelly! The doctor did an evaluation and said he wanted to take Paul off some of the drugs he is currently taking. He is discontinuing the Arasept and the Provigel. He is not convinced by everything he has read that these drugs have ever been proved to be successful and he doesn't like the risk of side affects if the drug doesn't do anything. If we see a dramatic change he will consider starting them back. This means Paul is only taking the Prozac (for depression) and Nexium (for indigestion). The doctor's staff recommended that Paul go to see an opthamologist. It turns out they recommend the very same doctor that Bobby saw as a child (who we loved by the way!!). Thursday Paul has a dentist appointment to see if he can have some work done on his molars. He is going to the dentist that he had been going to before the accident and this dentist said he wants to do an evaluation prior to saying he will do the work. Tabby tried to call logisticare to arrange transportation and they cannot move him because the dentist is not covered by Medicaid. Dad & Tabby practiced getting Paul into the truck and also the car and it IS possible to move him in a private vehicle. He sits up well once you get him into the vehicle. It is challenging to get him in and out of the vehicles but Dad is strong enough to manage him. When Paul got home he was able to be outside (after dinner that is) and he stayed out until almost dark. He had a very long day and was up all day. When we left tonight he was playing with the new massager that Tabby bought for him. He had figured out how to turn it on and off and was playing with the buttons. He was pretty tired though and was dozing off.
Thanking God for our Blessings! Lynne & Carl
Monday was a good day. OT came at lunch to watch Paul eat. Paul was eating country fried steak, mashed potatoes & corn. He was impressed at how well Paul eats and drinks. After watching him eat the therapist said he is going to try to get approval to come an extra day each week (three times instead of two). The Nurse came by to see Paul. He watched Paul drink water and was also impressed. He checked all Paul's vitals and said everything was great. He and the other therapists are happy to see the progress Paul has made since they started working with him. The attribute a lot of it to the family support. One of the men from church came by and delivered some medical supplies that he & his wife had and while he was there he mowed the grass ... what a blessing for Tabby. Another friend from church came by. She is a recreational therapist and brought some pictures to help with communication. She had a "yes" card and a "no" card along with other pictures that he could point to when he wants something. When you ask him if he can read them he nods "yes" but when you ask him to touch them he wouldn't do that. Tabby asked him to tell her what they say and when she pointed to the "yes" card he nodded "yes" then the "no" card and he shook his head "no". The therapist wants us to work on other things besides "are you hungry?". Since he communicates to us that he is hungry or thirsty she would like to see him be able to communicate other things like "I want to watch TV" or "I want to get up". Twice Paul stole someone else's drink. Dad was clearing the table at dinner and he had his tea at the far side of the table. When Dad came back Paul was drinking his tea and had a smirk on his face ... I think Dad's drink must have been better. Then when Tabby had a diet soda on the table ... she turned her back on Paul ... he put down his water and took her soda!! Paul also grabbed Tabby's hand and she thought he was going to nibble her hand but instead he pulled it towards himself and kissed it.
Today was a very busy day. We (Dad, Tabby, Bobby, Carolyn & Myself) met with the case manager from Brain Injury Services. We told her our concerns about getting a gastroenterologist, speech therapist, transportation, Dental care and vision care. She is going to check on the different doctors to see if there are some that handle, specifically, brain injury patients. She is also going to check on locating a van. Since we have the opportunity to get a speech therapist on our own (according to the insurance company) she is willing to make calls to some of the ones that work in the school system and see what she can line up for Tabby since she hasn't had the time to do this. After she left Dad, Tabby, Carolyn & Bobby went to Area Access which specializes in products that promote independent living. They provide scooters, starilifts, accessible vans, elevators etc. Tabby is considering a stairlift or elevator to move Paul to the upstairs portion of the house. Paul had a doctor appointment with the neurologist at 3pm. The trip with logisticare was not pleasant. The driver was less than efficient ... he didn't even strap Paul into a seatbelt and the van was dirty and smelly! The doctor did an evaluation and said he wanted to take Paul off some of the drugs he is currently taking. He is discontinuing the Arasept and the Provigel. He is not convinced by everything he has read that these drugs have ever been proved to be successful and he doesn't like the risk of side affects if the drug doesn't do anything. If we see a dramatic change he will consider starting them back. This means Paul is only taking the Prozac (for depression) and Nexium (for indigestion). The doctor's staff recommended that Paul go to see an opthamologist. It turns out they recommend the very same doctor that Bobby saw as a child (who we loved by the way!!). Thursday Paul has a dentist appointment to see if he can have some work done on his molars. He is going to the dentist that he had been going to before the accident and this dentist said he wants to do an evaluation prior to saying he will do the work. Tabby tried to call logisticare to arrange transportation and they cannot move him because the dentist is not covered by Medicaid. Dad & Tabby practiced getting Paul into the truck and also the car and it IS possible to move him in a private vehicle. He sits up well once you get him into the vehicle. It is challenging to get him in and out of the vehicles but Dad is strong enough to manage him. When Paul got home he was able to be outside (after dinner that is) and he stayed out until almost dark. He had a very long day and was up all day. When we left tonight he was playing with the new massager that Tabby bought for him. He had figured out how to turn it on and off and was playing with the buttons. He was pretty tired though and was dozing off.
Thanking God for our Blessings! Lynne & Carl
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
On a Clear Day
As the new week starts it is amazing how it resembles last week. The only difference may be that it is hotter and not quite so wet. Looking out I can see no vacation time scheduled, hmmm, I must fix that somehow.
Lady just keeps doing what she does best. But, :) this month something happens and that should prove to be a lot of fun. More to come.
#1 has no change in his life except he is older and more broke.
#2 has a chance for a job interview but the question remains will he schedule it or just blow that one off too.
Star stays in touch and we do look forward to seeing her soon.
Jacqui still hangs on to the new kid. Rather, the kid doesn't want to come out to play. Hopefully that will happen soon. Gee, someone else to spoil.
Lew continues to grow. His new thing is to push the boundaries and see how much can he get away with. Things like "No" when told to do something. Or he lays on the floor and plays like a sack of flour if you try and get him to do something. Worse, is the pitching of a fit .. But he has found out that all that gets him is taken outside and whatever we were doing is over. He does keep up a constant line of questions. Hope I don't run out of answers.
I love hearing that the new energy package includes large tax break for Big Oil. Don't these politicians understand how much is a $9 Billion/Quarter profit is? I guess they are so far into Oil's back pocket they want to see if the profit can reach $20 Billion a quarter. At least I can dream of my $100 rebate. Me see, that is a .000000111% profit for the last year. That is fair so why am I upset?
At this point I am ready to state that I will not vote for a single incumbent in the next election. They are all so full of it that their care for the middle class person is non-existent. Everything is growing at a fast clip except for my income and that is taxed even more. I love it when the President makes 6 times what I do and I still pay 5% more in taxes. Libertarian? Green Party? Independent? Hmmmm.
Immigration - They are illegal and that can't be denied. Don't reward breaking a law or if you do, just open the prisons and let everyone go. Physically close the borders and send all 12 Million home. Let Mexico deal with them. Heck I don't care if Mexico adopts the Mexican version of our National Anthem as their own but here we speak English. There are enough jobs down there because half of the American Corporations have their factories down there now. After closing the borders, any business employing illegal aliens should be fined $1 Million per illegal alien. If the business needs workers then get the High Schoolers looking for their first job, or the just graduated from College kids, or get the homeless and put them too work.
So the Russians and Chinese want to veto our push to get U.N. sanctions imposed. I realize the sanctions don't mean anything and will usually be ignored just look at what Iraq did. So stop the Billions of aid dollars we are sending them and use it to better the life of the middle class. Shoot, apply it to Social Security and Medicare. Every time we turn around they and the French oppose anything we do. So quit helping them. They will come around when they start to crumble and lose what they have. Shoot, we should have let Stalin take France in the War .. Then they would be part of them and wouldn't have to vote.
Lady just keeps doing what she does best. But, :) this month something happens and that should prove to be a lot of fun. More to come.
#1 has no change in his life except he is older and more broke.
#2 has a chance for a job interview but the question remains will he schedule it or just blow that one off too.
Star stays in touch and we do look forward to seeing her soon.
Jacqui still hangs on to the new kid. Rather, the kid doesn't want to come out to play. Hopefully that will happen soon. Gee, someone else to spoil.
Lew continues to grow. His new thing is to push the boundaries and see how much can he get away with. Things like "No" when told to do something. Or he lays on the floor and plays like a sack of flour if you try and get him to do something. Worse, is the pitching of a fit .. But he has found out that all that gets him is taken outside and whatever we were doing is over. He does keep up a constant line of questions. Hope I don't run out of answers.
I love hearing that the new energy package includes large tax break for Big Oil. Don't these politicians understand how much is a $9 Billion/Quarter profit is? I guess they are so far into Oil's back pocket they want to see if the profit can reach $20 Billion a quarter. At least I can dream of my $100 rebate. Me see, that is a .000000111% profit for the last year. That is fair so why am I upset?
