It was reported this week that after the election, our President cried. Why is that news?
The current speaker of the House, John Boehner, has been crying for 4 years. Other world leaders have been shown crying in recent years.
It shouldn't be news if a leader cries. It shows that they are human.
It IS news when you learn the real reasons WHY a leader is crying.
Consider the last 4 years for our President. He came into to office the first time on a wave supported by the word "change." He was the first black President in our history (an amazing thing that I believe is a good thing in our country). He gave away trillions of dollars. He had at least 3 big reasons NOT to cry.
Over the last 4 years, change hasn't happened in many ways. Unemployment is still very high. People still don't have health insurance. The economy overall is still weak.
However, some things have changed. The debt we owe has grown exponentially. The deficit budgets we've lived under have exploded.
In spite of giving away tons of money, the BIG CHANGE has been in making things WORSE.
So why is the President crying? He's crying because now that a sleeping country decided his plans were good ones and re-elected him, he's actually facing BIG trouble. He's crying because he realizes he can't give away any more money - UNLESS - he taxes the snot out of the rich. Or maybe he's crying because he realizes his original redistribution plan is going to work! It will work that is unless the other crying leader, Boehner, stands up to him and says lets REALLY get this thing under control.
If real change doesn't occur very, very soon. It won't be just our leaders who are crying. The recent relief at the pump will go away, and then some. The ability to get a job will only be possible in another country. The people that we owe money to (i.e. foreign governments) will take us over. The greatest country on earth will become a distant memory in terms of strength and leadership.
With all of that to look forward to, what do we do? I'll tell you what I'm doing. Steadily I'm saving my money and working to pay off the debt I have. I want to be in a position where any financial disaster in our government has minimal impact on my family. I'm also clinging to my God. He is the one who allows men to be in power in the first place. None of this is beyond His control. If He counts hairs on heads and knows when sparrows fall, He certainly knows when a nation will collapse.
Join the President and cry if you must, but be assured that "We know that in all things God work for the good of those that love him." Romans 8:28
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Respecting Referees
As parents, we try desperately to teach our kids the right things - eat your vegetables, don't play with matches, look both ways before crossing the street, and respect the officials at the game. Huh? respect the officials? Yes, in youth sports, we talk to the kids about respecting the officials. Over and over and over I've heard the coaches say "don't argue with the refs."
Flip the page to the NFL in 2012. They are using replacement officials and there has been a lot of frustration surrounding them - blown calls, not following some of the rules, etc. Teams are in an uproar because they feel they were "cheated" out of a victory. The most notable is the Green Bay Packers loss to the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th on the last play of the game. After repeated reviewing by all of us, the official blew a call and it cost the Packers the game.
People are yelling - literally and via social media about "those terrible replacement officials." Some have used language that I won't repeat, others have ranted and still others have been just plain mean.
How then do we reconcile the mixed messages we send our kids? "Son, when you play sports, always respect the officials." With "When I watch the BIG game, I reserve the right to curse, berate, smear, and just plain hate the officials."
Let me offer some perspective.
Once upon a time, I was much more opinionated about my sports teams and the officiating at the games. I've been guilty of yelling (but not cursing) at officials for a bad call during a contest. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but nevertheless it has happened.
Over the years, I've learned a thing or two from others and have changed my perspective on what officials bring to any sporting contest. The first thing I learned sometime ago from an article that pointed out at the end of a contest, the official goes home to his or her family. That article talked about the family members of the official sitting in the stands and being mortified as spectators used language for their loved one that no one would use on their dog! That article opened my eyes to their humanity and started to change the way I viewed officials at a contest.
The second thing I learned was from a coach that my older boys had. She has said for years, "If they didn't call it, it didn't happen." In other words, you can't change what the official did or didn't see so get over it. This taught me that the officials deserve respect, even when they are wrong.
A blown call is horribly frustrating. Ask Armondo Galarraga who lost a bid to have a perfect game for the Detroit Tigers in 2010 by a blown call from umpire Jim Joyce. Here's what the umpire said after the game, "It was the biggest call of my career," an emotional Joyce told reporters, "and I kicked it. I just cost that kid a perfect game." A perfect game is nearly impossible to complete and this one was taken by a human error.
As frustrated as he was, here's what Armondo said, "I feel terrible. I don't know why life works this way, but sometimes life just isn't fair for people. He's a good umpire."
Fast forward to August 2012. That same umpire with whatever names people wanted to call him in 2010 after the blown call, made the right call and literally saved a woman's life. From Yahoo Sports.com "Joyce, a 24-year veteran of the major leagues, used CPR to help save the life of a woman having a seizure. The woman, a game-day employee of the Arizona Diamondbacks named Jayne Powers, who joined the organization on its first day of existence in 1998, is said to be "doing well" Tuesday. But if Joyce had not stepped forward, who knows if she would have made it?"
I'm pretty confident that Jayne Powers is thankful that umpire Jim Joyce "made the right call" and didn't quit umpiring the day he made a mistake. If he had, maybe she wouldn't be here.
Officials make mistakes, but don't we all? Have you ever yelled at your kids when it wasn't their fault? Have you ever been speeding and didn't get a ticket? How about running a red light? The list goes on to infinity.
The tough part is that an official's job is magnified a thousand times by instant replay with cameras at almost every angle. The human official gets seconds (if that) to make a decision. The rest of us get to watch the play for as long and as slow as we want and then make our decision. How many of us could get all of the calls right with only seconds to watch the play and make a decision?
What are we going to do? Are we going to follow our own advice to the kids and respect the officials? Or are we going to curse, berate, and shout at "those blankety-blank officials until they see it our way?
Flip the page to the NFL in 2012. They are using replacement officials and there has been a lot of frustration surrounding them - blown calls, not following some of the rules, etc. Teams are in an uproar because they feel they were "cheated" out of a victory. The most notable is the Green Bay Packers loss to the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th on the last play of the game. After repeated reviewing by all of us, the official blew a call and it cost the Packers the game.
People are yelling - literally and via social media about "those terrible replacement officials." Some have used language that I won't repeat, others have ranted and still others have been just plain mean.
