facebook

Thursday, December 31, 2015

The end of another year...

I always like to reflect back as we say good-bye to another year and welcome in another new one. 

Jeremy gave me a run for my money this year and this started the 2nd week in February.  He ran a little fever one day, was fine the next, to great, to waking up with a low fever to spiking a high fever by afternoon which earned us more frequent flyer miles to running tests.   He then started that night with desaturations and only maintaining in the low 90’s on 2.5lpm of oxygen, if I had turned him up anymore he would have been sent to the hospital via ambulance and would have been intubated to give his lungs & heart a break so they wouldn’t work so hard.  He maintained through the night and trip next day to doctor he was diagnosed with pneumonia & strep throat and put on a strong antibiotic.  Then he decided in March that he was going to throw us all for a loop and had blood in his urine so we earned more frequent flyer miles a trip to the ER to only be admitted and observed for 2 days.  A trip to the heart & pulmonary doctors determined he has developed pulmonary hypertension so that will be watched closely.  He did get to go for a full week to Camp Barnabas, and had a great time & his summer was amazing.  We started the fall out with being told, Jeremy no longer has a clinical diagnoses, the test we did produced changes on many genes but produced no answers in relationship to any of his conditions.  Then the whirlwind beings, a bad UTI but threw us a curve with some other issues and ended up with a really bad ear infection.  We got that cleared up only to see the dentist for a 6 month check and for it to be determined he had an abscessed tooth that needed to be pulled.  I thought we had got everything with his head, well December 11 something felt wrong with him, he was increasing in aggression, head hurting, tired, loss of appetite so a trip to the doctor to get a CT scan & shunt series earned us more frequent flyer miles with a 3:30pm phone call to head to the ER his shunt tubing had dislodged so we were admitted, surgery the next day to replace the long lost tubing and we were home by Sunday. 

I end this year with almost 25 years at OG&E and it continues to be such an awesome job, with some amazing co-workers, several whom were also having tough times of their own and then we had one lineman who lost his battle with cancer and we said Good-bye to him.  We lost several to retirements and gained new ones to replace them.   We moved into our new facility early November and it's been nice to have a new office, it is really awesome. 

I continue my mission with The Oklahoma Family Network celebrating almost 14 years.  I was heart-broken in early February when I lost my friend Super- Gavin, he was my buddy and I had set with him many times at the hospital, playing with him, listening to him and I loved that little guy.  I had a friend who I have known for many years she brought me coffee one morning while we were in the hospital in March, after she had a horrifying hospitalization a few weeks earlier with her daughter in critical condition and 2 months later she lost her precious Ginny Girl.  My executive director asked me about serving on a group, Heartland Genetic Collaborative on an advocate work group, we have monthly conference calls.  I was afforded the opportunity to attend the conference in Kansas City and meet several of the other advocates from other states, and it was nice to spend that time with them and learn about what they did in their states to help families and partnerships they have formed.  I made some great connections and new friends.  I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Executive Directors of the Parent 2 Parent of USA in Phoenix, AZ along with 12 of my other OFN co-workers in the fall and made some new connections there and meet up with one of my friends from the Genetic group and then meet a new one.  I was thrilled when an opportunity presented itself, a partnership with local physician in allowing the Oklahoma Family Network to be present in their clinic days to offer families that emotional support, informational and resource referral and I’m looking forward to that relationship coming into the next year.  I still continue my visits and reaching out to families which are my passion as well as doing sibshops, it never gets old. 

I started teaching Sunday school in May, something I’ve not done in a long time and I am so loving it and the children.  I love teaching them and their tender little hearts.  I am also enjoying Monday evenings sitting with my Pastor & his wife and listening to biblical counseling lessons on various topics.  I can use this to help not just families I connect with but, friends, co-workers, family and honestly ME. 

I was sadden after my cousin’s daughter Morgan had a bad wreck in December that in July she lost her life, she had battled so long & hard and came such a long way.  I had watched my cousin go through this through their daily post, prayer request. 

I have to say I was humbled this year.  I am not one to reach out for help, I struggle with when being asked what can we do, but I’m working on receiving that.  I have experienced such amazing freedom in my relationship with GOD, as I mature a little more in understanding and studying the word more.  I have been able to overcome some anxiety & fear with the help of God.  GOD is God, I have great comfort in his promises and that produces so much freedom.   I’m a sinner saved by his amazing grace and trusting his grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.  His death on the cross was absolutely all I need, and nothing I ever do will be enough but because his death on the cross that is absolutely all I need.

 

So, Hello & Welcome 2016………..    

No comments: