tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193871702024-02-28T00:58:01.627-05:00Holly's Cochlear JourneyMy blog topic was about my Katrina Relief work (scroll down for this). Now it will document my cochlear implant process.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-39410917650056187242009-12-17T15:24:00.002-05:002009-12-17T15:32:14.453-05:00Well... I've been very bad about posting new stuff. I continue to hear new and different things. Before my surgery (to qualify for the CI) one of the tests was to repeat the words of sentences the computer read to me. Before my CI, my right ear got a 0%, that's right, zippo! I could hear some sounds, just not make any sense of it. At my last visit to the audiologist, I repeated the test and missed one word out of all of the sentences. Since they throw out one of the tests (2 out of 3) I can say I scored 100%!<br /><br />I've likely driven some of my office mates nuts asking what different sounds are, but to their credit, they've been extremely patient (which I've HUGELY appreciated). There was a rattle in the HVAC system somewhere above my desk and thankfully I wasn't the only one to hear it, but the horrible thing was it was right above MY desk! I think it's been fixed now, since I no longer hear it.<br /><br />I've discovered iPods! I've been loading my music onto the two that I have and have started listening to them a lot. I have a much better appreciation for it now. It's now just that I like the tune or the beat... I can hear the words (and I still like it).Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-26113870615532243542009-01-21T10:39:00.001-05:002009-01-21T10:40:37.135-05:00GO STEELERS!I can't not say something about my Steelers! We're going to the Super Bowl, where we will promptly dispatch those pesky birds!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-14102242719707286052009-01-21T09:18:00.004-05:002009-01-21T10:38:46.016-05:00Welcome to the world of noise!I was activated on Wednesday January 7th. My experience was much better than I could have expected. I intentionally kept my expectations low to try to prevent being disappointed in case it didn't work very well. We started out going thru the box of "goodies", many of which I won't be using right away. Brenda (my audiologist) got me all hooked up and we started by doing a modified hearing test. Testing to find the lowest volume I could hear on each of the different electrodes (there are 24?) then testing to find the loudest volume I could be comfortable with. Then we tested all the electrodes to be sure they are all the same volume at both the low (T value) and comfort (C value) levels. This was a bit anticlimactic for me, since it just seemed like a hearing test with the tones. BUT then she turned it on! At first it sounded like a lot of clanging and bells. Deborah videotaped the important parts and I'll see if I can figure out how to edit it and post it (help... Dave?). By the end of the afternoon, I had a raging headache so I took it off for the rest of the evening. <br /><br />The next day I had a seminar for work. I was really nervous about it because I wasn't sure how people would react to the CI. I got there early and set up in the 2nd row on the left side, so I could pick up as much as I could on my right side. I could tell when people asked a question in the back, but couldn't tell yet what they were saying. Thankfully the speakers repeated the question then answered it. No one said boo about my CI!<br /><br />A friend from my professional association (OEHA) wound up setting with me for the day and he and I went to lunch together. In the past I'd been very involved with OEHA, but had pulled back from attending planning meetings since I had such difficulty understanding what was being said.<br /><br />Friday I had another mapping (programming) session. We went thru the same process again to see if I could hear differently, and I could! I was sent home with a new map and a noise program (which I wound up not even trying). I went for a week on this map and as each day went by, the clanging and tinging I initially heard (and still hear when I first put it on) diminished a lot. It sounded like water bubbling over rocks (or what I imagine that would sound like).<br /><br />The weekend after I was activated Deborah wound up in the hospital for 2 days. This provided some interesting opportunities for new listening situations. For example, we were coming back to the room and one of the nurses said "Hey honey, how are you doing?" We were the only ones in the hall, so I assumed she was talking to us. Turned out she was talking to the patient in the room next to her. But the point is the rolling workstation she was at covered her mouth, so I HEARD her and didn't lipread her! Another "moment" was after Deborah got a "roommate". I was playing with my Nintendo DS and she was napping. She woke up and wanted to get my attention, so she tried different quiet sounds and I heard her and responded!