Craig and I have been in and out of hospitals over the course of the past few days trying to figure out what exactly is causing the redness, swelling and tenderness in his left knee, right around the surgery site. He had been doing so well with his physical therapy and was beginning to see the end of the knee pain tunnel this sudden onset of symptoms really threw him for a loop.
Long story short, he spent Friday night in the hospital running all sorts of tests trying to figure out if there was any kind of infection or blood clot in his leg and eventually all the signs pointed towards "cellulitis" which is a sort of bacterial infection in his knee. We were sent home from the hospital on Saturday armed with antibiotics and pain medication with a follow-up appointment scheduled for yesterday (Monday) morning.
Unfortunately, Monday morning's meeting with the knee surgeon did not yield good results and Craig was sent onto an internal medicine doctor who could better treat Craig's illness. This particular doctor told Craig that he needed to be admitted to the hospital for at least two days in order to recieve copious amounts of antibiotics through an IV in order to treat his cellulitis. Craig's family and I met him in the ER where he was being seen by the ER doctor as well as the internal medicine doctor that was on-call.
As we all probably know, the emergency room is not known for it's quickness and at 10:30, after sitting in the room for almost four hours...Craig and I were getting antsy and angry. A doctor came in and told us that he and this other specialist had reviewed all of Craig's tests and they decided that the best course of action would be to send us home with some stronger antibiotics. Needless to say, we were both upset, angry and most of all confused. Not that I didn't want to sleep in my own bed and cuddle with my puppy that night, but we were both under the impression that Craig's condition was serious and needed to be treated in a hospital. This doctor did not have very good bedside manners and after a tense discussion promptly left our room promising to send the other doctor to see us and answer our questions. To which I answered "when will that be...after ANOTHER two hours of waiting?" I was getting frustrated for Craig - he was sitting on this uncomfortable bed without any of the medicine in his system that this doctor was saying he needed.
We waited a bit longer and then I knew I had to make a decision. Neither of our mother's were there to take control of the situation and as his wife, I knew it was up to me to fight for the care and answers that Craig deserved. I ventured into the hallway and down to the nurse's station where I found our good-natured nurse, Greg. He and I discussed what was going on and he helped me to better understand the nature of healthcare politics...basically the doctor Craig saw in the afternoon did not have the jurisdiction to automatically place Craig in the hospital, but instead had to refer him to the ER hospital doctors to look over and then reevaluate. That was the crucial bit of information that we needed to hear. I asked to speak with the other doctor and told Greg that regardless of whether we were going to be admitted to the hospital or sent home, things needed to move quickly because we're both tired and more importantly...Craig doesn't feel good and he's getting angry.
Shortly thereafter, the ER internal medicine specialist doctor came in and she was truly an angel. She didn't look that much older than me and she plopped herself in the rolling chair and began going through Craig's knee history with him from the very beginning with the surgery in April. She listened to everything he had to say and asked important questions about the onset of his symptoms and the tests that had been run the previous weekend. After Craig said his piece she went step by step through the hospital procedures (diagnosis, admittance etc) as well as thoroughly described the illness that is afflicting Craig at this point in time. She answered all our questions and listened diplomatically as well as compassionately to our frustrations. At no point in time was she condescending or rude and she always made sure to affirm the fact that Craig was in fact, in pain and very ill. She just had a way of calming him down and reassuring us that sending us home with stronger antibiotics would, in fact, be the best course of action at this time. Again...not that we didn't want to go home, we had just been led to believe that Craig's situation was very poor and needed the immediate and intense type of care that only a hospital could provide. In the end I felt like hugging her around the neck, but instead opted for a handshake and a heartfelt "thank you." Craig got loaded up on antibiotics and pain meds and we hit the road to come back home.
We are grateful to be able to take care of his sickness at home and he will be staying home from school for the rest of the week in order to give his body the time it needs to heal itself. I am so glad that all my prayers were answered and through all of this, I truly feel closer to Craig. I also am really proud of the fact that I was able to step up and calmly but firmly make my feelings heard and get the things necessary for Craig's health accomplished.
And on a side note, we got our sod laid down today...we now have a gorgeous and green front yard!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Summer Fun
With only a few more weeks of school left, my eyes are focused on summer vacation. Unfortunately, as much as I would love to say that I'm spending the entire summer lying by the pool sipping Sonic drinks and reading trashy romance novels, Craig and I (and Angie as well) are going to be incredibly busy for most of the summer.