At this point I am ready to state that I will not vote for a single incumbent in the next election. They are all so full of it that their care for the middle class person is non-existent. Everything is growing at a fast clip except for my income and that is taxed even more. I love it when the President makes 6 times what I do and I still pay 5% more in taxes. Libertarian? Green Party? Independent? Hmmmm.
Immigration - They are illegal and that can't be denied. Don't reward breaking a law or if you do, just open the prisons and let everyone go. Physically close the borders and send all 12 Million home. Let Mexico deal with them. Heck I don't care if Mexico adopts the Mexican version of our National Anthem as their own but here we speak English. There are enough jobs down there because half of the American Corporations have their factories down there now. After closing the borders, any business employing illegal aliens should be fined $1 Million per illegal alien. If the business needs workers then get the High Schoolers looking for their first job, or the just graduated from College kids, or get the homeless and put them too work.
So the Russians and Chinese want to veto our push to get U.N. sanctions imposed. I realize the sanctions don't mean anything and will usually be ignored just look at what Iraq did. So stop the Billions of aid dollars we are sending them and use it to better the life of the middle class. Shoot, apply it to Social Security and Medicare. Every time we turn around they and the French oppose anything we do. So quit helping them. They will come around when they start to crumble and lose what they have. Shoot, we should have let Stalin take France in the War .. Then they would be part of them and wouldn't have to vote.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/30/06
Dear Friends:
After church today Bill, Tabby, Carl and I went to Baltimore to look at a handicap equipped van that Bill saw for sale last week. It is already equipped with a lift and appears to have been used as a transport for several wheelchairs at a time. The price is right and the van looks OK. We were not able to contact the seller so we weren't able to start it up or drive it and we aren't sure it will pass Virginia inspection but Tabby will explore for more information this week. We also looked at some dealerships to see what kinds of used vans are on the market. Bobby, Carolyn, Billy & Alysa stayed with Paul today (along with Audrey, Paul's CNA for the weekend). Carolyn said that Paul was giving her a guilt trip to get her to feed him most of the day. He has figured out that he can look at her and reach for "imaginary food" and try to put it in his mouth ... or hold his hand out like he is holding a cup ... and she knows he is hungry. So he ate quite a bit today. This afternoon before we left for Baltimore we had gone by the house to see how Paul was doing. Tabby said he was up most of the night so Dad asked him if he was feeling bad. Dad had also been up most of the night with a headache and stomach ache so he asked Paul if his head was hurting ... he nodded "yes". Then he asked if his stomach hurt and he nodded "yes" again. Tabby keeps baby aspirin for such occasions. He seemed a bit better as the day went on. Carolyn & Bobby were able to take him outside for a bit today since it was a nice day. Dad & I visited a little when we got back from Baltimore. He was eating dinner ... the same Dinty Moore beef stew he ate the other night. Carolyn said he wasn't interested in it ... but once Dad was there he seemed to eat pretty good ... I think he's just more comfortable with Dad being in charge! We didn't stay long but Paul was up all day so hopefully he had a quiet evening and went to bed early. Tabby could use the sleep since she didn't sleep much Saturday night. Tabby is becoming uncomfortable & exhausted from the pregnancy. Little Max is moving a lot and getting very big. She is getting anxious to be finished with the pregnancy! She only has five more weeks before her due date! We are more convinced that Paul will be able to enjoy his new son when he comes. He seems to know almost everything that is going on around him. Tabby has a "snuggly" that wraps around the shoulders and holds the baby. She plans to have Paul be able to hold him with it. What a joy that will be! It will be another answer to our prayers!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
After church today Bill, Tabby, Carl and I went to Baltimore to look at a handicap equipped van that Bill saw for sale last week. It is already equipped with a lift and appears to have been used as a transport for several wheelchairs at a time. The price is right and the van looks OK. We were not able to contact the seller so we weren't able to start it up or drive it and we aren't sure it will pass Virginia inspection but Tabby will explore for more information this week. We also looked at some dealerships to see what kinds of used vans are on the market. Bobby, Carolyn, Billy & Alysa stayed with Paul today (along with Audrey, Paul's CNA for the weekend). Carolyn said that Paul was giving her a guilt trip to get her to feed him most of the day. He has figured out that he can look at her and reach for "imaginary food" and try to put it in his mouth ... or hold his hand out like he is holding a cup ... and she knows he is hungry. So he ate quite a bit today. This afternoon before we left for Baltimore we had gone by the house to see how Paul was doing. Tabby said he was up most of the night so Dad asked him if he was feeling bad. Dad had also been up most of the night with a headache and stomach ache so he asked Paul if his head was hurting ... he nodded "yes". Then he asked if his stomach hurt and he nodded "yes" again. Tabby keeps baby aspirin for such occasions. He seemed a bit better as the day went on. Carolyn & Bobby were able to take him outside for a bit today since it was a nice day. Dad & I visited a little when we got back from Baltimore. He was eating dinner ... the same Dinty Moore beef stew he ate the other night. Carolyn said he wasn't interested in it ... but once Dad was there he seemed to eat pretty good ... I think he's just more comfortable with Dad being in charge! We didn't stay long but Paul was up all day so hopefully he had a quiet evening and went to bed early. Tabby could use the sleep since she didn't sleep much Saturday night. Tabby is becoming uncomfortable & exhausted from the pregnancy. Little Max is moving a lot and getting very big. She is getting anxious to be finished with the pregnancy! She only has five more weeks before her due date! We are more convinced that Paul will be able to enjoy his new son when he comes. He seems to know almost everything that is going on around him. Tabby has a "snuggly" that wraps around the shoulders and holds the baby. She plans to have Paul be able to hold him with it. What a joy that will be! It will be another answer to our prayers!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/29/06
Dear Friends:
Praise God ... our days just keep getting better. Today was no exception. Dad & I got there late today. Saturday is a day that Tabby has lots of help. This morning started with Paul's breakfast that included applesauce with his meds in it. He did great! At this point Tabby is ready to talk to the doctor about having the feeding tube removed. That would be so nice and we believe Paul wants that too. At dinner time tonight Tabby was going to give him some Ensure through the feeding tube and he wouldn't let her have the tube. She told him the option to that was for him to drink the Ensure. She gave him the can and he drank every last drop!! When we got to the house this afternoon Carolyn was there and Paul was eating some fruit. After he finished Dad spent some time exercising Paul. First they walked from the bedroom to the kitchen and back. Tabby bought some weights (2 1/2 lbs) that strap onto his legs. Dad had Paul exercise with them. He kicked his left leg about twenty times and the right about 15. Then he did the march in place while in the wheelchair. He did that about 10 times with each leg. After he finised Dad asked him to "walk" his wheelchair across the floor with his feet. Paul actually got the wheelchair across the room but the good part is...he made the wheelchair turn to miss some obstacles in the way. It was apparent that he knew he couldn't get the wheelchair past the table or the cabinet in the kitchen so he maneuvered it around them!!! Then dad told him to back up and come forward again. Going backwards was pretty easy for him once he got past the obstables again. After he went forward to the kitchen the second time he turned the wheelchair all the way around to go back to the bedroom. Tonight some friends came by to visit. The neighbors across the street who have been extremely helpful and supportive for us ... especially Tabby!! While they were visiting Paul was eating fruit and then had two freeze pops. After he ate he developed the hiccups. Tabby went to the kitchen to get a spoonful of sugar & some water (home remedies really work) and while she was doing that Paul took a deep breath and then closed his lips to HOLD HIS BREATH!!! He held it for about 30 seconds then started to breath. He hiccupped again so he took another deep breath and held it!! OK ... I say again ... that seems like problem solving to us!! How great is that? But ... I saved the best for last ... Tabby told Paul today "I love you" and HE SAID "love you" back to her!! Then she said "I'm going outside for a few minutes, is that OK?" and HE SAID "okay"! Of course it is still like a moan but you can tell he is forming a word! It actually sounds like a word!!! When I left this afternoon I said "I'll be back" and he said "alright"! OK ... since we came home ... we came off the muscles relaxers & the parkinson's drug, began moving both arms and legs more, he began eating baby food then progressed to regular food, he now eats and drinks by himself, he uses problem solving skills, and TALKS! That is more than he has done in the last five months!! How exciting is that? Tuesday Paul is going to see a new doctor, a neurologist. This doctor will followup for Dr. Azzam. It will be interesting to see what his evaluation of Paul's condition is! Remember the Ranchos Los Amigos Scale? Well .... I believe he is now about a 7-8 on a scale of 1-10 (he was probably a 5-6 when he left Mt. Vernon). Tomorrow Tabby, Dad and I are going to look at a Handicap Equipped Van that is in Baltimore. Pray that it will meet our needs. We will be taking Paul back and forth to doctors & therapies for a long time and dependable handicap equipped transportation will be very important. Thanks for continuing to pray ... it's working!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Scale
