Author Topic: Prayers would be good... (Read 6625 times)

Kittyzee · « **Reply #30 on:** August 12, 2009, 05:15:50 AM »

Oh thank you, I hadn't thought that far ahead. Your generosity is overwhelming, I can hardly type this I can't see for the tears :'( Let me calm down a bit and I need to fix the girls' breakfast and I'll be back later this morning

Kittyzee · « **Reply #31 on:** August 12, 2009, 07:11:21 AM »

Cards would be wonderful for her. She expressed to me this has been such a wakeup call for her. Just PM me and I can give you my address and I'll see she gets them. Do you think that's okay? Or if you would rather send them directly to the hospital let me know via PM--I'll get the address for you.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #32 on:** August 13, 2009, 05:45:05 AM »

My youngest daughter, 2 granddaughters and I are going to see Maren this afternoon. I will be meeting with the social worker about her after care needs, so this is an important meeting.

DH and I took the girls to the local county fair last night--they had a blast! They are doing so well, I'm sure due in part to your prayers for them. I am convinced through all this of our need for one another and the outpouring of love and support from this forum is just overwhelming.

It means so much to me. Do you know that not one person has contacted me from my church to ask about Maren? It's mind-boggling to me.

Maren's pain level is very tolerable now, I don't think she is asking for many pain meds. Her Physical Therapist stopped her therapy yesterday when he saw tears in her eyes. She wanted to proceed, but he stopped the session--she's pushing herself too hard. She misses her babies and is very homesick. Home is all she can see. :'(

Julles · « **Reply #33 on:** August 13, 2009, 05:55:46 AM »

Thanks for the update, LuAnn. I hope the kids can visit her today... hope that's not too upsetting for them. Maren sounds like a brave trooper.

Joyce · « **Reply #34 on:** August 13, 2009, 07:08:41 AM »

Thanks for the update.

Glad she is improving so fast!

I remember back when I was going through all my surgeries for cancer, the worst being my double mastectomy,
DH Bill's NJROTC cadets gave me a box, about 12 x 12", light pink with a darker pink bow and a spray of white baby's breath around a light pink rose.
Inside were over $2,000 of gift cards, each with a little note of encouragement and kind words, for groceries, restaurants, gas cards, spa cards, manicures, massages, etc, etc.
I couldn't cry because my chest was so painful, so I just sat there and let tears run from my eyes, without moving my chest.
I was so touched, getting teared up now. :'(

That box sure made our lives a lot esier, for months after that!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #35 on:** August 13, 2009, 06:15:55 PM »

Wow Joyce. The generosity of some people, that had to make your life so much easier.

I can't imagine how that would hurt to cry without taking a deep breath. :'(

Yes, we went to see her today and she was soooo much better. We went down while she did physical therapy to watch her learn to use her walker. They were very impressed with her progress. Each day she doubles her distance using her arms and only weight on her left leg. It pretty much wipes her out, but it's worth the struggle. She is using a wheelchair and can put herself into the shower by herself and also the potty. She's only taking pain meds by mouth and she may get to come home as early as next week!

The girls did so good and only shed a couple of tears, but that's because Mommy cried when they left. She's desperately homesick for her home, her cats, her daughters, and me and the farm. We cut some flowers from her gardens and took them to her today too. She loved them. I hated seeing her sitting in that bed all alone as we all walked out the door away from her..... :'(

KatFish · « **Reply #36 on:** August 13, 2009, 07:27:40 PM »

She's doing so well! Good for her! She must have a very strong spirit.

Esther · « **Reply #37 on:** August 13, 2009, 07:39:59 PM »

PM on the way. How old are the girls? We could help a little there too.

Girls are 8 and 5. Heading off to do a little shopping this afternoon.

Joyce · « **Reply #38 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:14:09 AM »

Kittyzee, yes, the generosity of others made OUR lives so much easier.

Yes, it hurt to breathe, I could hardly talk cuz intaking enough breath to talk was beyond torture. Whispered instead.
This was even on Oxycodon, Percoset, and a Stryker automatic pain pump surgically implanted into my chest muscles.
Getting up to go to the bathroom took about 15-20 minutes from a sitting position, with help. Had to do eerything SLOOOOWLY.
This 'hard part' went on for at least 2 weeks. I stayed at my moms condo because Bill had to work, and Jamie was in school.
Had a PT nurse come once a day to check my vitals and help with my PT...yes, stretching those chest muscles,
walking my fingers up a wall, trying to touch my head, etc, etc. I had tears in my eyes all the time.
But the more I PTed, the faster the pain seemed to go away, easier it was to use the damaged muscles, even though during PT it hurt beyond words.
Even on Oxycodon and all that other pain crap, never used it as an excuse to snap at anyone, never was mean.
Just kept on smiling, happy and grateful to be alive. No pain, no gain, no excuses!

