Day(s) #39 & 40- Work and Play...and A Trip to the ER. AGAIN!!!!

 Wednesday, Day 39 of our adventure. I plan to continue this style of posting until after our visit to both her doctors up North in mid-July. I figure at that point we will know what is going on and then we can resume "normal" completely. I do want to include the Family Fun Event Benefit Dinner that some wonderful ladies in town are putting together for us. It will be on July 18th in the Green River City Park. It starts at 5:30pm and goes until 8:30pm. From what we know there will be a dinner, auction, ball game, and lots of games for kids to play (carnival style, I believe). We are grateful for all who are working to set it up, and look forward to being there to thank everyone in person for all their help, love, and support. We hope to see you there too! :)

Wednesday started off with having my oldest son at the church by 8:00am. He had a cub scout event that he needed to be at. I wish I could have gone with him, but I needed to be home so I could watch the baby while my wife went for a walk with some friends. She had a great time and I enjoyed spending time with my little herd. I watered the front lawn and flower beds as well as the garden. It was nice to be up and going early as we have still been sleeping until 9am. I guess it is because the kids are all sleeping in longer as well. I guess that is what summer is all about. My son came home shortly after that as well.

After all of that happened, I was able to head to the school and begin the "Clean Sweep" event in my room. I started by emptying out my closet and two of my cupboards. I was able to get one closet cleaned out. My goal is to discard anything that I haven't used in the past two years. This includes teaching resources, materials, and supplies. I hope to get at least two dumpsters full out of my room this summer. I have a donate table that teachers can go through to see if there is anything that they can use in their classrooms before I toss it out. It has been nice to do so far and I think the final product will be great.

We stayed at the school (my wife had walked over with the kids for the free lunch program and then stayed to help) until about 3pm. We headed home so that we could relax for a while.

We dropped the kids off at bible school at 5pm, ate dinner around 6pm (thanks SO much again for all the help) and then went to my parents house to visit. With only my two little ones, it was a nice, quiet visit. When bible school ended, I went and picked up the kids and we finished watching America's Got Talent (whatever!) and The Voice! Finale before heading home and ending a good productive day.




Day 40- June 30th. It is hard to believe that it has been 40 days since this whole series of events began. My plan was to get get up early and head to the school and work. That didn't happen. We awoke to thunder and lightning. It was AWESOME! I loved hearing the rain, and it made the day nice and cool. I taught a voice lesson around 10:30. We sent two of our boys with my parents to the races in Price and then we had lunch and enjoyed several visitors. I love when people stop by to see my wife. It really brightens her day, something she can really use.

I dropped the two other kids off at vacation bible school. I promised them that after they finished we would all get some ice cream at the Chow Hound. When I returned home, I noticed that my wife wasn't feeling very good. I couldn't tell if it was the heat of the house, the flu, or, heaven forbid, an infection. We went to pick up the kids from bible school and headed to get ice cream. My wife ordered items, but didn't eat any of it. That began to freak me out. I knew this game and I wasn't going to have it.

We left and came home and I called home health. The nurse told us to go immediately to the ER in Provo. So, I am going to sign off so we can do that...

Later...

Day #38- Yard Work

Tuesdays...

Tuesday kind of got the short end of the stick. Most people loathe Mondays,  Tuesdays are hated because they are still at the beginning of the week, and then everyone starts to like the other days more and more until Saturday is the KING/QUEEN of days (didn't want to be sexist- my M.A. program taught me to avoid that!)

 Despite my best intentions, I STILL didn't get out of bed until almost 9am. This has got to stop. I was awake at 7am making a bottle for the baby. After I handed it over, I got everything ready for a shower and then laid down to feed the baby for "a minute" while my wife used the restroom, and the next thing I know it is almost 9am and my parents are at the door. My mom is an amazing lady. She had been very dedicated to making sure our yard looks nice. Between her and our neighbors the Hales (Thanks again you awesome people for helping out so much) our yard looked better than when we were here to take care of it. lol.

I did get up and shower however. Which, in retrospect was kinda dumb, because I went right to work in the already 90+ degree temperature. Yesterday I was able to get 4 load of laundry done, clean both bathrooms, and vacuum the house. This morning my goal was to trim the trees in the yard so they looked more "tree-ish" and less "shrub-ish". What with the help of my son, who happened to come home just as the other kids had headed out with Mrs. McFarlane (for story time, lunch at the school, and playing in the water at the park)- we were able to get everything cleaned up in about a hours worth of time. That was AFTER I had hauled off a HUGE load of old weathered cardboard boxes that we had been putting the back of my old green truck. I won't be doing THAT anymore (putting boxes in the back of the truck, that is).

After the branches were cut and hauled to the dump I turned my attention to the pop can mess in our backyard. We had been given several large bags of cans from an elderly neighbor last fall and the winter was not kind to the bags. So, in the last several days of heat and high wind, cans were becoming a decoration all over the back yard by our shed. I made a second bin and then separated out all the aluminum foil that had been added to the cans by our dear sweet neighbor lady. When that was done, the kids arrived home from their adventure- all happy and wet (thanks Cindy). Everyone got showered and we proceeded to have a lazy day. And it has been nice.

My wife did have a visit from home health today. It was supposed to be their last visit, however, my wife my be getting a yeast infection on her incision. Say What????? This is NOT allowed. So, the nurse cleaned her incision and said they would be back. Ummm... Ya, you will be back...

I was able to make lots of calls that needed to be called today. I called the insurance to clear up a notice I got about the insurance not paying a doctor until they had some medical report. I learned that if the doctor didn't submit the report then I would be responsible for the total amount. I promptly called the doctors office and asked them to submit the needed forms. They said they would. Then I called my life insurance and added the baby as a rider on my policy. I said the best call for last.

