The end of a year

The end of 2010 is coming to a close and 2011 is revving it's engines at the starting line.  I am excited to see what this year will hold for me.  I know that it will be challenging, but I AM looking forward to it (someone remind me of this when I am stressed out in Colorado,eh?).    Leo has started his own count down.  He will be driving out to Denver on Jan. 2nd.  He has orientation on the 4th I believe and Ocean Prime in the Historical District of Denver will be opening on Jan 19th.  Woohoo!  I know they have had many setbacks during this process of turning an historical building in to a restaurant, so it is exciting that they have come so far.   

My last day at work will be on the January 14th.  Then it will be a whirlwind of deciding, tossing and packing up my things to load them onto a truck or into a pod... I haven't decided what is going to be taking our things out to Colorado yet, I only know that while I am a capable driver, I don't wish to drive a moving truck out to Denver myself.  If I have to, I will get rid of everything large that I have so I can pack the necessities I will need to survive and go about it that way.  Talk about downsizing. LOL!

With that said I would like to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and I hope that you have a wonderful New Year.  I hope that it brings to you as much enjoyment and excitement as it will to me.

2011

here I come!

Actively looking...

I started the process of looking for a job.  Now this, I feel, is going to be difficult at least right now due to the fact that I still live in Ohio, but at least I am getting idea's on what is out there, who is hiring, etc... In my quest for updating and making my resume fabulous, I have run across many people who seem to know people out in Denver or the surrounding area so I feel confident that with a little bit of networking, I will be able to procure a job not long after arriving. 

Thank you to several friends who have put in their two cents about how to update and create a resume that will get employers attention.  I want my resume on top of the pile...not in the circule file.

We have a date!!

Leo has to be out in Denver by January 4th 2011.  He will be leaving January 1st or 2nd to give himself enough time to get out there... hopefully the weather will be clear for his travels and he will make it out there  in enough time. 

Andrea and I will be following out a few weeks later if I am not mistaken.  We will be packing up the house and the furniture we are taking with us and getting rid of the things that we are not.  I have a ton of stuff that I need to get rid of.  Now is the time to get rid of the stuff I haven't used and it will be hard for me but I should just toss the boxes that are full of stuff from the last time I moved that I haven't looked in, in two years.  I haven't needed it now... it could be safe to say that I will not need it later.. but I am horrible about doing that.  What if I do need it??  Why buy it again if I already have it... and this is why I have sooo much stuff.  Gah.  I could use some help getting rid of it all.  Any takers??

So there we are.  That is the latest!

Pesky Appendix part Deux

So, where did I leave off... Oh right... making the Indian resident smile and laugh. 

It wasn't actually two long after that, that I was told I would have surgery either that night or early the next morning and then the next thing I knew I was being taken upstairs to prep for surgery.  I met a nurse who wasn't happy that I still had my glasses on and I also met with my anesthesiologist, Dr. Buday, some other random nurses and Kim the 3rd year student who got to scrub in for my surgery.  I was still in a pretty good mood and the nurse told me "Well you won't be for long."  I just looked at her.  What an awful thing to say.  I know I was drugged and I know that I was going into surgery.  But I trusted these people to take care of me so I had already decided that I was going to be ok and the thought of being upset, or angry or annoying never entered my mind.  They asked me what I did for a living and what I was doing... many were astonished that I drove myself to the hospital with appendicitis. I told them about Ohio ENT and all the doctors I worked for.  Mentioning Dr. Hiltbrands name and a few others.  The anesthesiologist, who was very nice, I can't remember his name, told me that I was going to be intubated.  I immediately asked if I would be asleep when they put it in and would I still be asleep when they took it out.  He said "oh yes, the only thing you may have is a sore throat after."  Working for ENT I knew that this was a possibility and immediately started to think about all the patients I had talked to who after being intubated had VCD, hoarseness, sore throat, loss of voice.... I had to quell these thoughts.  I couldn't let them run rampant.  So I did.  I remember being wheeled in... moving from my bed to the table... I distinctly remember my right arm being stretched out straight away from my body and strapped down to a table or something.... I vaguely remember my left arm getting the same treatment... then I remember seeing the mask coming down over my nose and mouth.....

