SUCCESS ALL AROUND

Two kids are off to Texas and have arrived at their Grandmothers, so far safe and sound on their way to school. I have sold most of Rachel's old school books on amazon.com with very little effort. It is nice to see some stuff go out of the house...not just coming in by the wheelbarrow full.
Julie's surgery was a success. We arrived at Stanford at exactly 8 am. Where put in a room near someone taking cancer treatments ( they were very noisily loosing the contents of their stomach) Larry did not join them or pass out....close but kept his cool. Then taken to a bed several doors down the procedure was explained again and an IV was started....Larry and I left during this time. We went out to breakfast at the hospital cafe...does this count as a date? Then it was wait, wait, wait time. During this wait time Larry left for La Honda. Around 12:00 they took her up to the surgery holding area. After meeting the assisting doc, signing consent papers, hearing the procedure explained again, then meeting the real doctor we waited till 1:30 when they took her in. At this point I went to lunch and then to the waiting room. One, two, three and four hours passed before I got the call that she had made it out and I could come right back...no waiting which was nice.
The doctor came in all smiles, told me he felt that the operation was successful...they located the area of the problem and killed that area of the heart. Tried to stimulate the SVT to come back and it didn't so he feels good about the outcome. Julie says on the other hand, they lied..I felt lots of ugly stuff going on inside and lots of pain..I'm not ever going to do that again! She had gotten sick and threw up from the medications and just generally said she would rather be home in bed reading a good book. Shortly they transferred her to her new room and after some more meds...she rested. At 8:30 they brought her dinner....chicken, rice, and carrots, with other unmentionable sides. She did eat all the chicken before the nausea hit. They tried to get her up at 10 but her right leg wounds (3) broke open and after much pain, blood, and direct pressure..the doctor said to stay flat till morning. But now because of this complication it was checking the BP and vitals every hour on the hour...and the wounds. They made entry wound on both the left and right side groin area.....OUCH. After 1 1/2 hours the main bleeding stopped and then by 3 more it had stopped all together.
So after a restless or almost sleepless night for me, it is time to rise and shine 6 am vitals to start the day. The doctor arrived this morning....he came in 3 different times. (on a Sat.!?!?) They did not like Julies blood pressure, she needed more fluids, she needed to void more fluids, she needed to get out of bed and walk, so the Sat. chore list began. After a long Sat. morning she was given permission to come HOME!!!! Dad had come in and was more than willing to whisk us away with rapid speed and make Julie's wish of being home fulfilled. So we are now home, she is in her bed watching a movie, and I of course, are telling you all about it.
I am planning on going to bed early tonight. Poor Chudley (our dog) doesn't understand why she cant sit in Julie's lap....hope we can teach her to stay down. So now you know how everything went.

THE DAY

It is that time. We leave in a few hours for Stanford. Much has been accomplished. Rachel and Jonathan are on the road to Texas for another year of school. The apartment they occupied during the summer is empty and clean. Julie is mostly packed for school as well and has moved inside the house for the last few remaining days of summer break. Rebecca has turned 18 with little to no mishaps. I think she will be surprised to see her presents and flowers today as well.
Larry has started the two new rooms in the back...all which stemmed from a leaky roof that needed to be replaced. But as of last night the new roof was on and tar papered. He will go with us today and then off to MSB where David works to work on some electronic projects there. Then he will give Julie and I a ride home and back to the construction on Sun.
Daniel is a Soph. for this semester quickly moving to a Junior in Jan. Rebecca officially will graduate end of Dec. or as soon as some of her work is done....which ever is soonest. Sadly, Liz is still out in the great beyond.
When we get home, we need to move some furniture and rearrange the quest room...tidy up the nursery (CHORES!), lots of laundry.....and plan to take Julie to school and then the FAIR.....
What a wonderful, fun filled life we Gullmans lead. Oh yes, there will be some sleep involved in this plan as well.

Timing is everything

Dates are now set. Julies heart ablation is Aug. 26th. That is Rebecca's 18th birthday so we will celebrate it early - this Sun. instead. Then pack up two college kids and send them off Thurs.. morning early...or so the plan goes. Julie must also be packed and ready for college since she wont feel like it after her surgery. They estimate an overnight stay and then home and take it real easy for 3 days then just mild stuff for 2 weeks...sure she is off to college (How mild do you think she will be?) This reminds me of when the doctor says....Go home and get some rest - to a mother of 10...sure thing, no problem. There are the last min. doctor appointments for Rachel, last days of work for many, oh and school has started for the two in HS, misc.. packing and cleaning, a special birthday, also Rachel just discovered her financial aid package has disappeared, just a few things to do in this next week. So after I get done eating the next package of bon bons....putting my feet up....taking an hour long bubble bath....getting my nails done....I might find time to do some of those annoying task. At least Dad is happy, eating his bowl of ice cream, laying in his squishy water bed, reading a historical book..... I really am happy, just a bit busy, with many people needing my time and energy. This was not the time to get a kidney infection....but my timing has never been that great. So this woman needs to go to bed, sleep twice as fast, wake up refreshed and energetic, try to be organized and get lots accomplished.....This is beginning to sound like one of those superhuman comic books. Well, at least I may get a laugh or two....

Where has all the time gone?

Hard to believe how fast time flies. Where it goes no one seems to know. We have a special visitor this month, Jared Wheeler. He is a good sport, seems to be hanging in there and even able to enjoy some of the great adventures that we have taken him on. We have been at home, taken him on curvey mountain roads, through fog and sun, for hikes, rivers, lakes, sleeping under the stars, eating food with chopsticks, seafood adventures, sailing the ocean blue, (he did get to see all kinds of animal life such as whales, jelly fish, star fish, sea lions, an otter......rachel's little siblings), church, Long's drugs, art galleries, beaches, more sun. He is literally red from all the excitement.?.? Only two mores days before he leaves....Wonder what else we can add to the list? Rest, relaxation, reading, well at least he now knows just how crazy this family can be.
Wed. Julie and I go to Stanford to visit the heart doctor there and arrange for her ablation procedure. Her health has really been deteriorating over the last week or so...tired, headaches, mood swings, shortness of breath are just some of the main symptoms. The doctor here says it is due to the medication and uncontrolled blood pressure and rhythms. Hope it can get fixed fast. Then maybe she can get off the medication.
Robert has swimmers ear so ear drops for him. Anna Raquel has an eye doctors appointment Mon. and still needs to get the growth removed from her eye. Roger is off to Mt. Hermon for his first week of camp, away from all the siblings and family. So just a few things are ahead. We also need to get ready to send Rachel and Jon to Texas, and Julie (we hope) to Azusa for another year of school.