Here is what I'm looking forward to:
August 1 - 14: Happy birthday to me! Craig surprised me at Christmas with a trip to Europe for my 27th birthday! We're going to begin in Paris, France for a few days then take a train down to Torino, Italy where we will see a U2 concert and then we'll finish with several days in and around Rome, Italy. I'm so excited to see Paris with Craig - it's a city and country that neither of us have ever traveled to and there is so much history and culture for us to experience. Torino should be interesting - I've never seen the Alps and I'm going to drag Craig to the Fiat car museum while we're there. It will be fun to see U2 perform in a foreign country. And then onto Rome...sigh. This is the emotional part for me - I have a lot of family ties to Italy and it is important for Craig to see the country and understand a bit more why I (and my beloved mother) are the way we are. I want to show him the Vatican, the cafes, the piazzas, and the food - I am dying for Italian wine and tiramisu! This is going to be a trip that we remember for a very long time.
July 12 - 16: Craig and I will be traveling to Tennessee for a basketball tournament with several of his Team Texas basketball teams. I don't know if this is going to be the most EXCITING trip of my summer, but it will be nice to see a part of the country I've never visited as well as watching Craig coach his girls.
Here is what I'm looking forward to:
August 1 - 14: Happy birthday to me! Craig surprised me at Christmas with a trip to Europe for my 27th birthday! We're going to begin in Paris, France for a few days then take a train down to Torino, Italy where we will see a U2 concert and then we'll finish with several days in and around Rome, Italy. I'm so excited to see Paris with Craig - it's a city and country that neither of us have ever traveled to and there is so much history and culture for us to experience. Torino should be interesting - I've never seen the Alps and I'm going to drag Craig to the Fiat car museum while we're there. It will be fun to see U2 perform in a foreign country. And then onto Rome...sigh. This is the emotional part for me - I have a lot of family ties to Italy and it is important for Craig to see the country and understand a bit more why I (and my beloved mother) are the way we are. I want to show him the Vatican, the cafes, the piazzas, and the food - I am dying for Italian wine and tiramisu! This is going to be a trip that we remember for a very long time.
July 12 - 16: Craig and I will be traveling to Tennessee for a basketball tournament with several of his Team Texas basketball teams. I don't know if this is going to be the most EXCITING trip of my summer, but it will be nice to see a part of the country I've never visited as well as watching Craig coach his girls.
July 28 - 31: Craig's BIG basketball tournament of the summer is the last three days of July, right before we leave for Europe.
July 19 - 23: I will be working the high school volleyball camp. A few weeks ago I didn't really intend on doing this since I had hoped that I would be a classroom teacher and not coaching anymore but since I didn't get that job I will be spending the week working with my upcoming 7th and 8th graders on their volleyball skills. I sometimes dread the week because it is long and tiring but it does serve a good purpose because I get to see not only my athletes but the competition from the other schools.
August: Craig and I have decided that August is our month to start "trying" to have kids...or whatever that means. This should be an interesting experiment. I already feel bad...like I'm cheating on Angie because she isn't a good enough child.
August: Craig and I have decided that August is our month to start "trying" to have kids...or whatever that means. This should be an interesting experiment. I already feel bad...like I'm cheating on Angie because she isn't a good enough child.Sunday, April 11, 2010
Green Grass
Green grass in it's many forms has been on my mind lately...is the grass always greener on the other side? How do we grow green grass through the weeds in our yard?
Our wedding pictures are officially up on our photographer's website (http://www.staticsixx.com, go to online ordering and scroll down to our album, just put your email address in and enjoy!) and I have made the decision NOT to look at any other wedding albums for the time being. I am a competitive person and I like to be the best and although I have curtailed my insatiable need for dominance in the past few years, sometimes the monster still rears it's ugly head. Planning, coordinating and executing a wedding is a personal endeavor - Craig and I worked very hard to infuse our own personalities into our day so that the whole shebang really reflected US as a couple. So when I start perusing the Facebook wedding albums of a few former acquaintances (who happened to get married within a few weeks of me) it affects my core when I see that their wedding might have been a bit dressier, more glamorous and definitely more expensive. I have to reel myself in and remember that I am a different person from my college days and that Craig and I have different priorities, especially when it came to planning this wedding. So what if I wore Steve Madden flats and not Manolo Blahnik heels? My shoes were turquoise and those that know me, know that's MY color. Who cares if our party didn't go on to until the wee hours of the morning? Craig and I aren't party animals in our normal lives, much less on a day when I had gotten up at 6:30 am. The truth of the matter is that I'm not going to compare weddings because...the GREEN monster might appear which will cause the memories of my day to be cheapened and because the GREEN grass isn't always better on the other side - maybe those brides with those big weddings look at MY pictures and think the same thing I do? Who knows? I'm happy with our day because it was perfect for us and that's all that matters.