<br /><br />I now have four different "rates" or speeds to try. I can't really explain it other than each of them sound different. The faster speeds use up the battery faster, but with rechargeables it's not so bad. I'm done with the first one (900 Hz) and am now on the 2nd (1200 Hz). I'll try it for a couple days then switch to the 600 Hz and later to the 250 Hz. <br /><br />Went to a bar on Sunday night using the 900 Hz. It was the premier showing of the season opener of "L Word" the 6th and last season. It was supposed to be captioned but Showtime screwed up somewhere along the production and it wasn't captioned. I think we sat too close to the big screen, which made the screen very dark and almost impossible for me to lipread the characters, which made for a very frustrating evening. I did win a long sleeved "L Word" t-shirt!<br /><br />There will be many more "CI moments" and I'll do my best to keep up with this blog. If you haven't heard from me in a while, just email me and remind me to post!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-64727867499853046542009-01-06T21:34:00.002-05:002009-01-06T21:54:51.548-05:00TomorrowWell... tomorrow is the big day. Not sure how I'm feeling about this. Excited, scared, nervous... and lots more I don't even have a name for. What if I can't hear anything with it? What if I can hear? Will it be too loud? What will it sound like? I'm doing my best to keep my expectations low, but my hopes high. Is tomorrow the first day of the rest of my life? Will it all be worth it?<br /><br />Surgery was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't have very much pain (gotta love the happy pills!). It's really strange to not be able to feel the top of my right ear and a section of my head. Every now and then it tingles, not quite the needles and pins when something 'falls asleep', but on a much smaller scale.<br /><br />My hair has grown back. I did get it all cut to match the "shave", so it was even shorter than my summertime cut!<br /><br />Stay tuned for details of the big day!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-82367941215582724422008-12-01T14:59:00.002-05:002008-12-01T15:04:57.104-05:00Well, I couldn't make it to work today. I'm gonna drag my derriere there tomorrow, even though I may have to leave early. It doesn't exactly "hurt" but the top of my ear and around it is numb and kinda tingly and sore. Sometimes it feels like I have an earache deep inside - probably my cochlea healing.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-48502265125458678132008-11-27T12:02:00.004-05:002008-11-27T12:21:10.732-05:00Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm thankful for SO many things. I have an amazing group of people in my life who support me, love me, and take great care of me! You know who you are!<br /><br />Today I'm feeling better. Deborah took off my bandage yesterday. I was a little nervous about that. I got a little light headed a couple of times, but managed to do just fine. I'll try taking a shower and washing my hair today, since I last washed it on Sunday I think its due!<br /><br />I'm going to try posting a picture of my turban bandage and I have one with the bandage off.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAixqjPveO3wtUaqi3gWLJcmf72v73pQfWJ1ljjzE4Vu1NtEXuo74ijoKAoXX7TIaFi4g6LoQ6uq8B0ChRtepVahKmCHrxcFZK8cEWwWhgpbLAJgJwsaOCc0tLRJLKT-_-kja/s1600-h/Snapshot_20081127_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAixqjPveO3wtUaqi3gWLJcmf72v73pQfWJ1ljjzE4Vu1NtEXuo74ijoKAoXX7TIaFi4g6LoQ6uq8B0ChRtepVahKmCHrxcFZK8cEWwWhgpbLAJgJwsaOCc0tLRJLKT-_-kja/s400/Snapshot_20081127_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273388030153351202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One piece of bandage is stuck and will hopefully come off in the shower. I'm continuing with pain meds every 4 hours, just trying to stay ahead of it. It's keeping me pretty loopy, so I'm going to start stretching it to every 6 hours today. I've been very fortunate and have had no facial numbness and no taste issues. The right side where they did the surgery is a bit numb and is starting to itch (which is a good thing - means it's healing).<br /><br />I hope this finds everyone enjoying their family and friends and having a wonderful Thanksgiving!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-32803804699971437532008-11-25T06:05:00.003-05:002008-11-25T08:54:27.123-05:00Well... yesterday was the big day! I got up at 4am (eww) and Deborah & I made it to OSU Hospital by 5:30 am. Admitting got us checked in and so began the "hurry up and wait" process. We actually didn't have to wait too long for any of the steps. They took us upstairs to wait for a room, and it was only about a 5-10 minute wait. Got to the room and changed into my lovely designer gown! I had the joy of peeing in a cup... (are you ready for this?) for a pregnancy test! ROFL! I assured them there was no possible way I could be pregnant, but apparently they have to test everyone! (btw - I'm not pregnant).<br /><br />The nurse came in and said they were trying to get the anesthesiologist to come up and talk to me, so I could keep my glasses & hearing aid in. The transport folks showed up and took me down for surgery. I talked to the anesthesiologist out in the hallway. This isn't standard - they usually do this in the surgery room, for privacy issues, but they needed to have their masks on in the surgery room (making it impossible for me to read their lips).