Hubby's update from Mayo Clinic

-


 This is Shawn (husband) writing.  Any misspellings and grammar anomalies are intentional because Lisa would appreciate it😀.

Lisa is in the ICU at Mayo hospital.  There was a complication with her feeding tube placement (internal bleeding).  She is in stable condition at this point, the bleeding appears to have stopped.  

The image associated with this post is her words to y'all.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Mountain Lakes

-
Image
Gipsy Lake in Helena National Forest We have many high-mountain lakes here in Montana, yet a large percentage are only accessible on foot. Luckily, I was able to ride right into this beauty and capture this great panoramic picture. Not long ago, my family and I were camping at a large lake near our state's capitol. Canyon Ferry Lake is actually a reservoir on the Missouri River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi. This lake covers over 35,000 acres and has 76 miles of shoreline. Naturally, it is a popular place for water recreation and fishing in this land-locked region. My parents towed their personal watercraft and we were camping with others who had large boats, but since Canyon Ferry is in western Montana, and the mountains aren't ever very far, we brought our ATVs too. Doesn't everyone bring a four-wheeler for a weekend at the beach? On the first day we were there, we decided to pack a lunch and head east on the trail -- well it was really a dirt ro...
Read more

Voyage of Discovery: Having new eyes

-
Image
As I flipped my calendar to July this morning, I knew that I had to post my inaugural entry today. The inspiring quote for this month (along with some cute giraffe picture) is today's RL4B experience, and it's quite infinite in it's meaning. The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust The quote itself seems to be about Relentlessly Looking for Beauty, so by finding it's advice beautiful, I think it's quite like looking into one of those mirrors that reflect other mirrors, or dreaming that you're dreaming, or coming upon an unending loop in some computer code. .. which makes me think about spirals which are (nearly) always beautiful. A person could get caught in this web of thinking pretty quickly, so I'll jump out for now. I am yet unsure of where my blogging adventure will lead. In the least capacity, I hope for it to serve as a creative outlet for my words and as a way for me to refle...
Read more

The Open Road

-
Image
Let me begin by saying, for the record, I understand that taking pictures while driving is not the safest choice... but I couldn't help it. The beauty of an open road on a crisp, sunny morning was too much to resist! This road could be going anywhere, and I'd happily drive all day under that sky! The clouds were perfectly wispy, the sun was bright but not overbearing, and the breeze was keeping it all flowing. Wow. However, I wasn't traveling far on this road... I happened to be on my way to my mom's house just a few miles away. She and I had planned an early morning of treasure hunting at some area yard sales, despite my aversion to rising before 10 am on a weekend. We had in mind what we were searching for and we set off. We spent about three hours (and $45) laughing, sharing, bartering, and buying under the brilliant skies of a summer Saturday in Montana. It was beautiful in many ways and I wouldn't trade it for any amount of extra sleep! When I think of ...
Read more

Soul Friends and the Beauty of Listening

-
Image
Several years ago I joined a volunteer program that facilitates one-on-one caregiving for those   in the community  experiencing crisis or loss. I went through fifty hours of training that taught me how to be a better listener and immersed me in the program's goals of non-judgmental, empathic, and confidential care.  Each week, I meet with a care receiver who has been thoughtfully and prayerfully matched with me, and I listen to her talk about her fears, troubles, and challenges. These relationships can last a few months or more than a year, depending on the needs and the situation. I don't give answers or advice.  I simply show up each time, ready to allow my care receiver to talk about what is on her heart as I actively listen and ask open-ended questions. Recently, at the end of my last meeting, my care receiver gave me a card with a description of an Anam Cara . As I read it I knew instantly the power and impact of our time together. In ancient tim...
Read more

Beauty Happens

-
Image
The tow rope & chain that gave us hope. Near the end of September, our family decided to make one last camping trip before the frost set in. We were headed on a drive that would take us at least two hours from home. We both had Friday off from work, so we left Thursday evening, about an hour after my mom and dad, who were planning to choose the campsite. When we arrived at the turnoff from the highway, we were met almost immediately by Mom on her ATV. I figured she was ready to lead us to camp, but instead, she informed us that their motorhome had shut down in the middle of the road and it wouldn't start again. They were stuck. This was the first of many opportunities that night that one, or all of us could have started yelling, kicking, cursing or crying out of despair and frustration. I'm not saying we weren't tempted (and maybe we gave in a little) but given the obstacles we faced, it would've been easy to throw up our hands. Here's how the nigh...
Read more

