This section is dedicated to those who have started a new job and the company they are working for is currently hiring.
Please forward the company’s contact information to
There are still many of us unemployed and looking to get back to work.
Happy 4th of July 2010 !!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
New Careers on the Horizon & Career Possibilities
Famous Quote Submited - From Milda
Random quotation from Abraham Lincoln:
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation΄s wounds. up the nation΄s wounds.
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation΄s wounds. up the nation΄s wounds.
Some of our Co-Workers have began their new careers with .. . . .
Hobby Lobby
Petsmart
Burlington
Gordmans
Gabes
AJ Wrights
K&G Fashion Superstore
Bed Bath & Beyond
Petsmart
Burlington
Gordmans
Gabes
AJ Wrights
K&G Fashion Superstore
Bed Bath & Beyond
Homemade Frosty Paws from Milda
The Scoop:
Here’s all you need to make Homemade Frosty Paws, a doglicious summertime treat:
1 Quart Vanilla Yogurt (preferably nonfat)
1 Medium Ripe Banana
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 Tablespoons Honey
First, puree the banana in a blender. Add the peanut butter and honey and continue processing until smooth. Then, add yogurt and process until all ingredients are blended together. Pour the mix into small containers. Glad reusable mini containers with tops work great and they’re eco-friendly. Dixie 3-ounce mini cups work well too. Freeze until solid. This mix makes about 10 per batch.
"From the Woof Report"
Looking for Information & Pictures for the March Newsletter!
Each issue will include; Birthday's for the month, a Career Center and a Pet Corner (so feel free to send me pictures and info on your pets). In addition to those areas we will list any births, anniversaries, special occasions, announcements, pictures, etc that is provided by you!
If you have anything that you would like to share with the group each month, please email me the info by the 10th of each month and it will be posted in the following month's newsletter.
If you have anything that you would like to share with the group each month, please email me the info by the 10th of each month and it will be posted in the following month's newsletter.
February 2009 Newsletter
The monthly "Newsletter" is finally here for February.
Click below to view the newsletter :)
Click below to view the newsletter :)
Each issue will include; Birthday's for the month, a Career Center and a Pet Corner (so feel free to send me pictures and info on your pets). In addition to those areas we will list any births, anniversaries, special occasions, announcements, pictures, etc that is provided by you.
If you have anything that you would like to share with the group each month, please email me the info by the 10th of each month and it will be posted in the following month's newsletter. I am hoping to have the newsletter out via email between the 20th & 25th of each month.
Also any suggestions that you have for he newsletter are greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for all the help with this project!
I hope you enjoy as much as Milda and I have enjoyed putting this together. !!!!
So you've been laid off
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/22/COPE.ART_ART_02-22-09_A1_87D03BL.html?sid=101
Here's how to deal with it
Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:32 AM
Graham Pelle,director of merchandise planning and control for Value City Depart
Article from the Columbus Dispatch
'Sorry, you're overqualified'
Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:33 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Courtney HergesheimerDISPATCH
Gail Patrick, 54, worked at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus for 30 years -- until she was laid off Dec. 31. Now she's hunting for a new job.
It can't happen to me.
While jobs disappear right and left, some people steadfastly believe that their job won't. This is especially true of educated, experienced, successful professionals in the midst of lengthy tenures at their company.
Gail Patrick was one of them.
"I had a false sense of job security," said Patrick, 54, a Columbus resident and lawyer with a wide range of marketable skills.
Dec. 31 was her last day at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, where she worked for 30 years in several capacities, most recently as director of administrative services.
"You think your job is secure, and then you find out it's not," Patrick said.
She unexpectedly found herself on the growing list of successful professionals now looking for a job.
Nobody is immune to a layoff in the midst of a devastating recession. When it happens, many must re-evaluate their career and consider positions with less responsibility and smaller paychecks.
These "overqualified" people are now competing for a shrinking number of high-paying jobs.
"I was living the dream. My childhood dream came true," Patrick said. "Now, I'm living the new American reality."
About 40 people living this new reality, including Patrick, gather weekly in the Columbus office of Jewish Family Services. They are part of the nonprofit organization's Strategic Utilization of Career Centered Support Services (SUCCESS) program.
It provides free assistance for professionals who have been laid off. They get help with cover-letter and resume writing, networking, job searching and polishing interview skills. The participants also serve as a support group for one another.