I called the doctors office of the doctor...I think we ALL know which doctor...and I was disappointed to learn that the office is closed until Thursday. Guess the excitement will have to wait until then- lol.

Oh well.

Well, it will be time to go and get the kids from Vacation Bible School here in a few minutes so I guess I best end this. Oh, we just had dinner and it was VERY Tasty! Again, thanks to everyone who continues to take good care of us.

I will keep you posted on the possible infection and "the call".

Later...

Day #37- Ahhhh... Monday

Monday, oh how we love thee (in the summertime) for you begin another week of goodness.

Today was a great day for my wife. She is getting much stronger everyday. She still can't stand for long periods of time, or even sit for that matter. However, she is up and doing as much as she can (and I will let her...lol) each day.

I am so thankful that we are starting to truly find our family routine again. As I look back over the two weeks we have been home, I can definitely see a difference in stress levels. I didn't really realize (although I am sure all of your did) how overwhelming it was to go from worrying about wife only, to worrying about my wife and trying to run a household of kids ages 2 months to 10 years old. I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else, and I am feeling much more in control now as well.

Today I played the "I will wait for HIM to call me" from his little doctor's office. He didn't. So, tomorrow I will call him. It has been interesting in that department. I have had several people from town ask if we are going to go back to him. Of course we ARE NOT GOING BACK TO HIM. Not only would that be awkward for him because of the evil looks I would give him the whole time we were there, but because deep-down I simply can't ever trust his patient care again. And, I think his nurse needs a lesson in being human and professional. True, she may have tired of my wife calling, but in no way should she have been rude like she was. If we had listened to her "advice" my wife wouldn't be around today.

Anyways...

It has been a busy day. We took the kids to Vacation Bible School. We know the pastor and his wife and we love to have our kids support this particular church activity. The kids like it too because they get to see some of their friends from school. Wahoo for Vacation Bible School.

We ended the evening at the Brady's for Family Home Evening. We brought the treats and they provided a fun, hands-on lesson. We were there quite late. The kids had a great time (Except for my oldest- he spent the day with a friend- Thanks Pam for letting him come over- and then had a sleep over as well) and it was nice to visit.

Well, with it being late, I need to head to bed.

Later...

Days 35 & 36- Days Gone By...

Day 35 = Saturday = Whatever...

Friday wasn't exactly what I would call a great day. It was another angry day. I had had it with everyone and didn't want to talk to anyone. I eventually ended up in my classroom and was able to stay there for quite a while working. That felt nice. Nice to be alone. Nice to feel productive. I sat for so long at the hospital having nothing to do but worry, that it was nice to have a different way to use my time. I also took a great nap in the afternoon, something that I rarely do, but decided that since I was still feeling exhausted from dealing with a crying baby at night and then trying to work outside during the day, was justified. Having had heat stroke in the past, I get overheated rather quickly and so I get drained pretty quickly when working outside in the summer.

I even went to bed at 10pm last night. Mostly because I didn't want to see or talk to anyone, but also because I was tired and wanted to get a good night's sleep. Having to be up early for church meetings was going to be near impossible with the lack of sleep I had been feeling. So, yea me for catching up on my sleep.

My wife had a good day. Home health came and said her incision and such looked really good. In fact they said it looked SO good they think they may only have to come one more time. We shall see. I don't want them to stop coming if they have any questions at all. Because I WON'T do this whole ordeal again.

The kids returned from camping with grandma and grandpa Millett in St. George. I guess they had fun. I haven't really taken the time to sit down and ask them about it. They came home with lots of treasures (including a tadpole which my daughter called Moe Bob Hughes), so if that is any indication of fun, then I am sure they had it.

Day 36  =  Sunday  =  Baby Blessing

I was up and going at 6:05am which in it self is a miracle. Of course I didn't deal with the baby at all last night. Having to be up early, I didn't even flinch when she cried (if she did at all). I guess I was more exhausted than I thought.

My meetings were meetings. They weren't great, they weren't bad. They did announce at church that some amazing sisters in our ward are putting together a benefit dinner and game night in the city park. I probably turned 6 shades of red while it was being announced. See, I sit on the stand during the first part of the meeting, and I could feel lots of eyes on me while the bishop went on and on about the event and encouraged everyone to attend. I am so humbled by the efforts of so many. We have been very blessed with all that is being done for our little herd. We probably really aren't so special as to warrant all of this attention, but it is very appreciated.

After meetings, we had several of our family members and friends over to be apart of blessing our sweet little baby girl. It is only a month later than we had hoped, but she is finally blessed. It was such a privilege to be able to do that. We also really appreciate all those who traveled to be apart of it.

The rest of the day has been spent in watering the garden and lawn, which the 100 degree temperature has caused to turn a little crispy. when that is done I plan to do NOTHING. 

 I love Sundays.

Days 31-34- Home (Sort Of...)

Happy Days are here again...

Well, sort of. It has been an interesting few days.

Here is a break down:

Wednesday: Was a great day. Mr. Z made it to our house just in time for a BBQ. Ms. D had signed up to bring our family dinner and wanted to do a BBQ with us. It turned out fantastic and the food was awesome. I think that good company makes the food taste better too! My mom was asked to attend as well because my dad was out of town.


 My wife seemed to have a decent day. As long as she take her pain meds, she functions really well. She is getting up and down a little better and she seems to be in good spirits. The evening was spent in signing along with Mr. Z as he played his guitar and making my kids giggle and laugh. It was a good day.


