Part 1, Day 3

This was the first day that I became totally frustrated. Before this, I was only mostly frustrated. I know you probably think that can't be possible. I didn't think I could be more frustrated, but I got there. Each day from Day 3 on until I had coffee with the Atlas rep, John, in Dubai the evening Mark was flown home, was a lesson in how frustrated I could be and still hold it together without going postal!

The morning started with no real plan because we were still waiting on the French insurance agency to do their job. (Insert crazy evil laugh!!! Doing their job! What a joke!) The calls started coming in right away from the insurance agent. I will not relate each one, but here is a brief review:

First story: They will fly Mark into Dayton on a private jet. I will get to fly along and hopefully Mom will too. Great, didn't ask for that, but I am not going to turn that one down. Stupid was not born yesterday!

Second story: They would fly him into Dayton on a commercial flight and I could be on same plane. Not sure how things changed, but whatever it takes to get home is good with me.

Third story: There are no commercial flights going into Dayton from Dubai. WTH?? How do they think I got there! (See Day 1, Part 1 for my reaction to that one.)

Fourth story: (Tired yet!?) The airlines will not transfer his remains to another airplane. Again, WHAT!?! Call to the wonderful, Cathy Dorsey, who worked for the airlines to confirm that they do this all the time! Call to funeral director (woke him up in the middle of the night forgetting about time change) to confirm this. I knew this was garbage, but fatigue and frustration had me questioning everything.

Fifth story: It has to be a direct flight to the US. So the closest they could get would be Washington DC or Atlanta. (Both are a 10 hour drive from our home!) Then it would be my responsibility to pay the funeral director to get him to Dayton!

Sixth story: It has to be direct, but they think they can get as close as Chicago. Well, that's a little better since it's only a 5 hour drive! But the transportation cost will be huge. And, the insurance company is supposed to pay for bringing him all the way home, but that's not what they are saying. FYI: Transport costs would be more than $2500 from Chicago. That is on top of the funeral costs!

Seventh story: (Are you getting tired of this yet!?!?!) They would get us on the BA flight into Chicago, you know the one from the picture on the first post which showed there was no flight! That's the one! That's the place they were still at when I got him on the flight home.

Understand that I got all of these 'stories' within about a 3 day period. I didn't get the 7th story until after I took matters into my own hands. Actually, I took control after the 5th story, I just didn't tell them. It's not like I owed them anything, because God knows they didn't do anything for me except put up roadblocks. I guess what they don't know, won't hurt them was my philosophy at that point.

Meanwhile, I learn that Mark's residence visa must be canceled. And when that happens, his bank account at the Emirates Bank will be frozen! Big Thank You to Mr. Jessim and the crew at Mid*ex for getting that info to me before it happened! (More on frozen bank accounts later....) So, I call Beth at 2:30 AM and talk her through transferring the remaining balance out of his account. That's right AM!!! And I am talking her through a bank website that is in half english and half arabic from the other side of the world.

Meanwhile, Mark's employer started off in a smaller emirate and therefore, his residence visa was issued through that emirate. To cancel the visa, I had to send Nassir (company employee/driver/runner) with some money (of course) to Ras Al Khamiah to get this finished. It took an entire day!!! I was ever so patiently waiting because I had to have Mark's passport to go to the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi the next day to get the paperwork from them that would allow me to take Mark back to the US. And still I have no confirmed travel plans thanks to the idiot insurance company. The embassy also needs the travel plans to issue the paperwork. To add further complications, a huge formula 1 race was set to begin in Abu Dhabi that weekend and the city would be virtually closed on Friday. So, if I didn't get this paperwork by Thursday, I would have to wait until Monday!! There was no way I wanted that to happen, so I was a bit of a mess waiting for Nassir to return with the passport and the insurance company to pull their heads out of their butts. He got back to the apartment complex at about 9PM. I almost kissed him when he knocked on my door with that passport!

Part 1, Day 2

Apparently the rest of the world can't live without ice cream and fried foods either. The Emirati people eat a lot of ice cream, so I was told. Makes since how else will you cool down out in the desert?!?

See the person dressed in red?

He is dressed up as an adult size 'Tele*tubbie'! And he is handing out candy to children? There is something very wrong about that, don't ya think!?!?

Do you see the men standing around the counter in the upper left side of the picture? That's a Star&bucks! Again, proof that the American diet has permeated the world. That Star&bucks was the first place we say men smoking the Hooka pipes.

Chili*s (Mark's favorite), Sub&way (normal!), the indian place next to that and the Middle Eastern grill next to that!

The entrance to the mall.

(A funny that shows just how frustrated I became: By the end of my fabulous stay, I became rather punchy and decided what all the signs really said. My theory: I think they gave you the name of the place in english characters to see if you were paying attention. And then the Arabic characters followed it up saying: F*$k You! So each sign we saw said: Al Shubai District F*&k You!)

We wake up to another hot and sunny day in the desert. Imagine that!??! The agenda of the day was set the day before. First up, go to Al Ain Hospital to confirm that they have moved Mark to the mortuary. Then, continue the paperchase towards getting him home. But, I didn't know that I would need even more documents than I was already told I needed!!!

So, after exchanging a few emails and phone calls home, Ted graciously takes us to the hospital. We find the mortuary after stopping to ask for directions about 3 times. How did I finally find it? I found my way back to the Preventative Disease office and one of the workers rode with us over the mortuary! We walk inside to the following scene:

A square room with 5 closed doors. In the middle of the room, there is a long wooden bench. There is a desk toward the back wall with a couple of chairs. The worker brings out the chairs and we sit on the chairs and bench. After a few minutes the Sudanese doctore I met the day before comes out of one of the doors. (I later find out that room is an office. And the room next to that one is the storage room for the chemicals they need to embalm.) He proceeds to take us into the first door on the left. And, there laying on the table is a body wrapped in white sheets. Mom, Ted and Rose have moved into the room with me at this point and are standing on the other side of the table. The doctor begins poking at the body. (I think he was checking to see what gases were there.) He then asks me in his very broken english if I would like to see Mark! WTH!??! I immediately tear up. Mom is violently shaking her head NO on the other side of the table. Rose looks like she will faint and Ted takes a step back. I tell him: No that will not be necessary. He tells me that I will need a police release from Dubai and Al Ain if Mark is to be flown out of Dubai. Where did that come from?!? I thought I only needed the police release from Al Ain! Okay, well I will deal with that one when I get to it. I confirm that they will embalm him as soon as we have travel arrangements, that 'someone' will prepare the remains, that we will get all the paperwork in order and we head back to the car. Could someone have prepared me for that one please!?!?! Did I really need to actually see the remains? Did I need to see this crackpot Doctor poke at him? Really!!?!? Apparently I did, because it only got worse before this grand adventure was over!

