To Our Beloved Missionary Grandsons

Gramps and I read your letters with great interest. We are thankful that Heavenly Father blesses you with many tender mercies and that he is helping you both to be successful and to be happy in your work. We pray daily, and usually, more often than once a day, that you will be blessed. You are in our thoughts continually and we are proud of you young men who are serving our Father in Heaven and our Savior.

We are here in Colorado Springs for the second week. Kirsten had surgery on her jaw and had it broken in four places so that her joints would work as they should. She has been in constant pain with them and the spacers the orthodontist had her wearing for the last four years did not work. The surgery was extremely painful and I am certain that it would have killed me. (Especially since I cannot take many pain relievers.) She had the surgery on Wednesday, and then came home to pain and drugs. That was when the trouble started. She had two ambulance rides in two days. Monday, either the oxycodone, hydrocodone, or Keflex caused her to have a severe allergic reaction. She swelled, got hives and had great difficulty breathing. At the ER, they were unable to determine what caused the problem for certain. Although the Dr. there thought that it was most likely that it was both the narcotics. They took her off of everything at the hospital, except for Tylenol. (I do not have time to look any of this spelling up.) They kept her overnight and, in the morning, they put her on a morphine-type drug and sent her home at noon. We got back about 1 p.m. but had to go to Walgreens and get the new drugs. Guess what? She took the first dose and started to swell again. She was not as bad the second time and did not need to stay the night. The next day, on a Wednesday, one week after the surgery, we were headed to the surgeon when she started to swell again. We ended up back at the ER where they treated her and sent us on to the surgeon. It took the three times before they finally figured out which medication was making her stop breathing. Apparently she cannot take any narcotics. It is a good thing that she never took up drugs. ;) They also had to take away the steriods which were supposed to keep her from swelling because they gave her panic attacks.

I am certainly happy that I never had the same surgery. At one point, one orthodontist said it might be a good thing to do to cure my TMJ but I found a different specalist who just made all my teeth fit together. The orthodontist who took over Dr. Kitchen's practice after he died in the airplane accident was the one who told us that Kirsten did not need braces and that her mouth looked just great. HAH! Can I sue at this late date. I know, I know, he did the best he could at the time. She was just 12 or 13. I am too old for all of this fear of dying. Could you guys all knock it off, OK? Just be healthy, strong and do NOT have surgery or accidents. :)

My tooth was removed, the bone graft done, and, in six months, I will get an implant. I have a new cap on the tooth that was decaying under the old cap. I am in good shape. I hope Kirsten soon will be. I think she is very brave and has had so much pain, in addition to the allergies.

Well, Gramps and I wanted you both to know that you were loved and remembered. Take care, keep safe, and remember, no accidents or surgeries. I am too old for the trauma.

Lots of love, Grammy and Gramps

The ER and Kirsten

She ended up in the ER again today. It was just a mild reaction today. We took her in the car so she didn't alarm all of the neighbors. (They come running each time that something happens. Two of the older ladies really love her.) We were actually headed toward Denver and her surgeon when she started getting short of breath and her lips and tongue started to swell again. We took a trip to the ER, they treated her, and we went on to Denver. The doctor in ER seemed to think that she was so sensitive because of all the meds she had been taking and because of the adverse reactions she had had that she was just sort of cycling through the junk working out of her system. Pray that is the end of all her misery though she is still in great pain. Love you all!

Kirsten wrote: Thanks for resending.  And for walking me through all this!  Love you!

Myrna wrote: I love you also, lots! That doesn't mean, however, that you can take any more ambulance rides for a very long time.

Melanie wrote: By the way...I don't remember the orthodontist that took over the Kitchen's practice...but I didn't like him as much. The Kitchens were fabulous!

Melanie about allergic reactions

Melanie wrote: I have allergic reactions to any morphine medications...usually swelling, vomiting, and a drop in blood pressure. And violently allergic to demerol. Also, I can't take cephlasporin...another allergy. Poor thing. I wondered why she wasn't responding to the text.

Ben has the same jaw issues, but our surgeon told us the surgery down sides outweighed the benefits, so we elected not to do the surgery four years ago.

I hope I don't regret that decision in the future.
Mel

Kirsten for the Second Time

For the second time in two days, the ambulance just drove away from the house. Yesterday, either the oxycodone, hydrocodone, or keflex caused her to have a severe allergic reaction. At the ER, they were unable to determine what caused the problem for certain. Although the Dr. there thought that it was most likely that it was both the narcotics. They took her off of everything at the hospital, except for Tylenol. (I do not have time to look any of this spelling up.) They put her on a morphine-type drug and sent her home at noon. We got back about 1 p.m. but had to go to Walgreens and get the new drugs. Guess what? She took the first dose and started to swell again. She is not as bad this time and, I am hoping, will not need to stay the night. We are supposed to take her back for her one-week checkup tomorrow. I am certainly happy that I never had this surgery. Shawn and Melanie, who took over Dr. Kitchen's practice after he died? He was the one who told us that Kirsten did not need braces that her mouth looked just great. HAH! Can I sue at this late date. I know, I know, he did the best he could at the time. She was just 12 or 13. I am too old for all of this fear of dying. Could you guys all knock it off, OK? Just be healthy, strong and do NOT have surgery or accidents. :)

Todd wrote: A friend to Amy and me had this done as a senior even after he wore headgear for a couple of years. It was painful, but worked. He was most surprised by his facial change. He got a chin out of the ordeal.

