Winter Olympics

The Olympics start tonight. I'm out of it...I forgot that the Summer Olympics wasn't that long ago...in China, wasn't it?

Anyway, we like the winter Olympics as much as the summer ones. Maybe more, since we are stuck inside anyway. I don't like that a luger has already died at a practice session. The track is too fast they say. I always said that if I were to compete in the Olympics, it would be as a luger.

However, I have never even been on a luge. I have been on sleds in my life though.

I'm sure riding a luge would scare the shit out of me. But the sound of it is very intriguing to me.

Yesterday we went to see Ryan play at NFA. In the early minutes of the game he was going for a lay-up, was fouled (not called) and fell to the floor with two guys on top of him. His head (temple) smacked the floor and I could tell he went unconscious.

I was hollering for them to take him out, but play continued and he got up within seconds and ran down the court, holding his head briefly. I kept hollering for them to stop the game. He got to the top of the key and then his right leg buckled and I thought he would go down again. He righted himself somehow and the coach called a timeout. He walked to the bench and sat down, looking bad.

I told Sandy to go over and identify herself and let them know she's a nurse. Sandy, who will always let anything stop her from doing the right thing in a medical emergency, hesitated, listening to people in the stands who were saying "he's all right." I hollered at her to "GO!"

She went over and came back shortly. A sports trainer was with Ryan and was checking him out. I asked her if Ryan knew who she was....she said she didn't ask him! DUH!

Anyway, they checked Ryan very thoroughly. I saw the trainer doing the eye tests (H-pattern, etc) on him. She talked to him a lot and then let him talk a lot. By half time, they conferred and recommended that he go to the hospital. They said his vision was off.

We already knew that. We took him to L&M. He couldn't remember what he had done the day before. He couldn't remember who won the Super Bowl. I got a plastic bag out in case he felt nauseous. I know that sometimes riding in the car can do that.

He had a CT scan and the doctor is taking this very seriously. He has to be out of commission for a week. He can't watch more than a half hour of tv, no texting, video games, etc. Can't stimulate the brain. They say it's like poking at a bad bruise on your thigh or arm...it keeps aggravating the injury. I never thought of it that way.

So, no more basketball...the season ends in two weeks anyway. He's okay with that, as he wants to be able to play lacrosse, where he got another (milder) concussion last fall. One more and he has to sit for a year. I think that's the rule, three concussions in a year....you have to rest a year. It makes sense.

It reminded me of when I had a concussion. I was in my early 20's and was playing softball in the city league. I was running from second to third when the shortstop ran into me...her head hit my temple. I went down like a shot and passed out. As I was coming to, I heard the third baseman saying "give me the ball, give me the ball." Then she tagged me and said, "you're out, now are you okay?" I came up off the ground with fist clenched ready to beat the shit out of her.

I had a headache for three days. In these days, I would go to the ER. In those days, you sucked it up and went to work.

After we dropped him off at the ER (his mother was there waiting for him) we called Frank and Jean and met them at 99 in Groton. We had a great meal and used our coupons to make it even better! I got the country fried chicken (I love that) and could only eat half of that...so I had the other half for lunch today....YUM!

Sandy went for a job interview today at the hospital. It's for a Nurse Informationist job. There are three positions open. Sounds like she did really good in both interviews and they may not be hiring her for the current positions, but may have her in mind for one they know is opening up soon. I think that may be the best fit for her. She really likes the sound of what this job is all about and so do I. It is the future of nursing and she would be right there on the forefront. It's all about technical stuff, trouble shooting, dealing with computers and other things she likes.

I hope she gets it. She's worried because it's a 40 hour M-F first shift position. She's worried that she won't be there if I need her. I reminded her that she has FMLA she can use if it's really really necessary and that I haven't begun to tap into the friends I can call on if I need a ride, etc.
Of course I had to tell her this about 'leventy billion times because that's how many times she asked me....she's a Libra.

Oh, Taylor passed her state EMT exam. So proud of her...she hasn't even graduated high school and she has already accomplished this. Not bad for someone who isn't even 18!!

Now I enter the part of my treatment when my counts will be down and I can't go out in public. That means we spend Valentine's Day at home, we'll celebrate tomorrow (Sandy has to work Sunday) and we are planning a nice steak dinner. Then we'll watch the Olympics!

U S A! U S A! U S A!!!! Or Canada....I root for them too. Or Sweden...them too.

I languished in bed this AM, reading the paper and drinking my protein shake. Sometime after 11 am I heard a sound, "WHOOOMP!" and it felt like something had fallen (a tree?) or some other thing had happened. The dogs immediately went nuts, barking and racing all over the house, looking for the culprit.

Sandy thought it was up stairs, I thought something happened downstairs. She looked around in the yard and saw nothing out of the ordinary. We forgot about it.

Later on we realize that what we heard was from the explosion of the energy plant that blew up today in Middletown. Unbelieveable that we would feel it all the way over here! Sandy asked Jean if they heard it and they said no....but then again, they are old! HA HA!

I think we are more sensitive here because of the amount of ledge that we sit on.

Those poor people at that power plant....five dead so far and more injured. They are searching the rubble now for more bodies.

And I know someone who works there! Drew Schneider (Erin's Dad) is an engineer there. They live in Portland. Thankfully, he wasn't there today.....but he knows these guys.

I haven't felt well all day. I may have a cold or something. Last night I got a headache from the Zofran...the drug I take for nausea. Every time I take it, the headache gets a little worse. Fortunately, I can handle just about any kind of headache...due to years of practice. I'd rather have a headache than be the least bit nauseous!

Anyway, I couldn't sleep too good last night. So, I slept a bit today. I watched the Huskies dispatch the Louisville Cardinals from the bed, then rolled over and slept some more. Oh, and I listened to my police scanner on my iPhone...my latest addiction.

I listen to the scanner all the time now. Yesterday I heard them do a routine traffic stop on someone I know! She got a warning for headlight violation. I also heard some heavy duty stuff, like a girl in our old neighborhood fighting with her family, taking a knife to them. They got the knife away from her and her brother was sitting on her, holding her down until the police got there. That was a mental health case.

It's very interesting. I can't imagine how the police can do that stuff day after day. Too much excitement!

We're watching the Super Bowl now. Don't know why, really. My team was over long ago. Maybe next year.

The ads can be fun though.

Nighty night!