A Tragic Tail....

So yesterday was full on crazy. We had a great day a church. A nice dinner of breakfast items. And a cat that needed part of her tail amputated.

Let me back up.
We got home last night about 6:30 from a friends house. We were going about our business at home of some chores and what not. All the cats were underfoot. It's the norm here. Anyway, I went to go to the bathroom and our kitty Hazelnut was sitting outside the door. (She always has sat there. She likes it for some reason.) Casey was on the outside of the bathroom in that hall and we both went to close the door.
Then we heard a screech like a hell-beast on fire.
Poor little Hazelnut had flicked her tail into the crack of the door and when it shut, it shut on her tail.
Now normally cats can have a little accident like this and nothing really happens. It's like shutting your finger in a door. It doesn't always end in tragedy. I guess this was not one of those simple moments.
For whatever reason all we can figure is she panicked and tried to pull her tail out. Well by doing so she stripped it of about 3 inches worth of skin, muscle and fur so the bone was completely exposed.
Casey called the vets emergency line and grabbed her carrier. (Well not really her's. Cuzco's carrier was closer but we didn't really care at that point.) I went to catch her. She was hiding and shaking and bleeding in our bedroom. How fun right? I wrapped her up in a towel and got her into the carrier. We then said a quick prayer and off we went. I explained on the phone to the emergency line what happened but she had her tail tucked so far we didn't really get to see the damage until later. We also called my father in law just in case our heads were to pumped full of adrenaline to think clearly. Although outwardly I was pretty calm and so was Casey there was just an edge of panic I could feel.
We then got to the vets office. It took our vet about 10 minutes to show up. The weekend worker had Hazelnut all checked in and ready for him so as soon as we got there he only had to weigh her and listen to her heart. He pronounced her a very healthy kitty minus the obvious injury. He then explained the procedure he was going to have to do. He would have to amputate from the top of the healthiest not exposed vertebrae. He then said that we could pick her up in the morning. My FIL also stated we may not want to see this. I brazenly proclaimed it wouldn't bother me, and that I would stay with her. I hated the idea of her being alone during surgery and then alone all night. The weekend person had left and I didn't even see any other animals. I couldn't leave her without making sure after surgery she was comfortable (as possible) and okay.  Casey gave me a glance and said he would stay for the surgery too. (That honestly made me nervous. My husband does NOT do well with needles, and cutting, and medical stuff.)
I held her while the vet sedated her. He made small chit-chat. Casey at some point mentioned my phlebotomy certification and the fact blood and other stuff really doesn't bother me. The vet then smiled and said, "Well if you are comfortable with medical things, and you promise not to call me all night long, I see no reason you can't take her home with you after so she doesn't have to be here alone." Exactly what I was worried about. I promised I wouldn't bug him until the morning and he laughed.
When he shaved her tail it showed the damage went farther than we all thought. I held her tail for him (even though I know he was capable to doing everything on his own. I think he just wanted to make me feel useful.) He cleaned it. (That part DID make me wince. I know she was out, but the idea of cleaning exposed bone just makes me shudder.) Then he put on a tourniquet and I held her tail up while he talked out loud of each step he was doing. Cutting down the muscle and skin, cutting around this vertebrae, so on so forth.
Casey was given the job of making the carrier a comfy place for her to ride home in. He didn't watch the icky part, and I don't blame him one bit.
After her stitches were finished and everything was cleaned up we then found out I had left my wallet (and our money to pay for the surgery) at home. He then joked that we could come back in the morning and pay. After all Dr. Bell (the other vet at their office) knew where I lived. (She made a house call a few months ago to update all their shots.)
We got her home and settled in the bathroom. It's dark and quiet and a great place for her to rest. It's also one of her favorite places in the house.

Taken only a couple days ago. She loves to sleep in the sink.  What a cute tip of her tail huh?

I'm home from work today to keep an eye out. Right now she is snoozing in the cat tree in the living room near Blitzen, Cuzco, and Izabel.

It's so nice when they are like this and not torturing each other.

