Saturday, August 28, 2010

My new home sweet home!

Where to start..... So much has gone on in the last three weeks that I was to busy to even think about getting on here! First and for most I am finally back up in Reno and back in school. So far I love my classes and Reno couldn't be any better. The most exciting part of being back up here is being all moved and settled in to my new apartment with my amazing roomies: Sherise, Lorin and Jessica! The weekend we moved up my mom took us grocery shopping an got us all set up. Having a kitchen and your own space is so nice, WAAAY better then the dorms. All summer us girls worked on buying stuff for our kitchen,thanks to our amazing friend Thomas we have a tv and dvd player, now all we need is stuff to put on the walls in the living room. We heard horrible stories from ppl about the highlands and why we shouldn't move there but honestly I couldn't be happier. New carpet, full furnished, the noise level on the weekends is totally tolerable, the shuttle to campus is really convenient and I have my best friends so what could go wrong?! I have a bunch of pictures of our apartment and my moms trip up here so I will pick and chose my favorites to put up for now.







Our first shopping trip for the apartment!!

Three of the most amazing women I know.
My mom, Grandma and Aunt Spring.

So there you have it!! My new home sweet home. Lorin and I do most the cooking but I don't mind at all. We all help clean up the kitchen and living room every night. On sunday I was so tired of working on hw that I took a break and made some blueberry muffins. Gotta love having a kitchen. My momma raised me well. I can cook, clean and survive on my own. Who would of thought.... not me that's for sure!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Ports, Boogers, and Bronchs, Oh my!!

It has been a very busy week for me, probably one of the busiest and there are no signs of it slowing down until who knows when... winter break I guess! Lets start at the beginning. Thursday I took my little brother on a date to the movies but I get home to hear we have to leave right away to get test and pre-op stuff done for my port placement that following Friday that we had no idea bout until a couple hours ago. So we hurried to the hospital got my test done and 2 hours later we were at the other hospital up the street with family. Earlier that week my cousin Beth was in a car accident and on Thursday we were doing the final test to see if there was any blood in her brain which would declare her brain dead. So that whole week we spent with family at the hospital praying for the best. Sadly we got the worst of news my cousin Beth was no longer with us. I will have to fill you in on that later. It is still to hard for me to talk about. So after a night of no sleep I get up bright and early cause it is time for my PORT!! I don't think I have ever been so excited about a single surgery. For anyone who doesn't know I have the worst veins ever. My last 3 PICC's have been a pain. Two I was sedated for and the last one took 4 pokes to get in soooo it was time for a port! I thought it was gonna be easy just slip it in I wake up and bam done. Nope not at all! I was so sore and the stupid orange iodine dyed my skin and is still all orange. The nurse and I joked that I should tell everyone it was just a bad fake tan. After I got home and popped some pain pills the doctor gave me I was off to give my uncle and his family some dinner and visit to make sure things were okay. Then from there it was time for my cousin Ashtyn's baby shower! At UMC while waiting for beth's test results my aunt told me I better be there. She would even make a bed on the couch for me. Luckily I didn't need a bed. For the rest of the weekend the pain meds kept me pretty out of it. It still hurts a bit today but now I think it is just the surgical glue starting to come off.

Then on Monday it was time for another sinus surgery and a bronchoscopy to clean all the gunk in my sinus's and lungs! My doctor gave us pictures of all the gunk that was ooozing out of my sinus's but I will spear ya'll the trouble and not put it up. This one was alot harder then the port. I guess when I started waking up I didn't like the tube in my throat and threw up (thank goodness I have no recollection of that!!) then when I was moved to a lower down recovery my oxygen sats dropped to the 70's! The doctor thinks it was because my lungs were still soaking up water from the cleaning out. So after a couple hours and a few deep breathing exercises I was headed home. The worst part of all this is my lungs are tired and I can't blow my nose for a whole freaking weeeek!

I am so grateful for my doctors and all the medical advances they have had. I am just started this new medicine that came out called Cayston. So far I love it!! It gets me coughing pretty good for the 3 mins it runs but I feel like I can breathe deeper now. I do it three times a day and have to clean the nebulizer after every time but so far I think it is worth it. Until we find a cure I am willing to do anything! I see the doctor to hear about what he cultured during my bronch and see how my numbers are on the 18th then I am back off to Reno to move into my apartment!! I had 2 boring months of summer to get everything squeezed into this last month! Guess it was time to kick my lazy butt into gear.


Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The good. The bad. My busy life.

Oh my word I have no idea where to begin. Just wow that is all I have to say right now. Life has been insane lately. Finally things called down. I was on good meds, my brother and sister were finally home and getting their PICCs out. Once I thought things had settled down my cousin Beth was in a car accident. She was riding home from her bf's on her dirt bike and was hit by an suv. My parents have spent the last two days up at the hospital with family and I went today and will be spending tomorrow there to. It's so great seeing everyone pull together and be there for each other in a time of need. It is looking really bad. I went in to see her today and I almost lost it. My mom was holding her hand an talking to her but I stood back by my uncle (her dad) and just kind of watched. It didn't look anything like Beth. It was to much for me to handle but I glad I got to see her and will again tomorrow. Tomorrow they are doing a test again to see if there is any blood in her brain and as much as I want to be positive and say there is and she is waking up every time the doctor does tests and talks to us it seems even less likely. I love her so much and I can't believe this is happening.

I am also having surgery on Friday to place my port (wohoooo!) My mom hates the idea but I am so excited. I have terrible veins and so over PICCs.Then on Tuesday I am having sinus surgery and a bronchoscopy back to back. Thank goodness my doctors are friends an plan procedure together so they can put me under an get it all done. We also have a family pool party and BBQ saturday and a baby shower for a cousin Friday.

So the next week or so I will have TONS of time with family and to TONS of time in the hospital. Some of the time is good others not so much. I love seeing all the family and getting to talk and laugh and share memories but it is sad that it took something like this to get us all together. I love my family. I love my doctors. I am have such a blessed life that I love.