Published

About once a year my boss' boss asks me to write an article for the local newspaper. OK, the call actually comes from my boss' boss' secretary. The hospital has a monthly column and the CEO chooses the authors he would like to fill it. I have written four of these articles previously, and each one reads like a research paper. Facts and statistics and diagnosis qualifications and phone numbers. They are articles that make me yawn, but in my little mind that is what "news" is. Facts and figures. My mom is not into numbers, but I usually saved a copy for her anyway. Just the very mention of the word "published" lights her up. This time I decided to do something different. I decided to be more personal. Partially because they only gave me a few days notice that my article had to be moved up a month to trade with someone, and partially because I think blogging is building my confidence as a writer and maybe I feel like I have my own ideas without having to constantly reference someone else. And Lord knows I always have 500 words to say. So, here goes:

Seven years ago, Pershing Memorial Hospital was faced with a decision. The cardiac rehab program could no longer be located in the Marceline facility. Hospital administrators had to decide whether to close the program or attempt to relocate. Thankfully the hospital chose to maintain its commitment to the community and continue providing cardiac rehab. The decision was made to move the program to Brookfield, to the west lobby of the hospital. Patients were able to get the care they needed without having to travel far from home. Directly following the move to Brookfield, I came to work for the hospital to coordinate the cardiac rehab program. Over time we were able to work with the respiratory department to initiate a pulmonary rehab program as well. We hoped to reach even more community members by providing this additional service locally.

Cardiac and pulmonary rehab involves supervised and monitored medical care that uses exercise and education to help people with cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses. Anyone who has suffered from heart attack, angina, bypass surgery, stent placement, heart valve repair/replacement, or heart transplant is eligible for cardiac rehab. Candidates for the pulmonary program can include anyone whose activities are limited by lung disease and shortness of breath. Participants receive individual treatment plans to accommodate their specific goals. Monitored activity, along with support from patients with similar backgrounds, provides an experience that cannot be duplicated in your average gym.

Three years after our move to the west lobby, the hospital was on the brink of an exciting building renovation plan. The cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs were facing a new dilemma. Once again the programs would have to move or be closed. The programs were located where the new building was to be attached to the existing hospital. Between the continued commitment to community and a generous donation by Jessie Fay and Clifford Applegate, the hospital was able to purchase the Applegate Medical Building. The Applegate Medical Building was only a temporary location to help patients while we anticipated the completion of the hospital building project, but cardiac and pulmonary rehab remained intact.

Another three years went by until last February, when we completed our third and final move in time for Pershing Health System’s grand opening. You may be familiar with the new hospital lobby and all of the brand new departments and equipment that came with the building project. You may not realize that across the hospital you will find cardiac and pulmonary rehab. What was formerly the x-ray area has been completely renovated. The new, improved facility, with nearby patient parking, is the perfect location for our patients. The spacious exercise room offers a variety of exercise equipment, and we are within close proximity to ample medical personnel in case of emergencies. Our exercise physiologist and registered nurse supervise patient exercise sessions and provide education as needed.

I would like to thank all of our patients. Thank you for your gracious understanding and adaptability throughout our relocations over the years. I want you to know we have no intention of packing up our equipment again! Rest assured that cardiac and pulmonary rehab are here to stay.

all I have to say about that

These pictures were taken in my yard on the last day of winter. I barbequed while the kids played outside. It was beautiful. Beautiful sunshine. Beautiful smiles. Beautiful laughter drifting on the breeze.

This picture was taken the very next day, which happened to be the first day of spring. Jaron said, "You know when it's so, so hot and the leaves come out? That's what I want!" I agreed. That's really all I have to say about that.

Going Green

Last year I totally forgot about St. Patrick's Day. I was barely home from the hospital with Megan. I was sleep deprived and sore...and, well, I was a horrible mother. So little first grade Madison went to school without wearing green. Her cousin, Molly, gave her a headband or something, and Grandma Judy came through with a green necklace for her and saved the day. But I was a horrible mother. Madison, my mom, and Madison's teacher (who happened to be a childhood buddy of mine) all knew it. I felt like everyone at school would take one look at her and see how I had failed her and neglected her. I vowed to be better. Isn't that what we do? Isn't life just one continuous attempt to be better and do better?