Once we were safely back in the car, we decided to head back to the apartment to begin packing and waiting for the oh, so compentent French insurance agency to do their job. Little did I know that they were incapable of doing their job. Well, at least the local agent was....

The day ended with Ted and Rose taking Mom and I to the Al Jimi Mall. This is the place that Mark always talked about going. He shopped at the Carre*four store there. (Think smaller version of Wal*Mart) He ate at the Ch*ili's there. (He said it was the only place to get iced tea in the entire city!) I asked to be taken there because I wanted to see the place he felt the most comfortable. It was a beautiful mall. Small by the standards of the Emirati people, but very nice. It had a beautiful food court with many 'normal' choices. Did we go for the normal? Of course not! Mom decided she was going to eat Indian food (little worrisome because she does not like anything spicy) and I chose a place that served a traditional Middle Eastern grill plate. Ted led Mom thru her choices and she came away with a wonderful non-spicy meal. I could not have chosen better either. The food was incredible!

After returning to the apartment, I was contacted by the new chief pilot, John. I found out that he was with Mark the morning after the heart attack. He was the person Mark tried to talk to! He told me Mark was complete aware of his surroundings, he knew the people in the room, and he even asked for iced tea!! It was nice to hear that information directly from the person who was there. He was the person who told Mark I was coming. He said Mark got very excited at that news. He was giving them the thumbs up signal repeatedly.

Something to remember: My cell phone is ringing during this entire day too! Just like the day before, I talk to about 10 people numerous times throughout the day. Mark's friends, his boss (the amazing Dave), Assaad (the jack of all trades), the insurance agent (idiot) and my new friends. So, if you are a person easily distracted, it would have been a nightmare!

Really!?!?! Part 1, Day 1

Do you see the Tuesday, November 3 date above?
Do you see that is says: "No flights available"?
Really!?!?!?

After a week of complete hell, this is the supposed BA flight the French insurance company (I will have to dedicate an entire post to how I feel about them. And, it will be filled with the foulest of curse words!) had Mark's remains booked on for the trip home. Yes, really!!! So how did we get to that point and how did we finally get home?

I think I can finally write this with some of my usual sense of humor. I apologize upfront if it takes a dive into the sad place my heart is in right now. I know I can't tell the whole story yet, but here is what happened on October 27th:

The morning dawned bright, sunny and hot in the UAE desert. I was told on the 26th by Tawam Hospital that I needed to go to Al Ain Hospital to get Mark's death certificate. I was told they would transport his body to Al Ain Hospital Mortuary on the morning of the 27th. He would be embalmed at Al Ain Hospital and the insurance company would make arrangements to transport him to Dayton by private jet. I guess I should have taken a lesson from the events of the night before and realized that nothing could ever be that simple! Silly me, how did I not learn that one on the 26th?!?!

So, with the help of Ted, Rose, Melanie and Hind, I headed out to get the death certificate. First stop, Al Ain Hospital to find the office of Preventative Disease. After driving thru the maze of the city, we finally got to the hospital. Hind and I asked the gate guard where we needed to go. He directed us to the main offices. The main offices directed us to another office. That office directed us to the morgue which was locked up tight. We stop a guard and ask again. He directs us to the Preventative Disease office. Hind and I walk in to find that only the head doctor speaks some English. But, he speaks fluent Arabic which is why I have Hind, thank God! She talks to him for what seemed like an hour in a language I have no hope of ever understanding. He directs us to another office to get the death certificate. He finally gives us a document which will allow Mark's remains to be transported to Al Ain Hospital. It was clear that he didn't want to give us that document, but she talked him into it finally. He further explains that we need to have a release from the Al Ain police in order to transport Mark out of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and home. He tries to explain in broken english that Mark's body will have to be prepared after the embalming. He explains that it is the custom of the country to do this and basically it is something I have to do to make Allah happy. Specifically, he tells me that I can come and wash the body and dress him in the traditional white robes (a dishda, which I am sure I am not spelling correctly!) or I can pay someone to do this and wrap him in a white cotton cloth. (Me! Wash him and dress him! He must be smoking to much of that Hookpa pipe!) I decide that I will pay 'someone' to do this for me and will have him wrapped in the white cotton cloth. That satisfies him (after a few tears) and he gives us the documents. Hind meanwhile slips him about $400 US to accomplish this task. We leave his office with strict instructions to return the next morning to verify that Mark has indeed been transported to the mortuary.

Hind and I stop to get something to eat at a wonderful restaurant. It was really good, but I can honestly tell you I don't remember what we ate. I do remember that she told me she would no longer help me if I didn't eat something! She did not say that to be mean, she was truly worried about my health. Hind kept emphasizing to me that I needed to go on with my life, I have a little boy to take care of and it would do no go for me to get sick. She was very right, but I was already getting frustrated with the procedures not to mention mad at the fact that I was even in this situation. (Meanwhile, Melanie was giving Mom, Ted and Rose a tour of the city. They could not seem to catch up with us, but that was okay because it gave Mom a chance to see the city. They took her to get something to eat and just really took great care of her that entire day.)

After eating, Hind and I headed to the office the doctor advised us would give us the death certificate. That office was no longer in that building! We were directed to 6 other places before we found the correct office!!! We were told various stories at each stop: They moved out of here last week. They were never in this building. The office you need is in the last place you were at. The office is at the hospital. You name it and we were told it!

