Christopherism

I picked the grandkids up at school yesterday. First Christopher - Ask what he did at school, He didn't answer, I repeated the question. "Nana, I was chewing my cookie, and you are not to talk with cookie in your mouth." He then proceeded to tell me that 'they were going to the zoo on Thursday, Unless it storms all day.  If it rains just a little bit we will go to the inside stuff, snakes, spiders, turtles, lizards and those things.'  He hoped it didnt rain so he could also see all the other animals. Mommy and some of the other mommies were going with them to help Mrs. Smith. (Not sure she needs help because as we already know what she says is law.)
Then he said that they learned how they had to behave. "Then learned about the animals but I knew most of that."

At first Savannah didn't like it that Christopher was going to the zoo. But I think she is realizing now that they each will do there own things. She does Girl Scout things and Christopher doesn't.  She goes to "Faith in God" at church but Christopher has to sit out in the anteroom with Daddy

Another ism!!  I  had gotten my hair cut SHORT, Christopher was looking at the back of my head and informed me that there was a hole in my hair and tried to cover the hole. He decided that my hair was as short as his and wouldn't cover the hole. My hair wasn't to be that short.  About that time one of his classmates came with her "papa" to pick up her sister.  So the talking began, Like they hadn't seen each other 30 minutes before.

Nana's Rambling

Not sure how I am feeling about what is to happen next with my heart.  I see Dr Abu, cardiologist thursday at 12:30.  Some of the time I feel good, like there is not a problem. Then all of a sudden I get a tight chest, light headed. Then I sit down and try to relax with a little bit of self Hypnosis.  It is not as bad as the orginal attack. unlike the orginal these  seems to go away in a short time. If I didn't have an appointment on Thursday I would call and make an appoint. So I am not sure what the decision will be thursday.  Yea I am down and teary.
Christopher came up to me today, cuddled against me, then told me to have the doctor make my heart better.  He said  that he and sister need someone to take care of them when mommy and daddy are working and he wants to come to Nana's house to play.  It was so hard not to cry at that time but it would have upset him.

I wrote this to get my feeling out and hope that it helps me get thru this. That and doing a lot of praying.

Lois

Kim and Christopher

Kim (mommy) and Christopher conversation.

Christopher: I love you!
Me: I love you too
Christopher: I love you one hundred
Me: I love you 4 ever
Christopher: I love you infinity!
... Me: Do you know what infinity means?
Christopher: It means I'll never stop loving you.

Oh the moments that make a heart sing :)

Monday 4/16 Not my day

OK What went on the last couple of days??? Had a 6 mo check up with the cardio doctor Monday at 9:15. Didn't feel great, kinda tired. Well the nurse took my BP and pulse. OOPS Pulse of 170 is not good esp when it was irrigular. BP 100/ extra low NOT good. Did an ekg. Doctor Abu came into the room and said I was in atrial Fibrillation. Wanted me to go into the hospital that afternoon. To have an esophageal sono...grapy of my heart and probably a Cardioversion. Just had to be at the hospital sometime early afternoon. I came home, Called Lakin, he came to my house, by then I had packed jamies and Robe. and any other things I concidered necessary.

Was admitted by 2pm. While waiting for my chariot to the room, I read the orders. Kinda brings you up short when it starts off with: "Full Code". Means that if something happened they were to ressuitate me. All kinds of different meds, and orders for the Cardioversion on Wed morning.

Lakin, after I was admitted, went to pick up the kids at school. Then brought them to see that I was OK. They loved the large window and being high, 7th floor.  Savannah stood in the window looking out. could see so far. Looked down, stated she felt nauseous. Christopher, who was beside her, stated he didn't feel nauseous but he could see the whole world. Then he pointed out he could see Chucky Cheese.. he could see the mall!

 

Savannah, who I share the love of Cuties(tangerines) with brought me a Cutie so I would have a snack. Lots of hugs and kisses.

 

Christopher layed down beside me. He wanted to tell me a secret. But Savannah and Daddy was in the room so he couldn't tell me his secret. As they were about to leave, I had taken a drink of water, Christopher had given me a kiss - wiped his mouth and in a very discussed way said "you game me your juices".

When Lakin took them home, Kim got home and Lakin picked up Hal Tennent to come to the hospital and to give me a blessing. What a great thing!!

