March 20, 2009

9:00 a. m. Zach starts to feel intense pain in his abdomen. Like a trooper he finishes school and figures that he has been a victim of food poisoning via McDonald's. Friday night and into Saturday morning the pain intensifies and we take a trip to the new hospital by our house.

After being admitted to the hospital by two employees by the name of Josh, Z and I take it as a sign. He is hooked to an IV and tests begin. Since he isn't manifesting classic acute appendicitis pain, the doctor takes his time in ordering a CAT scan. His white blood cell count comes back at 15 1/2, with the norm being 13- so now we have s suspicion something isn't OK.

At age 14, Z is 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds. He is taller than a lot of the nurses and he is constantly being mistaken for a seventeen year old. His maturity and gratitude have his nurses flummoxed about how well behaved he is.

At 4:00 pm on March 21st we are notified that Zach's appendix is 1.5 centimeters in size and the doctor hasn't seen one that size in a long time. We are scheduled for an operation to get the offending organ removed. We wait an additional four hours for the operation because trauma patients are bumped ahead of Z. At 6:50 pm Z is given IV sedation through his IV and he gets a green shower cap placed on his head. They roll him into surgery and as he counts back from 100- he falls asleep and is wheeled into the OR room.

After exactly 70 minutes, during which time, I talk to his Uncle Yost and we waited for Z to come out of surgery. As luck would have it, Z gets the best surgeon in the hospital. At 8:00 p.m., Dr. Ott comes out of surgery and says that Z is doing well. Yeah! He did great during the procedure and came out of the anesthesia without throwing punches- like his dad used to! He responded well to the medication.

I got to see Zach at 9:30 pm in his room. We spent the night in a beautiful room with very good nurses and staff. Zach got morphine for the first time and was quite the character. He can hold his own in a conversation, while having no idea what he is talking about.

Today (Monday), Zach is sore and sacked out on the couch. He has three incisions and they were able to extract his appendix through one of these incisions. He will miss school for the week. His teachers are getting his homework together and he will have something to do. All is well and we are happy to be home. Z just got his first flower and balloon delivery from his grandparents in Italy. I made him pose with the arrangement. It is so thoughtful and Z says thank you to everyone who has called and wished him a speedy recovery.

There, you are updated. I note that this blog is named operation yost and with this blog we fulfilled that title.

Okay since we are coming up on another major holiday it is time to blog. Laugh. My bro-in-law gives me grief because this blog isn't regular. I am not going to lie, things are pretty much the same. Zach turned 14. He is 5'9 and growing. He much towers over me. I think that he has a crush on a girl that came to his birthday party. It's so cute. He is doing well in school and helps as an office aid during 6th period. That translates into a lot of running and filing. I think it is good preparation for getting a job. He finally has a group of friends that he fits in with. It's a good thing that he has unlimited texting because he is on like donky kong. For his birthday he asked for "random" hoodies from Zumez. They are florescent colored and one of them has fur in the hoodie. Maybe we should call him Bear Gryllis. Don't tell him that I said that.

We are thinking about a trip to the west coast this summer. California and then up to Oregon. Time will tell when and how that all unfolds. I hope that we get to go. I have summer school so squeezing that in will be good for me. Everyone needs a break.

We can't wait for spring to arrive so that we can start on the garden again. We made really good progress last year. I will find pics to upload for that. So we are all good for now! Tootles.

Christmas Eve will find me

Zach is the pina-colada king. Give him a tall frosty- virgin- drink- that is. Here he is all grown-up with his drink of choice in hand. As of friday, December 19 at 12:30 P.M. Z and I will be on our winter break!!! Let's party. I just uploaded my last paper that was due by midnight tonight and I am now ready to catch up on everything that has been on hold for the last two weeks. If you are still waiting to get a christmas package from us, I will be mailing those tomorrow along with the second batch of holiday cards.

Zach is organizing a big school night for his friends at a laser tag place. He is taking the inititative to invite everyone and keep everybody in the loop for this middle school adventure. Other than that, the social scene is bleak as I have neglected friends and loved ones for the sake of a graduate degree. Reports this year say that someone with a Masters degree will make a million more dollars than someone without a degree. It makes the long study sessions easier to bear- now that I know that.

Trim the tree, open the beers and lets drink to a great vacation!

Peek-a-boo, I see you.

If we are sitting, then it gives the illusion that I am still taller than he is.