Another matter of green grass was presented to me on Friday afternoon. I have an interesting Assistant Principal at my school...at times he is prickly, sarcastic and a little angry but I have a feeling that there is a good guy in there somewhere. He and I get along, well...we do now that I'm on board with his sense of humor and I understand to trust nothing he says, but I think our relationship as AP and teacher was strengthened when I taught his very intelligent but slightly awkward 7th grade daughter how to throw the discus at a track meet a few weeks ago. My boys weren't throwing yet, so I took her out on the practice field and broke down the steps of throwing the discus for her. We worked on the basics of holding the disc and how to move our feet and she got a teensy bit better! But more importantly, I think it meant a lot to her dad that I took the time out of coaching my kids to work with her, but also to help build up her confidence. I guess what goes around, comes around because last Friday as I was dropping off some paperwork at this AP's office, he asked me to step inside and close the door. Uh-oh. That's NEVER a good sign. Thankfully, it wasn't THAT type of visit and he just let me in on a little change that was going on at my school. A teacher with a full courseload (6 classes) of 7th grade Math had just resigned and my principal was on the hunt for a new Math teacher to fill her spot. He mentioned that he knew I was looking to get back in the classroom and that this could be a great opportunity since he knows I love Math. He didn't know much about whether or not it could be broken up to include coaching Athletics two class periods out of the day, but encouraged me to talk to the principal immediately. "But, Mr. G! I have class!" I told him. Not to worry, Mr. G promised to cover my class and take them out to play soccer so that I could have this very important conversation with my principal. I was honestly touched by this gesture because it is very out of character for this sarcastic guy but I guess you reap what you sow. I sowed some seeds of compassion for his daughter and on the flip side I reaped compassion by him looking out for my interests.
So, I ran down the hall and met with my principal about this job and now I've got some decisions to make. First of all, this can't be a coaching position due to numbers, class size, etc. If I want to apply, I am saying that I am done coaching for the time being. I still would have to submit my application and proper references and go through the interview process, but my principal did say that I had really impressed him and that I was a vital member of the staff, blah, blah, blah. He likes me and he wants to keep me at the school. Got it.
Now I've got to make a decision:
- Is this "the sign" that I've been waiting for? Is it really time for me to get out of coaching?
- It's no secret that coaching is exhausting and this year has been the biggest struggle for me.
- I am sick of the politics that are involved in coaching at the district level.
- Craig and I already know what our next great adventure is going to be: having a family, and me coaching while pregnant just doesn't sound like much fun.
- I love the game of volleyball and I love watching girls fall in love with it as well.
- I finally got the title of "head coach," am I ready to give up that small amount of glory I've earned?
- I will miss the girls. By coaching, I get to know them so much better than the average classroom teacher. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it is bad.
But here is the problem that I am grappling with:
Right now, while I am in the midst of long nights at track meets, being able to go home right after school and not have to work any extra hours sounds awesome. That grass definitely is greener. But if I take this opportunity and next year I happen to walk by the gym and see those volleyball nets up, will I miss it? Will that grass seem greener than it does right now?
And plus...Craig and I have a plan for our family but it might not be the same plan that God has for us! I would hate to give up coaching this year for nothing. Craig and I are looking at August as our "start date" or whatever for beginning a family but what if it doesn't work out that way and I could have coached another year? But then again, what if I don't take this opportunity and our plan actually happens and I have to waddle around track meets until 9:30 at night while I'm six months pregnant! That would not be fun for anyone involved.
