Hits and Misses (September 21-27)

Here's my weekly glimpse back at the week that was.

HITS

• It's always great fun to hear from friends that they are actually reading my blog posts. I just enjoy knowing that something I have written brought a smile.
• After missing my chiropractor appointment at the end of last week, it was great to get back to see the doctor and continue dealing with my pain. What a blessing!
• For several years, I have been driving to Collierville to get my hair cut. I loved the stylists there, but now that I'm not working in the area, I rarely find myself headed to that part of the city. This week, I tried a new salon much closer to home and was very pleased with the outcome. So I guess I've officially become a client of Joseph's Salon and Day Spa in Marion, Arkansas. 
• This week saw the first of the semester's recital hearings that I will be involved in at Union. After experiencing some vocal issues late last week, the student sang beautifully on the departmental recital and was clearly prepared for the hearing. Two pieces were selected by the faculty, and they immediately commented that they were looking forward to hearing the entire program. That was truly the easiest recital hearing I've ever been involved with!

 MISSES

• Even though I love making music, sometimes I hate long rehearsals. I especially struggle with them at the end of the week. I made it through without showing my bad attitude TOO clearly.
• My brother and sister-in-law were staying with us this week to help with Dad's transition home from the hospital. It was a comfort to have them around, but it also made for a very crowded living space. I'm not fond of being in tight spaces at all, but we make the best of it for the common good sometimes.
• I have had my fill of divas this week. It's hard enough to deal with a diva who also has the professional chops to support her demanding tone. When a student who has limited experience takes on the diva attitude though, that's when my claws come out too! Don't whine to me about how busy you are or that you can't simply get everything done......just do it! And then realize that you are only a diva in your own mind; the rest of us know that you are merely annoying. Can I get an Amen? Yeah, that's what I though.

There you have it. Have a great beginning to Pumpkin Month, y'all!

Transformed!

The church I am attending (Marion First Baptist) is in the process of being transformed. Through a series of eight sermons, the congregation is exploring how God wants to transform our health spiritually, physically, financially, relationally, emotionally, and vocationally. (There is another area that I am not recalling at the moment.) The sermon series uses Romans 12:1-2 as its key verse.

In the sermon on spiritual health, the following statement was made: "What we think influences how we feel. What we feel influences how we act." What a powerful concept! If we want change in our lives, it is not an issue of will-power or an emotional event. True change begins in the mind. We first have to change the way we think.

To illustrate this point, Dr. Hallmark had us look at the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15. In this familiar story we see a great change in the son's thinking. In verse 12, the son is most concerned about what is due him. His first words are "Give me!" By verse 19, the proof of his transformation is clear. "Give me" has been replaced with "make me." Rather than focusing on what he can get, the son seeks to find out how he can serve his father as an act of love for the forgiveness he had received.

This was the first time I had ever considered this parable in this light. I have to admit that it brought some conviction. I've enjoyed sitting in congregations for nearly a year with a "give me" attitude. I wanted to enjoy the services without making any type of commitment. I was being a free-loader.

That's no way to live a spiritually healthy life. For a season, I was experiencing some much needed healing and restoration. That season has passed, but I had gotten comfortable in my "give me" mentality. I wasn't necessarily saying "no"; I just wasn't permitting anyone to be aware of the abilities I had to offer.

Now I'm finding myself praying "make me" again. Show me how I can serve. Place me in the body as it pleases You, Lord. The proverbial pew has become too comfortable, so it's time to get up and get my hands involved in ministry again.

There has already been a little guilt to deal with. I've been unable to assist with some projects due to schedule conflicts, previous commitments, and Dad's health issues. Saying "no" is never easy for me. I immediately heard the accusing voice declaring that people are going to think I'm all talk and no commitment. I refuse to believe that to be the case. I won't allow unfounded guilt to steal my "make me" attitude. After all, I'm pursuing transformation one step at a time. It's past time for this caterpillar to break out of his cocoon and fly!