Myrna wrote: I would have liked the chin but not the pain. I just wore braces for four LONG years. They did the best they could and I do have a bite. Kirsten did not have a bite.

Amy J. wrote about the Myrna's mention of the difficulty of  keeping up with a family schedule and her admiration for the young mothers of the family: But you DID do it Myrna, AND you had 8 kids instead of 5! :)  Give Kirsten our love and she will be in our prayers for a speedy recovery.  Have fun with her kiddos. Amy


Myna wrote: Yes, BUT, my kids will all tell you they had to ride bikes some places they went and walk others. We were lucky to live two blocks from church and that helped a lot.

Melanie wrote: ...and three blocks from the Elementary school, a half mile from the old high school, across the street from our friends, a short bike ride to the pool and dance...it was fun to ride bikes everywhere.

Todd wrote: I have scars from trying to keep up with Shawn. 

Shawn wrote: ...and most of that bike riding was on one speed bikes, but that is how we got around.

and yikes, headgear!

 

From Lyla Spencer

Hope you are staying warm in Colorado!!  No one from the press showed up at our meeting tonight.  Short meeting and guess what??  i have been recording for 10 yrs and have never done what I did last night.  I found out when I got home to burn the minutes that they had been deleted!!  So I hurried and typed what I remembered, good thing I took some notes and it was a short meeting.  We held an excutive session (UGH)  and that was okay, I recorded that.  I wonder sometimes if our executive sessisions really merrit an executive status!!  Oh well!!  Not my problem I guess!!  
 
See you next meeting and have a safe trip home!!
 

Kirsten is Out of Surgery

Kirsten was out of surgery at noon today. That was about four and a half hours from start to finish. The doctor said he was able to do everything he planned. In other words, he cut her upper jaw and her lower jaw apart and made it so that her bite meets. She had very thin facial bone but he was still able to get the screws to stay in place in the plates. (It is too bad that Dr. Kitchen died. He kept Shawn from having to do what Kirsten is doing by giving him headgear). She will have lots of pain but they are keeping her sedated so that she can rest and heal. Tomorrow, when she comes home, our adventure will really begin. We must watch her meds so that she gets painkiller every four hours. The kids cannot sit on her lap or hug her for fear that they will jostle something loose and she will have to undergo more surgery. She cannot talk at all. She has to write what she wants on a white board. She has a doorbell buzzer in her room and it will ring downstairs. She has to sleep in a recliner so that her head is up. She will need to do that for six weeks. There will be no solid food for two weeks or more. She has a syringe that she will use to squirt juices in between her teeth (sealed together with elastics). We have to keep her locked up and away from the youngest kids for the next two weeks. I don't know how this is all going to work but I guess we will find out. Dad and I must leave at 5 a.m. to go and get her. I honestly do not know how any of you keep up with your lives. Taking kids to school, picking kids up from school, running errands, shopping, washing, ironing, fixing meals, keeping things moderately clean and having the company of wonderful little people while you do it AND staying on schedule.

SV: "Holdman Christmas Lights 2010 - Complete Show"‏

Holdman Christmas Lights 2010 - Complete Show

Play video
Visit us at http://www.holdman.com/christmas The complete Holdman Christmas Light Display for 2010 after a fresh snow storm. Music Winter Wonderland - Alexia Phillips Yule - Amazing Grace Carol of…
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Added on 12/23/10
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Kenneth Anderson, Denmark, wrote: Glad you enjoy the display! The father of the fellow who has been making these Christmas displays is a colleague. Have been in touch with both for some years!

I watch it every year at Christmas time!

 The following link puts our (Floyd Holdman, the father) mutual involvement in perspective:

http://vimeo.com/13514540

Where We Are For Two Weeks

Melanie wrote: So,  you are at the Waite's?

We are in Colorado with the Waites. We will be here for two weeks. Kirsten has extensive jaw surgery on Wednesday. She will be home on Thursday. I hope we have planned enough time for her to heal enough that she is no longer on pain pills when we leave. We will be here until February 3.

Shawn wrote: We're glad you can be there for the recovery. We hope all goes well.

At Kirsten's and Ready to Go

We are at Kirsten's home in Colorado Springs. We will be here for at least two weeks. Kirsten has extensive jaw surgery on Wednesday. She will be home on Thursday. I hope we have planned enough time for her to heal enough that she is no longer on pain pills when we leave. We will be here until February 3.