Praise God ... our days just keep getting better. Today was no exception. Dad & I got there late today. Saturday is a day that Tabby has lots of help. This morning started with Paul's breakfast that included applesauce with his meds in it. He did great! At this point Tabby is ready to talk to the doctor about having the feeding tube removed. That would be so nice and we believe Paul wants that too. At dinner time tonight Tabby was going to give him some Ensure through the feeding tube and he wouldn't let her have the tube. She told him the option to that was for him to drink the Ensure. She gave him the can and he drank every last drop!! When we got to the house this afternoon Carolyn was there and Paul was eating some fruit. After he finished Dad spent some time exercising Paul. First they walked from the bedroom to the kitchen and back. Tabby bought some weights (2 1/2 lbs) that strap onto his legs. Dad had Paul exercise with them. He kicked his left leg about twenty times and the right about 15. Then he did the march in place while in the wheelchair. He did that about 10 times with each leg. After he finised Dad asked him to "walk" his wheelchair across the floor with his feet. Paul actually got the wheelchair across the room but the good part is...he made the wheelchair turn to miss some obstacles in the way. It was apparent that he knew he couldn't get the wheelchair past the table or the cabinet in the kitchen so he maneuvered it around them!!! Then dad told him to back up and come forward again. Going backwards was pretty easy for him once he got past the obstables again. After he went forward to the kitchen the second time he turned the wheelchair all the way around to go back to the bedroom. Tonight some friends came by to visit. The neighbors across the street who have been extremely helpful and supportive for us ... especially Tabby!! While they were visiting Paul was eating fruit and then had two freeze pops. After he ate he developed the hiccups. Tabby went to the kitchen to get a spoonful of sugar & some water (home remedies really work) and while she was doing that Paul took a deep breath and then closed his lips to HOLD HIS BREATH!!! He held it for about 30 seconds then started to breath. He hiccupped again so he took another deep breath and held it!! OK ... I say again ... that seems like problem solving to us!! How great is that? But ... I saved the best for last ... Tabby told Paul today "I love you" and HE SAID "love you" back to her!! Then she said "I'm going outside for a few minutes, is that OK?" and HE SAID "okay"! Of course it is still like a moan but you can tell he is forming a word! It actually sounds like a word!!! When I left this afternoon I said "I'll be back" and he said "alright"! OK ... since we came home ... we came off the muscles relaxers & the parkinson's drug, began moving both arms and legs more, he began eating baby food then progressed to regular food, he now eats and drinks by himself, he uses problem solving skills, and TALKS! That is more than he has done in the last five months!! How exciting is that? Tuesday Paul is going to see a new doctor, a neurologist. This doctor will followup for Dr. Azzam. It will be interesting to see what his evaluation of Paul's condition is! Remember the Ranchos Los Amigos Scale? Well .... I believe he is now about a 7-8 on a scale of 1-10 (he was probably a 5-6 when he left Mt. Vernon). Tomorrow Tabby, Dad and I are going to look at a Handicap Equipped Van that is in Baltimore. Pray that it will meet our needs. We will be taking Paul back and forth to doctors & therapies for a long time and dependable handicap equipped transportation will be very important. Thanks for continuing to pray ... it's working!
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Rancho Los Amigos Cognitive Scale
- Level I: No response to pain, touch, sound or sight.
- Level II: Generalized reflex response to pain.
- Level III: Localized response. Blinks to strong light, turns toward/away from sound, responds to physical discomfort, inconsistent response to commands.
- Level IV: Confused/Agitated. Alert, very active, aggressive or bizarre behaviors, performs motor activities but behavior is non-purposeful, extremely short attention span.
- Level V: Confused/Non-agitated. Gross attention to environment, highly distractible, requires continual redirection, difficulty learning new tasks, agitated by too much stimulation. May engage in social conversation but with inappropriate verbalizations.
- Level VI: Confused/Appropriate. Inconsistent orientation to time and place, retention span/recent memory impaired, begins to recall past, consistently follows simple directions, goal-directed behavior with assistance.
- Level VII: Automatic/Appropriate. Performs daily routine in highly familiar environment in a non-confused but automatic robot-like manner. Skills noticeably deteriorate in unfamiliar environment. Lacks realistic planning for own future.
- Level VIII: Purposeful/Appropriate.
- Level IX: Purposeful, Appropriate: Stand-By Assistance on Request.
- Level X: Purposeful, Appropriate: Modified Independent.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/28/06
Dear Friends:
Paul had another pretty good day. He ate all three of his meals by himself. He even had a bowl of cereal this morning with milk and when he finished the cereal he used his spoon to finish the milk ... and didn't spill any of it!! Dad gave him some options for his meals and let him choose what he wanted by putting his hand on it. At lunch he had hotdog & beans and when he got to the end of the bowl there were three beans scattered in the bowl. He used his spoon to scoop them together and picked them up together to eat them. Hmmmm ... this seems like "problem solving". We were told by the folks at Mount Vernon that he would probably never be able to problem solve because of the portion of his brain that was damaged! The PT came today. Dad was telling her about his eating. She is a bit concerned about his need to put anything you hand him into his mouth. She suggested we give him things like a hairbrush to practice on figuring out what he has and what is the appropriate use for it. She worked to have him kick her hand. He kicked 50 times with the left leg and 25 times with the right. Then she put a 7lb weight on his legs and he did 40 with the left leg and 20 with the right!!! Then she told him to stop kicking and hold his leg straight out. He did that for about 2 minutes with the left leg. She also had him march in place from the wheelchair. It is so impressive ... even the therapist was surprised at his ability. She asked if he used to lift weights and Dad said "no, just motorcycles"! He is having a lot of trouble with his right leg. Dad asked if he could put an air cast on that leg to prevent him from turning his ankle and possibly falling down. She thought that was a good idea so Dad is planning to try that. She felt he is eating so well that she suggested we put his meds in food so he can be prepared to have the feeding tube removed!! The nurse called today. He is coming by next week. He is still encouraging us to think about going to an outpatient status. This would mean Paul would go to the hospital three time a week for about 3-4 hours each time to do therapy. No decision has been made on that yet ... we still need to research the pros & cons of this. We have a meeting with Brain Injury Services on Tuesday morning and the nurse wants to be there for that meeting. We aren't real sure what we expect to get from BIS but we are anxious to hear what they can offer as help. Today marks the 25th week of Paul's recovery. Needless to say it has been a long road but we have learned so many things through this experience. Paul has always been in God's hands, His presence is evident. We are stronger than we ever thought we could be. Or family and friends have been a great source of support. You cannot be prideful when you need help ... well you can be but at what expense?? Doctors & Nurses are people too ... they don't have ALL of the answers. Even when things look their worst there is opportunity to see hope. Sometimes you don't need anything but a good cry & someone to hold you and listen! Some things take hard work and others just take perseverance. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve and we are most grateful! Thanks for your continued prayer and concern. You have been so important to all of us!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Paul had another pretty good day. He ate all three of his meals by himself. He even had a bowl of cereal this morning with milk and when he finished the cereal he used his spoon to finish the milk ... and didn't spill any of it!! Dad gave him some options for his meals and let him choose what he wanted by putting his hand on it. At lunch he had hotdog & beans and when he got to the end of the bowl there were three beans scattered in the bowl. He used his spoon to scoop them together and picked them up together to eat them. Hmmmm ... this seems like "problem solving". We were told by the folks at Mount Vernon that he would probably never be able to problem solve because of the portion of his brain that was damaged! The PT came today. Dad was telling her about his eating. She is a bit concerned about his need to put anything you hand him into his mouth. She suggested we give him things like a hairbrush to practice on figuring out what he has and what is the appropriate use for it. She worked to have him kick her hand. He kicked 50 times with the left leg and 25 times with the right. Then she put a 7lb weight on his legs and he did 40 with the left leg and 20 with the right!!! Then she told him to stop kicking and hold his leg straight out. He did that for about 2 minutes with the left leg. She also had him march in place from the wheelchair. It is so impressive ... even the therapist was surprised at his ability. She asked if he used to lift weights and Dad said "no, just motorcycles"! He is having a lot of trouble with his right leg. Dad asked if he could put an air cast on that leg to prevent him from turning his ankle and possibly falling down. She thought that was a good idea so Dad is planning to try that. She felt he is eating so well that she suggested we put his meds in food so he can be prepared to have the feeding tube removed!! The nurse called today. He is coming by next week. He is still encouraging us to think about going to an outpatient status. This would mean Paul would go to the hospital three time a week for about 3-4 hours each time to do therapy. No decision has been made on that yet ... we still need to research the pros & cons of this. We have a meeting with Brain Injury Services on Tuesday morning and the nurse wants to be there for that meeting. We aren't real sure what we expect to get from BIS but we are anxious to hear what they can offer as help. Today marks the 25th week of Paul's recovery. Needless to say it has been a long road but we have learned so many things through this experience. Paul has always been in God's hands, His presence is evident. We are stronger than we ever thought we could be. Or family and friends have been a great source of support. You cannot be prideful when you need help ... well you can be but at what expense?? Doctors & Nurses are people too ... they don't have ALL of the answers. Even when things look their worst there is opportunity to see hope. Sometimes you don't need anything but a good cry & someone to hold you and listen! Some things take hard work and others just take perseverance. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve and we are most grateful! Thanks for your continued prayer and concern. You have been so important to all of us!
