CCM elders reunited

we've come a long way baby!!!!!!

i was just reading back over previous posts and feeling so grateful that I had documented so many wonderful memories.   but now I am feeling sad and overwhelmed because there is a huge three year gap of amazing events not documented.

where do  I even begin?!!!!!!

I suppose I should start in November of 2014 -   my life was crazy, busy and I am embarrassed to scythe busier I was the more fulfilled I felt)    I would wake up at 4:42 a.m. and meet my good friend, Janell Gooch on the corner.  we would slowly jog 4 miles.  i would get home jump in the shower and proceed to get readyy for work at the hospital. at 6:;45 a.m. our family would gather at the table for scripture reading until  7:00 .  then we would all quickly eat and the boys  would leave for school.  Russ and I would finish getting ready then Gracie and I would walk out the door at 7:20 i would perform my carpool duties, picking up thane Gooch, Makayla rands, and Rachel Dougherty.   I would drop carpool kids off at Tonaquint intermediate school by 7:35  and pick up my dear friend, Winney Van Gills,  on my way to work.   I would then work from 8:00 to2:30 and get home just as all of my kids were getting home from school.  then I would grab Gracie Grant, John Thompson, and Jenna Bishop and head off to Bloomington.  I would drop Gracie off at gymnastics and the other three off at lacrosse practice.  I  would then park in the shade and take a quick 10 minute nap. then Grant would jump in the car and I would drive him to gymnastics.   I would then go home and start making dinner. we would then usually go to the high school for fall baseball games.  then the round up would begin.  Russ and I would divide and conquer.  i would pick up one kid he would grab the other , we would meet back at the house to all eat dinner together.,clean up, get ready for bed, wake up and do it all over again.  I was lifting weights three days each week, jogging5-6 mornings/week.
 It was about this time i realized I was absolutely exhausted all of the time.  I was dizzy every time I stood up , I was always freezing cold, and just didn't feel good in general  then I noticed I had an annoying dull head ache most of the day.  Kami was diagnosed with Chiari malformation a few years ago  (which runs in families) and I had many of the same symptoms.  So,I was not worried in the slightest (there is really not much the doctors do for C M unless it is a super serious malformation.  I decided I could handle the headache,  but the fatigue was getting worse.  I finally went to the doctor, we discussed my diet, my exercise habits, and he ran every blood panel he could think of... he checked my thyroid, my blood sugars.,   when the results came back, I was relieved, but so frustrated! because there was no answer,   all blood work was great!  the only quirk was low sodium.  my doctor suggested that i eat a high protein snack every two hours and add a small bag of chips to my lunch or drink an occasional Gatorade instead of just water to increase my sodium levels.   I followed his suggestions and felt a little less dizzy, but that dull headache was just hanging around. Life went on...the holidays came and went.  I continued with my daily routines, jogging, working, shuttling kids around and cheering my children at  gymnastics meets, baseball games, lacrosse games, and orchestra concerts.  our family had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica that February ( see older post.)Grant had a good fall gymnastics season, and at his state meet was able to score high enough to qualify for regionals in April...now fast forward half a year.... Russ and I were planning on driving Grant to Colorado for the regional gymnastics competition at the Air Force academy in Fort Collins, CO.   I was super excited to go. my dear friend, Kellie, lives in Denver and we were going to get to spend some time together.   on the 11th(Thursday morning) i tried going to a chiropractor to see if a neck adjustment might help my head aches.   the very slight adjustment felt good, but did nothing for the headache.   later that day I Grabbed Garrett and I sandwiches and was driving to his last game of the baseball season at Desert Hills High School.   on my way to the school i passed an accident, realizing that my mom had been rear-ended.  it didn't look serious, but i decided to stop at my parent's home to see if my dad knew what had happened.  He had heard and luckily it was not serious at all.   while I was at their home I decided to eat my sandwich. when i was finished eating, i stood and turned to throw my trash away, got dizzy and began throwing up.    Later i went to Garrett's game. but just wasn't feeling quite right.   