#273 - JJ

Technically, this is another boy cousin, but not really.  He is my first cousin, but he is the same age as my kids which makes it kinda funny when he tries to call me something.  My nieces and nephews who are his age call me Aunt Mo, but I am not his aunt.  He is really a little too young to call me by my first name, but I am not his Aunt.  For awhile, we went with Cousin Mo, but that really is a mouthful, right?  Usually when he is talking about me to my boys he just says, "Your mom", and when he has to call me by name, we have pretty much just settled on Mo.

He was born right in between Blake and Zack which means that this year he will be moving from elementary school to high school.  When he was born, his mom did his nursery in the same pattern as I had for my boys.  She bought some precious wall hangings that I did not have, and when I decorated my nursery for Seth, he inherited them. He loved Thomas the Train just like Blake and I'm sure we passed some tracks back and forth.

When JJ was little, his mom was really concerned that he walked on his toes.  Kinda funny, but our family does have some toe walkers.  Sometimes this can indicate pathology, but with him, I knew from a young age that was not the case for JJ (or you S Sue Sue).  It just simply means tight heel cords and it usually goes with the ability to be able to run really, really fast (and have big calves :)  Anyway, JJ has played soccer, baseball, and basketball and I have seen first hand that toe walking has not been a problem for him.

One thing that does baffle me however is his eating habits.  I can honestly say that I have not met many kids with such a limited menu.  I keep hoping that as he gets older, this will improve, but...so far no dice.  When he stays at my house, I even offer him bribes to eat...but he is not biting (literally).  My kids will trade a bite of just about anything for money, but not JJ.  He has to have a breaking point though...I'll keep trying.

A few years ago, JJ stayed with us for an extended period of time.  This time included taking one of the most fun vacations that we have ever taken.  We all took our very first chartered flight to North Carolina which totally spoiled all of us, especially me!  We went to "Family Camp" at Camp Highlander in North Carolina.  We rode the zip line, we did team challenges in the woods, we climb hills (and climbed, and climbed, and climbed) and we went tubing in an icy stream.  JJ kept up with me and the boys all the way and he even submitted to having his picture taken about 200 x each day which I know was not his thing.  He also came with us to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to finish off the week, and we had a blast seeing shows and hiking to waterfalls.  It was a vacation that I know my family will never forget and I'm glad he was there to share it with us.  (Side note:  If anyone loves the outdoors I HIGHLY recommend Family Camp at Camp Highlander.  It is held the Friday - Monday of Memorial Day weekend each year.  A really fun way to start the summer off. 
http://www.camphighlander.com/Family-Camp/

At the top of the 1 mile trail hike.

Behind the waterfall.

My extended family!

 At Wonder Works!

 At the bottom of the luge!!!

Blobbing at Camp Highlander!

As I said earlier, he is about to start high school, and  I know that he will rock it!  He has done great on his entrance exams and is preparing to take VC by storm.  I know that he will love the freedom and independence of high school and can't wait to see how he adapts.  (Watch out VC - I think he's a smart one!)

#272 - MP

Another week, another boy cousin.  This one was young enough for not only me to remember babysitting, but for Jeff to remember babysitting with me.  He is the youngest of three and was such a cute baby boy.  He is now married, lives a couple of states away, and is knee deep in getting to the end of his medical training...following in the footsteps of his older brother (aka #253) and sister (aka #16).  (I'm waiting to hear the pitter patter of little baby feet from that corner of the U.S. speaking of following his brother and sister!)

Because he is so much younger than me, I don't have a lot of stories.  My memories skip right from changing his diaper to catching up at Christmases about his soccer career to medical school, to watching him dance with his new bride at his wedding.  And speaking of dancing, I will say that I was extremely impressed with his dancing skills at said wedding.  I'm not sure if they took some lessons or are just avid Dancing with the Stars watchers but...I'm just saying, very nice waltz #272. (Kinda like the circle dance, Jeff, but not :)

His wife is a fellow blogger and keeps me up to date with what is going on with them.  You can check out her blog here or here  (http://mandmperry.blogspot.com/).

I can tell from all of her updates that they have adapted well to their new hometown and are exploring all it has to offer.  Even though he is far far away now, the fact that he chose LSU instead of the Fighting Irish (Go Tigers!) may mean he may some day be back!  Study hard and get smart!

#271 - JP

Remember when the term "computer nerd" meant something bad.  People used it in derogatory ways that brought to mind geeks with pocket protectors and glasses taped together at the nose.  They were picked on and made fun of.

Who's laughing now????

This post is about a guy who probably fit the definition of computer nerd at one time in his life.  Instead of nerd, I will call him talented, smart, and even throw in awesome.  He has learned to make computers work for him instead of feeling frustrated from not understanding them.  We hired him to help us automate our house and he came up with a ton of really cool ideas.  His really cool ideas came with a really big price tag so we did not implement all of them, but we could.........

*How about a camera security system that can be accessed from any laptop computer...

*Garage doors that can be opened and closed from that same laptop.

*A timer on the lights in my kids rooms and closets so that every 15 minutes it checks to see if they have left them on and if so, turn them off.

*A connection to our AC/Heater so that during the day when we are gone the temp kicks up, but about 30-45 minutes before we get home, it kicks back down so we will be o' so comfortable when we get there ( My AC loves me feature)

*A lighting system connected to my fire sensors so that when my fire alarm goes off, the lights in the hallway that lead to the exit doors automatically come on to light the path.

*The same lighting that illuminates the outside entryways when our burglar alarm is tripped.

*A "party mode" so that when that button is pressed, the AC lowers, the music kicks in, and the outside lights stay on.

*A "husband's out of town" mode so the AC re-sets to my internal comfortable temperature instead of Jeff's and I can skip my long johns and flannel pajamas :)

Really cool stuff that just takes some know how to set up.

Thanks to #271 for not bowing to peer pressure and trying out for the football team instead of computer lab!

#270 - MB

I know a girl.  She is fourteen years old.  She has beautiful red hair and she has a face full of freckles.  She use to like Hannah Montana, but now she likes Justin Bieber.  She loves to hang out with girlfriends and talk about boys.  She fights with her two older brothers and rolls her eyes, but she is the apple of her daddy's eye.   She thinks school is awesome since she now gets to attend a regular high school, but also thinks that school is aggravating and hates studying for tests and doing homework.

Typical teen girl stuff, right?  Right.

Difference is, this beautiful young lady has a rare muscle disease, is confined to a wheelchair, and needs a ventilator to breathe. 

When people see her, most of the time they can't get past all of the tubes and wires and alarms to see the child behind the medical.  I had the honor of treating her for many years and saw time after time, other patients staring and whispering even when they tried not to.  Although her voice is weak and nasally from the air being pushed into her airway, if she saw them, she would propel her power WC right on up and say "Hi!  What's your name?" 

Such courage and strength for such a sick child.

