Fr. Tony Update: New Mantra "KBO"

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Awesome Response to the Waldy Mac Map

Pre-Admission Testing: Anyone Have a Clue?

"KBO".....11pm and all's well. (with the right perspective)

Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister during WWII) ended almost every phone call with KBO. KBO is an acronym for "Keep Buggering On". During these days of serious ankle pain, and some struggles, Tony can be heard muttering, or even saying loudly, "KBO, KBO".

In spite of the aches, pains, labored breathing, limited mobility, sleepless nights, strangers poking and prodding, dreadful food, and his crazed wife seeking to make sure he's getting the best possible care, he continues to keep his spirits up, and is always, ALWAYS a gentleman. His mum would be so proud... I know I am!

One minor thing I'm finding quite infuriating is his persistent habit of telling everyone, "I'm fine", when they come in to see how he's doing. Heaven's to Betsy... He wouldn't be in the hospital if he were "fine". Grrrrrrr I'm sure the doctors must think I'm some overprotective mother hen, but honestly.... They were ready to send him home today, since he was reporting he was "fine". Meanwhile, he's still got serious (and unexplainable) ankle pain, along with congestion, labored breathing, etc.

One physician suggested he "may" have sinusitis, and not pneumonia. I'm not doctor, but from what I've learned (and experienced in the past) our sinuses are in our head, and not in our lungs. Does inflammation of the sinuses cause wheezing and difficulty breathing? If so, this is news to me. Hrumph. Late this afternoon (24+ hours after being admitted) they began giving Tony breathing treatments. I've had this treatment before, and it worked wonders on my lungs.

At 3am this morning (yes, you read that right..... 3AM.... and we wonder why he gets no sleep?) He was given a strong anti-inflammatory drug injection. This seemed to help the ankles a tad. Later in the day he was able to shuffle his way to the bathroom for a shower. Sloooow and steady like.

I'm sure Dr. Craig is ready to have me committed, or maybe banned from the Ruby Resort. Because I had to leave for school to take my mid-term test in Medical Terminology, (which I aced, by the way.... or else they gave me someone elses test results) I left a note on the door informing the physicians that Tony would tell them he was "fine", and they needed to examine him, poke, prod and question him more. Obsessing? Me?

You might understand a bit of obsessiveness when there are times you wonder if everyone's working from the same chart. I'm not complaining, mind you. The staff couldn't be nicer, and we so greatly appreciate them, but as is the case with most hospitals, they seem sorely understaffed, and things can get overlooked, mis-communicated, left undone or duplicated. I'm in awe of the dedication the staff shows in everything they do. Then again, maybe my obsessiveness is simply an outward expression of my frustration at not being able to "fix" this for Tony. Today I was a bit stressed, as I was unable to study for my mid terms... not enough grey matter to go around in the ole noggin.

Hmmm... I seem to have digressed.

They're continuing to give him injections of blood thinners. The cardiologist has yet to report back on the CT scan. Cultures have not yielded any results yet. Bottom line is we really don't have an explanation for what's ailing our beloved parson.

Tony received some unexpected phone calls from folks he'd not heard from in some time... which is always a nice distraction. Fr. Smith came up from Weston for a visit, and said prayers with Tony. George Cicci popped in for a visit. Philip called to chat with his dad, and Mark will be arriving tomorrow afternoon, to spend a couple days. Grandson Paul called yesterday to tell his dad he'd run a marathon, and dedicated it to his grandpa. Abbey and Megan have sent their love from afar. Mom and Dad checked in to see how the ole boy's doing. ("ole boy" is an inside joke, as they're close to the same age. grin). Hemminway's wondering where his daddy is, and the rest of the menagerie seems to be managing.

Side note, before I forget... if you've not seen the film The Gathering Storm, I highly recommend it!

Awesome Response to the Waldy Mac Map

Amazing and Exciting. The map created for the Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia folks is growing by leaps and bounds! In only a matter of days the map has been viewed almost 800 times! We have well over 100 folks who have pinned their name and location on the map.

If you've yet to view the map, you can see it by CLICKING HERE.

PRE ADMISSION TEST FOR LPN PROGRAM

Warning... venting about to take place.

I'm not sure how many of you have had to take a pre-admission test for a nursing program, and I'm not sure how many other schools or programs require this kind of test, but my mind is boggled at the questions asked on this particular test. There were two legitimate sections of the timed test, reading comprehension, and math. The bulk of the rest of the test made absolutely no sense to me at all.

One whole section of the test asked questions I had to agree or disagree with. See sample questions below:

Agree or Disagree: Have you lost a pet or loved one recently?

Agree or Disagree: You go out on dates with your boyfriend often.

Agree or Disagree: You have tension in your home.

Yet another big section was about test taking....

Question: If an answer in a multiple choice question is longer then the rest.
a. It's the correct answer.
b. It's the incorrect answer.
c. It doesn't matter.
d. The test writer doesn't know how to write a test.

As if the above were not frustrating enough.... another entire section was dedicated to social issues:

Agree or Disagree: I study better by myself.

Agree or Disagree: I learn better when I study by myself.

Agree or Disagree: I remember things better when I study by myself.

Agree or Disagree: I study better in a group, on my head, in the bathroom, with the radio blaring, and my dog perched on the toilet! (ok, that one was not on the test, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN!)

Would someone pl----eeeeease tell me what any of the above has to do with pre-admittance to a health related program? grin I'm all ears! My hunch is this is simply a way to pigeonhole applicants into personality categories, yes?

Although I'm continuing to do well in my Math and Terminology classes, I'm beginning to wonder if I have a "snowball's chance" of getting into the LPN program this fall. Between the pre-pre admission test, and this wacky pre-admission test... over 150 people applying for only 30 slots in the program... it's looking a bit "slim chance" to me. My hope is that during the interview process I can somehow convince them I'm worth giving me a shot. Please God!

Me thinks I should have not celebrated with a Frapachino from Starbucks on my way home. Caffeine! It's getting on past midnight.... must sleep... much to do tomorrow. Night all... and thanks for letting me blither on for a while.