Underpants?

Underpants, what a funny word. Yes.. I'm starting a post for you today with the word underpants. I could have gone with long-johns, unders, arounds or even overs, but just for you, I chose to write about the complete and utter awkwardness of being basically completely exposed every time I wiggle my pinkie finger in the wrong direction.

Let me just tell you, the "nursery rhyme" I see London, I see France, I see "insert name here's" underpants is sure a whole lot funnier when you are 6 years old. It becomes even less funny when you are suddenly "living" with 10 other people and everyone is walking around in a drape with a giant hole in the back.  I guess they have to provide us with some kind of entertainment to keep up occupied huh?

Although, I must admit, being on a floor where both patients and nurses have moustaches that have outlived me can make for some interesting stories.

Yesterday I got to take a jog or two around the nurses station. Yeah, that's right. I jogged. It was invigorating! One time, I leaned over to pick up a piece of paper and almost won the race face first. I guess now I know what it feels like to be a little "tipsy." I think I'll stay away from that for umm... ever. I must admit I felt a little like this guy. Not quite sure which way I was going to end up going.

My doctor came by today and it sounds like I'm slowly taking baby steps towards getting my little bum on the move outta here. The platelet counts are still slowly going up.  They are thinking they may have to start the chemo drug treatments before they do the biopsy though because the platelets are just being slow pokes.  This could be a good thing, because they might discharge me earlier than expected  since I'm doing so much better, but it could also be a bummer because I'll have to have an outpatient procedure when they finally reach high enough levels.

No definitive word yet though, still playing the waiting game for now. Hopefully I will hear from the other two doctors soon and they can give me some good news. After all.. who wants to watch an intense BYU/Utah football game in a hospital room? BOO!

Movin' on Up!

That's right, minute by minute news updates comin' atcha from the THIRD floor, or as I'd like to affectionately call it, Cloud Nine! Yes folks, I've been moved to the KID-KNEE floor. Here, they will ... do more of the exact same thing... except my room is bigger... and.. I have a shower.... a shower being a chair that I can sit in and kind of wash off.  Its an exciting thing!

Sad news though, I talked to the nutritionist today to find out exactly what is restricted on my diet until my Kidneys start to get better... The good news is this...

I can still eat meat, both white and red.  I can have some of the fruits and vegetables that I love, not all, but some and I can very sparingly eat my favorites, such as tomatoes, potatoes and peaches.  They are mostly on the no-no list. No more of the mashed goodies :( Maybe I'll be able to eat them by Thanksgiving, cause that would be fantastic!

So, even though cloud nine is obviously pretty dang sweet... there are still some snags that I'd rather not deal with.  Don't worry through friends, I'll keep you updated as the events of the third floor unravel and weave their fun little tale.

Escapee in the East Wing

Well.. it was a nice interesting night last night up in the E-Wing of the UVRMC.  I feel so bad for the patients who get confused and don't quite understand what is going on. My new neighbor didn't understand why she was in the hospital and DID NOT want to have oxygen on.  She pulled her oxygen mask off at least 4 different times in the middle of the night. The alarms all went off each time because her oxygen levels weren't high enough for her to continue breathing.  I feel bad for those people who just don't understand.  They had to eventually tie her arms to her bed so that she would not be in danger of removing her mask and passing away overnight due to lack of oxygen.  Needless to say, it was an interesting night in the E-Wing, lots of yelling, sedation and confusion. Luckily, I was able to still get a few hours of sleep.

Don't worry I'll keep you updated as more excitement and fun goes down I'm sure we haven't seen the end of it.

The Girl with the Lightning Scar!

Well folks, it has happened... I finally rough and tumbled myself into quite the predicament. After a week and a half of coughing and hacking and getting weaker and weaker I decided to check myself into the E.R. Well.. friends, dang good thing that I did. They have since discovered a weird creature living inside me called pneumonia.  I don't know what the heck he thinks he is doing in there, I have told him multiple times that he isn't welcome or appreciated, but whatever. Then... of course, my friend Anemia decides he wants to join in the fun. Turns out that the reason I had been so weak lately was because I had less than half of my blood in my body. I guess they were having a little civil war in there and the wrong side was winning, so, thanks to the kindly donations of the lovely A+ students at BYU and UVU  I was able to receive 4 units of the juicy red stuff which has helped me to feel much better.

Unfortunately, in addition, my Kidneys have decided that they need to also cause problems. They are trying to stop working on me too.  So, I get to have dialysis. WOO... so.. NOT fun. Its cool though, my scar count will go from ... like... 3 or 4 to like 45 after this hospital stay.  I already have about 14 to add to the count! Don't worry,  I requested one to look like the Harry Potter lightning bolt, we'll see if that pans out. Its on my neck so it probably will look more like a Vampire bite.. yikes.

Well.. tomorrow should be a fun day though.  I will start dialysis in the morning.. at like 6:30 am or something like that... followed by a kidney biopsy.  For those of you who don't know. THIS is the needle they will put into my back and get fluid off of my kidney so that they know what is going on back there. Ya.. it's cool.. I know I'm brave! I guess it looks whimpy in this picture... but I've had it done before. Its a little larger than it appears.

That is how its rollin right now in the land of the happy and home of the brave.  However, I would like to offer a little shout out to everyone who has come to say hi! I would just name everyone.. and don't think I can't remember... but then it would just be a boring list of names.

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know that yes I'm alive, yes I'm still breathing and my heart is beating. I'm keeping the nurses and visitors entertained (I'm their favorite.. even though they may not admit it) and I'm getting better and better at telling cheesy jokes and making sarcastic remarks. Don't worry though I'm still the same 'ole me.

So.. the moral of the story... don't run faster than is needful. Stop and smell the flowers.  Remember who you are. Don't forget to brush your teeth. Smile like you mean it. Keep on truckin! BUT, Never give up and never give in. Life is full of surprises,

Take care of yourself you beautiful people.. and you won't end up like me... in the hospital with a bag of crayons, a goofy hair-do and a cheesy grin with the silly story of how I ended up as the girl with the lightning scar.

Music & Lyrics- Brendan James - Changing Us (Live)

ksl.com - BYU basketball reunites missionary and convert after 40 years

ksl.com - BYU basketball reunites missionary and convert after 40 years

For anyone who follows BYU Basketball, very cool story about the power of friendship and love and missionary work.

Hope of things to Come

“Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope.”- James E Faust

I have been studying hope and faith this week, and especially today.  It has been an interesting 6 years for me out here at BYU. I have had ups and downs of which I never expected to experience, yet at the same time, I never wish to trade for anything.  The experiences, the faith and the Hope of better things to come have and that there is something important I am supposed to learn or help someone else learn from these things, trials and circumstances I have been given.

If you have any extra time, I highly encourage you to read the quotes that follow.  They are inspiring and remind me of what  I'm here for and why sometimes life has to be hard.

Genuine hope is urgently needed in order to be more loving even as the love of many waxes cold; more merciful, even when misunderstood or misrepresented; more holy, even as the world ripens in iniquity; more courteous and patient in a coarsening and curt world; and more full of heartfelt hope, even when other men’s hearts fail them. Whatever our particular furrow, we are to ‘plow in hope,’ without looking back or letting yesterday hold tomorrow hostage (1 Cor. 9:10).”- Neal A Maxwell

"Hope . . . is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear."- Dieter F Utchdorf

"The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity." Elder Utchdorf