Welcome to the world, little one.
Another boy in the clan, our second grandson.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Leave Your Troubles Behind...
I'm killing the hours, minute by painful minute, until morning brings Kate's surgery and the arrival of a new little person in our family.
I've already confessed to being a rotten waiter. I'm no longer apologizing for it. I think God and I have worked out an agree to disagree position on the merit of patience.
I do a mental review of the day and evening. A whirlwind of putting away from our trip over here for Kevin's appointment, accompanied by a parallel whirlwind of packing for my trip back over here today.
Went to Mass on campus tonight, which was absolutely amazing. I'm always awed by the college students at St. Tom's. And Father Patrick's homily made me think, which is what a homily ought to do.
The laugh of the day, the week, possibly the month, came tonight when our friend Patrick K. (he who often gave us the only smiles we had some days last year with his daily emailed joke during chemotherapy) asked about Kevin. We talk about what the doctor had to say then Patrick deadpans, "So Kevin's troubles are all behind him now?"
Kevin laughed out loud when I called him after Mass and replayed the scene. I plan to scan in the full color photos Dr. Francis provided of Kev's inner workings and add Patrick's caption.
This could be the start of a line of greeting cards just for recovering colorectal cancer patients.
"Leave Your Troubles Behind"
I've already confessed to being a rotten waiter. I'm no longer apologizing for it. I think God and I have worked out an agree to disagree position on the merit of patience.
I do a mental review of the day and evening. A whirlwind of putting away from our trip over here for Kevin's appointment, accompanied by a parallel whirlwind of packing for my trip back over here today.
Went to Mass on campus tonight, which was absolutely amazing. I'm always awed by the college students at St. Tom's. And Father Patrick's homily made me think, which is what a homily ought to do.
The laugh of the day, the week, possibly the month, came tonight when our friend Patrick K. (he who often gave us the only smiles we had some days last year with his daily emailed joke during chemotherapy) asked about Kevin. We talk about what the doctor had to say then Patrick deadpans, "So Kevin's troubles are all behind him now?"
Kevin laughed out loud when I called him after Mass and replayed the scene. I plan to scan in the full color photos Dr. Francis provided of Kev's inner workings and add Patrick's caption.
This could be the start of a line of greeting cards just for recovering colorectal cancer patients.
"Leave Your Troubles Behind"
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Customer Complaints and Patient Satisfaction
I barely had time to awe my captive audience of seniors before a nurse popped out to direct me to the recovery room.
"This is good. Under an hour. Well under an hour."
Kev came in, walking steadily on his own and looking for some snacks. I am amazed. He had an "I'm hungry" headache and he wanted to go to El Rodeo for fajitas before we headed for home.
Dr. Francis stopped in to confirm that the plumbing should hold up another 6 months. There was/is scar constriction but he thinks this was as bad as it will get. Recheck in 6 months to be sure. We talked a little about some of the battlefields of medicine these days; things like caring for patients versus the more anonymous customer mentality. It's an analogy Kevin and I can relate to after feeling like he had a barcode on his butt and was cha-chinged! through a cash register in Cincinnati.
So we are celebrating the unexpectedly good news. Even better, the 6 month recheck will be booked as Kevin's had-cancer-has-to-be-checked-yearly colonoscopy, sparing him a fourth prep and exam in this calendar year. Having the troops back off on the invasion is always a good thing in Kev's eyes.
"This is good. Under an hour. Well under an hour."
Kev came in, walking steadily on his own and looking for some snacks. I am amazed. He had an "I'm hungry" headache and he wanted to go to El Rodeo for fajitas before we headed for home.
Dr. Francis stopped in to confirm that the plumbing should hold up another 6 months. There was/is scar constriction but he thinks this was as bad as it will get. Recheck in 6 months to be sure. We talked a little about some of the battlefields of medicine these days; things like caring for patients versus the more anonymous customer mentality. It's an analogy Kevin and I can relate to after feeling like he had a barcode on his butt and was cha-chinged! through a cash register in Cincinnati.
So we are celebrating the unexpectedly good news. Even better, the 6 month recheck will be booked as Kevin's had-cancer-has-to-be-checked-yearly colonoscopy, sparing him a fourth prep and exam in this calendar year. Having the troops back off on the invasion is always a good thing in Kev's eyes.
Waiting with Patients
I am waiting. Again. Along with a roomful of other people, fully half of which also show signs of being impatient waiters.
We've been here since 11:20. It's now 12:57. Kevin and his nurse walked back to the surgery suite at 12:41, IV already in place, all set to start.
The fact that I know, to the minute, when he was led away is testimony to my clock watching tendencies.