I remember hearing someone calling my name.  "Erin... your done with your surgery, everything went well... we were able to do your surgery laparoscopically..."  I remember how sluggish my arms felt and how I wanted to scratch my nose but they wouldn't let me touch my face...  my arm was heavy and floppy anyway and I probably couldn't reach my nose anyhow. LOL.  Then they made me help move my self to my bed... or a bed...I was soo heavy and it hurt... man my body just didn't want to move... but the more I did, the more coherent I became.  I was finally allowed to scratch my nose but they didn't want me to remove my oxygen hose though that was what was causing the itchiness.  I dont' really remember being rolled down the hall, but I remember being pushed into my room and things locked into place... or I may have the whole moving me from one bed to another mixed up.. I remember seeing my mom and that was nice.  She was there when I went into surgery and she was there when I got out of surgery and I had all that done before my friends even got into sit down to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  I remember mom sitting with me for a bit and then I think I told her she could go home.  I wasn't going anywhere and I was really alright.  Hopped up on pain meds and my needs being met by the nurses on the floor I wasn't worried.  I was worried however when the one nurse came in, a gentleman from a different floor who was filling in, wanted me to hop out of bed and get weighed.  I have to admit I was a bit put off by this as I had just had abdominal surgery and while I was on meds, I didn't think I could stand and it would have been just my luck that I would have fallen down, my bare butt would be in the air and my newly stitched flesh would come ripping open.  I've seen flesh ripped open before and is not a pretty sight.  Just ask my grandpa Bruce. 

So here's the thing about just getting out of surgery.  They come in every half hour for the first 2 hours and check your vitals.  And the carts they pull around with all their equipment on it, is not quiet.  So don't even think about getting sleep for the first several hours... because even if it gets past that 2 hour mark where they are checking you every half hour, it then gets pushed back to every hour.  So just as your starting to find a comfortable position to drift off for a bit the racket of the cart jerks you unceremoniously awake for the next heart rate, temp and blood pressure check.  It got to the point where I would just hold up my right arm for the blood pressure check, open my mouth for the thermometer, like a baby bird waiting for food, and prep my left index finger for the heart rate check.  I tried to be as efficent as possible.  Then I found out that I would be receiving a visit from a Dr. Fisher a cardiologist.  A cardiologist you say??  Why should I be getting a visit from a cardiologist??  Well apparently they noticed a slight abnormality with my heart beat when I was under during surgery.  So they drew some blood and gave me another EKG.  The results showed that my heart had damage done to it by some sort of trauma... like a heart attack.   I don't believe I have had an heart attack.  But my heart says something different.  Dr. Fisher showed up about 6:30 am.  We played a game of 20 questions where I answered "No" to every one and he didn't seem to be to concerned but wanted me to have an ultrasound of my heart all the same just to be sure.  So I had to wait for the ultrasound.  And wait.  And wait.

The projected time of my departure had been estimated at 11 or 11:30 am.  Mom and Jim showed up about this time expecting me to be able to leave.  Jim is my father and he is wonderfully funny and easy to get along with. In true Jim fashion he started joking around about Vick's Vapor Rub and different places to put it... I will not go into details, but needless to say I had my first real laugh that brought me to tears because of the pain.  But I didn't mind.  I held my belly and let myself laugh and relax a bit.  I didn't really expect to leave at this time, but I was expecting to have my ultrasound by then... no such luck.  Of course not.  It wasn't until I paged the nurse and asked when I was going for my ultrasound that I got an answer of around 1 or so.  It didn't seem to be too long after I asked that I found myself being switched from on bed to another and getting trotted off down the hall towards where the ultrasounds were done.  I saw Kim one last time.  She was coming by to check up on me to see how I was doing and to say good bye.  Her 12 hour shift was over and she was on her way home.  I thanked her for being so kind and wished her luck with her schooling.  The ultrasound was really cool and would have been even cooler if I didn't have to lay on the side of my incisions in order for the technician to get a good angle on my heart.  I got to see my heart and wow... what a neat test.  After moving the wand(?) around, she finally found what was caught ont he EKG.  I watched a valve of my heart go "ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-------chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk..." and so on.  I have an arrhythmia.  Who knew?  I didn't.  I did not let this freak me out.  I have probably had this forever and it seems to be erratic.  How many times have doctors listened to my heart and not heard it... or maybe it was a fluke due to the anesthesia.  It was another couple of hours before I was released from the hospital.  I had to wait for the all clear from Dr. Fisher and Dr. Buday.  At 3:30 I got it. Yay!  I can go home.  And home to my mom's house I went, where she took care of me for the next week, helping me get in and out of the chair, making all my favorite foods, reminding me to take my pain pills...  She did a wonderful job mothering me and I tried hard to make it easy for her. 