We found the right place and headed in the door. Lesson in different cultures: In the US, you wait to be called to the desk of an official. You never really see the real person in charge. You complain and you get a supervisor who fixes the problem. Not in the UAE! We walked right into the office of the Head of the Department of Health! Hind tells him what we need, he tells her to wait and he will think about it! WTH!??! Think about what? She tells me not to complain because then he will do nothing! Again WTH?!? So, we head out to the hallway to wait. Meanwhile, everyone else catches up with us. We wait and finally he comes out and hands paperwork to the woman sitting at the desk. She had already told us that she would type the paperwork as soon as he brought it out to her. We again pay some money (about $25, I think) and finally we have the death certificate!!!

Next stop Tawam Hospital to deliver the paperwork saying he can be transported to the mortuary. We deliver the documents and head back to Mark's apartment. Once back at the apartment, I begin to look at everything there to decide how to get it all home. And, I begin to have visitors. During my stay in Al Ain, I had a chance to meet just about everyone at the company Mark worked for. Each of them made the effort to either come see me, call me or leave me a card. And I mean everyone! Fellow crew members, dispatchers, the new chief pilot, the old chief pilot, office staff, etc.

Please note that the entire time this is all happening, my phone has not stopped ringing the entire day! I talked to Mark's boss, Dave. I talked to the insurance company in France. I talked to the social worker at Tawam Hospital. I talked to the head of Tawam Hospital. And, I talked to Assaad with the company Mark worked for, just to name a few. I have been given a million instructions in various phone calls. Paperwork and information has been requested. I have given out a huge amount of information. I felt like I should have had that phone surgically implanted!

FYI: Please let me identify some of the people mentioned above. Ted worked with Mark at the former company and the current company. He and his amazing wife, Rose, were an absolute Godsend to us. Melanie is the wife of another crew member working for the company. She was amazing! Wait til I get to the ambulance part and you will know why! Dave was Mark's boss and friend. He also worked with Mark at the former company. I don't know what I would have done without him either! Assaad is the jack of all trades at the current company. His help has been and continues to be invaluable. Hind wears a few hats for the current company. Without her language skills and help, I am sure we would still be there! ( I don't want to put the names of the companies in here because then a Goo*gle search will bring people to my blog which I don't want to happen!)

Ian & Papaw

Cutest picture ever! Ian and his Papaw. Yes, those are flower stickers on both of their faces! Go click on the photo for a closer look. Too stinkin' cute!!!


(posted by Sam - I just can't stand to see the funeral stuff every time I open Heather's blog, so I thought I would share this photo with everyone. Heather will be back when she is ready.)

Mark's Funeral Arraignments

Mark Edwards' funeral arraignments:

Visitation will be on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 5pm-8pm at Adkins Funeral Home in Enon, Ohio.

Funeral service will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 11am at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Enon, Ohio.

Heather has asked that instead of flowers donations be made to American Heart Association or to St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

(posted by Sam)

Headed Home Soon!!!

That's right: WE ARE HEADED HOME SOON!!! We will leave the hotel here in Dubai in about 2.5 hours. Our flight arrives in Dulles at 6AM. Then, we are scheduled on the flight into Dayton that arrives at 9:43 AM.

We are packed, beyond ready to go and pacing the floor waiting for the shuttle to the airport.

Update

After much craziness and grief yesterday, I finally got Mark to Emirates Sky Cargo. I am assuming that he is already in Frankfort by this point. I have not received a call saying the plane is still here. So that is a good sign.

Right now Mom and I are in a hotel in Dubai. (Sheraton Deira for those that travel here. Very nice and with the help of Assaad, in a lovely suite. ) My wonderful new friend, Melanie, stayed with us last night. She drove Mom and I here and will be taking us around town today.

As of right now, Assaad is working on getting our tickets changed. We had a friend look at the load on the United flight yesterday and it was pretty open. So hopefully, he will be able to get us out of here tonight. We would fly directly to Dulles in Washington D.C., arriving at 6 AM. Sorry I will be waking some people up with calls when I get stateside! Then the next flight to Dayton leaves at 8:11A and arrives in Dayton at 9:45A on Monday morning. It's NOT CONFIRMED yet. So, say a few prayers, keep your fingers crossed, rub your rosary beads, do whatever you think will work.

I will keep you all posted as best I can on here and Skype, but I realize it's the middle of the night at home.

There are too many stories to tell about this trip. When I get home and settled, I will spill it all here, but right now my focus is getting home. I do want to tell you that Mark is traveling home on an Atlas plane. (How ironic?!?!) And the crazy Russian pilot, Alex Nicolov, that he always talked about is the Captain for the last leg of the journey into Toledo. Friend, Tom Low, is also on board for that flight. So he is being brought home by friends. Can't tell you how much better that makes this whole mess.

I AM DEALING WITH IDIOTS

Get this!!!!!

After 4.5 days of doing nothing, the insurance company finally decides that they can get him on a British Air flight direct to Chicago. Here's the good part: They require the Embalming Certificate. You know the one that I CAN'T GET UNTIL THEY GIVE ME FLIGHT CONFIRMATION!!!!!!!!! The same document that they have been told about 200 times that I can't get til they confirm the flights. And, they don't have him booked out of here until November 3rd!!! Better yet, if you go to the BA website there are no flights available that day. WTH!?!?!

On a better note, I contacted Mark's old boss at the former airline because I was told they had a flight leaving here on Sunday morning. They have done more in the last 12 hours to make this happen on that flight than the entire insurance company has done all week! It's still not a complete go because we need another document from the embassy, flight confirmation and embalming on the Drs. day off (I am willing to pay him at this point!!!), then police release before tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed. It's the most positive thing that has come out of this crap yet. Most positive except for making some wonderful new friends here.

I Need To Vent For A Minute

Okay, so it will probably be more than a minute, but I am going to explode if I don't vent this out somewhere.

I have been very busy with the largest bureaucratic mess I have ever seen in my life. When I get home and allow myself to fall apart and grieve, I will then be able to relate all of it. Granted it has kept me very busy and therefore I have not had time to sit down, let alone think Which is a good thing, I think.

