D.A.R.E. to Beat Drugs & Violence

Eli receiving his D.A.R.E. Certificate

Hello every one my name is Eli I am going to tell you how to be drug free and to keep you bodies healthy.

First I’ll tell you some things about smoking.  It causes lung disease, has 200 known poisons, goes to all body parts and is illegal less than the age of 18, makes your hair and clothes smell bad. Now for alcohol, it’s very dangerous and causes you to make car crashes and makes you act crazy and you won’t be able to control yourself.

Peer pressure there’s pressure, treason, bullying, friendly, positive, and tempting peer pressure.   Now how to say no to drugs.  Say no giving a reason or a fact changing a subject, repeated recourse or keep saying no use humor, saying stuff randomly to confuse them.

The  D.A.R.E. rules:  Raise your hand - one person speaks at a time,  be positive and respectful a put down can hurt feelings, observe and use the quiet signal, use the words someone I know instead of telling their name when saying a story, answer only the questions that are comfortable to you.

I am going to tell you what dare design making model is: 

Define - describe the problem.

            Assess - What are your choices?

            Respond – Make a choice. Use the facts and information you have gathered.

            Evaluate – Review your decision. Did you make the right choice? 

I felt fine about D.A.R.E. I think it was just okay. That’s how I felt about it.   I hope you like my D.A.R.E. Report. To make wise choices and don’t use drugs.

A Slow Climb

Just got a call from my family doctor.  Hemoglobin (red blood count) is up to 109!!  Her words, "it's slowly climbing up to normalcy."

Wacky Hair Day

Scholastic Book Fair Wacky Hair Day Nov. 18/11

Panic Turned To Yes I Can

Ten and a half years ago my mother-in-law Martie was saying goodbye to us and as she drove away I had nothing but sure panic in me.  How was I going to cope with 2 kids and 1 of me?!!  Not long after I did realize I could do it.

She's helped us many times since then but for the first time that feeling hit me again as we said our goodbyes this morning.  She's spent the last two weeks taking care of us as I recover from yet another surgery but it's time for her to return to her hubby and for me to return to reality. 

I will truly miss her caring ways, she's one amazing lady and I know I have the BEST mother-in-law in the world (too bad for you) and because of her the BEST hubby in the world (again, too bad for you)!  Not enough flowers or thank yous can express my gratitude but sincerely from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU Martie!! 

Now it's time to buck it up and get on with life.

Healing

Surgery was late Tuesday, November 8th evening and recovery is coming along.  I struggled waking up or at least it sure felt like a really long time for the 'fog' to finally be lifted.  Bright and early the morning of the 9th my gynecologist was kind enough to make a quick visit to inform me that surgery had gone well, they might have to give me more blood but needed to check what my levels are at, they took everything they said they would, ovaries looked good so as planned they were able to stay but within the same breath he also proceeded to tell me that he was very alarmed to have found a polyp in my uterus and that it's already been sent away for testing.  Then left and I bawled.

That morning I realized I think for the first time that I have a real fear of cancer coming back.  Had he spoken to me when I was mentally stable (keep in mind surgery had only happened 10 hours ago and I was still in a state of 'heavy fog') it wouldn't have been so dramatic.  We already knew I had at least one fibroid and in all the reading I had done about that polyps had been mentioned too.  Many women deal with polyps and the cancer rate in a polyp found in the uterus is really low but there is still that chance..... I sitll have another week before I find out the results.

Now a week later and the healing is slow but progressing.  The staples were removed yesterday.  I never did need another blood transfusion, however, my levels did drop to just below 100 from surgery and so I've been prescribed iron pills for the next couple months to get my levels back up to where they should be.  Downfall is that the pills make me extremely nasueas and I've rediscovered I don't do nasuea well at all!  We've since switched to a liquid formula which seems to be much easier on my stomach but the nasuea still lingers a bit.

6 to 8 week recovery time please go fast!

A Positive

When I was approximately 10 years of age I was admitted to the Calgary Children's Hospital to have my tonsils and I believe my adenoids taken out.  There are only a couple things I remember about that visit but they are memories that feel like it could have just happened yesterday.  1)  I remember waking up in recovery starring straight at a teenage girl that was topless (I'm pretty sure my eyes went as big as saucers) and she was vomiting and a tube was being shoved down my throat (or so it felt like). 2)  Being in my hospital room sitting up vomiting blood over and over again into a metal dish.  I can still remember the taste and smell of the blood.  Yuck, yuck, yuck!   I threw up enough blood that I had to have a blood transfusion for 1 unit of blood.

Almost 30 years later I found myself not vomiting blood but losing an extreme amount of blood over a short period of time.  Enough to warrant a somewhat emergency total hysterectomy (removal of uterus and cervix) and salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes).  I had just received my IV and the surgical room was being prepared when my anesthesiologist took one look at the blood work I had had done that day and quickly cancelled surgery.  My hemoglobin levels were sitting at 79.  Apparently they're supposed to be around 125.  Only 4 days prior my levels were sitting at 103 - it was dropping fairly rapidly.  The levels were so low now that should there have been complications I wouldn't have had any excess blood to help me. Overnight hours were spent receiving the 2nd blood transfusion in my life only this time for 3 units of blood.

I don't think I'll ever forget that my blood type is A Positive!

Question of the Day

This morning Eli quietly asked me, "Can surgery be passed on?"

It's hard to comprehend why your mother is going in for surgery when it doesn't look like there is anything wrong with her.  Yes, he knows it has nothing to do with cancer - that was established right away but how do you explain women issues to a 10 year old boy without freaking him out?!  The excitement of finding out Grandma Haddad will be helping us out for the next couple weeks quickly made him think of nothing but pure joy!! 

As exciting as that is he's still a boy that exudes caring, thoughtfulness and sensitivity.  I guess over the last couple of days it was still being processed in the back of his head until this morning when he felt he could ask what he was thinking.  We discussed his question and then he proceeded to offer to do everything for me while I recover.  Eli melts my heart.

So the big question you might have - surgery?!??  This is all very sudden as in booked this past Thursday sudden.  Due to women issues (I don't want to freak you out with details either) I'm needing to go in for a total hysterectomy (removal of uterus and cervix) and salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes) tomorrow afternoon.  Not really looking forward to the 3 to 4 day hospital visit or the 6 to 8 week recovery process but its what's needed to be done.  For the past few days I continually remind myself in the end it'll make me feel WAY better than how I currently feel and compared to some of the health issues I've had to endure over the last 4 years this will be no problem!