Pimp my chair!

Ok so as most of you know, I have had several knee surgeries. I have thus needed a wheelchair for my many Disneyland trips as well as the occasional other event, (street fairs, zoo etc, basically anything requiring a lot of walking) and so I was blessed to have been given one from a friend. She had it from before her mom had passed away a few years back. When her mom was sick her dad had bought it used from a medical rental place and than she gave it to me. Here is a picture; (Note the stylish purple accent tape that doubles as a securing device for the arm pad)

So I have been using this chair for awhile now. For awhile I also had on hand a borrowed Rascal electric scooter from my grandma. It was my stylish ride for sure. it was nice because than I didn't have to rely on friends for my "power" to get around the park (or other locations) So since I have had to return the power chair i've been periodically checking on craigslist to see if someone happens to be selling one for cheap. Oftentimes people think it would be too expensive to replace the batteries etc and so they mark em cheap. The batteries cost around $200 for the pair depending on the size you need. (I know because I had to replace the batteries in my grandma's in order to use it) one day recently I found a post for a wheelchair that said $15 and it was in Oxnard. So I emailed in response to the ad and said that I work in Ventura and would come get it anytime if they had it avail. I even mentioned when I would be in the area etc. I didn't hear back for a couple days and thought to myself "how rude that they didn't even bother to tell me if they sold it to someone else" Than that night on my way home from work I got a call. They had posted it than went out of town and didn't check emails untill that day. (oops sorry for the false judgement) I was the first email he had received (and I had actually sent 2, although I am not sure when he got the 2nd in the list)   So we made arrangements for me to go over the next day after work. In the 1 picture in the post the wheelchair looked like it was newer and possibly in better condition than the red one I was currently using so for $15 I figured I ought to check it out.

I went to meet the guy (I can't remember his name now, I think it may have been David so I'll just call him that) So I went to David's house after work. The wheelchair was out front. on the phone he had told me it was a little rusty because his kids had played with it and left it outside. It was dirty but didn't actually look that bad. It did look really small so I sat in it to make sure my big ol booty would fit and it does. He said he wasn't sure where the foot rests were but I didn't mind. I gave him the cash, put it in my car and drove home. That night after I got home I used a small can of Clorox disinfectant that I had and sprayed the entire thing down. The seat and back padding, the wheels, brakes handles etc. Everything. After all I don't know what it may have been exposed to when he used it for his mother (I think that's why he said he had it) This is what the chair looked like at the time I purchased it:

So after I had gotten home I decided to do a little research to see how much my chair was worth. David had told me that after he had already posted his ad he saw some people selling the same chair for close to $400. He said that he hadn't realized it was worth that much more ( I wouldn't have paid that much personally for it, partially bc I don't have that much, plus even if I did I had a usable wheelchair already, in fact I probably wouldn't have even looked at that ad) He even said to me that if I didn't need it, or it didn't work out or something I could sell it for more and make a profit off of it. (funny that he would say that, I think a lot of people pick up and get stuff from the "free" postings and immediately post and sell them for profit) Anyway I looked up the model #, it is an Invacare 9000sl  and if you look here on the Invacare site Invacare you see that through them directly you pay $925 for the chair! Oh my gosh did I get a bargain! Not only that but on their site you don't even get the legrests! Maybe that's why David didn't have them! (By the way I have since done some research and for about $30-$40 I can get some leg-rests I just havent ordered any yet) Which even buying those I still got a heck of a deal. But like he said used from most sites I was seeing more like $225 ish for them.

So I was looking at it and was thinking how it's all black, and basically looks like a lot of other wheelchairs. When you get off a ride at Disneyland it's going to look just like some of the other chairs there. I knew it still needed to be cleaned up. I knew I had a secret "rust removing weapon" that I had used with success on my bike. I was thinking about my options and decided to do some painting. I decided I would in essence "Pimp my Wheelchair" I am sure you have seen or at least heard of the show "pimp my ride" where they take a beat up vehicle and give it a make over. They clean it up, give it boosts, fix any technical or mechanical issues and give it a complete upgrade, So I was thinking how I could upgrade my wheelchair and make it look different from the rest. The wheels! That was the key. So one night I was at Wally World (aka Wal-Mart) and was looking at the spray paints. My favorite colors are purple and blue. I saw some colors I liked but most were kind of darker colors which I knew may just blend in against the black. Than I saw a color called "watermelon" it was a pink color that I really liked. Look on this page in the box under "summer" here: watermelon I knew it would be the contrast I was looking for against the black and was going to buy it. Than I noticed some spray paints that said "for plastics" and I looked at the regular paint cans they said they spray wood, metal, yada yada, and more... but even in the fine print on the back it never specified plastic. So I didn't buy anything that night. The "for plastics" colors were few and far between and mostly dark. unless I wanted yellow. I guess it would've given me a contrast! I decided I needed to check in to the "plastics" colors at Home Depot or another specialized store.

I also in the meanwhile spoke to my co-workers, I learned that if I didn't want to purchase a "for plastics" spray paint I would need to purchase a plastic primer spray paint. They said the "for plastics" cans had some sort of different chemical composition so that the paint will stick and not flake off. With the primer than the paint will stick to that. So I made a trip to home depot. They had "for plastics" colors in hot pink, hot yellow hot green etc. I decided again that although I wanted contrast I didn't want to stand out tht much! I got a paint primer and was looking at colors. I was looking and there was a purple plum like color I liked, and a blue than I saw a color that kinda caught my eye. I looked and it was called "Lagoon". The home Depot sells "Rustoleum" brand paints. So I has not only more options than Wally World but the colors were completely different. I didn't see one similar to my Watermelon color I liked :-( The purple I liked was kinda light colored and I wasn't sure. I kept going back to the Lagoon. I was talking to my mom on the phone and explaining to her about it and she said "if you like it get it" I was still hesitant. Than she said "ok do this: get the color the 2nd shelf down 3rd from left" that was a black or really dark color and wouldn't work, but it was right above the Lagoon. I told her that it was a dark color but the Lagoon I was looking at was 3rd and 3rd shelves! She said "that's what I was going to say but changed it to 2nd". So I bought the Lagoon!