A Summer of Doctor's Appointments

Summer is always a great time to fit in doctor's visits for the Geriatric Patients because my work schedule is less hectic. This summer, my focus was entirely on Dad. When he made the initial appointment to have his hearing evaluated after having avoided family encouragement to do so for nearly 5 years, I jumped while I had the chance. Little did we know then that this single visit would result in triple bypass surgery -- a surgery which quite possibly saved his life.

How in the world did we go from hearing issues to heart surgery? That's a lengthy story. Let me take you blow by blow through the past several months. (For all of you health professionals reading this, I am not claiming to be completely accurate in my statements; these are a layman's recollection of our experiences this summer.)

June 10, 2014 - Dad has his first appointment with Dr. Long at ENT Midsouth. We were referred to Dr. Long due to an extremely narrow ear canal that made it impossible to achieve a proper seal during his initial hearing evaluation. After a thorough evaluation, Dr. Long scheduled an auditory scan and referred us to Methodist Sleep Center for a re-evaluation of Dad's CPAP.

June 23, 2014 - Dad returns to ENT Midsouth for the auditory scan. Hearing loss is classified as moderately severe. Before fitting for hearing aids, Dr. Long wants to have an MRI completed to rule out any sort of tumor that might be causing his hearing loss.

June 30, 2014 - Our visit with Methodist Sleep Center is quite possibly the most important doctor's visit of the summer. While speaking with the doctor, Dad reveals that he has experienced mild chest pains and some shortness of breath after carrying groceries into the kitchen from the car. (This was the first that I had ever heard of these complaints.) Dad estimates that this condition has existed for nearly 2 years. As the doctor listens to Dad's chest, he notices what seems to be a heart murmur. Dad is referred to a cardiologist and is to have an echo cardiogram performed; the test is scheduled for late July.

July 10, 2014 - MRI ordered by Dr. Long is completed. Test returns with normal results. We will proceed with fitting of hearing aids.

July 31, 2014 - Echo cardiogram at Methodist University Hospital. Results suggest no problems with heart.

August 4, 2014 - Dad and I meet with Dr. Aven of Memphis Hearing Aid for initial consult. Devices are selected and ordered.

August 8, 2014 - Initial appointment with Dr. Kraus of Stern Cardiovascular Clinic. Dr. Kraus identifies the heart murmur, but isn't concerned by it. Nothing in the exam suggests a problem, but the complaints are not to be ignored. A calcium score and stress test are scheduled and prescription for nitroglycerine is given.

August 11, 2014 - Return visit to Memphis Hearing Aid to pick up devices and have them calibrated for Dad's initial use. We are to return at the end of August for follow up and fine tuning of the hearing aids. (As you will see, this return visit is still pending Dad's recovery.)

August 18, 2014 - Calcium score and stress test at Stern Cardiovascular. Dad completes 3:00 of slow walking on the treadmill before the test is stopped. The phone call I received that afternoon was what I most feared. Dad had completely failed the stress test, the EKG was off the charts, and there was significant lack of oxygen to the heart. A heart cath was scheduled for the following week. We were told to arrive at the hospital prepared to be admitted if the issue could not be resolved by the heart cath alone.

August 21, 2014 - I receive a frantic call from Mom that Dad had to be rushed to Stern Cardiovascular to have some blood work done to ensure that his liver and kidneys were healthy enough to undergo the procedure. If the labs were not completed on that day, the cath would be rescheduled.

August 26, 2014 - Heart cath at Baptist East. Dr. Kraus informs us that stints could not be placed to correct the heart issues. Four significant blockages existed and bypass surgery was necessary as soon as possible. Dad was admitted to the hospital immediately and began the process of allowing his blood to thicken so surgery could be performed.

August 28, 2014 - Dad undergoes triple bypass surgery that afternoon. Surgery goes smoothly from all reports.

Dad spent four days in cardiac ICU before transitioning to a step down unit. While recovering, Dad experienced a post-operative GI blockage, AFIB, and blood clots which lengthened his hospital stay. Mom was by his side during his entire stay with the exception of two nights that we convinced her to leave in order to get some rest until he was finally discharged.