Several years ago, #270 and her family had to move out of state to get the care that she needed.  It is sad to say that our health care system in our state did not even come close to providing this family with the support they needed.  I keep in touch with her and her mom via email and her typical teenage texts always bring a smile to my face.  She says that she hates her new town and wants to move back here where all of her friends are, but she knows that she can't because of all the help they are getting in her new home.

When I reflect about #270 and think about how many children suffer from diseases such as hers, it makes me feel a number of things:  grateful and angry, happy and sad, and it makes me want to do more and pray more.  Please add these children and their families to your prayers today.

#272 - Uncle SA

This post is about my mom's older brother.  It is kinda a hard post to write because he was kinda a hard guy to know.  He was the oldest of six children (my mom being the oldest girl) so I know that he had a lot of responsibility from an early age.  He married my aunt who I love and had two wonderful boys (aka boy cousins) who now have families of their own.  He opened and ran a very successful oil-field service company which he left to his wife and sons when he passed away.

I know my mom loved him a bunch and misses her older brother.  He was also good friends with my dad when they were growing up.  They all grew up on Levron Street which was the site of "the park" where they played baseball and hung out.  My mom's parents owned the snowball stand at the front of the park and I think all the kids worked there (or just stole snowballs) at one time or another.  I am so close to my siblings that I cannot imagine the day that one of them is not a quick phone call away.

Like I said earlier in the post, he was kinda hard to get to know so I don't have a lot of things to say.  He was very smart.  He always wore dark sunglasses.  He didn't talk much.  He called me Neek (or maybe he was just mumbling and I didn't quite catch it :)  He loved the outdoors and passed on his love of hunting and fishing to his boys.  He left behind a wonderful wife and two boys that I know he would be proud of.  He had his problems like we all do.  He liked his spirits and the game of chance, but he was a good Christian man and he is missed by his family, his brothers and sisters, and his mother.

#269 - Dr. SH

A long, long time ago on post #2, I wrote about a physician who had dedicated his life to the practice of medicine.  This post is about his son, who has always been a close friend of mine, and who has also dedicated his life to healing the sick.

He is a year older than me, and I always remember his birthday because it is on the same day as my grandfather's.  Many of the family vacations that I have mentioned from time to time in this blog were usually taken with #269 and his family.  He and I attended the same elementary school and high school, and have been known to take our own families on a few vacations together. (Which has gotten harder as his family has gotten larger :)

Things that come to mind when I think about growing up with #269:

*  Always smiling which earned him the nickname "Smiley" in parts of his childhood.

*  Our parents must have gotten together and decided that all of their kids needed to learn how to play some sort of musical instrument.  I played the piano, the flute, and the guitar.  #269 played the saxophone and the guitar.  We both were in the band at good old MICS.  The band director has the longest hair ever, and all the time she wasn't teaching music, was spent riding horses.  We would always see her riding at the end of the Mardi Gras parades.  #269 and I also were part of the group that played the guitar for school masses under the direction of blog post # 207.  I will come clean and state for the record that I would always try to get to the back of church first on mass days.  #269 had a much nicer guitar than I did and I would take his out and use it for mass if I got there first.  #269 was always too much of a gentleman to call me on it.  (Good home training!)  The other thing that I remember about our musical careers (lol) is that every Christmas our families would get together and every child would bring his/her instrument.  The adults would sit as a captive audience and listen to us struggle through our Christmas concerts.  I don't think we were all that good, but they made us feel like rock stars! (Rock stars with flutes! lol)

*  Our parents were friends and really involved in our little school, and I remember doing sports things together.  At one point, I have a vague recollection of being on the MICS basketball team and having our parents as coaches.  Having practice on Saturday mornings at the Lisa Park gym, and always having to be on the "shirts" team when we played "Shirts vs. Skins."  Basketball, dad?  Really?

*  I have many memories of our families' trips to G.I. which include lots of skiing, jet-skiing, zinc oxide, tennis shoes and old bathing suits to avoid the oil on the beach, and the girls stealing the boys underwear and either freezing them or flying them up the flagpole.

#269 is now a married man with six kids of his own.  He has one son who is the spitting image of him, and when he smiles, I swear I am transported back to years ago.  He also has a beautiful wife and five beautiful and very athletic daughters all of whom keep them very, very busy.  He is my kid's doctor and for this I must compliment him.  He is very thorough and great with my kids (even when all 180 lbs of one of them hide behind the table to avoid the shots :) and listens patiently to all of the strange ailments we have had from time to time over the years.

One last story about #269.  Last summer, we had an unfortunate incident where our oldest son slipped poolside and we ended up in an out of town ER.  The doctor who evaluated him was very thorough and very cautious.  I'm sure she knew what she was doing, but when she told me that we should travel about an hour out of our way to get home in order to be sure we stayed near trauma centers in case of emergency, I'll have to admit, I panicked a little.  As I watched my son sleep (from a straight back chair in the ER for about 8 hours), I was making myself crazy wondering if he was going to be okay.  I finally texted #269 about 5:00 am with a brief explanation of what had happened, and a plea to give me a call when he got the message.  Within minutes my phone rang.  It was his day off and he was up early to go fishing.  He listened as I explained the details...asked a few questions of his own...and then reassured me that he thought B was fine and we could bring him home and should not have any problems.  I don't think I can really express in words the relief that I felt hearing his opinion of the situation.  What it boils down to is this.  Like blog post #2, I trust #269.  I know that he cares and that he is very good at what he does.  He does not take things lightly, but he also does not panic.  I feel very fortunate to have both of these men as my family doctors.

#268 - DL

I have been here.  The very first time I visited New York, I wanted to go but didn't.  I was with my mom and sister in law and my mother in law.  I wanted to get tickets, but did not because my mom, while insisting that she did know who David Letterman was, said that she did not like magicians.

(LOL even 14 years later.)

Anyway, the second time that I went to New York, I was with my hubby.  I went online and found out that you could not buy tickets, but you could submit your name and phone number and you may get a phone call tell you that they would give you tickets.  I thought, "Yeah, right" to myself, but filled in the info and hit submit.  We were in our hotel room in NYC when my cell phone rang and it was a representative from The Late Show.  They said that if I answered the question correctly, I would win 2 tickets to that evenings filming of the show.  Again, I thought, "Yeah right."  The question was, "Who is Biff Henderson?"  Would you have known?  I did.  I answered the question correctly and they told me to pick up my tickets at 2:00 that afternoon for the 4:00 filming of the show.  Totally cool!!!!!!!

