A Trip to the ER

(Jan 2013)

 

Mike and I had the fun experience of spending the week at the hospital (the real hospital).  It all started with a trip to the ER and ended four days later when we were allowed to leave. Bellow are pictures from the ER as we were waiting to be admitted.  The one of us is kind of blurry which seems to capture how we were feeling.  We discovered that Mike had a bowel impaction due to his less than active life style.  His stay wasn't pleasant but he is feeling much better now, it's like he is a new man. 

 

 

 

Having to go to the ER is always dramatic but it also comes with the added stress of all the horrible memories of when we were there the day of his accident.  After leaving the hospital a month after Mikes accident, the thought of ever having to return was more than I could bare.  In fact, walking into any hospital cause me extreme anxiety. I guess after a traumatic event something breaks inside of you and takes a while to heal. 

 

I know I can't avoid hospitals for the rest of my life so when I am required to go to one I just take deep breaths and pretend like I'm not a crazy person.  But when it comes to Mike having to go to the hospital the stakes are raised considerably.  Luckily I have only been back to the hospital twice with Mike, once for pneumonia and this last time.  I am getting better at it as time goes on.  I can now go to any hospital (besides the one Mike was in) with ease and going to the ER with Mike may be extremely uncomfortable but I handle it better than before. 

 

Hospitals aren't my only phobia sense the accident I also have a phobia of talking to any doctor, seeing Mike's trauma doctors, family meetings, seeing an accident, going to weddings, and unwanted advice.  Like my hospital phobia, I do face them head on when I need to and they are getting better.  The only one I'm not doing well with is unwanted advice, it's amazing what people will say to you and how it can still affect me. I don't know if this is a phobia or just rude either way I'm not getting over this one so just keep it to yourself.

Tis the Season

(Dec 2012)

This year Mike and I were able to spend our first Christmas just the two of us. I didn't have to work on Christmas eve so I went down early for a Christmas movie marathon. We like to party hard so we went crazy and opened our Christmas eve presents from Lauri early.  Luckily they weren't just pjs, they were rivalry pjs (I'm a Ute Mike's a cougar) so we were able to get cozy for the movie.  We didn't want to do the same old, same old, so Mike sat in the recliner and I sat either next to him or on him. Here we are watching our Christmas eve movies.

 

 

 

Mike got a little cold so I put a snuggy on him and then promptly took a picture (he he he).  Poor Mike he has no control on his dress or what pictures I choose to post.  On the bright side, doesn't he look adorable?

 

 

In the middle of our movie watching we took a break to watch a skyped nativity scene put on by my sister and her family.  It was excellent and Mike gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up. 

 

I left Mike's late and came back early to open presents, I made sure we were both still in our pjs. Here are some highlights of our spoils:

 

Star Wars shirt to help embrace his inner nerd

 

Cool coat for me so I can be both stylish and warm

(Sorry it was to hard to do a self portrait in it)

Hobbit feet slippers for Mike to keep his feet toasty warm

A Betta fish named Franklin to keep Mike company when I'm not there

Thanks Jeff and Olivia!

 

A cool button that Mike can push to communicate.

Any message can be recorded and he pushes the button to say it. 

 

I was also able to spend some time with my brother and his family in the afternoon.  His two younger boys insisted on coming back with me to see Mike so they could play the Wii with him.  It was fun to have some kids as part of our Christmas festivities. 

 

All in all it was a great Christmas.