Two weeks later I am back at work and still a wee bit sore.  I am doing better though.  I am not taking my pain pills anymore just ibuprofen or Aleve for any lingering pain.  I have three small incisions on my left side two of which will fade away almost completely and one I think I will be able to see for a long time from now, which is fine by me.  I'm not so vain as to be upset by this mile marker in my life. 

I am so thankful that this happened while I was still at home.  Still covered by insurance.  Still able to afford a big surgery.  Still able to be cared for by my mommy.  ;)  Soon I will be in Denver and who knows what is going to happen or when I am going to have insurance again.  While I plan on getting a job as soon as I can, I know that it could take a while.  So glad I will have everything taken care of.  My teeth will be cleaned, my prescriptions will be refilled and my pesky appendix is gone from me, never to bother me again! 

Pesky Appendix

On Thursday the 18th of November I woke up with severe abdominal pain.  I had some things I HAD to do that morning so I popped some Aleve and went on my merry way... or pained way.. or well I just went.  After I completed what HAD to be done I went home.  I ran into Leo and Andrea.  I was still in severe pain.  Thinking that taking a nap would help, I went upstairs to lay down, though it was quite uncomfortable.  I did eventually fall asleep and when I woke up I still hurt. 

     "What?" I thought. 
     "What is going on with me.. why am I in such pain... I have taken stomach medicine, antacid medication, Aleve and nothing has worked..."

This was also the opening night of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  I had plans to go to Cincinnati for dinner with a group of friends and then off to the movie.  I was determined to go.  I had planned for this night for about a month and nothing was going to stop me, not even an upset stomach.  So after the nap I got dressed as Random Slytherin student 11 and realized in the process that I had left my movie ticket at work. So after dressing and grabbing everything I would need...ie cloak, wand, Slytherin tie, pouch, etc... I got in the car and drove to work.  All this time I am still in pain and of course the traffic was backed up.  It felt like it took forever.  I finally arrived and went inside... feeling horrible... got my ticket and decided that even if I didn't make it to dinner the movie didn't start till midnight, I could conceivably go to an Urgent Care and see what is wrong and still make it to the movie.  So off to America's Urgent Care I went.  I wanted to be sure that I NEEDED to go to an ER due to exorbitantly high copay for ER with my insurance.  35$ for an Urgent Care is way better then 200$ for an ER.   What I found out is if you are having abdominal pain they refer you to the ER because they only have an X-ray machine, no ct scan. :(  Boo.  So I didn't waste my money there... I called my mom.

I told mom that I had been having abdominal pain all day (by now it was 5:15) and that it had not gone away or abated at all. 

     She said "Erin, go to the ER."
     I said "Where should I go?"
     She said "Where are you at?"
     I said "I'm driving on 315 S."
     She said "Go to Mt Carmel West, I will meet you there."

So I did.  When I arrived, there were only a couple other people waiting.  I checked myself in at 5:30 and waited for my mom to show up.  She arrived not long after I did and then we waited.  About 7 pm. I was called back to an exam room.  The ER doctor was very nice and she pressed around on my stomach and asked where it hurt.  I said all over... until she pressed down in the right side and realized that real pain came from there.  My right side.  My appendix.  She said you either have a nasty case of constipation or you have appendicitis.  You are going to need a Ct scan.  Then she said some other people would be coming in and she left.  I guess I should say that I had never been admitted into the hospital in my adult life.  I had never had a ct, I had never had an IV.  I had never had surgery where I was cut open and things were either removed or repaired.  I had never had strong drugs.  I was about to experience it all. 

I met many very nice doctors, nurses, students, residents and technicians all who were working on making me feel better.  I joked around with everyone, answering questions and then asking questions of my own.  Thomas came in and put in my IV and then drew what seemed like vile after vile of blood.  I was proud of my self for not crying and for not freaking out.  I think mom was too.  A 3rd year student name Kim came in and asked me my demographic information and the standard questionnaire... "Do you smoke? Do you drink? If so how much a week? She then looked at me and then looked at my mom, sidled a little closer and asked "Do you use recreational drugs?"  I had to laugh because I'm 31 and if I did, it wouldn't be any of my moms business in the first place but I don't so it didn't matter anyway and mom said "She is 31 I don't care."  However Kim was very nice and very easy to talk to.  She eventually wants to go into Internal Medicine and I think that is grand.  Where ever she goes she will do well.  Then a nurse came in and said it was time for my CT.  So I put on my shoes and walk down the hall.  As I said before I had never had a ct, but I wasn't afraid of having one.  I knew the basic concept.  However when I walked in Technician A asked me if I was ready for my ct. I said yes.  I laid down and then she mentioned that I was going to have an enema.  The contract fluid would be given to me in that fashion so they could do the abdominal ct.  I bolted right up out of the ct machine and looked at the Technician like she was crazy.  NOBODY had mentioned an enema.  Technician A said "I'm sorry. The doctor didn't tell her about the enema" and Technician B said "They never do."  So after calming down and realizing that if I didn't do this then I would have to drink the chalky mixture... I left my modesty and dignity at the door and suffered through.  I will not go into any more details than suffice it to say I made it through and they were able to determine that Yes, I did in fact have appendicitis.