I talked with Craig about this on Friday night and his vote was for me to jump on this opportunity. He knows that I miss the classroom and everything that it entails, as well as the fact that I have been frustrated, tired and bored this entire year while teaching PE and coaching volleyball, cross country and track. I think I know what I need to do, but change is scary...especially when it's coupled with trying to start a family which is an even BIGGER life change.
On an entirely different note, and now about REAL green grass...our yard is a hot mess. We have virtually NO grass but instead a vast assortment of weeds. Weeds in our lawn and weeds in our flower beds. We promised ourselves that we would take care of it AFTER the wedding, but instead we had to divert our attention to Craig's knee surgery and recovery instead of the lawn. I was discussing this fact with our neighbors a few houses down whose daughter is one of my very sweet 7th grade athletes. They are a fantastic family with great morals and values, which they have dutifully instilled in their seven children. Saturday morning I was picked up by my friend Emily to go shopping with her and her two middle school nieces at the Southlake town center. As I was getting in the car, Emily mentioned that she had seen some little girls pulling weeds out of our front flower bed but when they saw her pull up, they took off down the street. Sure enough, I peered down Sunflower Ln. and there were some curly headed girls trying unsuccessfully to hide behind cars. Hmm. I put it out of my mind and enjoyed my morning with Emily and the girls perusing the home decor sections of Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie and The Container Store.
When Emily dropped me off, I paused while getting out of the car. Our lawn had been mowed. Our front flower bed was devoid of any weeds. Someone had cleaned up my yard.
I was moved beyond belief. When talking with my neighbors the previous Thursday at the track meet, sure...they had mentioned "if you need anything let us know - our oldest boy mows lawns for people in the neighborhood" but I didn't think much of it. Most people put that stuff out there to SOUND caring, but rarely follow through on anything they offer. But not this family...they had snuck over to our house on Saturday morning and mowed our lawn and picked our weeds. And more importantly, they didn't expect a dime in return. They had done it out of the Christian goodness in their heart because they knew that life had been a bit of a challenge for us lately and they wanted to do something to take a little bit of life's burden off our shoulders. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this type of kindness but I hope that someday I will be able to repay this family for the act of service that they performed for Craig and myself.
Our wedding pictures are officially up on our photographer's website (http://www.staticsixx.com, go to online ordering and scroll down to our album, just put your email address in and enjoy!) and I have made the decision NOT to look at any other wedding albums for the time being. I am a competitive person and I like to be the best and although I have curtailed my insatiable need for dominance in the past few years, sometimes the monster still rears it's ugly head. Planning, coordinating and executing a wedding is a personal endeavor - Craig and I worked very hard to infuse our own personalities into our day so that the whole shebang really reflected US as a couple. So when I start perusing the Facebook wedding albums of a few former acquaintances (who happened to get married within a few weeks of me) it affects my core when I see that their wedding might have been a bit dressier, more glamorous and definitely more expensive. I have to reel myself in and remember that I am a different person from my college days and that Craig and I have different priorities, especially when it came to planning this wedding. So what if I wore Steve Madden flats and not Manolo Blahnik heels? My shoes were turquoise and those that know me, know that's MY color. Who cares if our party didn't go on to until the wee hours of the morning? Craig and I aren't party animals in our normal lives, much less on a day when I had gotten up at 6:30 am. The truth of the matter is that I'm not going to compare weddings because...the GREEN monster might appear which will cause the memories of my day to be cheapened and because the GREEN grass isn't always better on the other side - maybe those brides with those big weddings look at MY pictures and think the same thing I do? Who knows? I'm happy with our day because it was perfect for us and that's all that matters.