Pictures in the woods

Alright, taking pictures for holiday cards is so over rated. all this time and effort into getting your hair done, and for the ladies- make-up too, can be such a pain. And then the prints come. Which one is the most flattering? Is is the one in where I only have three visible chins or the one where the muffin top is hanging over? Maybe I should close my eyes and just pick one at random. last year Z got to choose the pose and it was from our vacation in San Fran. Needless to say my expression in it was less than stellar. But this year it's my turn. I think I will go with the pic from the cruise that we went on, where a good time was had by all.

Latest news. Z is learning all about how to manage a hammer and paint on stage crew. He really has made some friends and over the holidays he is going to have a party. A teenage get together. Our first one, so that will be worth noting.

This week Z is performing for the orchestra and the big holiday concert. he is sad that they decided to throw out the grinch music he was kinda partial to it. I will just have him give me a private concert. lol. he will love that.

Even though gas prices have gone down, Z and I will be having our first at home thanksgiving. I already ordered the ham from honey baked ham so that means no real cooking and since it is cooked and you just let it sit at room temp to serve, I got that covered. We put up Christmas lights last weekend and we are ready to party. Don't you hate it when you test the strands and then once they are hung half of them go out? What is the deal with that? Anyhoo.

Looking forward to the semesters end.

Alright so we didn't go to the village. I heard from my sis that is was so entirely crowded and mobbed with little children, a bad combination from Zach and I's perspective. So we watched movies instead.

This year for Christmas Z is trying to decide between a Wii and an xbox 360. AND he wants the newest edition of World of Warcraft. Maybe I can persuade him to wait til his bday for the new gaming system. School is still going reall well. I got a letter in the mail about how Bonneville Middle school is not conforming with with no child left behind act. great. Who do I need to take that up with. If I was motivated enough and had the time I could home school him or maybe find a charter school. He is hoping to get into the Ames program at Cottonwood High school for ninth grade. He would be in a kind of advanced program and graduate with his associates degree so that he wold only have 2 years post high school to get his BS and then start his masters program.

I am rambling a bit here. But I don't imagine that reading about my school would be rewarding whatsoever. I am thinking that when I graduate I want to be involved and work with hospitals. I think that would be excellent job security and we could move about the country where jobs become avaliable.

So far we are happy and healthy. Huthc survived a seriouys bout with chocolate and didn't die so that is a plus. His bird little Coo is still alive and kicking. Unlike that stupid parrot that I bought him a few years ago that died. They are supposed to have long lives.

Went to the yearly halloween party at the Coonradts. It was a blast. I am Eve this year for halloween. It was awesome. Pics posted as soon as I get them back. I promise.

Gardner Village

This Saturday Zach and I are going to carve pumpkins and visit the village. We add one house to our Dickens Christmas Village every year so we visit the Christmas store every year for dinner and new ideas. I think this year we are going to attempt a pond.

So far things are going well. Z came home with a 3.9 GPA this quarter. He really likes his school and has started playing raquetball weekly with his friend Truman. I guess this year Zach has decided that he doesn't want to dress up for Halloween. And I will admit I might have offered to just buy him a bag of candy rather than making him go door to door in the freezing cold. lol.

Graduate school is really starting to pick up. I can't believe that I am already at the semester half way point. I register for Spring class 2009 next Monday. Wow.

Almost October

It's almost October and we know what that means! It's time to get a costume and plan a party. Ok well maybe Z doesn't go to any parties just yet at this age- but he will in time. This just means that he accompanies me to the costume stores with my friend Christy and gets into trouble with his BFF Truman over playing with whips in the store weapon section. HEHEHE It was so funny. Then dinner at Wingers- it was hotter than hell in there. Sheech. Note to self and Truman- he doesn't like spicy wings. Just jalapenos.

I think I figured out how to up load pics of our trip tp the bahamas. It was a memorable experience.

Getting the hang of it slowly but surely.

It's fall- kind of! Zach started the eight grade this year. He is learning how to build sets and do lighting for the school plays in his stage crew class. So far so good. He is still playing the violin and excited about a new song that the orchestra is learning, he says it sounds "oriental" and he can't wait to memorize the piece.

As for me, I started my masters program at Westminster this fall. The plan is to graduate in two years and then relocate to a costal region and start gainful employment. That is the "plan".

We are doing really well. Zach is now 5'7 a full three inches taller than me. It makes discipline a little harder when your "child" has to look down on you. LOL.

Day 1 Operation Yost

My sister-in-law has suggested that this might be a good way to keep in touch with F & F (friends and family). Since Z and me went on a cruise this last summer I figure that is enough fodder to start with. Here goes nothin!