"These are educated, successful people who made $35,000 or more and were laid off through no fault of their own," said Karen Hughes, coordinator of the program.
The group includes software developers, accountants, bankers, marketing experts, distribution managers and human-resources specialists. Despite their shared bond of unemployment, the members seem upbeat and optimistic -- and determined.
At the start of each meeting, each person describes a recent job-related success, anything from updating a resume to securing an interview.
"It helps a lot," said Graham Pelle, a Dublin resident. "It helps with networking and also realizing you're not the only one out there dealing with it."
He was director of merchandise planning and control for Value City Department Stores, which declared bankruptcy in October and closed its stores two months later.
"The retail climate is challenging. Companies are cutting back and laying off and not filling positions," he said.
Patrick agreed, saying a job paying less than she used to make is a possibility.
"But I worked in nonprofits for 30 years, so I'm not used to a big paycheck and that makes it easier."
The SUCCESS program, in its third year, has grown each year. About 150 people are enrolled.
During the first year, Hughes said, participants took an average of three to six months to find a job.
It's now up to six to nine months, a long time to go without a paycheck.
Heather Allen of the Columbus office of Manpower, an employment and human-resources company, said, "We're seeing a significant increase in the number of people applying for positions, and we're seeing people who are totally overqualified applying for jobs."
Some employers are reluctant to hire overqualified candidates, thinking they will continue to look for a better-paying job. "As soon as the economy turns around, you stand a chance of losing them," Allen said.
Pelle is aware of this concern from potential employers.
"If they ask if I'll keep looking for a job, I'll say no -- and it's the truth," he said. "Throughout my career, I've been a very loyal guy."
Dealing with day-to-day financial needs is another problem for members of SUCCESS.
Patrick no longer eats out, goes to the movies, or buys new clothes since her layoff and has put off going to the dentist and buying new glasses.
Expensive imported tea was her biggest indulgence, but now she drinks Lipton and saves $40 a month.
Pelle, who said his nest egg could last a year if he is careful, is eligible for COBRA health insurance, a federal program that provides 18 months of coverage for those who lose their jobs.
The catch is the price: about $1,100 a month for his family, which is more than he can afford. "I'm more worried about the kids," he said. "If it's just normal doctor visits, we can afford it. But if it's something major … "
His wife went back to work, at a health club, but is not eligible for health insurance.
Despite the obstacles, Pelle is optimistic. He has had two job interviews.
"I'm a pretty 'up' type," he said. "I don't get depressed, and I look at the positive side of things."
Patrick also has a positive attitude.
"My passion is to find a job where I can use all the different skills I have to help make Columbus better," she said and then ticked off her experience, which includes client representation, management, teaching and training, community relations and finances.
Patrick thinks networking is the key to finding a job.
"I've talked to everyone I know, 100 people -- everyone I've worked with, everyone at every place where I ever gave a speech, even my barber," she said. "I started handing out my resume to them and have six different people who send me e-mail blasts of openings I might want to pursue."
Being in her 50s could be an issue for potential employers, Patrick said.
"Age is always a factor," she said, though she has developed a strategy to turn this into a positive.
"I explain the value of all the experiences and knowledge I have that I didn't have when I was 30. You have to show the evolution of your skills and how much you can bring to the company."
Ray Shearer -VCDS, The chain's transportation director
Another Article from the Columbus Dispatch
What do I do now?
Newly unemployed struggle with unfamiliar situations, demands
Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:41 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
FRED SQUILLANTE | DISPATCH
Learning to navigate the Web during a computer class at the state's One Stop Employment and Training Center in Newark are, from left, Frank Fitz and Randy Weaver of Newark and Joyce Burke of Utica.
FRED SQUILLANTE | DISPATCH
Tonja Troyer teaches job seekers about using computers and the Internet in a class at the One Stop Employment and Training Center in Newark.
The conversation winding down, Ray Shearer smiled and rose to leave. He automatically reached for a business card to offer in parting.
employment specialist
"I keep forgetting," Shearer said.
Value City Department Stores went bankrupt, and since December, Shearer has had neither the job nor the cards that identified him as the chain's transportation director. He is 53 and out of work for the first time since high school.
Shearer never had been inside an unemployment office, much less learned to file a claim. On Tuesday, however, the Pataskala resident spent about seven hours at the state's One Stop Employment and Training Center in Licking County.
