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Location: Oregon, United States

Friday, January 26, 2007

News this week

Paul's Mom. Paul's mom was admitted to the hospital January 18th with pneumonia. She had been feeling short of breath since the Sunday prior, we had all said go see the doctor and she put us off, saying she would be going in to the oncologist on Thursday. She is generally a tough cookie, so we let it go and didn't force her to go in! Ugh! Long story short, she has given us quite a scare, but is finally on the upswing and was released Tuesday. She is quite unsteady on her feet and requires someone to be there 24 hours a day in order to help her get around without falling. 15 minutes after arriving home, she stood up without waiting for help, fell down and bumped her head on the wall. So it was back to ER for a C/T scan because she is susceptible to bleeding. 3 hours later, she was cleared to go home again.

This has been really hard on the family. The social worker that is working with us gave us a good idea of what to expect from here on out and it is not a picnic. While the tumor is under control for now, the type of cancer she has will send out tendrils that eventually start new tumors. She will undergo regular MRIs to monitor this and will be treated quickly when they arise. Meanwhile, she will remain at high risk for infection, especially pneumonia, and will require 24 hour care for some time yet (to be determined) depending on how long it takes her to get back on her feet from this bout. Pray for us.

Thomas. Well, as long as we are talking about medical issues but on a much lighter note, here's the latest with Thomas:

We had chocolate fondue the other night - a new favorite in our household along with meat fondue, because Paul got a fondue pot for his birthday. I was cleaning up in the kitchen while the kids started eating their dessert when I heard a ruckus. William and Thomas were yelling, "Oh! Oh No!! Holy crap!!" I figured they had tipped over the pot and there was chocolate everywhere, which I did not want to see, so I waited. Then Thomas came in the kitchen with a handful of blood and I started saying, "Oh! Oh No! Holy crap!!!" And then I got a cloth, applied direct pressure and stemmed the flow. He had evidently been trying to skewer a strawberry that he was holding in his hand and got a little carried away. He is fine, no infection, just a little pale and woozy for the rest of the evening.

The police. I am totally pumped! The Police department from a neighboring city has asked us (my co-worker and I) to be a part of their training. My co-worker doesn't have the time to do it, so I get to be the presenter. I will be discussing Mental Illness in the Homeless community, what our role is as PATH outreach workers, and brainstorming ways that we can collaborate with the police and vice versa. The police in the area have been getting really bad press regarding their response to both the homeless and mentally ill, so this is part of their solution. It is not their intent to become mental health professionals, but to become informed regarding the resources that are available to them when they come across someone that fits these criteria. I am hoping that this proves to be a great step toward positive change.

2 Comments:

Blogger Bethany Joy said...

thats really funny. i mean i'm sure it wasn't at the time, but i can totally picture any of the boys doing that and it makes me laugh.

4:29 PM  
Blogger Bethany Joy said...

Happy Valentines day Lydia!
Love
bethany

3:18 PM  

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