So, we rearranged our plans for the day and picked up our tickets at 2:00.  They then told us that the show would be filmed at 4:00, but to be in line by 3:00 to be seated in the theatre.  So, we rearranged our plans again, and got in line.  While we were standing in line, workers of the show made the rounds and just kind of talked to the crowd.  At one point, one worker asked for our tickets and put a red mark on them without explanation.  Eventually, the line finally started to move and when we got to the entrance, the ticket taker looked at our marked tickets and told us to not go in, but to stand over to the side.  I figured they were shuffling us up to the top of the place for bad seats.  Just the opposite was true however.  After everyone was seated, we were escorted to the very front row along with several other guests.  Why?  I have no idea, but I was not complaining.  This is what I remember most about the experience.

1.  It was FREEZING in the Ed Sullivan Theatre.  To this day, whenever I watch an episode, I see people in the audience that are blue and I know exactly why.

2.  One of the guests that night was Jesse "The Body" Ventura , who had just been elected governor of Minnesota after finishing an illustrious career as a pro wrestler.

 or 

Which ever you prefer.

3.  The other guest was Spinal Tap which to this day I am still confused about.  Are they a band?  Is it a joke?  Was it a movie?  Can anyone answer any of these questions?  All I know is that they did play very loud music and sprayed a lot of smoke on the stage while doing it.

4.  This one may or may not shock you.  I use to really love David Letterman.  After seeing his show live...not so much.  I thought that his Top 10 lists were really funny and most of his skits made me laugh.  I also thought that he made the interviews funny and not just the same boring questions.  I was very disappointed seeing him in person.  There was a lot of cuing with cue cards and theatre workers cueing the audience when to laugh.  They wanted us to laugh at everything and basically just kept telling us, "Laugh!  Laugh!  Laugh louder!!!!"  Another thing was that he did not really interact with the audience or even the guests at all when the cameras were not rolling.  As soon as it went to commercial, his make-up people surrounded him and he did not even talk to the guests.  Basically, it seemed like it was just a job to him and as soon as the camera turned on...poof, he was back into character.  Definitely not the impression you get when you watch the show.

All in all, it was a great experience to see how those shows are taped.  They appear live, but are actually taped earlier in the day.  For example, on the day that we watched, the MTV music awards were going to be held later that night at Radio City Music Hall.  As part of his monologue, he made generic jokes about the awards ceremony as if it has already happened since his show would air after the awards show.  Very tricky Dave!

A few years later, Jeff and I returned to New York for a vacation with a different group of friends (2 days before 9/11, but that is a different story).  Again, I went on-line to see if we could get tickets to the show, hoping for better guests.  This time, Jeff's cell phone got called.  Although he likes Dave ok, he is not a regular watcher (interferes with Shark Week :).  When they asked him the question, "What color is the announcer's hair?"  I think Jeff answered, "Blond."  This was wrong...his hair was red as was his nickname, "Red."

Anyway, they said, "Thanks for playing!" and hung up on him even as I was screaming at Jeff from the bathroom, "Red! Red! Red!"

Oh, well! 

Morals of this story: 

1.Don't believe what you see on TV...they don't call them actors for no reason.

2.  If you want to see a taping of the David Letterman show, go to his website and input your information.  Believe me, I am not that lucky.  I think they try to get people from travelling to NYC for a lot of different areas of the U.S. so us Cajuns should always have a good shot!

http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/tickets/

#267 - Ms. M

As most of you know, I own a PT practice.  I am not the sole owner however; I have a partner.  Having a partner has its advantages and its disadvantages which many of you in business know.  Some of the pluses are having someone to cover for you on vacations and days off and having someone to help with decision making and to share the financial responsibilities.  Another plus of having a partner, is that, when needed, the partner can CYA or his own as the case may be.

This brings me to Ms. M.  She was a patient of mine.  Before I start to tell her story, let me say that it is kinda a hard one to tell because I cannot name names etc. etc. etc. so bear with me as I try.  Here goes...

She was a little old lady who was brought in by her daughter after she fell and broke both of her arms.  To say she was pitiful was an understatement.  She could not do anything for herself, and she just kinda shuffled along.  Therapy was very painful for her, and I saw her for the first few visits and gave her a good dose of TLC.  She was progressing slowly, but nicely when her daughter decided that her mother's doctor (who will now be called doctor #1) who had referred her to us maybe did not know what he was talking about.  She decided to go for a second opinion.  (I'll interject here that I'm all for second opinions especially when a case is complicated and painful)  Anyway, the problem started when the doctor she saw for the second opinion  (aka doctor #2) sent her to therapy with orders to do the exact opposite of what doctor #1 had told us to do. (It was a little more complicated than that, but for the sake of the story...go with it).  Now, it just so happens that doctor #1 is a really good referral source to our clinic and a really good friend of my partner.  Doctor #2 was something of a renegade and in my experience his patients did not really do very well.  I felt like it was a little bit of a conflict for me because I had two doctors telling me to treat this patient exactly the opposite.  Long story short, I talked to my partner about the situation.  We agreed that the best thing to do was to continue with the orders of doctor #1 because this is what we felt was indicated also.  The next time Ms. M came in, I was out of the office, and my partner treated her.  Not a problem.  He talked to the patient and her daughter about the doctor situation and at the end of the visit, advised them to return to doctor #1 for a follow up.  (Confused yet???  Sorry...bear with me...I'm getting to the point.)   The patient and her daughter were more confused than ever and did not know what to do, but decided to return to doctor #1 as advised.

Unbeknownst to me, my partner took it upon himself to call doctor #1 and let him know what doctor #2 has said.  Doctor #1 was furious and had some choice words about his colleague.  All in all, pretty typical stuff for doctors with opposing views.  It was what happened next that makes Ms. M so memorable.  She goes back to see doctor #1 (actually a few minutes after he gets off of the phone with my partner).  The doctor is a bit of a hot head, and actually yells at Ms. M and her daughter something to the effect, "If you don't trust me find another doctor...blah, blah, blah."  They both leave in tears with orders from doctor #1 to return to therapy ASAP.  They come back to the office, and I walk into the room with my best bedside manner in hand and a sympathetic smile on my face because of all the pain she has been in.  (I have no idea what has happened at the doctor's office.)  I walk in, and little old feeble Ms. M looks at me and starts to shake.  I look closer and steam is coming out of her ears.  In the meanest voice I have ever heard, she says to me, "You get out of this room!  I never want to see you again!  I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TOUCH ME!"  Her daughter who is also frowning and shaking says, "YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!"

"What?!?!?!?!?"  What did I do???????  I tried to talk to her. "What's the matter, Ms. M?" I asked.  She says, "You called my doctor and told him I went to see someone else.  He yelled at me and it's all YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!"  At this point, the light bulb went on above my head and I realized what must have happened.  I tried to explain without completely throwing my partner under the bus (as he did to me), but her face was so red I was worried she was going to have a stroke.  I exited the room unsure of what to do.  I went to my partner's office and explained the situation.  "Because YOU made the phone call to doctor #1, now this sweet little old lady hates my guts!"  (I don't think too many people out there hate my guts and I have to say I am glad because I don't like it!)  He apologized of course, but the only thing we could do at this point, was for him to treat the lady and for me to avoid her.  And so that was what we did.  For the next two months, she came into therapy 3x/week and would only see my partner.  She would not look at me or smile at me.  I tried to tell her hello every day and ask her how she was doing, but she was not budging.  She would not look at me and she would not talk to me.  An enemy!  I was completely innocent and I had a little old lady who hated me.  It really upset me more than it probably should have, but the thought that this lady and her daughter thought that I kicked puppies really got to me.  How could they blame me when it was totally the fault of a partner who ran his mouth when he shouldn't have, and a doctor who did not have any manners.