So it sounds like Maren is a strong individual, like me.
Soooo glad she is doing well!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #39 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:45:23 AM »

Yes, she comes from a long line of strong and independent women, and we are raising up strong, independent granddaughters too!

The PT's told her they have never seen anyone with her extensive injuries, heal so fast. She is determined and very lucky she is strong. She has always been strong in her upper body--she would put guys her age to shame on a hay wagon!

She's only been there a week, and they are talking about releasing her Tuesday! It may have to wait until Wed. tho' cuz I've got to get the youngest to kindergarten screening on Tues. We are getting all of the equipment she will need in place today and Monday for her to be able to come home.

Your rehab sounds like pure torture. I don't do pain meds well at all, but really haven't had to take them. I can imagine I WOULD be mean and snappy, but I hope I don't have to find out.

I don't make a good patient, I'm not nice when I'm sick.

I hope you are pain free now and will never, ever have to undergo any surgery ever again.

Joyce · « **Reply #40 on:** August 15, 2009, 09:10:27 AM »

Thanks Kittyzee, me too.

Sounds like we both come from a long line of strong women.

No whiners allowed!

My brother, on the other hand, is a whiner of the 'nth' degree.

He will milk everything for all its worth, bring down everyone around him cuz that's how he gets off.
I remember when he had knee surgery, the whining and attempts at sympathy went on for a year.
OMG...in the midst of chemo and radiation I had to listen to that every day.

I have no sympathy for overweight people who do nothing about losing weight when the weight induced diseases start setting in,
but instead, they eat even more and then constantly bitch and moan and WHINE.

Even my bros friends told him he was being such a wuss.

And as for people who smoke even after chemo and radiation...no sympathy at all.

Just ran into a woman I had chemo with, idiot had a cig in her mouth. She got the hand.
Told her I had no time for her and refused to breath her cancer gas.
Even my husband loves me enough to smoke cigars at the other end of the property, downwind.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #41 on:** August 15, 2009, 09:27:38 AM »

There was a woman in the room with my daughter, while we were visiting with Maren--the nurses and a woman from security came in and said "we hear you were standing outside smoking while you had your oxygen tank with you"!!! She said she had a pass, she didn't think she was breaking any rules. She was on the 4th floor, and went all the way to somewhere outside.

OMG, are you serious? You should have heard this woman cough...it sounded like one of her lungs would come up.

I have a plaque in my kitchen--"no whining".

I try to compassion for those who truly suffer, many people I see on the medic have genuine medical problems. Some of them are screaming about severe back pain (I really mean screaming here

) but they are chronic abusers of the system cuz they are addicted to pain meds. Most of the time the hospitals don't give them what they need so they go to another ER where they aren't known yet.

So sorry about your brother, he would feel so much better about himself if he lost his weight and could get around better on his knee.....

Joyce · « **Reply #42 on:** August 15, 2009, 10:04:54 AM »

LOL! I have a handpainted plaque in my kitchen that says, 'Be Nice Or Leave!'

Bought it because of my brother, a couple years ago, when we were on vacation upstate.

Once we had it up, took him weeks to notice it, and then he got POed cuz he knew it was for him.

Now I gotta getta 'No Whiners' sign to put right under it.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #43 on:** August 15, 2009, 02:29:40 PM »

I wish I could remember where I got that plaque Joyce, there's a couple people I like to give one to

It used to hang in my office

Joyce · « **Reply #44 on:** August 15, 2009, 05:10:23 PM »

There's a fall street festival coming up here...I'll be able to find one there.
Also, I'm artistic so I can just make my own.

I walk the beaches here and collect driftwood.
Have a few pices that would make nice 'No Whiners Allowed' signs.

