OK, so the last month has been very eventful - both VERY sad and VERY happy..
My cousin Alex remains in critical condition after being hit by a drunk driver and thrown from his vehicle on Labor Day weekend. He is 22 years old and is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the accident. He has had one surgery to stabilize his spine but the remaining surgeries must wait at this point until he is more stable. He has had pneumonia and has been septic. He is still dependent on a ventilator though he does now have a trach instead of an et tube (tube down his throat). He was in CT scan the other day and they found a pneumothorax (collapsed lung), so it was back in with the chest tube, and what they were planning to do at that point, they couldn't. It seems like things keep getting put off. Alex's hospital bills are insane, and his insurance maxed out weeks ago. He has been awake, is now fully aware of what happened, and is dealing with all of this as you would expect - not well.
Below is a link to the latest in Alex's story.
My Grandpa, Alexander Convertito, 91 died on September 23, after a few months of at home care. He had cancer among other ailments and towards the end was in a lot of pain. We went to CT on Labor Day weekend to visit him, and he didn't look well then. It has been very sad for myself and my family, but I do find peace knowing that he is no longer in pain. My Uncle Mark gave a eulogy that I know would have made Grandpa proud, and because of Grandpa's service in the U.S. Army there were military honors at the cemetery.
Since that weekend we have been trying to get back to "normal"...
The only news with us is that I accepted a full time job. I am the official skills lab coordinator at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. I will be involved with inventory and ordering supplies, helping with skills lab practice, validations, and remediation - among other tasks. I'm looking forward to it and am hopeful that the schedule will work out better for our family. I will be working M-F 8-4 but will have the benefit of the lovely school schedule (off on weekends and holidays and from 6/15-8/15). After 13 years of nursing in the hospital setting, I'm not sure I'll know how to act working during the day, having off on weekends, not having to beg borrow and steel to be off on Christmas.... but somehow I think I'll get used to it. Of course I plan to pick up time at GBMC in lactation during those school breaks to help our income and to continue in that field (I absolutely LOVE my work in lactation but have been unable to find full time work in that area).
Now that I finally have a full time job, we can look for a place to live. The search is officially on. We are fully aware that to find something within our budget in this area we're going to have to find a dump that needs a lot of work... Could be a good thing... could make us crazy... We'll see what happens. We want to take our time and get the right place for us, but we're balancing that with our need to get back out on our own - especially before Williams #3 arrives! Yes, I'm having that nesting thing that makes me want to be settled and organized. OK, that probably has more to do with my personality in general, but pregnancy is magnifying it. Yes, the thought of having to bring a new baby back to my parents' house then move while on maternity leave makes me feel both claustrophobic and freaked out. Again, my parents have been incredible... it's just time for us to be in our own space and for them to have their space back.
It will all work out - always does.
The kids are good, and so is Darin. Will post more soon.
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