Home alone

I am home alone. Mom and Dad and Grandma are all gone to Milwaukee until tomorrow. Yeah!!! What a nice change. I don't think I have been home alone since before Dad got sick last year. I am not sure what I am going to do with all the time, but I did decide to blog.

Just to let everyone know - my cousin Zach is now at the subacute (sp?) unit at Mercy Medical Center. This is down the hall from the rehab unit where Dad was for the last month of his stay. Zach will move into the rehab unit as soon as his bones heal and he is able to do therapy which should be in about 2-3 weeks. Then he will be in rehab for at least 2 - 3 weeks.

Otherwise, not much else is new. Just waiting for the weather to warm up. My car finally went into the shop this past week, so I hope I get it back soon.

I just connected with an old friend who I hadn't talked to in 4 years. He found me on Facebook of all things. He is getting divorced and found out his mom has ovarian cancer. He is not having an easy time right now. My dad thought it was nice he was able to talk to me, but didn't think I should see him until he is divorced. This guy was my best friend for 5 years until he got married. Why shouldn't I see him when he is having problems? It is not like we are going to date or anything. WE ARE BEST FRIENDS!!! Is my dad just being overprotective? I don't know, but it is sure bugging me that he would even make the suggestion that I would even do anything like that.

That's all for now. Even though it is nice outside, I need to let the puppies in. They have had enough! See you all soon!

Inaugration day

Inaugration day. I am so glad that the coverage is over. I can't believe the channels that were covering it. Even QVC was having coverage. Of course with the kids here, we didn't watch as much as we normally would have, but we did see Obama speak. He sure has big plans that sound good, until it comes to implimentation.

It has been different this week. Mom is the back up sitter for a family. They have a little girl that is 4 months old. She has been so good. It is amazing.

Today I started the Special K diet. You have cereal or a protien meal replacement bar for 2 meals and then a normal meal for the third meal. Then you have a snack in the morning and one in the afternoon. It hasn't been so bad, but today is just the first day. I will definitely have to see. I did get hungry, but only when it was time to have another meal or snack. The worst part will be tonight. And I know I am not drinking enough water - but I hate the taste of our well water and bottled water has no taste at all.

A quick update on my cousin Zach. He had another surgery last Thursday to move his bottom 2 vertabrae back into place and then a pin put in to hold it in place. He is recovering well and has been moved to the surgical floor. So things seem to be going well.

Talk to you all soon

Feeling better

I am feeling much better today! I no longer feel like there is someone scraping their fingernails down my throat. I am still very tired though.

Here is a quick update on my cousin. My uncle has been sending out updates when possible.
On Sat. am, Zach had surgery on his pelvis and wrist, 4 to 5 days ahead of what was his expected time to be strong enough! It went very well and he was off paralytics by Sunday. He has been closer to waking up, and we were able to talk to him a few times and he would hand sign to us, then go back to sleep.
On monday morning (today) he had his breathing tube removed! and was gabbing up a storm to his Mom. The first words he said of course, were, Where's DAD?, much to Lauries happiness! not!
So he is doing good, just has to stay in CCU a while.
A clearer picture of what happened and his injuries, I will tell you now. Zach was heading south on 41 in Neenah at 65mphs in right lane, in the center lane and behind him was a dumptruck. Zach started fishtailing and lost control, either ice or went on icy shoulder a bit, then went into center lane and was hit in drivers side by dumptruck, and smashed into ditch just before 114 Winneconne exit. The snow there helped keep them level, so as not to go too deep into ditch. He had to be cut out of his side of car, and then was brought to Theda Clark.
He has a cut on his head left side above his ear, 20 stitches? a broken left collar bone, 5 or 6 broken left ribs, left wrist was broke in 5 places, and his pelvis was broke in 5 places causing a tear in a branch of his femeral artery. He was given 5 or 6 units of blood thru the procedure to plug the artery, and was critical from then on, which you know he improved from steadily.
Long road ahead for Zach, Jazz, Laurie and I, but you have all shown we are not alone, Thank You All for everything you've done already, and keep in touch with us but Jazz the most this is really hard on a 16 yr. old.

Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts. We all know how much this helps!

Another Sunday missed!

Another Sunday is coming and I am going to miss church again. I have lost my voice and feel like I have a very sore throat. I hope it is just that I am overtired from a long, long week. Talk to most of you on Wednesday if not before.

Undecorating

Does anything make a house seem emptier than taking down the Christmas decorations? Mom and I are trying to repack all of the Christmas deocrations into the boxes they came out of. Except it never seems to fit the same.

We just received an update on my cousin Zach. He had surgery today on his pelvis and broken wrist. Everything went well. He will have to wear a brace on his pelvis for the next 6-8 weeks until it heals. They put 3 pins into his wrist to hold it together, but the doctors were very happy on the way it went. Please keep him in your prayers as it is still a long way to recovery.

Thoughts and prayers

As you can tell from my last blog entry, it has not been a very nice year. And it is not getting better. My 19 year old cousin was in a car accident yesterday afternoon. Here are some details from my Uncle Kris


Zach was in a bad car crash today,Wed. afternoon. He and a friend were getting on 41 from 114 in Neenah, and lost control on the on ramp and hit the side of a dumptruck. He took the brunt of it and has a broken pelvis which caused internal bleeding. That was stopped in surgery about 4pm. He also has three broken ribs,a fractured left forearm, and a sizable cut on the left side of his head. He came thru so far and was responding to us and the nurse with head shakes (no to me when I told him he needed to relax and get better, and squeezing the nurses hand when asked questions) 9pm. Then they put him back under to keep him quiet. He is still critical but improving, and the next couple days will be the toughest. He had no head injury except the cut, which is why he could respond so soon, but he will be kept under for a long time, then they will go in and fix his pelvis. He is critical and under constant watch but his blood pressure and other tests are improving. Keep Praying, I know it works!!!!!!

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I will keep you updated as I know more.

On a much happier note - Congratulations Becky on your new baby girl! What a precious gift.

Thats all for now. Thoughts and prayers to all for a safe and peaceful day.

New Year

Out with the old and in with the new, right? It is hard to feel that way when you have lost loved ones and friends. This week I have/had 3 funerals of loved ones and friends. My great Aunt Ruth died on December 31st. Her funeral was last Saturday. An old co-workers husband died on December 31st as well. The wake is tonight. My very good friend Jodie's mom died on Friday. My thoughts, prayers, and love goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one.

On a happier note, on Saturday, we finally had our family christmas. It was nice having everyone together. I got a lot of neat stuff including a lot of gift certificates! I love being able to shop and not spend my own money.

Other than that, here's hoping that the ice goes away and the snow does not add up to much at all.

Peace and love to all.