Results from Cultures

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014

Results from Cultures

Today is Friday, January 17--

As I said before, during surgery, they were able to take the tumor out intact--no problems, YAY--that is good news. However, yesterday as I met with Dr. Barrs I was more concerned about the lack of hearing in my good ear than the right ear--he did examine the right ear, and Eric and I were able to see it on the screen as he vacuumed it out. He said the healing looks as expected and to cut back on some of the cleaning regimen and antibiotics--doing the antibiotic too often can cause fungus, which is not easy to rid your body of. I was surprised how infected it still looked.

They found several strands of bacteria and were sent to the infectious disease department at Mayo.

PEPTOSTREPTOCOCCUS:  infections can occur in all body sites, including the CNS, head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, skin, bone, joint, and soft tissues. Inadequate therapy against these anaerobic bacteria may lead to clinical failures. Because of their fastidiousness, peptostreptococci are difficult to isolate and are often overlooked. Isolating them requires appropriate methods of specimen collection, transportation, and cultivation. Their slow growth and increasing resistance to antimicrobials complicate treatment in addition to the polymicrobial nature of the infection.

ASACCHAROLYTICUS:

family of bacteria living usually in the alimentary canal or on mucous surfaces of warm-blooded animals; sometimes associated with acute infective processes

VEILLONELLA: it has been isolated in pure culture from various sites and implicated as a pathogen in the sinuses, lungs, liver, central nervous system, heart, and bone. However, bacteria- Mia, in the absence of an underlying source, is extremely rare, to our knowledge.

I will be closely monitored by Mayo, but for now, it looks like everything else is healing as expected. I told him I was more worried about the loss of hearing in the left ear; I even got a little teary-eyed trying to explain how it felt. I can speak one-on-one with someone by reading lips and hearing slightly what is being said, but I do not do well in groups of people. It's hard for me to understand where the sounds are coming from. His RN Kathleen explained that this is normal for people going through these symptoms.

I then turned and asked Dr. Barrs why or where the fluid was coming from in my left ear his response, with a smile on his face, was, " You as a person, we love, and you are great, but you have terrible ears, this is just something that is part of your anatomy, and we will deal with it as we go"  I have to ask people to speak directly at my face and raise their voice. We are also praying this is a temporary loss of hearing; if not, he will poke a hole in my left ear to release the fluid, but he prefers to wait a couple of weeks to see if it clears out before doing this because it is my only ear that I have heard from it is a risk to make a hole in the eardrum.

I asked him about the tubes he had mentioned before, and he said no to the tubes--no explanation. So basically, for now, I will be monitored closely, go to my appointments, and be rechecked and rechecked. If I would like the hole to be put in the eardrum to release the fluid now, I can, he said it is my option, but I decided to go with his suggestion and wait it out.
Regarding the right ear recovery, Dr. Barr's said it would take 3-4 months to fully recover. So, to me, this sounds like good news. The only problem is I would like to go back to work on schedule on February 4, but since my job relies completely on the ability to hear, Dr. Barrs will either extend my medical leave or drain the left ear with a hole being placed in the eardrum.

The BAHA looks good, and I should be able to get the BAHA in March or April.

LABELS: BAHA, DR BARRS, HEARING, JOURNALING 

I'm 51 Today

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2014

I'M 51 TODAY

Today is January 14, 2014 (my Birthday)

I'm 51 years old today! It's been a great year. We started 2013 with a new grandson joining our family; Ezra Ray Roussel was born on February 23. Not only did Ezra join this crazy family, but Scott Bigelow also joined us by marrying our youngest daughter Haleigh.

It's funny when you're twelve, you can't wait to be sixteen, so you can drive and go on dates, then when you're 16, 18 can't come fast enough. When I was eighteen, I thought anyone over thirty was old, and when I turned thirty, I cried like a baby. Now in my fifties, I feel like 80 years old is just around the corner--What the heck happens to our bodies as we age?

Today was a good day with my family.

WE ARE A HAPPY FAMILY minus JEREMY, KAYLA
RECKER AND EZRA

All I have is Yours

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014

All I have is yours

Today is Sunday, January 12, 2013

Well, I did it; I went to church today and could sit through all three hours; yay, pat on the back for me. I was not feeling well yesterday and stayed in bed all day, except to get sick. I also had a very quiet Saturday. The kids went to Disneyland; Jeremy, Kayla, Ezra, and Recker spent the day together, and Eric was at work. Honestly, I was relieved to be allowed to just do nothing but rest and pray I could go to church. I made a goal to at least try to get through Sacrament, but I was able to make it through Sunday School and Relief Society.

