Tornadoes!

Yesterday afternoon we were weather watching pretty carefully.  The weathermen were warning people in our area to be on the look out and to be ready to seek shelter.

Dennis was sitting on the porch looking out to the southwest and called me to come out and look.  We saw a huge tornado!  It looked as though it might be heading towards us so when it became rain-wrapped we headed for our safe room.

I called on friends and family to pray for us, and God answered our prayers.  The tornado went a mile west of us.  It is heartbreaking to see the damage it caused to our neighbors and a nearby church.  Also, the brother of one of my dear friends was severly injured and had to be airlifted to a hospital.  I'm sure his family would appreciate your prayers.

Whenever we had a tornado drill at school the children were always afraid that a tornado might come some day.  I told them that I had lived in Oklahoma all of my life and had never seen a tornado.  Well, I can't say that anymore!  I saw one way too close, in my opinion.

My thoughts are with everyone who has suffered from one of these dangerous storms.  Their power to destroy is mind-boggling.

(P.S.)  Danny Giager took some amazing video and photos.  I know him and will ask him if I can use one of his photos on here.

Doctors I Have Known, Part Two

If you missed part one, scroll down a little.  I have an explanation of the title there.  I can’t think of any other title that suits.  When you have liver disease, you know a lot of doctors.

I recently had an appointment with Dr. Robert S. McFadden.  He is my liver specialist and a wonderful man.  I have been going down this liver specialist road since 2003 when I had my first attack after stupidly taking those two diet pills.  Since that time I have had three different liver specialists.

My first specialist was Dr. Ahmet Gurakar.  He treated and released me in 2003.  Dr. Gurakar was a kind man, but very serious and all business.  I did have a little trouble understanding him sometimes.  I don’t think he was too fluent in “Okie” English!  ☺   Even though I hadn’t seen him in quite some time, I was sorry to see him leave and go to Johns Hopkins.

In 2009 when I had my second attack, I was sent to Dr. Sajid Jalil, another one of my doctors who is young enough to be my son.  I liked Dr. Jalil immediately.  He seemed to understand my quirky sense of humor and treated me kindly.  Also, I could understand every word he said.  That is a big bonus!  Somehow, though, I managed to run him away, too.  He moved to Fargo, ND.

That brought me to Dr. McFadden.  The minute he walked in the door I knew that I would like him.  Sorry, Dr. McFadden, but I don’t think you are quite young enough to be my son.  ☺  In fact, I’m pretty sure we are about the same age.  I’m happy about that.  He also speaks “Okie” English (or something pretty close to it).  I heard somewhere that he came here from Texas.

I love Dr. McFadden’s sense of humor.  Even though I have a mini nervous breakdown every time I have an appointment with him, he always makes me laugh and feel at ease once I’m there.  Personality in a doctor is very important to me.  I don’t feel like a number when I go see him.  I respect him greatly, but don’t feel intimidated.  Again God’s leading is very clear to me.

I think you can tell that I highly recommend him.  I hope none of you ever need a doctor at the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute, but if you do, you’re in good hands if you get Dr. McFadden as your doctor.

Parts three and four are yet to come.  I see Dr. Dexeus in September.  It will be hard, but I’m going to try for a picture then.  I guess God will decide when I see Dr. Garner next.  He is my personal care physician.  I took my camera with me last time I saw him, but he managed to sneak away before I got a picture.  I tell you these doctors are even more camera shy than I am.  I didn’t think that was humanly possible!  ☺

Doctors I Have Known, Part One

The comedian, Jerry Clower, did a hilarious routine called, “Dogs I Have Known”.  For some reason that title has always stuck with me.  When I was thinking about writing about my doctors, this title came to my mind and wouldn’t leave.  I don’t plan on equating my wonderful slate of doctors to those dogs, so don’t worry.