So here were my new supplies: the Bar Keepers Friend being my secret rust removal weapon! In fact just to be funny since I don't drink I thought about naming this post "Bar Keepers Friend" since I don't drink. But the focus of the blog is the chair not the cleaning supplies I used. And here are some more "before" pictures of the chair and it's stages of being cleaned etc:

I did start by obviously removing the wheels, than the seat and backing. While doing this I realized that this is a model of wheelchair where the arm rests flip up/back so that it is easier to transfer patients/people to/from the chair. Those were always nicer as an EMT because if the patient was sitting on a sheet you could slide them right over instead of having to either lift them over the arm rest or from each side transfer the patient towards their feet and over or however onto your gurney etc. Anyway it's a nice feature! I also noticed the handles on the back for your "pusher" are adjustable! You can move them up or down to I guess help based on their height. I don't know where it is set versus how much it goes in either direction, I left it where it is. But now I know if needed i can move them! So than I also realized (as shown in a picture above) that instead of having to completely tape off the rubber on the wheel I was able to pop it off the rim! Sweet! Especially since the painters tape didn't like sticking much to the rubber and it was a pain trying to round it to match the rim! I cleaned them first and got all the dirt out of the small edges of the "spokes" etc and let them dry. The next thing I had to consider was whether or not to paint the ring that as the person in the chair you use to wheel yourself around. I was looking at it and it is bolted on at regular intervals to the rim and I decided it was going to be more of a hassle to remove and replace it than to just spray it. (now I kinda wonder if I should've taken the trouble, I will explain why later)  so I obviously started with the paint primer... here are some more pictures of cleaning and primeing:

So than obviously I had to paint both sides of the wheels. I wiped down the seat and back for the chairs. they are made with that fabric that is thick kinda canvas like but kind of like what you find on outdoor furniture. Anyway its not soft like cotton clothing but its not rough either. It is very durable. I thought about busting out the sewing machine and making covers for them, but decided that might be going a little overboard. ;-) Besides I can still do that later. I may do something for the back that I can slip over and snap on or something that way it is removable for washing etc.  So than once the primer was dried for both sides, or at least dry enough to paint some color, that's what I did:

 

But I must warn you, those pictures are not very accurate. They make the color look too blue. It is actually kind of a dark teal color. You can kind of see it better from the Rustoleum website here: Rustoleum Lagoon or on this picture from my phone

So than I left those to dry. Later as it got darker and the wind started to pick up I brought them inside to finish overnight. The next morning instead of leaving it all in pieces I had to put it all back together. Easier than it sounds let me tell ya! The rubber wheels popped right off the frame with a little single flick of the flatheaded screwdriver. But it was a heck of a time putting them back on! As I tried to stretch it around it would pop off the other side. So finally I did part of it than zip-tied it in place so I could keep working it. But I was still having trouble getting it back on. Finally I put the wheel on my legs, and with my feet pulled on the rim and with both hands stretched the tire until it basically popped on, but it was difficult because I was trying not to smash my fingers in between in the meantime. So a few times it seemed once I almost had it I messed it up because of my fingers. Need less to say I eventually got them both back on. but not without some battle wounds :-( My arms were so sore the next day because of the muscles used for the pulling. Also the zip-ties kinda scraped the paint where they were used and rubbed the rim. It may not have happened if there had not been as much mositure in the air when I did it and/or if they had more time to dry, But the spots were fairly small. I mostly kind of touched them up with a similar colored Sharpie, that at first seemed really closely to match but ended up not really being a close match afterall! Plus a few spots mostly on the "push yourself around" ring thingy there were some spots the paint ended up a little heavy and so there are basically like "drops" of paint in those spots, so because those also take more time to dry some got messed up and show little white spots (the primer) So that is why I was saying maybe I should've removed the ring and left it black. Plus I wonder how it would look if I had. I have thought about using a fleece, leather (or fake) or other fabric that won't fray and wrapping it kind of like you would a steering wheel. but I haven't decided yet. But that would possibly also make it more comfortable when pushing yourself (myself) If I do that I will either pick a black or if its a fabric a fun fabric that coordinates. I think the leather or "pleather" (pretend-leather as I like to call fake leather products) would probably be best if I use anything since it won't get all dirty and if it gets wets etc it won't be as bad.

One last thing that I did was spray the small plastic knobs that cover the bolts for the wheels with just the primer. So that instead of black they are white in the center of the wheels. As I put the chair back together despite its slight paint mis-haps and mistakes I love the way it turned out! I think it looks incredible! Defintitely worth the time and effort and approx $15 I spent in paint, cleaners and brushes for the details of the cleaning. So for about $30 I ended up with this:

Funny thing is after I was all done my mom said: you didn't paint the small wheels!  Oops.. I didn't even think about that! But I like the way it turned out, and I didn't have any extra paint anyway so i am not going to worry about it! I think the small wheels might be overkill anyway! 

And since this post is sooooo loooooonnnnngggg  here is a quick before after photo line-up so you don't have to scroll to compare:

Green-ish Thumb

So on june 14, 2009 I made a post about some fruit trees I had purchased. See here: trees and here: fruit So since that time I have increased my "garden" last year I added an avacado tree. I thought I had written a blog about it but I cannot find it at this time if I did. Anyway this year I added 2 tomato plants, 3 pepper plants and most recently a dwarf apple tree! I am so excited. For the most part I haven't had too much fruit come from my trees other the "fruit" link one. I got a couple more small ones like that, but not much else. Everytime it looked like I was going to get a lemon it died off, fell off got picked by a bird or small child or something. I really don't know what happened but I never got any lemons. Than someone told me it is usually not for 3 years before you really start to get any fruit.... Well here are some current pics from my plants:

 

So I am sorry I am not very good at arranging photo's and writing on the side of them etc. maybe next time one of my blogger friends and I are hanging out they can show me how to do that. I can adjust the size and move them, I can go left center or right with them but as you can tell with the tomatoes and the peppers I can't get 3 to line up together! Ugh Anyway I am not having much luck yet with the avacado tree, and the apple tree is new to me. As far as the tomatoes, mandarins and lemons, they are all over the place on their respective plant/trees. The peppes are only growing on 1/3 plants so far, but they are small pots (for now) so yeah....  that's my green thumb experience thus far

Side of the Road

  Ok so since I have a commute to and from work (about 37 miles) I spend nearly an hour each way in traffic on the freeway. (To me the back roads take just as much time if not longer so I just prefer to keep it simple and be able to drive faster) So I have noticed things sometimes while I am driving on the side of the road. Or more often in the center divider. For about 2 weeks straight I saw a "Sam's Cola" 2 liter bottle, or maybe it was the "Shasta" 3 liter. Either way it was there in the center and I would see it and think " I am surprised that didn't burst when it landed on the freeway", or how did it manage a "soft" fall so that it didn't burst?  I wondered how it got there? Did it fly out of the bed of a truck? It is fairly "heavy" so you would think it wouldn't fly out. But how would it fall out of a closed vehicle? Or since this was before June gloom came around I would think " I can't believe it's not popping with this heat" Anyway eventually the bottle disappeared. 


