Little Scare

I guess I didn't explain well what happened as far as the recall for more views on the mammo. I went last week for my annual mammo. I didn't think anymore about it until Monday afternoon. We went to Provo to the dentist that morning because he wanted to check on my tooth. We also took the old TV up to Siovhan. When I got home, I had the news that I needed to have "more views" because there was an area of concern. I called Amy J because she knows about mammos. She told me not to worry because out of 125 mammos each month, 20 or so are called to come back in. (By the way, I didn't even tell her happy birthday.) However, that was telling a worry wart not to worry. I could not get back in until Friday because they have to have a radiologist present to review the films so you do not have to worry so long after having the second mammo done. However, the first shots were not satisfactory and I had to have another, more specific view taken. I have an area where there is something but it compresses and, therefore, cannot be cancer. I meet with my doctor on Thursday and he will explain what they found and why I don't have to worry. It just looked white to me.

Don't feel unloved. I love you all. Do you want to hear about everything that happens to Dad and I? I think not, you would just be concerned. In fact, when Dad said he was giving me a blessing "for my problem" and that Jim was going to help, I said, "Which problem? My mammo results, my tooth, my hip, my elbow, my shoulder, my lower back?" He said, "I'll just bless you from your head to your toes." And he did.

It is a good plan. Now we just need to do the same for him.

Lots of love, M

So, Now You Know, Comments

After having so many children, you should realize that you can't save them from everything. How were you to know that she would fall and break her wrist. She isn't going to hold you responsible. You know you can't keep children in a bubble. If you are responsible for that, then I need to be held responsible for Siovhan breaking her ankle because I allowed her to take band and then I am responsible for Braden's broken arm, because he was playing tag and fell on the sidewalk. Things like this happen. Ask my other
siblings how they feel when bad things happen to their children. Most of the time we with our children when these things happen, it doesn't make it anything but an accident. I know that you will show and increased love to Maddie and she will enjoy that. Be glad that it happened during the summer and not during the school year. (I was going to say "Fall," but knew that Shawn would say, 'Melanie, it did happen during the fall.' " 

I love you and know that you love the grandchildren. My siblings know that
you love their children. 

Melanie

I am sorry that Maddie got hurt. I hope she is feeling somewhat better today. I am also sorry it happened while you were watching. Melanie is right, but whenever a child is hurt on our watch it is always easy to question yourself. Melanie is also right that I might have said it did happen during the fall, but I might have also said that it happened at the beginning of the winter (it wasn't the fall that hurt her, but the abrupt ending of the fall, that would make it the winter). Not to contribute to your feeling of worry Mom, but next time maybe you should just send her outside with a salt shaker and a mission--like your grandma did to you. I can still almost picture you chasing around after the slightly concerned robins.

Love,

Shawn

...or even better, give her the salt shaker, pull up some weeds near the
pear tree, show her the worms and let nature take its course. Cousin Don
used to feed kids cat-food while he was watching them and his mother was at
the store. He didn't spoon it to them, he just pointed them to the "snacks"
in the dish on the floor.

I hope all is well with Maddie. It was all an accident. I think we all
have at least one scar from an accident of some sort. Of the collection God
gave me, I only have one digit of the ten on my hands that is scar-free.
Four of those scars happened in the time I have been married. It's all part
of growing up and unfortunately, I am still growing up.

Love you.

- Todd

Well, Now You Know.

How many years have I done a good job watching kids? Well, a fairly good  job. I blew it all on Thursday. My history is shot. I had AnnMarie's three youngest (the two oldest were at youth conference with Brandon) and Eric's four. It had rained all day long. Finally, about 3 p.m. the sun came out. I decided it would be good for all of us to get out of the house. The older kids headed for the swings. I have a horrible fear of some little kid  running in front of a swing and getting cut. That happened to Melanie when she was two while I was watching all the kids in the ward during a funeral.  At any rate, I was playing with Rachel over by the pear tree. I pulled up some weeds and showed her the worms. Then Megan and Jason climbed up the apple tree. Everyone else was still on the swings. In just a second, Maddie had tried to climb the tree. She slipped and fell and caught herself with her right arm. She broke her wrist. We got her in the house and laid her on the floor by the fridge. That kept her arm flat. I filled a baggie with crushed ice and put it on her arm. Then I made a sling out of an old sheet that I tore up and put a big sweater of mine around her. Meanwhile, Dad called Amy and Eric. We got the kids in the car and then got Maddie in. We gave her a fleece blanket to rest her arm on during the ride and Dad took them to Payson to the emergency ward. He stopped by their house and Jason took charge of the other kids while Dad went on to the hospital. Thank goodness her arm did not swell so that she could have a cast right away.

Her arm sure looked awful but she was very brave and barely cried, only a bit when it first happened and then when I got her arm in the sling. After that,  she didn't shed anymore tears. Of course, she broke her right arm. So much  for the summer and swimming. 

Love, Dumdum