We are trying to have a happy mix of quiet alone time for her, and being with the rest of the family to her spirits stay up. A lot of people don't realize that while in recovery many cats can get depressed and it makes it hard for them to heal. So she needs to be with the other cats but a few times I've had to put her back in her hiding place because like anybody who has just had a trauma and is healing, she gets cranky after a while.

Taken today. Poor Hazelnut. She's got a stub.

We both feel terrible for this happening. It was an accident sure but it sucks still. It's silly but when I think of how her tail used to be only a day ago I want to cry. She was so cute with her tail. You would always be able to tell how happy she was because it would stick up and have a question mark curl at the end. She also liked to wrap it around your legs. I feel horrible because she was supposed to come into our home to have a better life. But she still purrs when we pet her, and chirps, and I know she will recover. I just wish she didn't have to.

 Love
H

New Job!

So this is where I will be working soon!

I am so excited/grateful/blessed that I have this opportunity. It's one of those things that I am truly humbled by.

Once upon a time my mother became very ill and needed a blood transfusion. I've had other loved ones that have needed it as well, or needed plasma, or platelets. So when I was of age I started donating blood. I admit my reasons were not always selfless. Um, YOU GET COOKIES?! Yeah, if dessert is involved I'm usually there. I also did it because sick as this sounds I have always been fascinated by blood. Even as a little kid I thought it was cool. If I happened to hurt myself playing or riding my bike or whatever, even if it hurt I couldn't help but stare at my wound with fascination. How the body can regenerate and heal itself is amazing!
So anyway, I also wanted to feel cool like I helped someone who might need it. I know, I know, not the most generous of motives. But gradually as I learned about blood donation and about my own blood type (All O Neg say AYE-YO!) I realized the great importance of blood donation.

Here is a link to INBC's page that can give a ton of info to anyone who wants to know more. My fingers would get cramped if I tried to type all of it here! lol
http://www.inbc2.org/Donating_Blood/About_Blood/Blood_Facts.html

So anyway, after learning some of these facts I realized how important a service it was to donate blood. For me personally I feel the need also because my blood type can go to anyone, although it is ideal to receive your specific blood type. I decided because of that I would donate any chance I got. And I have. There have been times when because of medication or other I haven't been able to and that always made me sad. This is one thing in my life that I know my service is valuable.
After moving here 6 years ago I decided I register my name with INBC. It's not that I'm against the Red Cross or any other organization, I've donated with other places too. And I can say I've never had a bad experience. I just liked the atmosphere if INBC, so I've stuck with them.
I'm not sure why I never thought of pursuing phlebotomy as a career before where I am so passionate about blood donation. For one I didn't even know that it was called. I also thought for a long time it was nurses who did the procedure so I knew I wasn't up for that! But then about this time last year I saw an ad in the paper for the INBC for a phlebotomist. I called and asked a ton of questions about what the job was and how someone got certified for that. Well it turned out our very own LCSC had a course I could take. (Right place, right time, right frame of mind? Yes indeed.) We actually have two colleges you can take the course from up here. The Clarkston branch of the Walla Walla Community College also teaches it.
For years I had been searching for something I could gain an education and actually use in real life so I thought, hey this is a trade I would love to learn! And I did. It was hard but rewarding. But also nerve wracking. Because two colleges serve to train people in clinical phlebotomy there aren't often jobs open in this area.
I was more than nervous about the fact I had spent a lot of money on a education that I might lose my skills in if I didn't use them soon. I had several job interviews and nothing was working out. I was frustrated and angry with myself. I felt like a failure. Happily my Heavenly Father has a bigger perspective than me.
I've had to wait a year to donate because of traveling to Mexico. (See former posts about what happened when I was finally able to go again.)
Ta-da! It's been a trial of patience for sure. Two interviews, a quick check from previous employers and such, filling out a ton of paperwork, a drug screen, and now waiting on Texas to show in my final background check that I'm not some criminal freak. Once all of that is finished I go to Spokane May 13 to start my training. Over about 8 weeks they will have me training in the procedure for blood donation. (In class I learned more for clinical venipuncture.)  This is a whole different monster.

