Happy Birthday to my Dear Husband

Today is Sam's birthday, he wanted steak and a baked potatoe for dinner, HOME COOKED, but I got saved, our daughter (and her family) are taking him out to dinner, and I get to go too:-) I thought it would be fun to post just SOME of the things I LOVE about him so here they are, for the whole world to see!!!!

• He treats me nice.
• He tries to get me anything I want or need when I am sick.
• He takes me out to dinner anytime I don't want to cook and then some.
• He takes me to fun places like Florida, San Diego, Niagara Falls and of course to see Panda bears.
• He doesn't even mind sleeping with them (panda bears) all over our bedroom.
• I know what makes me happy makes him happy.
• If I ask him what he wants for dinner he replies with "something simple" Yahoo!
• He even eats left overs, even if it's the same thing we had the night before, (I try not to do that too often).
• He ALWAYS let's me head off to my sisters or away with a friend for a few days. Yeah, he misses me, but it's not like I won't be back in a couple of days.
• He works hard and is very dedicated to his career.
• He even let's me hold and operate the remote control!
• He does all the driving when we go on a car trip. (Often I will offer).
• He is a great grandpa too, he just loves our grand kids and they feel the same way about him.

Happy you-know-what birthday!!

6 LONG Weeks

Here is Sam carrying his 20 pound computer bag. Today marked his 6 weeks and now he can lift and carry away anything he wants, yippee, he can even carry the dog up the stairs at night now. She's too spoiled, let me tell ya!

The Doctor Visit

Sam went to see the doc last Friday and after pressing on his tummy in various spots it was determined that he is healing quite nicely. His bruise is finally gone and all the steri strips are still intact. Of course he was reminded to let them fall off on their own time, last night he told me 1 or 2 are starting to start to pull off on the ends. It's been 14 days.

He was reminded to not lift over 5 pounds, I've been taking his computer bag out f0r him every morning. I know he is not following orders because he carried it to the basement office and back upstairs, I gave him a small lecture (what else can I do). I took it to the scale and it weighted 13.5 pounds. I asked him if there was stuff he could leave at work and he said he'd leave some things there today. Then I told him not to fill his bag up with more.

Thanks for your calls, emails, and concern. Now if he just doesn't get a hernia with that computer bag.

They're Out of Their Mind

On Monday in the mail arrives an envelope from the San Diego Hospital telling Sam his check-up is for Wednesday at 1:15 with so and so doctor!

1. We don't live there
2. This is the first we hear about his appointment time
3. We're back home
4. We told them already we weren't coming back for a check-up
5. Somebody had to have addressed it do they not think "OHIO?"

I called and cancelled his appointment, would have loved to have spoken to somebody but it was automated, I said "Sam --- will not be coming for his appointment on Wed. due to the fact we are back home in OHIO, and there is no reason to reschedule so please don't bother with another letter or phone call". I hope that clears that up!

Cancel and Extend

What an ordeal. I had to call Delta on Monday while Sam was in the E.R. dept. to let them know we would not be on our fight Tuesday. That creepy woman gave no sympathy and actually gave me aggravation, she told me I'd have to pay a higher fare, for the second time,I told her it was medical, my husband is admitted to the hospital, I don't have a month and a half to reschedule a new flight home.

I was keeping in contact with my sister who was calling family to update them. Of course I was in contact with Jennifer and she was even helping to make phone calls. I had her extend the dog kennel, call Sam's parents once and my sister once, I didn't want my phone to die on me, I asked at a couple nurses stations if they had a spare charger but they didn't. Fortunately, it lasted till the end of our hospital stay.

I had to extend the rental car and hotel. Whew!

On Wednesday, Sam was on the computer checking out flights to get us home. He asked me if I wanted to stay another day or go home that day. I said if your up for it, let's get outta here, so he got Delta on the phone, booked us thru SLC then into Cincy. We didn't have to pay any extra charges either because it was medical. There was no way were we stopping off in ATL, they had storms coming their way and we did not want a delay or reschedule. It was bad enough our son-in-law had to pick us up at 10:00 P.M. because our truck was at the Dayton airport. (We love you Jim but I would have rather had you get a good night's sleep.) It was nice getting a cart ride through the SLC airport and wheelchair service through the other ones. Sam's computer bag weighed 25# and I would have had to carry it, but it fit on the wheelchair. I know this because I weighed it when we got home.

I Left My Appendix In SAN DIEGO"

YOU MUST READ "JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY" FIRST THEN THIS POST: IT'S RIGHT BELOW THIS ONE. (SCROLL DOWN)

http://ctsurgery.ucsd.edu/Portals/0/Hillcrest_cvr.jpg The best I can do for a picture.

