Wowza. What a week.
I flew in to Sacramento on Thursday .. yep, Thanksgiving!! Gary dropped me off at the Max train about 3:00 pm and I had a leisurely 1.5 hour trip to Portland airport. I must say, the TSA agents at that airport are the best! They actually talk to you as human beings, smile and joke around! They greet you in a friendly manner and wish you a pleasant trip. Imagine!! The TSA agents at the Oakland airport could take lessons!!
Jillian (Stacey's sister) picked me up at the airport in her Lexus SUV. This baby has a camera at the rear of the car for backing up. Sweet. Jill had just spent a week with the munchkins, throwing in one of her own for good measure. In spite of feeling very sick, she managed to bake cookies, take them for their Christmas photo-op and other activities that put me to shame. I'm making it clear right here and now that as Nana, I do not do the "perfect Aunt Jill" things! I'm good with the hugs and cuddles, but not so much the active stuff.
Jillian happily left for home the next night after Eric and Stacey came strolling in around 2:30. Eric's surgical site is already beginning to heal, and with all those staples, he looks like he has a zipper up the back of his head.
My job here so far has been to wash dishes .. by hand .. because their dishwasher is no longer working. Stacey has Calvin researching dishwashers for her so they can replace it. I also attempt, feebly, to keep the munchkins entertained; pick up Legos by the dozen; pick up various articles of clothing that are strewn around the house by an engergetic 2.5 (almost This Many!) year old who prefers wearing only underwear; and dispensing hugs and cuddles when allowed.
Somebody, who shall remain nameless, is heading into grouchy because the level-headed member of their family won't let him bend over their mini-computer for hours on end (huh!) and doesn't like not being able to do ANYTHING. Pain meds make you feel good, so common sense tends to flee. If it were his child in this situation, he'd be saying the same things, but doesn't like hearing it when it applies to him.
He's still doing his blog on a daily basis, so check it out at http://www.eblosch.blogspot.com/ if you haven't already. The good news is that he's doing better every day, for which we're thankful.
For those of you who have been yelling at me for not checking in...this counts!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
An attempt at catching up!
Wow! How can so much happen in such a short amount of time???
It has been difficult to get back on here and "talk" after Jan's funeral. I must say the girls did a fantastic job with the memorial service. She would have been so proud of them! It was a bittersweet day ... seeing people I hadn't seen in years ... spending some time with Barb ... and realizing more every day how much we are going to miss Jan. She was truly one of the sweetest women I've ever known.
She did so much to make MY life better, more than she ever knew. She started a wonderful tradition by having my bunch of hooligans over for Christmas dinner one year. That evolved into our two families sharing birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas from November through January. That has always been such a blessing to me and I thank her for it. I also thanked her numerous times!
I saw Barb at the service and we made tentative plans to get together on the next day to go to Joyce's open house. I never made it, because Stacey called and they were having a little Halloween party at her mom's for the kids. It had been planned for weeks and they didn't want to disappoint them. Jill (who could be an official party-planner) did a bang-up job of trick or treat baskets, prizes and food for all. The kids whacked the heck out of a pinata and although the day was laced with sadness it was also laced with joy in being together.
Work has been busy as all get out (just how busy IS that, anyway?). I'm learning more every day, but the more I learn the more I have to do! My job comes with a lot of freedom ... no one watching to see that I take exactly 45 minutes for lunch ... but it also comes with a lot of extra time put in. I work at least 1 or 2 hours extra every day and often we work right through lunch. When we have "free time", we take it! I really love what I do and that will make the 6 years fly by.
If you read my last blog you know Eric's surgery is now behind us! YAY I say that like it was a burden for me!! LOL Eric's a bit of a worrier .. he's been playing "what if" since he was 2. This wasn't a hastily made decision on his part and up to the end he was "what if"ing. Some of you have seen the pictures Stacey took -- happy smiling Eric from the front, and head shaved right up the midde with two incisions starting at the base of his neck and extending up 3/4 of his skull. The lower incision is where they did the actual surgery and the upper incision is where they took out tissue to put on the lower part.
Eric has started a blog (eblosch.blogspot.com) where he's relating his Chiari adventure. It's worth a read! He's really funny!!
I'll be flying home Thanksgiving. My flight leaves at 6:30 and I'll get to Sacramento around 7:50. Eric and Stacey will be getting home from CO the same day, but they'll be in about 3:00. The rest of the family will be here for Thanksgiving dinner and I can only hope they'll save me some leftovers.
I'll be spending the first week, and as much of the second week as they need, in Davis. Then it's home to Dublin to get caught up on things around the house and to spend time with some dear friends. I'll be home until December 27, when I fly back to Oregon. I'll be getting in touch with some of you the second week of December when I know more what my plans are. I can't wait to see everyone!!
The nights are getting chillier here. I've actually turned on the heater for a few hours when I get home. It's 34 outside right now. Got my bedroom heater turned on to 50. It gets too warm if I turn it up more than that. Weird, huh.