Such regimens are becoming compulsory for thousands of Ohioans. Being unemployed is a lot of work, much of it frustrating and unfamiliar.
"It's murky, murky water," said Lori Mye, an employment specialist at the center. "So many of the people we see now have never been through anything like this."
The to-do list is long, and each task comes with its own set of requirements -- and headaches. Laid-off workers juggle unemployment claims, apply for jobs, search for health insurance, maneuver their retirement accounts and, if things get really bad, seek assistance to cover basic needs.
Shearer considers himself luckier than many. He had a good job and some savings and is able to get health insurance through his wife's employer.
But he's far from set for life, so he must find a new career.
"Each week, you have to document your job search," Shearer said. "At first, when I floated my resume, I had some nibbles. But the last three weeks, there's been nothing."
He clings to routine and optimism. When his wife gets ready for work in the morning, he gets ready.
"I've got to stay in that frame of mind," Shearer said. "I don't want to wind up on the couch watching TV."
Experts say Shearer does other things right, too: He files his unemployment claims online, saving time and avoiding the stress that accompanies long phone waits. He is taking a computer class at the employment center and stays in touch with a caseworker.
"Utilize the resources that are available," advised Julie Smith, a deputy director at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. "Now more than ever, the various work-force systems are working together to help."
Once an initial unemployment claim is made, the recipient can choose to receive money by direct bank deposit or debit card. The first payment usually arrives in less than three weeks, officials say. If you manage your account online, you can receive compensation weekly. By phone or mail, it's every other week.
The amount varies, and there are limits. Weekly compensation cannot exceed 50 percent of your previous average weekly wage. For a worker with three or more dependents, the weekly pretax compensation tops out at $503. For individuals such as Shearer, whose children are grown, the maximum is $372.
"I've heard horror stories, but I've been fairly pleased with the process," said Dan Barnhart, a 44-year-old father of three who lost his job at an auto-industry supplier three months ago.
He uses the computers at the center to manage his unemployment account, and he researches job opportunities there every week. Mornings there can be tough. Early last Tuesday, it was standing room only, and there was a wait for every one of the 16 computers.
Like Shearer, Barnhart is trying to stay upbeat. But his situation is more complicated. When he lost his job, his health insurance disappeared, and he doesn't have a spouse who can provide coverage.
Getting sick "is not allowed," Barnhart said. "I need a job. Now."
So does Joyce Burke. After she'd worked eight years at Chase Bank in Westerville, "they sent my job to India," she said.
She has been trying to find a job for more than a year. "I'm only getting $200 a week in unemployment," said Burke, 51, of Utica. "I'd never been on unemployment before. Now I eat one meal a day."
Tending to that basic need can be a challenge, and there's help for some. In general, income cannot exceed 130 percent of the poverty level to qualify for food stamps, said Beth Kowalczyk of the Office of Family Stability at the Department of Job and Family Services.
That threshold applies only to income -- including unemployment checks -- coming in the door. As of October, balances in savings and retirement accounts aren't among the assets considered when Ohioans seek food stamps.
Kowalczyk said the change was made so that more jobless families could get help without wiping themselves out financially. "It allows them to survive without draining those accounts," she said.
Unemployment can be supplemented, but just a little. Claimants can earn up to 20 percent of their weekly benefit without penalty, state officials say. Any additional pay results in a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the benefit.
Most people are more focused on finding a good job before the clock runs out. Recent extensions mean a newly laid-off Ohio worker can draw unemployment for up to 59 weeks, and maybe longer if the job loss was trade-related.
"Unemployment checks are not the answer," Smith said. "The answer is getting folks retooled and retrained for the jobs of tomorrow."
Shearer would agree. He and millions of other Americans hope that tomorrow comes soon.
"So many of the people we see now have never been through anything like this."
Lori Myeemployment specialist
WHAT'S NEXT?
Here are tips on filing for unemployment benefits, handling your 401(k) plan and dealing with health insurance and other needs after a layoff:
Unemployment
If you're laid off, file an unemployment claim as soon as possible. State officials offer these suggestions for smoothing the process:
• Apply online: It's faster and less frustrating. Even if you aren't computer-savvy, help and computers are available at the one-stop job centers run by all county Job and Family Services departments. Claims also can be filed by phone, but you might wait a half-hour or longer to speak with someone. Go online to http://unemployment.ohio.gov, or call 1-877-OHIOJOB (644-6562).