How then do we reconcile the mixed messages we send our kids? "Son, when you play sports, always respect the officials." With "When I watch the BIG game, I reserve the right to curse, berate, smear, and just plain hate the officials."
Let me offer some perspective.
Once upon a time, I was much more opinionated about my sports teams and the officiating at the games. I've been guilty of yelling (but not cursing) at officials for a bad call during a contest. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but nevertheless it has happened.
Over the years, I've learned a thing or two from others and have changed my perspective on what officials bring to any sporting contest. The first thing I learned sometime ago from an article that pointed out at the end of a contest, the official goes home to his or her family. That article talked about the family members of the official sitting in the stands and being mortified as spectators used language for their loved one that no one would use on their dog! That article opened my eyes to their humanity and started to change the way I viewed officials at a contest.
The second thing I learned was from a coach that my older boys had. She has said for years, "If they didn't call it, it didn't happen." In other words, you can't change what the official did or didn't see so get over it. This taught me that the officials deserve respect, even when they are wrong.
A blown call is horribly frustrating. Ask Armondo Galarraga who lost a bid to have a perfect game for the Detroit Tigers in 2010 by a blown call from umpire Jim Joyce. Here's what the umpire said after the game, "It was the biggest call of my career," an emotional Joyce told reporters, "and I kicked it. I just cost that kid a perfect game." A perfect game is nearly impossible to complete and this one was taken by a human error.
As frustrated as he was, here's what Armondo said, "I feel terrible. I don't know why life works this way, but sometimes life just isn't fair for people. He's a good umpire."
Fast forward to August 2012. That same umpire with whatever names people wanted to call him in 2010 after the blown call, made the right call and literally saved a woman's life. From Yahoo Sports.com "Joyce, a 24-year veteran of the major leagues, used CPR to help save the life of a woman having a seizure. The woman, a game-day employee of the Arizona Diamondbacks named Jayne Powers, who joined the organization on its first day of existence in 1998, is said to be "doing well" Tuesday. But if Joyce had not stepped forward, who knows if she would have made it?"
I'm pretty confident that Jayne Powers is thankful that umpire Jim Joyce "made the right call" and didn't quit umpiring the day he made a mistake. If he had, maybe she wouldn't be here.
Officials make mistakes, but don't we all? Have you ever yelled at your kids when it wasn't their fault? Have you ever been speeding and didn't get a ticket? How about running a red light? The list goes on to infinity.
The tough part is that an official's job is magnified a thousand times by instant replay with cameras at almost every angle. The human official gets seconds (if that) to make a decision. The rest of us get to watch the play for as long and as slow as we want and then make our decision. How many of us could get all of the calls right with only seconds to watch the play and make a decision?
What are we going to do? Are we going to follow our own advice to the kids and respect the officials? Or are we going to curse, berate, and shout at "those blankety-blank officials until they see it our way?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
"I've wanted this all of my life"
As a family, we watch TV so infrequently, because there's very little that doesn't annoy us or assault our morality in one way or another. We have, however, been fairly faithful in watching "America's Got Talent" or AGT to those of us "in the know." It's a reality type show that's actually worth watching. The acts vary from really, really awful (think a guy getting kicked repeatedly in his private area) to amazing - a guy whose creates and plays instruments that can only be described by seeing them.
Week after week, the show works to eliminate some of the acts with the ultimate goal of having one act named the winner. Week after week we hear various reasons of why an act should be voted for. I'm not against any act saying that they are "the best" or "we've worked so hard," or "I want this so much." What I find somewhat annoying is a 14, 15, or 16 year old who says "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me."
This is annoying because when they say "I've wanted this all of my life," 14-16 years isn't really long enough to develop a serious want for a majority of kids in this country. Up to this point, mommy and daddy have been providing 3 squares, some sheets, a blanket and a bunk, along with a wardrobe that would cover an entire village in the poorest of cities and countries. In other words, they lack nothing and haven't been without any of the basic necessities needed to survive.
Furthermore by the age of 16 most kids barely know who they are. Most of them are trying to fit in at school, keep the zit count down to 3 or less or figure out if their best friend from last week still likes them.
Finally, by this age, they haven't been on the planet long enough to develop a serious passion in order for something to "mean the world to me." Passion comes from a deep, deep longing that is really only discovered after several very high and/or low life experiences and definitely comes after they have figured out a few things about who they are.
To be fair, I'm sure they really want to win the contest, but to say "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me" is simply naive, immature and annoying.
By all means, enjoy your performances kids, but go home, live life a little bit and discover what it really means when you say "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me."
Week after week, the show works to eliminate some of the acts with the ultimate goal of having one act named the winner. Week after week we hear various reasons of why an act should be voted for. I'm not against any act saying that they are "the best" or "we've worked so hard," or "I want this so much." What I find somewhat annoying is a 14, 15, or 16 year old who says "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me."
This is annoying because when they say "I've wanted this all of my life," 14-16 years isn't really long enough to develop a serious want for a majority of kids in this country. Up to this point, mommy and daddy have been providing 3 squares, some sheets, a blanket and a bunk, along with a wardrobe that would cover an entire village in the poorest of cities and countries. In other words, they lack nothing and haven't been without any of the basic necessities needed to survive.
Furthermore by the age of 16 most kids barely know who they are. Most of them are trying to fit in at school, keep the zit count down to 3 or less or figure out if their best friend from last week still likes them.
Finally, by this age, they haven't been on the planet long enough to develop a serious passion in order for something to "mean the world to me." Passion comes from a deep, deep longing that is really only discovered after several very high and/or low life experiences and definitely comes after they have figured out a few things about who they are.
To be fair, I'm sure they really want to win the contest, but to say "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me" is simply naive, immature and annoying.
By all means, enjoy your performances kids, but go home, live life a little bit and discover what it really means when you say "I've wanted this all of my life. This means the world to me."
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Matt Man Epilogue
In most of the good shows on TV (there's really only 3), there's the "rest of the story" or an epilogue.
For our brave son, his epilogue involves winning the "tube game," going to Subway and then having some possible ongoing issues.
