Downwinders

I am a "downwinder." A downwinder is someone who is exposed to nuclear radiation, specifically during atomic testing in the 1950's and 60's. I spent my childhood living on a dairy farm in Idaho. We drank raw milk from our Jersey cows who grazed on grass from the meadow by the house and ate hay harvested from our own farmland, thus concentrating any exposure from nuclear testing in Nevada in the 1950's. It seems that radiation caught the wind patterns and fell hundreds of miles away just like the government thought it would, mostly on less populated parts of the United States. This was information which would take decades to become public knowledge.

When I first read about downwinders and realized that I qualified as one a few years back, I had also just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroid disease. Thyroid issues are common in downwinders (Hyperactive thyroids are medically destroyed using radioactive iodine.) Interestingly, 4 of my 6 siblings are currently taking medication to treat thyroid problems. Both of our parents had thyroid issues, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Thyroid cancer is common in downwinders. I insisted that my endrocirnologist place copies of articles that I had collected about downwinders in my medical file. There was no resistance on his part.

I was born in Fremont County and our dairy farm was in Madison County, both of which are in the red northeast corner of Idaho just below Montana and west of Wyoming as you can see in the map of the United States at the beginning of this post. I find this map to be fairly sobering. I've been thinking more about being a downwinder lately as I read, watch, and hear about the nuclear energy plant disaster in Japan. I also find it hard to trust those who are reassuring us that there is no danger.

Halloween was prep day

I spent Halloween prepping for a screening colonoscopy. Anyone who has been there and done that needs no further information. Those who haven't can wait until it is their turn. Suffice to say that Glen answered the door for the neighborhood trick or treaters.

He had some help. Jill and Lynette brought Kimber for an appointment today at St. Joseph's Hospital in their CF unit. Kimber was able to beat Glen to the door most doorbell rings. It was great to visit with them and to have them in our home overnight. Looks like we will be blessed with monthly visits while Jill and her family are living in Arizona - even if it is in what may be the closest house to the border along the whole Utah/Arizona boundary.

Janae, look who I kidnapped from Provo :)

Heather's Book

On the first Sunday in February, our family's usual annual Valentine cookie decorating night, Heather arrived with a book she had written and illustrated for me. I had already experienced hospital visit #1 and was at the end of a very hard week. It would be just a matter of hours before I would embark on hospital visit #2. This book was one of the highlights of my month. It did make me feel better and very loved!

White dresses

Tomorrow morning we have a very special appointment at the temple. Miss Julianna Marie will be sealed to her family for time and all eternity.

Tomorrow afternoon we have another very special event to attend. Miss Heather Laurel, who turned "8" in January, will be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While my body recovers I have been working on a special white dress for each of them. Tonight, just after sunset, I hemmed the dresses and sent them on their way for the big day tomorrow. It will be a very special day, a double bonus day!

Julianna dress has big puffy sleeves. She looks like an angel in her dress.

I started hand smocking her dress way back in November, thinking that she might be going to the temple shortly after her first birthday. However, her adoption did not become final until the first week of February. Of course, that gave me permission to procrastinate sewing her dress together.

Heather's dress was hand smocked and sewed together this month of recovery. Her uncle Nate helped me put both the front and back fabric panels through the pleater.

Her dress has smocking all the way around. I used the same smocking design for both dresses.

I picked a pattern for Heather that looked older. It looks great on her. Both dresses have the same decorative edging with entreduex through which I wove floss for a special finished look.

It's been my pleasure to create white dresses for two special girls for their very special days!

A tale of two hospitals

Hospital #1
February 1, Enter ER at approximately 6:15pm with symptoms of heart attack (no baby aspirin offered). CT scan administered. Admitted to monitor heart and heart enzymes, both negative.
February 2, Discharged at approximately 6:30pm after waiting for seven hours for mystery doctor to make an appearance.
Diagnosis: "It's a mystery but I think you had food poisoning (even though I just barely made your acquaintance and did not see you while in pain and misery) and I recommend that you go home and throw away your peanut butter and honey."
Cost: More than you want to know. Let's just say that it cleared out our HSA account and BCBS of AZ chipped in over a grand, too.

Hospital #2
February 8, Enter ER at approximately 11:15am with symptoms of a heart attack (promptly given four baby aspirin). Staff seems seasoned, experienced, and helpful.
February 10, Discharged at approximately 11:30am by surgeon.
Diagnosis: Gallbladder stones and diseased gallbladder (which was removed on February 9 at 7:30am.)
Cost: I don't know yet, but worth every penny! However, I do feel that Hospital #1 should provide a refund towards Hospital #2 bill. I'm just saying!!

If you would like to know identities of Hospitals 1 & 2, just ask.

Thank you for the roses Janae and Andrew.
They continue to brighten my days.

To all of my children, Thank you! Your concern, visits, food, yummy soup, house cleaning, etc., have been so appreciated!

To my sisters and Glen, thanks for "watching my back."

Wear red today

The "Wear Red" campaign has suddenly reached my consciousness this year. The above picture is a pretty good representation of my week. Late Monday afternoon, this is what happened to me! As I tried to figure out what to do and how concerned I should be, Glen came home from work, googled "women heart attack symptoms" and decided that we were going to the ER now. After EKG's and a CT scan and multiple needle stabs to check my heart enzymes, I was given the all clear and discharged from the hospital with everyone from Glen, to the nurses, to the discharge doctor giving me their opinion. (The discharge doctor's opinion was the most bizarre and included the advice to dispose of all my peanut butter and honey :) Where is Dr. House when you really need him?

It could be a funny story if it hadn't been so scary and painful and distressing. Yes, I'm grateful that all tests were negative and that I was surrounded by family members who could give me a priesthood blessing, but it has given me pause. So ladies, remember that you only have one heart and that it is the leading killer of women; more die from heart disease than all forms of cancer each year.

To all of you who showed that you cared and enquired about me, I thank you. To my children who rushed to lend support, I thank you. To my sisters who surrounded me in person and by cell phone, I thank you. To my Relief Society sisters, including Becky and Emilia, who filled in for me on the night of a Stake Relief Society meeting, I thank you. To my sweet husband who supports me always, I thank you.

As my granddaughters, Ruby and Sadie rode up and down with me on my hospital bed, I realized that I am a blessed woman who has more blessings than I can truly enumerate.

Emilia took pictures of the RS meeting and the basil. Thanks Emilia for delivering the plants and documenting the evening for me! Don't smirk when you see the night's theme!