2 posts tagged “update”

Lots of things to catch up on, but will only be brief at this point in time.

Mom is doing well infection is all gone stitches have been removed. She can not get around much easier than pre-surgery, still on the mend though.

Dads varicose vein surgery was a success and there is discussion of possible doing other leg in the near future. Doctor is still waiting to decide.

I am back to work, have been working steady since the beginning of July. I am working at 3 different high schools in one district that is adding security cameras and door alarms as well as other security items. Occasionally I have to go from school to school in a couple days time, because of priority projects, but for the most part work is concentrated on one school at a time.

I have worked for this company before and for multiple years so i am very comfortable working for them now. When I started on this job I was  working for a foreman that I had never worked for before, but he is a good guy to work for. Since then he has been pulled off to work another job and he suggested me as the person to take his place. So now I am the Foreman on the job.

I have a crew of 4 people so it is not too big. The biggest obstacle right now is the fact that school has started and we are having to work around all the students and teachers. I try to make sure that I get to bed very early so that my problems with fatigue and other health issues will not affect my ability to do this job. I really do enjoy being a foreman even when there are headaches about the job.

I get up between 4:30 and 5 am in order to make sure that I am on the job before the 7 am start time. I try to get to bed no later than 8:30 so that I have plenty of rest. I have had to work overtime on the last 2 Saturdays.  The one 2 week ago was a bit more grueling than this most recent one. On that particular Saturday we worked outside allllllll day for 10 hours. It was not extremely hot but, it was very sunny and even though I made sure to wear sun block I still got sunburned in spots. I like to wear bib overalls when I am working and the straps on the bibs would keep shifting my shirt around such that my neck was exposed much deeper in the back than I had sunblock on. It also bunched my sleeves up such that the back of my upper arms got very burnt. Even when I would try to put sun block on the spots it would just get rubbed right back off while I was working. Thank goodness it was not a severe burn and it was not a dehydrating day. I still was very tired by time the 10 hours was over though. I was so grateful that we only had to work 8 hours this last Saturday.

Well I would love to take the time to catch up on my neighborhood, I miss everyone, but if I want to keep rested and ready for work I best get ready for some more shut eye.

I just checked in with Mom, she is doing well.

I came home Sunday afternoon and left her in the care of my Dad and my Sister.

Mom says that it is slow going but each day she is feeling a bit better and now she does not feel like she has to have someone around 24/7 to help her get around.

Update: Just talked to Mom again today (6/14/08). She is doing okay for the most part, but has a small infection around her stitches. (she had my sister look at them because she was seeing small spots of blood on things that had been touching her back, i.e. sheets, nightgown and such). Mom is supposed to see the Neurological Surgeon on Tuesday, but she is going to call her primary care Monday to see if she should do anything before then (neuro is out of town till Tuesday). I asked her if she had my sister clean it with peroxide or something after looking at it, she said 'no I was afraid it would make it hurt worse'. It is not a severe infection, just a small one around the stitches area. Maybe she will changer her mind and have my sister clean it when she comes back over.

All in all Mom is doing well. It may not seem like it sometimes because she has a very very low pain threshold and she will readily admit to it. For having such a low pain threshold she is a real trooper. She is making sure to try and get some walking in every day like the doctor told her to, even if it hurts a little, because she does not want anything to go wrong.