I wish I could say it was easy, but I can't.   This was a massive revelation for me today, and I caught myself several times in tears. I walked in a little late, and Eric saved me a seat. Just before I left the house, I went back and forth to my room twice to pray....." please help me to understand what they are saying" that was my 1st prayer, and not feeling quite happy with it, I walked back upstairs and knelt next to that all familiar place next to my bed and poured out my heart, "I know you are teaching me something, or trying to, am I so hard headed that I am not getting it? Please. Heavenly Father, help me to listen with my heart today, even if I can't understand what is being said" I waited a few minutes with my head low and eyes closed, expecting something, but it never came.

I was met at the chapel doors by President Packard (one of my favorite people of all time). He had his head down with folded arms, so by this, I knew the prayer was going on; I waited to watch him; I could not hear one thing being said, so watching him gave me the indication when the prayer was over. He shook my hand, and we greeted him with a sweet hello. I was wearing a mask, so our eyes smiled. I have never been frightened to enter the chapel, but today I was until I saw Eric stand and help me get seated. Marian tapped my shoulder and smiled; what a comfort if she only knew what I was feeling. How will I communicate with these people I love so much? I can talk--that's never been my problem--I wonder why not? Why didn't my mouth get reconstructed? It's usually the one thing that gets me in the most trouble; if you've followed my blog or know me well, you know I don't keep much to myself. This has always been one of my downfalls and hardships in life......just say nothing.....maybe this is what the Lord trying to teach me....for so many years as a child and youth, I kept quiet through the rough times; after all, we were the All American Family, I think once I gave myself the permission to speak I never shut up....haha.

I sat through Sacrament, having to constantly ask Eric what the speakers were talking about. Mary Greer Spoke today and props to her; I could read her lips for all her talks; she is fantastic and has been through so many trials this past year. Just an amazing family, the Greers; Julie is great. I love her, and I can see the growth and comfort she and President Greer are giving to Mary and her tiny children after the death of Mary's husband last year. Sunday School, I caught little of what was being said; it's hard to explain. I have about 25% hearing in one ear, and it happened overnight; I have a tough time hearing when there is a group of people, and I have no idea who was reading, quoting, or commenting (one of those tearful moments)  When I only had a hearing in one ear, I thought I was a pretty good lip reader--come to find out--I'm not--If I am talking to someone one on one I do really good. Still, when noise comes from around me, I have no idea where it is or who it is. I'm so glad Haleigh was with me in Relief Society today--I've always been a believer that nothing happens in life as a coincidence; I know if Haleigh were not there, I could have quickly asked any woman in that room to sit on my left side and help me to follow along with the lesson. Still, I loved having my sweet baby girl there, she whispered in my ear when she thought I didn't understand, and she was right every time.

Today I have been thinking about a dear friend killed by a drunk driver years ago; she and I worked together. She taught me so many words in sign; it was something I enjoyed and always wished I had taken more interest in a class or two--I know I wouldn't be able to communicate this way with my family or anyone else who didn't know sign. But Blake didn't know how to speak Spanish when he went on his mission; he came home and knew the language. Is this what I am supposed to learn? Could I go on a sign language mission? Remember, these are just my wonderings--my mind goes places sometimes--like today.

And now I am tonight; I can't sleep, worried about too many things. I took a bath and listened to uplifting music with my earphones on to not wake the family with the speaker's full blast. I went into Haleigh's bedroom, read some of the Preach my Gospel, and finally decided to pray.

Silence is Golden

 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014

Silence is Golden

Today is Tuesday, January 7, 2013
Have you ever heard "Silence is Golden?" I remember being a young mom, a sister gave a lesson in Relief Society, and she used this phrase; I do not place in what context she was talking about; all I remember was thinking, "How would it be to have complete silence, my house has 3 young children running every which way, noise everywhere."

Right now, that phrase means something entirely different to me. In joking, my family has, through the years, made light of me not being able to hear out of one ear, not in a mean way or anything, but an example would be, at night when I go to bed, I put an earplug in one ear, so I can have complete silence when I sleep. My family had always thought it was funny to walk in when they knew I had the ear plug in and start signing to me or talking really quiet, so I had to pull the earplug out to hear what they were saying for a long time I didn't realize they were playing around with me. I just pulled the earplug out, and without fail, they would say "never mind," and I'd put the plug back in, again they began to talk; I pulled the plug out, and again "never mind"  it didn't take long for me to catch on they were all in on this joke--and I have always been able to laugh with them, after all, it's true I'm completely deaf in one ear.
I have, for years, told my family I hope I never lose hearing in my left ear; they'll have a hay day with that.