She eventually stopped coming to therapy and the pain of having her hate me 3x/week eased.  A few years ago, I saw in the paper that she had passed away.  I brought the paper to the office and showed it to my partner who did not really remember her until I reminded him of the story and the scars that it left on my psyche.  He apologized again and I forgave him. :)  In my mind, I know that Ms. M, upon her death, immediately knew the entire story, and was soooooooo sorry for being mean to me.  I of course forgive her too. :)

Moral of this post:  Don't throw your partner under the bus!  It is not nice!!!!!

#266 - NK

I feel like I have been truly blessed to have such wonderful sister-in-laws.  #266 is one of them.  She is the sister in law that I have known for the shortest amount of time, but that does not matter.  From the moment she was introduced to us, she fit right into the family as if she was always a part of it.  That may be partially because she comes from such a large family.  With a couple of brothers and a whole girl scout troop of sisters, she totally knows how to go with the flow.  I also have to say for the record, that I have met each and every one of her family members...her mom and dad, all her sisters and brothers and their spouses, and the many, many nieces and nephews.  I will not lie to you and say that I always put the right names with the right faces, but they are all so nice and friendly, they don't hold it against me.

What I love the most about #266 is that she is always genuine in her demeanor.  She loves my boys and always shows such an interest when talking to them about all the things going on in their lives.  She is married to Jeff's youngest brother and therefore they have the youngest kids.  She is doing a wonderful job raising them, and I am proud of the way she manages to be stern and loving with her daughter who can twist you around her little finger with a scrunch of her nose and a flash of her dimples.

Because of the age differences of our kids, our busy lives keep us from getting together too often.  Holidays and summertime at the beach is usually where we make up for lost time and pick up right where we left off.  She is a wonderful girl and as I said at the beginning of this post, I feel blessed to have her in my life.

I totally stole this poem and plagiarized, but when someone else does all the work and says exactly what I was going to say...

Sister-In-Law

From the first day that I met you,

I knew you'd be my friend.

I knew that I could count on you,

No matter what life sends.

You always have time to listen,

And time to give and share;

By all your words and actions,

You show you really care.

I know you love Jeff's brother (creative license),

Your dreams are coming true.

And no one deserves it

Anymore than you.

As a sister-in-law, you're great

As a friend you are the best.

To have you in our family,

Makes us all so truly blessed.

:)

#265 - SK

Before I get to his blog-ee, let me just say, "Yikes!  Only 100 Left!!!!!"

#265 is a friend of my dads and has been a friend to Jeff and I for many years now.  He is very kind and thoughtful and always makes me smile...even when I had to treat him for his many broken parts after he thought he could fly from the top of a ladder.  For the record, I have to say that treating him was quite an experience as he may hold the record of my tallest patient with the most broken parts.  But...all's well that ends well and he pulled through rehab like a champ!

One of the things that endears him to me is that he always remembers birthdays and anniversaries.  I'm not sure if he just has a great memory, or a really good calendar, but he usually does not miss either occasion and I get a phone call wishing me a good day (for my birthday) or to tell me how sorry he is that I have to put up with Jeff (anniversary)!  Very thoughtful and always appreciated!

He also has the honor of being a passenger in my very first helicopter ride.  Those of you who read my blog faithfully may remember this post.  #265 was a passenger in the back seat as we toured the Grand Canyon and as I screeched and panicked in the front seat, I could hear him chuckling in my headphones.

Jeff and I have had some fun trips to Las Vegas with #265, his wife, and my parents.  My very first trip to Vegas was with them and I will never forget his "high roller" suite that came complete with a bust of Caesar.

I remember crashing their suite to catch a little sleep before boarding the "red eye" flight home. We took a little snooze on the couch and I woke up a little disoriented with this guys staring me down. Almost gave me a heart attack!  I don't think I have ever seen a room with so much gold lame' before of since!

#265 is a good friend and a good guy!  I thank him for all the good wishes over the years and hope another trip is in the works soon!

#264 - NC

Kids amaze me.  They are so honest and so innocent.  I like to think that I am smarter than them, but when it comes to #264 who happens to be my nephew...I'm not so sure. 

He doesn't say too much, but I can tell that his mind is always working.  When I sit back and observe him, it almost seems to me as if he is not missing a thing, but only certain things are interesting enough for him to give them his attention.

His intelligence is evident by the way he is able to correctly answer colors, shapes, letters, and numbers all well before he has begun school.  A funny story about this...earlier this year (which would make NC about 2 1/2 years old) I had the honor of babysitting this sweet boy for about 24 hours.  My boys and I loved having him around because we really don't get to see him too often.  Anyway,  we were basically following him around the house and letting him lead us where ever he wanted.  He made his way into Seth's room and we followed.  On the back of Seth's bed, he has two wooden words that are used for his "sports - themed" decor.  One says "Football" and the other one says "Baseball."  Now, I have to stop the story right here and let everyone know that #264 is delayed in his speech.  He can talk, but a lot of what he says is only understood by NC and occasionally his momma and daddy.  That is not to say he is not verbal, just that we are not smart enough to understand what he is saying.  Anyway, NC had been talking for awhile and we just were listening and not really understanding, but when we got to Seth's room, he stopped...looked at the bed...and started with gibba, bagta, jabit, mabyeit, and then F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L.  Nice and slow, with proper annunciation on each letter.  Zachary and I were the closest and we just stared at him with our mouths open.  He did not go as far as to pronounce the word, but he was definitely able to spell it correctly.  He then moved on to B-A-S-E-B-A-L-L in the same manner.  Like I said...a lot more to this kid than meets the eye.

As I've told my sister before, some things that may initially seem strange or different may actually be unrealized brillance.  Those of you who keep up with Sarah's blog (http://www.babynoahc.blogspot.com/) know that NC has a love for all things stick-like.  Crayons, wands, make-up brushes, sticks etc.  It usually doesn't matter the texture or color, but holding a solid object of the straight variety comforts him and makes him happy.  Who are we to say that this is odd behavior?  It is quite possible that it is nothing more than a sign that he is meant to be a musician.  I gave him a set of Elmo drums for Christmas and with both drumsticks in hand, he got to banging right away.  Or maybe an artist...a surgeon...a carpenter.  All I'm saying is don't under estimate this kid...I think when all is said and done, he may have a thing or two to show us.

