We just managed another successful Independence Day celebration at my friends house in Palmdale. The $2000 fireworks run in February (to Pahrump, NV) paid-off in a big way. We started the neighborhood show around 9:30pm and finished up around 10:30pm... just in time for the police and code enforcement to park at the corner to observe "nothing" happening at the house. There were fireworks going off all around us, but we were by far the loudest and most active the entire night.
No one got hurt or arrested, and no fires started, it was a great night.
I understand the reasons for fireworks being illegal, but we should have the right to celebrate our Independence! Sparklers and Smokin' Snakes just isn't going to cut it. Many people just use this day as an excuse to BBQ, drink and blow stuff up, but for me it goes deeper than that. Imagine the colonist and how they felt when it was announced that we were officially cutting our ties with Great Britain.
John Adams himself wrote about Independence Day, "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Recovery is a long and twisting road
Well, it has been several weeks since my last post. I am still in Florida, and my father is still in the hosptial. I missed out on the details for the first week, but I can recap what I know. He was admitted on 01MAR08, complaining of abdominal pains, nausea, etc. He managed to call 911 himself, and was taken to the emergency room. From what I can gather, he was given "too much" delotted, and pain killer, and went into respiratory arrest. This is not the same as "coding" which is cardiac arrest.
I arrived on 06MAR08 on the red-eye flight our of LAX. His respiratory problems lead to the diagnosis of pulmatory fibrosis. The doctors say it is a condition he has probably had for a long time, just never discovered till now. This is a condition you can find more info on your own, you know Google and Wikipedia should be your friend. He was intubated 09MAR08.
He was extubated on 17MAR08. During this entire time he was feeding thorugh IVs and finally a tube in his nose. He had no real solid food since 08MAR08. He did not get any solid food until 19MAR08, when his speech therapist indicated his swallowing was adequate. He aspirated some water, and was given a barium swallow test, which he failed. The solid foods were removed from his diet, and he was placed back on the IV. I requested another barium test due to his sedated condition. His primary doctor agreed, and the following day a second barium test was successfully passed. Solid foods return.
Now there are still giving him some antibiotics due to some fluid in his lungs, but they are not ready to call it what it is yet. His liver enzymes are also elevated, and they do not know the cause. They indicate they are only elevated, not rising, so I suppose that is a good thing. Today we should learn if they will move him to a normal hospital room.
I arrived on 06MAR08 on the red-eye flight our of LAX. His respiratory problems lead to the diagnosis of pulmatory fibrosis. The doctors say it is a condition he has probably had for a long time, just never discovered till now. This is a condition you can find more info on your own, you know Google and Wikipedia should be your friend. He was intubated 09MAR08.
He was extubated on 17MAR08. During this entire time he was feeding thorugh IVs and finally a tube in his nose. He had no real solid food since 08MAR08. He did not get any solid food until 19MAR08, when his speech therapist indicated his swallowing was adequate. He aspirated some water, and was given a barium swallow test, which he failed. The solid foods were removed from his diet, and he was placed back on the IV. I requested another barium test due to his sedated condition. His primary doctor agreed, and the following day a second barium test was successfully passed. Solid foods return.
Now there are still giving him some antibiotics due to some fluid in his lungs, but they are not ready to call it what it is yet. His liver enzymes are also elevated, and they do not know the cause. They indicate they are only elevated, not rising, so I suppose that is a good thing. Today we should learn if they will move him to a normal hospital room.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
My Father
I just learned that my father has been in the surgical intensive since Friday evening. Its a shame that I live in California and he lives in Florida, it would have been nice to find this out sooner than half-way through the week. Many thanks to my father's friend, Skip Bolinger, as he was able to track my number down through my father's cell phone.
I have been expecting my dad to pass for sometime now. He's 75 and never took great care of himself. My mother passed away in April 1995, and had read that most spouses tended to pass within 5yrs of the other passing. So I consider my father having lived a full life, and has managed to beat my expectations. Of course now that he is even closer to death, I am greatly saddened.
My dad has always been there for me. He instilled some great values in me, either through direct teachings or setting indirect examples. I am at a loss of words for now, I will just say that I may have to fly to Florida on a red-eye flight. he has requested me to be there, and I shall go.
I have been expecting my dad to pass for sometime now. He's 75 and never took great care of himself. My mother passed away in April 1995, and had read that most spouses tended to pass within 5yrs of the other passing. So I consider my father having lived a full life, and has managed to beat my expectations. Of course now that he is even closer to death, I am greatly saddened.
My dad has always been there for me. He instilled some great values in me, either through direct teachings or setting indirect examples. I am at a loss of words for now, I will just say that I may have to fly to Florida on a red-eye flight. he has requested me to be there, and I shall go.
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