Wish My Leg Would've Healed That Fast

Saw mom at lunch today and she said the doctor is going to let her go home tomorrow. She is doing remarkably well, considering she had a double bypass on Tuesday. She’s been walking up and down the halls, trying to get her strength up.

The doc also told her to go ahead and eat whatever she wants, to get food brought in from outside, if that’s what it takes to get her to eat. Not that she’s refusing to eat, but you know hospital food. It’s not very appetizing, at its best. I’m going to call her and see if she wants me to pick her up anything when I get off work.

I printed off all your comments and showed them to her. Tears came to her eyes as she read all the well-wishes, and she kept saying, “All this for me? They don’t even know me.” I told her that everyone knew me, and that they were commiserating with her for everything I had put her through when I was growing up. B-)>

She asked me to tell all of you that she is so appreciative of all the prayers and thoughts for her. I am, too. I need a lot LOT more time with her to try to repay her for all she’s done for me. I don’t know how much time we have left together, but I’m sure it’s not enough.

I’m sure an eternity wouldn’t be enough.

Walrilla

The Zipper Club*

Sorry I wasn’t able to update y’all any sooner.. They took her back to the OR at 07:30, and told us they would be through around 12:00 or a little later. They kept us updated regularly, when she went on bypass, when she went off bypass, how she was doing, everything we could have wanted to know.

At 10:45, they called us up for another update, and said,”She’s through. They’re taking her to Cardiac ICU for recovery. The surgeon will be right in to talk to you.” My heart leapt into my throat. Wild thoughts ran through my head. This was too fast! The doc is going to give us bad news! Oh, God, what’s wrong! They ushered us in to a special room, not the standard consultation rooms across the waiting room! Why are we in here? What are they going to tell us?

The doc came in and said, “We’re through. Your mom is fine. The operation was completely routine. No complications, everything went smooth as silk, and so did the MAZE procedure.” He went on to tell us of other details he thought important enough to share, but I had already heard the most important detail of the whole deal. Mom came through with flying colors! She’s going to be OK! As for that “special” room? The waiting room nurse told me, “There were so many of y’all, it was the only room big enough to hold ya!” Well, thanks a hell of a lot! Maybe you coulda mentioned that fact when you took us in to the room labeled TRAUMA, instead of letting us think the WORST!

Now, if only the recovery had went as fast as the operation! She did fine, but because she has problems with her liver, she took a long time to metabolize the anaesthesia, and wake up. According to the nurses, she was doing great, recovering nicely, but they didn’t want anybody in the room when she woke up, so as not to startle her, or let her think she needed to get up and talk to us too soon. So, off we shuffled to the waiting room, to sit, and sit, and grow calluses on our butts. My stepbrother and I sent everybody else home, and we sat and waited until the nurse let us in again, around 20:30. She then told us they were going to remove the vent tube in about an hour, so we spoke to Mom, told her we were going to be back, and sent her all the love from everybody, and we’d see her in a little bit.

She nodded, and we left for the waiting room again. We returned around 21:45, after they removed the vent tube, and was able to talk to her, and have her respond. Still kinda out of it, but responding with one or two word answers. We stayed with her for a while, and finally left around 22:00, after she started nodding off for longer and longer periods.

I got to see her again today around lunch, and she’s feeling remarkably less pain than she anticipated. I think she stressed about it more than necessary. Believe me, I was stressed enough for the both of us.

But what I really believe is that the prayers and thoughts from all of you helped more than anyone can possibly know. I appreciate all of you so much!

Walrilla

*-I'm sure most of you know, but for those who don't, the Zipper Club is an informal name for those who have had Open Heart Surgery.

Still Here, Just Dealing With Stuff

Yeah, I'm still here. I've just been dealing with life stuff lately. And one of those is the reason for this post. I need all of y'all's help.

My mother was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. She has Atrial Fibrillation, and the medication she took for it destroyed her liver. She needs to get on the liver transplant list, not immediately, but pretty soon, because the wait is pretty long, and the sooner you're on it, the sooner you get one.

A few days ago, she went in for an angiogram to prepare for seeing the transplant team in Dallas, to be able to get on the list. This was supposed to be a routine thing, no big deal, just something to get out of the way before she went to Dallas.

Except, it wasn't routine. She tolerated the procedure well, but they found a 70% blockage in the main artery leading to the heart, before it branches out. Actually, there are two blockages.

