Growing and Growing

Just got a tweet from my friend, KungFu:

As my brother’s getting ready to leave for NM for dad’s funeral, his wife had allergic reaction to insulin and died this AM.

This family really, really, really needs your prayers. They are “the Turk Family.”

I found this fascinating quote today:

As if I needed another reason to think that working for LEGO would be the most awesome job imaginable, Alexander Kjerulf just blew my mind with these customized minifig business cards that LEGO employees get.

You should read the whole article. LEGO Business Card, Feb 2009

I am sooooooo jazzed about this past weekend! MyBeloved and I were in Dallas for a business meeting on Monday. On Sunday morning, we drove an extra hour to see one of my longtime heroes … a Theological-RockStar … by the name of Tommy Nelson. What is a T-RockStar? He is a like a rock star, but his stage is the pulpit, his genre is good biblical doctrine, and his ballad is called Song-o-Solomon.

This post is part of “Hi/Lo Thursday” on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else’s “Hi/Lo” posts and for a chance to win $100 … It’s where we get to know each other by sharing our emotional/spiritual HIGH and LOW for this previous week.

Since we are rather UnConventional here at G&G, we are going to post our Lo first, which turned out to be a Hi. As you know, I have been overwhelmed with work over the past month … almost like drowning underwater … and with no end in the sight. Over the past 6 months, we’ve had a newborn in NICU, a messed up Dad in trauma, nights of no sleep, unplanned for medical bills, braces on No. 1, stomach viruses on Nos 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, and finally … one AbsentDad (… me …) from working too late. I leave for work before the kids get up in the morning and I come home after they go to bed at night.

Here’s my emotional low: MyBeloved calls yesterday morning. She says that No. 4 … who just turned two … was running through the house … looking for me and crying my name. My heart is ripped. I’m sad. Here she is on her birthday the other night. ( … I miss my family … )

Here’s my emotional high: In an effort to surprise the kids, I came home last night before they went to bed. Imagine walking into the kitchen to see your 5yr old boy … bathing … in the sink. My heart leaps. I’m smiling. I’m laughing. No. 2 looks up and says, “Hi dad!”

Here’s a picture of Lil’Mac (back) and Lady A (front) at the Special Olympics last year. Well, Lil’Mac’s momma … OuterCircleChic … is raising money for the SpecialEvent this year. We know … really, we do … that times are hard and we have to make difficult choices with our money these days, but could you spare $5, $10, $20 for this great cause? The fun festivities begin on Saturday at noon. Click here to help OuterCircleChic’s efforts.

I know that many of you have been waiting for an update on Dad … and I have to be honest … it was entirely … Mom’s fault! I’m kidding … it was … Dad’s fault! There I go again. What ever happened to personal responsibility? It was … my … employer’s fault! Let’s categorize these in BodyParts … here’s what I got:

1. Ears: The SurgicalEar … the right one … is beginning to pop. Sometimes Dad has some hearing and others times he says it is as if is underwater. Dr. Beethoven continues to say it will take time. There is still a great deal of packing (gel stuff) in his ear. This will eventually dissolve and be absorbed by the body. He is scheduled for hearing tests and a follow up meeting with the maestro on on March 9. Beethoven will address his left ear when he feels and tests indicate that Dad has healed totally from the first surgery. He continues to use antibiotic ear drops to stem infection.
2. Eyes: Dr. NewEye continues to monitor Dad’s right eyeball. Since his tear ducts are non-functioning we put artificial tears 4 times a day and antibiotic ointment in the eye. Dad asked about the prognosis regarding driving in the future. NewEye says, “No way, Jose!” In other words, driving is not possible since Dad has no periphial vision in the left eye. Next appointment with NewEye is on March 26. Dad will then be seen at Vandy’s Eye School on March 30, where Dad will meet with Dr. HeadSight, neurological eye specialist.
3. Teeth: Off to see Dr. Dentyne to see if Dad’s gums have healed enough from the extraction of his front teeth. If they have, Dentyne will permanently cement his bridge. Dad has not had any other problems arise since our last visit to Dr. BidenSmile, the endodontist. This is a good thing.
4. Heart: Dr. Passion and his assistant RedSonya are taking good care of Dad. Mom and Dad had to make a special trip to see him because blood pressure really began to rise. He was prescribe a BP medication that left Dad hacking and coughing 24/7 and was not getting any sleep (neither was Mom). Our friend, Righty (…remember him? …) shared with Dad that he had the same problem with the medication and found out that was one of the side effects. Passion prescribed a new med called HeartBeatDown …blood pressure has dropped but his heart rate is still high. EKG scheduled for April.
5. Shoulder: Dad’s shoulder continues to be a source of pain and severe discomfort. He shows no improvement in spite of his Occupational Therapy. It was discovered that Dad had Bone-Grow-itis … also called Heterotopic Ossification (HO), which is an abnormal formation of true bone within his shoulder tendon. This often occurs as a result of trauma such a blunt injury. HO is seen in patients with brain trauma injury. There is not much that can be done for those who develop HO. Dad saw Dr. BoneFixer-ette, a new orthopedic doctor, on Jan 30 and she had additional x-rays done on his shoulder. After manipulating Dad’s arm and shoulder, BoneFixer-ette decided that Dad might also have a rotator cuff problem. She scheduled an MRI, which demonstrated it was not rotator cuff. He has an anterior labral ligament tear, plus Adhesive Capsulitis. This is scar tissue that has developed around the shoulder joint as a result of the shoulder trauma from the accident. These issues are why he has not gotten any better. Dad is now scheduled to see Dr. ShoulderFix, an ortho who specializes in shoulder injuries. Your Dad said this is #25. On a positive note, BoneFixer-ette (Dad’s only female doctor) released him…gave him a clean bill of health as far as his pelvis. She was his trauma doc on the 10th floor.
6. Legs: Physical Therapy continues to increase demands on Dad. He walked down the hall (which is quite long) twice without his cane. According to most recent balance testing … it is still not what it should be … but it has improved a bit. He was given permission to move around the house without his cane (which he was already doing), but when he goes out he is to use it to help keep his balance and help with his eye issues (lack of depth perception). His right upper thigh seems to be more sensitive which is an indication of nerve regeneration. The pain issues on his left side are a result of impact while the issues on the right side is a result of the brain injury. His left leg continues to be the weaker of the two. He has gained a little strength in it but he still cannot pick up his foot more than a couple of inches. He continues to have to put his hands under his thigh to lift his leg when he is sitting down.
7. 6th & 7th Nerves: There is still no indication that any regeneration is taking place. Dr. Beethoven says it will take time if it is going to happen. We will first see a little movement around mouth and he will experience twitching in his cheek area. This also explains why Dad’s good eye has no peripheral vision. The main occipital nerve runs from the brain stem through the center of the skull. It was most likely damaged from the blow to Dad’s head. Dad and Mom talked about his appearance and he shared that he has no problem if he remains looking as he does at this time.

Overall, Dad’s strength is still not 100%. He is getting up earlier and staying up later, but he has to lay down for an hour or so a couple of times a day (… Oh, the life of a messed up dude! …. ). He still cannot sit for any length of time. His appetite is on the puny side. He doesn’t know if it is because he cannot taste most foods. Taste buds are dead and his salivary glands are non-functional. He does love his chocolate milk, though. He does enjoy eating at Pei Wei’s … Beef Teriyaki with Noodles. Says rice is to dry for him. Go figure?