That night Russ and I decided I should stay home from Colorado -It was going to be too long of a drive and  the altitude would be much higher- not good for a head ache. So Russ and Grant left for the meet without me.  Saturday morning I was walking into my bathroom to take a shower.  I noticed I was walking like I was wearing flippers.  I thought to myself" this is odd, why am i walking like this ?"  but I also could not stop my self from walking that way.  in the shower , I had to hold myself up.   I was starting to get scared.   I called Russ and he told me to go to the doctor again.  Garrett was hanging out with some friends and I knew I shouldn't drive my self , so I lied down to wait for Garrett to get home.  When Garrett finally got home, I was feeling a little better and not so scared.  I decided to put off going to the doctor until I had another episode of feeling bad again. besides Russ and Grant would be home the next evening and Russ would be able to help me assess my newest symptoms.   of course I had no symptoms all  that day .  Monday morning, April 13th, 2015 I woke up early, jogged 4 miles with Janell, got ready and went to work.  At work I was dizzy, fatigued, but really nothing out of the ordinary.  until I went to the cafeteria for lunch.  I picked up a lunch tray grabbed a box and proceeded to make myself a salad.   as I turned to go pay for my salad, I got dizzy and puked all over my freshly made salad. THAT WAS IT I WAS GOING TO THE DOCTOR!! I FINISHED MY WORK DAY THEN WALKED OVER TO THE INSTA-CAREBUILDING AND ASKED TO SEE A DOCTOR.   I reviewed with the doctor what had been going on for the past 6 months.   he looked at my November blood work results, ran a few simple tests, like walking heel to toe across the floor,extending my index finger to touch his finger, then touch my nose and touch his finger again.I passed!!!  he was still concerned though  and suggested I get a C T scan.  I scheduled it for Wednesday.  so on April 15th,2015 (TAX DAY) I jogged in the morning, worked a full day, then went for my scan.  At the end of the scan the  tech asked me if I could wait around for a little bit?  he said " we saw something on the scan and the doctor would like to talk to you before you leave" Russ had arrived by that time and we waited for the doctor.I believed he was going to discuss Chiari Malformation with me. but,   He told us they needed a better image and said they are waiting for you in the E R to do an M R I. .  we went a short distance across the parking lot to the E R   In the middle of the procedure I began throwing up again.  when it was over I went to sit with Russ in the waiting area because again "a doctor wanted to talk to us be fore we left" again,I believed he was going to discuss Chiari Malformation with me.   I was SO not feeling good at this point and told Russ I was going to go and lie down in the car  and to come and get me when the doctor was ready.  as I was walking to the car, my legs gave out on me and I collapsed into the arms of two nurses who threw me in a wheel chair and admitted me as a patient in the E R.  i was lying in a bed when the doctor came in, He said "Hello, I"m dr. Fox and I've come to discuss the results of your M R I.   I said " yes, I know who you are( our hospital's big neurosurgeon) and if you're coming to discuss the results with me then they are not good!"   he said, " you:"re right they are not good"  , "we have found a good sized mass in the frontal lobe  of your brain. "What?!!!!" I asked by "by good sized ?, you're talking approximately how big?", He said about the size of a golf ball.   but the huge complication was that I had a tremendous amount of swelling in my brain and my cerebral cortex was shifted so far over , he couldn't believe I was "still functioning and not having seizures".   He immediately admitted me to the I C U to try and reduce swelling .   "He was going to do surgery by the end of the week to remove the tumor.   As the swelling decreased and they were able to get better images of the tumor, Dr. fox determined the surgery  was going to be too difficult and dangerous"out of his league"  he suggested I see the best neuro-surgeon in the nation, Dr. Rao, in Houston, Texas.  Dr. Rao had trained Dr. Fox and they began communicating about my tumor.   Miracle #1:   Dr Rao agreed to take me as a patient.  miracle #2 : his hospital in Houston  (M.D. Anderson) was able to get me in for consultation the following week( normally a three month waiting period).   I was discharged from our hospital the following Monday, i spent a few days with my kids and prepared to fly to Houston.   SCARED NOW!!!!!
LUCKILY MY SISTERS STARED A BLOG FOR ME AT THIS TIME(PRAYERS FOR KOKO@Bblogspot.com AND DOCUMENTED MY EXPERIENCES IN HOUSTON.   I am absolutely exhausted after trying to remember just this part of the experience.    this is way too long so I will end here and pickup  later on more current events.  