At this point there are four things that need to happen so we can get the hell out of this sand pit.

1) The American Embassy needs to get their crap together. They told me yesterday all they needed was his original passport and the original death certificate from the UAE. This morning I now need the confirmed travel arrangements!!! WTH!?!?! So, I am waiting because .....

2) The stupid French insurance company needs to pull their heads out of their butts and get this done! They first said private jet. Ok, didn't ask for it but I am not turning that down. Then, they went to sending him home on commercial flight. Whatever, I just want to get him, myself and Mom home. Then, they said the closest they could fly him would be Detroit. Because there are no commercial flights going into Dayton. WTF??? How exactly do they think I got here, flapping my wings??? Now they are saying that the airlines will not transfer human remains to another plane. They do it all the time!! I confirmed with friends that worked for the majors. So the idea of flying to Detroit is out because they have to go thru Frankfort which would mean a change of planes. So, then they said direct to a US city. Well that means Dulles in Washington or Atlanta then arrange for ground transportation to Dayton. I have explained that is a 8-10 hour drive one way and not acceptable for the funeral director to have to do. Assaad at Mark's employer thinks he may have something worked out. So, I am waiting to hear back from him at this point.

3) All this paperwork needs to then be taken to the morgue (after I go to the embassy which is a 3 hour round trip not counting the time there.), so they can embalm. After embalming, he can be picked up and taken to the airport. Problem with this is: People don't work in this country on Friday and Saturday. So if I don't get him embalmed today and on a flight by tomorrow, we can't get it done til Sunday!!!

4) Finally, we have to get permission from the local police headquarters to release the remains at the airport. And, we have to make our travel arrangements including getting his personal belongings shipped home.

The best part of it all is that all this is just the tip of the iceberg!

I have tried more times than I can count to post something. I still can't do it. Sorry. Thank you everyone for all of your love and prayers. They mean more to me than you can ever know.

Contact Info

I have had several people ask for my contact info here in Al Ain. I have Mark's cell phone, but I don't know the number. If you contact Beth at my house, she has the number in my Skype account. (Beth, all you have to do is open Skype and go to Mark's name that has his number.) Everyone should remember that they have to put in the UAE as the country. And also, I have limited time to be on the phone and I have to figure out how to put more minutes on the phone each month. My learning curve is huge here since I don't have Mark to ask how to do things. And, I don't really want to ask his boss because he has done so much for us and would just take care of it out of his own pocket. That's how Dave is.

Other ways to contact me: 1) Download Skype. It's free. (It's also the cheapest way to call the cell phone.) But, you can call my computer for FREE. Just set up your account and search for Mark. Edwards612. It will come up as a US account, that't his computer. Send out your request to be added to my contacts and then we can talk. 2) One last way to get me directly is my email account. It is hledwards123 at gmail.com. I can't check my wor.rr. account from here. But the Gmail account is web based and easy to access.

I hope that answers everyone's questions. I am up in the middle of the night because I haven't adjusted to the time change and jet lag. Also, Mom should be here any minute after the drive in from the Dubai airport. Love you all and thank you for all that you are doing.

Lucky, Just So Lucky

Sorry this will probably be rambling, I am very tired, physically, emotionally and mentally. And, I am apologizing for any spelling/grammar issues up front. I am too tired to care about proof-reading right now.

If he had been at home, he would not be alive. If he had not been so close to a premier medical facility, he would not be alive. If he and his boss had not reacted so quickly, he would not be alive. Given all that, only 1% of the people that make it to the hospital live thru this. Two-thirds of his heart was affected. They do not know how much function will return once they start taking off the meds and the balloon. The kidneys were affected due to the extreme reduction of blood pressure. According to the kidney specialist, the kidneys are working at about 20% this morning. They started more fluids with the hope that the kidney function would increase. By the time I left this evening, he was producing more urine so that means the kidneys are working more. But more fluids was tricky because of the heart and not wanting to introduce more fluid that could settle around the heart.

The medical stuff: He is heavily sedated. He is on the ventilator. He has 11 different meds/fluids being fed into him. The balloon is still functioning for his heart. He is running an ugly temp that just won't come down. His blood pressure has come up a bit today to 90/60. His heart rate is high which tells them he is in tachycardia. The rate is around 150 beats per minute. The number floated around today about the kidneys was 240. (Sorry don't remember more or which level that number related to, BUN or creatin) His pupils are sluggish which they tell me is due to the sedation. (Especially since the day after the attack he as alert and responding the people.) The meds as best I can recall: dopamine, fentanyl, midzalam (sedative), 2 antibiotics, insulin, fluids, a med for blood pressure that is light sensitive and I can't remember the rest, sorry. The plan as of right now is to continue with meds/fluids to get the tachycardia under control, the temp down and the blood pressure up. Once all that happens, they will start reducing meds, pulling the vent and the balloon. I was told by the Head of Cardiology that he will most likely be in the ICU for 2 weeks and not able to travel home for at least a month. What can go wrong with all this: The numbers don't improve and they can't reduce meds. They pull the balloon and the heart has too much damage to function on it's own. The kidneys do not improve. In other words, still very critical.

How this day went: WOW! Culturally this place is so different than the US. I, of course, saw every level of dress from shorts to full burhkas today. But other than that, the hospital is run differently. Mark is something of a miracle to them. Every American in the hospital has come to meet me. That included the Director of Operations for Johns Hopkins. The Head of the ER and the Head of the ICU both came to meet me this afternoon. The head of every department that Mark requires has been in with at least 2 of the doctors under them and students. I saw no less than 20 doctors this morning alone. On top of that, in the US the doctor issues an order and the nurse performs the function, generally. This morning there were no less than 6 people in the room at any given moment. And, they stood there and discussed his treatment with each other and me. The nurses and myself had as much say as the doctors. In fact they didn't just discuss, they argued at one point about the increased fluids! While all of that is significant, what made it all hard was the many nationalities I was listening to. I am so tired and therefore having to really pay attention to everyone so that I understand them. That would be hard given the situation in my own country. But to be on the other side of the world with 40 different languages/nationalities is overwhelming. Palestinians, Jordanians, Canadians, Australians, Germans, Emerati, Pakistanis, Indians, French, Italians, Dutch, and Brits to name a few. Absolutely incredible.