Yesterday (Monday the 9th), Matt went to see the doctor that did his surgery. He was pleased with the healing of Matt's incisions and gave Matt the "all clear" from a surgery standpoint. Matt was told he would be able to have his NG tube out and he pumped his fists with excitement. He is now officially "tubeless."
After the appointment, we headed to Subway to give Matt a chance to eat without any extra things in his way. He was happy to have the tube out and would likely have eaten just about anything.
His mood improved right away and the rest of the day was spent talking, singing, or eating without being annoyed by the tube.
As a result of the surgery, Matt came home with some equipment. He has oxygen and a "pulse-ox" or oximeter to measure his oxygen levels and his heart rate. Last night, we heard the alarm on the machine beeping several times. I investigated and discovered that his heart rate was dropping below the alarm setting of 50. Matt was awakened by the alarm so I'm not sure it was a concern, but we have called the cardiologist to see if we should do something more.
Stayed tuned (can you really be "tuned" to a blog?) for more riveting posts from the never dull, and always crazy Price clan.
For our brave son, his epilogue involves winning the "tube game," going to Subway and then having some possible ongoing issues.
Yesterday (Monday the 9th), Matt went to see the doctor that did his surgery. He was pleased with the healing of Matt's incisions and gave Matt the "all clear" from a surgery standpoint. Matt was told he would be able to have his NG tube out and he pumped his fists with excitement. He is now officially "tubeless."
After the appointment, we headed to Subway to give Matt a chance to eat without any extra things in his way. He was happy to have the tube out and would likely have eaten just about anything.
His mood improved right away and the rest of the day was spent talking, singing, or eating without being annoyed by the tube.
As a result of the surgery, Matt came home with some equipment. He has oxygen and a "pulse-ox" or oximeter to measure his oxygen levels and his heart rate. Last night, we heard the alarm on the machine beeping several times. I investigated and discovered that his heart rate was dropping below the alarm setting of 50. Matt was awakened by the alarm so I'm not sure it was a concern, but we have called the cardiologist to see if we should do something more.
Stayed tuned (can you really be "tuned" to a blog?) for more riveting posts from the never dull, and always crazy Price clan.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Matt Man IX
I wanted to title this post, "Matt Man The Final Chapter" but thought many might be concerned that something bad happened to him.
It is our day of freedom at last! We got out of the hospital, but not before a frustrating time getting a tube back in for feeding. He was not a happy camper during the procedure.
He's home now and obviously feeling better. He's playing air guitar as he listens to music.
I managed to get all of the vendors to come to our house (they had our neighbors address for some reason) and of course they showed up at the same time!
But now we are settling in and trying out our temporary "new normal." We have some of the hospital equipment here - suction, pulse oximeter, oxygen, and feeding supplies. Hopefully we can wean off of the feeding supplies as he eats more.
Thanks again for thoughts, prayers, visits, phone calls, and well wishes. It is greatly appreciated.
It is our day of freedom at last! We got out of the hospital, but not before a frustrating time getting a tube back in for feeding. He was not a happy camper during the procedure.
He's home now and obviously feeling better. He's playing air guitar as he listens to music.
I managed to get all of the vendors to come to our house (they had our neighbors address for some reason) and of course they showed up at the same time!
But now we are settling in and trying out our temporary "new normal." We have some of the hospital equipment here - suction, pulse oximeter, oxygen, and feeding supplies. Hopefully we can wean off of the feeding supplies as he eats more.
Thanks again for thoughts, prayers, visits, phone calls, and well wishes. It is greatly appreciated.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Matt Man VIII
Happy 4th of July!
We are hoping for our freedom today! The plan is to go home today if we can get everything lined up. We need some supplies and equipment and hopefully they can be delivered on the holiday.
Matt had a pretty good night. He slept fairly well and his nurse was wise enough to know that some things don't need to be done any more - like vital signs every 2 hours - and just let him sleep.
Unfortunately at 5:30 a.m. Matt decided he didn't need his NG tube any more and pulled it out! Now we have to wait for speech to evaluate him again to see if he can eat by mouth otherwise he will need to have the tube placed again. Either way, I'm still pushing to go home. We can manage what he has now inside our own 4 walls.
Matt's had some great visitors that have boosted his spirits and encouraged me. Thanks to all who could come and to all who are here in spirit. When we have support like this, it makes the journey easier.
Update: we are not going home today. It's been a day of ups and downs. He had a shower and was up in a chair and ate some applesauce and pudding! And then we tried to have the NG tube replaced in the room, but that failed. We can not get the radiology team to assist with the NG placement so we have to stay one more day. :(
On a completely non-Matt related note - if you are a MN Wild fan, the next season looks very promising!! The Wild signed the two most prized free-agents on the market. That means the Wild WILL be competitive and the hockey will be exciting! As a great fan of hockey, this news got me excited on an otherwise frustrating day.
We are hoping for our freedom today! The plan is to go home today if we can get everything lined up. We need some supplies and equipment and hopefully they can be delivered on the holiday.
Matt had a pretty good night. He slept fairly well and his nurse was wise enough to know that some things don't need to be done any more - like vital signs every 2 hours - and just let him sleep.
Unfortunately at 5:30 a.m. Matt decided he didn't need his NG tube any more and pulled it out! Now we have to wait for speech to evaluate him again to see if he can eat by mouth otherwise he will need to have the tube placed again. Either way, I'm still pushing to go home. We can manage what he has now inside our own 4 walls.
Matt's had some great visitors that have boosted his spirits and encouraged me. Thanks to all who could come and to all who are here in spirit. When we have support like this, it makes the journey easier.
Update: we are not going home today. It's been a day of ups and downs. He had a shower and was up in a chair and ate some applesauce and pudding! And then we tried to have the NG tube replaced in the room, but that failed. We can not get the radiology team to assist with the NG placement so we have to stay one more day. :(
On a completely non-Matt related note - if you are a MN Wild fan, the next season looks very promising!! The Wild signed the two most prized free-agents on the market. That means the Wild WILL be competitive and the hockey will be exciting! As a great fan of hockey, this news got me excited on an otherwise frustrating day.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Matt Man VII
Tuesday morning. We 'slept' in a regular room last night. Let me add that 'sleep' is not quite the right word when you are in the hospital so let's change that to 'stayed in a regular room.'
