This is why I love my Job…





Newlyweds Traci Freebairn and Jason Hawk married on their planned wedding day-they just didn't expect to be accompanied by two nurses from the Neuro Critical Care unit. The night before their wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, Freebairn suffered a stroke. She was rushed to U Hospital where the Neuro team gave her tPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator), a drug that stops stroke damage if administered within a few hours of a stroke's occurrence. The tPA worked so well that the wedding took place the next day in UH's Hope Chapel, with more than 50 family and friends from all over the country in attendance.

"It wasn't how I pictured, but it was how I dreamed I'd feel," Freebairn said. "Everyone has been awesome," she said of the nurses and doctors who cared for her.

Teamwork pulled it off… The Neuro team, Neuro Critical Care staff, and social workers all made it happen.

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In’nt that sweet?

I don’t know exactly why I am here at work today. More than half of the employees have taken the day off to get a jump-start on the Memorial Day holiday. It should make for a rather productive day, though. I will probably get more done today than I have all week.

The bonus of today is that I found out my favorite Blue Cross rep from when I worked at Pioneer is still at Blue Cross! I got to talk to her this morning and it made me smile. She remembered me, too, and gave me her personal line so I can just call her if I have an issue. I tell ya, that girl cuts through red tape faster than a chainsaw. I am very pleased.

I guess I should tell y’all about Mother Sugar. Since I didn’t blog on Wednesday, you are probably curious about my appointment.

I love that her office is right around the corner from my house, it makes it hella convenient. I hate her waiting room. It’s tiny, only room for about 2 bodies. I had to do some serious deep breathing to avoid a total claustrophobic attack. Loved the office décor, very Asian and very serene. Probably good for a therapist. Anywho, she is in her 40’s and a very attractive lady.

We started out small, just getting the gist of who I am and what I am facing right now in my life. She was very empathetic and understanding. She also has a fantastic sense of humor.

Hmmm… what can I tell you about the session… I learned that the method I’ve been using with Sarah isn’t the method I should be using… I learned that I need to give up parenting Sarah and give it to Lindi totally and completely for the time being (which is right in line with what the Lovely Kristen said)… I learned that Lortab is a Depressant, and while I’ve been taking it for my pain, any other attempts at medication for depression were moot… that was a revelation… we established the connection between body pain and depression… I cried a few times… Mother Sugar made me… just kidding… I really like her style of therapy. She really just relayed back what I was saying to establish what I was thinking and we can really get into the heart of the matter in later sessions. The hour appointment ended up lasting about 90 minutes since I was her last appointment of the day. She wants me to think about specifics in terms of what I want to get out of our sessions.

My insurance is fabulous about therapy appointments – I have 20 authorized with a simple copay of $15, just like a medical doctor. When my insurance changes in July, I even get the first 5 sessions after July 1 for no charge. We established an every-other-week schedule on Tuesdays. I think I would have really liked every week, but honestly, I didn’t want to depend on her too much and since I am not in the middle of a major psychosis, I should be fine. She told me to call her if I wanted another appointment in the meantime. I know that sounds weird, to be afraid of becoming dependant on a therapist, but that’s a fear of mine. And with Water aerobics twice a week, it might be a little much for me to handle right now.

Moving on… Lindi and I picked out the new tile for our downstairs bathroom. It’s a pretty greenish blue marble – very light. It will lighten that bathroom tremendously. I think I know what we will be doing this weekend!

Oh, and you guys gotta help me decide what to do for Lindi’s 35th birthday on the 10th of July. It’s a Saturday, so I was thinking of christening the yard and having a BBQ birthday party. I am sure our neighbors wouldn’t object, they would probably love to help. I think I will get the ball rolling on that one. I’ll call her brother and see if he will bring over her BBQ and her father would bring tables and chairs. She will say something like, “I don’t want anything big, we have to save for Alaska…” Whatever. She’s gonna be 35. We need to party.

Speaking of party, I need to get back to work. It’s a party riot around here, let me tell ya. Have a good Friday before a Holiday!

Drink of the day: House Cafe with Vanilla and cream
CD on the Playa: still Kelly Clarkson Thankful