In other news: The owner of the company flew from Paris to see Mark today. I met him and all the senior staff of Midex. He personally guaranteed that the med bills would be paid for, I would be reimbursed for any expenses, Mark would be paid for the next 3 months and when he has recovered, he still has a job. They will find him something to do because he will not be able to fly. While, it wasn't on the front of my mind, it was floating around in there further stressing me out. They also stocked Mark's apartment with water, pop and food while I was at the hospital today. A huge relief as the med bills alone are huge. In the US, I am sure we would be over a couple million by now!

Mark's Condition

I arrived in UAE at about 8 PM their time. UAE is 8 hours ahead of the US, I think. Mark's wonderful boss, Dave, arranged for me to be picked up at the Dubai airport and driven straight to the hospital. We got there after visiting hours and they didn't want to let me in. Dave talked them into it before I had a complete meltdown and ended up in jail for breaking into the hospital! I knew from TV what I might find, but it never prepares you for the reality. Although Mark was alert yesterday and responding to questions, they had to sedate him because he was moving around too much and moving the equipment they have on him. The minute I got in the room and was able to speak to him(took me a few to be able to talk) he started moving his legs. So, he knew I was there. I talked to the on call doctor, she couldn't tell me much but explained that his doctors would be in to see him in the morning. Mark's boss is taking me back to the hospital at 8 AM so I can talk to them. They would not let me stay all night at the hospital, and Dave wanted me to try to get some rest so I could talk to the Drs in the morning. And the more I talked to him , the more agitated he got to the point where they had to sedate him further. So, I am at Mark's apartment (which amazing Dave had cleaned!) and I am fighting the learning curve to get this posted.

What I do know: He had a massive heart attack (miocardial infraction, sp?) which is the same thing that his Dad died of. He is extremely lucky to be alive. If he had been anywhere else, he probably wouldn't be. I talked to him at about 12:45 AM (his time), he called Dave at 1 AM saying his heart was racing and he was having trouble breathing. Dave immediately took him to Tawam Hospital, and they were working on him before Dave even got back in the building from parking the car. The hospital is about 4 miles from his apartment and is affiliated with Johns Hopkins. They took him to the Cath Lab and were able to remove a large clot in his main artery. They did not have to open his chest which is very good. They put in a balloon which is making his heart beat so the heart muscle doesn't have to work so hard. Since then, he was taken to the ICU. They have him on a ventilator and just about every other kind of machine you can think of. As of today, he is running a temp. which is not good, but they are giving him antibiotics. By all reports the Dr. is amazed at how well he is doing. I will find out more in the morning. His color is good. His hands and feet are warm indicating circulation is good. But, he is in real trouble still. I do know that they had to revive him at least 3 times and that there is some issue with his kidneys and liver.

The hospital is very nice. Everyone is very helpful and caring. Someone is with him at all times. It is very clean and the staff seems well trained. (I think cleaner than some hospitals in the US even.) The nurse with him tonight is named Lala and she is very caring. She keeps changing the cool rag on his head and chest, making sure to clean his face each time because he is sweating due to the fever. Can anyone convert 40c to F for me? I am too overwhelmed to figure out what she told me his temp was.

I know there is little emotion in this post. I just can't get it all typed out here. I am not sure I even want to try to put words to this pain. Sorry, please keep praying. He is getting the best care but that can only do so much. Prayers are powerful.

When You Leave A 3 Year Old Alone For Five Minutes

This is how I found him yesterday morning. He told me he was going out to the kitchen to play his game on Nogg!n.com. I went to the bathroom, washed my face and headed for the kitchen. I swear he was in the kitchen for no more than 5 minutes without me!

Football Boys

Like I said in my post last night, we took Alex and Ian to get their pictures taken before life fell apart last week. Alex had an away game on Saturday which meant he had his football gear at home over the weekend. The most important part of that is: He had his helmet! At least that's what Ian thinks is the most important part.

I picked the pictures up yesterday. The girl that helped me, opened the file and immediately said "Please tell me we got you to sign a release so we could use these in advertising! They are amazing." I told her that I did sign a release the day they were taken. That day the photographer knew immediately that they were going to be really good. And, boy was she right!


Can you believe that he is almost 15! Seems like yesterday he was Ian's age. Now he is a freshman in high school, playing on the Junior Varsity football team, and chasing girls. Where does the time go?!?

While he is pretty cute on his own, there is more cuteness coming....

Wait, the cuteness gets even better....

Check out the love Ian is showing that helmet!

But, if you thought that was too much cuteness, wait til you see this:

I told you yesterday that the cuteness was almost unbearable.

A Tease....

A photo shoot took place just before life fell apart last week.
This picture is just a sample of the cuteness.
Be prepared for almost unbearable cuteness tomorrow.
I am just too tired to scan, crop, write and post the rest tonight.

Goodbye Old Friend

Preview of Halloween

Rocking a 'Spidermans' costume

Striking a pose as a football player.

Hmm, what will he be? Go with the 'Spidermans' for now. He changes his mind almost daily. Batman even gets thrown in there sometimes. He is going thru a big Superhero thing right now. I don't know why, he just is. He is three, do I need to say more?

World's Smallest Football Player?

Ian wearing Alex's football gear after the game.

(FYI: They won 26-0!)

Introducing.....

The bouquet of Death!!!




Yes, this is the same flower arrangement that Mark sent me for our anniversary. It has now become known as the Bouquet of Death. Why you ask??? Well, for 2 reasons:

1) I asked him when they delivered it if there were any flowers left for funerals this weekend in any florist shop in the area. It is beautiful and HUGE!!! (My friend Jeff offered to just raid funerals next year to save Mark so money. hehehe)

2) This arrangement was in the house 24 hours and caused me the largest allergic reaction I have had in a long while. I started sneezing and by the next day my face was swollen, I couldn't breathe and I even had to put ice packs on my face. I moved it to the garage to see if I could feel better. By the next morning, I was doing much better. So now I am wondering if he is trying to kill me after 15 years or what?!?! I guess I will know when the next arrangement arrives.....