Love, Lynne & Carl
Paul's Update - 04/27/06
Dear Friends:
Today was yet another good day. Paul is trying hard to do so many things. He has excelled since he has been home and today was no exception. Paul had Ensure this morning for breakfast. Dad set him on the edge of the bed after a bit but the bed was higher up than normal and his feet weren't touching the ground. He was able to maintain his balance pretty good even without using his feet! Afterward he got up and walked to the kitchen. He is still having a lot of trouble with his right leg but he manages to walk with Dad's help. He stood at the sink for a bit before going to his table and eating a bowl of cereal. After he finished eating he went back to the bedroom and watched TV. He and Dad watched "Madagascar". At lunch he sat at the table and ate meatloaf & mashed potatoes, a fruit cup, two cups of Gatorade and a cup of water. He ate all by himself today. Dad didn't even have him prove that it was all gone between bites. Dad seems to think he is seeing double since he reaches for his spoon or cup and misses it then reaches over a bit and gets it. Tabby is thinking about getting an eye patch to see if we can determine that he is or isn't seeing double. Later in the day he watched the movie "Oscar" ... this movie has a funny history in our family! This evening for dinner he had another good dinner that he ate by himself. He is doing really good with his drinking. He is monitoring his amounts all by himself. When he wants something to drink he reaches his hand out like he is holding a cup. It is a pretty good signal!! He also ate strawberries and some Oreo cookies ... of course you have to have milk with that!! Tabby told him he could dunk his cookies ... so he did!! LOL He crammed a whole cookie in his mouth ... it took him a while to chew it all up but he was able to do it!! For snack this evening he had a bowl of watermelon ... funny thing is he never use to like watermelon! After dinner he rested in bed for a while. Dad and I went out with Bill & Ronda after bible study tonight. We came back to the house afterward to make sure Paul was all ready for bed. He was pretty tired and Tabby was just getting him tucked in for the night He has pretty busy days. How wonderful it is to see him do so many good things. He is trying so hard! God is healing Paul each day and we are so thankful. Every day is another blessing!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
Today was yet another good day. Paul is trying hard to do so many things. He has excelled since he has been home and today was no exception. Paul had Ensure this morning for breakfast. Dad set him on the edge of the bed after a bit but the bed was higher up than normal and his feet weren't touching the ground. He was able to maintain his balance pretty good even without using his feet! Afterward he got up and walked to the kitchen. He is still having a lot of trouble with his right leg but he manages to walk with Dad's help. He stood at the sink for a bit before going to his table and eating a bowl of cereal. After he finished eating he went back to the bedroom and watched TV. He and Dad watched "Madagascar". At lunch he sat at the table and ate meatloaf & mashed potatoes, a fruit cup, two cups of Gatorade and a cup of water. He ate all by himself today. Dad didn't even have him prove that it was all gone between bites. Dad seems to think he is seeing double since he reaches for his spoon or cup and misses it then reaches over a bit and gets it. Tabby is thinking about getting an eye patch to see if we can determine that he is or isn't seeing double. Later in the day he watched the movie "Oscar" ... this movie has a funny history in our family! This evening for dinner he had another good dinner that he ate by himself. He is doing really good with his drinking. He is monitoring his amounts all by himself. When he wants something to drink he reaches his hand out like he is holding a cup. It is a pretty good signal!! He also ate strawberries and some Oreo cookies ... of course you have to have milk with that!! Tabby told him he could dunk his cookies ... so he did!! LOL He crammed a whole cookie in his mouth ... it took him a while to chew it all up but he was able to do it!! For snack this evening he had a bowl of watermelon ... funny thing is he never use to like watermelon! After dinner he rested in bed for a while. Dad and I went out with Bill & Ronda after bible study tonight. We came back to the house afterward to make sure Paul was all ready for bed. He was pretty tired and Tabby was just getting him tucked in for the night He has pretty busy days. How wonderful it is to see him do so many good things. He is trying so hard! God is healing Paul each day and we are so thankful. Every day is another blessing!
Have a great day, Lynne & Carl
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Chuckles and a few Head shakes - III
The weekend grows ever closer. I am looking forward to maybe sleeping later than 5:30am. Other than being a busy week it has been interesting and challenging.
#1 has been working with me several days and it has been fun. Though he needs to pick up the pace or I will totally wear him out. The whippersnappers seem to struggle to keep up with us Seniors.
#2 is doing the same and it looks like nothing but a swift kick will get him into gear.
Star is planning her wedding that is down the road a bit. Hope to see her when she comes up for Jacqui's baby.
Jacqui is about ready to deliver any day now.
Lou was a bit testy this last weekend. He just has to push the boundaries and I have to enforce them. But does he ever talk. It is like a faucet. Only way to stop it is to fill it with food.
Haven't heard too much from Wild Mom. I guess the all night parties are taking their toll. At least we haven't seen her name of the local police blotter yet.
Tenairi won the 11 year old group by a landslide (+160 pins) and now advances to Richmond and the Pepsi State Tournament. We have two practices scheduled so we can prepare for the next level. Can she win and advance to the National Tournament in Ft. Lauderdale? I think so.
Jenna came by today and we went to MacDonalds, grabbed a few sandwiches and then sat in the park and had a picnic.
******
8.4 Billion profit for one quarter and I am being forced to pay +3.10 a gallon. It is about time for some action from Congress to slow this train down. But, the Oil Lobby has them in their pocket and only a few gushing mouths will stir things up. Windfall Tax the crap out of them. If they won't build Refineries to ease the problem then dump the taxes into the Social Security Fund. Do I believe there is some manipulation of prices .. Quack, Quack.
Don't you just love it; the Nationals tried blaming their sad play on the ballpark not being a hitter’s park. When that backfired and they got whipped 13-4, now they blame it on construction, lack of ownership, and lack of TV exposure. Come on Cry baby's ... what is wrong is that you have 25 players, some with skill, not a 25-man team. What is going on with the politics of ownership has nothing to do with the lack of pitching, poor run support, and elementary school fielding skills. I find the minor league teams more interesting than this supposed professional team.
Moussauoui -- let him rot in jail and do not martyr him by killing him. Maybe a work release program to the Jimmy Dean Sausage factory would help clear his head. But then again, the United States prison System is more like a resort than a correctional facility. So go ahead and kill him and then grind him up for sausage .. Then the virgins won't come near him.
#1 has been working with me several days and it has been fun. Though he needs to pick up the pace or I will totally wear him out. The whippersnappers seem to struggle to keep up with us Seniors.
#2 is doing the same and it looks like nothing but a swift kick will get him into gear.
Star is planning her wedding that is down the road a bit. Hope to see her when she comes up for Jacqui's baby.
Jacqui is about ready to deliver any day now.
Lou was a bit testy this last weekend. He just has to push the boundaries and I have to enforce them. But does he ever talk. It is like a faucet. Only way to stop it is to fill it with food.
Haven't heard too much from Wild Mom. I guess the all night parties are taking their toll. At least we haven't seen her name of the local police blotter yet.
Tenairi won the 11 year old group by a landslide (+160 pins) and now advances to Richmond and the Pepsi State Tournament. We have two practices scheduled so we can prepare for the next level. Can she win and advance to the National Tournament in Ft. Lauderdale? I think so.
Jenna came by today and we went to MacDonalds, grabbed a few sandwiches and then sat in the park and had a picnic.
******
8.4 Billion profit for one quarter and I am being forced to pay +3.10 a gallon. It is about time for some action from Congress to slow this train down. But, the Oil Lobby has them in their pocket and only a few gushing mouths will stir things up. Windfall Tax the crap out of them. If they won't build Refineries to ease the problem then dump the taxes into the Social Security Fund. Do I believe there is some manipulation of prices .. Quack, Quack.
Don't you just love it; the Nationals tried blaming their sad play on the ballpark not being a hitter’s park. When that backfired and they got whipped 13-4, now they blame it on construction, lack of ownership, and lack of TV exposure. Come on Cry baby's ... what is wrong is that you have 25 players, some with skill, not a 25-man team. What is going on with the politics of ownership has nothing to do with the lack of pitching, poor run support, and elementary school fielding skills. I find the minor league teams more interesting than this supposed professional team.
Moussauoui -- let him rot in jail and do not martyr him by killing him. Maybe a work release program to the Jimmy Dean Sausage factory would help clear his head. But then again, the United States prison System is more like a resort than a correctional facility. So go ahead and kill him and then grind him up for sausage .. Then the virgins won't come near him.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Dreams of Sand Castles
Well, another week comes to an end. For the most part everything, though busy, went well. The bad part is that while it was sunny on the weekdays it will rain on Saturday and probably Sunday. Doesn't give anyone much of a chance to work on the house or yard. The call of the islands is growing louder. Right now the bug is satisfied by just browsing and dreaming of a trip.
