another mom update

Mom has been moved to the ICU. Her kidneys are in bad shape. they've been trying to get an IV and an access line since 330pm. they finally took some blood from her foot. They are having to put in a Central Line... a surgically installed IV/Port into the artery in her neck. No one is saying, yes it's leukemia, but they aren't telling us that it could be anything else. Hospital food sucks. Especially on a Sunday.
She is having a bone marrow biopsy in the morning. we should know more then.

Mom update

Mom's platelet count dropped again.
She needs a transfusion of platelets before she can be transported to Iowa City. She'll hopefully be on the move by noon today. Just waiting for the call to leave.

mom...

My mom is very very sick.

She's been sick since before Christmas.

She's gone to the doctors in Clinton every two weeks for antibiotics for an illness that they can't name.

The third week in January she started going to the doctor every week due to constant pain.

The first week on February found my mom in the Clinton ER in so much pain she couldn't talk; she could barely breathe.

Diagnosis: "We don't know. But we know what it's not. So we're going to treat it like Bacterial Pneumonia with Pleurisy."

More high dose antibiotics and Hydrocodone.

She started to feel better after that.

She had a cigarette or 4 over the last two weeks (and visited the smoke filled Casino in Clinton) which infuriated my dad because she seemed to get sick again. Her lungs couldn't take the smoke. On Wednesday and Thursday of last week I begged her to go to the doctor. Her doctors weren't in. I asked her to see the on-call doc. She went Friday.

Still no diagnosis. More antibiotics, more Hydrocodone. But here's something weird on your lab work. Normal Platelet (the red blood cells that bind together to create blood clots, or basically to stop one from bleeding to death from a bruise) counts are between 180,000 and 250,000, depending on the day since platelets only have a 10-day lifespan. My mom's counts were down to 26,000 on Friday. On-call doctor says... let's make an appointment with a Blood oncologist and a surgeon on March 8th and 13th respectively. See what they want to do. Enjoy your antibiotics and the Hydrocodone until then.

I called my mom yesterday around 11:30 am. She sounded tired and had a slight wheeze, but her spirits seemed good. Dad was with her at work. She neglected to tell me that Dad was there because the pain she was in. Dad went home after lunch. Mom walked herself to the ER around 3:30-ish. (Mom is a transcriptionist at Mercy Hospital in Clinton.) The pain was unbearable. Even with the Hydrocodone, she couldn't get ahead of it or manage it. They did more blood work.

Platelet count was down to 12,000.

Potassium was up to 8.0. Normal is 1.8.

(When my mom was pregnant with me, I apparently sucked her dry of potassium, and she has been on pills ever since. So to be high... a huge concern.)

Preliminary Diagnosis: Acute Leukemia.

(As far as leukemia goes... either very bad or treatable. No clue which.)

She is being transported to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in about 3 minutes. She has already been accepted into the Leukemia Ward/Program within the Oncology Wing. She has an appointment with the head of that department as soon as she is settled in.

We're leaving at 9am to be there by 10:30, so we don't interrupt the doctors.

When I was relaying to my sister Shannon yesterday that Mom was once again in the ER, Shannon said, "Well, she can't die, she's not 66 years old yet."

My reply, "That doesn't mean that she can't get a blood illness that can't be picked up by the cat scans and MRIs that she'll have to fight for 3 years."

Oh, My God.

(I really said that.)

(And it happened.)

Sidenote: My grandma died of a blood cancer (Multiple Myoloma) at 66 years old. She fought it for 9 years. Her mother died at the age of 66. And I think her mother before her. (not all cancer.) These women were all first-born daughters like my mom. And like me.

I will try to keep this up to date as best I can. Now I need to get ready to leave.

this week

My boss Ed brought Weston this cookie from the Highland Park Bakery in Des Moines, the #1 Bakery in Des Moines. Now... this is no Sweetheart Bakery (in Clinton), but it was awfully nice of Ed to think of Weston this weekend. And we need all the smiles we can get in this place.

I got what I am calling an "almost" promotion at work. More work, small increase in pay, no title and a smaller work space.

Not sure if this weighs out as a positive or negative experience.

I'll have been here 4 years on April 17th. I've moved my office 4 times, this will be the 5th time. And I am moving back to my original desk from April 17th, 2006.

I am taking over a lot from another employee. I am been consistently taking on portions of his job since June 2006. I am now taking over almost everything that is not Customer Service/order entry.

So... let's tally this up:

I have more responsibilities than ever. Officially more than this employee.

I am only getting a small raise. (this isn't the huge concern it would normally be, not in this economy.)