NC has brought joy to all of our lives and I am certain that he will continue to do so as he grows.  Every child that I have ever met is different, even my three boys.  I think I expected them to all be alike, but boy was I wrong.  They each have their own personalities and their own way of doing things.  NC will be no different.  I think we are in for a surprise as he grows up.  My sister sent me this article this past week and I hope that she doesn't mind if I include it. 

http://abcnews.go.com/m/screen?id=10933858


It says so much about this young man, and it would not surprise me at all if 15 years from now, we are reading something similar about #264.  I totally stole the following pictures from her blog, but since she talked me into this whole blogging thing... I'm calling them fair play.

Check out this cutie pie!

Getting tickle torture from Uncle D!

To quote Zachary on our last visit to see #264, "God, I love this kid!"

#263 - CB

When I first started working, I had the opportunity to see a patient who was about my age, had a similar degree in the health care field, and was involved in a terrible car accident on her way to work.  She was newly married, as was I.  She worked in a hospital as a respiratory therapist and commuted back and forth to N.O. to work.  One morning while she was driving in, an on-coming vehicle lost control and hit her head on, and in less than a minute her entire world was changed.  Notice that I did not say ruined.  Just changed.

I originally went to see her at her home as she was too weak to come to my office.  She was a little overweight which made it very difficult to roll in bed and even to sit up.  She had multiple fractures in her arms, legs, and pelvis as well as some nerve damage to her hand.  In short...she was a mess.  And so began our long-term therapy relationship.

Over the years, she has needed numerous surgeries and numerous rounds of therapy.  She lives with constant pain that affects her every time she steps foot on the floor.  Despite all of this, she has managed to have two children, take care of her elderly and invalid father-in-law and her husband's great aunts (2) who eventually had to move into the house with them, and still be a positive (most of the time) Christian (all of the time) person.

I admire her.  Many people would have crawled in a hole or buried their heads in the sand.  Instead, she gets up every morning, puts on a smile, and gets it done.  People who do not know her can tell something is wrong by her limp, but unless she is pressed, she does not really talk about her numerous, lingering medical problems.  She is a person who tries to see each day as a gift from God and is thankful for all that she has, not all that she has lost.

In my job, I do not make the most money in the world, but I feel like it helps me to keep a balance in my life.  The minor aches and pains that I have experienced along my road to forty do not even begin to compare to with what a lot of people live with on a daily basis.  She is a reminder to me to be thankful, every day for all that I have, and to remember in my prayers all of the people in the world who are experiencing pain and suffering.

This prayer is from a website that I visit from time to time:

In Gratitude


Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.


From The Catholic Prayer Book, compiled by Msgr. Michael Buckley. 

#262 - Ms. RB

The only way to start this story is waaaaay back at the beginning.  I was pregnant for my 1st and I knew that I would be returning to work about 2 months after the baby was born.  Jeff and I had decided that if we could swing it financially, we would love to have someone come into our home to keep our baby.  I got #262's name from a relative.  She came with great recommendations including spending several years working with the children at a local home for abandoned and abused children.  I got her number and gave her a call when I was about five months along in my pregnancy.  She came to our house and met with Jeff and I.  We discussed job duties, salary, and hired her on the spot.  She left, with me telling her that I would call her when the baby was born and we could determine when she would start.  She was working for another family at the time and wanted to give them ample time to find someone to take her place so this was fine with her.  That is how we left things.

Fast forward 4 months.  After a very hectic labor and C-section, I became a first time momma.  I remember being in awe of my new baby boy.  Jeff and I (like all good first time parents) were way into hand-washing and not breathing too much around the baby.  I had B around 2:45-ish in the morning and did not get back to my room until around 6:00 am.  Around noon or so, Jeff went home to shower and catch a little nap and my mom stayed with me.  I was still pretty doped up from some pain meds and muscle relaxers (don't ask) and so my mom was pretty much handling B and I was dosing in and out when a brisk knock came from the hallway.  My mom bid entrance and in blew #262.  She was bursting with joy and saying, "Where's my baby?  Where's my boy?"  The problem was that my mom had never met her and I did not recall exactly who she was.  I remember thinking, "A relative of Jeff's?  An old patient?"  #262 did not give me really any time to think as she gathered the baby up from my mom, plopped down in the rocking chair and started to rock.  It wasn't until she got really to leave (after some talking and chit chatting...right?) that she said, "So, just call me when you are ready to go back to work" and the light bulb finally came on!

I have to give credit where credit is due.  I have #262 to thank for many things and I will try to list some of them here:

*She taught Jeff and I about schedules for babies and how much happier they are if they are one one.

*She made sure all three of my boys ate breakfast (oatmeal 9 times out of 10) every morning and truth be told, she taught me how to cook oatmeal.

*She is single handily responsible for the fact that my boys have very regular digestive tracts which I was updated on every few hours.  If I was with a patient and unable to come to the phone, she just relayed the message via my receptionist.

*She taught me the correct way to do laundry and fold sheets.  I cannot and have not seen, to this day, anyone who can fold a fitted sheet as straight and as neat as #262.

*She has my gratitude for potty training all three of the T-boys and making sure that they always had naps and had eaten when I got home from work.

She is/was an "old-school" sitter.  She did not want to run the roads with our children.  She was not interested in sticking them in front of the TV while she talked on the phone or watched the soaps.  She loved (loves) our boys and she spent every second of her time "on the clock" showing them.  When they were babies, she would put them to sleep for nap times and then sit in the rocker in their room and rock and pray while they slept.  She was always up for a game of trains and knew all the words to the Disney sing-a-longs as well as Jeff and I did.

Several years ago, her health took a bit of a down turn while our home got a lot larger.  Our brick floors hurt her knees and our pool and bayou made her very nervous.  She did not like the boys to be out of her sight which did not work real well with our new upstairs playroom.  All in all, the boys were growing up and #262 was slowing down.  We parted ways on a daily basis, but she remains our go-to babysitter for night-time and out of town weekends (after the grands of course).  Now, there is less playing and singing, and more catching up on what is going on in their lives.  When you go to her house, it is like a shrine to my kids who she loves to brag about.  They love her right back!

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for #262 and all of her help over the years.  She will never know how comforting it was to me to know how well my kids were loved when Jeff and I were not with them.  I have well adjusted children and I know #262 is a large reason for this. 

One year, I gave #262 a picture frame with my boys picture in it.  It had the following inscribed on the frame.  I may have used this quote before on someones else's blog, but it definitely applies to #262.  The quote read:

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child." -- Forest Witchcraft

Thank you #262 for being a wonderful babysitter and a great friend!

#261 - Biker and Wonder

This post is the reason that I hate motorcycles and dogs.  It's really a shame because my boys would love, love, love a dog.  That is for the first 3 days until they get tired of it and I have to take care of the dog.  As much as I love my kids, I have not been able to go there and I don't know if I ever will.  Let me explain...