In May, the company has us all participating in a behavioral study. Hey, I don't need anyone telling me I have no personality and my behavior isn't on the scale. So another fun time is in the making.
I need to start planning a birthday bash for someone turning 50 in May. HeHeHe .... :)
Lady has been under the weather with sinus problems and a slight cold. Maybe she needs to recuperate in the islands!
#1 and #2 - No change. Hmmm I wonder what the service life is on the X-box controller. When they wear out maybe something will happen. Not!
Mom - No word from the wild woman since she has gone to my brother's house. That could be bad or good.
Star - hope to see her soon when she comes up for Jacqui's baby which is due in early April.
Lew - Talking up a storm now. The question of the second is "what is this?" Sometimes I want to pull the last of my hair after about the 1000th question. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
Can you believe that after a year New Orleans is still a pile of trash and within 6 months Cancun was rebuilt and back to normal. Who is the third world country?
They say the economy is doing great and inflation is low. But from where I sit the prices are climbing very fast. Gas prices increase .03 a day. By late May we will hit $4.00 a gallon. But it is ok to give some oil boss a $400 Million retirement package plus post billion dollar quarterly profits. In a near by county, the electric company is raising its prices 72% in June. Why, because the government allowed a price control instituted after de-regulation to expire. They didn't want to upset the Electric Company's boat. Insurance companies are dropping customers because of a loss while the Industry posts billion dollar profits. The County keeps raising my property taxes yet the road is a washboard, no sidewalks or any other civic improvements in my neighborhood. Oh well, I must have my rose colored glasses on and this is all an illusion. The only thing I know is real is that my pocket book is empty.
In May, the company has us all participating in a behavioral study. Hey, I don't need anyone telling me I have no personality and my behavior isn't on the scale. So another fun time is in the making.
I need to start planning a birthday bash for someone turning 50 in May. HeHeHe .... :)
Lady has been under the weather with sinus problems and a slight cold. Maybe she needs to recuperate in the islands!
#1 and #2 - No change. Hmmm I wonder what the service life is on the X-box controller. When they wear out maybe something will happen. Not!
Mom - No word from the wild woman since she has gone to my brother's house. That could be bad or good.
Star - hope to see her soon when she comes up for Jacqui's baby which is due in early April.
Lew - Talking up a storm now. The question of the second is "what is this?" Sometimes I want to pull the last of my hair after about the 1000th question. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
*********
Can you believe that after a year New Orleans is still a pile of trash and within 6 months Cancun was rebuilt and back to normal. Who is the third world country?
They say the economy is doing great and inflation is low. But from where I sit the prices are climbing very fast. Gas prices increase .03 a day. By late May we will hit $4.00 a gallon. But it is ok to give some oil boss a $400 Million retirement package plus post billion dollar quarterly profits. In a near by county, the electric company is raising its prices 72% in June. Why, because the government allowed a price control instituted after de-regulation to expire. They didn't want to upset the Electric Company's boat. Insurance companies are dropping customers because of a loss while the Industry posts billion dollar profits. The County keeps raising my property taxes yet the road is a washboard, no sidewalks or any other civic improvements in my neighborhood. Oh well, I must have my rose colored glasses on and this is all an illusion. The only thing I know is real is that my pocket book is empty.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Scratch - Scratch
Well, mom made it and is doing fine. She was easy to find at the airport, I went to the place where they sell Long Island Ice tea and there she was poking along and eyeing the counter for an empty stool. She brought enough luggage that I felt like an African porter going on a long safari. Just wish I knew some of them cool walking songs they do. Walking around the Mall ... Arrgh! Tonight starts the final practices for the Easter program by the choir. Haven't heard from my brother but he should be home from the hospital.
Work is going good. The old satellite dish comes down this weekend and the new ones get aligned on Thursday. The new office server will get deployed before the end of the month. Then I get to choose the next project from a long line of projects.
**********
No DNA match ... hmmmm. The prosecutor says he has enough to still prosecute them. That should be good. A group of guys attack someone and leave NO DNA evidence. Perhaps the lawyer should listen to his own comments. The other day he said he had pictures to prove she was out of it when they dragged her into the house. Would it be conceivable she was raped somewhere else by someone different and she came too at that party and blamed them in the fog of confusion? Maybe she had a bad experience with her boyfriend and needed an alibi for her husband? Sure looks suspicious.
Immigration - I agree! They came here wrongfully and should go home and do it right. Now as a sign of amnesty they could get a certificate and then that would guarantee they could return once the paperwork is correctly completed by a cutoff date sometime in the future. But when they return they will have to pay income, social security and Medicare tax. This would also pertain to state taxes too. Having the pool of taxable people increase by a couple million would help the Social Security and Medicare balance sheets. So curb the proliferation of illegal’s, strengthen the borders (fences, guards) and really give teeth to the penalties if someone is caught sneaking back in. And for those employers that thrive and support the illegal’s, if INS finds one illegal on a worksite, then they are shutdown for 60 days and fined $1,000,000 per illegal found and based on the information obtained charge them the minimum wage for every hour the illegal worked. That may slowdown the attractiveness of using them to bypass the laws to increase their profit margin.
Terrorism – Give Iraq a date to get their act together or we withdraw all troops and stop the loss of American while they piddle around with their meaningless agendas. As for Iran, set a date for them to comply with the U.N. mandate or if not, then react accordingly. If you are right and without doubt … go at them with strength to force their compliance or if you are unsure, then shut up and mind your own business.
I find it interesting and a bit baffling how someone totally changes someone’s life (The young Lady that hit Paul) and her punishment amounts to a minor charge and a piddly fine. Paul’s medical care matched the fine in the first 30 seconds after the accident. She goes about life without a second thought and on the other side of the coin Paul, his wife, their immediate family is affected in ways no group of people should ever be affected. She is now free to forget everything about that day and Paul and his family will never forget it. The judge had a chance to help many people with her sentence. Community care at some rehab center would highlight the consequence of what she did. In turn, she would help someone recover in a small way; the rehab center could provide a bit more care and the family of the victim would get some help without paying for it. Perhaps by doing this she would know more about the fragility of life and how one careless moment can change things forever. I know some will say it is cruel and I have no business worrying about it. Well, if it is done in a spirit of help it won’t be cruel, more like community service provided by volunteers. My son received more community service (60 hours) for stealing some money than she did for greatly altering the life of another human being. Medicare has now taken up the responsibility for the payment of bills and that does affect me because it is our tax dollars that funds that system. So her actions did affect me and millions of others.
Work is going good. The old satellite dish comes down this weekend and the new ones get aligned on Thursday. The new office server will get deployed before the end of the month. Then I get to choose the next project from a long line of projects.
**********
No DNA match ... hmmmm. The prosecutor says he has enough to still prosecute them. That should be good. A group of guys attack someone and leave NO DNA evidence. Perhaps the lawyer should listen to his own comments. The other day he said he had pictures to prove she was out of it when they dragged her into the house. Would it be conceivable she was raped somewhere else by someone different and she came too at that party and blamed them in the fog of confusion? Maybe she had a bad experience with her boyfriend and needed an alibi for her husband? Sure looks suspicious.
Immigration - I agree! They came here wrongfully and should go home and do it right. Now as a sign of amnesty they could get a certificate and then that would guarantee they could return once the paperwork is correctly completed by a cutoff date sometime in the future. But when they return they will have to pay income, social security and Medicare tax. This would also pertain to state taxes too. Having the pool of taxable people increase by a couple million would help the Social Security and Medicare balance sheets. So curb the proliferation of illegal’s, strengthen the borders (fences, guards) and really give teeth to the penalties if someone is caught sneaking back in. And for those employers that thrive and support the illegal’s, if INS finds one illegal on a worksite, then they are shutdown for 60 days and fined $1,000,000 per illegal found and based on the information obtained charge them the minimum wage for every hour the illegal worked. That may slowdown the attractiveness of using them to bypass the laws to increase their profit margin.
Terrorism – Give Iraq a date to get their act together or we withdraw all troops and stop the loss of American while they piddle around with their meaningless agendas. As for Iran, set a date for them to comply with the U.N. mandate or if not, then react accordingly. If you are right and without doubt … go at them with strength to force their compliance or if you are unsure, then shut up and mind your own business.
