Thursday, July 22, 2010

Houston.... We have a date...

Sam has a date for his cranial plasti. September 7th. The day before school starts and the day after the long weekend. It is also the day before he was to see the ENT in Winnipeg...which means I have spent the day on the phone with nurses, hospital and patient coordinators, receptionists, and a whole pile of other people, trying to re-arrange appointments and make appointments for Sam.  I am exhausted and ready to cry from the sheer frustration of it all. AND I need to find a doctor that will do his pre-op physical, as our regular physician has now retired and the new one that is to take on the new patients is not here yet and wont be for a few weeks.... as I typed this I got a bright idea and called the doctor that was at the hospital when Sam was first brought into the emerg. and he rode with him to Winnipeg-- and he is going to do the pre-op for me!! YAY for using the old coconut! Now it is on to waiting for Winnipeg to return calls and help in making arrangements.

The other issue I am going to be dealing with is that we are in the city for a week at least (what Gail our TBI co-ordinator) said... so I need to find somewhere for me to 'live'. In August she will call the Ronald MacDonald House and see if we can get in but I have to have a back up incase they are full... sigh. So a hotel and $$$$ and meals and all the 'fun' stuff that goes with it.  Breathe Jodi, breathe...

For some reason I have been getting anxiety attacks again. The last few months and it is horrible! I don't want to go out (but I don't want to be at home...) and when talking with people I begin to panic and want to burst into tears... I feel incredibly stupid.

I just hope in the next few days, I can get things sorted out with  Sam's appointments and my head.

Speaking of Sam... He is in Penhold, Alberta for another week and then he is home! YAY! I miss him terribly. At the last time we spoke to him, he wasnt really enjoying himself -- too much book work and terrible food-- but we havent spoke to him since Sat. night so I hope that means that things got better for him!

On to more phone calls and arrangements...

Monday, July 12, 2010

normality!?

WOW! It is so hard to believe we are into summer already! The grass is green and in need of being mowed, the flowers weeds are blooming in my yard and we just dropped Sam off for cadet training yesterday morning -- 3am -- for 3 weeks in Penhold, Alberta. I miss him already!

Dennis and I were talking last night -- discussing our kids and I had noticed but not really how much of Sam's wit and humour had returned. (sometimes it takes someone to point something out so you can see it) There is no longer an awkward pause or a crooked (and somewhat sad) smile on his face anymore when a joke or sarcasm  is used. He usually gets it fairly quick and is just a fast in his smart assed retort. I know that for some people that is not what they would necessarily look for in thier kids but that is who Sam was and is coming back to. I can honestly say too that I miss it-- the humour and wit not the smart assed-ness☺. But things are starting to come together for him. The doctors did say that it could be 2 yrs or more before there is a semblance of normal.... and guess what... we are closing in on that 2 year mark. Sam will be in Penhold for that date but its all good.  Life is getting to normal -- or as close to normal as we can with all the teens and hormones in the house!

We finally got a response from the ENT in Winnipeg (for Sam's sleeping issues and nasal passages) and it is set for Sept 8, then I got a letter from the stomach doctor for me and I am having another stomach scope (I forget what it is called at the moment) on Sept 15-- in Winnipeg. So there will be a lot of time spent in Wpg in Sept it seems... ugh. Still no news on the neurosurgery for the plate for Sam... maybe soon.

This past week (10days actually) my aunt and 2 of her kids are out visiting from Newfoundland. Zach is in the reserves and was in cadets (and seems to know A LOT about military stuff), he and Sam seem to get along fairly well.  I am sure as with every other parent in the world, you wonder what your kids will be like and what they will do when they are grown and have left home. Which makes me wonder if after talking to Zach this week Sam is interested in the reserves or military-- hmmmmm, guess Iwill have to wait...just like everyone else☺