When I was growing up, my parents did not love dogs.  My mom was/is allergic and my dad has never been a big animal lover.  My sister and I followed in their footsteps, but my brother is another matter.  He started asking for a dog at a young age and never let up.  For those of you who know my brother...he can be very tenacious when he gets an idea in his head.  Eventually he wore my parents down and we all welcomed (I use the word lightly) "Wonder" the dog into our family.  I have no idea what kind of dog he was, but he was small-ish, black and white-ish, and he barked and dug up the yard.  (Can't you feel my love?)  Anyway, my parents did not go so far as to let the dog live in the house, but he had a pen in our very small backyard.  My brother did take him out and play with him a good bit, but for most of the time, he was penned up.  Anyway, he started to dig under the fence and eventually one day got out. 

It just so happened that that particular day I was home alone.  It was a Saturday morning and I was lounging around in my pj's (for the record the really cute pink plaid ones that my mom made - remember mom?) when the doorbell rang.  I looked through the glass (safety first) and saw a really scary biker dude.  My heart started beating fast and I thought, "Be very quiet and back away from the door and call the neighbors."  Then I noticed that he was holding a black lump in his arms.  The lump turned out to Wonder.  He had gotten out and ran into the street and had gotten hit by the man on the motorcycle.  He said that he was really sorry and that the dog had darted out in front of him.  Then he held him out for me to take him...

Long pause......

Sigh!  There was no way that I could take the dog from him.  I was pretty scared of the dog when it was healthy, and now it was bleeding and kinda moaning.  I went back into the house and got a laundry basket and a couple of beach towels and the man put the dog in for me. 

I thanked him...
He said he was sorry...
He left...
I was alone...
with the dog...
the bleeding, moaning dog. 

Remember that this was before cell phones.  I think my parents were at a baseball game or something and would be back by lunchtime.  I had no one to call and no idea what to do.  I remember sitting there with the dog, listening to him suffer.  Agony for both of us.  My heart eventually over-rode my brain and I was able to pet him and try to comfort him until the cavalry arrived.  Needless to say, my brother was heartbroken and the dog either died on his own or had to be put to sleep from his injuries.  Traumatizing!

It did not seem to affect D as much as me because he has had several dogs since.  I, however, am not interested...at all!  Sorry boys!

#260 - Ms. J

After yesterday's serious post, today is a funny patient post about another unforgettable patient.  It was back in the day when I did a lot of home visits.  This particular patient lived in a not-so-great section of town (let's just say that I had to park in the That's Stanley parking lot and walk to her house).  Because of the location, the OT assigned to the patient would go at the same time as I would and we would treat her together.  She lived in a small home, but had her grandson living with her to help her out.  His name was Key-On.  I have not a clue what that name means, but she would call him at least 60 times in the 45 minutes we were there.

"Key-On!  Get me some water!"
"Key-On!  Come move my covers, I hot!"
"Key-On, I cold, come bring me my house coat!"

Basically our therapy consisted of getting her to do something for herself instead of calling Key-On to do it for her.

The first few sessions, this amounted to us getting her to roll to her side and then sit up in the bed.  Easier said than done...did I mention she was tipping the scales at around 300 lbs?  So we rolled to the side.  ("Key-On, come help me Key-On!")  Then we moved one leg over the edge ("Help me!  Help me, Key-On!).  Then the other leg (Key-On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and then finally up to a sitting position.  We would sit with her while she hollered and moaned, "Arthur got me and he won't turn me loose!"  The OT and I thought that she was starting to hallucinate and that Arthur was the name of her dead husband.  About the third visit we asked Key-On how long her husband had been dead.  "He not dead...he incarcerated" Key-On replied.  The OT asked, "Why does she think he's holding on to her?"  Turns out that Arthur was not her husband, she was talking about Authur-itis.  (Get it arthritis). 


Home Health - It's not just a job...it's an adventure!  But they do say that laughter is the best medicine!

#259 - Mr. and Mrs. GS

"In sickness and in health, until death do us part..."

Over the years, there have been so many patients that I have forgotten.  There have, however, been some that I will never forget.  This is a patient post, but more importantly, an inspirational couple who stand out in my mind, in today's world where divorce is so common.

Mr. and Mrs. GS were not from this area.  I cannot remember exactly where they were from, but it was somewhere up North.  Mr. S ended up here after serving our country in the military and finding work in the oilfield and he brought his bride along.  That was 50+ years ago.  They never had children and I never asked why.  All of their family lived up North.  This meant that they depended on each other.  They were very active in their church and while they were not what I would call "lovey-dovey", they were dedicated to each other.  Mr. S was a very large man,  I would guess he was about 6'3" or so.  It was hard to tell exactly because by the time I met him both of his knees were so arthritic and bent, he could not stand up straight.  He had also had a stroke which left him with the ability to understand everything that everyone was saying, but the inability to speak or respond correctly to questions.  This is not to say that he was not able to express himself.  He was still a very proud man and could let everyone know what was what by just a look or the occasional expletive that somehow remained in his vocabulary base.

Anyway, without going into too much medical detail, they came to our office because Mrs. S was getting to the point where she was having a lot of difficulty handling Mr. S.  What I mean by handling is that she was at the point where she had to get her 6'3" husband into bed, out of bed, in the tub and out of the tub, in the car and out of the car and so on and so forth.  He had lost so much strength in his legs that he was little help, but he tried so hard to spare his wife the burden of his weight that sometimes they ended up in a pile on the floor.  There were many calls to Acadian Ambulance to help them get up off the floor, off of the toilet, or out of the car.  I recall one story about Mr. S having to stay in the driveway for over 2 hours in the car because they could not get him out. 

Caregivers of loved ones who have had major medical incidents may be familiar with this story.  What stands out to me is the grace, determination, and tenacity that Mrs. S dealt with the curve ball of her husband's illness.  I have seen many, many people throw in the towel early and choose to just give up.  Far fewer remember those vows that they spoke so long ago when they pledged to stand by their chosen mate in sickness and in health.  It is so easy to hang around when things are easy.  When problems are minimal, when life is treating you right.  It is an entirely different story to dig in and work it out when the going gets tough.  When its no longer about if your spouse remembers your birthday, but if you remembered to give them their medicine.  When you have to change their diapers because they cannot make it to the bathroom fast enough.  When you have to be their advocate and bring them to doctor after doctor to get them all of the care that they need because they can no longer advocate for themselves.

Ms. S did all of this and more.  She kept going and kept fighting and kept trying.  There was one time that I can remember that she broke down in my office (out of sight of Mr. S).  She cried and had a pity party for about 10 minutes and that was it.  I'm sure she had many more in the privacy of her own home, but I can tell that her strength and determination as a wife and caretaker outweighed any selfishness or "Why is this happening to me?" attitude. 