The good news is that after a horrible day yesterday, he's doing much, much better. He had a good 4 hour nap late yesterday which was good for the move from ICU. After getting up here, he listened to some tunes on his iPod and then I had to force him to go to bed.
He's handling the junk in his throat a lot better. He's off of his oxygen for now. He's keeping his oxygen levels in a decent range without the O2 so that's also good. He's getting in and out of bed easily when directed.
He's also got his sense of humor back - in part due to some pain medication - but as the doctor said to Matt as he left the room, "If you are fist bumping, then I don't think you need to be in the hospital." :)
The plan for the day is to see speech again to see if he can swallow and ultimately eat by mouth instead of by tubes. If all goes well, the ENT doc thinks we could get out of here tomorrow!
I would love to have God's vision of all of this. I believe pretty strongly that when a number of people come together and pray for something that God moves. He's told us in the book of James that if we are in trouble, we should pray. I know a number of you have prayed. When you add up all of those prayers, God moves. Not that we manipulate God, because we can't, but it's like ALL of your children asking you for the same thing. You think about it more simply because of the number of requests. So thanks for praying, it's having an affect.
The good news is that after a horrible day yesterday, he's doing much, much better. He had a good 4 hour nap late yesterday which was good for the move from ICU. After getting up here, he listened to some tunes on his iPod and then I had to force him to go to bed.
He's handling the junk in his throat a lot better. He's off of his oxygen for now. He's keeping his oxygen levels in a decent range without the O2 so that's also good. He's getting in and out of bed easily when directed.
He's also got his sense of humor back - in part due to some pain medication - but as the doctor said to Matt as he left the room, "If you are fist bumping, then I don't think you need to be in the hospital." :)
The plan for the day is to see speech again to see if he can swallow and ultimately eat by mouth instead of by tubes. If all goes well, the ENT doc thinks we could get out of here tomorrow!
I would love to have God's vision of all of this. I believe pretty strongly that when a number of people come together and pray for something that God moves. He's told us in the book of James that if we are in trouble, we should pray. I know a number of you have prayed. When you add up all of those prayers, God moves. Not that we manipulate God, because we can't, but it's like ALL of your children asking you for the same thing. You think about it more simply because of the number of requests. So thanks for praying, it's having an affect.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Matt Man VI
Without being too gross, the overall battle for Matt is against secretions or junk in his throat. He can cough, but can't spit it out. He's too weak to get it out and it just sits there. Thus he needs some help via suctioning.
Monday has been a tough day. Matt has been keeping his sense of humor up until today. Today was his mental breaking point. He has cried several times and complains of pain or being tired.
It's been a frustrating day for Matt and for me too. Before I got here of the doctors removed a tube that made it easier to suction Matt. Matt was as mad as I've seen him when he was suctioned after that. His nurse agreed to replace the tube and that made a miserable experience a little better.
Speech came to evaluate his ability to swallow. He was upset and tired and didn't really do enough to give them an indication of whether or not he could eat by mouth. They will try again tomorrow.
The doctors were just here this evening (5pm) and we basically concluded that he will be in the hospital at least one more day. They had scheduled him to go to a regular floor earlier in the day so that's forward progress, but as of 5pm, that hasn't happened.
Monday has been a tough day. Matt has been keeping his sense of humor up until today. Today was his mental breaking point. He has cried several times and complains of pain or being tired.
It's been a frustrating day for Matt and for me too. Before I got here of the doctors removed a tube that made it easier to suction Matt. Matt was as mad as I've seen him when he was suctioned after that. His nurse agreed to replace the tube and that made a miserable experience a little better.
Speech came to evaluate his ability to swallow. He was upset and tired and didn't really do enough to give them an indication of whether or not he could eat by mouth. They will try again tomorrow.
The doctors were just here this evening (5pm) and we basically concluded that he will be in the hospital at least one more day. They had scheduled him to go to a regular floor earlier in the day so that's forward progress, but as of 5pm, that hasn't happened.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Matt Man V
Sunday - Matt stayed by himself Saturday night! For the previous 2 nights, Laura or I had slept at the hospital, but we were not needed for anything so we decided to get better sleep in our own beds.
They tell me he had a pretty good night, but still was suctioned regularly.
Today, his surgeon called us at home. He said that Matt should not have been left off of his Robinul (a med for drooling) that he was on before surgery. He believes that leaving him off of it may be contributing to the extra secretions that Matt is battling against. In addition, they are giving him a steroid to help with the swelling in and around his mouth.
They just place the NG tube for feeding. He wasnt' happy about it, but he needs calories. He just had an X-ray to confirm the correct placement of the NG. He's now resting comfortably with his iPod.
Both the surgeon and the ICU doc feel that he's making good progress.
I asked Matt if he wanted to say anything to his adoring fans, but he declined for now. I'm sure he will have something to say in the very near future.
People have asked what they can do. Prayer is definitely appreciated. I truly can tell when people are praying. Often times we pray for God to grant wisdom to the doctors. I can testify how important that prayer is. When his surgeon called this morning and said that Matt should not have been left off his Robinul, I felt like that was the "missing piece" we had been looking for. Without that wisdom, we'd still be guessing how to help Matt.
If you do feel like visiting, the easiest thing to do is call me so I can explain how to get here.
They tell me he had a pretty good night, but still was suctioned regularly.
Today, his surgeon called us at home. He said that Matt should not have been left off of his Robinul (a med for drooling) that he was on before surgery. He believes that leaving him off of it may be contributing to the extra secretions that Matt is battling against. In addition, they are giving him a steroid to help with the swelling in and around his mouth.
They just place the NG tube for feeding. He wasnt' happy about it, but he needs calories. He just had an X-ray to confirm the correct placement of the NG. He's now resting comfortably with his iPod.
Both the surgeon and the ICU doc feel that he's making good progress.
I asked Matt if he wanted to say anything to his adoring fans, but he declined for now. I'm sure he will have something to say in the very near future.
