1. I really don't like hospitals and I especially don't like the ICU.
At Salt Lake Regional I had a brand new room (I was the first person to use it). Unfortunately the new TV, phone and computer did not work the whole 3 days I was there.
What's behind curtain #1? That would be the bathroom in the "step down" ICU room I was in.
2. There is no such thing as "resting" in a hospital.
3. It is a little strange to watch blood going into my veins and wonder who it came from (Thanks to everyone who donates blood).
4. Having a Chaplain visit me twice while I had sepsis made me think my doctor had put my name on "The Hospital Impending Death List". I asked her and she promised she didn't.
5. There are some very whiny patients who press the call button way too often.
6. The sound the call button makes at the nursing station could be used to torture enemies in a war.
7. The nurses sometimes make no attempt to turn off the call button noises for 10 minutes.
8. I never want to be in a room directly across from the nurses station again.
9. The alarms that go off on monitors and IV machines could seriously make me mentally unstable in under in 30 minutes (The longest I had to wait for a response was 45 minutes and yes I already know nurses are overworked).
10. A liquid diet means you get the exact same thing for all three meals: tea, apple or cranberry juice, chicken or beef broth and red or green jello.
11. Hospital food is truly disgusting. The little garnish they put on the plate does not make the food more appealing.
11. I never want a good looking, young, Latin man named Jose to do an EKG on me again. (Jose was training and had to try multiple times before he finally got all the sticky things in the right places).
12. I will never let anyone put an IV in my thumb again.
13. I will never let anyone take blood from the top of my hand or my wrist again.
This picture doesn't even come close to showing how bad the bruising was.
14. I should not be allowed access to a phone if I have been given Demerol or Morphine. (Sorry Heather, Anni and Dana for those irrational calls and texts)
15. I need to start trusting myself when something doesn't feel right and not wait to go to the hospital until it's almost too late. (Probably won't really happen since I haven't gotten the hang of this yet.....but I can hope)
16. I am the most stubborn person in the world (Thanks to my dad for passing that trait on).
17. When I was the very sickest at home my cute little cat Suri did not leave my bed all night and most of the next day (which is not her usual style) She laid on my hip and refused to move. I think this proves cats know more than we think and they especially know more than dogs.
18. I have the beginnings of an awesome hospital mug collection.
These make the hospital stays almost worth it!
19. I love having a doctor for a son because my doctors call him back way faster than they call me (or take his calls immediately).
May 2009 in San Antonio.
20. If your kids live far away and you want them to visit, just get really sick (Thanks for coming Ben, it was great having you here). I had no idea Ben was coming so when I woke up and saw him standing in my room I was slightly confused.
Ben did some awesome landscaping, fixed broken lights and the best thing he did while he was here: fix the sprinklers! Of course it was a bonus to have my own personal physician, a driver and a chef for 4 days. Thanks for taking good care of me Ben!
Caden and Tanner were instant fans of Uncle Ben.
21. If you have a son on a mission and you really miss him and want to talk to him just get sepsis and his mission pres will let him call.
My cute missionary Shaun. Only 71 days to go!
22. If after that you still miss your kids who are living out of state get really sick again and go into the hospital for a third time (Chad, even though I told you not to come I'm really glad you ignored me and flew home anyway). Chad only got to stay for about 36 hours and then had to get back to work in Phoenix but it was so good to see him!
I didn't even have time to take any pictures while Chad was home since I was in the hospital, but I found this one from a few years ago that I really like.
23. I really love being at home and sleeping in my very comfortable bed at night.
Thanks Megan for making my bed and having everything look so nice when I came home. Megan helps with so many things and I can't tell her enough how much I appreciate her.
24. I have the absolute best parents, brothers, sister, grandchildren, family and friends ever!
Just some of the fam hanging out, June 2009.
25. My kids are, without a doubt, the most incredible, amazing people and I appreciate their love, concern and never ending support more than they will ever know.
This was taken right before Shaun left on his mission.......the last time all six siblings were together.
I try really hard not to take life too serious. I would much rather laugh than cry. But having sepsis, very low potassium, anemia that needed a blood transfusion, failing kidneys and three hospital stays the past few weeks has made me appreciate the amazing people and good things in my life even more. Thanks for all the calls, texts, visits and prayers. I know there is still a difficult road ahead but it's definitely worth the journey.
Tanner: My loudest and most entertaining visitor!
Caden: My quietest and funniest visitor. One day Caden came to visit in a clown costume. Why?.....because he refused to wear anything else. He was so serious about the costume so I tried my hardest not to laugh at him. I wish I would have taken a picture, (Look at the yellow rain boots he is wearing in this picture....something else he refused to take off for days).
Cierra: My visitor who blew up the most "balloon gloves" before anyone noticed. Again I wish I had pictures because I think there were at least 10 at the end of my bed.
I have now signed a contract that gives Megan and Kristin the right to force me to go to the ER if they think it is necessary and I'm not allowed to argue or get mad. Wow.....I hope I can remember that I am not always capable of making good decisions for myself when I am really sick. And I will probably still argue and get mad but I will GO! Just ignore me and remember to show me the contract.
A last minute update: I had blood work done today and my numbers are not so good. So I get to spend tomorrow at an infusion center to get more fluids and potassium. At least I am avoiding the hospital this time.