I find it interesting and a bit baffling how someone totally changes someone’s life (The young Lady that hit Paul) and her punishment amounts to a minor charge and a piddly fine. Paul’s medical care matched the fine in the first 30 seconds after the accident. She goes about life without a second thought and on the other side of the coin Paul, his wife, their immediate family is affected in ways no group of people should ever be affected. She is now free to forget everything about that day and Paul and his family will never forget it. The judge had a chance to help many people with her sentence. Community care at some rehab center would highlight the consequence of what she did. In turn, she would help someone recover in a small way; the rehab center could provide a bit more care and the family of the victim would get some help without paying for it. Perhaps by doing this she would know more about the fragility of life and how one careless moment can change things forever. I know some will say it is cruel and I have no business worrying about it. Well, if it is done in a spirit of help it won’t be cruel, more like community service provided by volunteers. My son received more community service (60 hours) for stealing some money than she did for greatly altering the life of another human being. Medicare has now taken up the responsibility for the payment of bills and that does affect me because it is our tax dollars that funds that system. So her actions did affect me and millions of others.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Musings of a Tired Ol' man -- Part II
With springtime quickly approaching I wish things would slow down so I could get caught up. Even the grass is growing now and wanting its first cutting. Easter preparation is in full swing (choir and church activities). This weekend one of the young lady's I coach in bowling tried to qualify for the state Pepsi Youth Bowling Tournament. She managed to roll 156-158-146=460. That is outstanding since her average is only 98. We practiced hard last weekend and it paid off this weekend. Best of luck to her as we wait to see if she goes to Richmond for the next level. Needless to say, guess where I will be mother's day weekend if she does! And as usual, it is tax time. Ugh!! Anyone have some spare change ... errr ... dollars?
My brother had gall stone surgery today. Nothing like procrastinating till it finally makes you listen and brings you to your knees. He is doing fine and should go home tomorrow. Normally they do this as "outpatient surgery" but do to the size and inflammation they keep him overnight. True be told, he has been such a pain this last 9 days, his wife asked the doctor to keep him one night.
It never ceases to maze me when they said the DHS official was extremely depressed. I would think so since his little peversion will cost him his job, his family, his freedom and who knows what else. Then the lawyer wanted bail to be set because he had 30-40 people who would vouch for his "upstanding" character. Boy, did he fool them. Just like so many other pedophiles, he kept his little secret well hidden until one mistake exposed it. Just what we need is for him to be set loose to prey on a child again. Gee, Florida comes to mind on how quickly freed pedophiles return to their ways. I wish we would get more serious with these people who think children are for their sexual pleasure. Until we do something radical, this scenario will keep coming to light.
So the pompous congresswoman realized she played the race card at the wrong time. I am happy to see someone finally get caught doing it for this tactic is used more frequently than we wish to admit. Even though she apologized to lessen the whirlwind, the Police should prosecute and set the bar for how serious this was.
Looks like the Montreal expos finally showed up in Washington DC. I have seen better pitching and fielding with the local "A" ball team. Plus the "A" Team has better prices and it feels like baseball should.
My brother had gall stone surgery today. Nothing like procrastinating till it finally makes you listen and brings you to your knees. He is doing fine and should go home tomorrow. Normally they do this as "outpatient surgery" but do to the size and inflammation they keep him overnight. True be told, he has been such a pain this last 9 days, his wife asked the doctor to keep him one night.
*****
It never ceases to maze me when they said the DHS official was extremely depressed. I would think so since his little peversion will cost him his job, his family, his freedom and who knows what else. Then the lawyer wanted bail to be set because he had 30-40 people who would vouch for his "upstanding" character. Boy, did he fool them. Just like so many other pedophiles, he kept his little secret well hidden until one mistake exposed it. Just what we need is for him to be set loose to prey on a child again. Gee, Florida comes to mind on how quickly freed pedophiles return to their ways. I wish we would get more serious with these people who think children are for their sexual pleasure. Until we do something radical, this scenario will keep coming to light.
So the pompous congresswoman realized she played the race card at the wrong time. I am happy to see someone finally get caught doing it for this tactic is used more frequently than we wish to admit. Even though she apologized to lessen the whirlwind, the Police should prosecute and set the bar for how serious this was.
Looks like the Montreal expos finally showed up in Washington DC. I have seen better pitching and fielding with the local "A" ball team. Plus the "A" Team has better prices and it feels like baseball should.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/09/06
Dear Friends:
As we end the first full weekend of Paul being home we feel that being home is positive for. Saturday was busy for everyone. The CNA came around 6am. She works a 12 hour day. Whew!! She seems quiet but is very nice and tends to Paul well. Dad came around 10am so Tabby could go to Starbucks (this is a regular routine for Tabby every Saturday!). Dad got Paul up after he was dressed and put him in the wheelchair for a bit. He had restarted his muscle relaxers and as we know it usually affects him. He was still able to support his weight and with help from Dad he walked to the wheelchair. He didn't do quite as well walking as he did on Friday. It was raining to he wasn't able to go outside. Dad left around 1:30 to take his sister to the airport and meet me so we could go to lunch with Bill & Ronda (this is part of OUR Saturday routine!!). Bobby stayed with Paul. This was the first time that Bobby has done the feeding but it went OK. There is an art to it though!! When Dad & I got back to the house later in the evening a Nurse from PW Home Health Services at PW Hospital was there doing her intake. She received Paul as a patient late on Friday night. She went over his history and took his vitals. She got information from us that the hospital doesn't document ... like what he is and isn't capable of doing. Her agency is also in charge of getting the therapists will come from. They will start early in the week. It will probably take a while to get a routine down.
Sunday was a quiet day at home for Paul. Paul was up and watching a movie when I arrived. He was holding his head up really well and was alert. Tabby said she was working with Paul to do some sign language to say "OK". She said he tried to make an "O" sound!! Dad got Paul up and walked about 10-15 feet. They worked on balancing while standing as well. A member from church came to bring some leftovers from the Picnic/Easter Egg hunt that we had today after the service. Paul seemed to enjoy seeing him. He got a little wave before he left. A short time after I arrived one of Paul's best friend from work came by. He spent about an hour with Paul. He rode his Harley Davidson so we took Paul outside to see it. Paul had given much advise to his friend on how he should fix it up. Paul got to see the work that had been done. Paul also got to hear it started up and running. Dad tried to get him to hold the handlebar to feel the vibrations from the bike. He didn't hold it long but I think he enjoyed hearing it and the story about fixing it up! It was a great time with such a great friend! When he prepared to leave Paul made mouth movement that appeared that he was saying "bye"!! Tabby had bought the DVD of The Chronicles of Narnia and when I left this evening he, Dad & Tabby were preparing to watch it. All in all Paul had a great weekend. As we prepare for Easter this week I am reminded that we have been so blessed by God's love. We praise God for holding Paul so closely during these last five months. We praise Him for the love of friends & family that have been right beside us. Most of all we praise Him for sacrificing His son so that we might be saved and spend eternity in Heaven. We are hopeful that Paul will be able to come to the Sonrise Service Easter morning. This was a special tradition for Paul & Tabby. It is also an opportunity for Paul to see many people who have been a special part of his life. Have a great week.
Love, Lynne & Carl
As we end the first full weekend of Paul being home we feel that being home is positive for. Saturday was busy for everyone. The CNA came around 6am. She works a 12 hour day. Whew!! She seems quiet but is very nice and tends to Paul well. Dad came around 10am so Tabby could go to Starbucks (this is a regular routine for Tabby every Saturday!). Dad got Paul up after he was dressed and put him in the wheelchair for a bit. He had restarted his muscle relaxers and as we know it usually affects him. He was still able to support his weight and with help from Dad he walked to the wheelchair. He didn't do quite as well walking as he did on Friday. It was raining to he wasn't able to go outside. Dad left around 1:30 to take his sister to the airport and meet me so we could go to lunch with Bill & Ronda (this is part of OUR Saturday routine!!). Bobby stayed with Paul. This was the first time that Bobby has done the feeding but it went OK. There is an art to it though!! When Dad & I got back to the house later in the evening a Nurse from PW Home Health Services at PW Hospital was there doing her intake. She received Paul as a patient late on Friday night. She went over his history and took his vitals. She got information from us that the hospital doesn't document ... like what he is and isn't capable of doing. Her agency is also in charge of getting the therapists will come from. They will start early in the week. It will probably take a while to get a routine down.
Sunday was a quiet day at home for Paul. Paul was up and watching a movie when I arrived. He was holding his head up really well and was alert. Tabby said she was working with Paul to do some sign language to say "OK". She said he tried to make an "O" sound!! Dad got Paul up and walked about 10-15 feet. They worked on balancing while standing as well. A member from church came to bring some leftovers from the Picnic/Easter Egg hunt that we had today after the service. Paul seemed to enjoy seeing him. He got a little wave before he left. A short time after I arrived one of Paul's best friend from work came by. He spent about an hour with Paul. He rode his Harley Davidson so we took Paul outside to see it. Paul had given much advise to his friend on how he should fix it up. Paul got to see the work that had been done. Paul also got to hear it started up and running. Dad tried to get him to hold the handlebar to feel the vibrations from the bike. He didn't hold it long but I think he enjoyed hearing it and the story about fixing it up! It was a great time with such a great friend! When he prepared to leave Paul made mouth movement that appeared that he was saying "bye"!! Tabby had bought the DVD of The Chronicles of Narnia and when I left this evening he, Dad & Tabby were preparing to watch it. All in all Paul had a great weekend. As we prepare for Easter this week I am reminded that we have been so blessed by God's love. We praise God for holding Paul so closely during these last five months. We praise Him for the love of friends & family that have been right beside us. Most of all we praise Him for sacrificing His son so that we might be saved and spend eternity in Heaven. We are hopeful that Paul will be able to come to the Sonrise Service Easter morning. This was a special tradition for Paul & Tabby. It is also an opportunity for Paul to see many people who have been a special part of his life. Have a great week.