Than in another spot on the freeway one day I noticed a flattened basketball. At first from a distance I could tell something was in the road but it was oddly shaped and kind of dark in color and I didn't know what it was! Than (it was super heavy traffic that day) as luck would have it I was traveling slow enough to see it and identify it. I could even see it had black marks across it like it was dragged across the pavement or was ran over when it popped or something. But the weird thing about the b-ball was that there was a dead bird (actually looked like a duck) next to it. So was this a murder-suicide? Did the bird get hit playing b-ball on the side of the freeway? Did one "die" before the other? It was completely random. I mean first off why would there be a duck near the freeway to begin with. Same as the soda bottle did the ball fly out of someone's truck or car? It was random and again it was there for several days. Not as long as the soda but for close to a week at least! The other random thing about it is, not just how does it get there and why, but how does it get removed? 


I frequently see clothes. I guess there is some randomness to that, but it is more common so it doesn't surprise me. But the thing with clothes is I wonder if they came off someone who was in an accident at that spot and left behind by the EMS personnel? Or I think about whose clothes they were, and are they missing that item of clothing now? Are they wondering what happened to their favorite _______? Or lately with a different route I take so that I can go to Aqua Aerobics after work on Tues/Thurs nights I have seen a pair of shoes/boots. Those make me think of the homeless people I constantly see in Ventura. I think, if a homeless person were to walk down that particular area they could get some free shoes. But either they don't feel the same way or they are not walking by that spot.


Well I don't know if anyone else puts as much thought into random items on the side of the road as I do. In fact some people are not even as observant as me. I sometimes wonder if my being observant will someday be a benefit to someone? What if someday I notice something that would solve a crime, or maybe (hopefully not) I will find a body or a baby (again hopefully not) but it could happen. I always get nervous when I notice a dark bag on the side of the road. But I am the kind of person that if I ever see anything suspicious I do call the local police dept, 911 or the Highway patrol.  I have called them in the past too and I will continue to do so! Anyway sorry this post is so random, maybe it makes you think I am weird or gross or something but it's just another insight as to who I am. I am observant and I like to think, so sometimes things I observe will give me a random thought process! 

Surgery

  So I am now just a little over 2 weeks post-op. I had my 3rd knee surgery (in 4 years) on Thurs May 12th. They went in to scope the knee and see what they could find. They knew there was what seemed to be a detached meniscus tear but unsure what else. Nothing else really showed in the mri. In fact that detached tear was missed by the radiologist and the surgeon the first time around when looking at my scans. I went into this surgery feeling really good about it. I was optimistic and ready for it. I was hopeful. I know a large part of that optimism was from my Heavenly Father. I had received a Priesthood blessing from my home teacher and a member of my bishopric a few days before surgery. In that blessing I was promised to be "healed completely" some other words in the blessing were "courage, strength, faith, endurance, patience, peace and calm, physical and mental readiness and strength" and can you hear words like those knowing they are coming from your Heavenly Father through His messenger and not be optimistic? It made me cry and in fact I am starting to tear up now writing about it. There is so many promises and blessings our Heavenly Father gives us if we are willing to accept them. I wasn't afraid for surgery. I was not nervous or anxious. As everyone would ask me if I was nervous I said no. It was a comforting feeling.
   
So I was scheduled for surgery at 12:30 and told to arrive at 10:30. So my mom and I got there a little early and went up to my office and I showed her around and she got to meet several of my co-workers. Than it was time. We went and checked in and went to the pre-op area. After a bit they brought me back i got in my gown, cap and booties. They gave me an iv with antibiotics and my mom came in. We were waiting to go to the pre-op holding area where I would see the surgeon and anesthesiologist etc right before going in. It was getting to be after 12 and so my mom left because she had a 12:30 appt for a facial nearby. She decided instead of waiting anxiously she would try to relax a bit (and it was free). So she left before I was even taken to pre-op holding. I waited there for quite a while and it was sometime after 1pm when I was finally taken there. I got to see the anesthesiologist and was still waiting for my surgeon and asked the nurse if we could call my mom to see if she was back yet to come in. She said "sure just a minute" but never came back by for me to call. Dr Schatz came and talked to me and I even told him I was ready and optimistic. So it was almost time. My mom still didn't know I was going in an hour late and I didn't want her worried that they had me in surgery longer than expected and she had asked about me. So they brought her in (gee thanks nurse for calling her) luckily Dr Schatz was nearby and got to meet her and know who she was before surgery. They took me in. I remember them giving me the oxygen mask and that's about it until I was being woken up in the recovery room.

I was still in and out of it in the recovery room and they were trying to reach my mom, the nurse was calling my number and not listening to me that she needed to call a different number. I vaguely recall Dr S. coming in and asking him how it went and he said it went well. If there was more said than that I don't know.  By this time it was at least 4pm and I hadn't eaten since 10 the night before! As I was waking up I felt like I needed to pee and the nurse brought me a bedpan but than I couldn't go. I still felt like I needed to go. They asked me if I knew how to use crutches and I said yes. She was telling me to wake up because they physical therapists leave at 4:30 and they needed to make sure I knew how to use them. i told her it was my 3rd knee surgery and she was still asking. Finally I was waking up enough to be a little more cognisant and my mom came in. They listened to her about the crutches! They helped me get dressed and I was sitting. I got some apple juice. I was so thirsty! After some time when I was actually starting to really be awake they let me go to the bathroom. Then I was in a wheelchair and they were making sure I wasn't nauseated or anything and I was feeling ok. They had given me more juice and some crackers. I was starting to nibble a little on the crackers and they took out my IV. (they wanted to make sure I was feeling ok before they did) and then after they took out my IV I started to feel sick. I even dry heaved once! Oops! But I really did feel ok when I told them I did before they took it out!! So I was able to have some water and my stomach settled enough that they were ready to discharge me. I left the hospital at 6pm! It made for a long day. I was pretty sleepy from the anesthesia all day and mostly slept until around 8am the next morning.