• Be responsive: If you get a message or request for information from a caseworker, answer quickly. This can prevent delays in processing your claim.
• Take advantage of resources: Recent extensions mean that Ohioans can receive unemployment for up to 59 weeks, and possibly longer if their job loss was trade-related. But don't wait until it runs out to explore retraining and education programs. The one-stop centers have information. To find the one nearest you, go to http://jfs.ohio.gov/workforce/jobseekers/onestopmap.stm.
Health insurance
• COBRA: You can continue coverage through your employer under this federal law, but the premiums have been too high for most people. As part of the stimulus plan, the government will subsidize up to 65 percent of the cost of your premium for nine months. Help is available to any worker laid off between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.
• Other options: Learn more by contacting the Ohio Department of Insurance at 1-800-686-1526, or go to www.ohioinsurance.gov.
• Children: The state's Healthy Start program insures children who qualify. Call 614-466-2100 or go to http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/consumers/
familychild.stm.
401(k)
Your options for your retirement-savings plan boil down to cashing it out, keeping it with your former employer or rolling it over into an IRA.
• Cashing it out: Experts say this is a bad idea because you'll probably lose one-quarter to one-half of the withdrawal to taxes and penalties, and the returns you could have earned are gone forever.
• Leaving it alone: Companies hire administrators to manage the accounts, so even if a company is going out of business, this might be an option. The magic number is $5,000. If you have less than that in your 401(k), the company doesn't have to maintain an account for you if you no longer work there.
• Rolling it over: You can set up an individual retirement account with a bank, brokerage or other financial institution and ask that your 401(k) be rolled over into the new account. This sometimes is called a trustee-to-trustee transfer. If you get a job quickly, your new employer might allow money from your old 401(k) to be rolled into your new 401(k). You won't owe taxes or pay an early-withdrawal penalty if the money is handled this way.
Emergency assistance
• Finding help: About 75 percent of the state's population can receive information by dialing 211. In Franklin County, the Firstlink Food Line at 614-341-2282 also refers people to nearby food pantries. The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks has food information and can help with tax credits and other supports through the Ohio Benefit Bank. Call 614-221-4336, or go to www.oashf.org.
• Food stamps: Find out whether your income is low enough to qualify. If it is, apply. Savings accounts and retirement funds won't count against you. Call 1-877-852-0010, or go to http://jfs.ohio.gov/ofam/foodstamps.stm.
Other questions?
Much of this information and more is listed in the state's online guide for laid-off workers. Go to http://jfs.ohio.gov/ocomm_root/unempresources.stm.
Source: Dispatch research
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Web site of Web sites!!
You'll probably want to bookmark this one!
THIS IS THE COOLEST THING SINCE THE
INVENTION OF CRACKER-JACKS!
Just Point and click !
http://www.allmyfaves.com/
Then pick a site ! 'BOOM' And there it is !
THIS IS THE COOLEST THING SINCE THE
INVENTION OF CRACKER-JACKS!
Just Point and click !
http://www.allmyfaves.com/
Then pick a site ! 'BOOM' And there it is !
Doctors try to help uninsured with bills
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/15/lost.html?sid=101
Doctors try to help uninsured with bills
Job losses leave more embarrassed patients unable to pay, unaware of help available
Sunday, February 15, 2009 6:54 PM
If you've lost your job, chances are you've lost your health insurance.
So what should you do?
Many people ask their doctors for help.
"We've had lots of people, unfortunately, who have undergone the cuts," said Dr. James Barr, a family physician in Dublin. "We never deny anybody care.
"We work with them to pay as you can and when you can."
Barr's practice lets uninsured patients pay the minimum charge for services and arranges payment plans of as low as $5 a month.
He said five to 10 patients a month tell one of the four doctors in the practice that they've lost their jobs and health insurance.
"It's very humiliating for them," Barr said. But "it's a comfort to them to let us help them."
There is COBRA, a federal program that allows workers to continue the former employer's coverage by paying the entire premium. But many people can't afford that.
Kelly Richards said she couldn't afford the $700-a-month premiums when a lending company laid her off in 2007. She said a plan with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield was too expensive as well.
The Upper Arlington resident now works for a builder doing odd jobs and is nervous being uninsured. "I could fall off a ladder or cut a finger," said Richards, 42.
Barr, her primary-care physician, and her gynecologist let her make payments for office visits, and both give her drug samples when they have them.