The waiting will be fine up to an hour. That's my worry point for a sigmoidoscopy. After an hour, things have usually gotten more complicated in some way and my clock watching, leg bouncing impatience will become obvious.
With plenty of time to go in my worry-free hour, though, I can people watch in between being chatted up by several elderly patients who are intrigued by my computer's ability to be "on the 'net with no wires or plugs." It seems to be senior day at the surgical center; Kevin is among the few patients who appear to be under 65 or 70.
Most of the people in the room, though, are waiters, like me. Waiting for a patient to be called back to surgery or waiting for one to come out. They stream up to the reception desk in turns to ask about time...an appointment hour that's passed, how long until the patient is in recovery, released, returning for a check up. While my policy is not to ask about him until it appears he's been lost--and in pushing 2 years worth of this stuff, that's the one thing that hasn't happened--I know the leg bouncing, toe tapping, watch checking rhythm of the anxious and impatient.
Another senior peeks over to see my computer in action. She talks about her amazement at learning something new each day no matter where she finds herself.
We've been here since 11:20. It's now 12:57. Kevin and his nurse walked back to the surgery suite at 12:41, IV already in place, all set to start.
The fact that I know, to the minute, when he was led away is testimony to my clock watching tendencies.
The waiting will be fine up to an hour. That's my worry point for a sigmoidoscopy. After an hour, things have usually gotten more complicated in some way and my clock watching, leg bouncing impatience will become obvious.
With plenty of time to go in my worry-free hour, though, I can people watch in between being chatted up by several elderly patients who are intrigued by my computer's ability to be "on the 'net with no wires or plugs." It seems to be senior day at the surgical center; Kevin is among the few patients who appear to be under 65 or 70.
Most of the people in the room, though, are waiters, like me. Waiting for a patient to be called back to surgery or waiting for one to come out. They stream up to the reception desk in turns to ask about time...an appointment hour that's passed, how long until the patient is in recovery, released, returning for a check up. While my policy is not to ask about him until it appears he's been lost--and in pushing 2 years worth of this stuff, that's the one thing that hasn't happened--I know the leg bouncing, toe tapping, watch checking rhythm of the anxious and impatient.
Another senior peeks over to see my computer in action. She talks about her amazement at learning something new each day no matter where she finds herself.
Today I'll set aside the worry in favor of the wonder. I'm going to post this and pop up the front page of my blog...the seniors are going to love the pixel by pixel crawl of my inchworm followed by a burst of butterflies.
I may not have patience, but I can pass the time with wonder-filled patients.
I may not have patience, but I can pass the time with wonder-filled patients.
Monday, April 20, 2009
BOSTON UPDATE
My sister has finished the race. Looked a little dicey on Saturday evening after she arrived in Boston and realized she was sick. She was out there running today though with a 10:30 AM start. Interesting little side note...her start time offset was 0:01:59, meaning it took one minute and fifty-nine seconds for her to cross the start line once the race began. Bit of a crowd there at the beginning.
Kevin was texting with her pre-race so we'll hopefully hear something from her again once she visits gear pickup. ***edit note....a brief text message tells us that she's looking for a cold beer to celebrate the moment...***
Race stats:
Total Race Field: 26,331 Entrants
Time: 3:47:17
Overall Placing: 12,187
Women's Placing: 3,559
Age Division Placing: 617
Kevin was texting with her pre-race so we'll hopefully hear something from her again once she visits gear pickup. ***edit note....a brief text message tells us that she's looking for a cold beer to celebrate the moment...***
Race stats:
Total Race Field: 26,331 Entrants
Time: 3:47:17
Overall Placing: 12,187
Women's Placing: 3,559
Age Division Placing: 617
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Rightsideupsidedownness
Kate's rightsideupsidedown kid is still that way. In spite of the best efforts of the doctor, this baby is still happily floating feet down in it's watery world. Kate still thinks she has more time to go before her due date--that baby knows it's not quite time to greet the world and is enjoying life rightside up until then. Her doctor disagrees so a battle of the wills is almost certain to play out this week in that office.
In any case, baby appears to be healthy and Kate feels ok so we'll wait and see what this week's appointment brings.
I remind Kate that she was my own stubborn baby, arriving 3 weeks after the projected due date and still managing to be born face first, as if she couldn't wait to see the world she had delayed meeting.
In any case, baby appears to be healthy and Kate feels ok so we'll wait and see what this week's appointment brings.
I remind Kate that she was my own stubborn baby, arriving 3 weeks after the projected due date and still managing to be born face first, as if she couldn't wait to see the world she had delayed meeting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