So now it's 2:10 P.M. and we're at the hospital. After spending nearly an hour in a full waiting room they call us back, (fortunately they take you based on your condition not number in line) long story short, a CAT scan reveals he does require an emergency appendectomy. His pain level was shooting up, by now it's at a 7.5 out of 10, that's a lot for Sam. The pain med was not helping till they finally gave him a shot in the arm, 3 minutes later he was in less pain.

6 hours after arrival, we're taken up to pre-op it is now 8:30 p.m. They start to start to prepare him then all of a sudden another emergency, somebody comes in with massive brain swelling. We're both extremely tired but can't sleep, a few 5 minute cat naps isn't enough. Finally, 4 hours later they take Sam into surgery, supposed to "be a simple one, an hour or so".

I am going nuts by myself, I go to cafeteria for finally something to eat since breakfast (I didn't want to eat if he couldn't). I pray over and over that God will heal him and comfort me. I get the word 2.5 hrs later because I am hanging out near the surgery dept. doors when a nurse comes out I ask about him and they say he is fine, surgery is complete and the doc will be out to talk to me. It's now 3:00 A.M. They bring him out and wheel him up to recovery. Praise God for giving all the medical staff the knowledge to heal those that are sick! Your awesome!

Recovery plays 50 questions, OK seriously more like 25 but it seemed like 50. I tried to answer them but then I thought maybe they wanted Sam to. Yano, maybe to wake him up, see if he is coherent, they asked the poor guy the same question in another way on a few of them! He just had a stinkin tube down his throat ya think he wants to talk! What can ya do, oh well. Maybe I was in the recovery room too soon.

Not sure why they have a recovery room because he was only there for 30 minutes, enough to badger his throat. Next stop...hospital room. He is feeling nauseous when he closes his eyes and he desperately needs sleep, the nurse gives him a shot and he is feeling somewhat better. But it gets the best of him.

Clear liquids for breakfast and lunch and a few short walks up and down the hall and finally we're told he needs to come back in a week for a re-check. Ummmm, we live in OHIO, we won't be back he tells the doc. So he gets paper work and it's suggested he see his doc here. He goes to the doc on Friday well past a week, but he didn't want to go on his first day back to work and he couldn't make it on Thursday that's all they had open. And that's all I have to say, other than sorry so long of a post.

"Just Another Manic Monday"

Yes, that's true, we run off for an extended 4 day weekend to have a great time and then.... After 2 very busy days of walking all over a zoo and Sea W. up and down hilly paths and acquiring a sore hip, after breakfast on Monday, Sam informed me he didn't feel well. We were getting ready to head out to our last fun event The S.D. Wild Animal Park, about 35 miles away.

Sam: I don't feel well (rubbing his belly)
Me: Oh? Well let's just stay here at the hotel and see how you are later
Sam: No, we came do to do this, we're going
Me: Alright? if you think so, (to avoid getting into an argument)

We start out and it is sprinkling, I call the place and they say it's raining there too and it's all out doors. We bring a change of clothes but no RAIN GEAR or spare shoes. We're on the road about 15 minutes and it starts to pour, Sam is fidgeting and rubbing his belly I say what's wrong and he reminds me he doesn't feel good. I tell him let's just go back to hotel area and see what we can do around town, after all, it is pouring and it really wouldn't be much fun outdoors. He agrees:-)

After pulling over and checking the AAA book and the GPS for ideas Sam thinks it best to head back to hotel, I agree, (he is in pain). He takes a 35 minute nap while I catch up on blog reading. Wakes up, tells me to type in How Diagnose Appendix, he used to be an EMT and knows more about this stuff than I do. He gets me thinking this is serious because he is not a complainer, and we're not liking what we're reading on the diagnosis. He takes control of the computer and figures out which hospital is near as well as the best choice for care.

My Wonderful Husband

I woke up Wednesday to Sam's alarm. He turned on the t.v to hear a repeat of Tuesday so he looked out the window and crawled back in bed for another 1 1/2 hrs. then he rolled out and started another work from home day. I get up, look outside and say yippie, more exercise shoveling. It wasn't as FUN as Tuesday and I had a feeling my neighbor would be over to plow us out so instead I went to shovel Lilah another few paths as they too had blown in and got completely covered. When finished it looked like a runway. I went back out front and while shoveling, Dave, the neighbor yells over he's going to be plowing when it gets done snowing. I yell back alright you can finish what I don't. He is a great guy, he mowed for us when we weren't here yet full-time, and plowed our driveway when we weren't living here yet full-time. It was a true blessing to come from out of town and find the driveway or yard taken care of. When I came in the door Sam asked if I wanted breakfast and of course I said YES. This time he made me blueberry pancakes. THEN he did the dishes. I can really get used to this work from home stuff. Thank-You dear.