Another matter of green grass was presented to me on Friday afternoon. I have an interesting Assistant Principal at my school...at times he is prickly, sarcastic and a little angry but I have a feeling that there is a good guy in there somewhere. He and I get along, well...we do now that I'm on board with his sense of humor and I understand to trust nothing he says, but I think our relationship as AP and teacher was strengthened when I taught his very intelligent but slightly awkward 7th grade daughter how to throw the discus at a track meet a few weeks ago. My boys weren't throwing yet, so I took her out on the practice field and broke down the steps of throwing the discus for her. We worked on the basics of holding the disc and how to move our feet and she got a teensy bit better! But more importantly, I think it meant a lot to her dad that I took the time out of coaching my kids to work with her, but also to help build up her confidence. I guess what goes around, comes around because last Friday as I was dropping off some paperwork at this AP's office, he asked me to step inside and close the door. Uh-oh. That's NEVER a good sign. Thankfully, it wasn't THAT type of visit and he just let me in on a little change that was going on at my school. A teacher with a full courseload (6 classes) of 7th grade Math had just resigned and my principal was on the hunt for a new Math teacher to fill her spot. He mentioned that he knew I was looking to get back in the classroom and that this could be a great opportunity since he knows I love Math. He didn't know much about whether or not it could be broken up to include coaching Athletics two class periods out of the day, but encouraged me to talk to the principal immediately. "But, Mr. G! I have class!" I told him. Not to worry, Mr. G promised to cover my class and take them out to play soccer so that I could have this very important conversation with my principal. I was honestly touched by this gesture because it is very out of character for this sarcastic guy but I guess you reap what you sow. I sowed some seeds of compassion for his daughter and on the flip side I reaped compassion by him looking out for my interests.
So, I ran down the hall and met with my principal about this job and now I've got some decisions to make. First of all, this can't be a coaching position due to numbers, class size, etc. If I want to apply, I am saying that I am done coaching for the time being. I still would have to submit my application and proper references and go through the interview process, but my principal did say that I had really impressed him and that I was a vital member of the staff, blah, blah, blah. He likes me and he wants to keep me at the school. Got it.
Now I've got to make a decision:
- Is this "the sign" that I've been waiting for? Is it really time for me to get out of coaching?
- It's no secret that coaching is exhausting and this year has been the biggest struggle for me.
- I am sick of the politics that are involved in coaching at the district level.
- Craig and I already know what our next great adventure is going to be: having a family, and me coaching while pregnant just doesn't sound like much fun.
- I love the game of volleyball and I love watching girls fall in love with it as well.
- I finally got the title of "head coach," am I ready to give up that small amount of glory I've earned?
- I will miss the girls. By coaching, I get to know them so much better than the average classroom teacher. Sometimes this is good, sometimes it is bad.
But here is the problem that I am grappling with:
Right now, while I am in the midst of long nights at track meets, being able to go home right after school and not have to work any extra hours sounds awesome. That grass definitely is greener. But if I take this opportunity and next year I happen to walk by the gym and see those volleyball nets up, will I miss it? Will that grass seem greener than it does right now?
And plus...Craig and I have a plan for our family but it might not be the same plan that God has for us! I would hate to give up coaching this year for nothing. Craig and I are looking at August as our "start date" or whatever for beginning a family but what if it doesn't work out that way and I could have coached another year? But then again, what if I don't take this opportunity and our plan actually happens and I have to waddle around track meets until 9:30 at night while I'm six months pregnant! That would not be fun for anyone involved.
I talked with Craig about this on Friday night and his vote was for me to jump on this opportunity. He knows that I miss the classroom and everything that it entails, as well as the fact that I have been frustrated, tired and bored this entire year while teaching PE and coaching volleyball, cross country and track. I think I know what I need to do, but change is scary...especially when it's coupled with trying to start a family which is an even BIGGER life change.
On an entirely different note, and now about REAL green grass...our yard is a hot mess. We have virtually NO grass but instead a vast assortment of weeds. Weeds in our lawn and weeds in our flower beds. We promised ourselves that we would take care of it AFTER the wedding, but instead we had to divert our attention to Craig's knee surgery and recovery instead of the lawn. I was discussing this fact with our neighbors a few houses down whose daughter is one of my very sweet 7th grade athletes. They are a fantastic family with great morals and values, which they have dutifully instilled in their seven children. Saturday morning I was picked up by my friend Emily to go shopping with her and her two middle school nieces at the Southlake town center. As I was getting in the car, Emily mentioned that she had seen some little girls pulling weeds out of our front flower bed but when they saw her pull up, they took off down the street. Sure enough, I peered down Sunflower Ln. and there were some curly headed girls trying unsuccessfully to hide behind cars. Hmm. I put it out of my mind and enjoyed my morning with Emily and the girls perusing the home decor sections of Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie and The Container Store.
When Emily dropped me off, I paused while getting out of the car. Our lawn had been mowed. Our front flower bed was devoid of any weeds. Someone had cleaned up my yard.