Love, Lynne & Carl
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/07/06
Dear Friends:
Paul's first whole day at home! His first night went fairly well. It seems he is comfortable being back in his own home. The CNA arrived at 6am. Dad got there around 7:30am and they got Paul up and dressed. The put him in the wheelchair and he sat up for a bit. After the 11am feeding Dad got him out of the bed and walked him to the kitchen where the wheelchair was. He walked with Dad's assistance about 15 feet. Paul did most of the work ... Dad just held him up and helped him keep his balance. Once in the wheelchair he sat up for a while before going back to bed. Around 2pm Dad got him up again and took him outside. They sat outside watching the traffic for about 2 hours. He stayed in the wheelchair until about 6pm watching the TV in his room. He was doing lots of movement with arms and legs and sat with his head up all day. Around 6pm Dad got him back in the bed. He was moving his legs a lot and even tried to reach his sock on the right foot. He moved the right foot up so that he could reach it with his left hand. He even tried to sit up a little bit to help reach it. When I came into the room he looked over at me to see who was there. The RN came this morning to tell Dad what to expect. She also told him what kinds of things Medicaid will cover and she will order some things. Some of these things we were previously told Medicaid would NOT cover. She also has a bathtub chair that she will bring over for Paul to use. The therapists didn't come today. We aren't sure why but the RN will call the Case Manager at Mt. Vernon to see who she called to order therapists. The good thing is Dad already knows what the therapists at Mt. Vernon were working on and he can do some of those things while we wait for things to get straightened out. Saturday will be a crazy day since all of us have things to do throughout the day. It appears we will be sharing times to go and feed Paul since the CNA doesn't do feedings. The CNA is very nice and I hope she will continue to work out. So far we've been blessed with many good things. We know God is doing good works in Paul!! When we left tonight (Dad & I actually got to leave a bit early) lots of people had arrived to visit and finish some of the last few things that need to be done to the house. What a blessing!
Have a great weekend! Lynne & Carl
Paul's first whole day at home! His first night went fairly well. It seems he is comfortable being back in his own home. The CNA arrived at 6am. Dad got there around 7:30am and they got Paul up and dressed. The put him in the wheelchair and he sat up for a bit. After the 11am feeding Dad got him out of the bed and walked him to the kitchen where the wheelchair was. He walked with Dad's assistance about 15 feet. Paul did most of the work ... Dad just held him up and helped him keep his balance. Once in the wheelchair he sat up for a while before going back to bed. Around 2pm Dad got him up again and took him outside. They sat outside watching the traffic for about 2 hours. He stayed in the wheelchair until about 6pm watching the TV in his room. He was doing lots of movement with arms and legs and sat with his head up all day. Around 6pm Dad got him back in the bed. He was moving his legs a lot and even tried to reach his sock on the right foot. He moved the right foot up so that he could reach it with his left hand. He even tried to sit up a little bit to help reach it. When I came into the room he looked over at me to see who was there. The RN came this morning to tell Dad what to expect. She also told him what kinds of things Medicaid will cover and she will order some things. Some of these things we were previously told Medicaid would NOT cover. She also has a bathtub chair that she will bring over for Paul to use. The therapists didn't come today. We aren't sure why but the RN will call the Case Manager at Mt. Vernon to see who she called to order therapists. The good thing is Dad already knows what the therapists at Mt. Vernon were working on and he can do some of those things while we wait for things to get straightened out. Saturday will be a crazy day since all of us have things to do throughout the day. It appears we will be sharing times to go and feed Paul since the CNA doesn't do feedings. The CNA is very nice and I hope she will continue to work out. So far we've been blessed with many good things. We know God is doing good works in Paul!! When we left tonight (Dad & I actually got to leave a bit early) lots of people had arrived to visit and finish some of the last few things that need to be done to the house. What a blessing!
Have a great weekend! Lynne & Carl
Friday, April 07, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/06/06
Dear Friends:
Paul came home today. He worked with the speech & Occupational therapists this morning before going home. The speech therapist gave him about 1/2 a popsicle and worked to exercise his mouth and tongue. His swallowing was a little better today but she wasn't absolutely sure he was swallowing all of it since he wouldn't make vocal sounds to show his throat was clear. He wouldn't work with the buzzer today. He shook his head "no" and pulled his hand away when she asked him if he wanted to work with it!! She talked to him a bit and told him he needed to work on exercising his vocal cords. He had occupational therapy after that. He went into the bathroom and she tried to get him to take a washcloth to his face using his left hand. He couldn't reach it but he tried. He washed his right arm with it since he could reach that. She put the deodorant in his right hand and asked him to take the lid off ... he shook his head "no". She finally got him to take the lid off she put the deodorant in his left hand and he applied it. Then they got him dressed. When it got closer to time to go home it appeared he had a little anxiety attack about leaving. The handicapped cab came at 2pm but the paperwork to release him wasn't ready until 2:30pm. The cab driver followed Tabby back to the house. While driving home there was a Harley Motorcycle went by and he looked over and watched it go by. They got almost home but he got sick in the cab. It was just a long trip. When they got home Paul was very upset. It took a little bit to get him calmed. I suppose the trip or being back home could be enough to be upsetting. When Dad & Tabby got him in the hospital bed they realized that the bed wasn't working. The electrical cords of the bed were not working. Apparently they were crushed while it was being stored. Someone from the company that owns the bed came to repair it. Dad took Paul outside to watch his cousin and a friend work on a walkway up to the house. Paul's friend is working to see if they can get a discount or donation on the concrete. What a blessing that would be!! Friday we will have the nurse, the CNA & all the therapists at the house to meet Paul and see the house. We will have more information about when they will be coming to do therapy. The CNA will come everyday from 6am to 6pm. The therapists will come every day Monday through Friday for each regimen (Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy). Paul was making lots of vocal sounds today. It seems like he is trying to say words. This is the most he has made vocal sounds. The work on the house is mostly complete now. The bathtub fixtures are still being worked on but most everything else is done!! We are so thankful for all the helpers that have come. We couldn't have been ready for today without all the help!
Have a great day (TGIF), Lynne & Carl
Paul came home today. He worked with the speech & Occupational therapists this morning before going home. The speech therapist gave him about 1/2 a popsicle and worked to exercise his mouth and tongue. His swallowing was a little better today but she wasn't absolutely sure he was swallowing all of it since he wouldn't make vocal sounds to show his throat was clear. He wouldn't work with the buzzer today. He shook his head "no" and pulled his hand away when she asked him if he wanted to work with it!! She talked to him a bit and told him he needed to work on exercising his vocal cords. He had occupational therapy after that. He went into the bathroom and she tried to get him to take a washcloth to his face using his left hand. He couldn't reach it but he tried. He washed his right arm with it since he could reach that. She put the deodorant in his right hand and asked him to take the lid off ... he shook his head "no". She finally got him to take the lid off she put the deodorant in his left hand and he applied it. Then they got him dressed. When it got closer to time to go home it appeared he had a little anxiety attack about leaving. The handicapped cab came at 2pm but the paperwork to release him wasn't ready until 2:30pm. The cab driver followed Tabby back to the house. While driving home there was a Harley Motorcycle went by and he looked over and watched it go by. They got almost home but he got sick in the cab. It was just a long trip. When they got home Paul was very upset. It took a little bit to get him calmed. I suppose the trip or being back home could be enough to be upsetting. When Dad & Tabby got him in the hospital bed they realized that the bed wasn't working. The electrical cords of the bed were not working. Apparently they were crushed while it was being stored. Someone from the company that owns the bed came to repair it. Dad took Paul outside to watch his cousin and a friend work on a walkway up to the house. Paul's friend is working to see if they can get a discount or donation on the concrete. What a blessing that would be!! Friday we will have the nurse, the CNA & all the therapists at the house to meet Paul and see the house. We will have more information about when they will be coming to do therapy. The CNA will come everyday from 6am to 6pm. The therapists will come every day Monday through Friday for each regimen (Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy). Paul was making lots of vocal sounds today. It seems like he is trying to say words. This is the most he has made vocal sounds. The work on the house is mostly complete now. The bathtub fixtures are still being worked on but most everything else is done!! We are so thankful for all the helpers that have come. We couldn't have been ready for today without all the help!