I am going to be 30 this year. I know that isn't old but I thought I would have more under my belt by now in way of experience in life. I finally feel like I might be on the right track. I will be doing a job I love that helps others. I have felt for a long time that if I could have a career where I help people, and maybe leave the world a little better each day then I would be truly happy. I am grateful for my time in our family business. They have had a lot of patience with me, but I am so excited to move forward and feel rewarded at the end of each day. That's not to say it's going to be easy or perfect. Then it wouldn't be so fulfilling.

My challenge to anyone who reads this is two things.
1 - If you are eligible take a look at donating blood if you haven't before. If you've had a bad experience from someone who is inexperienced doing the procedure try again.  If you are unable to give blood look into ways you can help your community blood banks. If it is a local organization or a national one it never hurts to ask, and most of them always need volunteers.
2 - Find what fulfills your heart. None of us are immune to feeling underwhelmed with our lives. I'm sure we each have moments were we don't think our real potential is being met. But that's the beauty of this world. We are never to old or young to see what we want to be. I encourage all of you to examine yourself and then find a way to be truly happy. You deserve it. If the way isn't clear, take tiny steps ahead but keep moving forward.

Thank you everyone who has supported me and pushed me and even held me back at times. It's brought me to where I am today and that's a good place to be.
love,
H

Give Me a P!

What does P stand for you may ask? Well....
Prayer, patience, phlebotomy, Personal Progress and post-stress.

The last couple of weeks have been interesting ones. I received a new calling to be an adviser in Young Womens. I was also asked to accept the assignment to be Ward Camp Director again. (Luckily this year is Stake Camp so I don't have AS much to do.) However I have to get a lot done before Stake Camp and I only have about 8 weeks to do it in. That's a little crazy. I know it will all come together but it still makes me nervous. I was camp director once before and although I loved it I hoped to never have to do it again....lol
I got cleared to donate blood again! Yay!
That may seem like a weird thing to get excited for but I feel good when I donate. Plus I gotta say (and maybe this is sick and wrong) but I miss being around the venipuncture procedure. It's not as though I'm some psycho (huh that also starts with a P though...) that enjoys getting stabbed with a needle. I have no obsession with vampires, I just feel like a good person when I do it.  After we went to Mexico I found out that I had to wait a year to be eligable because we were in a malaria zone. Bummer. But I was cleared and was just waiting until I had time to dedicate to the blood bank.
I got off work earlier than usual one day and was running errands to the bank and what not. Well in my head I heard, "you should go donate blood."
At times like this you can think of things two different ways. One as though a mosquito was buzzing in your ear and you want to shoo it off, or two as a prompting. I suppose someone may also justify that it was just a thought I had in the back of my head that carried over to the surface but lets forget that option for a moment shall we? My reaction was to swat at the mosquito thought. I literally shook my head and said, "no, not today. I just don't feel like it." Then very clearly in my head I thought/felt/heard whatever, "no you NEED to go donate blood today." Then images of me being 16 and ignoring a prompting popped into my head and images of the car accident that resulted. UGH! I thought. FINE!
So I went to the blood bank on a prompting/whim. I'm not sure why I didn't want to go initially  Like I said I enjoy donating blood. It gives me a sense of purpose. I enjoy being around professional phlebotomists, it keeps my hopes of one day working in that atmosphere alive. I enjoy the Inland Northwest Blood Center because they always have wonderful treats afterwards and they are genuinely nice people and it's what got me interested in phlebotomy in the first place.
I grabbed a quick bite and went to the donation center. Almost the moment I walked in and confirmed I was there to donate, one of the main phlebotomists Maria looked and me and went  "OH! Great now I know your name. Jose and I were trying to think of it. We have some job openings that are coming up and we think you should apply unless you are already at the path lab or something?"
Hmmmmmmm..... maybe I avoided the car wreck this time?.......
I mailed in a lengthy applications and all the extra paper info I thought they may need the next day. Early this week I had a phone interview and Wednesday an in person interview that took nearly 2 hours with a three person panel asking me questions, as well as me doing a written Q&A.
I don't know if I will get this job. I don't even exactly know if that's the reason I felt prompted to go in there that day. But I do know that if I hadn't followed that prompting I probably wouldn't have had such a good opportunity otherwise. Or maybe someone just really needed my nice O- blood.
But this interview at the very least has excited me. I did really well in my interview. Does that mean I'm a shoe in? No. They can always hire someone with more experience or better qualifications. But it renewed a sense of capability I had been lacking for a while. I've had a few job interviews for phlebotomy since I finished school. I've had some exciting prospects. And each time I was left feeling deflated and discouraged. The difference in this interview was I left feeling challenged and excited. Maybe if not this time than another time? I'm more hopeful than I've been in a long time.

