GREAT!!!!!..... Not so great......

GREAT news! Jessica WILL be giving her two weeks notice at her current job on Monday!! She got another job!!! YEAH!!! Good for her!!!! (Can you tell we are HAPPY!) It will be for a property called College Hill. She will be doing their marketing. She is so excited. That is what she went to college for!!!! About time! hehe A job that she can use her degree and a place that there is room to advance! Only one way to go ...... and that is UP!!! And if you know Jessica... she will be moving that way soon! She already has it approved with them for her to take vacation with us the beginning of July to go to Texas. What fun we are going to have! So happy she will be able to go with us. What a vacation! GIRLS ONLY!! We are SOOOOOOOOOO proud of you Jessica!

NOT so great news~ Michele is having a very rough time with her knee. We were at the doctor yesterday for an xray and to get her stitches out. The doctor explained Michele's surgery in VERY simple words. They "broke" Michele's knee. Used two screws that looked to be about a couple inches long each and put them threw the front of her leg to fix the break. Then also attached the donor ligament with a "button" on the top of her knee. Drilled a hole into the side of the knee and put the other end of the ligament inside there being held with another pin. Basically a broken knee that they can not cast. She has to be very careful as it heals, but yet have physical therapy so she will be able to bend the knee and walk when the bone they broke is healed. Right now we are having a very difficult time keeping the swelling down. It is very difficult for her to take care of herself, so she is for the most part driving back and forth from Hays to home so she has someone to help care for her. We are doing the things most take for granted. The most frustrating part for Michele is people NOT understanding the extensive surgery she had. Everyone "assumes" it was just a simple knee surgery...... well, it was NOT.

......

Michele is back in Hays. I took her back yesterday, but she wasn't able to make it to her class. Was feeling a little under the weather. She did make it to class this morning, and then I took her to Physical Therapy this afternoon. To make a looonnnnggggg story short...... it is going to be a long haul. They changed the dressing and did just a little stretching. She will not be allowed to bend her knee AT ALL until it is completely healed. By that time, the knee will be too stiff to bend. That is where all the work will come into play. Right now she is scheduled for 3 times a week for 3 months. Then they will go from there. She is such a tough girl! It WILL be all okay! Love you Mishi!!!

Hop along home.....

Michele is home! We came home the middle of yesterday afternoon. She has had some problems with the pain. Also with her stomach not working properly. But we are getting there. And SOO glad to be out of that dang hospital! I'm a much better nurse if I don't say so myself! She got some good sleep last night and today is just going to be a hang out and sleep day for her. DUH! Our plans right now is for her to be here until Tuesday morning. Then I will be taking her to Hays and to her classes. We hope that by Wednesday either she can drive herself to class, (she got a special parking pass) or her roommates have said they will work it out and take her till she can do it herself. I will be taking Wednesday afternoon off from work and take her to her first physical therapy appointment. Going to be a long haul, but we have high hopes it will be well worth it. Then in a year, she will have a second surgery. They will be going back in and taking out two of the pins. But the doctor has said it is a VERY simple surgery. Probably the easiest one she will ever have.

~I'm very glad this all happened so very fast! I'm glad it is over! And I sooooo hope that this fixes the problem!!!!! Nobody should hurt like she was from just the simple things of life. The doctor even said that he has hopes that she should be able to go back to shooting basketball and even running again. She laughed and told him that she is done with sports for competition, but just wants to be able to have fun. Life is going to be good!!!!

4 Star.... I think NOT!

As much $$$$ as you spend for medical costs, you would think it should be like staying at a Four Star Hotel. NOT! I should be sleeping, but my "cot" is sooooo uncomfortable it isn't funny. Remember when you would sit on those very old sofa's and the springs would poke at you and hurt?? That is what my "cot" feels like. Then I think I'm also just very overtired. I sure will be happy when we get home. Michele and I will probably collapse. I do have to say that the nurse we have tonight is WONDERFUL! We wish she would have been here on the early shift as we kind of got a "dud". And I'm sure if she works today..... we'll get her back. We will just let Michele keep her on track. All in all, Michele is doing pretty good. She is VERY sore and is starting to swell, but is such a trooper. And as we all know, she should do better once we get her home.

