Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Sam Update

Sam before the accident:It so wonderful to visit Sam last Sunday. He is doing well and really moving forward. It was a lot different reading his story through comments on Facebook than it was actually seeing him. But he was still the same positive person that I knew at Utah State. Sam hasn't really been able to do anything without his hands. He can't scratch when his leg or arm or back itches. He can't pull up his pants. He can't wash his face or comb his hair. He can't pick up his phone when it rings. He can't make calls. It was hard. It was hard seeing Sam in this position and not being able to understand the frustration he probably feels at times and the pain that he is literally feeling from the severe burns.

We talked and laughed and took a walk around the hospital. It was a wonderful visit. We were sad when we had to eave but Sam needed a nap. A lady from the Deseret news came to interview Sam and his brother later this day and wrote this article:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700101586/Brothers-strengthen-each-other-through-electrical-tragedy.html


I thought that it was wonderful.

Sam told us the day that we visited that he had taken off his shirt by himself earlier that day. He was also able to partly wash his hair. Progress is being made and Sam was completely stoked by it. I am sure that he will be up and at them in no time because of his amazing attitude. As evidence - here is a picture of Sam later that week with his new prosthetics and some 3D glasses.

Paper vs. Flowers

Today I was going to write a one-page paper.

But I couldn't sit still and arranged some flowers instead.


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Too Good To Not Share

Some things we just can't keep to ourselves. Like this eccentric witness:

The testimony:

The remix:

Saturday, January 8, 2011

We Love Sam


Mike has a friend named Sam. My friends and I got to know Sam when we first started hanging out over 2 years ago. Near the beginning of December Sam was in an electrical accident and has now had to have both of his hands amputated. Through his Facebook page we have been able to follow his journey as he had the surgery that took both of his hands, as he has had skin graphs and as he has come home to Utah and is in the UofU rehab center. I can't imagine what he is going through and don't think I would be nearly as optimistic and positive as he is.

We are hoping to go visit Sam tomorrow and I wish there was more I could do then just go visit. He is a great example of hope and faith and optimism.

Here is a video of a news segment done on him and his brother. I encourage everyone to watch it. It will surely make you grateful for your blessings - physically and technically. http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=724197120001

An example of his optimism and good spirits, here is the post from Sam after his surgery:
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, I wanted to keep my friends and family updated, I had surgery today, my hands were amputated today. And now I don't need finger nail clippers.
December 17, 2010 at 3:17pm

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Harsh Reality

Thought this picture said a thousand words: This post is completely devoted to migraines and this new natural remedy I found for the nausea because it’s my new favorite item! Reed’s Rx Natural Ginger Nausea Relief. I love it. Recently, I have been getting migraines about everything other week and that is a lot of pain and a lot of nausea.

I am going to try to be as descriptive as possible because I want just even one person to understand the horrible feelings of a migraine and the nausea that comes with it! It seems the majority of people I talk to have never experienced a migraine and probably think I am exaggerating but everyone that gets them understands that they really are just plain awful. I Googled “migraines” and searched for images and thought it was funny that all the images came up with people rubbing their temples. It is totally something that I do every time I get a migraine so I thought it was random that so many other people do too. Anyway – so hopefully my description of a migraine is universal as well so everyone can know what it’s like.
If you have never had a migraine you may not know that they throw your whole body out of whack. Your eyes throb like a million little kids are tap dancing on the surface; light, no matter how bright, is blinding and sends spasms of pain through every nerve connecting the eye to the brain; the brain, typically one side (for me it’s the left), feels like a thousand different firecrackers were shoved into the crevices and they keep exploding causing throbs of pain.

If that isn’t enough, it makes you nauseas. Nauseas as in, the other day I woke up with a migraine, walked up one flight of stairs and vomited. Making it up one flight of stairs was good; typically I am so dizzy I don’t even want to think about sitting up. The nausea is always there, like weighted foam that expands from the pit of your stomach to the top of your throat. When I get migraines I can’t sleep because of the pain but I don’t want to be awake because of the pain. All I do is lie in bed and try to think of ways to describe the horrible pain I am feeling and try to remember what it is like to not be in pain. I can’t ever remember what that is like.

I hated taking medication when I was younger and always just lied in bed, in pain, waiting for it to go away. I have since learned that whether I like it or not, I need the medication! I have three different migraine medications (prescriptions) plus a nausea prescription. Two of the migraine medications have failed to work each time I attempted using them and the nausea medication has never succeeded in settling my insides.

So… in lieu of a recent discovery (and all of the sporadic migraines) I am writing this post hopefully to help someone else who gets migraines. I was Google’ing (?) natural migraine and nausea remedies. I have yet to find a migraine remedy but I have found my natural nausea remedy! I found a $1 off coupon for Reed’s Rx Nausea Relief and decided that I wanted to give it a try. I am a fan of natural remedies and I was to the point that I would try anything.After the excitement of getting it I was hesitant to try it because I wasn’t sure how the ginger would taste, especially already being sick I didn’t want the Ginger to make it worse; however, it actually tastes good, and best of all it worked! I have had three migraines since I got my first 4-pack. Each time I drink one can of the natural ginger nausea relief and within what feels like no time at all, the nausea is gone. I wish it was a natural migraine relief as well because after the nausea is gone I still have the migraine but it is so wonderful to have one less thing to worry about.

Anyways, if anyone knows of a good migraine remedy – let me know. In the meantime, if you get nauseas – try Reeds Rx Natural Ginger Nausea Relief. It says it works for as a nausea rememdy for basically any type - travel sickness... morning sickeness... As I said before, I totally love it and you really won’t regret it!

Anyway.. those are my thoughts for today :)