Eventually Mr. S passed away.  Both he and his wife touched all of us and many of my office staff attended his services.  Just recently (about 3-4 years later) we treated Mr. S for several of her aches and pain associated with aging.  She is managing as a widow and staying active in her church and visiting her brothers and sisters that are still living.  Despite her advanced age, she makes her own plane reservations, drives herself to the airport, and catches a cab to her relative's house. 

I guess what impressed me most is her strength of character.  There is no room for selfishness in marriage, and there should be a whole lot less selfishness in life.  Too many times, people choose to throw in the towel when things don't go their way.  They look for the easy way when sometimes the right way may be harder.  Parents remove kids from situations that are difficult and in their mind they are "protecting" them.  Adults quit jobs because they feel that they are not getting a fair shake.  I guess to close my post and my thoughts I would just like to think that I have strength of character.  I hope that I am teaching my children strength of character.  Dependability...responsibility...committment...in everything that they do in life.

I'm sure Ms. S would be very surprised to read this post.  I'm sure that she does not see herself the way that I see her.  She was not perfect and I'm sure her marriage was not perfect.  Life seldom is.  But there are some people who just stand out and their actions speak louder than their words.  Mrs. S was one of them and I am glad that I had the opportunity to know her.

#258 - MH

When I first met #258, she was modelling wedding gowns at a plantation home in Baton Rouge.  I was newly engaged and on the lookout for the perfect gown.  #258 was just starting to date a childhood friend of mine, and his mother told my mom and I that we should go to check out the show.  I can't really remember if I actually met her that day, but I remember thinking how beautiful and bride-like she was.  Fast forward a few frames and #258 and childhood friend are still dating.  He brings her down for our annual family vacation to Grand Isle.  This is the first time that I really remember meeting her and talking to her.  I found out she was from New Iberia which is very close to Jeff's kin folk.  This make her almost kin, right?  We all remember a funny mass at G.I. where we had to shake hands and introduce ourselves and the lady behind us yelled out, "Fontenot, New Iberia!" in response to MH's introduction.  She and childhood friend eventually got married and four kids later are a part of my daily life.  Her oldest is the same age as my middle one, and she is a valuable source of information on all things school.  I tell #258 and her daughter often, but I will take this opportunity to tell them again, "Thank you for always answering your phone when you see it is Zack and I calling and thanks for all the answers to questions, study help, and letting us come to borrow the book of the night that we forgot at school."

I also have #258 to thank for pulling me kicking and screaming into the school Co-Op.  "Come on, join...I'll be president and you can be VP so it won't be too hard on either of us!" I remember her begging.  Five years later, she has managed to take a lessor (but still very helpful) role while I still cannot get rid of the VP binder!

To close I will say, it is good to have good friends.  Our kids keep us busy and often in different directions, but it's good to know that she is always just a phone call away.  :)

#257 - SB

This is a post about a friend who makes me laugh.  I really don't see her or talk to her on a regular basis, but I have taken several long weekend shopping trips with her and she has imparted these words of wisdom on me.  As the mother of 3 boys (only, at the time) and a little girl, she has her hands full.  I remember her telling me, "Sometimes I just have to tell my boys, there is a reason I had three of ya'll. Go play with each other."  I know that sometimes kids take over your life and take up all of your time and it is easy to let them leave you with nothing left over.  I have to remind myself sometimes that I am not their personal maid, chauffeur, or playmate.  Especially as they get older, I realize that it is not my job to always make them happy, but it is my job to help them realize how they can make themselves happy.  It is my job to teach them to be responsible for themselves and for their brothers.  To always have each other's back and never turn on family.  To not solve all their fights, but to let them work some of them out on their own.  I digress from #257's statement, but it's funny how one thing that one person says will stick with you.

Another thing that I have to thank her for is a great idea.  Since her boys are a little older than mine, she had already started to have professional photographs taken of them.  She had decided to buy one really nice outfit and have a formal portrait taken of each boy in the same outfit at the same age to display together in her home.  At the time, this was a big sacrifice because the outfits were so expensive for little boys that were growing so fast, and to order a portrait that large also carried a hefty price tag.  But...since I agree with the statement that a picture is worth a thousand words, I spent the money...bought the outfit...and ordered and framed the big pictures.  I have never regretted it.  The only problem with this was that Blake fit into the navy blue sailor outfit when he was five.  Zack fit into the slightly faded light navy blue sailor outfit when he was five (but we had to pay extra to touch up the black front baby tooth that he earned by falling out of the car).  My baby boy, however, was a tight squeeze into the now almost purplish sailor outfit when he was barely four.  My big, big boy!  I love those pictures and have them proudly displayed in my dining room. 

Thanks to #257 for both pieces of advice.  I'm sure I'll be calling her for more and more as our kids navigate high school and their teenage years!

#257 - C, RN

This post is about a nurse who represents a lot of good nurses working in the medical field.  I first met her years ago when we both did home health visits.  I had little contact with her at that time, pretty much just to say hello as she was going in and I was going out of a patients home.  Many years later, she showed up at my grandparent's house.  She had taken a job working for a hospice company.  She was kind, caring, and empathetic in the most stressful of circumstances.  Due to the nature of the hospice business, most of the interactions between caregivers and staff are filled with lots of emotions.  Loved ones are close to dying and their families are looking for assurance that they have done everything possible for them.  #257 did all this and more.  She patiently explained policies and procedures, she answered all of our questions, and most importantly she took the time to talk and provide comfort through her presence.  She used her job knowledge and her compassion to make an extremely difficult time a little easier.  I will always be grateful for her dedication.  The best thing about her is that it was not just a job for her, but an act of love.  She allowed the families that she helped to lean on her in their time of need.  A true gift and act of giving.  I still see her from time to time, oddly enough in church usually.  She always asks about my family and has a kind word to say about the time that she spent working with us.  I hope that I always exhibit the same patience and ability to comfort, sometimes just by listening, to the patients that I work with.

#256 - ML

This must be the week for PT school friends.  This post is about another gal that I met in PT school that I connected with right away.  That must have been because she was from Kaplan. (Make sure you say the short a sound sha).  She was so small town and down to earth, we got along from the start.  We kept in touch for the first few years after graduation, but now we are down to Christmas cards.  Her dad was the chief of police in Kaplan, but had to retire while we were in school because he had multiple sclerosis.  I went to stay with her a couple of times for weekends, and remember that her dad was a huge man who now needed a motorized wheelchair to get around because of his weakness.  She now has a beautiful family and from all the outdoor pictures on her Christmas cards, I know she is raising them to be good old cajun kids!  Dat's some good folk!

#255 - EBM

This is a friend of mine from PT school.  It's funny how small the world is, because I thought she was my friend first, but she actually was from my hometown, was friends with some of my "older" friends first (right Danu?), and she was the granddaughter of the teacher who taught me cursive.  (# 239 - See here.)