Through this process of receiving a new calling, new assignment, and the hope of my new career I've had to greatly rely upon prayer. I've lost count of the silent and vocal pleas I have shared with my Father in Heaven. I've sought council with Him, my husband, and my family to de-stress and overcome what felt like very overwhelming things going on in my life.

Another thing that has helped me focus on a bigger picture is the fact I am able to work on Personal Progress again as I am in Young Womens once more. I didn't have the inclination or drive as a youth to complete it. The program has changed so very much from that time though and I am encouraged and happy that I may complete it. I hate leaving things unfinished. It kind of drives me nuts. Even if those things don't really seem like a bit deal.

I'm working on the patience and post stress. I'm learning to delegate and take time to breathe. The experiences of the last couple weeks have taught me that it doesn't do any good to not get sleep over these things. It wont fix the problem, nor will it simplify it. It will only make you have a raging headache in the morning on TOP of trying to come up with a solution. I may be finally learning to place things in the Lords hands. I have to do my part of course and not procrastinate. But He certainly will help me shoulder any burden that is placed before me.

In other news this month....
I LOVED General Conference!
Izzy is now a year old and so very precious to us. (I haven't had time for pictures.) :(
Casey has confirmed he is double majoring and then plans on a masters degree.
 So that it in our lives!!!!
Love,
Heather

Update

Hey all,

I meant to write a post yesterday but meh, I got lazy and well here you are!

Happy Late Easter!

Nothing to exciting going on with us. We are just working and that's about it. Casey has his spring break this week but the only change we will really have is he will be at work all week instead of work and classes. 

Easter was nice. We had a great day at church and then had a fun dinner with family. Then we watched my nieces and nephew hunt for eggs and their baskets.

I had ever intention of making "resurrection rolls" but alas after some of the fun died down so did our energy. The kids were ready for naps and so were the adults.

We managed to take one picture of the two of us to prove we existed on 03-31-13 lol but it wasn't very good. 

I've started to eliminate foods from my diet based on my docs findings on endometriosis.  I've looked online as well and hmmm, how long have I been in the dark? It's quite a change from what I'm used to. You have to eliminate:

Soy

Wheat

Gluten

Dairy

Processed Sugar

Red Meat

Caffeine

Chocolate

...

But the good news is veggies, fruits, and lean protein are a go. If anything I will lose weight lol. They are finding more links between endo and inflammatory diseases, so this anti- inflammatory diet is supposed to reduce pain and symptoms. For some women it has even helped them get off of medication and increased fertility but I will be honest I still have low hope of that occurring. I am just tired of pain. 

Casey has been really helpful with all this. One way I'm able to do really decently is every ten days I give myself a day off so so speak. Not to gorge or binge on foods that aren't good, but say we want to have pizza or pasta or something on my bad list, I can have it them. At the end of April I will go to every 15 days, then by June I will be at once a month. In my reading it said if I follow these guidelines even 85% of the time I am bound to feel better.

It also got me thinking about the word of wisdom. Really there isn't much difference.  That is the biggest thing for me to remember. My body is a temple, I need good things to go into it in order for it to function as it should. 

None of this is new to me of course, but I've felt pretty rotten the last couple of months so I felt truly ready to make a significant change. Maybe it's the fact my 30th Birthday just in site this year. It's only going to get harder as I get older to be better to myself.

So that's my update. Kind of boring sorry. 

Love to all!

H