Sick

This cold is kicking my butt. It appears I have viral bronchitis, and am allergic to the virus as well. I was on steroids for the hives which worked short term, but te hives have returned. Oddly enough, I get them every morning around 7 am, they get progressively worse until about 9, then are gone by 10. Since the coughing was not getting better, I went back to the doctor and was put on antibiotics so I don't end up with pneumonia. The antibiotics have done nothing for me. I still have this awful cough, but I am a little better. I need to sleep. I slept as much as I could over the weekend and was feeling a little better. I am not that tired, but the more sleep I get the better I feel. I have been getting tired at school, the constant coughing just wipes me out. Unfortunately, everything else has been falling behind. The house is messy, I just finally cleaned my classroom yesterday and I have been behind on e-mails, blogs and grading. Hopefully I will feel better soon, then I can be back on top of everything.

Argh

This cold is really kicking my butt. My hives did return once, but then left for good. However, the cough is a whole different story. It has stuck with me. I think Sunday was the worst, I could not even speak a full sentence without breaking down in a coughing fit. I couldn't walk without getting winded and coughing. I woke up this morning feeling a little better, I could definately breathe better, actually take a whole breath. Unfortunately but the middle of the day, my ear and throat hurt. It is actually my left side, my whole ear/throat/neck hurts. It feels like I have a lump the size of a golf ball stuck in there hurting everything. Tylenol did not help. I took Sudafed and I am going to bed. If I don't feel better tomorrow I am going back to the doctor. Luckily we have a guest speaker in the afternoon so I can leave early to see the Dr and not mess up the classes.

Papa is doing well, he is hopefully heading to rehab this week. Once I get rid of this nastiness I can visit him every night. I am so looking forward to that!

The hives and the cold..

Are related!! I went to the doctor yesterday and found out that I have bronchitis, and it is viral. And, I am allergic to the virus, hence the hives. The doctor said my lungs sound awful, (I could have told her that, the crackling and wheezing are keeping me up at night) but since my o2 sats are fine there was no big concern for pneumoniua. Instead she put me on steroids for 5 days. I took one last night when I got them, then one this morning before I left. My hives were horrible for my looooong trip to worcester, but all of a sudden around 10:30 they went away. YA!!!!!!! no more itchy! Now I just have to kick this virus' butt. I have been using my inhaler lots and taking cough meds before bed.

I have to go back to the doctor and have my nose cauterized. I had it done about 11 years ago. They told me it only lasts for about 10 years, so it is definately time. Last fall I had a stretch where I was getting horrible nosebleeds daily, and they have started back up again. I had to pull over on the highway today on my way home because of one. It looked like I killed someone in the car, I had blood all over me and it was splashing on the seat. They get pretty hard core. Now I just have to convince my Dr to do it (many Drs are against it, think it is too barbaric).

Itch Itchy Itchy

Out damn hives! I am so itchy! I am okay as long as I am asleep, once I wake up and start moving, they get worse and worse. I am HOPING that my doctor will be in tomorrow. Of course, I am sure there isn't anything she can do. I will most likely be told to take benedryl. Such a help, maybe the hives go away, but I am too sleepy to do anything. I have a professional development day in Worcester on Tuesday, so this had better resolve itself! I am not sure I can handle 3 hours in the car and 7 hours of lectures this itchy. Plus of course the cough. Argh!!!!

This & That

I am itchy. Itchy, itchy, itchy. Why? Because I have hives. Why? Who knows. Once again I am blessed with an outbreak of hives for no known reason. I think that last time this happened was when we were living in Florida. Not that it matters, because I AM ITCHY!!!! I also have this wonderful cold Alison gave me. I feel fine except I have a cough. When I say cough, I mean, sounds like I am going to eject an lung, turning blue in the face, make you want to spray lysol at me cough. Not a constant cough, just randomly, and when I try to go to bed. Other than that I feel fine, except maybe a headache from coughing so much.

Thursday was the Haunted Happenings parade, Ali's first parade to march in! The schools all march, this year's theme was "The Wizard of Oz". I TRIED to talk her into being a flying monkey, but no. Then I tried to talk her into the witch of the east, with the tights and the shoes and a cardboard box as a house over her. No. So was she? Glinda. I objected on two grounds. One, if you read "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire than you know Glinda's a bitch. Stuck-up and mean bitch. Also, where is the creativity in Glinda? I, on the other hand, had to march with her, so was able to get away with wearing a costume of my own. I went as the yellow brick road. Unfortunately I had some wardrobe malfunctions as you will see below. The first picture is Ali and hwer BFF Caroline, as well as my sister who has no right to look that good 10 months after having twins. The second picture is me in my failed Yellow Brick Road Costume.


So yes, the yellow hairsrpay turned out green in my hair, and the yellow make-up turned out orangy. So, I looked more like an oompa-loompa.

One last tidbit. Went yard-saleing today and made the best find. I would like to say it was a great find becaue I went on e-bay and found out it was worth a ton of money, but it is just a great find because I love it (and it only cost a dollar). It is a music box. I love music boxes. I don't have many though. This is an old school one, a wooden box with the painting "Two Ballerinas" by Degas on the top. You wind it on the bottom, then open it up and it plays a song. I love the song too, but I am not sure of the name. The box is empty except for the musical instrument (a reuge) which is underneath a piece of plexiglass so you can see it. I heart it.