Dr Schatz told my mom (and gave her the pictures) that when they got in there for the scope they found several things going on. There was a small tear in my acl (which is the graft I got with my last surgery) there was a lot of scar tissue that needed cleaned out, there was some tissue or something on the back of my knee-cap, there was some other tissue or something in there towards the back of my knee that was preventing me from being able to bend my knee properly. She didn't mention to me whether he said he found the detached meniscus tear, but if it was there I am sure he got that too! So despite nothing really showing up in the MRI I had a lot of things going on!

One of the cutest things was when I got home from the hospital and got myself to the front door Elijah asked me "why you have different skin?" They had scrubbed my leg from mid-thigh all the way to my toes for the surgery! So my leg and foot everything was orange! It was kind of funny. He is one observant little guy! The next day I used a washcloth to try to get rid of some of the orange coloring. On Fri I went with my mom and nephews to Costco. We got some pizza for lunch and I used the electric cart to get around for the little bit of shopping we did. We were only gone like an hour and half. That was enough activity for me that day. Than on Sat my family went to the street fair. I was in the wheelchair but that wore me out too. Sunday was church and I made sure my leg was up on a chair or something all day. By Sun evening I was starting to hobble around at home without the crutches. Just a little bit though. On Mon my dad had a Dr appt they remembered about sort of last min so I was basically home alone. I hobbled around crutch-free most of Mon too! For the little bit of getting around I needed to do. I went to FHe that night and on Tue returned to work.

At work they spoiled me! They were glad to have me back (which is a good feeling) they made sure I didn't carry anything. I had a crate put under my desk and I brought in a pillow to put my leg up on the crate. When i would get up for something someone would tell me to sit back down. They all kept asking if I needed my ice bag filled or water to drink etc. At one point I was coming back from the bathroom and Erik was asking what I needed and telling me to sit back down. I told him I had to pee and he says "we'll bring you a bucket" no thanks on the bucket but nice gesture! So it was cool. On Weds I brought in a cane instead of the crutches and again was basically yelled at if I was up for anything. By Thurs (1 week post-op) I was hobbling around the office without the crutches or cane either. But was still under scrutiny if I was up from my desk for basically anything.

Towards the end of that week I was starting to stretch out the time between pain pills and on Fri didn't take any during the day. That night after work I was starting to hurt a little bit and was thinking I would be ok and went to bed and woke up a few hours later and took a pill. Sat I went to Costco, I had my cane and since I was using a cart decided to walk for the few items I needed, I only went where I needed to go but after the trip (about an hours worth) I was getting pretty sore/uncomfortable. I came home and iced my knee for a little bit before going to the Temple. Again I used my cane and not a wheelchair and so between the two (both being the most activity since surgery) I was pretty sore that evening but not too bad.  I used the polar care ice unit and took it easy.

This week on Mon I went to Disneyland. I did use a wheelchair and was somewhat sore intermittently throughout the day. But overall it wasn't too bad. I did take some pain pills but mostly just in case.  The rest of the week I was at work. I was getting around and walking more. Was starting to sit in my chair more without the crate/pillow support and actually keeping my knee bent more. I wasn't getting yelled at for being up and although I would still get the occasional offer of help I was pretty pro-active in taking care of my own needs. Weds I had a mild scare when I sat down at one point and got a sharp kind of popping feeling in my knee and it was uncomfortable after that... Than on Thurs it was still a little weird and at lunch I was sitting with it bent normally and not thinking about it started to bring my leg back past a 90degree angle and felt a weird pulling sensation on the top part of my knee. Again was uncomfortable that day. So on Fri was my post-op follow up appt.

I saw Dr S for my appt. He asked how it was going so I told him. He bent it up on the table and felt around to see if I was having pain issues. there was a little tenderness but nothing like pre-op stuff. Plus I am still not completely healed yet. I told him about Weds and Thurs and asked if that was normal, it may have been slightly that I was doing too much, but he said especially with the Thurs thing he said with the scar tissue that I had in there before the "pulling sensation" is probably my tendons actually moving through my knee where they couldn't before (but should've been going) He said that I am progressing very fast and very well and that I would still take some time to completely heal but to continue to increase activity as I feel comfortable with. He said that I most likely wouldn't need physical therapy because my motion is really good right now. He also said that he could schedule me for another follow-up in a few weeks if I really felt it necessary but he didn't think I would need it! He said that I had a lot of reasons to have needed the surgery and it was a good thing we did it. He said since I wasn't making any follow up appt that if I do have any questions or problems t just "pop in" and see him. (I figure if there is anything I can call first) Things are really good!

Its nice to know that I am on the road to a full recovery. I am sure that I will always have to use a little bit of caution and like he said it is still going to take some more time for full recovery. I am going to start slow with increasing stuff I am doing. I mean I know I am not ready to climb Mt Kilimanjaro or anything, but I can start swimming to strengthen it, and get to where I can start biking more, and stuff. I went to a wedding yesterday and than the reception and by the time it was getting dark out I was uncomfortable. So I know I am not superwoman. I still need some help. Tonight 2 lil "monsters" came crawling into my room growling at me and so I was "scared" and got up onto my bed to get away, walking on my bed not such a smart move yet. But I am ok.  I just have to remember to take it easy! Its awesome knowing that in the next few months I can hopefully start walking Disneyland again and not have to be pushed around. But again I need to take it slow. I will miss the wheelchair lines though with the crowds!