People have asked what they can do. Prayer is definitely appreciated. I truly can tell when people are praying. Often times we pray for God to grant wisdom to the doctors. I can testify how important that prayer is. When his surgeon called this morning and said that Matt should not have been left off his Robinul, I felt like that was the "missing piece" we had been looking for. Without that wisdom, we'd still be guessing how to help Matt.
If you do feel like visiting, the easiest thing to do is call me so I can explain how to get here.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Matt Man IV
Laura stayed with Matt last night and will be there today (Sat). She reported that they had to suction Matt every 1-2 hours during the night. He's not coughing up junk very well and needs help to get it out.
When you are in the hospital in order to go home you need all of the tubes they put in you to come out (sometimes you go home with one). We call it the "tube game." It's scored like golf - the fewer tubes you have, the closer you are to victory. I know, it's a little silly, but you have to use humor and games to get through hospital stays.
Matt has scored a "2" with the another tube being removed yesterday! Now he needs to get off of oxygen and get his IV out to win the tube game. He also needs to handle the junk in his throat.
He was winning the tube game, but hasn't won the infection/junk game. He has some kind of "bug" that needs an antibiotic and needs the repeated suctioning. He will stay in ICU at least one more day.
Saturday night:
Matt will be taking a temporary loss in the "tube game." He hasn't eaten in 3 days so they are concerned about his nutrition even though he's had IV fluids. He also isn't swallowing very well. Tomorrow (Sunday) they will place an "NG" tube in so they can feed him. Not the direction we want to go, but necessary to get him healthy.
He's also getting a medication via a patch (no he doesn't need to quit smoking), to help with his secretions.
When you are in the hospital in order to go home you need all of the tubes they put in you to come out (sometimes you go home with one). We call it the "tube game." It's scored like golf - the fewer tubes you have, the closer you are to victory. I know, it's a little silly, but you have to use humor and games to get through hospital stays.
Matt has scored a "2" with the another tube being removed yesterday! Now he needs to get off of oxygen and get his IV out to win the tube game. He also needs to handle the junk in his throat.
He was winning the tube game, but hasn't won the infection/junk game. He has some kind of "bug" that needs an antibiotic and needs the repeated suctioning. He will stay in ICU at least one more day.
Saturday night:
Matt will be taking a temporary loss in the "tube game." He hasn't eaten in 3 days so they are concerned about his nutrition even though he's had IV fluids. He also isn't swallowing very well. Tomorrow (Sunday) they will place an "NG" tube in so they can feed him. Not the direction we want to go, but necessary to get him healthy.
He's also getting a medication via a patch (no he doesn't need to quit smoking), to help with his secretions.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Matt Man III
Friday morning around 9 a.m. the moment Matt has been asking for - the tube in his throat has been removed! When he heard he was getting the tube out, he pumped both fists! He still has his sense of humor and wit.
He will stay at least one more day in the ICU to be closely monitored, but at least he can breathe on his own. He will have a swallow evaluation today to make sure he can manage food and drink. He would really like to drink something, but we'd like to make sure everything works so we don't need to put a tube back in.
He had the swallow eval at about 2pm. He did OK, but really needs to do better before he can eat or drink.
Thanks again to all who have prayed and are praying.
Matt sends the "thumbs up" sign.
He will stay at least one more day in the ICU to be closely monitored, but at least he can breathe on his own. He will have a swallow evaluation today to make sure he can manage food and drink. He would really like to drink something, but we'd like to make sure everything works so we don't need to put a tube back in.
He had the swallow eval at about 2pm. He did OK, but really needs to do better before he can eat or drink.
Thanks again to all who have prayed and are praying.
Matt sends the "thumbs up" sign.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Matt Man II
It's always amazing to me how God orchestrates things, but especially when life is a little more intense.
Today (Thursday) I was at home for a short time while I prepared for some work I needed to do when Matt's very good friend, Peter called. Peter has been Matt's friend since 8th grade and is the truest of true friends. I had Peter on my mental list of people to call, but had not gotten to him before he called our house.
He was hoping to hang out with Matt like they've done for a number of years. Since Matt was in the hospital that wasn't going to work. I had the opportunity to mention Matt's situation and Peter thought he would be able to come and visit Matt. Not only did he and his dad come visit, but they were kind enough to drive me back to the hospital, visit, and then bring Laura home!
God shows up in so many "coincidences" that you really have to be blind NOT to see Him at work.
An update on Matt's status - Thursday afternoon he tried to breathe without complete support of the ventilator, but was having spells of apnea (no breathing) and was not successful. The plan is to keep him on the ventilator for another day and try again. He also is running a temperature so there is some concern about possible infection.
Tonight Matt watched some Tim Hawkins videos on You Tube - his favorite. He was fairly responsive and interactive. He's using sign language that he picked up at school. I'm impressed with his ability to try and communicate without his voice.
He's in some pain from time to time, but calms down quickly when pain medications are given.
To all who are praying, thank you. It is very much appreciated.
Today (Thursday) I was at home for a short time while I prepared for some work I needed to do when Matt's very good friend, Peter called. Peter has been Matt's friend since 8th grade and is the truest of true friends. I had Peter on my mental list of people to call, but had not gotten to him before he called our house.
He was hoping to hang out with Matt like they've done for a number of years. Since Matt was in the hospital that wasn't going to work. I had the opportunity to mention Matt's situation and Peter thought he would be able to come and visit Matt. Not only did he and his dad come visit, but they were kind enough to drive me back to the hospital, visit, and then bring Laura home!
God shows up in so many "coincidences" that you really have to be blind NOT to see Him at work.
An update on Matt's status - Thursday afternoon he tried to breathe without complete support of the ventilator, but was having spells of apnea (no breathing) and was not successful. The plan is to keep him on the ventilator for another day and try again. He also is running a temperature so there is some concern about possible infection.
Tonight Matt watched some Tim Hawkins videos on You Tube - his favorite. He was fairly responsive and interactive. He's using sign language that he picked up at school. I'm impressed with his ability to try and communicate without his voice.
He's in some pain from time to time, but calms down quickly when pain medications are given.
To all who are praying, thank you. It is very much appreciated.