Dr. Stephen Canowitz, a primary-care physician on the city's East Side, said he tries to help patients save money by seeing them less often and switching their medications from brand names to generics.
Free medication samples, which had always been a way to help people in tough economic times, aren't as plentiful. Pharmaceutical companies also have laid off workers, meaning doctors' offices are getting fewer samples.
Many retail stores offer $4 generic prescription drugs. And several discount drug-card programs are available on the Internet.
At Powell Pediatric Care, doctors charge a lower rate for uninsured patients on a case-by-case basis. They also tell parents about free clinics and direct them to government and private assistance programs.
Shelia Jones, the office manager, said she has helped 10 families sign their children up for the Healthy Start program through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
"I tell parents, 'Don't be embarrassed when this happens; we'll look for other services available for your child,'" Jones said. "They just don't know about any of these services because they've never been in this place before."
The wrong thing to do, experts say, is to go without health insurance.
One illness or injury can cost thousands of dollars and put your home and other assets at risk if you can't pay a hospital bill. And if you go without insurance for more than 63 days, any pre-existing conditions might not be covered when you become insured again.
"If you've had group coverage, you should look at the individual market and see what's available," said Alwyn Cassil, spokeswoman for the Center for Studying Health System Change.
High-deductible plans require upfront costs, she said, but premiums are more affordable and provide a safety net.
What if you lose your health insurance?
As millions lose their jobs, they're also losing health insurance. Here are suggestions to help:
-- Tell your doctors. They might offer a lower rate, let you make payments, get sample medications or switch to generic drugs.
-- Get necessary medical tests before your health insurance runs out.
-- Talk to an insurance broker about pricing an individual health policy even if it's a high-deductible plan. Premiums can be more affordable, and you'll have catastrophic coverage.
-- Check out the many discount drug-card programs on the Internet.
-- Pharmaceutical companies have free drug programs. To learn more, go to www.pparx.org/Intro.php. Prescription Hope, a local group, can help people apply for these drug programs at a cost of $7 a month per prescription. Go to www.prescriptionhope.com or call 1-877-296-4673.
The state's Healthy Start program can insure children who qualify. Call 1-614-466-2100 or go to http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/bcps/hshf/index.stm.
Parents of special-needs children can get help from the Patient Access Network Foundation at www.patientaccessnetwork.org/ or by calling 1-866-316-7263
Our Monthly Newsletter - To be Released Soon . . . .
The monthly "Newsletter" is well on it ways to be sent out for February. You will need the Adobe Reader (viewer) to be able to view the newsletter. If you do not have this program already installed on you computer, click on the link below for a free download.
Adobe - Adobe Reader download = http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Each issue will include; Birthday's for the month, a Career Center and a Pet Corner (so feel free to send me pictures and info on your pets). In addition to those areas we will list any births, anniversaries, special occasions, announcements, pictures, etc that is provided by you.
If you have anything that you would like to share with the group each month, please email me the info by the 10th of each month and it will be posted in the following month's newsletter. I am hoping to have the newsletter out via email between the 20th & 25th of each month.
Also any suggestions that you have for he newsletter are greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for all the help with this project!
I hope you enjoy as much as Milda and I have enjoyed putting this together. !!!!
Adobe - Adobe Reader download = http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Each issue will include; Birthday's for the month, a Career Center and a Pet Corner (so feel free to send me pictures and info on your pets). In addition to those areas we will list any births, anniversaries, special occasions, announcements, pictures, etc that is provided by you.
If you have anything that you would like to share with the group each month, please email me the info by the 10th of each month and it will be posted in the following month's newsletter. I am hoping to have the newsletter out via email between the 20th & 25th of each month.
Also any suggestions that you have for he newsletter are greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for all the help with this project!
I hope you enjoy as much as Milda and I have enjoyed putting this together. !!!!
Update on Mom after all the doctor appt's
Hi everyone, it's Cathy..
It's been 3 weeks tonight since the stoke and blinding of her left eye....
Sorry for the delay in updates with mom. We have had 2-3 doctor appt a week for the last 2 weeks and I decided to wait till we got thru them all to send an update. Mom is doing as good as she can be for now. Still no change in he vision and she is still not to good on her feet with walking yet. She seems to do okay around the condo but anywhere else is alittle challenging. She had her first trip out today to Walmart (some place other than a doctors office). thank god for shopping carts to hold on to! She made it around the entire store while we waited for some of her prescriptions to be filled. Her blood pressure has been alittle to high off and on the last week. Could be due the stress of all the doctors to see and partly from the carotid surgery too.