Two Mirrors

Two Mirrors






I have two mirrors

I see every day

I look in two mirrors

As I go my way



I look in the bathroom

I see every flaw

I look in the bedroom

I’m a Daughter of God



In the first I wash up

As I start my day

It’s when I get clean

And wash the dirt away



Then in my room

I’ll dress in nice clothes

Make-up and perfume

A smile starts to show



The mirrors never change

They both look the same

Same shape and same size

But one has a frame



Its just my perspective

What I see from inside

A Daughter of God

Has nothing to hide



In one I see mistakes

And look in my eyes

I fill with a hurt

I want a disguise



But once I’m all clean

True beauty does show

Heavenly Fathers perspective

I feel my eyes glow



I know my true worth

Where I come from

No reason for doubt

That first mirror is dumb



The person who leaves

All ready to go

Is the real me

My fears no longer show



One mirror is a trial

I need to overcome

Each step like a mile

Far away I will run



When in the bedroom

The mirror shows me hope

Faith in my Savior

How far I can go



I look in two mirrors

As I start my day

One shows my fears

One washes them away



Renee Conaway

5-24-2011

11 YEARS!

Hello! 3-26-2011




Hello everyone! It’s that time of year again! I cannot believe how fast the time goes by. This is the 11th anniversary of my baptism. As always I have never been happier. I have never regretted my decision and as always I know I have learned a lot, not only since I joined the church but even in the last year! It is incredible how much can change in one year! In the past year I went from having no job or income, to working in an on-call position to becoming a full time employee again. I have struggled but I have grown.

So I have still been dealing with my knee injury, and until this past Nov when I started my current job I had no insurance so I wasn’t really able to get it treated. I started my job in Nov as a “Communications Operator II” (dispatcher) for the County of Ventura Healthcare Agency. I get to answer the phone and dispatch the maintenance engineers for County Hospital, Santa Paula Hospital as well as all the county owned healthcare buildings. So this includes all the clinics we operate, the behavioral and mental health buildings and some of the public health buildings. It definitely keeps me busy but I love it. I really miss being an EMT but with this being a full time desk job it is easier on my knee. It is also nice because I don’t have to work Sunday’s. Where I was working prior to this at Community Memorial hospital I was an admitting clerk. I was an on-call employee and was scheduled every Sunday even though I told them in my interview and regularly I didn’t want to work Sunday’s. So it was difficult. They did try to work with my a little and scheduled me for later shifts on Sun to sort of accommodate for church but it usually meant I had to either attend a different ward all together (depending on the shift time) and/or only go to Sacrament, and every Sunday I had to leave straight from church to get to work on time. It was frustrating. I loved the job and the people I was working with and I loved that I was working in the emergency room so I got to see all my paramedic friends but it made church a struggle. So it is nice to be full time, benefited and have weekends off.

It was just determined that I am going to have a third (and hopefully last) surgery on my knee. With my new insurance I am seeing a new surgeon and with my previous surgeon, the ER doctor I saw (just before new years I experienced a really bad “pop” in my knee and it left me hurting so much I left work early the next day and went to the ER) the first orthopedic I saw after the ER dr and the current surgeon everyone thought I had re-torn my meniscus. I got a new MRI to verify everything and to see what was going on for sure because of my knee history and it didn’t show any tears. So Dr Schatz gave me a cortisone injection a month ago to see if I got any relief. I didn’t so when I just saw him again as he was looking at my MRI images again he noticed something he hadn’t seen before, neither had the radiologist who did the report. He noticed a small spot in the MRI that he said seems to be a free-floating detached piece of my meniscus. He said it could definitely be the cause of the pain and the popping I am experiencing even though it is a small piece and was missed in the MRI initially. So since there are not many other options I am going to have a 3rd surgery. He is going to go in and scope my knee, clean anything out that he can find and make sure there is nothing else going on that was just not seen in the MRI. I don’t have the surgery scheduled yet, I have to wait for insurance authorization first. Since I have been dealing with knee pain/problems for just over 3 years now I am really hoping this time is the last!

Church has changed a little bit for me too. Back in Sept the Simi Valley stake made some changes. Now connected with the Simi 4th ward is a mis-singles group. It is for ages 30-45. The group is part of the Simi 4th ward and is joined with them for Sacrament as well as the RS/EQ meetings but we have our own Sun school class, FHE and other activities. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to change wards. I have been in the YSA ward since my baptism. So it was hard. At first I was kind of going to both wards. I wanted to check it out and see how I felt. So I did some double duty (as much as I could with my work schedule at that time) and was praying about it. Then I met with Bishop Pulsipher and at that point was already kind of feeling I was ready to make a change. He was also encouraging me to attend Simi 4. At the time in the YSA ward I was the Temple Prep teacher and had just started teaching a class. So I was going to keep doing that although I was starting to make the transition. After that and knowing I was ready to switch I met with Bishop Pettit in the 4th ward. It was really nice talking with him as well. It was nice to feel so welcomed and to see how eager he was to have the mid-singles there. So I was ready to change wards. I was teaching in YSA and then got a calling as co-teacher for the mid-singles Gospel Doctrine class in the Simi 4th ward. But than I started having to work different shifts at CMH and for a month or 2 was unable to go to the Simi 4th ward for some time. But in Nov when I started my new job I was able to start going and to start teaching. It hasn’t been completely easy to make the change but I am glad I did. I still miss a lot of my friends in the YSA ward and I go every now and again to visit but I am happy where I am. I am learning so much through teaching gospel doctrine and it really has been an amazing experience.

I have given a talk in Simi 4, I have been teaching and we have an amazing FHE group! I have made some wonderful new friends and have gotten re-acquainted with some old friends that I hadn’t seen in awhile. I’ve been going to the Temple and am going to get back into my family history work. There are some amazing sisters in the relief society in the 4th ward and it is incredible to have the chance to learn from them. I know this is where I need to be at this time. I am thankful for the gospel in my life. I am thankful for the testimony I have and for the missionaries! I am thankful to all of you for various reasons and I hope that you know if you have received this letter it is because you mean a lot to me. It is because you are someone who is close to me, who has taught me something or has lifted me in some way. You are close to my heart! This is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the restored church on the earth today and we are so blessed to be members. We are so blessed to have the scriptures, the Prophet and the Apostles. I am thankful for the Temples and for the sealing powers within. I am thankful for the Priesthood and the blessings we receive because we have that authority on the earth these latter days. I want you all to know that even though I have had many trials and I know I will have many more I have learned I can get through them as I keep the Savior by my side. I know that without the atonement I wouldn’t be as strong as I am today. I am thankful for His sacrifice for me and for each of us. I am thankful for prayer and fasting and the answers that I can receive through them and through the gift of the Holy Ghost. Thank you all for who you are. For your examples and for helping me be who I am today!