I did a little experiment last night. I moved the arrangement of mostly roses that my brother and sister-in-law sent me back into the house. The roses are not causing me any problem. So, I will pull the roses from Mark's arrangement and move them back in the house. That way I can at least enjoy some of the beautiful flowers Mark sent!!

15 YEARS!!!

Mark and I have been married for 15 years.

I can hardly wrap my head around the idea that we have been married that long. And, yet it has flown by so fast. It seems like yesterday sometimes and other times it feels like forever.

As has been the case through most of our married life, Mark is not home for our anniversary. (That's what being married to a pilot gets ya!! So for all those people out there that think it's exciting or glamourous to be a pilot, think again.) When he left yesterday, we joked that he would go to Chili's in the U.A.E. for dinner and I would go to Chili's here. That way we could say we at least ate in the same restaurant chain on our 15th anniversary.


Happy Anniversary Mark!

Thank you very much for the beautiful flowers.

Love always,
H

Daddy Went Back To Work Today

We had a 'dry' run at the going back to work thing yesterday. We took Mark to the airport, then had to pick him up again when the plane had a mechanical problem. Yesterday was horrible for Ian! He cried/sobbed for about 20 minutes after we left Mark. So, I was expecting more of the same today. NOT!! He rolled down the window and yelled "Bye Dad, luv you!" But, he has been glued to me all damn day. I have practically peeled him off of me today. I have tripped over him. I have carried him most of the day. I can hardly wait to see what he is like tomorrow.

9-11

Freedom

Remember

Tales of Chicky- Cago

The kid cracks me up!! This morning he told me that Uncle David, "no live in Chicky-Cago". Then, he called my mom and told her that he lives in "Washington D.C., no Chicky-Cago". I have no idea where he gets this stuff. He has heard us discuss going to Chicago, but we have no immediate plans to go there. I wonder what made it pop into his head his morning. And, where did he get Chicky-Cago?

He is on the phone right now with Grandma. He has the phone held up to his arm 'showing' her his temporary tattoo! I hope she got a great visual on that one. Can't wait to see what he can really do with a video phone.

As I have said before, Ian is not a great eater. He eats all kinds of foods, just not very much of anything at one time. You get 2-3 bites in and he is finished. It's maddening!!! Anyway, lately he has been telling us he is hungry. Huge revelation! How does he tell us, you ask? Well, you might think he just says that he is hungry. Or, maybe you think he takes me to the cabinet to show me what he wants. Oh, no we can't be that simple!! He says "My belly is turned on now" or "I need to food it". And of course, if you ask him if he is hungry, he tells you "My belly is not turned on." I would love to know where he gets this stuff!

My Heart Is Breaking

Last week, I felt a lump on Whiskey's side. I took him to the vet the very same day. (Thank God, I have such a great working relationship with Dr. Dave!) Dr. Dave took a biopsy of the area, did a blood panel (which we routinely do because of previously elevated liver numbers) and we started some new meds for arthritis/pain around his spine. We discussed all the possibilities and decided to go with this diagnostic plan.

I was to call today after 11 AM to get the results of the tests. I got busy with a million things and realized at 6 PM that I hadn't called. The vets office closes at 6 so I would have to call in the morning. About 10 minutes later the vet tech, Candy, called. She explained that the growth is a cancerous tumor which should be removed. However, his liver panel is all over the place too. So they suggested a test to determine if he has Cushings Syndrome. (He shows all the symptoms and the liver numbers indicate it too.) Dr. Dave will not operate until we determine if he has Cushings and get it under control. And, the cancer he has is one that you remove and it just keeps coming back.

He is 14 years old. He is a different dog since his last surgery, more skittish etc. So, I worry about having him put under for surgery. How will it change him this time? Will he even be able to tolerate it? And for that matter, what good will it do if the damn stuff will just come back? So many questions. So few answers. Why did it come up so fast? Why him? Why did I not take him in sooner when he started showing the symptoms of the Cushings? (That's not fair to beat myself up over. The symptoms are not ones that you would think to be problem particularly. He was hungry all the time. He was getting in the garbage. He was having accidents in the house. WTH? Why would you take a dog to the vet for those? But, that doesn't make me feel any better either.)

Angry, confused, worried, broken-hearted. How do we explain it to Ian? When I don't even understand....

Family Fun

Not a care in the world.

The "Kiddie" pool was not cutting it.

Up at the highest point in the fort with Mommy.
Getting ready to go down the water slide.

We headed to the Great Wolf Lodge for a little indoor water park fun. We watched Alex's football game, packed a few clothes and headed out. (They won their game, by the way!! Alex did a great job. I will try to post some pictures later.) We played in the water park for a little while before checking into our room. Once we checked into our room, we spent some time in the arcade and then had dinner at the grill in the hotel. After dinner, Alex went to the arcade by himself while we got Ian ready for bed. Once Ian was asleep, Alex stayed in the room watching television while Mark and I went to the bar for a drink. We got up this morning, had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel's buffet then headed back to the waterpark.

Our room was a family suite with a balcony. We ended up on the ground floor so our balcony was really a patio with a yard for the boys to play in. We had 2 queen size beds and a pull-out sofa for Ian to sleep on. The room was very large with a mini kitchen and 2 televisions.

So what did Ian think of it all? He loved it! Mark, Ian and I went on the river canyon ride which left from the very top of the building, went outside then dumped you back into a pool in the building. It went a lot faster than I thought it would, but Ian laughed the entire way! When we first got there, he rode the 12 foot long kiddie slides a few times, but was soon over that minor thrill. He wanted to go down the big ones! So, off we went to the next step up in slides. (About 8 turns and 200 yards long!) He rode by himself about 10 times! He couldn't ride the biggest slides, because he was too small to hold himself in the tube and you can't ride together. But that didn't stop him from asking about 100 times!!