Back in my room, confined to the bed... I waited for my mom to return.  She had gone out to make some phone calls...When she got back I told her about the indignity of the surprise enema.  I also had a few minutes to text my friends who were having dinner at this point in time.  Pictures were sent and I was happy to see my friends having a good time.  More people wandered in and out asking questions... the ER doc came in and confirmed my appendicitis and I looked her straight in the eye and said "You didn't tell me about the surprise enema.  She had enough grace to look abashed at this and said I don't because people tend to freak out over them.  I said I could see how that could happen.  It's not every day a person gets an enema... or maybe it is, but not this person.  LOL.  Anyway, after that she asked if there was a surgeon I wanted and mom piped up with Dr. Buday and he just happened to be the doctor on call, we found out a little later, and I got my first taste of some serious drugs.  Dilauded... is... amazing.  It made me wooshy in the head immediately. It dulled my pain considerably and made me rather loopy.  Next in were Vijay the 3rd year resident and Kim the third year student.  Vijay gave me a neurological exam... I told him I thought it unfair to dope me up with drugs then expect me to follow his finger with just my eyes.  He didn't even crack a smile.  He checked my pulse, listened to my heart, had me breathe deep, checked my pulse in my feet, tested my reflexes and worked his way back up.  He said he was going to do something and I piped in with "Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around..."  He smiled a little then.  He moved to my head and neck and and just as he layed his hands on me there was a "knock" on the curtain... I said "Just a minute!  I'm being felt up in here!!"  Finally I managed to get Vijay to smile and laugh.  My whole goal. 

I think that is all I will say for now.. there is much more but this is getting rather long.  I am still planning on going to Colorado, I am just glad that this happened while I was still home instead of out there.  :)

In the beginning...

Back in February or March of this year.. or possibly even earlier... like January... Leo spoke of the possibility of he and Andrea moving to Denver next year for a job.  Cameron Mitchell is planning on opening a restaurant in the Historical District of downtown Denver called Ocean Prime and Leo was seriously considering applying for the position.  It works well for them both as Andrea's family lives outside of Denver.  I sat stunned because I immediately thought "Where am I going to go?"  I have really enjoyed living with Andrea and Leo. We all get along and it has worked out really well for me.  So I asked them..."What happens to me?"  and they replied... "Why don't you come with us."  Or something to that effect.  I thought about it...and thought about it... and these thoughts flitted across my mind..
    
     "I am 30 years old and I have lived my entire life, here in Ohio."
     "I am not married."
     "I don't have any children."
     "I don't own a home."
     "Why NOT go to Denver??"

As time went by, as it always does, Leo applied and was being "considered".... I finally came to my decision.  This will be my last year at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  This will be my last year as Queen Elizabeth.  This will be my last year in Ohio.  I announced, in the kitchen to be exact, that "Yes.  I would go with them to Denver... after all three incomes are better than two."  What a wonderfully freeing declaration. 

Not long after that I told my mom that there was a chance that I would be moving to Colorado.  She didn't believe me, not at first and well, I don't blame her. It's a crazy idea.  It's far away from home and everything I have ever known.  I would be leaving my nieces and my nephew and all my family.  I would be, essentially on my own to succeed or fail, accordingly. 

I'll tell you a secret...  The whole idea for me, is very exciting.  :)

So here I am.  Two months from possibly going to Denver.  I say possibly because the restaurant is still having problems with opening. See, in a historical district, there are rules and regulations about transforming a plain old building into a "new" old restaurant.  Signs have to be a specific size and color, apparently, and when renovating the inside there are certain things that have to be done all the while holding the integrity of the building in place.  Tricksy is what it is.  So the opening, which originally was supposed to happen in December, has been pushed out to February.  If everything goes to plan we will be moving out there in January... but if not we won't be going until a bit later.

Looks like I should probably start packing... <g>