I have not posted much doll related lately...sadly. I have not had doll time in well over a month, even though I have new dolls and doll related items just awaiting me at home...


I started this year's school year in early August knowing I was going to have a surgery into the first quarter, which thankfully was moved up 2 weeks into August. After 2 weeks in my classroom establishing rues and norms and getting back int "math mode", I had my scheduled surgery this past Tuesday.

All seemed to go well...I felt great Wednesday and was released home that day. I felt great Thursday resting at home. Then Friday I started getting short of breath and light-headed/dizzy and off balance by Friday evening.

Now, having worked in medical for years, including ER shifts, I decided to just "wait it out" at home to see how things progressed. ER visits on weekends are generally a crowded event, so I thought I would self-monitor until at least Tuesday, since I already had a follow-up planned for then.

Sadly, Sunday arrived. Eric was at church, so I was alone. I decided to go to the kitchen to get something to eat to tale my pills, but I never made it. I had very labored breathing and could not walk 4-5 feet without collapsing on whatever chair was available.

I called the ambulance and was able to make it to the front door to unlock/open the door before sitting on the porch to await them.

So...I have been in the hospital since this past Sunday. Even though the initial surgery went well, I ended up with multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms as well as a few distant clots! I have been though many FUN procedures since, but things are starting to change for the better. Instead of doing another invasive procedure on the lungs, I am not on anti-coagulants, which they are trying to adjust to a therapeutic level (getting there) and trying to get me off of the external oxygen to just have room air again.

My cardiac and respiratory teams all visiting this morning and informed me that I will be here at least once more night, maybe 2...then off another 1-2 weeks for recovery!

The planning teacher in me is going nuts! I had only planned on missing last week and this week, so I have lots of work to do now to get things ready for my students. I had everything ready for this coming week, thinking I would be back on Monday, so I need to plan out at least one more week, anticipating possibly missing yet another week.

Those of you are in education can probably understand my anxieties and frustration in trying to maintain a classoom and meaningful instruction while having only been there the first 2 weeks, and now missing possibly up to 4 weeks! But, it is what it is.


All of this due to a major complication from a routine little surgery! It is funny how life goes!

Hoping to feel well and get in some much-needed doll therapy soon!

I will live vicariously through all of you for a bit more!


That's it from the hospital room in NW Indiana. Maybe TMI, but it does highlight how a little something can escalate into something big, as life sometimes does...


Dennis in IN