Not much to report

We are finishing up selling our Cub Scout Popcorn (anyone need any, let me know) and I am working on cleaning up my house for my Discovery Toys Party on Thursday. Tonight I have a mandatory class at work from 8pm-12am. Joshua just came home from school not feeling well, we just had this viral junk a few weeks ago. He's missed more days this year so far than all of last year combined. Not a good start!

Zachary is STILL teething. He's miserable and I'm wishing I would have bought stock in Motrin. Gary starts his new position today and was well received when the promotion announcement was made yesterday.

That's about it. Lots of really sick kids at the hospital, so please keep them in your prayers!

Prayers answered!

Gary got the job! He's so excited and this will be such a boost to his ego. He has never felt appreciated in what he was doing. His boss told him today, "We told you it was a tough decision, but you were our front runner from the very beginning."

I am working for a manager right now who frequently shows her appreciation for hard work. It is the first time I have felt that way. I'm excited that Gary will also get to feel that satisfaction. Little more money doesn't hurt either!

And we wait. . .

Gary has worked in inventory control his entire adult life. Never has he had the opportunity for advancement in the place he worked. His current employer has been fabulous in that they pay him what he's worth and appreciate what he does. 2 weeks go he came home and told me he was going to throw his hat into the ring for a lead position in his department. 13 employees were initially interviewed, and Gary is in the top 4. He had his second interview today. Say a prayer for him. He really wants this. He needs to feel appreciated and begin advancing in a field that he has so much knowledge and experience.

Good samaritan OR sucker?

Well, I had an experience this evening coming to work that has me wondering if I did the right thing or was I taken as a sucker? I stopped at Speedway gas station to get gas. As soon as I was finished pumping my gas I was approached by a gentleman. He seemed very nice, friendly, outgoing. He was wearing jeans and a tshirt. He began to tell me this "story" (crazy story to be made up, I thought) about how he is a dairy farmer. He had driven to southern indiana to pick up a calf. This calf had been deprived of oxygen at birth (he was sporting a black eye and scrapes on the side of his eye from being kicked). When he travels for work, he only carries with him the gas card for the "co-op gas station." Unfortunately when he stopped for gas, the area he was in had no electricity. He was unable to buy gas. Decided he would drive as far as he could then figure out what to do.

This landed him at the West 10th Street Speedway gas station where he found me. He said, "I'm not drunk, I haven't been smoking anything, I just need a favor." Come to find out the more we talked, he lives in Warsaw (not far from where I grew up) and used to live on the same lake that my dad lived on for several years. When I described where my dad lived, he was able to describe the vehicle my dad drove. SMALL WORLD. He basically was asking for me to buy him gas. Problem was that he also need $10 to rent a gas can. He proceeds to tell me that he isn't broke, he has money, he just doesn't have it on him.

In my gut I'm thinking, "Melissa, are you crazy? Run in the opposite direction. Do you know how many psychos are out there?" In my heart I'm thinking, "He just needs help, what would you do if this was you?" I had just purchased my $50.02 worth of gas with a Speedway gas card that I had gotten as a "bonus" for working extra hours. The original value of the gas card was $100. I explained to him that I didn't have any cash nor did I carry any credit cards or debit cards with me (ok, so I lied, but I think God will forgive me, I was still a little nervous). I did offer him the remaining $49.98 left on my speedway gas card. At first he was apprehensive, thinking he still needed cash for the deposit for the gas can. Then he decided he could use the gas card as the deposit and to pay for the gas.

He thanked me profusely, took my cell number and my name, and said, "I knew anyone who looked as professional as you and obviously worked with kids wouldn't run away from me." (Gotta love the Buzz Lightyear scrub top!) So now, I wait. Will he truly contact me to repay me? If he does, my faith in mankind will be restored. If he doesn't, St. Vincent just paid someone $49.98 for gas or anything else you can buy at a gas station convience store. What do you all think? Was I a good samaritan or a sucker? My co-workers are all voting sucker.

Check out this picture!

I am so blessed!!

Another trip to the doctor

Joshua has been telling me for 3 days that his throat hurt. Kept looking at it and it looked fine. He didn't have a fever so off to school he went. After all, it was ISTEP week. Today he comes home from school and said, "Mom I feel really hot." Boy did he. Temp was 101. Called the doc and took him in. By the time we got to the office, temp was 102.9. Throat, ears, lungs all look fine. "Summer flu" was the official diagnosis. But because it is the weekend coming our wonderful doc gave us a prescription for an antibiotic if he isn't better in a few days.

Poor kid felt so bad he fell asleep on the table in the dr office (and we didn't wait that long). Well he's had motrin 2 hours ago and his temp has gone up to 103.1. Poor guy. Laying upstairs on the chair with a cool cloth watching cartoons. Pray for quick recovery because Sunday is his Boy Scout cookout to meet all the families.

Fun times!!

Took Zachary to the doctor for his 18 month appointment today. He weighs 29.4 pounds and is 32 inches tall. This puts him in the 75th percentile for both. It's funny because at his one year appt he weighed 28.8 pounds. Hasn't gained much weight in 6 months, but is growing like a weed! The dr couldn't find any cause for his fevers, so we will continue to chalk it up to the teeth.

The fun (I'm being sarcastic) news is that Zachary's right testicle has not descended. So now we will go see the urologist to see if surgery is needed. Dear Lord help me. I know things could be so much worse, but I'm sick of specialists!

Teething stinks!!

