BIRTHDAY TRIPLETS!

Happy Birthday to these FABULOUS Women.

Amy Jo...I love YOU!

Jenny...I LOVE you too!

Kelly

This gal has 10 children and is married to my brother Rich. Anyone that has 10 children is an angel in my book. Wanna know something crazy? She is exactly the SAME age as my sisters Amy and Jenny - same birth year and everything. HOW CRAZY IS THAT???

Happy Birthday you

LOVELY LADIES!

THANK YOU...

Update:

I just received a call from the VP of Nursing at Franklin Hospital. We talked for about an hour about my letter and hospital stay. She was very apologetic as well and assured me that each nurse that took care of me will be spoken to individually. She asked permission to use my letter too and spoke very highly about the way it was written and the passion behind it. I was able to go into more detail about my experience which left her appalled. She promised me that her Nurse Manager will be sending a letter detailing how things will be handled with these nurses as well as an apology. It was a good conversation. More good news!:)

*****

A HUGE thank you to all my blogging friends.

I have to be honest. I'm a peacemaker. I don't like confrontation. The letter was hard to send. I couldn't have done it without

YOU!

*****

My friend Paula (who knows people that know people) helped me out. She hand delivered the letter like she promised early this morning. Guess what? I got a phone call at 9am today. It was the President of LRGH. I was totally shocked. This man was humbled by my letter. He couldn't apologize enough. He told me that he would be taking actions on those people that were responsible for the poor care that I received. He asked me how I was doing. He complimented me on my letter (thanks Tom and others), saying that it was "excellently written" and asked for my permission to use this letter as an example in upcoming meetings. He thanked me for writing the letter and continued to apologize for everything that happened. Then he told me that "should you ever find yourself in this position again" to please call him directly.

*****

I was happy. I felt like I got my point across. I was really impressed that he contacted me as quickly as he did. Makes me feel like I was a priority in his schedule.

*****

Now I can move on with my life.

*****

I really hope that this helps change the situation over in Franklin and prevents anything like this from happening again. Thank you for being my support and my cheerleaders!

TODAY

It's voters Tuesday you know. Wasn't sure if you knew because we haven't had enough of those callers and those commercials saying "who hasn't done what" - WHATEVER! I'll be SO happy when today is OVER. I just want to know WHY we all can't get along. Seriously, I learned THAT in kindergarten.

Went in for more blood work today. Apparently I'm rather anemic again. SURPRISE? I've been battling this issue since I got really sick in the summer. I can't even walk up the stairs without gasping for breath. It's sad. I feel old. Wait...I am old. I'm taking my three iron pills a day, eating BEEF and drinking prune juice. STILL TIRED. I'll find out tomorrow how low I am.
This is a HUGE shout out to Papa Don, we picked pears off his pear tree a few weeks ago and canned them today. My husband was an excellent helper. (except for when he was complaining about his hands being all sticky and stuff) Provident Living people...these jars are headed to my basement for their long winters nap.
I VOTED. My mommy will be proud. I dragged my pale face, tired rear out the door to go cast my vote. I got my sticker friends. I earned it. Thank you and amen.

MY LETTER TO THE HOSPITAL

Blogging friends and family, I need your help. I have written the letter that I promised to write. Please read and help with some feedback. I would like to get this letter delivered as soon as possible. THANK YOU!

*********************************************************

Dear Thomas A. Clairmont:

I was recently a patient at your hospital in Franklin, NH. (10/29-10/31/2008) I was scheduled for a same day procedure but ended up staying a couple of days because of some minor complications. This was my first experience at the Franklin Hospital. Turns out it will be my last. My surgery consisted of a “hysteroscopy and D&C”. The pre-surgical team was great, the post-surgical team was great as well. It wasn't until I got moved up to the floor (2nd to be exact) that things started to go down hill. After surgery, I tend to have a reaction to the narcotics that I am given. My body itches all over. To help with this reaction, the nurses usually give me some IV Benadryl. Up on the floor I was begging for some benadryl as my dose had worn off. The nurses continually told me “no” and that “you don't need it”. After begging and begging some more, I was told “just stop itching, you're only making it worse.” Because they denied me the benadryl, I rubbed the skin off my nose which created a scab, and I caused sores all over my body from itching so badly. I was eventually reduced to tears while begging for relief when the nurse finally responded, “FINE, I'll go get it for you.” All through that first night I listened to an elderly lady moan and yell out in pain. She was ignored throughout the whole night. She verbalized her pain, but they continued to ignore her. When they finally came in to help her their voices dripped with annoyance. Time after time when I used my call button I was either ignored or rudely told “we're trying to find your nurse”. After waiting over an hour at a time I would push the call button (this time to get help to use the bathroom) and again the staff would say “we're TRYING to locate your nurse!” and then hang up on me, never asking me what I had called for. It was degrading. I felt trapped. I felt inhuman. I wanted to leave so badly but because my potassium levels were low, the doctor wanted to keep me another night. “I can't stay here ANOTHER NIGHT!” I thought. Maybe if they had brought me a meal tray in the first 48 hours, my potassium levels might not have dropped. That's right, the nurses never offered me anything to eat or drink. Just for the record, I was on a regular diet. That meant that I should have been eating AND drinking. Because I was in a narcotic haze, I couldn't think straight or make any decisions for myself. Isn't this what nurses are for? Where was the compassion? Did they know that I had just recently been through 4 other procedures in the past four months? They should have, it was in my chart. Did they realize that I had JUST lost a baby at 20 weeks? They should have, it was in my chart. I am still trying to recover from this traumatic experience in my life while going through more surgeries. The nurses didn't care. They SHOULD have. It worries me that others (such as the elderly lady that was beside me) have to go through similar experiences as mine. If these nurses have lost their compassion then they need to go. I have had such wonderful experiences at LRGH and it frightens me to think that Franklin is associated with that hospital. I am writing you this letter to make you aware of the kind of treatment that I received at the Franklin Hospital. I want you to know that I am someone with excellent health insurance and that all my bills will be payed. On the other hand, I want you to know that I feel I was heavily short changed. My stay at the Franklin Hospital was no less than a nightmare. One that I couldn't escape from fast enough. In closing I want you to know that as I was being wheeled down from my room to my waiting car, the nurse realized my IV was still in my arm. She ran into the nearest bathroom, grabbed some crunchy paper towels, literally ripped the IV from my arm and threw the paper towels at me telling me to apply pressure to my now gaping wound and then wheeled me out the door. That was the icing on the cake. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Becky Orton