Thursday:
What a great day. Even though my herd was up late (Mr. Z had been up and "touring" the area for quite a while waiting for us to wake up) we still had a great breakfast and tour of the diversion dam and monument afterwards. Ms. D had agreed to come and sit with my wife while I gave the tour as I do not like to leave my wife unattended.

Our tour was cut short when my 4-year old decided he "had to go". I think Mr. Z enjoyed the driving around and seeing out little community. We might be remote and a little backwards here, but we have some amazing scenery and big hearted people. The day was perfect. L-A-Z-Y (Mr. Z's favorite).

Home health care stopped by today was well. The nurse commented that everything was looking pretty good. A little concern still over a part of the incision that had reopened a little bit, but it also seems to be closing over again. I am so thankful that Dr. Lichti required that home care be set up before we left. It has really helped me feel more at ease.

In the afternoon, grandma and grandpa Millett arrived to pick up my oldest three children. They are brave toasters to take all three to my mother-in-laws family reunion. My older children were very excited to go and I hope that they are having a good time (and behaving...lol). While the grands were here we ordered pizza and had an impromptu party. It was nice to kick back and visit and relax for a while.

In the evening I took Mr. Z, Ms. D, and my two little boys out to the geyser. And, while it didn't do much of anything at all (totally a bummer)  it was fun to be out there and see the river while it was so high and just enjoy the beauty of the area.

 We returned to the house and visited some more and watched M*A*S*H (on DVD). Ms. D headed home and rest of us headed to bed. It was a decent night as the baby slept pretty well. We had to run the Central Air for quite a while during the day as the Temperature reached around 106 degrees (phew...) and the house was still pretty warm. Made it hard to get to sleep. We did though.

Friday:
We awoke to find the Mr. Z had driven off in to the rising sun. It was fun to have him visit and we hope he will come again soon. We (my wife and three youngest children) had a breakfast of cold cereal and then had to hurry to make it to the clinic for the babies appointment. She has thrush and a possible eye infection. We got the meds we need to help her kick this crude once and for all (at least we hope so anyways...)

I took the two little boys to school lunch and had a chance to work in my classroom for a little bit. When I returned from the school I learned that Dr. Lichti's office had finally had the chance to get my wife's meds sent to Price so I could go and pick them up. My dad, being the amazing father he is, drove me (I had asked him to ride with me because I was tired and didn't want to fall asleep) and we had a great time visiting and discussing things.

When we returned I finished watering the yard (I had mowed, fertilized, and watered the front before we left for Price). We had dinner and then went to visit grandma and grandpa Hughes. It was nice to be there again. The last time we were there was to get a blessing for my wife over 4 weeks ago.

My brother called while we were visiting my parents to inform me he was going to come and "kidnap" the baby tomorrow and take her for a while...lol. We are happy to let them do that. Tomorrow is also bountiful baskets. I am in charge...blah. Anyways...

We returned home around 9:30pm and here we are. The two little boys are OUT and I am going to end this so I can be too.

My wife seems to be getting stronger everyday and it is nothing short of a miracle. We continue to be humbled by her quick recovery and are thankful for all the prayers being offered in her behalf. Not only that, but we are overwhelmed with gratitude to those who continue to bring meals and give of their resources.  Thank you. We love you and appreciate you.

Later...

Day #30- Home

So, Day 30 and a few positives to share.

Talked to the hospital in Price. I won't do a transcript of that experience, but they will be "getting back to me" tomorrow about being able to put my account on a freeze until we decide what we are going to do as far legal action is concerned. I don't think we will do anything as we don't really feel good about it, but it isn't out of the questions as bills are still piling in.

I did pay her ER room account in full today. After all, they did send us to UVRMC and real help.

Support from the community continues to pour in. My wife and I have been so humbled by all of it. I have truly learned the meaning of humility from this experience. It is something that I am striving to process and understand.

To my wonderful friend who worries that I am repressing my anger, I probably am. I work hard to keep an even temper (although is doesn't always work) and then find times when I am alone to process my anger. I don't scream, I don't cry (anymore), I simply think over things and let me anger burn. Then I feel a bit better and I am able to move on.

I think that as time passes and we find our groove as a family once again, that things will settle down and I can resume my "normal" life.

Well, it is late and I am tired. Not much to report today.

Thanks again for all that is being done. We appreciate it more than you can know...

Later...

Day #29- Home

I know... I know... I skipped a day. But I think you can forgive me. We were a little busy with settling in and such.

I hope you aren't sick of reading my blog yet, because I feel there will still be a lot to share with you as we work through recovery, both physically and emotionally, and all the bills that are sure to pile up. AND, you don't want to miss the transcript (as best I can remember) with my phone call to a certain Dr.'s office today. SO... on with the post!

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I did report on portions of it on Saturday's post that I finished on Sunday. Today (Monday) has been a pretty good day.  The whole family slept in. No one moved until around 8am when the phone rang. Good thing it did too...my day was disappearing and I had lots planned for today! We got the herd up and fed them breakfast. Jenni Simmons stopped by to go for a walk with my wife. They made all the way around the block- Wahoo- go Babe!

When my wife returned I handed off little missy and took all 5 older kids out back and we chopped the weeds (Okay, so at this point I realize that I should be better about taking pictures before and after) in the back yard and on the side. I tell you, the workforce that was taking care of our yard rocked it! The weeds were getting thick, but here in our town, if you aren't pulling the weeds everyday they become a forrest in no time. I have to say that considering the ages of my workforce things went pretty smoothly. It was while I was chopping weeds that I got the return phone call from the Dr.'s office. I had called and asked to speak to the doctor but was told that he was out of the office until next Monday. I then asked to talked to the billing department. The lady over billing did not answer so I left a message. I simply told her that I needed to have my account frozen until I talked with the doctor and then IF we paid it would be if we had any money left AFTER we took care of the the bill from being in the ICU for three weeks.