The gal that works with Dr Abu  came in my room at 7:30 Wednesday morning and told me my heart beat had settled and was back to normal. The doctor said later that it was the meds, one dose. mmmmm What a great Blessing, it worked again!!

Came home just in time for Lakin to go get the kids at school. Now to rest til the stress test on monday - see how that goes and hopefully the Afib attack didnt do any damage to the 40% blocked artery.
As Christopher said as he left today "Nana, you be good and don't do anything to make your heart go fast"

 

Well it is thursday and I slept 12 hours last night and napped off and on all day. Has been a lost day. All I did was call Express Scripts and try to get my meds straightened out for the 3rd time. Tired of getting meds that I had cancelled and having to send them back. They said they would need new perscriptions to replace the ones I cancelled.  NO WAY!  Then they got upset. Told them I didn't need another 3 month supply of a med I couldn't take. I would have the meds filled locally, 30 day supply, to see how I react to them. Of course they know more about what meds I need than my Doctor. (tongue in cheek)...  They had changed one of my meds to a 'cheaper' one, the cardiologist pointed to that medicine as possible cause of the A Fib.

 

Well I do feel a lot better right now.  So hopefully will feel like doing something tomorrow instead of sleeping all day.

Christopher's Follow up

Christopher went for a followup visit to his reqular Doctor.  All back to normal - NO wheezing. Need to keep an eye on him for future bouts of asthma. He and Lakin stopped at my house to pick up Savannah. I ask him  if his classmates were happy to see him today. He gave that little smile of his and said 'Yea and got hugs.'
When I picked up Savannah, her first question was where was 'brother"? I reminded her he had a doctor's appointment for follow up with his doctor. That was ok with her. She was hoping he could go outside and play - "she misses playing outside with her brother". They sat together at the front storm door eating popcicle on a stick. They will be back to spatting soon.

Christopher's ambulance trip

 What a stressfull couple of days. It started when Kim called me to tell me to be on alert since Christopher had been wheezing when they got up yesterday morning. She gave him a breathing treatment and he seemed to be fine. On thursdays she takes the kids to school. He seemed fine when she dropped him off except he would cough once in a while. Then she gets the call to have someone come and get him as he was wheezing and coughing.. before she could call me the school calls her that they are putting Christopher into an ambulance to take to the hospital. He was listless and wheezing a lot. The EMTs were giving him a breathing treatment in the ambulance before transfering him to MTMC. ( they had to give him another treatment before they got to the hospital because he was wheezing so bad. Kim called me as I was the closest to the hospital and we were not sure how he would react to a bunch of strangers. So I head to MTSU, I beat the ambulance, they had not even called from the ambulance to tell the hospital they were on the way. So I waited and waited.
Kim, driving from work in Brentwood, TN, and the ambulance arrived about the same time. So she and I went back to the ER room not knowing what we would find. Well Christopher was talking a mile a minute, from all the steroids in the breathing treatments.  We were also pleasantly supprised to find the teachers assistant, Ms Toliver, was with him. She didn't want him to get scared when he didn't know anyone. She was also having to hold him in the ER bed as he was hyper active.
After being checked in and the usual listening to his chest, he got another breathing treatment. The mask alows for the "steam" to excape thru opening. Of course with his obscesion with trains, He said he was a "steamy"  i.e. steam engine. He did everything they ask him to do except sit still. Somewhere along this time he said he was acting "crazy".
They also gave him a shot of steriods. The Nurse ask him to lay on his tummy and look toward me. He did, they gave him the shot in his 'bum', his reaction was OUCH  OW OW. No fighting the shot. Between the breathing treatment and the shot the wheezing eased off. So after observing him for a bit to see if the wheezing returned, Kim was able to take him home. On the stop at discharge he ask the gal if she had a lollipop, she said no but thought they might find him a popcicle. He got a grape one and it was eaten before they got to the car.
He had fused earlier that he had not had his lunch, so a stop at McDonalds was necessary.
Typical of a Christopherism was: He told the EMTs that they were on the road to Toys-r-Us. If they didn't know how to get there he would tell them what road to take. He wanted them to take him to Toys-r-Us then to the hospital.
I went to pick up Savannah at school. She got to the car and before she even opened the door, she started to cry and ask where her brother was. I told her that Christopher had gotten sick at school and he was home with mommy. She needed my phone to call mommy "right Now".  She was sure Christopher was in the hospital not able to breathe. She went into a flull blown crying, talking and trying to catch her breath. She talked to Kim and then talked to Christopher but She didn't settle til she saw Christopher at home.
When they got up friday morning, Christopher was asleep sitting up on the couch. Wheezing again. Kim gave him a breathing treatment and his oral steriod medicine. Still wheezing a little, so he came to Nana's. He sat on the couch with his cars fleece blanket and his spiderman pillow most of the day. Watching Lil Eiestein has always calmed him. so he watch them for a while. Gave him a treatment at 1 o'clock. He told me how to put the inhalier into the mask thingee and he held it to his face. No fuss, he just did it. He said he needed to get better so he could go to school and to the zoo next week. Kim planned to go with the class to the zoo, not sure they would let him go if one of the family wasn't along.
Mrs Smith and Ms Toliver handled Christopher and the other kids very well. His class mates knew he was coughing and had been taken to the nurse and that he had to leave. They would not have been able to see the ambulance. But I am sure he will tell them next week all about it.
TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT FOR ME and the rest of the family!! 