postage stamp indicates it could be foreign!!!!!

Garrett opened his mission call tonight:  he was called to serve in the
peru, Lima. West,mission.   he will report to the Peru MTC on November15, 2016.   This is really happening.We think we are very excited!   He will speak Spanish.

Dr. Parry... Here we come!!!

I know Dr. Parry appreciates our business.  He has treated Gracie's 4 broken bones, my dislocated knee, the bursitis in my hip, and Grant's broken arm.  I am quite sure we have paid for a couple of the REALLY nice cars that he and his family members drive.  I told my kids, the next car I am buying had better be my own.

Well, my boys have found a new hobby.  I am quite sure that once Dr. Parry learns of this he will be picking out his next expensive vehicle and I will be driving my car until the day I die.

 This is Grant, cast-free for now...

Beam me up, Gracie!

Gracie competed in her last gymnastics meet for the season.  She participated in the State Meet and did really well.  She is strong in some events and struggles in others.  The beam has always been her best event. However, this year in every meet she fell off.  She NEVER falls at practice and NEVER falls during her warm up.  But once she has to perform her routine for the judges, she falls.  I always feel so bad.  But at her state meet, she performed great.  She didn't fall. She looked confident.  She scored her first 9.05 on the beam. Good job Lou!

My phone would not let me send the entire video, but this is most of her State Meet Beam Routine.

Firsts

Garrett is on his first date, at his first formal dance, wearing a tuxedo for the first time tonight.  It has been a crazy couple of days.  About 10:30 on Thursday night, Garrett started getting some text messages from his baseball coach's sister, Kailee.  She invited Garrett to go to a Senior Ball on Saturday... in less than 48 hours.  Garrett said he would like to go, but wasn't sure if he would be able to pull it off because he had a baseball game right after school on Friday and would not have time to be fitted for a tux, order a corsage, etc.  When I woke up on Friday morning, he told me about the dance invitation.  Luckily, I was off work and had a minute to think.  I found out that the tux rental store opened at 11:00 am- at the same time as Garrett's lunch break at school.  I sent him a text and told him to meet me there during lunch.  While he was getting measured, I ran next door and got him a sandwich to eat on his way back to school.  The sweet lady at the tux shop needed to make some adjustments and asked me to come back at 4:30 to pick the tux up (which was right in the middle of Garrett's baseball game on the other side of town).  I went to Garrett's game and then left in the second inning to pick up his tux.  I made it back to the game in time to see him hit his triple (see previous post).  After his game, we went to the varsity game and then Garrett went with some of his teammates to hang out after the game.  This morning I woke Garrett up at 8:45 am and asked what his plans were for his "day date" (the tradition here in St. George is to go on a date during the day before the dance).  Garrett asked what time it was.  I said, "Quarter to nine".  He shot up and said, "Oh crap!  They are coming to get me at 9:00.  He rushed off to shower and was getting dressed as they pulled up and he was out the door.  They went to Kailee's house to grab something for their date.  Garrett's coach came out of the house and got in the truck with Garrett.  He didn't say anything, but lifted his shirt a little to reveal a pistol in his waistband.  He patted it and Garrett started laughing.  Garrett said, "I don't think you even know how to shoot that thing"!  Hahaha- it was pretty funny.  He had been teasing Garrett at his baseball game the day before that they needed to have a little talk before Garrett went out with his little sister.  

For their day date, they went swimming in a some natural spring pool.  They had a good time.  Garrett got home about 2:30, showered, ate and rested up for the big night.    

I went with him to meet his date to take some pictures.  Unfortunately, none of my pictures turned out very good, but I will post them anyway.  I am hoping Kailee's mom will email me some of the pictures they took tonight.  Garrett and Kailee are doubling with Kailee's friend, Sage, and her date, Cole.  They were all cute during pictures, a little awkward and obviously very nervous.  Super fun to be there for it!  After pictures they headed off to Olive Garden for dinner and then over to the dance.  Should be a fun time.  Can't wait to hear all about it.  

Another Hyde mishap

We just couldn't be the Hydes without a ton of drama, sports and a cast...

On Sunday evening, March 2nd, Grant and Gracie we doing gymnastic tricks in the front room.  They were getting more and more daring.  At least six different times, I asked them to "settle down", "stop", "relax", etc. Then Grant had the brilliant idea to run, launch off the exercise ball, over Gracie, into a dive roll.  He ran and slipped as he came off of the ball.  Didn't see that coming did you?!!  I was in the kitchen and heard a LOUD crack.  I immediately thought that Grant had hit his head on the fireplace.  I turned and looked in the front room expecting to see blood.  Instead, he held up his arm and let out a little shriek.  The middle of his forearm was bent right in the middle.  We immediately fell into our known roles.  I started making ice bags, Russ hung up the phone with his dad and went to make a sling, Garrett pre-wrapped Grant's arm with paper towels and got Grant some Ibuprofen.  We put Grant's paper towel wrapped arm in a homemade sling, packed it with ice and were out the door and on our way to the hospital in 2 minutes flat.  As we got in the car I thought, "Is it sad that we are so conditioned to broken bones that we can be prepped and driving to the hospital with such efficiency".

Grant was in quite a bit of pain by the time we got to the hospital.  He never did cry, but he whimpered a lot.  Unfortunately, I was showing very little sympathy for him.  Lacrosse season was just starting.  We were supposed to be traveling to California in 5 days for his second to last gymnastics meet.  I was mad!  When we got to the hospital they took Grant back into an ER room right away.