So this year I was ready. It feels so much better to add to life's small pleasures instead of adding to life's little disappointments. I bought beads. I laid out their clothes the night before. My kids went to school today sporting green shirts AND pants AND necklaces. Jaron was topped off with a John Deere hat and Madison had a sparkly green hair accessory. Because I am an AWESOME mom. And everybody knows it!

TOOT, TOOT

I am not trying to toot my own horn. I feel compelled to blog about this because I have never been a glass half empty girl. I blog about things that are on the negative side sometimes. My faithful readers may remember my posts on things you should consider NOT saying to a pregnant woman and the diary of a mad fat woman. The moral of both stories is that I am not naturally thin, pregnancy and I do not get along, and many people have noticed and made hurtful and appallingly unintelligent comments about those facts.

Because I try not to dwell on the negative, I must share with you that today I have had four different coworkers comment to me that I am looking slimmer these days. I say four because I do not want you to be confused when I say a couple or a few...it was actually four. I started a biggest loser challenge at work for my own selfish reasons. I knew I needed the motivation to finally lose this weight. 28 employees signed up right along with me, and collectively we have lost over 150 pounds in 5 weeks. My team, the Supa Slim Sistas (+Eric), has lost over 75 pounds. So, I have been working out with cardio and weights and yoga and counting calories and Just Dancing with the kids on the Wii(The laughing from watching Jaron's dance moves alone is enough to burn some calories, I assure you!). I have lost 13 pounds and people are starting to notice! I cannot tell you how much more fun it is this way than the previously mentioned posts. So I do not work exclusively with over educated idiots, but share my workplace with many perceptive and intelligent people! Like I said, if I am going to complain about the mistreatment I have endured then I absolutely must mention the good stuff. And, well...TOOT-TOOT!

Before I was a Mother

Before I was a mother, I said, "I just don't understand
why people bribe their children to do what they command."

Before I was a mother, I said, "My kids won't watch TV
to occupy the precious time they should be spending with me."

Before I was a mother, I said, "I will not raise my voice."
I said, "When it comes to dinner, there will never be a choice."

Before I was a mother, I said, "Some moms are way too sappy!
When my kids do great things, I will be nothing but happy!"

.

Before I was a mother, I said, "Every day I will say, 'I love you.'"

That may be the only thing I ever said about motherhood that stayed true.

Jaron will do anything I ask of him for a chocolate candy bar.
I may have yelled a little this morning as I loaded kids up in the car.

During just one episode of Dora, I can get mountains of housework done!
Sometimes I do make two kinds of dinner, when I swore I would only make one.

Sappy could be my middle name, as often as I am moved to tears.
I have cried for reasons I don't always understand in recent years.

Tears of joy and fear and always when they do great things to make me proud.
So now when I think of life I've yet to live, I don't voice my opinions out loud.

the blue in me

There was a time when March Madness was important to me. There was a time when Hornet Basketball was on my short list of priorities. Basketball is not a big part of our lives right now. At this stage, March is all about celebrating our baby's birthday. As far as sports go in our family, March is a time to scout for new football players for our team. My husband sets the DVR to record the college combines while he is gone to work so he can study the athletes in the evenings. He spends any TV time on the NFL channel. While I am confessing his addiction, I may as well tell you that he also he pores over http://www.arrowheadpride.com/ every night. And not just leading up to the draft but pretty much all year round. So, usually there is not much talk of basketball around my house yet.

This morning Jaron wanted to wear his Atlanta shirt. I noticed Megan's hornet shirt in the top of her drawer and could not pass up the opportunity to dress all three kids to match. Of course, since all of my kids matched, I could not pass up the opportunity to take their picture. Somehow this photo just floods my mind with memories. It makes me think of Hornet Pride and March Madness and work and sweat and tears and friends and hugs. What can I say? Maybe March brings out the blue in me after all.

A year goes by THAT fast!