I hope this loss of hearing in my left ear is temporary. Right now, I have 25% hearing in only one ear. It is the most frustrating thing I think I've faced so far. When I think of not being able to hear the beautiful music of the church that I listen to daily and love so much, it makes me anxious and scared. Today I went to pick up a prescription at Walgreens, and I could not hear what the lady was saying through the speaker--when I was speaking to my sister on the phone through my car audio, I had it turned up to the maximum of thirty and I could barely hear her. This is a reality for me; when I am one-on-one with someone or in a small area, I do okay, but when I am in a restaurant or a place with a lot of sound going on, it is challenging to balance out where the sound is coming from. I get anxiety and fear that is hard to explain, right now I could be careless about my right ear; I just don't want to lose the hearing in my left ear--oh, please don't let that happen--but if for some reason it is thy will I can survive right? It'll just take some getting used to. I have to remember the other side of the mountain--do what I can and not worry about what I can't.

The Oter Side of the Mountain

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2014

The Other Side of The Mountain

Based on a true story:  
I remember when this movie came out--The Other Side of The Mountain--is an inspirational film. I watched it yesterday--It gave me a new perspective and I wanted to blog about it. Suppose you do not know about this movie. In that case, the basic story is Jill loves snow; she loves skiing. Her goal is to be an Olympic downhill skier; she's particularly good at what she does. She puts much effort into practicing and finally achieving an Olympic trainer to help her make the finals into her goal.

During the movie, her best friend gets a Polio diagnosis and is told she will not walk again in her life. Jill is devastated but so reassuring and loving, showing compassion every step of her friend's journey.

Skip to Alta Utah, the final race for her to be on the Olympic team. Jill is the favorite to win; her coach, mom & dad, and all of America are hoping, cheering, and waiting to see her time as she crosses the finish line. With encouragement from her coach, she takes off down the hill; she loses her balance and, spinning out of control, falls to the other side of the mountain. Jill broke her neck; as the doctor told her parents, they were expecting him to tell them she would need some therapy but would be up and going soon when the doctor said it would be a miracle if she lived.

 After months and months of therapy, she is still alive, in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the neck down. Still, Jill continues to tell her family and the media she will ski again; she has the most beautiful smile and is optimistic. Her friend with polio comes to the hospital to visit; Jill is ecstatic to see her come into her room on crutches--she squeals with delight-- "Look at you, you're walking" they laugh and visit for a while; all Jill can talk about is when she skis again, her friend looks at her and says "Be real, you are never going to walk again, your paralyzed, you need to start finding a new way to live, a way to accept what you've been given, your journey is not to ski again" then she continues on to tell her she would love for her to get out of that hospital, go see the bald children battling cancer, visit the soldiers coming home with no legs or arms, their lives have blown away--be grateful for what you do have, and what you can do--then make the best of it.

This was not the most emotional part of the movie, but it was tears running down my cheeks, I know I didn't get the quotes precisely correct, but this is how I understood it. There is always someone going through something worse; the life you are living should be lived being grateful and making a difference to someone else; we all can find some strength, even if it's baby steps, right now, this is the right time, and you are the only one who can decide how you will amaze not only others but yourself with what YOU CAN DO.

Haleigh-Washed the Blood Out of My Hair

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014

Haleigh-Washing the Blood Out of My Hair

On my way home from the Mayo Clinic, I was thinking about the day after I came home from the Hospital. I called Haleigh and asked her if she would mind coming over to my house and washing my hair for me; she said, "I'd love to do that for you, mom," as she washed the blood out of my hair in the kitchen sink, I could smell the blood. Haleigh was careful not to get water in my ear; it was a challenging task. I reached up to help move my hair over and out of the way of the water, and a chunk of hair fell into my fingers. Tears immediately filled my eyes; I wrapped my hair in a towel, went upstairs, and tried combing through it, but clumps were falling. Two days later, still a huge chunk, I asked about it, and I was told that the amount of anesthesia I was given during such a long surgery sometimes affects patients by their hair falling out.