<br /><br />Since I was nervous, it felt like forever, but was likely only a couple of minutes.The anesthesiologist started up my IV and my surgeon (Dr. Brad Welling) reassured me that everything would be fine. The anesthesiologist gave me the first shot in my IV, then a second shot, then the next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room. The surgery took 3 hours and about 45 minutes, then I was in recovery for about an hour and a half. They took me back up to my room and watched me for another hour or so, after giving me a pain pill. On a trip back from the bathroom I looked in the mirror - EEEK! I have a lovely topless turban with a big bulge over my right ear. I have to leave it on for 2 days, which means I can wash up just <em>after</em> my parents get here on Wednesday.<br /><br />I was on my way home by 2:30 or so. Stopped at the grocery store to fill my prescription and get a few groceries (I slept in the car while Deborah went in). Got home and she settled in my new (to me) recliner and I have been here since yesterday. Deborah is a wonderful nurse and has been taking very good care of me without hovering. Just a perfect balance of being there and giving me space.<br /><br />I slept fitfully last night but I've been napping more than sleeping. Pain pill, nap, pain pill nap, etc.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-70472330961298996292008-11-16T22:22:00.002-05:002008-11-16T22:24:11.680-05:00If you want to follow my blog and (like me) forget to keep coming back to check for changes or updates, you can add me.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1482536983637372602008-11-16T21:45:00.004-05:002009-12-17T15:23:41.554-05:00Okay... we're in the final countdown now! Folks keep asking me how I feel, and I'm not really sure how to answer. I'm excited about the possibility of being able to hear better, but it's just that - a possibility, not a guarantee. I'm trying to go into this with low expectations and high hopes.<br /><br />I'm totally NOT looking forward to the actual part of surgery. The last surgery I had (my gall bladder), I didn't come out of anesthesia very well. I just wanted to keep sleeping. Finally I drug myself off the gurney and out to the car, then slept on the way home, and slept at home a bunch more. I kept thinking feeling crappy was never going to end, but of course it did. I just need to remind myself (or have my family and friends remind me) "this too shall pass"!<br /><br />I'm preparing myself to get comfy in my living room: getting the laptop ready; bought a new game for my Nintendo DS; have a shelf full of books to read and just enjoying my friends and family. I'll be housed in the living room on either my new (to me) recliner or my very comfy couch, until my parents and Aunt Beverly head home on Saturday (?).<br /><br />I'm nervous about the surgery... there's always some possibility of stuff going wrong with anything. I just have to trust God knows what he is doing and will guide my doctors and nurses and God's will will be done in all this. That's where I'm finding the most peace, is trusting God to do what God does best, and trying to keep my hands off.<br /><br />Speaking of hearing better... my implant does not get "activated" or "turned on" until January 7, 2009. Then I will begin a long process of teaching my brain to hear again. I'll be listening to books on tape along with the book and hoping I can get a couple of different people to read to me. I need to teach my brain what is being said matches the words on the page.<br /><br />My 'need to know' what to expect continues... I will be asking more questions of my doctor and his team and posting more here.<br /><br />Please keep me (and my doctors and nurses and audiologist) in your prayers.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-55355931837040779112008-10-28T11:59:00.002-05:002008-10-28T12:02:45.514-05:00Since folks with cochlear implants have an increased risk for meningitis, I need to get the vaccine. I'll wind up getting Pneumovax here at my office. One of the perks of working here! I've waited so long to do this, I've wondered if I would ever get to this point of heading down the road to surgery. Well here I am... rolling along and so far, no bumps!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-24765679340582267482008-10-27T21:57:00.003-05:002008-10-27T22:06:29.332-05:00Surgery is now scheduled!I got 2 new hearing aids, thanks to BVR and although they are better than the ones I had, they don't help me as much as they need to. I went thru the CI tests again and properly "flunked", making me a CI candidate. I met with Dr. Welling on October 23, 2008 to discuss the details and schedule surgery. I've done so much research into this that I feel like I know what to expect. I know to keep my expectations low and my hopes high. I want this to work and I've read the postings from folks where it was an abysmal failure to folks who think it's the absolute best thing that's happened in their lives. The folks who seem to have done the best have had some hearing before this and are post-lingually deaf. I hate referring to myself as "deaf", since I think deaf means Deaf - can't hear a thing. I prefer to call myself prof0undly hard of hearing. I know it's a minor difference, but it's a difference all the same.<br /><br />There's not much to do in the meantime here... but wait for the 24th. Then there won't be much to do but wait until January 7th - my activation date. Then I get to start all the hard work of learning to hear.