Matt Man
I haven't had to post personal messages for quite some time. I've tried to keep the medical information to a minimum.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we brought Matt in for an elective surgery to help with his drooling. The surgery went well! He was in recovery for a little while longer than expected, but that was partially because he didn't wake up fast from the little anesthesia he had.
Once he got to his room, he was alert and responsive. He was in some pain, but doing OK overall. He was having a tough time coughing and needed some suctioning. It was no big deal for a while, but his O2 sats (oxygen saturation levels) were going down. As the afternoon and evening wore on, the sats got worse and he was having to be suctioned more and more. His pain level was fine and all the rest of his vital signs were fine.
Eventually his nurse called for respiratory therapy to help with suctioning and his airway. They put him on a bi-pap machine to force air into his lungs. Unfortunately his O2 sats weren't as high as they would have liked. That meant he needed to go to ICU.
The trip from his room to the ICU was mildly eventful as he started to become less responsive. By the end of the elevator ride, his nurse, the respiratory therapist and the nursing assistant who were bringing him down, were "running."
A little aside - We've all seen and "ER" type show and how they run with a critical patient. Let me say that reality is a little different. You can't run with a hospital bed, a bi-pap machine and an IV pole. You can move more quickly and work hard to get him stable and they did. They handed him off to the ICU staff who got him settled. This was the "please step out in the hall" moment of the evening.
We now return to our story - Once in his new bed, I was allowed back in and they took some blood to get his oxygen level. I could see the dark color of his blood which is supposed to be bright red and I could see the looks on the faces of the staff. The levels came back way too low and they decided to intubate him which means put a tube down his throat so they can hook up a machine to help him breathe.
There were no less than 8-10 people in his room working quickly to get that done for him. I sat in the corner and watched my own version of "ER" played out on my son. I'm thankful to God, that I understood enough of what's going on so that I wasn't being freaked out. I was definitely concerned, but OK enough to watch this happen.
The part that bothered me is what Tim had said the day before Matt's surgery. It went something like, "I hope Matt's surgery goes OK, cause I would rather have him drooling than dead." When your 9 year old has a premonition-like comment, it weighs heavily on you. You wonder if you made the right decision to help your child by putting him through this.
He became more stable throughout the evening and night. I eventually left his room to get a little sleep. He's not out of the woods yet (Thursday morning) as he spiked a temperature overnight. His breathing and O2 levels are a lot better, but he's got the temperature and some crud in his lungs.
So we are back to the wait-and-see or should I say pray-and-see stage. The thing I didn't mention above is how I waited so long before I started praying. We have access to the creator of the universe and yet so often I forget to ask for his help. After the craziness, I opened the bible on my iPod and it was at the verse in James that says "is any of you in trouble? He should pray." Yep that's us, we're in trouble and we're praying now.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we brought Matt in for an elective surgery to help with his drooling. The surgery went well! He was in recovery for a little while longer than expected, but that was partially because he didn't wake up fast from the little anesthesia he had.
Once he got to his room, he was alert and responsive. He was in some pain, but doing OK overall. He was having a tough time coughing and needed some suctioning. It was no big deal for a while, but his O2 sats (oxygen saturation levels) were going down. As the afternoon and evening wore on, the sats got worse and he was having to be suctioned more and more. His pain level was fine and all the rest of his vital signs were fine.
Eventually his nurse called for respiratory therapy to help with suctioning and his airway. They put him on a bi-pap machine to force air into his lungs. Unfortunately his O2 sats weren't as high as they would have liked. That meant he needed to go to ICU.
The trip from his room to the ICU was mildly eventful as he started to become less responsive. By the end of the elevator ride, his nurse, the respiratory therapist and the nursing assistant who were bringing him down, were "running."
A little aside - We've all seen and "ER" type show and how they run with a critical patient. Let me say that reality is a little different. You can't run with a hospital bed, a bi-pap machine and an IV pole. You can move more quickly and work hard to get him stable and they did. They handed him off to the ICU staff who got him settled. This was the "please step out in the hall" moment of the evening.
We now return to our story - Once in his new bed, I was allowed back in and they took some blood to get his oxygen level. I could see the dark color of his blood which is supposed to be bright red and I could see the looks on the faces of the staff. The levels came back way too low and they decided to intubate him which means put a tube down his throat so they can hook up a machine to help him breathe.
There were no less than 8-10 people in his room working quickly to get that done for him. I sat in the corner and watched my own version of "ER" played out on my son. I'm thankful to God, that I understood enough of what's going on so that I wasn't being freaked out. I was definitely concerned, but OK enough to watch this happen.
The part that bothered me is what Tim had said the day before Matt's surgery. It went something like, "I hope Matt's surgery goes OK, cause I would rather have him drooling than dead." When your 9 year old has a premonition-like comment, it weighs heavily on you. You wonder if you made the right decision to help your child by putting him through this.
He became more stable throughout the evening and night. I eventually left his room to get a little sleep. He's not out of the woods yet (Thursday morning) as he spiked a temperature overnight. His breathing and O2 levels are a lot better, but he's got the temperature and some crud in his lungs.
So we are back to the wait-and-see or should I say pray-and-see stage. The thing I didn't mention above is how I waited so long before I started praying. We have access to the creator of the universe and yet so often I forget to ask for his help. After the craziness, I opened the bible on my iPod and it was at the verse in James that says "is any of you in trouble? He should pray." Yep that's us, we're in trouble and we're praying now.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Jamaica 2012
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Saturday, April 21, 2012
'Time is Now,' for Improved Services
You may have read the Fox 9 report on Friday April 20 regarding the Vikings Stadium. In it, the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goddell, is quoted as saying "the time is now" for a Vikings stadium bill to get done.
Minnesota lawmakers were also quoted:
”The reality check is this is the year to do it,” Sen. Julie Rosen said. “We cannot wait until next year.”
"We cannot have this decision delayed another year,” said Rep. Morrie Lanning. “It's time for Minnesota to make a decision.”
It's interesting but I agree with their quotes. Yep, "the time is now," "The reality check is this is the year to it," "We cannot wait until next year." "We cannot have this decision delayed another year," "It's time for Minnesota to make a decision." What they've got wrong is the topic. It's not the Vikings stadium, it's providing adequate services to people with disabilities.