So, when the billing lady called back, I was wondering how it would go done. I kept my voice firm, but not rude (at least I didn't think I was). It went something like this:

Me: Hello?

Her: Is this John Hughes?

Me: Yes it is.

Her: Okay, ummm... I got your message and I need to clarify some information.

Me: Okay.

Her: So on your account I see you, your son *** and another son ***. And there is no balance. I do see that you have another account connected to yours. Ummm... is it for (my wife)?

Me: Yes. That is the one I am talking about. I want that account frozen until after I talk with Dr. ***** and we  figure out what is going to happen. We will have to decide if and when I will be paying the balance.

Her: Okay. We just sent a bill to you...

Me: I know. That is why I am calling.

Her: You did get the message that he is out of the office until Monday, correct?

Me: Yes I did. Would please have him call me when he returns?

Her: Yes. I will.

Me: Also, I need to ask about the $xxx I already paid on this account. It doesn't show the full $xxx payment on her account.

Her: Let me check... I will need to check a different view... Ok. I see that $xxx was applied to her balance and $xxx was applied to some new charges that are now on the account.

Me: Are those for ****** (my baby)?

Her: Yes.

Me: Okay. Well, again, I want the account frozen until I talk with the doctor.

Her: Okay.

Me: Have a nice day... (click)

So... I guess we will have to wait a week to see how this is all going to go down. My wife and I have talked a lot about what we want to do with regards to retaining a lawyer. We have both decided to wait and see what the full financial burden is clear and then make that decision. We have had lots of input from people, and we appreciate all your insight and thoughts. We will obviously keep you posted on what status of that decision.

The rest of the day was filled with chores, kids, and anger management practice.

Chores:
-Watered the garden and continued to water
-I washed the baby's dirty clothes
-Helped my wife get the new clothes for my youngest son out of the shed and washed
-Kept the house semi-cleaned up

Kids:
-Spent some good quality time with my littlest boy
-Enjoyed a walk with the family
-watched Gnomeo and Juliet (well, the first half anyways)

Anger Management:
-Had to really focus on the kids so I didn't yell all day long
-Feelings of anger that sit just below the surface and trying to repress said feelings
-Learning that my kids mean more than anything else and learning to apologize when I make a mistake

A big thanks to the McFarlane family for taking the kids to lunch at the school and then to the park to play. It was a nice break to have the house quiet for our babies nap for a little while. We also had Kathy Holyoak stop by for a quick hello. And Heather Parsons, amazing crafty queen that she is, brought us a plate of muffins (that made for a tasty lunch, by the way) with a Welcome Home banner and little paper house on top. It was very thoughtful.

After lunch my wife and I (and the baby) ran some errands and then we just hung out until dinner arrived. The Nolan Johnson family brought us a very tasty meal, a gift for the baby and a nice card for my wife and I (thanks for everything Johnson family...we love you people to pieces!).

After dinner, we took a nice walk together as a family and then popped in our movie. We paused it half way through for an ice cream cone break (thanks again Johnson family) and then decided to finish the movie tomorrow so all the little ones who had crashed could finish it as well.

I guess that about wraps up our day. Kent Johnson did swing by to check on us and ask about dinner for tomorrow night. It is very overwhelming to have some many people still want to help out. I mean, aren't people just sick to death of hearing about and dealing with the John Hughes family yet? Apparently not, and thanks for that.

Well, I guess we will see what tomorrow brings us. But now it is VERY late (12:50am)  and I am exhausted.

Later...

Day #27- Medical Tower, Floor 6

Day 27- this is our notice that we have beat you! BWA HA HA HA!!!
In just a few short hours we will be heading out and you will no longer have power to hold us back.

Oh the joy. The excitement. The relief. The pure happiness that can only be found in the reverie of a true celebration.

>>>>>> Fast Forward 5 Hours <<<<<

Houston, the Eagle has landed! We have made the trek home and we are loving it. So to relive the last few hours here is how it went down:

After Dr. Lichti told us that we could leave, we immediately started to pack, organize, and just be happy. It was painful to wait the two hours for my father to arrive from Green River. He was sure a welcomed sight. We loaded up with bags and "stuff" that we had collected over the past month. My wife got to ride in a wheel chair (with a load on her  lay) and my father and I trailing balloons and other things galore. We got her loaded into the Tahoe and away we went.

I can't tell you how nice it was to feel liberated from the hospital, knowing that I wouldn't have to be back later in the evening or next day or hopefully EVER! We had to stop by the guest house to gather all my crap as well. I was also able to donate one night's stay that I had paid for along with my deposit for another family who was in need. If felt good to give back a little bit.

We stopped for lunch, a quick stop at Sam's for needed food items for my wife, and then one stop break in Price at Wal-Mart to fill my wife's prescriptions before making it home.

When we pulled up our kids were all waiting by the door with a little sign hanging that said Welcome Home. Inside was another large banner that Kristin had made that said Welcome Home. It felt nice to be welcomed. The kids were so cute. Cautious but excited. It was so wonderful to have my kids piled on my lap telling me all about the things they have done or are going to do still this summer.

The night ended with everyone sleeping where ever they crashed. Our littlest one did pretty good during the night, it was just poopy to have to get up early for church meetings so I really didn't get much sleep. That is okay, it is SUMMER! :)

Well, I will try to keep up updated on the recovery phase of this experience. I get to call the dr. office on Monday and discuss the bill I just got for the c-section. That will be fun. I let you know how it works out.

Later...

Day #26- Medical Tower, Floor 6

Curse You Day #26. You are toying with my emotions.