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1158192016413719362006-09-13T18:50:00.000-05:002006-09-13T19:00:16.430-05:00No surgery... yet.Wellll... I'm ready to strangle a couple of doctors! I was led to believe I was already a CI canidate, but after the hearing test with my hearing aids in, I passed the test too well. The one time I wanted to flunk a test I couldn't! I'm scheduled for a repeat of this test on December 7th.<br /><br />Anyway, my wonderful audiologist has hooked me up with the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation in hopes of getting me some technology that will help me more on the phone and in meetings. BVR can be a test of patience, so keep checking back here and I'll keep folks posted on what happens whenever it happens.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1157411054922802532006-09-04T18:00:00.000-05:002006-09-04T18:04:14.936-05:00Wednesday AppointmentThe second hearing test, with my hearing aids <span style="font-style: italic;">in</span>, is Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at 11 am. This test will show how much my hearing aids are helping me and whether or not a cochlear implant would help me more than my hearing aids.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1156598016317348462006-08-26T07:54:00.000-05:002006-08-26T08:13:36.333-05:00Hurry up and wait... some more!The audiologist wanted to do two different hearing tests, the regular one, without my hearing aids, and then another one with my hearing aids. This tells them if my hearing aids are helping me as they should (or not). Since it had been 3 months since my last hearing test they wanted to do that one again, but I was only scheduled for a half hour with the audiologist. Both tests take about an hour to complete. Sooooo, I will re-schedule the test with my hearing aids early next week. <br /><br />After the hearing aid test, I will know if I'm a good candidate for a cochlear implant (CI) or not. Assuming I am, I'll be scheduled for a CAT scan. Apparently I don't need an MRI, not sure why I thought I needed one, but glad I don't have to do that! The CAT scan will tell us which ear is the better ear to do the implant on. I've been hoping it would be my right ear implanted, but the CAT scan may tell us otherwise. Again, wait and see!<br /><br />I asked Dr. Welling if the hearing test says I need a CI, and the CAT scan doesn't show anything bad, in an ideal world, how long could it be before surgery? He replied, "One month"! All this assumes insurance goes through smoothly and quickly. Even though they say they'll cover it, I have to get approved by them.<br /><br />I was definitely disappointed and frustrated by yesterday. I had hoped to have some good news to report, but I suppose this is a good lesson in patience and not getting my hopes up too much too soon. <br /><br />My next installment will be sometime next week, once I know when my next hearing test is. I'll just post a short one letting you know when it is. Then post more after I have the results of the test.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1156436324907137732006-08-24T11:17:00.000-05:002006-08-24T11:18:44.920-05:00WaitingOk... it's tomorrow! This time tomorrow I should know something. I don't do waiting very well. I just have to keep myself busy until then!<br /><br />Tune in tomorrow afternoon for the next update!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1156213189673021792006-08-21T20:56:00.000-05:002006-08-21T21:19:49.766-05:00Doctor's appointment - Friday!Ok... my doctor's appointment is looming large now! I see Dr. Brad Welling on Friday August 25 at 10:30am! Actually I have a hearing test at 10:30 and I'm supposed to see Dr. Welling at 11am. I'm hoping he will tell me what a wonderful canidate I am for an implant and schedule me for an MRI and a CAT scan. I expect the two things that will hold up this process the most will be getting approved thru insurance (which shouldn't be a problem, since it states clearly in my policy they cover cochlear implants) and then getting the actual surgery scheduled.<br /><br />Here are some links some of you might find interesting:<br />This is from my ENT doctor's website<br /><a href="http://www.ohioentdocs.com/Pages/PatientEducation/712.html">All about cochlear implants</a><br /><br />This is the FDA website. Lots of cool info here... there's even a video of an implant surgery (not for the faint of heart!)<br /><a href="http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/cochlear/">FDA cochlear information</a><br /><br />There are three implant manufacturers approved in the USA<br /><a href="http://www.advancedbionics.com/">Advanced Bionics</a><br /><a href="http://www.cochlearamericas.com/">Cochlear Americas</a> - This is likely the one I'll get<br /><a href="http://www.medel.com/">Med El Corporation</a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.hei.org/">House Ear Institute</a> is where the cochlear implant was first invented.<br /><br />Last, but certainly not least is the <a href="http://www.cihear.com/">CIHear online community website</a>. There's a TON of information here, lots of stories and more than I've had time to explore.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140563026640298542006-02-21T17:52:00.000-05:002006-02-21T18:03:46.660-05:00MondayOur next assignment: To help a woman clean up her lot. This entailed moving a whole LOT of bricks! But we were able to find a number of really special items she was missing. It didn't feel like much, but she was really very appreciative. We didn't finish this one that day, but it was scheduled to rain the next day.