She goes in Tuesday morning for a double bypass operation. They're also going to do a Procedure to cure the A-Fib, a procedure pioneered at the hospital she will be in, and created by the surgeon who is operating on her. She couldn't be in better hands.

But, you know, this is my mother. Even though she is in the best place with the best people, I'd still ask you to please pray for her, if you're so inclined. If otherwise inclined, please say a blessing for her, think of her, send good vibrations her way, whatever you want to call it.

I'd appreciate all the help she can get. Because, even though I'm 43, I still need my mom.

Walrilla

142 Movies (God, Just Shoot Me Now)

Everybody seems to be doin' this one, so I thought I would give it a shot. Shamelessly stolen from El Capitan, who stoled it from Oddybobo, who stoled it from Elisson, or somebody. Nothing like stealing blogcontent from your friends!

The rules are simple: Copy the list of movies below and mark off the ones you’ve seen. Add ’em up, and include the number in your post title. How easy is that?

Highlight the ones you’ve seen in boldface, should you feel like playing.

According to the meme progenitors, if you've seen over 85 movies, you have no life. My total is 116, but I freely admit to having no life!

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Grease
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
Boondock Saints
Fight Club
Starsky and Hutch
Neverending Story
Blazing Saddles
Universal Soldier
Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Along Came Polly
Deep Impact
King Pin
Never Been Kissed
Meet The Parents
Meet the Fockers
Eight Crazy Nights
Joe Dirt
King Kong (1933)
King Kong (1976)
King Kong (2005)

Total so far: 20

A Cinderella Story
The Terminal
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Passport to Paris
Dumb & Dumber
Dumber & Dumberer (filmed right here in May-Retta!)
Final Destination
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 3
Halloween
The Ring
The Ring 2
Surviving X-Mas
Flubber

Total so far: 28

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Practical Magic
Chicago
Ghost Ship
From Hell
Hellboy
Secret Window
I Am Sam
The Whole Nine Yards
The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 33

The Day After Tomorrow
Child’s Play
Seed of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Ten Things I Hate About You
Just Married
Gothika
Nightmare on Elm Street
Sixteen Candles
Remember the Titans
Coach Carter
The Grudge
The Grudge 2
The Mask
Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 41

Bad Boys
Bad Boys 2
Joy Ride
Lucky Number Slevin
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Twelve
Bourne Identity
Bourne Supremacy
Lone Star
Bedazzled
Predator
Predator II
The Fog
Ice Age
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
Curious George

Total so far: 49

Independence Day
Cujo
A Bronx Tale
Darkness Falls
Christine
ET
Children of the Corn
My Boss’s Daughter
Maid in Manhattan
War of the Worlds (1953)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Rush Hour
Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 60

Best Bet
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
She’s All That
Calendar Girls
Sideways
Mars Attacks!
Event Horizon
Ever After
The Wizard of Oz
Forrest Gump
Big Trouble in Little China
The Terminator
The Terminator 2
The Terminator 3

Total so far: 69

X-Men
X-2
X-3
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Sky High
Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers 2
Catch Me If You Can
The Little Mermaid
Freaky Friday
Reign of Fire
The Skulls
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions 2
The Hot Chick
Shrek
Shrek 2
Shrek 3

Total so far: 83

Swimfan
Miracle on 34th Street
Old School
The Notebook
K-PAX (Seen the original, called 'Man Facing Southeast')
Krippendorf’s Tribe
A Walk to Remember
Ice Castles
Boogeyman
The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Total so far: 88

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 94

Baseketball
Hostel
Waiting for Guffman
House of 1000 Corpses
Devil’s Rejects
Elf
Highlander
Mothman Prophecies
American History X
Three

Total so far: 100

The Jacket
Kung Fu Hustle
Shaolin Soccer
Night Watch
Monsters, Inc.
Titanic
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Shaun Of the Dead
Willard

Total so far: 108

High Tension
Club Dread
Hulk
Dawn Of the Dead
Hook
Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
28 days later
Orgazmo
Phantasm
Waterworld

Total so far: 117

Kill Bill, Volume 1
Kill Bill, Volume 2
Mortal Kombat
Wolf Creek
Kingdom of Heaven
The Hills Have Eyes
I Spit on Your Grave, AKA The Day of the Woman
The Last House on the Left
Re-Animator
Army of Darkness

Total so far: 126

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage, AKA The Ewok Adventure
Ewoks: The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 132

The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Animatrix
Evil Dead
Evil Dead 2
Team America: World Police
Red Dragon
Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal

Final total: 142