My Papa rocks

Papa is now off of the venilator, moving his left side (weak side), picking up his leg and crossing it, moving his arm, hand and fingers and talking!!! It is a little difficult to understand him, but WHO CARES??!!?? MY PAPA ROCKS! I know it is going to be a long and frusterating road for him, but I am SO THANKFUL for the fact that there is a road ahead of him. Tomorrow he should be out of the SICU and on to a regular floor, then we are hoping to get him transferred to my mom's hospital for rehab.

THANK YOU for all of your prayers, THEY HELPED!!!

Please Pray for Papa

Yesterday (Wednesday, October 4) around 7am, my Papa had a massive stroke. His wife heard him banging on the floor, he had to go to the bathroom. He told her to put him back in bed, which she refused. They took him to the local hospital where he seemed to improve. When I got there he was moving his right side well, speaking some and movingh is left leg and shoulder. The CAT scan showed nothing, they decided to send him to Beth Israel deaconess Hsopital in Boston. On the way in, he went downhill. My mom was the first one to get there, they had to intubate him because they were afraid he'd get pneumonia. Mom asked him if he wanted a tube to help him breath and he said yes, then she asked if he was going to behave and he said no. That's my papa. The finally found the stroke and my mom signed the paperwork for the surgery, Without the surgery he would regain nothing, and that would not make Papa happy. Julie and I got there with the twins shortly after mom signed the paperwork. My godfather (his mom is Papa's wife) and his wife, then finally a few hours later his wife, her daughter, my uncle, his wife, their daughter and her boyfriend. He was in surgery for a long time, they removed the clot. There was no bad bleeding after. His blood pressure went up, his heart rate down, they though he was bleeding, did another CAT scan which turned up nothing. We got to al go in and see him (2 at a time). Julie and I went in, told him we were there, we loved him and we wanted him to get better. He kept trying to get up and talk. Stubborn! I called this morning and he had an uneventful night. He is not moving his left side, but is moving his right side and following commands. Julie and Mom went to visit him this afternoon and he looked pretty good. He is still sedated. They are hoping to take the tube out either tonight or tomorrow and wake him up. This is something I wrote to put above his bed.


My name is Art

I was in the Navy
I rose quickly in rank
I didn't want to be chief
I kept doing fun (dumb) things
to get busted back down
I broke a plate glass window
at a Coca-Cola factory
In brazil
So I could have some coke
With my rum

I led a group of Sailors who were
literally
blind drunk
in Turkey
to the safety of the bus to base

I have four children
Allan and Donna
had muscular dystrophy
Allan died when he was 4
Donna when she was 18

Wendy is a nurse
Married to Doug
She has three children
Lisa, Julie and Katie

Keith is an electrician
married to Melisa
They have two children
Alan and Kristina

Joan is my wife
She has put up with me
for over 20 years
I love her

I have three step-children
I love as my own
I have known them most of their lives

Valerie works in an office
She has one son Evan

Bruce is married to Chris
they are moving to Virginia

Jackie is married to Joe
They have two children
Joe and Cindy

I have three great-grand children
Alison is 5
She lives in Salem
and just started Kindergarten
Her mom is Lisa

Lily and Mia are twins
they are 10 months old
They live in Bronx, NY
With their mom Julie and dad Peter
(who are Yankees fans)
(but we won't hold that against them)

I am a Free Mason
I have hundreds of brothers
don't try to stop them from visiting
They are loyal to me
as I am to them

I was a Shriner
I helped countless children
who needed our help
I donated blood to the Red Cross
for years
I have more gallon pins
than I can count

I am the man in that bed
I may look frail and weak
but I am healing

I am stubborn
I am tough
I don't give in

My family is part of me
they are stubborn and tough
They won't give up on me

You are my doctors and nurses
You will help me heal
Please don't give up on me.

Topsfield Fair

Another fantastic thing about living in New England in the fall is the Topsfield Fair. We went Tuesday. Julie drive out Sunday night so she could go and take the babies for their first fair. It was Ali, Julie, Lily and Mia, Mom, Doug, Katie and Nana. We had a fantastic time, I ate my annual amazing baked potato. I also had some Vege tempura, and frozen banana dipped in chocolate (shared with Ali), fried dough (shared with Ali) and a caramel apple.

We played games and went on rides, great time!

Katie, Ali and Julie on the tilt-A-Whirl

Lily and Mia nice and cozy in their stroller.

Ali gearing up to climb the rock wall.

Ali at the top of the Ferris Wheel.

The Fair lights at night

Apple picking

One thing I love about being in New England in the fall is apple picking. Last weekend we went out to Athol to see my friend Cheryl, her kids Taylor and Josh and her boyfriend Richard. We all went out and had a great time.

Here is Ali picking apples in the trees!

Here are Josh and Taylor. Taylor is taller than me and she is 10!

Here's Ali feeding the pony.