~ I just want to say THANK YOU to Jenny!! She called to check on Michele. While doing so she gave us some suggestions on Michele's pain meds that has helped Michele make it thru the long night when you hurt the most. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!

From Michele's mouth...... "To bad Aunt Jenny can't come and work here tonight. I know she would take good care of me. And I trust her!"

Surgery......

Michele had her surgery this morning. As of right now we are still in the hospital, but have hopes to go home tomorrow. We will see. After 2 1/2 hours, 4 pins, a ligament from someone else, and a total re-alignment........ we are doing okay. They did have troubles getting the pain under control in recovery, so she was there longer. But they are keeping on top of it now and hopefully we can do the same after we take her home. They are still giving her IV antibiotics as her next round will be 2am tomorrow morning. I'm sure tonight will be a little rough....but we are Ummels. We are tough!! All that matters now is it is over.... and it should be all uphill from here on out. As this is her third surgery on this knee, we pray it to be the last.

Blink of an eye....

Things can change so fast! In a blink of an eye. Michele's doctor appt..... well..... obviously we knew something was wrong. And there is. She is having surgery on Thursday..... yes Thursday.... yes this Thursday. In easy words they are going to realign her knee. She will stay in the hospital at least over night. Then we will see from there. But I'm being very positive about it all. She is going to feel much better when it is all done and over with. And she will not hurt anymore. And that is all that matters!!!!

Just a.......

LITTLE! Just a little tired! You would think that since I'm off tomorrow I'd have more energy. NOT! Heading to bed. And the week only started. Yesterday Roger and I finished Jessica's bedroom. We had bought a bigger bed for her room and finally found the time to get things moved around, spring cleaned and the new bed put up. Next I'm onto Michele's room. But not tomorrow. I'm going to Hays and meeting Michele for dinner. Then she has a doctor's appt in the afternoon. Going to get another opinion on her knee. It is not feeling so well. Guess we will see what this Doctor says and go from there. After that it is back home and working on a rag quilt. I haven't been able to work on it because of my hand, but gonna try tomorrow. I guess we will see. The doctor upped my meds and it is feeling better. Not back to normal, but better. I'll post some pictures of the quilt when it gets done..... hopefully soon!! :-)

TGIF!!!

Thank goodness for Friday! I didn't think I was gonna make it, but did. Tuesday I worked and covered so another lady could take off for her daughter. When I woke up on Tuesday, I had the nastiest headache!!! And finally late this afternoon it started to break. Wow! Did it hurt!! The beginning of the week was also cold and windy. So now that I've made it this far... I can ENJOY! Tonight I've kept really busy. Had paperwork to get done and just decided to make myself must do it! I'm organized and have a list made for the weekend. And there is LOTS to do!

Michele is excited!! She got an email on an internship in Topeka!! At Westar Energy. (That is were Miranda works!!) How great would that be??!! Both my girls in the same town. We will see. The deadline is ALREADY Sunday! Not much time, but she got it in. Hopefully with the short deadline, not many people will get it done.

Enjoy the nice weather!!
Enjoy the weekend!!
Enjoy.... LIFE!!!!

Hoppy Easter....

Today was just beautiful! What nice weather. Roger, Michele and I went to the farm and had dinner with Audrey and Glada. It was delicious!! Roger then tilled the garden and worked on the mower. After that we headed home as we needed to get a few things done around here. Planting my strawberries were number one on the list. Then I did get an recipe album finished that I am donating to Relay for Life. It just seems like the weekend flew by. Sure could use another day. Sounds like Jessica also enjoyed her Easter. Lena fixed a very good dinner and Jessica enjoyed spending time working in her new yard. The nice weather sure does draw people outside!!!

This week is going to feel very long to me. Usually I have Tuesdays off, but this week I'm working for someone else on that day. So...... I'm off on Friday. Yay!!!! A three day weekend!! Couldn't ask for more. Hopefully the weather is nice at the end of the week as the beginning is suppose to be very windy.

Happy Easter and have a GREAT week!