Wednesday, August 17, 2011

What I Got Is A Free Pass!

I felt intimidated by the hugeness of the hospital. Trust me, it is huge! And there's lots of it; I mean, there is a campus of hospitals to make up The Hospital and each hospital on the campus is huge. Altogether, that makes it SUPER HUGE! and in GREAT HUGENESS. I was correct to feel a bit panicked and very intimidated. Jamelah said "Don't have a panic attack!" as I gulped when we approached the first parking ramp (not our designated ramp... we, had to pass 2 more before we got to ours). Humph! I'm not panicking. Yep. I'm not, well, not yet anyway.

Our instructions were precise (which is probably why I doubted them) and clear. They took us to the right ramp, the right door, the right hallway, the right office. Weird.

Jamelah had brought her laptop and settled into a comfy couch in a large outer lounge area and settled in for some enjoyable reading time. I headed into the inner sanctum to face the dreaded ordeal. I was quickly checked in and sent off with the nurse for my first inspection. She left me to catch my breath and I was soon greeted by 2 medical students who were "happy" (their words, not mine) to make my acquaintance and wanted to know if I would mind if they "observed" the process. "Nope!" you know, the more the merrier.

Next the assistant doctor came and inspected me with the students "observing". They then left me to cool my heels until the Real doctor would come in to look me over. The nicest thing about having your vocal chords examined is that you remain fully clothed. There is none of that uncomfortable business of getting undressed and stacking your clothes on a chair in proper order so none of your unmentionables are visible. Sort of like, you weren't really wearing them when you came in.

Anyway, the good doctor made his appearance and there I was in a tiny cubicle of an office with 4 doctors (that's right 4... well, 2 med students and 2 doctors) to inspect my vocal chords. The room seemed too close. We had to leave this first room and go to another one which contained the TV monitors and sound equipment. Down the hall we went in our convoy of 5. And who said this wouldn't be any fun.

The doctor sprayed some numbing stuff up my nose because that is how they would get the camera down to my vocal chords. I had to wait a few seconds so we could chat a bit and become better acquainted before they began getting intimate with my voice box. The doctor handed me a microphone (seriously, a microphone) then said, "I am going to give you a short story to read. I want to see how your vocal chords move as you read."

"Really," I said, "I thought maybe we were going to sing karaoke." He chuckled, "well, maybe we'll do that when we finish up here." Then I chuckled and let him know he probably wouldn't want me singing, mike or no mike. So, the process began. I got to read the story a bit then make a lot of eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee sounds and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs and Ha, ha ha... and hee hee hees. Then it was over. There was some chatting it up between him and his #1 doc and questions to his students. They seemed to all be having a great old time and in perfect agreement with him on everything.

When they got through "conferring" the good doctord told me this:

1. I had an infection on my vocal chords. This was why they appeared white. (I got to see them on the TV monitors too) One was worse than the other. This is a common side effect people have who use Advair on a daily basis as I do. I would be given a script to kill the stuff and he would make a recommendation to my primary care doctor concerning this. During his discussion regarding his letter to my doctor, I decided all by myself that I'd just quit using the damn stuff. It costs too much anyway.

Step one. Check. That's done

2. The vocal chords are muscles. Just like other muscles if not used they become weakened. Weekend athletes learn they cannot workout all at once without suffering the consequences. They have to remain in shape and keep in shape. IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE! He told me my biggest problem was that I wasn't talking enough. That's right. Since I had retired, I had stopped talking as much and my vocal chords had weakened. He recommended that I read aloud at home, practice using my diaphragm and would probably begin to observe that talking would become increasingly easier and easier. WELL! KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF! I got a free pass. The doctor told me to talk. No! I will not shut up. I have to talk. Listen. I'm just following doctor's orders, so talk I will.

Don't you just love it? No?

Step two. I shall work on it... and enjoy every minute.

3. Then he told me he wants me back in 6 weeks to see how I am doing. Really? Come back here? To this SUPER HUGE place with its 10,000 parking ramps. Humph. You think it's necessary?

Step Three We'll just have to wait and see about that one. I've got an appointment. Maybe.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Organ Donor?

Mom hasn't driven for years but has kept an active driver's license to use for ID purposes. It was easy to maintain since Michigan lets a person renew by mail every other time. This was the time she had to go in and take the test to get a new license. I knew this would not work and we decided instead she should just get the Michigan ID.

So this morning we went to the Secretary of State's office to get her an ID. We pulled our number tag and took a seat. Mom always reads any word she sees. I always ignore it. This time she was reading a sign adhered to the back of the seat across from us. "Sign up today to become an organ donor". Then she said, "I don't want to be a donor."