 I have thought about Haleigh washing my hair that day so many times --it was such a small act of service, and knowing my daughter, she has not thought about it since. Sometimes those tiny acts of kindness are the ones that mean the most to me and to others; those are times when I think of the Savior teaching us.

Matthew 22:36-39 A man asked Jesus, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus replied:  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou Shalt love they neighbor as thyself" Charity and service are the pure love of Christ; when we can serve others even in little ways, it shows our desire to be more like HIM. Sometimes those acts of service are complex and can stretch us to places we may not feel comfortable. But I believe in all of us there is Charity, a gift from God. He has given it to us and expects us to act upon it. When we can do it with a willing heart, it shows we are trying to be more like Him and have true Christlike Attributes.

I don't think it was an easy task for Haleigh to come to my home and clean blood out of her mother's hair, but I was grateful she did it. Showing these Christlike Attributes helps us to gain the potential to become more like HIM. When we do it with a pure heart, avoiding negative feelings, judgment, and criticism, it is easier to understand another person's point of view, strengthening our faith and developing a life of service and charity.

Could Have Been Worse

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 05, 2014

Could Have Been Worse

Today is Friday, January 03

Yesterday, I had an appointment with my surgeon. I stayed off pain medicine except Advil to drive myself to the Mayo Clinic.

black all gone--with my hair down, it covers the bald spot
you cannot even tell except that my hair is a bit thinner
I feel more comfortable having my ears covered so
I usually wear a beanie.

I checked in on time at 2:50 pm for a 3:00 pm appointment; I did not wait long at all I was in the doctor's office by 3:00 and seeing the resident by 3:05. This was a resident I had never seen before; in fact, none of the residents in this department made a second appearance. She asked her usual questions, how are you feeling, how is your pain, anything new we need to know about? Before I answered her questions, I asked her if I would be able to see Dr. Barrs; she said he would be in shortly. She then proceeded to poke around in my ear, then said, "I'll be right back; I need to get Dr. Barr's" soon; he came in, took a quick look, and asked the resident to leave and start on the next patient before she left the room, he wanted to show her something in my ear, he told her about the black area in my ear was dead skin. In his 31 years of practicing, he has never seen skin die like that before surgery, he excused her, and I didn't see her again.

He took a scalpel and cut off all the dead black skin, except for a small area he could not get to without hurting me, so I think he will deaden the area around it next time and take it out. Cutting out that dead skin did not hurt at all; it was weird. Then he laid me back, told me to hold tight and that things would get dizzy. Immediately when he began to vacuum my inner ear, I couldn't keep my eyes open; I was so dizzy. He asked me to keep my eyes closed, and it would help. It did help, but when he was done, and I opened my eyes, it was tough to keep them open, and it took several minutes to regain some normal visual. The vacuuming was extremely painful, especially since all I had was Advil. Dr. Barr gave me a new regimen for cleaning my ear to see if it would help the healing move along faster--swish out the big hole with vinegar and water--OUCH--was my 1st thought; he then looked at me and said, "this will sting a little, make sure the water is at room temperature" also that I need to keep germs at a minimum, stay out of public places as much as possible or wear a mask--I seriously cannot stand wearing that mask.

Once he was done, I asked him to look in my left ear because I had difficulty hearing. He seemed surprised but did the usual exam of the ear and showed me on the movie screen there is fluid behind the eardrum. I asked him how to fix it because I worried about losing my hearing. He said he will see me on a more regular basis now; if the liquid does not go away on its own, he will first put tubes in that ear to try to drain it; if that does not work, then, well, I guess it's time for me to start learning sign language.

First, he took the cap off the implant, so it could heal. We will not be able to connect to the BAHA until March or April, depending on the healing. Now I have a screw visually going through the bone in the back of my head behind my right ear. This BAHA is healing very well and, as expected--good news.

Then he helped me out of the chair and assisted me to a place to sit down so we could talk. What he told me is this--he cannot get the ear cleaned out for a long enough period without it filling up with blood, so he cannot tell me if the healing is happening or not--he said it is unusual--I asked him if the grafting took--he said, "again I cannot get a clear view of the grafting or the area I need to see if it is healing correctly, normally I would not be seeing you again until March or April to finish up with your implant, but I feel it necessary for me to see you every week until I can see an improvement"  I asked him if he can give me a little more, some HOPE that this is just taking longer to heal than usual. He then looked at me and said, "I have to be honest with you. I have never seen anything like this before, so I don't feel comfortable giving a prognosis quite yet" I waited for about an hour until the dizziness went away and left his office.