Wrong Way Driver (That's Me)

So usually I try to leave for work at 6:45 because my shift is supposed to start at 7:30. Most days I end up leaving closer to 6:50, and lately I have been leaving at like 6:55 (even though I changed my alarm to get up earlier, for some reason even though I set my alarm earlier I seem to finish getting ready later… not sure how that works. Maybe subconsciously I am thinking I have more time so I am getting ready slower?) So this morning at 6:50 I wasn’t even dressed yet! Which is really weird since normally that’s when I am brushing my teeth and gathering my stuff to leave. I didn’t even make breakfast or do anything extra or unusual today so it was especially odd to me. But I got dressed brushed my hair and teeth and without make-up headed out the door. I texted both Pauli and Rita to let them know I was running about 15 min late so that Pauli would know If she got there before me (she starts at 8, but sometimes gets in early) that I was in fact coming and that Rita would know I was ok since she usually gets there around the same time as me. I was driving…. So than right as I was passing Janss Rd on the 23 the traffic was slowing. I figured it was the normal rush hour slowing due to the merge for the 101 (since it goes down to one lane) I normally don’t get too much traffic since I am on the road early enough. … … … …

So I was slowing down and then I heard it on the radio…. Hazmat spill on the 23 SB at Thousand Oaks Blvd just before the interchange for the 101! Really?? Oh no… so I was in the area just next to the off ramp where there is that little triangle area that people cross all the time but technically you’re passed the exit at that point. I was tempted to go but form the initial report on the radio it sounded like there was still like one lane open so I figured it would be slow but I could pass. Not true… I ended up going forward a little bit but that was it… cars started backing up on the shoulder and exiting at Janss. I at this point had gotten passed the triangle. I was not willing to take the risk of getting a ticket or anything so I waited it out. Than I noticed people started backing DOWN the on-ramp for Janss! Around that bend too! They are nutz! I mean I know it sucks to be late and to be stuck etc but you can’t see what’s coming UP the ramp around that bend! I was still waiting patiently and thinking I hope they don’t cause an accident! At one point I noticed a CHP officer with lights on go down Janss off ramp. Than a few minutes later a whole bunch of cars had made u-turns and drove down the on ramp. I thought maybe they had stopped traffic and were telling cars to do that, so I figured when I got close enough if there was in fact an officer directing traffic I would follow their lead and go down the on ramp to go through T.O. to the 101. Than the cars in front of me did not go down. So I continued to wait and cars started coming UP the ramp, they obviously paid no attention to the radio before leaving so I knew they were now going to be stuck too and nobody else was going to be backing or driving down the on ramp!

So in the meanwhile I was texting Pauli to let her know what I was up to. And let her know that I was traveling at the speed of traffic which was of course 0 mph. I let her know that I was stuck between the last exit I passed and the spill itself (according to radio broadcasts) and that I would be in as soon as I could get going… than I noticed in my rear view mirror the cars behind me started disappearing. They were backing up and going down Janss. There was a CHP officer walking from car to car telling them to back up make a u-turn and exit at Janss. He would start in lane 1 and go across to each car one at a time and have them do that. They had done a traffic break and coned it off so that the cars were all forced to exit at Janss. So it got to my turn and I got to back up, make a u-turn and drive the wrong way on the freeway only for a few seconds and then turn and exit from Janss. So need less to say by 8:15 I was not even 20 miles from my house even though I was out the door around 7 am! It was kinda fun to be able to tell people I drove the wrong way on the freeway in front of CHP officers who didn’t try to stop me!

As it turns out from reports (I googled it later at work to make sure it was cleared for my drive home) the spill was reported just after 7 am, which is normally about the time I am getting to the interchange since it takes me about 10 min to get onto the freeway from my house. So had I not been running late I would have been right there right about the time of the spill, or just a smidge ahead of it if I had not been running late today. So I am thankful for that. It was reported as a bucket in the freeway with smoke coming from it. The report on Ventura county star online (vcstar.com) it was muriatic acid which is used in treating swimming pools. They think that the impact from the vehicle it fell (presumably) from cause it to react, creating a small chemical cloud. So when the first officer got there he naturally stopped traffic and reported the hazmat. It went from there! The rest is Renee rebelling history! I am just glad nothing serious happened and that (to my knowledge) nobody was injured.

It surprises me though how many people were so ignorant and in such a hurry that they had to risk themselves and everyone else driving recklessly to try and exit before CHP directed them. There could have been several accidents with the people driving down the on ramp both forward and in reverse… or on the shoulder or anything else. Then to top it all off to see people’s comments on the vcstar article really blew me away. Some guy claiming that CHP blew it out of proportion closing the entire freeway because of one container of chemical… um who knew if would have been something more dangerous than the muriatic acid? Or if the wind could’ve caused a bigger issue or anything! Some people just don’t seem to care! I am glad they did all they did even if I ended up being an hour and a half late to work! I made it alive and without needing medical treatment!

Sometimes...