How to Set and Meet Your Goals: An obsessive control freak learns to let go

-
Image
Hello. My name is Lisa, and I'm an obsessive control freak. My intervention was five and a half years ago, and I've been slowly releasing my grip since then. New Year's Resolutions have always been troublesome for me. I love a fresh start, and if I'm planning a new project or endeavor, I'll always begin on the first, whether it be the first of the week, the first of the month, or (the best option) the first of the year. My resolution usually goes well for a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. The trouble sets in when I miss day or two. My inner obsessive control freak tells me that I have failed the goal and that it's all over. That I may as well give up. It's why I have half a dozen journals that are mostly blank. It's why I felt an awful pit of guilt and defeat when I skipped a blog post two weeks ago. It's why I've avoided making resolutions at all. However, in my efforts to grow, I've been experimenting with letting g...
Read more

Mayo Clinic Update

-
Image
Hello everyone! Here’s an update about my time so far at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota…   Travel :  We had about nineteen hours of driving, including stops, over two days. February weather is unpredictable across the northern part of the US, so we were prepared for anything. However, both days were clear and sunny, the roads completely dry with just a bit of wind.   I was worried about Covid risks with bathroom and meal breaks. We brought a cooler with food, and we sought out rest areas instead of gas stations. Each time we stopped, there were either no people around or they were just leaving. Every rest area but one had a family bathroom, a separate, single-stall room, that was perfect for us to use, especially since I needed Shawn’s help.   It was so smooth, it’s almost like Someone cleared the way.   Appointments & Testing : My week has been packed with appointments! This has meant early, early mornings to arrive on time, and late returns back to th...
Read more

$12.40 of Beauty

-
Image
Simon Cowell may say I'm being indulgent. Matthew Inman could draw a cartoon questioning my stability and embellishing my imagination. Quite a few of my friends would simply call it coincidence. But what others may say in their own judgement (and that is their right) has no bearing on what I felt happen today, and it doesn't make it any less meaningful to me. Today, I got a glimpse of God at work. I believe God works in our daily lives whether or not we pay attention or believe it to be true. For me, this afternoon, it became strikingly obvious because of a series of out-of-the-pattern events. A) I wasn't sure I was going to town today; the errands I had to run could've waited. B) I was planning my route to the post office (visually thinking of the best route from my pharmacy) and I was driving on auto pilot. I was so confident in my path that I allowed myself to start counting the number of Subaru Outbacks on the road with me (six in two minutes!). C) I rarely c...
Read more

First Fruit

-
Image
There's a special beauty in eating a tomato fresh off the vine - especially when you've invested the time to cultivate that vine in your backyard. In early June, I christened my new container garden with seeds and seedlings. The growing season here in Montana is short enough that you'd better start most vegetables indoors. That being said, I don't really care for most vegetables, so the indoor commitment required was minimal. However, the varieties I do like, I like with a passion. If I'm going to be patient enough to tend to these plants, they have to be my favorite. Those who know me best know that my thumb is far from green... more like a withered brown, so low maintenance is the key! I began my garden at my local nursery (God bless nurseries!) They have much more patience than I and gorgeous green plants! I purchased two large tomatoes with little green fruit already on them (that's not cheating, it's just using resources wisely). Then I bought s...
Read more

Braving the Beauty

-
Image
As I came into the building, I was greeted by a woman who said, "And here's another courageous soul!" I had just come in from the bitter cold weather; at noon it was only two degrees, and it had been below zero (way below!) the previous night. Don't think I wasn't tempted to stay home that day. In fact, that was one of the warmer days that week, and I had hunkered down and hid under my blankets more than my fair share. Sure, getting in the car and waiting for the heat was hard, however, once I was out of the house, the beauty of cold weather hit home. I realized that our cold, dry weather creates the only opportunity for the numerous trees on the nearby mountains to remain completely dusted in snow, as if some giant flour sifter was set loose over the landscape. And then to top it off, the sun shines brightly over it all, trying either to add its own special sparkle to the scene, or to melt its colorless nemesis in hopes of returning to fond summer memories...
Read more