<br />This is what her house looked like - she had not done any cleanup. This is all Katrina's doing! Nothing was left, but the foundation.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011606_002.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011606_002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />She did have a really beautiful view of the ocean!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011606_004.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011606_004.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Here's our gang eating lunch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011606_003.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011606_003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />This is the apartment building 3 doors over. Note the 1st two floors were removed, courtesy of Katrina. The view is from behind the building looking towards the ocean.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011606_005.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011606_005.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140562331244804652006-02-21T17:48:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:52:11.246-05:00Our next assignment: To remove damaged ceiling and wet insulation.<br />The problem: the roof wasn't fixed and it was supposed to rain the next day. We told him the church could come back after the roof was fixed, but that needed to happen first.<br />Of course, I fell in love with his very cute puppy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011606_001.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011606_001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140562087556810752006-02-21T17:28:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:48:07.613-05:00After the "no tree", we drove around to see some of Ocean Springs<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_006.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_006.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_009.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140560890381366292006-02-21T17:21:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:28:10.383-05:00The Tree<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />This was our first "assignment". All we knew initially was a woman needed a tree removed from her yard. This pine tree was over 60 feet tall and had broken in half, but was still attached. Someone else had already trimmed the first 5-6 feet off the ground and we stood there pondering what to do next!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_004.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_004.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140560326077754152006-02-21T17:17:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:21:25.600-05:00The tool shed stairs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_001.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/1600/Photo_011506_002.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6813/1917/320/Photo_011506_002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140560233022506452006-02-21T17:16:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:17:13.023-05:00Pictures are on their way!Please be patient - I'll have the pics up soon.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1140560111449290922006-02-21T17:00:00.000-05:002006-02-21T17:15:11.463-05:00MyPointsThis is a shameless ad for MyPoints... my favorite way to earn Points is by clicking on a link in emails they send me. I usually get 2-3 a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. What do I do with my Points? Well, I've gotten Home Depot gift cards, Webcertificates, and more. Webcertificates are great - you just spend the $ anyway you like! <br /><br />If you want to sign up, please email me or post here and I'll send you a "refer a friend" email. That way we both earn points!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1137968672061183622006-01-22T16:44:00.000-05:002006-01-22T17:24:37.960-05:00FridayWell we continued the "deconstruction" of the Biloxi house until noon. A couple more roaches tried unsucessfully to befriend me, before I sent them along their enlightenment path!<br /><br />We ate lunch in the van on the way back to the house, where we showered, changed, and packed up to go home. We were on the road by 3pm Ohio time. This is one LOOOONNNNNGGGGG drive, made longer due to some construction in Alabama. I got a few hours of sleep in fits and starts. We finally got home around 5:30am, when I collapsed into my own comfy bed and Gyan curled right up with me!<br /><br />Saturday I spent catching up on all that stuff that piles up when you're out of town for a week. Doesn't look like I'll get my pictures posted until mid-week - due to football games and appointments this week.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387170.post-1137766698935169712006-01-20T08:34:00.000-05:002006-01-20T09:18:18.970-05:00ThursdayYesterday we spent the day at a house in Biloxi that had two feet of water in it. We're "deconstructing" this house down to the studs. Taking out all the drywall, windows, electrical, plumbing, all bathroom stuff (yes, even the toilet!). I never knew how many nails are in the drywall to hold it up! This was a comparitively easier day than previous days. Lots more variety of things to do, so I didn't feel like I only had to either load the wheelbarrow or empty it. I spent most of the day bashing out drywall and then removing all the nails.