 I just wanna cry! Right now is one of those times! I can't really explain it. Things for the most part are going fairly well. I absolutely LOVE my job and I have so much fun there. We have the most unique experiences and I find joy even in the midst of the frustrating when I am there. On Fri afternoon we got an unexpected helicopter. They are supposed to let us know before approaching, and/or the unit they are going to usually warn us that one is coming... well neither happened on Fri afternoon, so there was a helicopter landing and we had guys working on the roof, ... luckily because they heard it coming (you can't miss that sound) they were able to do the things they do before a usual landing, but the helicopter approached from the south instead of the southeast (or whichever direction they should approach from) so they blew the gravel from the parking lot all over the place (and into cars etc). We get a call from paging and they said to call the NICU, we call the NICU and the nurse who answers said "we're expecting a helicopter but I am not sure when, did anyone notify you?" "Um no they did not and the helicopter has already landed!". So the dust kinda settled and the helicopter leaves again, apparantly they needed to re-fuel, so while the team was getting the baby and report etc, they left and came back. When they came back we sorta got notified, paging annouced that the helicopter was 2 minutes out, but again by this time they had already landed. We get them all taken care of and they leave again, within about 10 minutes we got ANOTHER unexpected helicopter! Anyway while they're dropping off their patient (or picking up, I am not sure) we got a code blue in DOU... (cardiac arrest) which our guys are supposed to go to that as well! (but they are supposed to stay with the helicopter team until they're gone again) Than after that copter leaves we get a code yellow! (trauma) but that one came by ambulance (I miss those days still) .... the poor second shift guy! This all happened after the 1st shifters were mostly gone or leaving... he must have had a rough night!
     ANyway its the adrenaline of moments like that when you really have to find the joy of the moment! Earlier that day we had a fire alarm/smoke detector incident at the Knoll Drive facility where just 2 months ago there was an actual fire! ... it ended up being a false alarm. But on the plus side we had a funny call too. I got a call reporting a "dead bird" outside one of the fire doors. So I sent an HME (hospital maintenance engineer) to check it out and possibly dispose of the bird. He calls me a few minutes later to inform me that it was not 1 dead bird infact, it was 2 birds who we actually quite alive and active! Later when he came back to the office and was explaining that the nurses didn't quite understand when he said he wasn't going to "interrupt" the birds they didn't get it! ... LOL
       Today we had an electrician fall off a ladder. He went to the ER and went home so I guess he is somewhat doing ok, but I have a feeling he won't be in tomorrow, he may be off a few days, I am not really sure. So then I hit a lot more traffic than normal coming home tonight :-( that is never fun, so then I didn't get home in time to go to FHE :-( and then of course my mom went of on me, telling me that she had a rough day. Well I am sorry but it doesn't mean you need to take it out on me, just because I made the mistake of turning off the BBQ after I cooked my own steak because I forgot my sister would be home to eat in awhile! I am sorry I didn't notice the time! In the meanwhile I have been dealing with my knee pain again and especially the past week or so! To the extent that I have spent the past 3 nights with the polar care ice unit on it! Today hasn't been a lot better either! So I understand "rough" days but like I said it doesn't mean yell at me! So yeah tonight I just wanna cry! Well I guess that is enough venting for now! Sorry to make this a "vent blog" but I needed to~

Moisturizer

So I was having issues with my face being kinda dry a few months back (it kinda comes and goes with me). I decided I would look for a moisturizer to try and help it out a bit. One day while I was shopping at the Target in Ventura I was looking for facial moisturizers. I found a bottle that said "dual-treatment moisturizer".
 I read on... this is what the front of the bottle says:

oil free
helps treat and prevent pimples
moisturizes dry skin
acne medicine with salicylic acid
Multi-task-tastic

I thought "cool" I still get the occasional breakout so why not take preventative measures for teh acne while moisturizing? I bought it.

So than one night after washing my face I was putting on a little (and I mean a little! I barely use more than what seems like 2 drops worth and it goes over my entire face and within a couple minutes after rubbing it in my face feels so smooth) I happened to read the label on the back of the bottle:

Active Ingredient
Salicylic Acid...yadda yadda

Uses
For the management of acne

Warnings etc...

Directions
cleanse ...
cover entire area ...

than it says this:

Because excessive drying of the skin may occur, start with one application daily, than gradually increase to two or three times daily if needed or as directed by a doctor.

......... UM.... I think your labels are misleading.... the front advertises it primarily as a moisturizer! I know that there is some dryness with acne medicine but when the label claims it primarily to be a "dual treatment MOISTURIZER" shouldn't it be more moisturizing than warning of dryness? Seems a little backwards to me! Maybe they should work on the labeling a bit? Not only that but it was found with the face MOISTURIZERS, not cleansers/ acne section! I was excited to find a moisturizer that would also reduce any breakouts. Now I guess I could contact the company and share my thoughts, maybe they would send me some coupons or something? But I am not really going to worry about that. I mean I still get fresh as a baby's bottom smoothness after I use it! I like it, although I haven't been using it daily... I forget sometimes!  But it was a little odd/surprising  to me when I noticed the label on the back!

I'm Back!!!