General Conference spring 1012

Like the last few years, I spent General Conference time at the Bohlings home. With Jim, Laura and Hannah Bohling. We sure missed their daughter Rachel who is at Alabama, and son James who is on his mission. But knew they were watching Conference also..  Also on Saturday missed Lakin, Kim, Savannah and Christopher as they were at a Girl Scout Open House for Middle Tennessee, celebrating the 100 Anniversary of the Girl Scouts.

General Conference was uplifting and reminded us on how to treat friends and family.  Refrain from judging others and stop the gossip seemed to be the theme of the day.  STOP IT  was the byword..

Some of the 'counts' of the day were 2949 Stakes, 340 Mission areas, 14,441,346 Members, 5540 Missionaries. The one I was really interested in was 2299 Church Service Missionaries of which I am one in the count.

During the 1st session they 'released' Brothers and Sisters from various callings. They had given their time in these callings without any pay.  Then they started to 'call' Brothers and Sisters to serve for the next few years. At that time Laura and I were the only ones watching the conference, Jim had gone to work and Hannah was up stairs. They were calling the Area 70s, Laura and I listened just  to see if there were any names we recognized. All at once they said "Alvin F Meredith III" Laura and I looked at each other and and both said "did he say what I think he said?".  As Laura was taping the conference, she was able to go back to make sure. YEP It was our TRIP Meredith...  He had been the Murfreesboro Ward Bishop (before the ward split) and had been Stake President. He was an active member of the Blackman Ward. Most of the members were not surprised at the calling he received. All knew he would do great things in the Church. He will have the backing of the Murfreesboro ward and the Blackman Ward and all who know him.

My main memory of President Meredith was, I had belonged to the church almost a year and was preparing to go to the Temple. When I received my endowment I would be able to attend the Sealing of Savannah Grace to her parents.  I had been to the Doctor and they had done an ekg and some other tests. I was to go back to the doctor the next week for more tests. They thought I had had a 'silent' heart attack and needed Open Heart Surgery within the next few weeks. Lakin, Kim and I went to talk to then Bishop Meredith about doing the endowment and Savannah's sealing several weeks early. Bishop Meredith said he would check with Salt Lake but that was not a request that was granted except in pending death.

As we were about to leave, Bishop Meredith ask if he could give me a 'blessing'. A blessing in our Church is given by someone in the priesthood, who with the help of our Lord helps calm and sometimes heals the receiving person.   I said yes knowing it would calm me during the next few days. He gave me a 'blessing'.
At that time I knew things would work out. Went to the Doctors the next week for a EKG and a stress test
I noticed the tech person and the Doctor had a funny look on their face. The Doctor ask if I had taken any medicine that morning. I hadn't. They could not find the problem that was there the week before. They compared EKGs. NO PROBLEM!! They could not figure it out, But I knew what had happened.  Bishop Meredith had ask the Lord to help me and he did!!!  I still had some irregular beats but not the life threatening problem they had seen the week before.  It held up for 8 years before I needed a stent placed in a heart vessel.

Elder Meredith gave of his time and his family's time when ever he was needed.  As I said before he will do great things in his calling.