Here is the play by play...
The vascular doctor who did the carotid surgery said the incision looked great and was heeling nicely. She is still experiencing dull headaches but may be caused from the overall trauma from the surgery. Should get better over time. He told her she is able to drive based on what they eye doctor feels is best.
The eye doctor said there is bleeding in the left (bad) eye now and was probably caused from the carotid surgery. She went back this past Monday for round 1 of a 2 part laser surgery on the eye. He said the eye will start to regenerate new vessels in the eye which is bad due to no blood flow and what blood it will create is bad blood and can become like a toxin and damage the eye further. he has decided the laser surgery to fix some of the issues was the best route to go. This will not help her to regain any vision in the eye but will help prevent other major issues within the eye. Two trips to him so far and a 3rd scheduled for 3-2-09. He feels she isn't ready to drive at this point. That her surgery site has to be very well healed and she needs to be able to turn her neck all the way and fast if need be before she should attempt to drive a car. At that point she can try drive with someone, not alone on short trips to get use to her new eye sight. This will be away's down the road still. She needs to be able to get out of the car without getting dizzy an able to way more stable before she gets back into the car again.
Went to see the thumb doctor for a follow up from the removal of the glumous tumor under her thumb nail which surgery was exactly a week before the stoke. The tumor was cancerous but he said they did remove all of it. So no further treatment at this time. She will just have to watch for any other signs of them on the other fingers.
Today we went to the family doctor for her normal 3 month follow up and blood work and sugar levels. Should have the results in a couple days. She reviewed her meds and said it is normal for the BP to go either up or down due to the surgery but it is important to get it under control. She will try a few things to get it back down to a normal range over the next week.
Thanks to everyone for all the cards and calls! We laughed.. one day she had received '11' cards! For those of you that know the story behind the '11''s... in mom's world! We came out of one of the doctor appts and it was.. 11:11am, we stopped for lunch and when we got back in the car it was 1:11pm! Scary :)
She has been trying to laid down between 8-9pm nightly to get her strength back. She has been wearing a patch while she watched TV and makes her good eye tired and gives her headaches. She also has been taking an afternoon nap too each day. If you call and she doesn't answer don't panic, leave her a message and she will call you back when she is up again. It is still alittle difficult for her to hold the phone with her neck for long periods of time. She calls me each day when she gets up and before she goes to bed. I give her "well being" phone call checks too every 6-8 hrs :) I have been there 3-4 days out of the week for the last two weeks and she is slowly getting better at her normal daily routines.
I will try to update everyone weekly from this point on with how she is improving and any funny situations we experience! You know mom, no two days are the same.
The prayers have done wonders, keep them going for a speedy recovery :)
It's been 3 weeks tonight since the stoke and blinding of her left eye....
Sorry for the delay in updates with mom. We have had 2-3 doctor appt a week for the last 2 weeks and I decided to wait till we got thru them all to send an update. Mom is doing as good as she can be for now. Still no change in he vision and she is still not to good on her feet with walking yet. She seems to do okay around the condo but anywhere else is alittle challenging. She had her first trip out today to Walmart (some place other than a doctors office). thank god for shopping carts to hold on to! She made it around the entire store while we waited for some of her prescriptions to be filled. Her blood pressure has been alittle to high off and on the last week. Could be due the stress of all the doctors to see and partly from the carotid surgery too.
Here is the play by play...
The vascular doctor who did the carotid surgery said the incision looked great and was heeling nicely. She is still experiencing dull headaches but may be caused from the overall trauma from the surgery. Should get better over time. He told her she is able to drive based on what they eye doctor feels is best.
The eye doctor said there is bleeding in the left (bad) eye now and was probably caused from the carotid surgery. She went back this past Monday for round 1 of a 2 part laser surgery on the eye. He said the eye will start to regenerate new vessels in the eye which is bad due to no blood flow and what blood it will create is bad blood and can become like a toxin and damage the eye further. he has decided the laser surgery to fix some of the issues was the best route to go. This will not help her to regain any vision in the eye but will help prevent other major issues within the eye. Two trips to him so far and a 3rd scheduled for 3-2-09. He feels she isn't ready to drive at this point. That her surgery site has to be very well healed and she needs to be able to turn her neck all the way and fast if need be before she should attempt to drive a car. At that point she can try drive with someone, not alone on short trips to get use to her new eye sight. This will be away's down the road still. She needs to be able to get out of the car without getting dizzy an able to way more stable before she gets back into the car again.