I am moving to a smaller desk.

I have no change in job title.

He is keeping his Salary.

He may be keeping his Management title.

He's taking my desk.

And I was supposed to get his office, but I stupidly voiced concern over his mental health (reason for the decrease in responsibilities.) And so his office will be the 4th conference room, and the 6th meeting area in this office.

We now have more conference rooms than hourly employees!

Anyone see a problem with my day?

I feel like the small raise is not compensation enough. I almost feel slighted.

I definitely feel stupid for worrying about someone else. He's fine. Actually happy and relieved to have less work. Why did being concerned and nice backfire again?

My Win on My Give Away Today

So a few weeks ago I added a button exclaiming that I Won something from My Give Away Today (.com). And it's true, I did win. I won a ring from Chunky Bling . Everyday or so I visit My Give Away Today and I check to see what they are giving away. If l don't like it, I leave the blog. But if I do like it, I simply enter my name in the comment section. If I love it, I enter 2-4 comments answering various questions. On the Chunky Bling, I entered once thinking that a new watch would be great. I didn't win the watch, or the pearl bracelet, but I did win a Ring. It's not much, but it's fun. Once I replied that I accepted my prize, I was contacted by Chunky Bling to let them know which ring I wanted. Rings are their newest addition so there was only one style to pick from, but I got to pick the color. I picked Green... random I know, since I generally don't like Green. But, I really have very little Green jewelry, and since this isn't super fabulous, just blingy I thought I should try something new. And I did.

The ring first arrived last week, but it was sent general US Mail, and arrive destroyed. It wasn't even in a bubble envelope. all the little fake diamonds had fallen out and were floating around the baggie, and the Swarovski crystals were scratched. So after a quick email followed by me sending the original ring back at $0.44, Laurel at Chunky Bling sent me another ring. This one was double wrapped with bubble wrap and then put into a bubble envelope. It arrived in pristine condition yesterday. And it fits perfectly. And yes, I planned an entire outfit around this ring. It's not much, but it's fun and I won it. And I never, scratch that, I rarely Win anything.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANNON!!!

Happy 26th Birthday to my SeaStar!!!

We are celebrating Shannon's birthday tonight at our house with a dinner for 7, including Weston.

On the menu:

Sushi Appetizers
(California Rolls, Sashimi, Shrimp Ebi, and Edemame)

Smoked BBQ Baby back Ribs with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole

Eclair bar/dessert (90% Sugar Free)
(Shannon has already had 2 other birthday cakes, so she wanted something different.)

Pictures to follow... but for now, here is a simple picture of the Eclair Dessert.

A New Recipe...

So... I am a true lover of Meat. I love beef, chicken, seafood and generally like pork. (Living in Iowa, you have to like, if not love, pork. And all of Iowa loves Bacon.) I will generally choose a meat over a starch, and sometimes even over most vegetables. A perfectly prepared meat is a piece of heaven. Similarly when meat is cooked incorrectly, it generally sucks beyond belief, and little can be done to save it.

So, I am always looking for new recipes. And if you know me well, you know that one of my favorite foods is Ribs. Baby back, St. Louis, Pork or Beef... BBQ, dry rub, wet rub, smoked, grilled - I love all Ribs. So my Uncle Dave makes the best ribs. Normal ribs that I generally wouldn't think to eat (like country or ends) he makes taste fabulous. So... my Aunt Linda decided that if her husband could do it, so could she. She made fork tender boneless ribs. And she gave me the recipe for dinner last night!

You'll need:

Boneless Pork chops about 1-1.5 inches thick, all fat removed. (I cut my chops from a much larger pork loin)

2+ TBPS Olive Oil

Your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Cut the pork chops into strips, about 1" wide and 2" long. (I cut my strips too small.)

2. Heat about 1-2 TBSP Olive Oil in a pan at medium heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

3. Season with your faves. I used Salt and Pepper and Stubbs BBQ Seasoning.

4. Sear the strips on all sides. A quick hot sear, do not cook through (or they will dry out as some of mine sort of did last night.) Probably need to be done in 2-3 batches, don't crowd the pan.

5. Once all strips are seared, put them all back in the pan. Mix around and turn the heat off. Add your BBQ sauce. Make sure all are covered.

6. Pour the "ribs" onto a foil lined baking sheet. Cover with foil, venting about 1/2 of the pan.

7. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the BBQ sauce gets dark on the edges, the remove from the oven.

8. Let rest for about 3-5 minutes, applying more BBQ sauce to your liking.

Enjoy!

Our dinner last night:

Boneless pork "ribs" with Smashed Sweet Potatoes