Today started with such high hopes! I had spent quite a while last night when I got back to the guest house packing, sorting, and getting everything ready to go home with today.

I did sleep pretty well, and I was up and going by 7:15 this morning. I didn't want to miss Dr. Lichti telling us to pack it up 'cause we are outta here. Well, that isn't exactly how it went down. He came and looked and visited with my wife about her incision. He determined that we would not be going home today. That was a bit of a let down.

We had some visitors today. Greg and Heather Parsons stepped by with their two cute girls and chatted. They also presented us with a rather large amount of money that the girl's basketball team earned from their summer ball camp they hosted and had wanted to donate to us. Then she told us about a fundraiser they are going to do in the park for our family July 18th. We appreciate all the concern, support, love, and help those who are helping out. It sounds like a good many of you.

Other visitor's included our good friends from Springville, Colter and Becky Manning. They brought their three cute kids with them and were so thoughtful to stop and get us Jamba Juice smoothies. Those smoothies were mighty tasty too. Thanks you guys.

Keith Brady also stopped by today. He drove all the way up from Green River to see me. He sat and chatted with my wife and I for quite sometime. He and I ran to dinner at a Korean diner (it was VERY good!), and then we returned to go on a walk with my wife, get ice cream, and then send him off to jet back home (before 4am this time)

It has been a pretty lazy day. It feels very off, but I think that is because my body and brain expected to be sleeping in my very own king sized bed right now...

I best head out. I can't hardly stay awake and I am beyond tired. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We wouldn't be this far along with out them.

Later...

Day #25- Medical Tower, Floor 6

DAY 25

HELLOOOOOOO Day 25!

We embrace you with joy because it means we are now only 1 or 2 days away from leaving! Saturday will be the latest that we will have to stay and we are excited to escape this routine and return to the "normal" chaos of our own little home.

Dr. Lichti came before I was able to get here this morning. He told my wife that there is really nothing else he can do for her at this point. He said that if her incision was to become infected that it would do it on the outside and not the inside, but we don't want to even think about the word 'infected' right now. He also said they will start the process to get her discharged. I am sure that it will be a mountain of paperwork. They need to set up home health and whatever else. However, if it means the front door of this establishment and then my house...BRING IT!

Well, we are off for one of her four doctor ordered walks, so we will be back when she comes in for a landing!

All the Comforts of home...NOT!

That was a fantastic walk. We got to explore the hospital and I was able to show my wife all the places she had heard us talking about, like the parking garage, the grassy area in front of the hospital where the kids played when they were here, the gift shop, Cafe West, and such. She was able to go for quite a while, and I enjoyed being able to show off my wife to the hospital public. :)

After we returned we settled down with our book, The Bishop's Bride and we read almost the entire book. We were doing good until the part at the end about an emergency C-section and then we both lost it. We had to stop reading for a while. Seriously...what is going on with us! It was time for lunch anyways, so I ran up and grabbed something to eat and ate with her in the room while she at her yummy tray of food.

After she ate, we went for the second of the assigned four walks. This time we went to yet another part of the hospital. I even walked her outside and around to the Cafe West entrance. We wandered a bit and returned her to her room. She is getting so good at walking, I almost forget that she has an abdominal wound. Her progress is definitely due to divine intervention. There is no other way that we would be in the wonderful position we are currently in. Believe me. The doctors are still in awe at her rapid recovery.

Flowers from our garden!

When we returned, we were able to finish off the book. We made it to the end without crying- that was a victory! It was a great read. Not too sappy, just a fun, quick read. We were pleasantly surprised (and we shouldn't have been surprised...I forgot I knew) with a visit from Stan and Teri Parsons. Teri came in the room with a big vase of fresh flowers and a quick explanation. These flowers are from our rose bushes and day lilly plants  from home. They were a VERY welcomed sight. We are very appreciative of the time and effort they put into bringing these (and thanks Morgan for helping her get them picked from the yard).

The Parsons stayed and visited for quite a while. It was nice to hear of home, share updates of lives, and laugh. All too soon they needed to get on the road to their next destination. We said goodbye and they headed out.

This took us to dinner time. Again, they forgot my wife's tray. It was almost an hour after dinner time when the door opened and the aide asked if my wife had not wanted her dinner. I told her she was never OFFERED her dinner. Grrrrrrrrr. After I got her settled in with her dinner,  I went down and grabbed some food (you will be proud of me- I have been taking the stairs each time I am alone. Let me tell you...six flights of stairs is A LOT of stairs!) and returned to eat with my wife. She was talking with her sister in PA, and we both had a great visit with her while we dined.

After dinner we went for one last walk for the night. That was our third of four. We didn't make the goal, but three good walks was awesome. This walk found us in the OR and Emergency area of the hospital. We were wandering down a random hall when we both stopped and looked ahead. It was the hallway from some horror movie where it is really long, white, doors all along the wall and no one in sight. We both decided to turn around and find a more inhabited area of the hospital.

After our walk, we settled in for a quiet last evening of reading and updating blogs and journals. We were again surprised to have my cousin Phil, his wife Melissa, and youngest daughter stop by. We were so excited to see them. We truly appreciate the time and effort it took to come and see us. They aren't far away, but when you have a young family, doing anything turns into an "event". So thanks for coming and visiting!

A Pedi from a friend

 Just as they were leaving, Kelly Perry arrived. She had called and told us that she wanted to visit. Since we hope to be leaving tomorrow, we are glad she was able to swing in! She gave my wife a pedicure (well, mostly a pedicure). They talked and talked and and laughed and visited. I chimed in here and there but spent most of the time writing in my daily journal.