A year ago, this day began at Boone Hospital with contractions coming every five minutes. They were not the kind of contractions that made me wonder what was going wrong because they just had to be more brutal than most women's. They were not the kind that made me wonder how I would survive what was coming next. I did feel compelled to close my eyes, place both hands on my tightening, super sized abdomen, and breathe deeply and slowly until it was over. They were significant enough for me to mark the passage of time by the minutes of rest I got between them. By the time I had convinced the nurse that my water had broken(actually she never did believe me but she tested to be sure...she kept telling me I had peed the bed!), and we determined the baby was definitely coming on this day, Kevin was already almost to Hannibal on his way to work. We thought I was going to be in bed watching TV for another week and we did not feel like I needed help doing that. My mom would have been with me, but we both knew it would help me most if she had the big kids with her so I would know they were in good hands, and she and Dad could bring them to meet their much anticipated baby sister. My sister was sick with a bad cold and was not coming to the hospital at all, in the best interest of the baby. So I was in labor. I was alone. I was a little scared. But my body was in such a state of misery I would have gladly rolled into the operating room by myself. I had reached the point where I was confident my baby would be safer out in the real world where we could monitor her more closely. My doctor said she could do my surgery at 8:00 am or at noon, and since Megan was not in distress, and Kevin was so far away, she opted for noon.

Nothing compares to the feeling a mother gets when she hears her baby cry for the first time. With a c-section, you have to listen for it to know the baby is doing okay. You cannot see your baby because of the drapes so all you can do is listen. It took longer than it normally would to hear Megan cry, and when I finally did, she sounded so much more quiet than Madison and Jaron had. I knew something didn't sound right. Kevin let me know it was because she was on oxygen. By the time they had weighed her and finished up with her apgars and everything, she was already done with the oxygen, and all 6 pounds, 2 ounces of her was crying at a very ticked off high volume! I was elated. She was tiny. She was precious. She was perfect.

A year ago today, my family became complete. Madison thought she could just take over Megan's care all by herself, and she would have. She loved her more than I thought possible. I worried about Jaron a little. He was freaked out by the hospital and did not want to come close to me or talk to me on the phone with all of my machines and everything "plugged in to me." But soon after we were home I realized he loved Megan just as much. I don't think he thought she would be quite that tiny. My life became hectic in ways I could never imagine or anticipate. My mom told me motherhood is like juggling, and you can't always keep all of the balls in the air. You have to drop the ones that don't matter. I have learned a lot over this year about letting a ball drop. About which balls don't matter. I have learned a lot about flexibility and being satisfied with doing my best, although my best often leaves many things undone. Because Madison was barely two when I had Jaron, I never felt like I got to enjoy him enough when he was a tiny baby. I am confident I have enjoyed my Megan. We all have. When she wants to play, someone jumps in to play with her. When she gets hungry, someone feeds her. When she gets sleepy, someone is always there to rock her. Her diapers are always changed promptly because I know if I don't do it, one of my "helpers" might and that could get ugly! We have enjoyed our baby. I think she has enjoyed us, too.

Megan has learned a lot this year as well. She is walking. If you ask her if it is snowing, she points at the window. If you say, "Oh, no, you didn't!" she shakes her head back and forth and shows some attitude. She says "Mama" and "Dada" and "tattoo"(thank you) and "bye-bye" and "kiss." When you call for her brother or sister she stops what she is doing and swivels her little head back and forth as fast as she can, looking for them to come into the room. She waves bye-bye and claps for patty cake and yay and she holds up a finger when you talk about how she is one! She eats anything I put in her mouth and acts like it is her favorite food. She has mastered the sippy cup and is off of the bottle. She never wears socks and shoes any longer than it takes her to get them off of her little feet. She gives many kisses and hugs to all of her favorite people every day. She cracks herself up a lot. She cracks us all up a lot. Our grand finale baby has brought immeasurable joy into our family. Happy Birthday, Megan Joleen! I don't know what we ever did without you. May all of your birthdays find you as happy as this one, with countless beautiful smiles and an abundance of hugs and kisses!