September 19, 2014 - Dad is discharged from the hospital and returned home.

So the journey that Dad and I began in June is finally winding down some 15 weeks after it all began with a simple trip to the ENT for hearing aids! Neither of us expected it to take this turn in a million years. Even though we're both tired from running to see all of these doctor's, I don't think either of us regret any of it. Not only has it brought Dad the opportunity to enjoy many more years of healthy life, it also created a bond between the two of us that no one else shares. We've been through it together this summer.....and I'm thrilled to know that we will have many more years to continue making memories together!

Hits and Misses (September 14-20)

Another week has come and gone. Here's a look back at the week that was...

HITS

• DAD FINALLY CAME HOME!!! It's been a long summer and ended with a long hospital stay. On Wednesday, I'll share this summer's timeline that led to our recent hospital stay. We're just happy to have Dad home again where we can take care of his needs, ensure he gets the rest he needs, and enjoy time with him in the comfort of our home.
• I love the Fall for many reasons, one of which is all of the new books that are released. I post release dates on my calendar to make sure I get the latest works by my favorite authors as soon as they are available. This week I picked up Ken Follett's novel, Edge of Eternity. This is the final installment in his Century Trilogy that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far. I'm hoping to finish my current book early this week so I can dive into Follett's depiction of the 1960s and 1970s.
• On Friday, the first recital of the semester was a success. I assisted Dr. Stanley Warren, vocal professor at Union University, in a community recital featuring American songs. It was a fun program to play, a pleasure to prepare with Stan, and the subsequent luncheon was wonderful! It was definitely the way I like to get things started. Now I shift my focus to the three recitals scheduled for October.

MISSES

• This week saw three sessions of unsuccessful auditions for a high school cabaret that I have volunteered to do music for. We saw a grand total of four students. It's discouraging to have such a poor turn out. It's also poor timing since my mind is elsewhere with Dad's care right now. I'm following through because I made a verbal commitment, not because I'm actually interested in the production. Oh well....such is the life of the musician at times.
• With all of the busyness of the past few weeks, I am finding that I have very little time to read at the moment. That really is a tragedy for me. I sense my stress level rising because I'm not devoting time to my favorite method of escapism. I'm hoping that things will turn around this week in this area, but I also know that I have to devote time to other things that have been neglected in recent weeks. We'll just have to watch and see how soon my reading life returns to a normal routine.
• Prepping for Dad's return home was a challenge. There was so much uncertainty about when he would be coming home and what would be needed that it was impossible to do much advance preparation. I'm all about advance preparation; I don't handle flying by the seat of my pants very well. Now that he's home, the continued prep is even slower because his care is my primary concern and responsibility.
• On Saturday, I got sent out to do the grocery shopping while Mom stayed home to rest. (As a side note, the geriatric patient went on a FIELD TRIP for ice cream with the grands while I was at the grocery. Yeah, I'm not gonna let that one go for a while....) I love to cook when I have a recipe to follow. I HATE shopping for fresh produce though. I don't feel as though I know what I'm looking for. With Dad's new diet restrictions, I was quickly frustrated as I compared labels without another set of eyes along to help think through the information with me. Not being able to find things in the grocery didn't help my mood very much either. Thankfully, a wonderful friend saw my frustration and came to my aid (even though we STILL haven't found purple hull peas in the supermarket!). 

There you have it! We're definitely expecting a good week here in the Geriatric Ward and wish you a blessed week as well.

Wearing the Wrong Pants

Despite my offers to handle things, Mom insisted on coming home for an afternoon while Dad was in the hospital to take care of the laundry. (I seem to have a vague recollection of pink t-shirts and underwear when I was in college that may explain her feelings about my laundry skills. The specifics seem to be fading from memory now....) Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my Mom is also susceptible to laundry mistakes.

It had been another long week filled with teaching, rehearsals, and daily trips to the hospital. When Friday finally rolled around, I was a bit perturbed that I had to conduct a student conference on a day I was scheduled to be off work. Heaven forbid that faculty appear on campus wearing anything less than business casual! On this particular Friday, I was impressed that I had managed to pull clothes from the closet that actually matched and got them on my body successfully. I barely remember getting dressed at all.