I will be glad to have this over. I feel almost like I am now locked into writing everything down each day. I think what started as a way to remember everything has turned into a seemingly mundane task. I don't want to finish and I am getting weary of doing it. Anyways, it won't matter much longer and we will be glad to have such a descriptive record of this event.

I guess I should wrap this up and head back to the guest house. It is 12:36am and I am exhausted. My last night in the guest house. What a blessing that place has been over the past 25 days. Thank you to everyone who provided us with the financial assistance that allowed me to stay so close to my wonderful and now healthy wife.

My challenge to everyone who reads this post is to find the one(s) you love and tell them how much they mean to you and that you love them. Tell them now while you can! It is important to express those feelings frequently because you don't know when that chance will be taken away. Again, thank you for your calls, e-mails, texts, FB posts, and other help. We love you all...

Later...

Day #24- Adult ICU & Main Floor, Floor 6, RM# E683

Our 24th day here! It has been a good, but long day.
The best part of this day was that my wife got to hold her special little girl. I can't describe the feeling of joy and peace I get when I see her looking at her baby. The instant love, joy, and overwhelming need to hold her little one fulfilled is almost too much on my emotionally drained soul. Our baby looked so perfect in her little sun dress (see picture) from one awesome auntie! Thanks to you...you know who you are!

As you can see from the picture below, I think that I may have enjoyed holding my little princess as well. She is so perfect. So sweet. So innocent. I just feel peaceful when I hold her close and think of how sweet she is. How fresh from heaven. I always wonder what special message theses little ones are supposed to deliver to us.

Today started for me at 6:15 am when the alarm went off and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I found that I had fallen asleep with the lights on and the TV running. My notebook was on my lap and my pen was still in my hand. I think I was just a little tired. I moved the notebook, rolled over and slept until 7:30am. I was up, showered, and greeting my wife by just after 8am. I think this whole experience is really finally starting to get to me. I thought that I was strong enough to make it to the end, but I am not so sure anymore.

While we were visiting today (the Adult-ICU nurse had opened the physician consultation room that is just off the regular visitor's room so we could be away from the other people in the waiting room on the second floor) the doctor that had performed her hysterectomy "found" us and went over the information we had been hoping to know more about.

I got to relive all the horror, guilt, anger, and relief as he explained what he had been a part of in her first surgery. He explained that he had been there when the the surgery started, but had to leave to do a C-section. He returned over an hour later to find them working to identify her internal organs because the infection was so bad and rampant that they couldn't decipher organs. They had to have a urologist come in, the OBGYN, and I believe two surgeons. Over either hours later they finished. He said that  she was so full of infection that they couldn't even find her ovaries or tubes. He mentioned several times he was appalled at the number of abscesses and the level of infection that was in her body. He also commented repeatedly how surprised he was to see her looking so good. That was the good part.

PIC line in her arm.

We have an appointment set up for 3 weeks from now in Orem with a doctor that comes highly recommended by a close friend (thanks Becky). It was quite humorous actually because Dr. Lichti told us there really isn't any one in Price we could go to. We totally agree on that one! Price really isn't ever an option in the future for medical care...

We also had another visitor today. Philip Zwahlen stopped by with a book his wife sent for me to read. It was written by his wife's sisters. It is called Mark of Royalty. I have only read a couple chapters and I like it a lot! Very interesting story line. I am excited to finish it so I can get it back to Julie. I may have to buy a copy for my classroom. I think many of my students would like it...at least what I have read so far...

PIC line out of her arm- IT IS LONG!

 Kristin Robertson is the angel that brought our sweet baby to see us. She ran some errands while we fussed over our little one. Kristin, as have countless others, has gone above and beyond to help us. We can't tell everyone how much we appreciate all the help we have received. I know I type that everyday, but it still seems far from adequate.

When Kristin returned from her errands, we were told we would get to move to the 6th floor of the medical tower. Wahoo! The nurse still needed to remove the staples from her incision and also remove her pic line. I was proud of myself for not passing out as they removed all the staples (I did have to sit down, but I held the plastic tray and counted them as the nurse removed them). We counted 44 staples. I am sure that the count is a "give or take one or two" situation. But, remember...I didn't pass out!

The 44 Staples from her incision

The PIC line was another story all-together. In order to remove the PIC line, they had to first add a smaller IV line on her arm. It took them two nurses, four tries, and two blown veins to get it in. I was totally sitting down through all of that part. Watching, but sitting as to avoid the floor. Then, when they finished, her nurse pulled out the PIC line. As you can see from the picture, it was in there a long, long ways. Phew. Glad that I was sitting down. After all that was said and done, we had to load up all the "stuff" what we have collected (in two wheelchairs. One for her and one for all of the "stuff" we have been hauling around).

Need a shoe box? We have one...

We got my wife settled in and I went and got the baby and Kristin who were still waiting on the second floor. From there we enjoyed a relaxing late afternoon visiting, eating dinner, and holding the baby. All too soon, it was time for the baby to go. The nurses finally got my wife's dinner tray to her TWO HOURS LATE! Because she moved floors at meal time, her tray wasn't moved with her and they had to order a "late tray". When it finally came, there were three of them because they had called multiple times to get a tray, so I got a second dinner...just what I needed. But it WAS good. (The cafeteria was having "school days" tonight when we went to eat. I was totally like, SERIOUSLY???? So I had a corn dog and tater tots for dinner. Blah....).

As you can see from the picture, this room is on the little side. I mean...WOW! Just another reason to GET OUT OF HERE! In fact, her info board has a spot for a daily goal and I wrote" Get Out Of Here!". Probably not nice to the nurses on this floor, but I mean it as OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. 24 days is a very, very long time!