Have a great day (TGIF), Lynne & Carl
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/05/06
Dear Friends:
Today was court day. We arrived at the courthouse at 8am and waited for Tabby's attorney to get there. The docket starts at 9am and Tabby's attorney wanted to get a chance to talk to the commonwealth's attorney who would be prosecuting the case. The girl that hit Paul plead "not guilty". This wasn't a surprised to us. Her attorney indicated that they were going to plead that way but they were really not going to contest the testimony from the witness. The judge found her guilty and fined her. Now the way is paved to proceed with payment from the insurance company and the eventual civil suit that Tabby will file. It is really difficult to determine how this girl feels about what happened. We had NO direct contact with her. The case ran very long and we didn't leave the courthouse until around 1:30pm. We took Tabby home and then Dad dropped me home before leaving for the hospital. The speech therapist came in at 3pm. This is the only therapy Dad was there for. She continues to exercise his mouth and gums. She talked to him about his release and told him what to expect. She also told Paul that he needs to be exercising his arms and legs on his own whenever he can. She tried to put some ice cream in his mouth but he didn't even try to chew or swallow it. He really hasn't tried to swallow anything she has given him for the last several days. Dad said later Paul started trying to move his arm all around ... maybe he remembered what the therapist said and was exercising it. She plans to give us some information to obtain supplies that will help when we get home. The physical therapist told Dad that they walked three sets today and did most of the length of the gym. He held his head up good for her. Dad didn't see the OT today ... tomorrow he will have OT first thing and Speech after. The doctor has arranged for transport in the afternoon on Thursday. Friday a nurse will come to assess the house and our readiness. Then the Certified Nurses Aid will start the same day. We are not sure when the therapies will start but it sounds like everything is trying to be arranged for them to start very soon. We appreciate your continued prayers ... Thursday should be a difficult day. We are certainly anxious about this new step of Paul's recovery. As of yesterday Paul has been in the hospital for five months. Being at home will be different for Paul but we expect it will be good for him!
Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl
Today was court day. We arrived at the courthouse at 8am and waited for Tabby's attorney to get there. The docket starts at 9am and Tabby's attorney wanted to get a chance to talk to the commonwealth's attorney who would be prosecuting the case. The girl that hit Paul plead "not guilty". This wasn't a surprised to us. Her attorney indicated that they were going to plead that way but they were really not going to contest the testimony from the witness. The judge found her guilty and fined her. Now the way is paved to proceed with payment from the insurance company and the eventual civil suit that Tabby will file. It is really difficult to determine how this girl feels about what happened. We had NO direct contact with her. The case ran very long and we didn't leave the courthouse until around 1:30pm. We took Tabby home and then Dad dropped me home before leaving for the hospital. The speech therapist came in at 3pm. This is the only therapy Dad was there for. She continues to exercise his mouth and gums. She talked to him about his release and told him what to expect. She also told Paul that he needs to be exercising his arms and legs on his own whenever he can. She tried to put some ice cream in his mouth but he didn't even try to chew or swallow it. He really hasn't tried to swallow anything she has given him for the last several days. Dad said later Paul started trying to move his arm all around ... maybe he remembered what the therapist said and was exercising it. She plans to give us some information to obtain supplies that will help when we get home. The physical therapist told Dad that they walked three sets today and did most of the length of the gym. He held his head up good for her. Dad didn't see the OT today ... tomorrow he will have OT first thing and Speech after. The doctor has arranged for transport in the afternoon on Thursday. Friday a nurse will come to assess the house and our readiness. Then the Certified Nurses Aid will start the same day. We are not sure when the therapies will start but it sounds like everything is trying to be arranged for them to start very soon. We appreciate your continued prayers ... Thursday should be a difficult day. We are certainly anxious about this new step of Paul's recovery. As of yesterday Paul has been in the hospital for five months. Being at home will be different for Paul but we expect it will be good for him!
Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Paul's Update - 04/04/06
Dear Friends:
Today was a little slower day. Speech was suppose to be at 2pm but the therapist's 10am patient couldn't be woken so she switched Paul's time to 10am. She tried to talk to Paul about the many ways to communicate. He needs three signals "yes", "no" and "doesn't matter". Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no and open hand or no thumb for doesn't matter or has no answer. If he answers a yes question he has to be answer a no question consistently right after as a "control" question to know he understood the question. She worked open his hand, close his hand, put his thumb up and put his thumb down. She told him how important it is to be consistent. He didn't do well, but she will keep working on it. She also exercised his face and tongue. PT was at 11am. They walked with the walker and he kept his head up. He went about 1/2 the length of the gym before taking a rest. Then he walked another 1/2 of the gym. OT was at 1pm. The therapist worked on getting Paul to pick up things and put them in a bowl after she stretched his arms. He did OK but he wouldn't open his hand for her some of the time. She gave him a 2lb weight and he was supposed to give it to Dad. He took it and moved it toward Dad but then he just stood it on one end but wouldn't give it to Dad. It was cold outside so he wasn't able to go out. He stayed up in the wheelchair for a couple of hours. The doctor told Dad that he increased Paul's meds again last night. Tonight he seemed pretty tired and wasn't moving much. The doctor told Dad that he suspects that Paul's stiffness in the left arm may not be something he cannot control ... rather he purposely stops people from moving the arm. The doctor doesn't know for sure and doesn't know what he plans to do about it yet. At the house Tabby had the hospital bed delivered. They also delivered a walker, a suction machine (for the saliva) and some of the liquid food. It appears that Paul will be coming home sometime between 11-2pm on Thursday! Wednesday is court day. Bobby, Tabby, Tabby's attorney, Dad & I are all planning to be there. It will be the first time that any of us have seen the girl that hit Paul. We won't really have any part of this proceeding but we want to be there and impress upon the District Attorney how serious her "failure to yield" was! Pray for us as we are all at another anxious part of this long ordeal. We know God is in charge of this and we hope for the appropriate justice will be done.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Today was a little slower day. Speech was suppose to be at 2pm but the therapist's 10am patient couldn't be woken so she switched Paul's time to 10am. She tried to talk to Paul about the many ways to communicate. He needs three signals "yes", "no" and "doesn't matter". Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no and open hand or no thumb for doesn't matter or has no answer. If he answers a yes question he has to be answer a no question consistently right after as a "control" question to know he understood the question. She worked open his hand, close his hand, put his thumb up and put his thumb down. She told him how important it is to be consistent. He didn't do well, but she will keep working on it. She also exercised his face and tongue. PT was at 11am. They walked with the walker and he kept his head up. He went about 1/2 the length of the gym before taking a rest. Then he walked another 1/2 of the gym. OT was at 1pm. The therapist worked on getting Paul to pick up things and put them in a bowl after she stretched his arms. He did OK but he wouldn't open his hand for her some of the time. She gave him a 2lb weight and he was supposed to give it to Dad. He took it and moved it toward Dad but then he just stood it on one end but wouldn't give it to Dad. It was cold outside so he wasn't able to go out. He stayed up in the wheelchair for a couple of hours. The doctor told Dad that he increased Paul's meds again last night. Tonight he seemed pretty tired and wasn't moving much. The doctor told Dad that he suspects that Paul's stiffness in the left arm may not be something he cannot control ... rather he purposely stops people from moving the arm. The doctor doesn't know for sure and doesn't know what he plans to do about it yet. At the house Tabby had the hospital bed delivered. They also delivered a walker, a suction machine (for the saliva) and some of the liquid food. It appears that Paul will be coming home sometime between 11-2pm on Thursday! Wednesday is court day. Bobby, Tabby, Tabby's attorney, Dad & I are all planning to be there. It will be the first time that any of us have seen the girl that hit Paul. We won't really have any part of this proceeding but we want to be there and impress upon the District Attorney how serious her "failure to yield" was! Pray for us as we are all at another anxious part of this long ordeal. We know God is in charge of this and we hope for the appropriate justice will be done.
Have a great day! Lynne & Carl
Musings of a Tired Ol' man
Well, life returns to normal after a brief respite. Satellite Dishes installed on the 12th floor on Saturday, last second web changes over the weekend, and then the usual things a weekend incurs.
I started reading “The Journey” by Billy Graham this week and I have found it a great reading so far. Its message is simple but straight to the point. Sometimes, I need at light tap by a 2x4 to get it through my thick skull.
Lady had her procedure done and every thing went well as all the suspicious places were accounted for. We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 am and got home about 3:00 pm. A long day especially for the tush having to endure those hard seats. On the 12th we go back for the results. We know will be good, so maybe we will play hooky. Thanks for the prayers and support.
Bowling Scene: We finished 3rd on our Sunday night league. Sure beats finishing next to the bottom. Summer Youth league will start in about 6 weeks so I can enjoy a few quiet Sunday afternoons till then. This weekend two of my students whom I coach will be bowling in a tournament. Good Luck Michaela and Tenairi.
Manassas will never be the same after Monday, 10 April. Wild Mom will be here to spread her cheer and perhaps some oats. She will spend 2 weeks with us and two with my brother.
I see the oil companies are adding to their profits again. Prices just keep escalating to what ever level they desire. Yes, we will squeal when the price hits 3.00. They will drop it .25 and we will waddle off smiling that we won all the while that price will leave us paying .60 more than last year. I still maintain that we either regulate the price or demand new refinery capability within 2 years. They can do it if pushed, but that also means the politicians will lose some of their “gifts”.
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