As for the arcade, it's like crack for kids! I swear, I totally understand why my parents cringed everytime David and I suggested a game room! I told my Dad after Chuck E. Cheese (which makes my eye twitch just to think about it!) last week that I know how he felt when I was a kid. Ian kept running up to us saying "I need monies!" Cute, but makes me worry about his teenage years. :-(

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

Alex getting ready for the game.

Alex started high school a couple of weeks ago. (How did that happen!?!?! I am not that old!)

He spent a very busy summer going to camps (Summer's Best 2 Weeks and OSU wrestling), then started practicing for a sport he had never played before. That's right, he had never played football before and decided to go for it as a freshman. We had some complaining during two-a- days. He stuck with it (with some butt kicking by me!) and he is playing for his school now. He is the 3rd string lineman for the Varsity team and 1st string for the Junior Varsity team. For you non-football people that means he did an amazing job during camp and earned a position that is generally reserved for a sophomore. (The 3rd string for Varsity means that 2 other guys get to play before he gets a chance in a Varsity game.) So, he has to suit up for all Varsity games as well as playing on the JV team.

The season started last weekend. The Varsity game was postponed until Saturday morning due to weather. That meant the JV did not get to play. It didn't matter to Alex. He was so excited to be standing on that sideline!! Last night the varsity won their game and this morning, Alex finally gets his turn to play.

The other standout star around here is Alex's buddy, Zach (a freshman too). He got to start in the Varsity game last weekend! And, he played a position that he had never played before. He did such a good job, that he started again last night. The rules of the Athletic Association state that a player can only play 4 quarters per week, so I am not sure what Zach will get to play this morning. But, we are headed to the game to see how they both do!

First Day of School Picture!!!

He LOVED it!!!!

Mark picked him up at noon. He told Mark that he had so much fun. The teacher said he was very cooperative and VERY friendly. Imagine that!!!!!! (How come I don't ever see the cooperative side???)

I asked him who was in his class. He told me that there were FIVE girls. (Yes he said it that emphatically!) I asked him how many boys there were. He said he didn't know. Stinker!!! He told me he had snack, played outside, learned about frogs and sat on the line like a good boy.

This evening, he came up to me and said "My school is great!"

Cry? Celebrate? I Can't Decide!!

My baby started pre-school today!!! And, I can't decide if I want to cry or celebrate! I have alternated between: BOO HOO, my baby started pre-school today! and WOO HOO, my baby started pre-school today! So, since this is such an important step showing how big he is, I have decided to go with the WOO HOO!!!! I am willing myself into that state of mind. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Yes, I will post pictures later of him in his small backpack ready to head out the door. I am currently at work and don't have the camera or the time to download it. He looked so cute!! He was so excited! He got up telling me that he didn't want to go. But, by the time we got there and he saw all the other kids, he was happy to go. He hung up his backpack and coat, kissed me and Mark and took off! I snuck back in after a few minutes (to talk to the financial lady) and he wasn't the slightest bit concerned about where Mommy was. He was already talking to another little boy about playing outside.

Mark and Beth will pick him up at noon and take him to lunch today. I am betting that will be Sky*line! I can hardly wait to hear what he thinks about his new school. He will be going three days per week from 9-12 for the next two weeks. After that, I will drop him off on my way to work and will pick him up around 3 on the same 3 days each week. We wanted him to have some time with Daddy while he was home. And, we wanted to work him into a longer day since it is such a new thing for him. I am sure he is going to love it!

Where Does He Get This Stuff?!?! UPDATED

I had a very frustrating day today. I left work on the verge of tears from frustration. And being on the verge of tears only made me more upset. But.....I picked Ian up from Sam and have laughed through the rest of my day. I think he can sense when I am having a bad day (and it's not his fault!), so he tries to make me happy. Let me give you today's example:

Ian and I were discussing God this afternoon. He asked me where God was. I told him God was all around and inside him. I thought that was the end of the discussion since he got down off my lap and didn't say anything else. About 20 minutes later, he pulled up his shirt, smacked his belly and said "Are you in there God?" I just about fell off my chair laughing!

Yesterday, he wanted to see his buddy, Jake. I told him Jake and Sarah were probably at the baby-sitters for the day so Aunt Katie could work. He got very serious and asked, "Is Jake getting a baby?" I told him no. Then he said "Why are they sitting on babies there?" I just about ran off the road laughing!! Kids at this age are so literal and sometimes it can be the funniest thing ever!

UPDATE:
This reminded me of a story. Many years ago, I went to Cullen's open house at his Montessori school. I think it was his kindergarten year. He was showing me a puzzle map of Europe and Asia. He was correctly naming the countries as he put them in the puzzle. When he got to Hungary, he told me the country name was 'Hungry' because the people there need to eat! To funny!

Griffey's Big Bite

Griffey taking a BIG BITE.

The other day I was out in the garden picking tomatoes. I happened to notice a HUGE tomato. I picked it and immediately decided that it was bound for a cheeseburger! So the next night, we threw some burgers on the grill, sliced the tomato and stuffed ourselves. It was so good!!!! I just love homegrown tomatoes.

Ian and His Girls

L-R: Danielle, Ian, Jenna and Kieren

We went to the outlet mall shopping on Friday. Every six months we have a shopping trip with friends who have adopted from China. There are a couple of us (Katie and myself) that haven't adopted, but we have all formed friendships over the years. (So they let us in their club!) Anyway, this year Katie could not make it. That left Ian as the only child of the group who was not of Chinese origin. It also left him with only girls to play with all day long, which is no hardship for Ian by any means! Altogether, Ian had 5 (The 3 in the above picture plus Katie and Addy) girls to flirt with all day.

I think it's likely that he believes all little girls are Chinese. And, if they are not then they have incredibly curly hair like Sarah!

After the shopping, we headed to the Holiday Inn where Aunt Nikki is the Service Manager. She got us a couple of rooms for the night to rest our tired feet. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU NIKKI! We got to the pool, had dinner with Uncle Keith, cuddled in our room and generally enjoyed a mini-vacation. Problem is, I think he really likes the hotel life and it will be hard to make him understand that we don't always get to do that!