Since I have been diagnosed with liver disease, my life seems to be filled with doctors!  I feel that God has blessed me with each one of them.  They are all wonderful men who treat me kindly.  I am grateful for that and highly recommend them to anyone needing a caring doctor.  I plan on writing about each one of them, but they have to have their picture made with me first.  J 

That brings me to Dr. Cristopher D. Schultz, just one of my doctors that is young enough to be my son!  Amazingly, I am still able to trust him.  I have no doubt that it was God’s divine leading that brought me to him.  When I was taken ill with my bezoar, I went to the Fairview Hospital Emergency Room.  I vividly remember my dear friend, Debbie Wiens, telling me in the ER that they were sending me by ambulance to Enid to Dr. Schultz.  I was, of course, nearly beside myself with what was going on.  Besides that, I totally hate riding in an ambulance.  It is an experience that I hope never to have again!  Debbie leaned down and said, “You will love Dr. Schultz.  He is a wonderful doctor.”  Well, she was right.

When I got to my room in Bass Baptist Hospital at Enid, he came right in to see me.  I was scared to death, and he comforted me immediately.  I could tell he would take good care of me.  It was Spring Break, and the poor man had plans to spend a lot of time with his sons.  That is as it should be!  Nevertheless, he kept me on as a patient and saw me through a really tough time.  Even though I say that I was practically loony when I was in the hospital, I do remember that he showed my family and me great kindness and consideration.  His mother brought him up right.  This young doctor has been gifted with bedside manner.  I can’t say enough good about him.

I remember asking him early on “Where do you see me in one year’s time?”  I’ll never forget his answer.  He said,  “I predict that you will be as good as you are now or even better.”  I was afraid I wouldn’t even live another year.  I can still feel the flow of relief that washed over me.  That was two years ago.

Nearly every time I had an appointment I took my camera because I wanted my picture made with him.  He managed to weasel out of it every single time.  At my last appointment I finally pinned him down.

I'll be seeing Dr. McFadden soon.  I  have taken my camera to appointments with him before, too.
Maybe this next visit will be the one where I get a picture with him.  I'm on a roll now!  

Fun with Molly!

Yesterday Dennis and I had such a fun time with Molly.  She is growing up entirely too fast.  One of Aaron's co-workers gave her a belated birthday present, a baby Cabbage Patch doll named Merrily.  Molly actually plays with her like a baby doll and calls her "baby" in Molly language.  I am enchanted.  This is new.  We have seen her play with her play center table but mothering a baby doll is something else.  I especially love it when she walks around carrying Merrily upside down. Hayley did that, and there is a picture of me with my baby doll in my arms upside down.  Good mothering must run in our family.  :D  I don't think I actually carried Hayley or Nicholas upside down, though.  I guess I got the hang of it by the time they were born.

Molly also LOVES to play outside.  That is Grandpa Dennis' time.
Molly points to a certain cement block on the patio for Dennis to sit THERE.  They also have yelling matches.  They take turns yelling.  It is priceless to watch.  Dennis' face couldn't smile any bigger.  He also puts her up on his shoulders so she can see over the fence into the neighbor's yard.  They have dogs there.  Molly is a dogaholic just like her parents, Grandpa, and Uncle Nicholas.  She definitely didn't get that from me.

I was so tired that I was about to drop when we went there, but a dose of Molly is good for what ails you.  I'm sure you can tell that being a grandmother is one of the biggest blessings I've ever received in my life. Thank you, Heavenly Father!  (And please send me some more if you don't mind.)

Spring?

Someone needs to tell the weather that is actually Spring!  We've had a few really nice days, but I'm sure wishing for milder temperatures!  I'm happy for the rain, but not the cold temps.  I can tell it is Spring in one way, though ~ the WIND!  Oh, well, it is "O----klahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!"  And the weather can change at any time!  We all know that!  :D  Just know this ~ if a day comes soon that you are thinking "wow, it's hot out", I am rejoicing!


Update:  The weatherman just said that warmer weather is coming this week!  If I can survive tomorrow, life should improve!  I am delighted at this news!  :D