I agree that the time is now for Minnesota to make a decision about whether or not they value the citizens of this state that can not care for themselves or need assistance to navigate their daily lives. 'We can not wait until next year' as we watch single mothers struggle to make ends meet while trying desperately to care for their disabled child. 'We can not have this decision delayed another year' while individuals sit at home in their wheelchair waiting for someone to help them use the toilet because their PCA (personal care attendant) funding was cut or eliminated.
The NFL commissioner went on to warn the governor that inaction on the stadium brings "serious consequences" for both the Vikings and the NFL.
"Serious consequences?" What? like job loss or the team has to move? Yes those are hard things, but "serious consequences"? How about the serious consequences of choosing between food and medications? How about the serious consequences of getting a kidney infection that leads to kidney failure because you couldn't get to the toilet in a timely manner? How about the serious consequences of giving your child the wrong medicine that almost kills them because of severe sleep deprivation from being up for 36 hours at a time?
Come on commissioner, let's get real. Teams move. Look at the Browns, um I mean Ravens. Seems to me they were once in Cleveland. Hmm, I think that city now has a team called the Browns. Looks like even after all of the 'serious consequences' it worked out for two cities when the Browns moved.
Alright so I ranted about the stadium issue, but what about a solution for both parties? After all, I'm not in favor of folks losing their jobs even if it is related to football.
I can't believe that there isn't anyone in this state smart enough to come up with a proposal that will allow a stadium to be built AND get some additional funding for those folks who literally can NOT take care of themselves?
I keep hearing that there's no good way to structure the tax burden we will have to impose to get a stadium built. Why on earth does it have to be taxes? Look, either stadiums are money makers or they're not. Based on all of the talk, I'd say they're not. However, the owner of any sports team stands to gain a PILE of money if he/she can sell the team with a new stadium.
So instead of making the citizens of this state pay for the stadium, let the owners borrow the money from the state. I'm sure you've heard of the concept - take out a loan to build a house or make improvements on it. Then you have the owner pay back the loan WITH INTEREST. Take the interest from the loan and put it into programs for our most needy citizens.
This will make everyone happy - the owner and the team get a new home. The owner is set to make a PILE of money when he/she sells the team. The disabled get the services they need from the interest of the loan.
The commissioner is right - "The time is now." We need to take care of our most vulnerable and if the Vikings get to play their game in the process, I'm all for it.
Minnesota lawmakers were also quoted:
”The reality check is this is the year to do it,” Sen. Julie Rosen said. “We cannot wait until next year.”
"We cannot have this decision delayed another year,” said Rep. Morrie Lanning. “It's time for Minnesota to make a decision.”
It's interesting but I agree with their quotes. Yep, "the time is now," "The reality check is this is the year to it," "We cannot wait until next year." "We cannot have this decision delayed another year," "It's time for Minnesota to make a decision." What they've got wrong is the topic. It's not the Vikings stadium, it's providing adequate services to people with disabilities.
I agree that the time is now for Minnesota to make a decision about whether or not they value the citizens of this state that can not care for themselves or need assistance to navigate their daily lives. 'We can not wait until next year' as we watch single mothers struggle to make ends meet while trying desperately to care for their disabled child. 'We can not have this decision delayed another year' while individuals sit at home in their wheelchair waiting for someone to help them use the toilet because their PCA (personal care attendant) funding was cut or eliminated.
The NFL commissioner went on to warn the governor that inaction on the stadium brings "serious consequences" for both the Vikings and the NFL.
"Serious consequences?" What? like job loss or the team has to move? Yes those are hard things, but "serious consequences"? How about the serious consequences of choosing between food and medications? How about the serious consequences of getting a kidney infection that leads to kidney failure because you couldn't get to the toilet in a timely manner? How about the serious consequences of giving your child the wrong medicine that almost kills them because of severe sleep deprivation from being up for 36 hours at a time?
Come on commissioner, let's get real. Teams move. Look at the Browns, um I mean Ravens. Seems to me they were once in Cleveland. Hmm, I think that city now has a team called the Browns. Looks like even after all of the 'serious consequences' it worked out for two cities when the Browns moved.
Alright so I ranted about the stadium issue, but what about a solution for both parties? After all, I'm not in favor of folks losing their jobs even if it is related to football.
I can't believe that there isn't anyone in this state smart enough to come up with a proposal that will allow a stadium to be built AND get some additional funding for those folks who literally can NOT take care of themselves?
I keep hearing that there's no good way to structure the tax burden we will have to impose to get a stadium built. Why on earth does it have to be taxes? Look, either stadiums are money makers or they're not. Based on all of the talk, I'd say they're not. However, the owner of any sports team stands to gain a PILE of money if he/she can sell the team with a new stadium.
So instead of making the citizens of this state pay for the stadium, let the owners borrow the money from the state. I'm sure you've heard of the concept - take out a loan to build a house or make improvements on it. Then you have the owner pay back the loan WITH INTEREST. Take the interest from the loan and put it into programs for our most needy citizens.
This will make everyone happy - the owner and the team get a new home. The owner is set to make a PILE of money when he/she sells the team. The disabled get the services they need from the interest of the loan.
The commissioner is right - "The time is now." We need to take care of our most vulnerable and if the Vikings get to play their game in the process, I'm all for it.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Good Dad Days
As with most parenting, really, really good days are few and far between.
I've had a couple this last winter that I wanted to share with you.
The first involves the 7 year old. He loves to play goalie when it comes to hockey. At the beginning of the season, he was told that his goalie training this year would involve "skating out" as the team had already been assigned a goalie and it wasn't him. He took it in stride and became one of the "skaters."
I helped him dress for the first game of his season last fall. As I was going to fill his water bottle, one of the assistant coaches stopped me and said, "It looks like Andrew might have to play goalie." I said, "Why?" It turns out our goalie hadn't shown up yet. I told the coach that Andrew would do it, but I didn't want to tell him and then take it away from him so we should wait until the last minute in case the goalie showed up.