As the day progressed, I began to notice that I was having issues with my slacks. My heel was getting caught in the cuff. My belt was singed tightly against my waist, but the pants did not feel normal. I began to think that all of the busyness of the last few weeks had equated to some weight loss. When visiting the men's room, I had to check that the clasp was still in tact. My pants were entirely too loose.

As I was driving home, I decided it was time to check the tags and figure out what was going on. Upon inspection, I realized that I had been wearing my dad's pants all day long. Dad's waistband is four inches larger than mine! How in the world had this happened? Then it dawned on me...Mom had dealt with the laundry last weekend while barely able to keep her eyes open. She hung Dad's pants in my closet! After shaking my head at her mistake, I was very thankful that the slacks had stayed around my waist all day. A single tug caused by a missed step could have resulted in a breezy and embarrassing situation with my -- or Dad's -- pants gathered around my ankles.

It's safe to assume that I will be paying closer attention to the tags in all of my clothes for at least the next few weeks. And I'll smile to know that my potential wardrobe malfunction has not had the chance for a repeat performance.

Saying Thanks

The past few weeks have driven home the fact that sometimes words are insufficient. As Dad's recovery in the hospital appeared to begin winding down, my family and I reflected on the many expressions of kindness we had received from friends. We were overwhelmed by the compassionate care we received from the exceptional doctors and nurses. I found myself wanting to express my sincere gratitude to everyone, but somehow the mere words "thank you" seemed so insufficient.

Sending cards seemed to be the best solution I could find to come close to expressing myself. There's just something about the process of selecting a card and taking the few moments needed to put thoughts and emotions on paper that communicate your sincere feelings. Even though the words still fall short, the activity begins to express appreciation. My only regret is that it is simply impossible to contact every single individual that has positively impacted my family.

As I wrote my notes to friends, I found myself wondering why I only send cards when life's "big" events hit. Not only do the messages tell others what's on my heart, but they also become a type of prayer of thankfulness and blessing on the people I'm writing. Can you imagine the effect a card might have on a friend who receives it "just because"? Email is a quicker method of communication. Facebook and Twitter are much easier. Still, there's a special feeling we get when we receive a hand written message by snail mail. It required some effort. It took some time. It says "I am special."

What name just crossed your mind? Stop what you're doing and send them a card today. Tell them you are thinking about them.....I'm sure it will brighten their day!

Hits and Misses (September 7-13)

Here's a look back at the week that was....

HITS

• This week has been filled with making music. It's been wonderful to get back to a semi-normal routine and start to prepare for upcoming recitals.
• It's also been good to live life with less pain. My visits to the chiropractor seem to be making a huge difference in my quality of life.

MISSES

• Another week in the hospital has been the pits. Just as it seemed we were overcoming Dad's GI issues, we learned at the end of the week that he has a blood clot in his left leg. I'm starting to wonder if we're ever going to catch a break.
• Conferences with students who have made false accusations are never fun. What I really want to do is read them the riot act. Instead, I have to smooth things over with them. One of these days I truly hope to be out of this environment that instills an unreasonable sense of entitlement in young people.
• I hate feeling frustration. As the week wound down, I found my frustration level rising. Things I had warned others about came to pass. People not communicating with each other led to my time being wasted. I have absolute certainty that the resulting issues will ultimately end up on my plate to deal with even though they were not originally my responsibility. When other people aren't interested in planning ahead, I get stressed because I know a crisis looms simply because adequate time wasn't left to deal with things in an appropriate manner.
• I also despise going into a week facing a responsibility I really am not looking forward to. I tried to back out of this commitment a few weeks ago, but couldn't. Now I'm going into a long project that I have no desire to be involved in and I'm already looking for the escape route before the project has even begun. Sounds like the perfect formula for a really fulfilling experience for everyone involved, huh?

And there you have it! Here's hoping that this week is a much needed improvement.