The Loss of a Real angel on Earth, a Nurse...

I was so saddened, as I prepared a card and a letter

to send to a fellow school nurse, Mitzi,

to find out she had passed away.

Her dear child, Elizabeth was compiling pictures

and stories about her Mom to put together so her

Mom could have it to enjoy.

God had other plans as he took this wonderful woman

that very day. I am sad and yet, I think my Mommy was 

there to greet an ol' Golden Meadow gal.

I think of her Mommy who moved into the Manor 

a few weeks before Mommy died, Ms. Alza, a lovely little 

woman who never has an unkind word leave her mouth.

Mitzi was like that, I never heard her speak over a little louder

than a whisper. I knew her in many aspect, many.

Growing up I would see her in church.

As my Baby Boy grew up, we would see her whenever

there was a gathering for her niece, Katie Ledet

who was BB's age. My last, most recent meetings with 

Mitzi was via school nursing. 

Mitzi was a leader in that regards. An RN who was

high on the totem pole when it came to us school nurses.

I have to admit that sometimes we all would

show frustration on the way a certain nursing procedure

had to be done. Seemed too much when a shorter

way was just as good. Then, Mitzi would stand

in front of us all, in her soft spoken voice and

remind us that not only was the way it was to be done

was the "legal" way as she always did her homework before

presenting to us, but it was 

"The children we did this for"

When put that way, we all succumbed.

Because no one, and I mean none of us

loved those children more than Mitzi, none followed

all the laws more closely than Mitzi because it was what was best 

for each child. Mitzi loved every child in our Lafourch Parish

school systems but we all knew, nothing, nothing, nothing

was more important than her dear family.

I remember a few years ago, being in the hospital and

running into Mitzi as she was caring for her Uncle who had

cancer. She explained how he had no family except for 

his nieces to care for him. She cared for all her elderly 

family members. A loving woman, a gracious woman.

When her sister Flo, was diagnosed with cancer a few months

before her, she did all to help, to pray. Her dear
sister, Flo, another angel on Earth loved
her baby sister the way my sisters love me.
I know Flo, still fighting her own Cancer is
heart broken and yet, to know that Mitzi
is there, making a place in Heaven worthy of them
all is how Flo will accept this. Once Flo went
into an amazing remission, came Mitzi's diagnosis
of cancer.
 So not fair, but to know Mitzi

is to know acceptance. she accepted in her loving way,

did the things needed to try and give it her best fight

and when told that it was time for hospice, 

she accepted that also with grace. Surrounded herself

with those she loved the most, her family.

My thoughts and love to Mitzi and her wonderful family.

Her sweet Momma, Ms. Alza will be heartbroken but she,

so much like her daughters, will accept and continue

on until her time on Earth is complete.

Unexpected fun day!

Bean and I had a pajama party last night.

HOBL went DTB to visit,

Kd was working and BB at work.

Just me and the Bean.

Woke up to another cold one and as I text her Mommy

she asks if I can keep her today.

Its just too darn cold out there.

GOOD MOMMY

pajama party extended to ALL DAY!!!!!!!

TO PULL OR NOT TO PULL...

THAT IS THE QUESTION

Which brings me to today's post.

On my way back from DTB,

I listened to my famous Sirius XM 

talk radio to be exact. A discussion was going on

about people being kept alive on ventilators and

the rights of the hospital, patient and families.

The first case is one I have been following.

A thirteen year old girl, goes in last Christmas season

for a tonsillectomy. A simple, one day surgery.

However, there is a reason why consent are very detailed

and necessary. There is no such thing as a "simple surgery".

In this beautiful child's case she looses too much blood

and looses all body functions causing lack of oxygen

to those same vital organs. CPR is performed and she is 

placed on a ventilator. In the last year her condition has

done nothing but decline and although the hospital and

a few doctors have pronounced her brain dead, her

parents refuse to believe this, having faith that a miracle

will take place. My nursing experience tells me that

after a year, with a flat EEG, the only miracle this child

would be granted is a trip to her Heavenly Father.

Yeah, it sucks and I feel for the parents but I side

with the courts on this one.

A few days before Christmas a judge proclaimed

she is already dead and will be pulled off the plug 

some date in January. the courts have even produced a 

death certificate with the date the "plug will be pulled"

The family continues to appeal to keep her on tube feedings 

and life support. Poor family. On this case, I side with the courts.

If she is alive as the parents say she is, then when the vent is

disabled, she will continue to breath.

She deserved to die in decency not after years of withering away

in a hospital bed. I do feel so darn sad for the parents and if

in their shoes I know it would be hard, but I would not continue.

The next story is more heart wrenching and a harder decision to be made.

Since November of 2013, this pregnant Mother from Texas 

has been on life support after sustaining some type of blood clot

causing her to have oxygen deprivation.

Both she and her husband, being paramedics,

 have made their wishes be known:

"No life support if EEG shows brain death and no quality of life

will ever be."

There is a glitch in the Texas law.