That bring us to now. I have been writing this post for almost 2 hours (off and on, probably more off than on) as I have helped my wife, checked FB, and e-mailed. I am excited that our saga here is coming to an end. It is surreal to think that in just three or four days I can be sleeping on my own bed, knowing that my babies are all in the next room, and that this whole ordeal is behind us. I think a part of me will always be worried about infection in my wife or children. But, I also know that I will be much more proactive in the future.

I guess I best sign off as it is late and I need to get to the Guest House and get some sleep. My eyes feel like they are going to fall right out on to my key board...

Later...

Day #23- Adult ICU

Twenty-Three Days. Wow.
With it comes another angry day. I think it started when I called the doctors office of the man who assisted in my wife C-section about 7 weeks ago. I had called and asked to speak to their billing department (seeing how I had received his bill for assisting and considering I am a little busy helping my wife I didn't have access to the needed resources to pay it, and honestly, I was angry to even receive the bill) and was told that the billing lady was not in the office and could she call me when she returned. I gave them my cell-phone number and waited.

and waited...

and waited...

Finally the call came in. It went down something like this:

Me: Hello

Her: Is this John Hughes?

Me: Why yes it is.

Her: I am calling from Dr. Brady's office. I was told you had a question about a bill we sent you?

Me: Actually I was calling to tell you that I will not be paying the bill until I can get home. You see, I have been sitting with my wife in the ICU at Utah Valley Regional as a result of the surgery that Dr. XXXXX assisted with.

Her: (Stammering) Umm...ok...I will..uh...put a note on the file....um....stating that what you just said. ok?

Me: That would be great.

Her: Have a nice... (CLICK- I hang up)

Me: (In my head) Why us? I am SO angry about this! (To my wife) We don't have to worry about that bill until we get home.


The rest of the day has been spent waiting and waiting and waiting for them to move my wife to the 6th floor like was discussed at 9am this morning. In fact, the nurse that has been on shift has pretty much ignored my wife all day as they thought she would be moving. That helped me feel less angry, let me tell you.

I guess I am just mad because I should be home with my kids who need me, I should be sitting in my summer professional development classes learning what I need to know to be a better math teacher next year, I need to sort out the left overs of my school year...

Upon inspection you will notice that the last several sentences started with "I". It is pretty selfish, to say the least, and I know that. It just adds to the anger and frustration I already feel.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (breath) HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

There. I guess that helped a teeny tiny bit.

Let's turn our discussion to my wife. She has had an amazing day as far as accomplishing things. She has ALL tubes removed from her body, so she is up and down much more often now. The best part, she can get up and down almost all by her self now. The only part she needs help with (and she CAN do it if she has too) is get her feet back on the bed.

We even went for a pretty long walk. We went up by the ICU she started in and then down to the main lobby, around by the gift shop and up the elevators in the Adult ICU waiting room and around the Adult ICU square before coming in for a landing. She also had her last PT session this morning. So she is a PT graduate.

We did have a visitor this afternoon. Scott Roberston stopped in and visited with us for a few minutes. It was nice to see someone from home again. It helps to anchor me a little. I wish I could explain what I am feeling inside right now...

I am not sure I even know what it is, or what is causing it. Honestly, I don't even have the energy to try and figure it out right now. What I think I will do is go on a long walk and just not think about anything. I guess being numb has its advantages.

Maybe when I return and continue this post I will feel much better. Until then...

I did a lap around the hospital block...which is HUGE. I even blocked everything but breathing and walking out of my head. I can't tell you anything I thought about other than distance and how warm it was. Sadly, it didn't help. But, it was nice to be outside.

When I got back I helped my wife get out of bed to use the restroom and then dozed in my chair. My aunt called and asked if they could come and visit. They showed up not to long afterwards. We had a very nice visit. They were very kind and brought our baby girl a new little outfit and a very cute pink giraffe musical toy. For my wife, they brought a night gown and nice robe. It was very thoughtful and we appreciate it very much.

My wife had her dinner and did a good job eating. I was proud of her. She seems to be getting her appetite back slowly but surely.

This evening we have just chilled and watched TV. My 6 year-old did call to ask if he could play his DS, so I was proud of him for asking even though he knows we aren't home. We watched America's Got Talent, which is really just an embarrassment to America for most of the people they put on there. There are a few people with real talent, like the russian bar lady. But Tron guy...really? Or the needle lady that stuck needles through her legs...???

After AGT, we watched The Voice. I really like the format, I am just not really liking most of the contestants songs. You would think that music stars know how to choose songs for their teams, but, sadly it isn't so.

Well, I am going to be heading out to the Guest House in a minute. I am very tired and feeling very depressed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

I guess I could add that we did NOT get moved to the main floor today. They didn't have any rooms. So we are still in the Adult ICU until one opens up...or I guess we go home. I am hoping for Friday of this week, but am guessing it will be more like Monday of next week. Only time and Dr. Lichti will tell...

Later...

My Current Daily Routine (in Pictures...)

Day #22- Adult ICU (And the Answer Is...)

We'll skip the depressing reflection segment this morning and get right on with the day.

My wife wanted me back early this morning, so I knew I needed to try and get to sleep a little earlier. So much for that. I didn't leave her room until almost 1am, and then I had to go and put away all my clean clothes and remake my bed (I had taken all the sheets and washed them). By the time all was said and done (and I didn't turn on my computer or TV) it was almost 2am again. I guess that is just the time I will be going to bed. I can't seem to beat that time regardless of my best intentions.

When the alarm went off at 6:15am this morning, I didn't hit snooze or anything. I got up, got showered and dressed and headed out. I was here by 7am giving my wife her good morning kiss. She had been able to get two of the six cups down for her CT scan by the time I arrived...I knew my amazing wife could do it.