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBY!

Join me in wishing this boy

a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

(go on...show him some comment LOVE)

HE'S 12!

He makes me smile...
He melts my heart...
He makes me proud...

He makes me laugh...

He makes me whole...

I LOVE YOU BUBBY!

FEELING HEALTHY

(do NOT mock this pose)

"The amount you laugh in your relationships with others is the true measure of the health of your personality."

Brian Tracy

MOLD

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Every year my children dressed alike.

It was tradition.

They played along, not always so willingly.

2002

SKELETONS

Poor Ben wasn't really into THIS look.

2003
Frogs
It's not easy being green...
(atleast that's what Ben's sayin')
Ahhh.....2004.
This was a good year for
The Mummies!
The mommy spent lots of hours
wrapping and unwrapping.
It was loads of fun.
Just look at Kayla's face.
She can hardly contain herself.
2005 was FANTASTIC!
The BAKER'S FOUR
We brought cinnamon rolls around to our teachers.
Ben was totally digging the mustache.
It's a good look.
2006
Karate Kids
Okay, so this was a REALLY lame year.
We were in the hospital with Ben.
Barely got home in time to trick or treat.
Threw on some karate outfits and hit the streets.
Whatever, it worked.
The BIG Finale!
2007
STAR WARS
Storm Trooper, Yoda, Princess Leia and Padme
*****
I told my kids
I'M DONE!
(no more costumes from me)
FEND FOR YOURSELVES!

This year (2008) my child did just that.

She FENDED for herself.

She's what we like to call

"MOLD"

(who's laughing with me?)
Stevie wins the prize.

Kayla and Kaleb are TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL.

Ben went to be a pumpkin in someone else's patch.

Watch OUT! She's contagious...

ANOTHER SURGERY

I had to have more surgery Wednesday.

(continued FEMALE PLUMBING issues)

My doctor performed a D&C and hysteroscopy.

It was meant to be a same day procedure.

Turned into three days.

I reacted to the narcotics that were given to me.

I had very unsympathetic nurses.

In my anesthetic FOG, I begged and begged for

BENADRYL.

All I got was: "STOP itching, you're only making it worse!"

But I couldn't help it.

I itched and itched like mad.

My whole body looks like my nose.

(arms, belly, legs and neck)

My "same day" procedure turned into a 50 hour hospital stay.

I was dehydrated, my potassium levels were low.

It was AWFUL!

The nurses were SO callous.

Borderline abusive.

It was the worst hospital stay EVER!

They did not give me food or drink for over 48 hours.

They would ignore my call button, or just hang up on me.

I was completely reduced to tears.

*****

I will be writing a letter...

*****

ps: As my nurse wheeled me down to the car, she noticed that she neglected to take out my IV which was still in my right arm. She ran into a nearby bathroom, crumpled up some paper towels, ripped the IV out and threw the paper towels at me to contain the blood that was pouring out of my arm. Classy, huh?

CONFESSION

I have a confession.

It's been eating at me since 1st grade.

FIRST GRADE I TELL YOU!

There was this girl, her name was B.

She had the BEST lunch in town.

I coveted her box.

She had FRUIT ROLL-UPS.

I wanted them.

Every day before recess I would stay behind,

until the room was empty.

When everyone was gone...

I would scout out her lunch box.

Opening it up I would see the roll-up,

and TAKE IT!

This went on for a couple weeks.

I knew it was wrong.

I felt guilty doing it.

Day after day I deprived this girl of her fruit snack.

Until...her mother got the best of me.

She wrote a note and stuck it inside the roll-up,

then sealed it up again.

I didn't see this coming.

I stole that fruit roll-up

and snuck off to the bathroom to eat it.

Inside was the note.

It talked of how stealing was wrong.

I never took her fruit snack again.

I never told her either.

Today my burden has been lifted.

She found me on FACEBOOK.

I confessed of my crime.

She laughed and forgave me.

All is well.

FAMILY PICTURES

This is what we did Saturday.

My friend EP was kind enough

to put up with us for an hour or so.

See?

Do you SEE how Steve is adding some leaves

to this lovely shot?

Isn't that SO helpful?

I know she appreciated it.

I'd show you more...

(like his OLAN MILL pose

or his body building pose)

But you'll have to wait till Christmas.

(don't want to ruin the surprise)

YOU WON'T BE SORRY!