Zachary already has 12 teeth, you think we'd be past the "teething" days right? Well evidentally not. He has 3, yes 3, more teeth all breaking through at the same time. Hoping this is what is contributing to his low grade fevers and excessive crankiness. We see the dr tomorrow for his 18 month check up so we'll see!

There's Hope!

At a time when I was questioning my job/career due to the frequent loss of patients lately, I now hold a little hope. When I went to work on Friday night, I was honored to care for a little girl, just about to celebrate her first birthday, who was on ECMO. Things were not looking so good for her. I knew I would need my running shoes and once again felt that I would get close to a family just to watch them lose a child. I worked very hard all night and again on Saturday night. When I left work Sunday morning, I had some hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, this little angel would make it. Things were looking better. We were doing so much less for her than we were when I went to work on Friday night. She wasn't needing as much of our help to keep her body working.

On my way home from work Sunday morning, I felt myself praying and asking for strength. "Not again Lord, please don't make me and the PICU staff endure the loss of yet another innocent life." I called work on Sunday night to check in. I was shocked and excited to find out that she was off ECMO and doing well. What a difference a few hours make. I was at work tonight for a staff meeting and was so excited to see her family and be told that she continues to do well. Her mom had said that when she got off of ECMO, she was bringing the staff a cake. When I walked into the breakroom for the staff meeting, there on the table was a huge container of cupcakes, celebrating this little girl's strength.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they still have a way to go. But with the Lord's help, I'm now positive that she will make it.

Asking for prayers for peace

I have contemplated posting on here what is going on in my heart right now. I am choosing not to put into words on a public forum just what I am feeling. Just please know that I am asking for your thoughts and prayers on two topics that are weighing very heavy on my heart.

What service!

Bob Evans is one of our favorite places to eat for many reasons. The main reason is that the 4 of us can eat for under $15 most days. They have great kids meals choices and you can get breakfast or dinner at night. Recently we went to Bob Evans for dinner. When we arrived the parking lot was empty and there was a sign on the door that said they were temporarily closed. We were heartbroken as we were all hungry for some good breakfast. Not to mention, Zachary was starving and couldn't understand why he was being put back in a carseat rather than in a high chair with food in front of him. As we were preparing to leave, out came the manager. They were just reopening after having a car drive through the front of the building that morning. They had replaced the walls, painted, and you couldn't hardly tell that anything ever happened (except for the bushes that were taken out in the front of the building!)

When we finished our meal and I paid the bill, there was one of those internet surveys on the bottom of our receipt. I came home and filled it out that evening. Our food was great, but the service left alot to be desired (especially since we were the only ones there). I wasn't openly complaining, just answering their questions. Today a letter arrived in the mail with two $5 coupons and an apology for our recent bad service. I laughed and thought, gosh they actually do care.

BOY do they! About an hour after my mail arrived, I received a phone call from the Avon Bob Evans manager, who happened to be the one who opened the doors for us. He wanted to apologize and make sure that corporate Bob Evans had sent us out coupons. He knew exactly who we were (the family with the red headed baby), and said that he was going to follow up with our server. I told him it really wasn't that big of a deal, but that I was just answering the questions. "I hope you will come back and see us" he finished with. Of course we will be. More companies need to learn how to treat their customers like Bob Evans did!

A bird about to take flight

So, I have been pushed out of the nest and will now be flying solo when I work as an ECMO specialist running the ECMO pump on our patients. These patients are the sickest kids who will pass away if something drastic isn't tried. ECMO is often referred to as the "last ditch effort." I describe it as heart lung bypass that is done at the bedside. We can help rest a patient's heart, lungs, or both. Having these kiddos on ECMO requires extreme technology. Big tubes coming out of the baby drain the baby's blood, runs it through a very large machine, exchanges the gases (acts as the lungs), then pumps the blood back into the baby.



As you can imagine, doing something so drastic is not without risks. I decided that it was the next step in my career to apply to be an ECMO specialist (the person who sits and runs the pump). I was accepted, took the class, and have "sat the pump" with experienced specialists for the last several months. Saturday night, I was told by our medical director, "Melissa, it's time for you to fly on your own." This machine makes me fear and respect it. So, the next shift that I'm scheduled to be the ecmo specialist I will not have my back up sitting behind me. I will manage and care for these tiny little miracle children and with the help of God, keep them stable through the magic of technology.

Sickness in men!

What is it in men that makes them resort to acting like babies when they do not feel well? I was sick last week with bronchitis, horrible cough that prevented me from sleeping well for several nights, etc. I was still "expected" to go to work, take care of the kids, clean, cook, etc. Gary came home from work yesterday not feeling well. He sounded like I did a week ago (prior to a zpack). He sat around moaning and complaining but didn't take the initiative to make a dr appt. So I stepped in and scheduled him with our doc for this afternoon.

This morning, shortly after I put Joshua on the bus, he walked in the door. He was moaning and complaining how bad he felt. I said ok, go to bed and I'll move up your appt. Moved his dr appt up to 11am and when it was time to leave, I began driving him to the dr office (15 minutes away). 5 minutes into our drive he felt as though he was going to be sick. He insisted he couldn't sit in the car for the drive, so home we came home.

Thank goodness for a wonderful doc who took pity on me and called in antibiotics for Gary. Calgon, take me away!

A trip home

Last Sunday we took a day trip home to Fort Wayne. We visited with both sides of the family. It was great to see everyone. The boys are missing out on lots of time with their grandparents and cousins. Enjoy the picture montage. The first group is Gary's family and the second is my family.

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