You see she is 18 weeks pregnant for their second child.

and TX law states that when  mother is pregnant that said

mother will be kept alive until the time comes that the

baby is viable to sustain life. OOH, this one is complicated.

Basically she is an incubator for the sweet baby.

Would her wishes be different if she could awaken and know that

her baby will also die if pulled from life support now.

Her husband and her family are challenging the Texas courts.

They have valid points.

1) Because of lack of oxygen to the Mother, the fetus was also.

There is chance this child may be born with many medical needs.

The father would rather not have this burden as a single parent.

2) Would she want to be kept alive if it meant her baby 

would be healthy?

3) Should the law override a living will and if so, why

have them?

I am on the fence with this one.

No one has the right to choose for another their last wishes

but what about this baby? Doesn't it have a right to a chance at life?

I will follow/pray/think of this one until the decision is made.

In my heart, I am kind of hoping the child is brought into the

world to live with his/her family as a reminder of the beautiful 

Mother and what she did to save her/him.

Awesome Teen!

This gal right here? Yep it's TEdi-Girl.

Don't let the strawberry blonde locks fool you.

She is my great niece, my godchild, and sometimes my hero.

She does these random acts of kindness,

she provokes others to want to do the same.

There are many teens out there.

Many awesome teens in my world.

There are two that stand out in my eyes right now.

One is my Hughbee, Rebecca and Miki's oldest.

The other, the one I speak of today is my TEdi-girl.

We often hear of the wrongs of our youth in this world

rarely of the good. So today, with her permission,

I share a wonderful story.

A few days ago, she and her Mommy were at Walmart.

As they shopped the aisles, she excitedly says to her Mom,

"Stay here, wait for me, I will be right back"

Her Mom waited and watched as her child went down

the aisle to a blonde headed woman, hugged her, shared

a few words, hugged her again and turned around

to meet her Mommy where she waited.

Her Mommy, thinking this woman is the Mother of 

a friend, asks her TEdi-girl who that woman was.

TEdi-girl's. answer:

" I don't know her but I saw she was crying so I thought

she could use a hug and I told her it would be alright"

that's it, the end, a simple random act of kindness

that makes me want to do more of the same.

Inspired by this child, yesterday I am at our Plaq. Walmart.

I see an elderly couple walking the woman pushing the

basket, the man with his arm around her shoulders.

I have the courage, because of TEdi-girl,

to ask if I can be nosy.

They both smile and say yes.

I ask how many years they have been married.

"42"

I proceed to tell them that I admire their love for each other

and that  I am about to hit my 30 year anniversary,

that I hope in 12 years, I love the way they love, 

that after 42 years, they still show affection.

The sprite little man shares,

"Well, I kind of have to hold her because I am

legally blind, but even if I were not, I would hold on to her

and follow wherever she goes. I love this woman."

So lets all use this new year, 2014 for random acts of kindness.

Why? Just because.

As I know TEdi-girls actions changed that woman's mood that

day in Walmart, I know my act put a smile on an elderly couples face.

Happy New Year!

leo

7/23 - 8/22

Today January 2, 2014 

daily overview

This is not a time for direct action -- you need to listen carefully and think things through before you can have a hope of making a difference. Take all the time you need -- it really matters!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Late last night I began to journal about

those things some call 'NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS"

you know, those things we promise ourselves we will

do in the year but after a few weeks we most often just forget about.

I am famous for that. Still, I journal them all down with my first being,

"TO FIND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY GOD I ONCE HAD"

Over the last few years, I have been slack with that.

Yes, I still say my prayers, I still speak of the miracle of my

life when asked but the close relationship I had with Him

has been lost over the last few years.

In the scrapbook world, we have this thing called

ONE LITTLE WORD

The idea is to pick only one word in all of the 

English language to focus on for the entire year.

I read many of those I know and was ready to 

set my own word. One word is much easier to 

carry through the year than a whole list of resolutions, right?

Then I think of my dear new friend, Becky and

her gratitude tree and the tree I have in place for the

same reason and I pick my word.

Yes, my word is gratitude.

I have so much to be grateful  for and yet,

as all us human beings do, we focus on the negative

too often. Each day I will create something for this

dear tree that is housed in my spare bedroom upstairs.

Each day I will find something to be grateful for.

At the end of the year, this little tree should have

at least 365 items on it. I challenge you.

Pick a word, it is so much easier than a whole

list of things. Let me know what word you choose.

Let it be your way of working on yourself

to become a better you.

Have to add here, please pray for my sister C,

and her Rousse family as her brother in law is

not well and may not pull through this illness.

MY brother in law, TEd throughout my MOm's 

illness on the many times we had to call the family

to the hospital at all hours of the night,

he would pick up all the sisters and drive them

to the hospital. He stayed and patiently waited

for his next direction never complaining.

Even through all of this, his own dad was sick

and eventually died as well as his brother and mother

having been sick through it all.

Not once did he complain or speak of his own 

pain for his family. Merely sat quietly and 

was there for us all.

No way to thank a man who does this for 

his in-law family.

Prayers to them all.