I was moved beyond belief. When talking with my neighbors the previous Thursday at the track meet, sure...they had mentioned "if you need anything let us know - our oldest boy mows lawns for people in the neighborhood" but I didn't think much of it. Most people put that stuff out there to SOUND caring, but rarely follow through on anything they offer. But not this family...they had snuck over to our house on Saturday morning and mowed our lawn and picked our weeds. And more importantly, they didn't expect a dime in return. They had done it out of the Christian goodness in their heart because they knew that life had been a bit of a challenge for us lately and they wanted to do something to take a little bit of life's burden off our shoulders. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this type of kindness but I hope that someday I will be able to repay this family for the act of service that they performed for Craig and myself.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What's next?
Now that we're married I am often asked about the wedding - how did it go, do you enjoy being married, etc. And I always have to stop myself before any words come out of my mouth because if I didn't have any sort of filter, my response would be something like this:
"I am so glad that it is over. Ugh."
And I just don't think that's really the response people are looking for when they ask me about my big day. Again, like I've said so many times...
I am so glad and beyone thrilled that I married Craig. I am so blessed to have found him and I truly do know that he is absolutely 100% the most perfect man for me. BUT...I really struggled through the wedding planning process because I had a hard time getting excited over wedding related stuff. It was a lot of extra stress and worry that was always lurking over my shoulder - I'm glad to have all that behind me. I even feel a certain amount of freedom knowing that I don't have a huge wedding To-Do list waiting for me to scratch things off. I can now focus that energy on things that I want to be doing.
So, in response that those questions, I just say...
"It was a success! We accomplished our goal and are indeed married! The 'I do's' were said!"
But...having been a former bride, I do have some piece of advice and my new rule for being a newlywed.
Advice: It doesn't matter. None of it. The color of the ribbons, the details on your shoe. Not only will you not notice any of it on your wedding day, but no one else really cares. Well, the people that matter to you won't really care.
Rule: I will not offer any wedding or marriage advice to any newlywed unless specifically targeted and asked.
So now that all the wedding madness is over what am I going to focus my attention on?
1) Making sure that Craig rehabs his knee in the best way possible.
2) Writing Thank You notes. Yuck.
3) Getting the yard taken care of...it's becoming a jungle out there.
4) Reading more books and getting more sleep.
"I am so glad that it is over. Ugh."
And I just don't think that's really the response people are looking for when they ask me about my big day. Again, like I've said so many times...
I am so glad and beyone thrilled that I married Craig. I am so blessed to have found him and I truly do know that he is absolutely 100% the most perfect man for me. BUT...I really struggled through the wedding planning process because I had a hard time getting excited over wedding related stuff. It was a lot of extra stress and worry that was always lurking over my shoulder - I'm glad to have all that behind me. I even feel a certain amount of freedom knowing that I don't have a huge wedding To-Do list waiting for me to scratch things off. I can now focus that energy on things that I want to be doing.
So, in response that those questions, I just say...
"It was a success! We accomplished our goal and are indeed married! The 'I do's' were said!"
But...having been a former bride, I do have some piece of advice and my new rule for being a newlywed.
Advice: It doesn't matter. None of it. The color of the ribbons, the details on your shoe. Not only will you not notice any of it on your wedding day, but no one else really cares. Well, the people that matter to you won't really care.
Rule: I will not offer any wedding or marriage advice to any newlywed unless specifically targeted and asked.
So now that all the wedding madness is over what am I going to focus my attention on?
1) Making sure that Craig rehabs his knee in the best way possible.
2) Writing Thank You notes. Yuck.
3) Getting the yard taken care of...it's becoming a jungle out there.
4) Reading more books and getting more sleep.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Craig's Knee Surgery
Craig had his knee surgery last Thursday and it was a two hour surgery, but Dr. Moore seemed to be a lot more confident that he "got it" this time so hopefully the surgery will hold and we'll be able go longer between knee surgeries! Dr. Moore went in arthoscopically through the previous surgery holes and cleaned up a lot of the loose cartilage in Craig's knee, but while he was in there he realized that there was a large part of his medial meniscus that was breaking loose which was causing the popping and locking that Craig has been experiencing. Before the surgery, Craig met with Dr. Moore and clarified that we wanted to FIX the problem and that we trusted the doctor to do whatever was necessary to get that accomplished. During surgery, Dr. Moore made the decision to cut into the inner side of Craig's knee and through that incision was able to suture some cartilage on the sides of the medial meniscus which should hold it in place and stop the locking and popping thus giving Craig better mobility.