Went to see the thumb doctor for a follow up from the removal of the glumous tumor under her thumb nail which surgery was exactly a week before the stoke. The tumor was cancerous but he said they did remove all of it. So no further treatment at this time. She will just have to watch for any other signs of them on the other fingers.
Today we went to the family doctor for her normal 3 month follow up and blood work and sugar levels. Should have the results in a couple days. She reviewed her meds and said it is normal for the BP to go either up or down due to the surgery but it is important to get it under control. She will try a few things to get it back down to a normal range over the next week.
Thanks to everyone for all the cards and calls! We laughed.. one day she had received '11' cards! For those of you that know the story behind the '11''s... in mom's world! We came out of one of the doctor appts and it was.. 11:11am, we stopped for lunch and when we got back in the car it was 1:11pm! Scary :)
She has been trying to laid down between 8-9pm nightly to get her strength back. She has been wearing a patch while she watched TV and makes her good eye tired and gives her headaches. She also has been taking an afternoon nap too each day. If you call and she doesn't answer don't panic, leave her a message and she will call you back when she is up again. It is still alittle difficult for her to hold the phone with her neck for long periods of time. She calls me each day when she gets up and before she goes to bed. I give her "well being" phone call checks too every 6-8 hrs :) I have been there 3-4 days out of the week for the last two weeks and she is slowly getting better at her normal daily routines.
I will try to update everyone weekly from this point on with how she is improving and any funny situations we experience! You know mom, no two days are the same.
The prayers have done wonders, keep them going for a speedy recovery :)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Update...
Sorry all I have been alittle distracted the last few weeks to keep up with the info on here. My mother had a stroke and lost her eye sight in her left eye. We just finally got to come home from the hospital Sunday. I have been staying at her house this week and just stopped by my house to grab some things.
I see there has been talk about "bashing" on the VC Sucks site. Don't worry I do not take anything personal on here.. Each person has their own right to their own opinions. Just to clarify the information I provide is not an assumption or my own thoughts. I am still in contact with a few at the Corporate level and am merely passing the proper info onto those of us that need it.
For those still with sour attitudes.. It is time to put VC behind you. Yes they took us all for a BAD ride but life does go on and the longer u let it bring you down the harder it will be to get on ur feet.
For those of u that do know me, you can understand where I am coming from. My whole career with VC was to provide support for others no matter where you worked within the company. I am a friends to many whether it was at work or outside of work. Support it what will get us all thru this.
Please take a moment to think about the wasted time those of you are experience dwelling on the ending of the VC life. Put ur head up and go on.. We all have learned so much that will help us in our futures.
Besides.. You never know what tomorrow brings... Life is way to short to keep on with a bad attitude. I learned that over the last couple of weeks. One day everything is fine then the world changes and it changes everyone's life.. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I know first hand.... My mother is unable to drive or see at this point. She is depressed and scared. She had major surgery on her carotid artery... and her life nor mine will ever be the same.
I see there has been talk about "bashing" on the VC Sucks site. Don't worry I do not take anything personal on here.. Each person has their own right to their own opinions. Just to clarify the information I provide is not an assumption or my own thoughts. I am still in contact with a few at the Corporate level and am merely passing the proper info onto those of us that need it.
For those still with sour attitudes.. It is time to put VC behind you. Yes they took us all for a BAD ride but life does go on and the longer u let it bring you down the harder it will be to get on ur feet.
For those of u that do know me, you can understand where I am coming from. My whole career with VC was to provide support for others no matter where you worked within the company. I am a friends to many whether it was at work or outside of work. Support it what will get us all thru this.
Please take a moment to think about the wasted time those of you are experience dwelling on the ending of the VC life. Put ur head up and go on.. We all have learned so much that will help us in our futures.
Besides.. You never know what tomorrow brings... Life is way to short to keep on with a bad attitude. I learned that over the last couple of weeks. One day everything is fine then the world changes and it changes everyone's life.. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I know first hand.... My mother is unable to drive or see at this point. She is depressed and scared. She had major surgery on her carotid artery... and her life nor mine will ever be the same.
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