I need to find some shoes to wear because these sandals won't cut it for the winter. Friends at work told me to try Dansko shoes so I need to go shopping!!
It's past my bedtime so I'd better close. I'll try to get back to weekly postings just because I miss you all so much. If anyone wants to see Eric's two photos (one happy face and one shaved skull) let me know and I'll send the link.
Be sure to check out his blog and I'll see some of you SOON!
It has been difficult to get back on here and "talk" after Jan's funeral. I must say the girls did a fantastic job with the memorial service. She would have been so proud of them! It was a bittersweet day ... seeing people I hadn't seen in years ... spending some time with Barb ... and realizing more every day how much we are going to miss Jan. She was truly one of the sweetest women I've ever known.
She did so much to make MY life better, more than she ever knew. She started a wonderful tradition by having my bunch of hooligans over for Christmas dinner one year. That evolved into our two families sharing birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas from November through January. That has always been such a blessing to me and I thank her for it. I also thanked her numerous times!
I saw Barb at the service and we made tentative plans to get together on the next day to go to Joyce's open house. I never made it, because Stacey called and they were having a little Halloween party at her mom's for the kids. It had been planned for weeks and they didn't want to disappoint them. Jill (who could be an official party-planner) did a bang-up job of trick or treat baskets, prizes and food for all. The kids whacked the heck out of a pinata and although the day was laced with sadness it was also laced with joy in being together.
Work has been busy as all get out (just how busy IS that, anyway?). I'm learning more every day, but the more I learn the more I have to do! My job comes with a lot of freedom ... no one watching to see that I take exactly 45 minutes for lunch ... but it also comes with a lot of extra time put in. I work at least 1 or 2 hours extra every day and often we work right through lunch. When we have "free time", we take it! I really love what I do and that will make the 6 years fly by.
If you read my last blog you know Eric's surgery is now behind us! YAY I say that like it was a burden for me!! LOL Eric's a bit of a worrier .. he's been playing "what if" since he was 2. This wasn't a hastily made decision on his part and up to the end he was "what if"ing. Some of you have seen the pictures Stacey took -- happy smiling Eric from the front, and head shaved right up the midde with two incisions starting at the base of his neck and extending up 3/4 of his skull. The lower incision is where they did the actual surgery and the upper incision is where they took out tissue to put on the lower part.
Eric has started a blog (eblosch.blogspot.com) where he's relating his Chiari adventure. It's worth a read! He's really funny!!
I'll be flying home Thanksgiving. My flight leaves at 6:30 and I'll get to Sacramento around 7:50. Eric and Stacey will be getting home from CO the same day, but they'll be in about 3:00. The rest of the family will be here for Thanksgiving dinner and I can only hope they'll save me some leftovers.
I'll be spending the first week, and as much of the second week as they need, in Davis. Then it's home to Dublin to get caught up on things around the house and to spend time with some dear friends. I'll be home until December 27, when I fly back to Oregon. I'll be getting in touch with some of you the second week of December when I know more what my plans are. I can't wait to see everyone!!
The nights are getting chillier here. I've actually turned on the heater for a few hours when I get home. It's 34 outside right now. Got my bedroom heater turned on to 50. It gets too warm if I turn it up more than that. Weird, huh.
I need to find some shoes to wear because these sandals won't cut it for the winter. Friends at work told me to try Dansko shoes so I need to go shopping!!
It's past my bedtime so I'd better close. I'll try to get back to weekly postings just because I miss you all so much. If anyone wants to see Eric's two photos (one happy face and one shaved skull) let me know and I'll send the link.
Be sure to check out his blog and I'll see some of you SOON!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Eric's surgery
Eric's surgery was this morning. They started about 9:00 am PST and it took 4 hours. When Stacey called me they had moved him to recovery and the doctor said Eric had squeezed his hand so he was coming out of the anaesthesia.
The surgery went well. One of the tonsils (they're like a cartilage protrusion at the base of our skull) was completely blocking the opening, restricting the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. They removed a lot of bone and cauterized the tonsil on the right. He will be in recovery for a while before they move him to intensive care. They put some pins in to stabilize his head .. and he thought he had headaches before!!
I'll keep you posted as I hear more.
I'll be flying to Davis on Thanksgiving (I leave here at 6:30 pm) and stay with Eric and Stacey at least a week. More if they need me. I don't come back to Oregon until December 27. Don't ask ME how I pulled it off!! I'm just glad I was able to.
I'll check in again later ...
The surgery went well. One of the tonsils (they're like a cartilage protrusion at the base of our skull) was completely blocking the opening, restricting the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. They removed a lot of bone and cauterized the tonsil on the right. He will be in recovery for a while before they move him to intensive care. They put some pins in to stabilize his head .. and he thought he had headaches before!!
I'll keep you posted as I hear more.
I'll be flying to Davis on Thanksgiving (I leave here at 6:30 pm) and stay with Eric and Stacey at least a week. More if they need me. I don't come back to Oregon until December 27. Don't ask ME how I pulled it off!! I'm just glad I was able to.
I'll check in again later ...
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