What I remember the most about #255 was that she was in school to learn to be a physical therapist, but she was a wonderful artist.  She could draw beautifully.  I heard her say once that after she finished school, she would love to go to work for a publishing company and draw the anatomical drawings in the medical textbooks.  Like Netter's Atlas.  I mean have your ever really wondered who drew these? 

She totally could do it.  When we would study, she would recreate muscles and nerves just like it was a picture out of the book.  A true talent.

Before she went to PT school, I think she worked for some sort of a graphic design firm in Atlanta.  I think after PT school, she went into private practice and I know had at least one if not two children.  Lots of talent...great person! 

Thanks #255 for taking extra time to help me learn.  I remember lots of group sessions in the library and you always seemed like you "got it" long before I did.  Thanks also for the wonderful watercolor drawing you gave me one Christmas.  It probably took you about 5 minutes to draw this picture of Santa, but I think it is awesome.  I still put it out every Christmas!  I hope you are doing well, and if this blog makes it your way, give me a call!

#254 - Dr. GH

This post is about an old school doctor who taught a brand new PT a lesson about "tough love." 

It was a Saturday and I was filling in the Saturday morning hospital shift for my partner.  He had given me the list of patients that I needed to see that morning.  One of them included a young boy, I would say around 5 or so, who had been burned on his legs.  I can't really remember what caused the burn, but the treatment was to put him in a whirlpool bath, and then gently, but effectively rub over the burned areas with a towel or gauze to remove all the burned tissue.  Let me just say that in my opinion, burns are the most painful injury in the world.  The treatment for the injury is just as brutal. 

Anyway, I got the orders, knew I had a task in front of me, so I proceeded to his room.  This is where the fun started.  I introduced myself and did a little kidding around with the boy.  I love kids and they usually love me, so this part went okay.  Then I told him why I was there.  I could see the fear come over his face when he realized what was coming.  My mission was to take him in a wheelchair to a room just down the hall where a luke-warm tub of water waited.  This proved to be extremely difficult when the child vaulted out of the bed and then hid beneath it.  After about 20 minutes of coaxing that we would take it slow and he could say "stop" if he needed a break, his mom and dad and I convinced him to get into the wheelchair.  We started down the hallway and all was going well until we got to the door to the room.  Have you ever seen on cartoons when the cartoon character puts arms and legs on the door frame and blocks the entryway?  That was this kid.  He turned into Spiderman and it took mom, dad, and I plus a nurse to pry his fingers off of the door frame to get him into the room.  Let me just interject here that he was screaming his head off, trying to bite us, and throwing kicks and punches for all he was worth. 

My empathetic self continued to try to reassure him and give him some semblance of being in control.  My heart ached for him, but I really needed to do the treatment.  He had already been to surgery once for debridement, and if he didn't get the therapy, he would need another surgery.  Enter the subject of my post, #254.  He heard the commotion from down the hallway when he was making rounds.  He burst into the room, and in the loudest voice I'm sure the hospital wing has ever heard, he screams, "Shut up!  Quit yelling!"  I don't know who was more shocked, the kid or me.  It made the kid stop screaming and kicking for about 3 seconds before he resumed with a vengeance.  #254 was having none of it.  He basically grabbed the kid by the shoulders, put his face right in the kid's face, and said to him, "If you don't stop RIGHT THIS INSTANT and let this therapist clean your burns, I am going to take a needle out of my pocket, give you a huge shot, and take you right back to surgery and I'll do it for you!"

I immediately became the little boys best friend again.  "No! I don't want you!  I want her!  I want her!"  I shook myself out of my shock, jumped in front of #254 and got to work before the child could change his mind.  I started to gently rub the dead skin off.  #254 looked at me and said, "You have to do it faster and harder or he is going to start screaming again."  And so it went for the next 15-30 minutes.  The little boy crying (but not screaming), me crying and scrubbing, and #254 standing like a sentinel by the door in case he was needed again. 

To say that I was shook up by the incident is an understatement.  At the time, I had no children and I did not know the meaning of tough love.  #254 not only had around nine children, but he had been practicing medicine for many years and he knew that the only shot this kid had was this.  #254 pulled me off to the side after the ordeal was over and told me that he know how painful it was for the child, but he really did not want to have to take him back to surgery and that on Sunday, when I did it again, I really needed to clean it thoroughly.  Then with a smile he added, "Page me if you need me." 

Long story long, the little boy did much better on Sunday because I was able to get so much of the dead tissue off on Saturday.  He healed quickly and was able to get by without another surgery or a skin graft.  He was so young and so traumatized that I'm sure he would not think to thank #254, but on his behalf, I am glad that #254 was his doctor and he was there that day.  He taught me that it isn't always easy, but sometimes you have to just do it and throw nice out of the window if it is for the good of the patient. 

Tough patient love...tough lesson.

#253 - JP

Another week...another boy cousin.  This one makes me smile whenever I talk to him.  I babysat for him when he was little, and he and his then girlfriend (now wife) babysat for my boys a couple of times.  He always seems to be smiling, and he makes me smile.  He always seems to be in motion.  He is tall and has curly, curly hair.  He is also a smart one!  College at Notre Dame, med school at LSU and is now practicing?  residency? ( I can't keep up) in Kentucky.  And now, his shining moment!  He just became a daddy!  Here is a picture of his beautiful baby boy who was born just a few months ago!

When I called JP to tell he and his wife congrats, I had to say, "But you're too young to be a daddy!"  Then I had to follow it up with, "But you're also too young to be a doctor!"  And then slowly the light bulb came on, "I guess I'm just old!"  But the trade off of getting old, is this cutie pie!  I know that JP will be a great dad!

Like I said, just makes me smile!

#252 - JB

#252 is one of my second cousins.  I haven't seen him in a really, really long time.  He is several years older than me, and lives in Florida.  When I was growing up, I saw him about once a year, at Thanksgiving.  At that time, we would get together at my dad's aunts house or one of my dad's cousins house and spend the day with lots of second cousins that I did not even know.  I'm not sure when we stopped doing that, but now, we only see that side of the family at funerals. 

Anyway, back to said cousin.  He was the definition of a "pretty boy."  I think he spent some time modeling for awhile.  He married the sister of one of my high school classmates and they moved to Florida a long time ago.  I have no idea what he does for a living.  I know that he and his wife never had any children.  I'm not sure if this was by choice or not, but I cannot imagine not having kids.  He was always nice to me.  I remember looking forward to going to his house for Thanksgiving.  I thought that they lived really, really far away, but now I'm thinking that it wasn't far past the mall?  Not really sure (Dad, help me out here.)   I'm sure I followed him around with moon eyes because he was so nice and friendly and was so nice to look at.  Anyway, he was just a blip on my radar in my first 39 years.  I hope that life has treated him fairly and that he is happy in whatever it is that he decided to do.