Me; not paying attention. "I don't have any organs I want to donate." Now she has my attention: I'm thinking, "huh?". I have that organ at the house I thought I'd donate to Jamelah." (me really confused now. I can read the sign... but I can't figure out what organ she has at home to she had ever planned to donate to Jamelah).

Then she continued: "She was interested int taking music lessons and I thought I'd give it to her then".

Light dawns. She is talking about a piano. A beautiful Baldwin. She bought it when Jamelah was a kid and taking piano lessons. I am not going to explain to her that the organ on the sign has nothing to do with music. I'm just going to enjoy the moment.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Ansel Adams: Wow!

So Saturday Jamelah and I headed for the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson to see the Ansel Adams Masterworks exhibit. Like many I have enjoyed his photos and was plain excited, you know; like a kid on the way to Cedar Pointe.

There were other exhibits there also and I enjoyed them all; especially one by a local photographer, Jennie L. Green. Ms. Green was an elementary teacher and took pictures of life around Jackson in the late 1800s/early 1900s until her death sometime in the 40s. She had received some acclaim and had exhibits in several places in her lifetime. The fact that she had to develop her own pictures really impressed me. I don't know how I thought film (well plates, actually) were developed back in the day. I had never thought about that at all. Mom has mentioned a few times that my grandfather had developed pictures at home he had taken when they were kids. I think I figured he had to do that because they lived way out in the boonies. I guess I'm just letting you know how truly "without a clue" I am about some things. Anyway, her photos were really interesting and some were very beautiful.

We were dilly-dallying around because we could hear someone up ahead of us holding forth about Adam's photos and, well me anyway, just wanted to go in and LOOK. So when the chatterer was far enough ahead we entered the gallery with the gallery. Oh My! I have a coffee table book (dumb name for a book) of Adams pictures, but still. seeing the originals. matted and framed. hanging on the wall. Oh My!

Jamelah liked to look and then get her nose right up to the glass and study carefully all the details in the photo. I liked to stand back and try to find the best light (there were reflections fm things hanging in the adjoining gallery. this annoyed me) and try to stand right in front to find the spot where he stood when he took the picture. I wanted to see what he saw.

My favorite print, and evidently evidently everyone's was titled "Moonrise" and you can see it
here

They were selling prints in the gift shop, but all copies of this photo had sold so they are ordering one for me. I am excited to get the print. We have a place in the dining room all picked out for it. Yea!

Part of the exhibit showed the cameras he had used. I smiled at their seeming familiarity knowing I was totally wrong.

Altogether it was a great time and if you are around here the exhibit will be on display through September 4.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Super Moon = Hunter's Moon?

Time has been total chaos. Or so it seems. Then when I try to put it all in perspective I always say "Hey, it wasn't that bad."

Mom has fallen twice in the last 2 weeks. The first time we had to call the EMTs to help us get her up out of the floor. The 2nd time was Sunday morning. I'm not writing about that, I'm just telling it as a prefix, you know, to explain the main characters here. After her first fall she became nervous about staying alone nights and began spending nights with us. Every evening she would tell me she was going to stay home that night and I would tell her that was fine but to call me if she changed her mind. Every night when the sun went down, she called.

So, I had been picking Mom up each evening a little after 8pm. We'd drive the regular route; up East North Street before turning onto our street. And up E North Street we'd see the moon rising. It was incredible. Each night I'd come into the house, get Mom settled, and have to go back out to moon gaze. I was curious about the moon and when all the hype hit the media, I was already into it.

Saturday dawned awesome. I took Mom home and settled her in and then went about the day. We had to buy Mom a new microwave and vacuum because hers needed replaced. We got to her house to deliver her stuff and found her sitting in her usual chair wondering where everyone had been all day. We set up the microwave and put things we had bought away and tried to talk her into coming to our house for the night. She said no she planned to stay home because she wanted to get out of the habit of spending the night with us. So, I got her supper ready for her (had to make sure the microwave worked. it did) and we headed out the door.

"We're going home Mom, OK? Call me if you change your mind and I'll be right here to pick you up."

She replied, "OK, but I'll be fine." So, off we went..the few blocks home.

We ordered pizza and decided we were going to look at the moon. We discussed a good vantage point and I said "...driving up North Street after 8. I have seen it every night." So we planned to visit a city park that sits right at the end of the street. We are good to go. The phone rings and it is Mom saying she thinks I'd better come and get her. "OK, be right there Mom!" I told my daughter we'd pick up Mom and she could go the park without me. I'd see the moon when we drove up North Street on the way back home.

