Sorry I haven’t given you all an update. To say I’ve been busy would be almost comical. My mom has had yet another UTI (the fifth since January). She was able to stay at the adult family home through this one (instead of being in the hospital), and we caught it early so she didn’t get as sick.
We are still working on the landslide issue, and have had contractors come out to give us bids on moving our house forward, away from the slide. Meanwhile, we are living at Mom’s, next door.
Our most recent challenge, and the one that has trumped two elderly Moms and a landslide, is our 25-year-old daughter. Two years ago, her lung collapsed. They couldn’t see a problem, and said that it was just a freak thing that happens rarely. Very rarely. On Saturday, it collapsed again. Last time, she was in the hospital for five days with a tube the diameter of a quarter into her lung. This time, they inserted a tube the size of a straw and sent her home. The x-ray shows a hole in her lung. Told her to see the surgeon first thing. S
o, today she attempted to see the surgeon. After another x-ray, she sat in the office for hours. The surgeon got called into surgery, so they sent her home and she goes back in the morning. The nurse asked our daughter if she wanted the chest tube out, and said it was her call! What? I have lost all faith in the medical establishment after the events of this year. We do know that it will require surgery to fix the hole. We just don’t know when, or what that means.
Our daughter has a 7-year old-son, and a 6-month-old, nursing, daughter. We would appreciate your prayers for her. We nearly lost her back in November when her daughter was born. We have had so many medical emergencies with her. I am thankful that Mom is in the adult family home right now. I can’t imagine trying to be there for my daughter if I was also caring for Mom.
You are a disruptor. The delivery of health care starts with you, continues because of you, and ends with you. Let's disrupt together to make the world better for family caregivers. 
Sharon
You have my prayers.
Liliana
I will keep both your dauther, mom and the rest of your family in my prayers. I was just wondering yesterday about you since I hadnt seen any recent blogs from you. Sorry your family is going through so much, but just have faith.
Denise
TUKAS–I am so, so sorry. I’m thinking of your daughter and saying a prayer for all of you. Please keep us posted when you can.
Bette
Hi Shandi,
I’m so sorry. Thinking of you and praying for each of you.
Trish
Shandi, I’ve been thinking of you and was hoping you were “just” busy looking for a job (something I assumed from one of your last posts). I’m sorry about all that is going on. I’m sending prayers and good thoughts for your daughter. Take care.
Jane
Shandi:
I’m so sorry to hear this. I truly know the heartbreak that you feel for your daughter and the frustration and lack of faith in the medical community.
My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed in Jan. 2010 with a congenital heart defect which is a large hole in her heart and something that she was born with. The faith that I had in the drs. is/was gone. How could this happen? Because of her heart defect not being diagnosed she has a rare, chronic, life-threatening, incurable lung disease. I also can understand and sympathize with you feeling this is a bad year. I must say so far this year hasn’t been too bad but let me tell you 2009 and 2010 were probably the worst years I have had up to this point in my life with one thing after another being thrust upon us.
I pray that your mother will recover quickly from her UTI and that your daughter will be healed also and that she will be healthy once again. I pray that you will have peace in some way about this whole situation.
Have a blessed day!
Hugs:O)
Jane ~ mom to Nicole, 16 y.o., VSD, PH, Eisenmenger’s, EDS
Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things.
Kathy
Oh Shandi
Praying hard!