Thursday 10-6

I had a blood test again today.  It is my monthly protime test to check the thickness or thinness of my blood.  I have to keep it in what is called Therapeutic range.  This is because of my lovely blood disorder can cause blood clots and I don't really one again.  I nearly died the first time.  I truly think it was because my mom went to the nursing station complaining I hadn't seen the doctor and I had been there for 4 hours.  The ER was really busy that night but I was in so much pain and they weren't thinking I would have a blood clot.  When the doctor finally came in about 20 minutes after Mom complained, he thought it was just a pleurisy thing.  I have had pleurisy type things before and this felt different.  I had the X-ray and then about 5 am I had the CT-Scan.  When the nurse came back in she said it would take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours before I get the results.  I sent Mom home because she needed to drive my brother to an appointment that morning.  Well, 15 minutes after she left the doctor and a few nurses came in and all of a sudden my room was super busy with people hanging things and talking amongst themselves.  The doctor was floored and looked it.  He said I had a blood clot and he had no idea why I should have one.  It was in my lung.  Because Mom complained, I was able to get some pain medication when the nurse had come in around 3 ish.  I vaguely remember asking if they were going to give me medicine and send me home.  The doctor looked at my and was like, you don't get to go home with this.  You get admitted into the hospital.  I don't remember too much at that point because I was so tired.  When I woke up again, I was in a hospital room and Momma and Andrew were sitting in the room.  Mom had driven right to the hospital after Andrew's appointment.  I didn't have a key to the house because Mom had driven me so she had been waiting to hear that either I am ready to come home or I am at home.  She didn't hear from me so she thought maybe I was still at the hospital.  Momma sent Andrew in to the info desk and he was surprised that I was admitted.  He told Mom and she parked the car.  He thought Mom would take him home and then go to the hospital to see me.  He was wrong.  It was a good thing too because Mom said shortly after they arrived in my room, the doctor came in.  He asked what happened in the ER last night and Mom told him.  The doctor said that had the ER people waited a couple more hours, I would have died.  Mom was floored.  He also said it was very serious and life threatening.  Andrew had to sit down after that one.  I remember the doctor asking me all these questions that my brain wouldn't let me think.  I remember saying ask my mother.  He did.  She filled him in on as much of my medical history as she could.  I just remember being in so much pain and not being able to walk with it very well.  I never want one of these again so I am very diligent with my blood medicine.  Anyways, that is a short version of discovering the lovely genetic blood disorder.  This is why I cannot have children.  Because of the blood problem, I was told I would never be able to carry a baby to full term.  Now this upset me and blew me away.  However, I never wanted to have my own children.  I always planned on adopting children.  It was kind of weird to be upset by this, but I got over it.  The one benefit of not having children is that I was able to devote my time to Mom and her care.  I was very lucky to have a sweet, good natured, nonviolent Alzheimer's patient.  Many Alzheimer's patients can become very angry, violent, and/or belligerent.  Thankfully, Mom was rarely any of these things!  boy was I blessed in that way because I could keep her here at home and I didn't have to place her somewhere!  Talk about awesomeness!  I will forever be grateful to God for allowing me to be able to take care of my mother.  I just wish he allowed me to have her for a much longer time before he called her home.  I just miss her a lot as I say frequently.

I am watching Project Runway right now.  It is an interesting show.  I learned how to sew at 8 years old.  I was very ill for about 3 to 4 weeks in 3rd grade so I missed school.  Personally, I remember not feeling that bad but of course, when you have several naps a day, a child would feel better.  My younger brother was very ill at that time too so I had my playmate.  At the time, my mother made all my school and church clothes.  I was very happy about that and even felt bad for girls whose Moms didn't make their clothes.  Anyways, Mom was working on an outfit for one of us, I don't remember who, and I kept asking her what was she doing, why was she doing that.  I asked question after question.  She patiently answered each question and had me do some of the work (like pinning) with her.  For my birthday that year, I got my first sewing box with sewing tools in it.  Momma also took me to the store to pick out some fabric and she picked the pattern.  I remember having a choice of a couple, but she picked the style that would be easy for me to do.  Every time I sew, I think of her.  I make my students a Christmas Tree Ornament most years.  I can't say every year because last year and a couple of years ago, I didn't make the presents but I am planning to make them this year.  I have the material already.  I found it a few years ago in the fabric store and I simply love it.  It has a score of a Christmas song with other Christmas elements like the holly and the berries all over it.  It sparkles too!  Anyways, I will post a picture when I get them finished.  I plan to start them at the end of the month.

I had my Breanna this afternoon for her lessons.  Bree takes both piano and voice lessons.  She is going to play her guitar and sing her Christmas songs.  She has picked "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bell Rock".  I can't wait for her to start working on it.  She said she should know the guitar part in a week or two so she can start bringing her guitar to her lesson.  Breanna is a fun student to work with.  Then again, I enjoy working with all my students.

I have to make a CD of the Christmas Songs Calli has chosen.  We both think that this will help her learn her pieces since she will have what they should sound like with both hands.  Calli is a very serious young lady who loves the piano.  She is doing so well, truly, she is such an amazing musician.  She works hard at everything she needs to do.  I give her the tools and she takes off with them.  Acer has chosen his songs too.  We will be starting his Christmas Vocal piece tomorrow.  He is a very neat young man to work with.  You can tell when he likes a piece and when he doesn't.  When he doesn't he likes to pretend he can't remember it.  I know better.  He does know it, he just doesn't want to play it.  He will be 7 in December.  I will also put Acer's piano Christmas pieces on the same CD as his sister, Calli.  Calli was happy with what she needed to learn for this week.  We only got to the right hand of the first page.  She was like, woohoo!  However, tomorrow we will add the left hand.

I have to make the information newsletter about competition that is coming up in February.  At this point, I am not sure outside of Katie who is going to competition.  I will be figuring that out soon before the end of the month.

I am not feeling so good today, I was a bit lightheaded again this afternoon.  I am hoping for a better day tomorrow.  I do hope your day will be good tomorrow too.