   Not that I actually went anywhere but I am back! I had so many things that I thought "I need to write about this on my blog" but than never got around to it. Than it got to a point where I realized not only had I not written on my blog in awhile but I hadn't looked at anybody else's either! OOPS! So than recently with the holidays I had a friend here visiting from Utah and she mentioned to me something and said, "did you see that on my blog?" (or something to that effect) "um nope sorry I haven't been on in forever!" (or something along those lines) and yet again I didn't get on until today.
   A lot has happened since my last blog in Oct. I stopped working at CMH! I loved it there but I didn't love the fact that I was 1)on-call, so there were no guaranteed hours 2)working weekends, I wouldn't mind the weekends per say but I requested Sunday's off and was not getting them, not making church life easy 3)no health insurance... that was mainly the things I disliked about it (there were some other "minor" type things that didn't bother me as much as some other people) I loved being in the hospital, I loved working with people, I loved the people I was working with. I had fun! It was nice to know I was working in health care and able to make a difference still. I loved that it gave me a chance to see a lot of my Paramedic and EMT friends and make new friends. I loved when we got a "run" because it reminded me of my time in the field. It was hard though when someone would come in and need some help, or when they had a code blue patient or otherwise needed assistance but because I was an admitting clerk I wasn't able to put on some gloves and help with CPR or in other ways. Although I did that too once in awhile. Like once when someone had just had his IV removed and it was bleeding so I grabbed some extra gauze and (with gloves on) applied pressure and switched out the bandage. The nurse was grateful.
    I obviously didn't just leave to leave, I left because I had another opportunity come along. Back in may or June or sometime even before than I applied online for a dispatch job through the County of Ventura. I had actually applied for several dispatch type jobs. So sometime late in Aug I got an email about testing for a dispatch position, so I went in Sept for the testing. Than I got an email that I was in the top ranked group and was #4 on the list (at least I think that's what it was... its been awhile now) so I was emailed and called to schedule an interview. I was to go in and meet with Judy for an interview in the maintenance department for the health care agencies. The maintenance dept is in a bungalow type building back behind VCMC hospital. I went in one afternoon after work for my scheduled time. I was left waiting there for a bit but finally brought in the room. I interviewed with Judy (the supervisor) and Tom who is the facilities maintenance manager. It went well. Tom was joking around the whole time and cracking jokes and was kinda smart-Alick/ sarcastic while still going through the typical questions (strengths, weaknesses, what would you do if... etc) So at the end they apologized for my wait etc and I told them it was not a big deal that I am an adult and I know things don't always end/start on time and that I didn't mind. They told me that they had a few more interviews still and that it would probably be a little over a week before I heard anything again.
        I felt good about that interview. It seemed to go well and based on their reaction to some of my answers it seemed as if they were impressed. But I left feeling not so sure. I was thinking it seemed kind of disorganized inside and it was a small building (literally like a bungalow) So I wasn't quite sure. But than as I was thinking about it I realized that maybe it was good. I knew the hours would be set with weekends off. I got to thinking about the small amount of people I saw and thought how nice that would be to be in a smaller "family" type workplace again. I pictured myself getting married and inviting the staff to the wedding etc. I thought how nice that would be. The very next week I got called by Jen asking me to come in for another "meeting" I was thinking it was going to be a 2nd interview so I scheduled that and went in again. I waited a little bit again but this time not as long then they took me into the training room again. There was someone else in there that they were talking to and I thought to myself "should she have waited until they were done before bringing me in?" and they had me sit down and introduced me to Pauli. Than they told us not to worry that we were not competing for one job but that Pauli was applying to be the office assistant and that I was applying for the communications operator (dispatcher). They said they didn't have a lot of time to meet with us individually and since our jobs would be overlapped basically they wanted to see how we got along beforehand.
     The meeting started out with them telling us that we were each their top candidate at the time for the positions we were each applying to. So with Jen and Judy mostly this time and Tom peeking in once in awhile we talked. Judy had asked how we felt about the maintenance dept and about how we felt after the interviews etc and I told her the truth. I didn't go into all the details but I told her at first I wasn't quite sure, but the more I thought about it the more excited I was and that I knew it would be nice to work in a place again where everyone is friends and gets along. She told me that they had her baby shower in the training room. that it was really like a family there. At some point she stepped out again, so Pauli Jen and I were talking. We were there for close to an hour and than Judy came back in and she said they were talking and wanted to offer us the positions if we were interested. So we filled out paperwork! I left excited! We talked about hours and dress code (casual Friday's is a nice bonus) and other stuff pertinent to that meeting. We knew we had to go through County HR and do a background check, a physical and new hire paperwork than we would be able to start. All of that took what seemed like forever! But they want people to start with the start of a pay week so than that kinda held it back just a tad too. But I was able to give 2 weeks notice at CMH and had my last shift on a Sat night and started in maintenance Mon morning!
      It has been a blessing ever since! I love my new job! The people are great! The maintenance guys although they seem tough on the outside are so helpful. Pauli and I get along great which is nice because although we each basically have our own office we kinda share too (separated by an open doorway mostly) They ordered us our own supplies before we even started and cleared out drawers for us to put stuff in, and said if we need anything to let them know so they can order that too. We all got new jackets (nice ones) Tom took us all out to lunch recently. Its been really really great!! They've been totally understanding with having appointments and stuff too. I was able to take some time off in the beginning for stuff I had planned before getting hired.
     One of the greatest things is it is full time with benefits. About two weeks after I started I got my  new insurance cards in the mail! Its so nice to not have to wait 3 months for that! Work has been good about appointments too! I have been trying to schedule dentist/eye etc appointments for hours I am not scheduled to work but when I can't they let us go. Its not a strict place! Its not like being in jail and stuck in a cubicle all day long! Its so much fun! The benefits are also nice because last week my knee messed up again. :-( unfortunately I had to go back to the doctor and they told me I tore the meniscus again! (which I kinda already knew) So now it looks as if I am having surgery again sooner rather than later. Last week one night my nephews were staying the night and Isaiah who had been asleep woke up. I was holding him and walking to sit on the couch and my knee popped really bad! So I kinda stood there for a minute or two and it felt ok, I decided I was going to just put him into my bed, brush my teeth and go to sleep too, while trying to get him back to sleep. As I went to walk down the hall my knee popped again this time my mom heard it across the room! I about fell over it hurt so bad! I grabbed the couch to stable myself and stood there like a flamingo. My mom said "sit down" and so I took a couple minor steps over and when I sat down (still holding Isaiah) it hurt to bend my knee and tears started streaming down my face. I was miserable! At this point I just wanted to go to bed! I knew it wasn't good. I had my mom come and take him because I wasn't going to get up holding him and I hobbled down the hall. Brushed my teeth and got in bed. I didn't ice it or anything (although I knew I should) The next day I was getting sharp pains through my knee all day long, when I would walk, even when just sitting at my desk. I decided to see if I could leave work early to go to the urgent care and they told me I could leave then if I wanted to and I said I was ok for awhile. I waited until after Pauli got some lunch than went to the ER instead of coming back to Simi first. I was there for about 2 1/2 hours total, got xrays etc and a referral for the ortho clinic.
     So on Weds afternoon I took an extended lunch hour and went to the ortho clinic where I saw Dr Takeda, he told me it definitely seemed like meniscus tear. Said it was almost pointless to do a new MRI because its only going to be fixed with surgery anyway and if they find things worse at that time (during the surgery) they can fix them too. So I have a surgery consult with the sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon on the 19th. Dr Takeda said if it is only the meniscus I should be able to return to work the day after surgery, I am not sure I would be able to quite so soon, but was talking with Judy and she said if I try to schedule the surgery around when there is a 3 day holiday weekend to where I only take 2 sick days I won't need a dr note but it gives me 5 days off to recover. I may try for something like that! (see how awesome they are!?! I told her I feel bad because I don't/didn't want to have to take time off work especially while still technically in probationary period, but they are being so accommodating and helpful)
    So that is my new work situation! Things there are amazing! I love my new job! Dr Takeda told me ideally I should heal and be perfectly able to recover well enough to be like new/normal again enough to return to work as an EMT if I want to! Which I absolutely LOVE doing and I MISS it so much but at the same time I know in time I am at risk for more injuries. I would have to choose to leave a county job with excellent benefits and retirement etc for it. So I will have to consider that option when I get to that point. Its nice to know there is that option (ideally) down the road! After 3 years of dealing with the knee stuff I was kinda to the point where I doubted ever recovering fully!
     Well Christmas and New Years were good, (well new years i spent watching a movie since I was having such pain i couldn't do any fun activities that involved standing or walking to any extent) and here I am blogging again! Hopefully I can continue to do so regularly again! I've missed being able to share my joys, my accomplishments and even sometimes my trials!