Unfortunately these sutures will cause Craig to have a longer recovery time and more intense physical therapy and for the time being he is stuck in a big blue brace that stretches from his groin all the way to his ankle. He is in this cast because if he bends his knee too far too soon he can risk breaking the sutures apart which would not only be painful, but also cause us to go through this knee surgery nightmare for a fourth time in a single year.
Speaking of which, I'm doing...okay. Thanks for asking. I was able to just take an afternoon off on Thursday so I didn't miss too much school and we were blessed by being able to schedule the surgery the day before a three day weekend so that we didn't have to use our few remaining paid days off. I planned ahead (surprise, surprise) and had all the ingredients needed for some of Craig's favorite meals.
Thursday: Taco soup with cornbread
Friday: Lasagna and lemon garlic broccoli
Saturday: BBQ chicken sandwiches and homemade potato salad
Sunday: Easter dinner comprised of...ham, oven baked onion potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole, sweet potatoes and pineapple au gratin
We have a TON of leftovers sitting in our refrigerator which is great because now we have lunches for the entire week! Generally speaking though...I'm exhausted. Physically and mentally exhausted. I was on my feet for what felt like the entire weekend between refilling iced tea glasses, changing out the ice machine, cooking and serving dinners and managing laundry and dishes.
Craig is doing much better - he is alert and moving more on his own. My parents came over tonight to visit Craig but to also help me get Craig up the stairs so that he could take a proper shower. I don't feel comfortable getting Craig up and down the stairs for the first time by myself - I like having my dad around to catch Craig in case he stumbles up or down. I know Craig feels so much better now that he has showered...I'm hoping that he will be able to make it through the day tomorrow as he is attempting to "teach" PE all day long.
This has been a really long school year and I think that's why I had a minor breakdown at lunch today when I went home to feed Craig. We have been going nonstop since August...
September - November: volleyball season
November - February: basketball season (Craig and his sister at the high school)
September - present: Wednesday night women's volleyball league for me
January - March: Cross Country season
January - present: Select basketball with two practices a week and tourneys on weekends
January - March: majority of intense wedding planning and execution
January - present: Tuesday night women's Bible Study
March - present: Track season
April - Knee surgery
I think we're pretty ready for our summer vacation...
Unfortunately these sutures will cause Craig to have a longer recovery time and more intense physical therapy and for the time being he is stuck in a big blue brace that stretches from his groin all the way to his ankle. He is in this cast because if he bends his knee too far too soon he can risk breaking the sutures apart which would not only be painful, but also cause us to go through this knee surgery nightmare for a fourth time in a single year.
Speaking of which, I'm doing...okay. Thanks for asking. I was able to just take an afternoon off on Thursday so I didn't miss too much school and we were blessed by being able to schedule the surgery the day before a three day weekend so that we didn't have to use our few remaining paid days off. I planned ahead (surprise, surprise) and had all the ingredients needed for some of Craig's favorite meals.
Thursday: Taco soup with cornbread
Friday: Lasagna and lemon garlic broccoli
Saturday: BBQ chicken sandwiches and homemade potato salad
Sunday: Easter dinner comprised of...ham, oven baked onion potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole, sweet potatoes and pineapple au gratin
We have a TON of leftovers sitting in our refrigerator which is great because now we have lunches for the entire week! Generally speaking though...I'm exhausted. Physically and mentally exhausted. I was on my feet for what felt like the entire weekend between refilling iced tea glasses, changing out the ice machine, cooking and serving dinners and managing laundry and dishes.
Craig is doing much better - he is alert and moving more on his own. My parents came over tonight to visit Craig but to also help me get Craig up the stairs so that he could take a proper shower. I don't feel comfortable getting Craig up and down the stairs for the first time by myself - I like having my dad around to catch Craig in case he stumbles up or down. I know Craig feels so much better now that he has showered...I'm hoping that he will be able to make it through the day tomorrow as he is attempting to "teach" PE all day long.
This has been a really long school year and I think that's why I had a minor breakdown at lunch today when I went home to feed Craig. We have been going nonstop since August...