At Salt Lake Regional I had a brand new room (I was the first person to use it). Unfortunately the new TV, phone and computer did not work the whole 3 days I was there. 
What's behind curtain #1? That would be the bathroom in the "step down" ICU room I was in. 2. There is no such thing as "resting" in a hospital.
4. Having a Chaplain visit me twice while I had sepsis made me think my doctor had put my name on "The Hospital Impending Death List". I asked her and she promised she didn't.
5. There are some very whiny patients who press the call button way too often.
6. The sound the call button makes at the nursing station could be used to torture enemies in a war.
7. The nurses sometimes make no attempt to turn off the call button noises for 10 minutes.
8. I never want to be in a room directly across from the nurses station again.
9. The alarms that go off on monitors and IV machines could seriously make me mentally unstable in under in 30 minutes (The longest I had to wait for a response was 45 minutes and yes I already know nurses are overworked).
10. A liquid diet means you get the exact same thing for all three meals: tea, apple or cranberry juice, chicken or beef broth and red or green jello.
11. Hospital food is truly disgusting. The little garnish they put on the plate does not make the food more appealing.
11. I never want a good looking, young, Latin man named Jose to do an EKG on me again. (Jose was training and had to try multiple times before he finally got all the sticky things in the right places).
12. I will never let anyone put an IV in my thumb again.
13. I will never let anyone take blood from the top of my hand or my wrist again.
This picture doesn't even come close to showing how bad the bruising was. 14. I should not be allowed access to a phone if I have been given Demerol or Morphine. (Sorry Heather, Anni and Dana for those irrational calls and texts)
15. I need to start trusting myself when something doesn't feel right and not wait to go to the hospital until it's almost too late. (Probably won't really happen since I haven't gotten the hang of this yet.....but I can hope)
16. I am the most stubborn person in the world (Thanks to my dad for passing that trait on).
17. When I was the very sickest at home my cute little cat Suri did not leave my bed all night and most of the next day (which is not her usual style) She laid on my hip and refused to move. I think this proves cats know more than we think and they especially know more than dogs.
18. I have the beginnings of an awesome hospital mug collection.
These make the hospital stays almost worth it!19. I love having a doctor for a son because my doctors call him back way faster than they call me (or take his calls immediately).
May 2009 in San Antonio.20. If your kids live far away and you want them to visit, just get really sick (Thanks for coming Ben, it was great having you here). I had no idea Ben was coming so when I woke up and saw him standing in my room I was slightly confused.
Ben did some awesome landscaping, fixed broken lights and the best thing he did while he was here: fix the sprinklers! Of course it was a bonus to have my own personal physician, a driver and a chef for 4 days. Thanks for taking good care of me Ben!
Caden and Tanner were instant fans of Uncle Ben.21. If you have a son on a mission and you really miss him and want to talk to him just get sepsis and his mission pres will let him call.
My cute missionary Shaun. Only 71 days to go!22. If after that you still miss your kids who are living out of state get really sick again and go into the hospital for a third time (Chad, even though I told you not to come I'm really glad you ignored me and flew home anyway). Chad only got to stay for about 36 hours and then had to get back to work in Phoenix but it was so good to see him!
I didn't even have time to take any pictures while Chad was home since I was in the hospital, but I found this one from a few years ago that I really like.23. I really love being at home and sleeping in my very comfortable bed at night.
Thanks Megan for making my bed and having everything look so nice when I came home. Megan helps with so many things and I can't tell her enough how much I appreciate her.24. I have the absolute best parents, brothers, sister, grandchildren, family and friends ever!
Just some of the fam hanging out, June 2009. 25. My kids are, without a doubt, the most incredible, amazing people and I appreciate their love, concern and never ending support more than they will ever know.
This was taken right before Shaun left on his mission.......the last time all six siblings were together.I try really hard not to take life too serious. I would much rather laugh than cry. But having sepsis, very low potassium, anemia that needed a blood transfusion, failing kidneys and three hospital stays the past few weeks has made me appreciate the amazing people and good things in my life even more. Thanks for all the calls, texts, visits and prayers. I know there is still a difficult road ahead but it's definitely worth the journey.
Kelly: One of my favorite visitors! She was totally opposed to having her picture taken but I finally got her to reluctantly agree.
Tanner: My loudest and most entertaining visitor!
Caden: My quietest and funniest visitor. One day Caden came to visit in a clown costume. Why?.....because he refused to wear anything else. He was so serious about the costume so I tried my hardest not to laugh at him. I wish I would have taken a picture, (Look at the yellow rain boots he is wearing in this picture....something else he refused to take off for days).
Cierra: My visitor who blew up the most "balloon gloves" before anyone noticed. Again I wish I had pictures because I think there were at least 10 at the end of my bed.I have now signed a contract that gives Megan and Kristin the right to force me to go to the ER if they think it is necessary and I'm not allowed to argue or get mad. Wow.....I hope I can remember that I am not always capable of making good decisions for myself when I am really sick. And I will probably still argue and get mad but I will GO! Just ignore me and remember to show me the contract.
A last minute update: I had blood work done today and my numbers are not so good. So I get to spend tomorrow at an infusion center to get more fluids and potassium. At least I am avoiding the hospital this time.