With 10 minutes to go before game time, guess what happened? The goalie didn't show up. I told Andrew he was going to be goalie and he pumped his fist while saying a big "Yesssssss!" We quickly changed him from a skater to a goalie with some help.
As he got on the ice, I thought about the fact that he had not practiced goalie for about 6 weeks or so. I figured if the other team scored 5 or fewer goals, that would be a good game for Andrew. By the end of the 1st period, he had a shutout! By the end of the second, his team was up 2-1! Mid way into the 3rd, our team scored again. I was getting nervous and excited because he was doing so well! All of the parents around me were impressed with his play. The other team got one more break away - their 5th - and this time they scored. Andrew had stopped the other 4 breakaways! The final was 3-2 our favor!
At this point, I must back up and mention that the goalie showed up during the 2nd period. The coach left him on the bench for the entire game.
In the locker room, Andrew was getting a LOT of high fives and "atta boys." He had played very well. I was very proud.
When we got to the car, I congratulated him one more time and told him how proud I was of his play and the fact that he was willing to play goalie even though he had not been chosen to be the regular goalie. At that point he said that he was a little sad. "Why," I said. He replied that he was sad because the regular goalie had not gotten to play at all. I said, "Andrew! I am MORE proud of the fact that you cared what happened to your teammate than the fact that you played well. I am very impressed."
Here was a 7 year old who had played phenomenally for his age and had received a lot of praise for doing so and his biggest concern was how his teammate was feeling. I would love to tell you that I taught him that, but I can't. He may have learned it from me, but more likely it is something God built into him. Wow!
The second large proud dad day was this week. Our oldest who is almost 22 has been an intern at a local company since September. This week was his second "mid-rotation" review. It's a time where his real supervisor talks with us about his job performance. The first review he had last fall in the "building and grounds" area was moderate. His supervisor had some good things to say and some areas to work on.
The supervisor from this rotation in the kitchen walked in and said that he had no complaints so we could all leave the meeting room. He was actually pretty serious. He went on to say that Josh has mastered everything that he has asked him to do! He practically guaranteed that if a company called for a reference for Josh, he would ensure Josh would get the job! This was a dramatic improvement from his first rotation.
We learned that Josh likes the area better. We learned that tasks that are in a predictable order each day are better for Josh. He still likes some variability, but if it's in a specific pattern, he works hard and gets the job done - even when some speed is required - a very hard thing most of the time.
He had even taken some initiative to complete an extra task that was not required of him! We have been working on initiative for a LONG time.
When I left the building and got in the car, I was so pumped that I cried! Yep, I couldn't believe what I had just heard. It was very rewarding to know that the time Laura and I have spent working with him had shown some dividends.
As I said at the top of this post - Good Dad Days are few and far between, but these two will be etched in my mind for a long time!
I've had a couple this last winter that I wanted to share with you.
The first involves the 7 year old. He loves to play goalie when it comes to hockey. At the beginning of the season, he was told that his goalie training this year would involve "skating out" as the team had already been assigned a goalie and it wasn't him. He took it in stride and became one of the "skaters."
I helped him dress for the first game of his season last fall. As I was going to fill his water bottle, one of the assistant coaches stopped me and said, "It looks like Andrew might have to play goalie." I said, "Why?" It turns out our goalie hadn't shown up yet. I told the coach that Andrew would do it, but I didn't want to tell him and then take it away from him so we should wait until the last minute in case the goalie showed up.
With 10 minutes to go before game time, guess what happened? The goalie didn't show up. I told Andrew he was going to be goalie and he pumped his fist while saying a big "Yesssssss!" We quickly changed him from a skater to a goalie with some help.
As he got on the ice, I thought about the fact that he had not practiced goalie for about 6 weeks or so. I figured if the other team scored 5 or fewer goals, that would be a good game for Andrew. By the end of the 1st period, he had a shutout! By the end of the second, his team was up 2-1! Mid way into the 3rd, our team scored again. I was getting nervous and excited because he was doing so well! All of the parents around me were impressed with his play. The other team got one more break away - their 5th - and this time they scored. Andrew had stopped the other 4 breakaways! The final was 3-2 our favor!
At this point, I must back up and mention that the goalie showed up during the 2nd period. The coach left him on the bench for the entire game.
In the locker room, Andrew was getting a LOT of high fives and "atta boys." He had played very well. I was very proud.
When we got to the car, I congratulated him one more time and told him how proud I was of his play and the fact that he was willing to play goalie even though he had not been chosen to be the regular goalie. At that point he said that he was a little sad. "Why," I said. He replied that he was sad because the regular goalie had not gotten to play at all. I said, "Andrew! I am MORE proud of the fact that you cared what happened to your teammate than the fact that you played well. I am very impressed."
Here was a 7 year old who had played phenomenally for his age and had received a lot of praise for doing so and his biggest concern was how his teammate was feeling. I would love to tell you that I taught him that, but I can't. He may have learned it from me, but more likely it is something God built into him. Wow!
The second large proud dad day was this week. Our oldest who is almost 22 has been an intern at a local company since September. This week was his second "mid-rotation" review. It's a time where his real supervisor talks with us about his job performance. The first review he had last fall in the "building and grounds" area was moderate. His supervisor had some good things to say and some areas to work on.
The supervisor from this rotation in the kitchen walked in and said that he had no complaints so we could all leave the meeting room. He was actually pretty serious. He went on to say that Josh has mastered everything that he has asked him to do! He practically guaranteed that if a company called for a reference for Josh, he would ensure Josh would get the job! This was a dramatic improvement from his first rotation.
We learned that Josh likes the area better. We learned that tasks that are in a predictable order each day are better for Josh. He still likes some variability, but if it's in a specific pattern, he works hard and gets the job done - even when some speed is required - a very hard thing most of the time.
He had even taken some initiative to complete an extra task that was not required of him! We have been working on initiative for a LONG time.
When I left the building and got in the car, I was so pumped that I cried! Yep, I couldn't believe what I had just heard. It was very rewarding to know that the time Laura and I have spent working with him had shown some dividends.
As I said at the top of this post - Good Dad Days are few and far between, but these two will be etched in my mind for a long time!
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