<br /><br /><P>The owner has lived in this house since she was born and is around 60ish, so she has a LOT of memories in this house. We didn't run across any personal effects at this house like we have at the other places, so this didn't seem quite as invasive somehow. When I was throwing away someone's books, sewing supplies, etc it felt like it was their personal stuff we were throwing away. Ripping out drywall isn't nearly as personal. Maybe that's why that part of the day was easier.<br /><br /><P>As some of you know, I DON'T do cockroaches! Well, there I was, up on a ladder, pulling off drywall (opposite the bathroom), and out pops 3-4 roaches! "EEEEKKKKKK" she screams as she goes flying off the top of the ladder! I was fine, the roaches however suffered greatly for scaring me like that! They paid with their little roachy lives. These weren't the little german ones - these were the HUGE Oriental ones. Maybe they weren't Oriental roaches, but they were BIG BIG BIG!<br /><br /><P>They weren't the only wildlife we found either! I'd seen some small round eggs (hatched). Lizards! These were cute little things. Lizards, I can deal with. Roaches I cannot!<br /><br /><P>Wednesday evening, we spoke with the gal who coordinates the housing. We thanked her profusely for our 5 star accomodations! Other folks stayed at the church in a big room with 40+ cots, others were in smaller rooms in the church with 4-7 cots, others were housed at tent city. We had great accomodations - a house to ourselves! <br /><br /><P>The housing lady lives here in Ocean Springs, just around the corner from the church. She showed us a picture of the storm surge taken from a 3rd story window. It's almost as if the ocean had been raised 20-30 feet in an instant. It was NOT just a wave. It was the storm surge and very very eerie. Behind the first surge were additional surges. This picture alone, gave me a clearer understanding of just <I>how</I> all the damage occured on the ocean front. It made me feel better (not really a good descriptor, but comparitively) to see locals having a hard time wrapping their head around all the destruction. I thought, since I'm not from here and didn't experience it firsthand, I wan't getting something. This isn't the case. These folks are having just as difficult a time wrapping their heads around it as well, only they have to live it, making it all the more difficult.<br /><br /><P> After we were done working on Thursday, we drove an additional 15 miles west from where we'd driven previously. The damage only gets worse (closer to the eye of the hurricane). Buildings were simply gone from the beach for 4-5 blocks back. A couple of buildings weathered the storm better than others, but all of those were still underwater by 20-30 feet.<br /><br /><P>I've been here nearly a week, and I'm still in shock and awe and speechless (well maybe not speechless!), but completely amazed at all the destruction. This goes on for miles and miles! It's not just a tornado that went thru and there's a mile or so of destruction. It's the <U>entire</U> coastline from east of Ocean Springs to West of New Orleans. These folks simply cannot (and will not) recover from this in any amount of time. Even once things are rebuilt, it will be new construction - not the beautiful old house Norma had seen since she was a little girl (she's 78) and had loved all her life and finally had the opportunity to buy, refurbish and restore only to have it completely destroyed.<br /><br /><P>How do you put a price on all your "stuff"? The family who's house we stayed at had bought a new house, moved in just before the storm, and the roof collapsed on the house. They had to move back into the house they hadn't sold yet. Initially we didn't understand why there was so little in the house... they'd lost it all in the house they'd moved into. They were all ok, but literally had to start over and they're one of the lucky ones. They didn't lose any family members and they still have their jobs. There are so many who now not only don't have a house, but don't have a job either.<br /><br /><P>When we were cleaning out the house in Biloxi, we needed to take a bathroom break. So we hopped in the van to head to the gas station... the first one, the bathroom didn't work, the next one we couldn't use. We finally went to the police station. There simply weren't any businesses open. We typically say, oh lets stop in McD's... not there! And this is a huge improvement over 3 months ago. The husband of the lady who coordinates the housing, stayed at home (their house is fine and they are ok). After the storm, for over a month, he had to drive to Mobile (47 miles away) to get gas and food. That was the nearest place to get gas and food! And we thought driving around for a couple of miles to find a bathroom was bad!<br /><br /><P>We're leaving this afternoon to head home. I'll post pictures sometime soon and add more thoughts then.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13537764533469035155noreply@blogger.com0