MIA

I hope some one is asking, "Where did she go?", but I am pretty sure no one has missed me.  However, I will explain my absence just in case.  On Thursday, May 14, my baby - who is 17 (almost 18), over 6 feet tall and weighing in at 220 - had minor surgery to remove his adenoids and have his turbinates reduced.  What, you ask, are turbinates?  Well, Wikipedia says " the turbinates divide the nasal airway into three groove-like air passages –and are responsible for forcing inhaled air to flow in a steady, regular pattern around the largest possible surface of cilia and climate controlling tissue."  So now you have had your anatomy lesson for the day.

The Dr. assured us that by having the surgery on Thursday he would be ready to return to school on Monday, thereby just missing two days.  This was very important because we are close to the end of the school year.  However, after recovery we still have allergy tests to complete and new medicine (hopefully) to adjust to, so my reasoning was to go ahead and start.

We were told to be at the hospital at 10:30 to check in for our surgery. At 1:00 we were moved from the waiting room to the pre-op room, where we waited.  At 3:30 he was finally taken back to the OR for surgery.  At 5:00 the Dr. told us the surgery was successfully completed, D should "take it easy" for the next couple of days, no straining, and not to bend over - not even to tie his shoes.  I went into the recovery room when he woke up and helped him get ready to leave.  As he sat up, he remarked that he didn't think he would be able to walk out to the car, but the nurse assured him that was normal and she would get him a wheel chair.  It wasn't until I was half-way home that I realized I had no wheel chair to get him into the house - and I wasn't sure I would be able to support him.  However, we did fine getting into the house and were on the road to recovery. 

Sunday night he was a little nauseous, but got up Monday morning and headed to school.  An hour later I got a text.  "very sick. need to come home. now."  So home, he went.  Very sick was a little understated.  For the next 4 days my baby, who can eat 5 full meals a day, ate nothing but jello and water.  My baby who was not supposed to strain or bend over spent most of his awake moments bent over the porcelain throne, giving up the jello and water.  

We stopped the medications, we changed the jello, we even tried chicken noodle soup.  Nothing made him better.  Finally, on Thursday, I emailed my church family and asked for prayers.  Friday, after work, I walked in the house to my baby sitting upright, showered, shaved, dressed, and asking to go to Applebee's for steak.  He hasn't sat down since.  

Thank you God!  I am sorry I didn't hand this to you earlier in the week.  Now, could you please help him catch up on all the school work he missed last week in the 6 days of school that are left? 

Wow!  What a week and am I ever glad that it is over!!!  My cell phone died - as in the white screen of death.  So I had to take 3 steps back and use an ancient phone until my new one arrived - which was Thursday night.  The bad part of my dead phone was that my son gave me a mini memory card, but since I didn't know how to use it, I just carried it around in the phone - empty.  So now, all of my photos and my ringtones are gone.  I miss my ringtones the most!  

The phone that I had was ok, but very, very basic.  It was extremely hard to text with it - well, hard for me because things like the space key was on a different button.  So texting took twice as long - and for me texting when I know what I'm doing takes a long time!  

Also, all of my phone numbers were saved on the dead phone, but backed up online.  However, the phone I was using couldn't access my online backup.  (So if I was supposed to call you and didn't, you now know why!)  Of course, this was the week I needed to call lots of people whose number I didn't have, but should have had.

My new phone finally arrived and guess what?  All the texting buttons for things like the space are on different buttons.  My phone numbers are back - but now I don't need to call anyone.   I have a choice between 4 ringtones.  They all sound the same to me, but I can't 'hear' any of them.  They are loud enough, they just don't sound like a ringtone, so I mostly ignore them.  So, it will be another week before I can learn all the new twists and get new tones loaded.  It's not that I don't like change - well, maybe I don't!

Raising Parents - Chapter One

My parents are in their early 80's - and are doing remarkably well - but sometimes you have to wonder ......   

My dad will call and leave a message "Call me when you have a minute."  But you better call fast, because if you don't he will call you back.  If you answer, his first question is "Did you get my message?" 

"Yes"

"Why didn't you call me back?"

"I haven't had time yet."

click - he hangs up.  So you call back.

"Sorry, my cell dropped your call."  (Trying to be nice!)

"No, I hung up.  You said you were busy."

"Well, I was, but now I'm not.  (I had to stop what I was doing to call you back)  "What did you want?"

"I was wondering if you knew if it was going to rain Saturday."

"No, Daddy, I haven't seen the weather since I got to work today."

"Well, OK.  Let me know when you find out."  

click.  He never says goodbye.  When he's through talking, he hangs up.

Now, you might think this is the end of the conversation.  Nope.  You'd better find out because if you don't he call back - in 10 minutes!

My mother, on the other hand, is so worried about bothering you.

"Are you busy?"

"Actually, yes."

"Well, I don't want to bother you and this will only take a minute, do you have time to talk to me?"

"Sure, Mom."  (I just lost track of what I was doing anyway.)

"I'm so sorry to be such as pest; I know you are busy, but I just didn't know what to do.  Are you sure I'm not bothering you?"

"No, Mom."  (But you're starting too!)

"Well, theres alot of smoke in here and I think my house is on fire.  Can you come home and see?"

"NO!  I'M AT WORK AND IT WILL TAKE ME 20 MINUTES TO GET THERE.  CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT."

"No, the house is a mess and I don't want them to see it like this.  I'll see if I can find it and put it out."

"NO!!!! PLEASE CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!!!  THEY DON'T CARE!!!!

"Oh, yes, they will.  Wait!  (OH! OH! OH!  heard faintly in the background.  Is she overcome by smoke? Is she on fire? What is going on????)    ................................  I found it.  I forgot my breakfast was cooking on the stove.  There's no fire, just lots of smoke.  I'm so sorry I bothered you.  Did you get breakfast?  I can bring you some if you didn't have time this morning.  I just made a pan of oatmeal - it's not burnt too bad."

Yes, mom just what I want after an early morning heart attack - burnt oatmeal.