Esther · « **Reply #45 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:32:03 PM »

HOO BOY!! What do 5 and 8 year old girls like?? Just spent some time and money at the dollar store thinking things through. UM, nothing that makes noise. No play dough to get stuck in the carpet. No glitter stuff. No stickers. What can they use while sitting at the hospital? Let's see, is the 5, just turned 5 or going on 6----kindergarten or 1st grade. UM what are they learning in kindergarten nowadays. My oldest, 35 years ago, was learning to get in line, color nicely, tie his shoes, and other important social skills. Now they are already doing beginning math and reading stuff I think. You would have laughed at how many things I put in my cart and then put back. Dh was having a ball. NOT!! Oh well like they say, it's the thought that counts.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #46 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:53:10 PM »

I know Esther, believe me!! They both are into the same things though. Water colors, or finger paints, sidewalk chalk (DH hates this, why I don't know it washes off with the hose

) Coloring books of horses, cats, farm animals. They love play doh and I let them do it. Heck I'm the grandma, it's supposed to be fun here! Stickers are good--glitter is freaky to me--they make it so fine these days that I'm the one that ends up with it on my face days later

Thanks for thinking of us Esther!!

Esther · « **Reply #47 on:** August 16, 2009, 05:17:39 AM »

Part of my thinking was to give them things to do while they visit mom at the hospital. And or maybe she'll have to go to a rehab hospital for a short time before heading home.

Julles · « **Reply #48 on:** August 16, 2009, 07:12:19 AM »

Why not get things the kids can use to make things for Mommy?... like they can make paintings or drawings, to cheer her up.

what's the update, KittyZee?

Kittyzee · « **Reply #49 on:** August 16, 2009, 07:34:42 AM »

Esther, it's quite a drive to the hospital so we don't go down as much as we'd like to. She is in the rehab part of the hospital, just a few doors down from her main room in the beginning.

She is doing quite well--in fact much better than her PT's have ever seen with her extensive injuries. She's looking at coming home Wednesday, and I have all the equipment in place that she will need. I think she wanted to come here to stay, but her apartment is all on one floor and outside it's all flat too. I can bring her out here for the day, but sleeping on a sofa is not what the doctors want for her and I don't need the expense of a hospital bed in the living room--especially when she can get into her own bed.

She is bored this weekend, but people are going down today, which will help break up her boredom. Keep the good thoughts coming, they ARE WORKING!

Joyce · « **Reply #50 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:02:31 AM »

How's she doing?

Glad she's working hard, doing her best to be healthy ASAP, and not whining!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #51 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:35:29 AM »

Yes, I'm sooo glad she's not whining!

It wastes precious energy that she'll need in the days ahead. I"m going in this afternoon and shampoo her carpet and mop her floors and get the equipment in place for her return. She may be home a day earlier than I thought, but I'm flexible so that's okay. We'll know today after she talks to the staff when she'll be leaving the hospital.

Joyce · « **Reply #52 on:** August 17, 2009, 07:12:01 AM »

Quote

It wastes precious energy that she'll need in the days ahead.

Very well said.

Whining is negativity. Negativity slows the healing process down while bringing down everyone around you.
Basically, it's weakness. Glad she is being strong!

lorraine1960 · « **Reply #53 on:** August 17, 2009, 08:12:54 AM »

Yes you and family will be in my prayers....she is young and healthy and ALIVE....she will do great..now you will be run ragged.....take care of yourself also...lorraine

Kittyzee · « **Reply #54 on:** August 17, 2009, 08:37:00 PM »

Maren was saying that they wanted her to talk to a psychologist today, she had been so weepy--they were afraid she was having some kind of breakdown. She said I have done everything by myself for 4 days, toilet, shower, wheelchair, walker, exercised. I miss my girls, my mom, my cats, my home. I need to get out of here and I'm only going to get more emotional and hard to get along with until I do. (Man, is she like me or what?! Scary!) Sooo, she's coming home tomorrow! WhooHooo!! Her house is cleaner than mine, thanks to me...someone needs to clean mine...

The hard part for me will be the days ahead--getting school supplies, groceries, meals and taking the oldest granddaughter to school starting next week and picking her up too....it won't be forever, will it?!

mcp · « **Reply #55 on:** August 17, 2009, 08:48:29 PM »

My thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Joyce · « **Reply #56 on:** August 18, 2009, 04:36:46 AM »

YAY! She's coming home!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #57 on:** August 18, 2009, 04:58:46 AM »

Yes, she is!!

I ordered her a plaque that says--"take a deep breath", you're HOME." I can't wait 'til it comes and I can give it to her

Bullfrog · « **Reply #58 on:** August 18, 2009, 07:41:17 AM »

LuAnn she just misses her comfort zone, home and kids. I'm sure she will be a lot better when she gets home. I'll keep sending prayers for her.

jw · « **Reply #59 on:** August 18, 2009, 10:52:47 AM »

That is such good news and I pray she continues to heal at a fast pace