We got Mother and started our drive home; by now you know route; up East North Street. The moon was not there. Clear sky. No moon. We decided to go hunt it up. Mom asked if this was to be the Hunters Moon and Jamelah said "Yes." Why, because we were going to hunt it down. We'd just take my 96 year old mother along for the ride. So we kept driving past our turnoff.

"Where are we going?" Mom wanted to know.

"To hunt the moon!" said my daughter.

"Hunters Moon?" my mother said.

"Yes! the hunters moon."

We headed to 94 (this interstate heads due east) because we figured it would give us the best vantage point and once it appeared we'd find a place to pull over and enjoy the view. So moon gazing we went. Due east up 94. When the moon first broke the horizon I nearly peed my pants.

"I should have brought my camera" Jamelah said.

I can't tell you how excited I was. (I can't remember if Jamelah said I was weird, such a nerd, or a geek. It was one of those things. She has called me all of them at one time or another.) I was ridiculous. Like a kid at the fair for the first time. It was AMAZING. The hype was not over hyped. I nearly cried. I was so happy.

I turned around "Look Mom! the MOON!"

"Yeah," she said. "I can see it." and then she was ready to go home. We weren't of course.

Our drive lasted about an hour with the drive home being less interesting. No moon. No need to explain, right! Once home and Mom was settled in we were outside enjoying the view.

Sunday morning I showed Mom a Super Moon picture taken by our friend Caryn. (see link)

Mom looked at it and said "We saw that, didn't we" she asked.

"Yes, Mom we saw it."

"Was that the Hunter's Moon?" she asked again.

Uh-hmmmmmmm The Hunter's Moon.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Good Day To See A Movie

So...our friend Denise volunteered to bring Mom's lunch today and hang out with her. Day Off for me! Yea! Jamelah and I decided we'd do lunch and go to the movies.

The day started off slow, neither one of us feeling like hurrying to get things done. I did dishes and the such while thinking about getting a pot of soup into the crock pot while never actually doing it. Jamelah finished up some stuff she had been working on and lunchtime passed us by. I figured I'd better get Mom's supper ready because we would be doing a later show than we originally thought. Jamelah headed off to the dealership to get an oil change she'd been delaying having done.

All the "have to dos" done we headed off for lunch at Red Lobster. Yum! You always pretend like you need more biscuits so you can have the waiter bring you a bag to take them home in. I love those biscuits. Stuffed and content we head for the theatre.

You know what? Wednesday afternoon is a good day to go to the movies. Why? Because no one else has decided to go at the same time. Parked right in front of the megaplex and walked in. Our movie choice: True Grit.We walked in to an empty theatre and picked exactly the best seats in the house. Not too close, not too far back. Right in the middle. We left an empty seat between us and piled it full of coats and purses and began watching all that stuff they show before the movie begins. Two other couples came to join us. 6 people in the theatre. then SHOW TIME! I love previews of coming attractions. Really, I do.

And then... a couple walks in. and sits right smack dab in front of us. COME ON! There are 6 people here and you have to sit directly in front of 2 of them. Really! There are probably 150 vacant seats in the house. 15 rows to choose from. Really! That is so rude. The female left to get popcorn or whatever, leaving the male sitting with his big old head directly in Jamelah's line of vision. I asked her if she wanted to move over, "yeah" she replied, climbing over me to sit in the next seat over. We looked at the near empty theatre and the transgressors who decided to plop down right in front of us and got the giggles. We were laughing uncontrollably by the time the female came back and then we got worse. We both laughing right out loud. Seriously loud. We had to stop. The previews began. I love previews of coming attractions.

The movie started. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! When suddenly I"m blinded by a bright white light. Ms. Rude in front of me has decided she really needs to check her text messages. I said "Really!" She closed her phone. Come on Folks!

Now here's my question. Why is that there is always someone coming to the movies that will talk incessantly, or find it necessary to explain the plot in detail to the person they are with (what is w/that anyway) and now feel it necessary to play with their phone during the movies. And furthermore, why do they always sit close to us. WHY? Yes, I want to know why!

Oh... and True Grit. Best movie I have seen in ages. Well acted, well scripted. Bravo! Go see it if you can. And also, the soundtrack. Loved it. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms played throughout... and Hold to God's Unchanging Hand was used. Loved those old hymns. They didn't sing them, but they just felt right. I buy the soundtrack I'd go see this movie again in a minute. Want to go with?