September - November: volleyball season
November - February: basketball season (Craig and his sister at the high school)
September - present: Wednesday night women's volleyball league for me
January - March: Cross Country season
January - present: Select basketball with two practices a week and tourneys on weekends
January - March: majority of intense wedding planning and execution
January - present: Tuesday night women's Bible Study
March - present: Track season
April - Knee surgery
I think we're pretty ready for our summer vacation...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Bridal Portraits
Just a handful...these are the ones that I really love. I wasn't too crazy about my make-up and hair, but I think they turned out really well.
America's Sweetheart?
Craig and I have been married for two whole weeks now and therefore I am not by any means able to dish out any marriage advice, but I am a moderately sane and responsible human being which I believe makes me qualified to voice my opinion on the current situation between Sandra Bullock and her loser husband Jesse James.
Okay. I don't claim to know everything about Craig, but I do know a few things that most people don't. I know that Craig loves sitting in his Man Cave going through his baseball collection to sell on Ebay. Craig takes two "pinks" or Sweet 'n Lows in his ice tea. He watches old concerts of U2 on the Palladium channel and sings along when he think that I'm not around...I even caught him catching up on the New Kids on the Block's most recent tour last night. He takes most of his showers in the spare bathroom because he likes the water pressure better. Craig doesn't carry a wallet but instead keeps all his stuff in the console of his car. If given the chance to switch places with someone for a week, he would choose to be the president.
I'm sure that there are millions of other things that I will learn about Craig in the upcoming years of our marriage, but there is one thing that I am sure about him:
He is not a neo-Nazi racist with a fetish for cheating on me with tattooed women.
I don't understand Sandra - you seem like such a smart girl with a quick wit who wouldn't put up with something like this. I know that every couple's relationship is different and if it works for them, it's not my place to judge, but there is so much about this entire situation that strikes me as odd.
1. Maybe Sandra didn't know that he had this secret side to him and now she really has been "blind sided" by this whole scandal. BUT...Jesse James doesn't strike me as the subtle type nor smart enough to pull this whole thing off without her knowledge. So that leads me to my next point...
2. Maybe America's Sweetheart (and one of my favorite actresses) knew about this side of her husband all along and it didn't bother her (SCARY!). Maybe she's only NOW distancing herself from him because she knows that it could cause her some seriously bad press, especially right on the heels of her Oscar win...during which she DIDN'T thank her husband in her acceptance speech. Coincidence?!
I think it's just another example of the Tiger Woods Syndrome...we believe what the celebrity's publicist wants us to believe, but in reality we have absolutely no idea who these idols really are or what they stand for.
Okay. I don't claim to know everything about Craig, but I do know a few things that most people don't. I know that Craig loves sitting in his Man Cave going through his baseball collection to sell on Ebay. Craig takes two "pinks" or Sweet 'n Lows in his ice tea. He watches old concerts of U2 on the Palladium channel and sings along when he think that I'm not around...I even caught him catching up on the New Kids on the Block's most recent tour last night. He takes most of his showers in the spare bathroom because he likes the water pressure better. Craig doesn't carry a wallet but instead keeps all his stuff in the console of his car. If given the chance to switch places with someone for a week, he would choose to be the president.
I'm sure that there are millions of other things that I will learn about Craig in the upcoming years of our marriage, but there is one thing that I am sure about him:
He is not a neo-Nazi racist with a fetish for cheating on me with tattooed women.
I don't understand Sandra - you seem like such a smart girl with a quick wit who wouldn't put up with something like this. I know that every couple's relationship is different and if it works for them, it's not my place to judge, but there is so much about this entire situation that strikes me as odd.
1. Maybe Sandra didn't know that he had this secret side to him and now she really has been "blind sided" by this whole scandal. BUT...Jesse James doesn't strike me as the subtle type nor smart enough to pull this whole thing off without her knowledge. So that leads me to my next point...
2. Maybe America's Sweetheart (and one of my favorite actresses) knew about this side of her husband all along and it didn't bother her (SCARY!). Maybe she's only NOW distancing herself from him because she knows that it could cause her some seriously bad press, especially right on the heels of her Oscar win...during which she DIDN'T thank her husband in her acceptance speech. Coincidence?!
I think it's just another example of the Tiger Woods Syndrome...we believe what the celebrity's publicist wants us to believe, but in reality we have absolutely no idea who these idols really are or what they stand for.
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