Taken on 6-13-11. Good to see your smile!

 She got the drinks down and went down to have her CT scan. While she was gone I apparently feel asleep because when they came back her wheel chair hit the door to open it and I about jumped out of my skin. lol.

She went straight into her physical therapy session. She did 6 laps around the Adult-ICU block. I thought she only did four, but I guess I was still sleeping through some of it. After her last lap she settled in and I read out loud to her again. We both cried... again! Seriously, what is up with this book. It is so good, but annoying me because of the high emotion of it all. There was an amazing quote in there though. In the book, a sister's house burns down and she has to let the ward help her. The other sister helping her tells her not to be overwhelmed by all the out pouring of love and support even though it feels like a debt in heaven. She told her that before too long, she will be asked to help someone else and that debt will be repaid. She called it the "economy of heaven".  I thought that was a great way to look at it. Our goal for our family this year was to provide more service. I just didn't think that we would be the one's allowing others to provide it! We thought it would be US doing the service... funny how things can be turned around on you.

I LOVE YOU BABE!!!!

I headed up to lunch while my wife rested. She had said her sisters Cassy and Jennie would be here around noon and I wanted to be done eating. I had just purchased my food and was sitting down when Cassy called and said she was here. I just laughed. I thought it was pretty funny. I told her how to get to the Adult-ICU waiting room and where my wife's room was. I ate my lunch and returned to find Cassy visiting with my wife.

Because her sisters brought their children, they had planned to take turns visiting so one could watch the kids, but my wife was a real trooper and walked out to the waiting room and sat in a wheel chair so she could visit with both of them together. It was nice to sit and visit and enjoy lots of kids being crazy and having fun. In fact, I took the three older kids up to the cafeteria and bought them treats to eat. It was a pleasure to be "Uncle John" for a bit.

Looking SO much better!

My wife got tired after a while and I could tell she needed to return to her room and lay down. So, I helped her get back to the room (Cassy helped as well). We got her settled in and then her sisters decided to go and feed their kids. While they were gone we just resumed chilling. They ended up coming back and Jennie came in to visit for a few minutes. While she was here Dr. Lichti made his rounds. He came in and told us that her scan looked pretty good, that the one little problem was a pocket of air (we can't remember if this is correct) in her incision, but that her abdomen was clean. He also said that her drains could come out. He told us that we (Jennie and I) may want to leave if we get queasy. I really thought about stepping out, but I knew I needed to be there for my wife. She had me hold her hand while they took out all five drains. She said that it didn't hurt, but just felt really, really, weird. I couldn't believe how much tubing she had inside of her. One of the drains was probably 2 feet long INSIDE of her. I thought maybe Dr. Lichti was performing a magic trick.

After all the drains were out, he told us that she would be going to the main floor tomorrow, that he was putting her on solid foods, and that he hoped to have us home by the weekend. That last one floored us a little bit. I guess we will see how it all works out. Her sisters had to leave shortly after Dr. Lichti left.

My wife was getting excited because her baby was going to be in her arms soon. My sister-in-law was waiting out on the patio with her. In fact, I had to run up and hold her while my wife came behind because my niece had a dr. appointment across the street. I enjoyed those few brief moments with my little one. She is so sweet, and beautiful, and perfect. I loved looking at her sweet little face and enjoying having her look back. My wife made it out on to the patio, got sat down, and I had the pleasure of setting her baby in her arms. As my wife talked to her, my little girl simply opened her eyes wide and looked in to my wife's eyes. My wife asked her if she remembered her (that part made my heart break...) and my little one continued to look into her eyes. It was a special moment and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of it.

She was able to be with, hold, feed, burp, snuggle, talk to, and enjoy her sweet little one for about 2 1/2 hours. It was wonderful to simply sit and let her enjoy it all. While she was with Shlisa and Michaela, I excused myself and went to pay my Guest House bill. Funny story there. I got all the way down to the registrar to pay and realized that I had left the money I needed to pay with in my bag in my wife's room. So, I got some extra exercise (I have started using the stairs...YEA ME!) and came back up to the room, got, what I needed and then back to pay. What should have taken 10 minutes ended up taking almost 30 minutes. But that is okay. I just can't say enough good things about our experience here.

All too soon, it was time to send our little girl back to Green River with Aunt Shlisa, and it was time for my wife to lay down. My wife handled the whole thing really, really well and I was proud of her for that. After we returned to her room, we (the nurse and I) got her settled in and comfortable. I then headed out for dinner with Mr. Z. He treated me to Carrabbas. It was good eats. I also really enjoyed the good conversation and humor. After dinner we went to get frozen yogurt. We also stopped by Seagull Book. I finally broke down and bought Popcorn Bopping.  I have been thinking about this for a couple months. When I shared the link with my wife to see what she thought my 3 year-old LOVED it and wanted her to keep playing them. I hope they like it. I know I love it.

After I returned from my adventure with Mr. Z, I just had time to sit down and talk to my wife for a moment before our good friends Roger and Kelly Perry stopped by. It was so nice to see them again. We hadn't seen Roger for almost 6 years, so it was nice to visit with him. It was also excellent to have Kelly back to visit. It had been a while since we had seen her around. They stayed until around 10:15pm. It was sure a nice time to catch up and share the current updates about my wife, our kids, and their family.

Now they are gone I guess I should end this HUGE posting and head to bed. I am very, very tired. However, I am excited to share the pictures and the good news. I am hoping that before we know it, we will being blogging from home and talking about our kids again.

Have a wonderful night blogland...

Goodnight

(Later...)