99 Things....

A fellow blogger had this list on her blog. She challenged people to copy the list to see how many of these things they have done. It looked like fun, so here we go...


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
9. Held a praying mantis (Many! We had a lot of them around here last year.)
10. Written something that was published
11. Bungee jumped or parachuted (Never gonna happen! I had a friend die parachuting.)
12. Walked across the Golden Gate Bridge
13. Been in a fist fight (Broke the nose of the kid next door!)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (The one I have is enough to keep me busy, so probably won't ever happen)
16. Had food poisoning (A few times)
17. Seen the Rings of Saturn with a telescope
18. Grown your own vegetables (I have tomatoes and cukes growing now)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight (Last night with Ian)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when not ill (They are called "vision days" around here. Like: I just can't SEE my self dragging my butt to work!)
24. Built a tree house or snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Rode in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Fired a gun
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (I keep trying to talk Mark into a vacation there!)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (Never gonna happen!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal
44. Visited Africa
45. Cried yourself to sleep (I can't sleep if I can't breathe thru my nose. So, crying makes my nose run which means I can't breath thru it.)
46. Been transported in an ambulance (Not fun, on a back board!)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Visited the Eiffel Tower
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Pretended you cooked something from scratch when you didn't
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (got sick on too much popcorn!)
55. Been in a movie or commercial
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold something door to door
62. Gone whale or dolphin watching
64. Donated blood, marrow, etc
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (It wasn't my fault. The bank put 1 check thru my account 2 times which caused another thing to bounce. They paid all the fees!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Held onto a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (More times than I can count.)
71. Eaten frog legs or caviar (Yummy!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Time Square
74. Toured the Everglades (Scary boats!)
75. Been fired from a job (Quit a few, but never fired.)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Done something illegal (I have a lead foot!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Sang a solo (Every day in the car, but not for anyone to hear! I am terrible)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (I like new cars! So I have bought a few)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Climbed a mountain
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Yuck! Never!)
88. Had surgery (More than I want to think about!)
89. Directly saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (I am currently waiting to hear if I will be called for jury in Federal Court. I am excited! I hope I get to do it. But, because of my job, it is unlikely.)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Seen a loved one die (It is horrible, but a relief at the same time.)
94. Given birth to a baby (Never again even if I could!)
95. Visited the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Sent a text message while driving (One time and realized that I CANNOT text and drive!)
99. Been stung by a bee (Stepped in a nest as a child!)

Wow! I have done 54 of the things on this list. Which is more than I thought I had done when I first looked at the list. I guess I have a sort of bucket list going now. Does that make me old? And, there are many more things I want to do that aren't even on the list. I think I am going to be busy!

Secret Service Agent

The guy in the dress is my nephew David.

Just kidding!!! He is the guy on the left. He was playing a Secret Service Agent at one of the conferences he was attending. He sent me this picture and I told him I would post it. And, teased him that I would tell everyone how great he looks in that dress!

Too bad, I couldn't link "Secret Agent Man" music to this post!

Going To The County Fair

Ian and I had to take Alex to a doctors appointment this afternoon. Afterward, I decided we needed to check out the last day of the county fair. Unfortunately, most of the animals were already gone, but we did get to see a few horses. (One of the girls even opened her stall and let us pet her beautiful horse. Ian was cautious but not scared this year.) After checking out the animal barns, we headed to the midway. Ian and Alex rode the small train. Ian said it didn't move fast enough! Then, Ian and I rode the spinning strawberries. Alex is too chicken to ride them because he got sick on them when he was 4! Ian loved the spinning. He kept saying "Faster! Faster!" Ian also rode a pony for the first time. He was so excited but not impressed when it snorted and shook him a little. He didn't want to get off, he just hung on really tight!

And, what would a trip to the fair be without some greasy fair food! We had a huge soft pretzel, sweet tea, fresh lemonade and an elephant ear. The elephant ear was just like I remember as a kid!

For those of you that haven't been to a fair in the Midwest area of the US: An elephant ear is a piece of sweet dough (like a doughnut) they stretch out very thin then deep fry til crispy. Then they dip it in cinnamon sugar! Yummy!! They are seriously bad for you, but so good!!



Ian enjoying his elephant ear and a glass of sweet tea.
Sorry the picture is so small, I took it with my cell phone.

First pony ride!

Vacation Bible School

Ian just finished is first ever Vacation Bible School! He had so much fun. He came home each night singing the songs and doing the dances they were learning. He would tell me about doing crafts, eating snacks and, of course, flirting with the girls. The last night of the school, the kids performed a few of the songs and dances they learned during the week. It was entirely too cute!

Funny Ian Story: He kisses me then tells Mark "I'm kissing your girlfriend!" Get the visual: Imagine that phrase delivered in that little kid voice with an underlying giggle. It's too funny! So, during VBS Ian decided that he really liked our friends, Doyle and Laura. (I went to high school with Doyle and Mark went to high school with Laura. Doyle is also friends with Tony, my sister-in-law Chrissy's cousin. Doyle and Laura are very active members of our church too. Small world.) Anyway, on Wednesday evening when I picked Ian up from class, he kissed Laura on the cheek and told Doyle "I'm kissing your girlfriend!" He then giggled and ran for cover with Doyle chased him.

Born To It?

Do you ever wonder if you have been born to do something in particular on this earth? I think some people are born with a natural ability to do certain things. Some things just come naturally to a person. Easiest examples: People who play professional sports. Yes, I know they learn their skills and work at them every day. But, to be that good, you have to have been born with natural abilities that were recognized early in your life. I guess you could say ALL people are born with natural abilities. Unfortunately, sometimes those natural abilities are never discovered. But, for all the people that do figure it out, they can seem like they are really gifted. Thereby, making the rest of us jealous!

Having said all that, I wonder if his Daddy will be happy that he 'seems' to have a natural understanding?

Ian in the cockpit coming back from BWI, July 2009.

(3 years old)

Ian in the 747-200 Simulator in Miami, January 2007.
(7 months old)