Trip To A Hockey Game

My parents were here until Sunday & my dad (really my step-dad, but he raised me), loves hockey. My sister got us tickets to the L.A. Kings vs. Detroit Red Wings game. My dad was actually in the Red Wings farm program when he was younger, growing up in Michigan. He also was on the semi-pro hockey team (a Goalie) when we lived in Reno, NV..."The Reno Aces."

I held my camera phone in the row behind us to sneak a pic & then sent it to my dad saying, "True Red Wings fan!"

My hubby took this pic w/his phone when we were all moving around~my mom, dad & me.

We spent our younger years at the rink. My brother John also played hockey & I took figure skating lessons.

I still can do some jumps & spins. I surprised my husband, kids & myself when we went skating one time.

Look how young the kids were! (Missing Natascha)


Getting ready to spin my stepson!

The game was really fun. We had great seats & the Red Wings pulled out to an early 3-0 lead. We were so happy & thought, "Ya they got this!" Three points in hockey is a lot. We were glad that my dad was going to get to see his team win. Then the Kings scored and then two more in a row, one off the Red Wing goalies error.

We couldn't believe it... they tied it up.

Two minutes left & the Kings scored what ended up being the winning goal.

I felt so bad for him!

He had attended the Mighty Ducks vs. the Red Wings game earlier in the week with my sister & they lost that one too!

Oh well...it's just a game right? I guess I was just hoping that with all my dads been through with his chemo & stuff, that the Red Wings had to win because he never gets to see them play.

I told him that he's going to have to keep getting better so he can go see them play in Michigan and visit his sisters.

My parents left on Sunday but we had a great time & I'm hoping that we'll be able to go up to Utah in the summer to visit them, depending on the boys football pre-season schedule...fingers crossed!

Meningococcal Meningitis-Elijah Hospitalized

I just wanted to let everyone know that Elijah (14) is doing better after our recent scare with a VERY SERIOUS bacteria-Meningococcal Meningitis.

We have no idea how he got it. He returned from staying the weekend at his friends house and was perfectly fine. He went to bed and then woke up at 4:30 a.m. with a severe headache on the crown portion of his head. He took three Advil and came back into my room at 5:15 asking if he could lay down with me because his head was killing him.

I thought it was really strange because he never asks to lay down with me (that stopped when he turned into a teenager). The headache continued to get worse with the pain continuing throughout his whole head, behind his eyes and then his neck and upper back. He began to get nausea's and his hands started to twitch. He never had a fever though.

I kept waiting for the Advil to work but finally called his Pediatrician and rushed him to the ER. By this time he had to have his head completely covered because the light was bothering him. They got him back, did a CT Scan which showed up negative. They decided to do a Lumbar Tap (spinal tap) to see if there was anything else going on. They found a bacteria and immediately rushed him into isolation and called to have the ambulance take him to Children's Hospital because time was of the essence!

I wanted to cry...but kept a strong face for Elijah. He was really upset and realized how severe it was when everyone was coming in with masks, gloves and protective garments. He was highly contagious and the bacteria was not only his spinal fluid but also surrounding the outer covering of his brain. He could have died within two hours.

We have been at the hospital since Monday (I have been with him the whole time) and he will finally be released on Saturday. The Orange County Infectious Disease doctor has been checking him daily. It seems his case is somewhat of a mystery. The initial bacteria did not grow out on the culture as expected and tests were negative for a viral infection. They treated him for the original bacteria findings with antibiotics all day and night for the past 5 days. They hope that this worked. But if he shows any of the same symptoms after coming home, he will need to go immediately back to the hospital for a two week treatment for a different type of bacterial meningitis. We are praying that this will work!!

Thank you all for your prayers!!! It has been a very scary time and I'm just so grateful to have so many caring and wonderful people in our lives!