  His cute nurse came in and said, "Hi Grant.  I'm Naomi.  I am going to be your best friend.  I have morphine".

She started an IV and gave him a dose of morphine.  It did not touch his pain.  Then the X-ray techs came in and made him move his arm.  He still didn't cry, but he was miserable.

This was the result of the X-ray.  The radius was broken in two places and the ulna was broken as well.  Not pretty.  They called our trusted, well-utilized, orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Parry.  He asked if we wanted to set his arm that night, or if we wanted to come into his office in the morning.  Grant was still in so much pain we said that we would like it set that night.  We told Dr. Parry not to worry about coming to hospital, that we would just use the on-call orthopedic.  But he said he would come on over.  Then, the ER- P.A. asked how Grant was feeling.  Grant was still is tons of pain.  He asked the nurse how much Morphine she had given Grant.  It apparently was not enough.  She gave him a little more and he finally started to settle down.

Dr. Parry arrived and looked at the X-rays.  They brought in the fluoroscope, put Grant on EKG monitoring, and called for the respiratory therapist.  The respiratory therapist had still not shown up, but they decided to go ahead and get started.  Dr. Parry asked the PA for Propofol.  The PA said they rarely used that drug anymore.  Then he asked for a different sedative and they him-hawed over using that one as well.  Finally, Dr. Parry said, "Just bring me what you are used to using and let's get going.  Let's get this boy out of pain".  I thought, "Thank you!!".  The nurse brought in the sedation drug Ketamine, or "Special K", as it is known by on the streets.  They put it in his IV and he was gone.  Dr. Parry said, "Grant.  Grant can you hear me?". No response.  Then he grabbed Grant's arm pulled it, then pushed on the bends with his thumbs.  We heard a little snap and he put Grant's arm under the fluoroscope.  The bones were perfectly aligned.  Seriously, in less that 5 seconds.  We LOVE Dr. Parry.  He formed the splint and wrapped Grant's arm with the ace bandage.  The second the splint was is place, Grant went into a SEIZURE!!!  Now, Russ and I are sitting right there.  I am watching his EKG as his heart rate accelerated to 180 bpm.  His blood pressure started to rise.  His eyes are wide open, yet not blinking.  He is shaking uncontrollably.  Then I notice the little CNA supporting his airway.  Remember, the respiratory therapist never showed up!!!  The seizure lasted about 3 minutes.  His leg was off of the bed, yet straight out, perpendicular.  I tried to move his leg back onto the bed, but couldn't budge it because his muscles were so locked up.  It was scary.  One of the nurses kept asking if she should call code.  Dr. Parry told her to just give it a minute.  Finally, he started to settle down.  His heart SLOWLY started to decrease and he stopped shaking.  However, he laid in a catatonic state for what seemed like 10 minutes.  His eyes were still wide open, not blinking, and he was not responding to anything.  

I was a mess!!!  Finally, Grant started responding.  I sat down and looked like I was having a seizure.  I was shaking so bad.  The nurse came over to comfort me.  She told me that this was normal and not to be worried.  When everyone left the room, I turned to Russ and said, "This was not normal!!! They don't usually induce seizures in children as normal protocol!!".  After about ten minutes, Dr. Parry and the nurse came back into the room.  Dr. Parry asked me how things in cardiac rehab were going.  I told him we were busy and had a ton of patients at the time.  Then the nurse said, "Oh, do you work here?".  I told her that I did, that I worked with the open heart patients, and that I had been doing it for about 8 years.  (Enough to know that was not a normal reaction my son had experienced- but I did not say that part to her).  About 2 hours later, after Grant was completely stable again.  The nurse came in and said, "I feel that I need to just shoot straight with you.  I have been talking to all of the nurses working in ER tonight.  Between all of us we have had over 50 years of experience, 20 of that at Primary Children's.  We have never seen a reaction like that before.  That was a little scary".  OH REALLY?!!!  She was sweet, and I know she was just trying to calm me down in a bad situation and I really did appreciate what a great nurse she was!!!  She was SO good to Grant.  Anyway, the PA then came in about 30 minutes later and said, "I am not sure if you are aware, but your son had an adverse reaction to the medication that we gave him.  You need to make sure that he NEVER has this medication again".  OKAY, DONE!  Needless to say, I started having a ton of sympathy for this poor boy after all of that.  Then he threw up at least 4 times before we got him home at 3 in the morning.  Not our best night ever.

Two weeks later we went to Dr. Parry's office and Grant swapped out his splint for a new red cast.  He gets to be casted for another 4 weeks.  

Which is fantastic for a boy in 2 P.E. classes, and orchestra playing the HUGE bass.  He is also missing all of Lacrosse season and his state gymnastics meet.  Great!!!