Chelsea

Chelsea is being seen at Primary Children's Hospital (PCH) for dizziness. When we were home at Christmas she started complaining about feeling dizzy, and having ear pain. In January she went to the Dr. who couldn't see anything wrong with her ears so he referred her to an ENT. The ENT gave her some antibiotics and Flonase which is a steroid nose spray to see if she might have an infection in her eustacion (sp?) tubes. He also referred her to an audiologist to see if the dizziness was due to an inner ear problem. The antibiotics and nose spray cleared up the ear pain and the audiologist, after running extensive tests, determined that her ears were fine. We were sent back to our family doctor to see if there was some other medical reason for the dizziness. He did a complete blood work up and had an MRI done to rule out a brain tumor or MS. Both came out fine, so he referred us to Primary Children's, which is one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the country. She saw a very nice neurologist who did a thorough exam. She couldn't find any obvious reason for the dizziness but pointed out that Chelsea had been seen at our family doc on Dec. 11th for neck pain following a bad collision with another soccer player while playing indoor soccer. She said that Chelsea could have had a mini-stroke then without our knowing it. She said that sometimes when radiologists look at MRI's for children they don't look for mini-strokes because they are so rare. I guess they are difficult to see on the MRI so you really have to be looking for it to find it. So I am sending off the CD of Chelsea's MRI today to the neurologist to have the radiologist at PCH give it a closer look. Chelsea also had an EKG based on Dad and my brother Randy's heart issues. She has to see a pediatric cardiologist as well, but can't get in until May. Unfortunately this means no soccer or any other type of exerting activity until we figure out what is wrong with her. We should know the results of the EKG by next week. Chelsea gets dizzy about 5 times a day, starts to get tunnel vision and feels like she is passing out. It really scares me but she has no concept of how serious this could be. She just thinks its cool that she has had an MRI and an EKG, but thinks it sucks and is stupid that she can't play sports. It almost broke my heart yesterday when she asked me if she could be the team manager for the High School soccer team if she wasn't allowed to play. Of course I said she could but I'm praying for a quick resolution and solution to this problem. Chelsea is so active that it is difficult to tell her she can't do anything, especially with the weather getting so nice.

If you can find it in your heart to pray for a quick diagnosis and treatment plan I would really appreciate it. I have to say that I'm scared of all the things this could be. In between packing and doing school work this is all I really have on my mind right now.

My friend Tammy

My friend Tammy is a bigwig in the military world. She's a Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) and Command Chief (CCM). We met when I was stationed at Mtn. Home AFB in 1999. We were both First Sergeants, lived with our backyards facing each other and she had a son Chelsea's age and the became very close friends. We spent lots of time together personally and professionally and became the best of friends. Over the years we both moved around, me to Utah and her to TX and then eventually her to Utah. We had loads of fun living in the same area again for about 2 years. But she was still on active duty and was chosen for an amazing job. She is now the top enlisted person at a base in Wyoming. That is a very prestigious position and she has a lot of influence and power to ensure a great quality of life for the enlisted people on her base, and really throughout the Air Force. She was interviewed by the base newspaper for Women's History Month. She forwarded the interview to me. It made me cry, and you'll see why. This is a part of her interview:

2. Who were your female role models while growing up and why?

Believe it or not, I really had very few female role models over the years till about my MSgt point. This may not be the most appropriate forum to fess up the fact that I really never sought or picked role models based on their gender, any more than I felt I should be “followed” because of my gender. But I will say that as a MSgt/First Sergeant, I encountered another MSgt at one base, then a SMSgt at another that not only became good friends, but phenomenal role models. They both later made CMSgt before me and watching them reinforced my beliefs that you can be a strong female professional without waiving the feminism flag or being extra aggressive to “compensate in a man’s world.” I never felt that being a female was a liability or something to make a big deal about. The two women I mentioned above, CMSgt Mary Swift (now retired) and CMSgt Mary Waddell (also now retired) were the epitome of military professionals who happened to be women. I was blessed to also become friends with them; they influenced me tremendously both personally and professionally.

3. Did it take a while for you to discover your "style" of leadership? What or who has influenced you most? Absolutely. I am a totally different person than the shy (yes!), quiet, goal-free girl that joined the Air Force a billion years ago. I had no style because I truly had no clue what leader was. I frequently tell people that I may be nothing but a great big lump consisting of the many supervisors/leaders that I’ve respected and emulated over the years. So many wonderful folks have influenced me – but a few names that quickly rise to the top are CMSgt (Ret) Norman DePalantino (what a character!), CMSgt Napoleon Walker, CMSgt (Ret) Marty Roth, CMSgt Al Taggart, CMSgt Mike Sullivan and the two folks I mentioned above. And…important to say…all but two of these folks WERE NOT chiefs when I worked most closely with them and at the most “critical time” of their influence. The fact that they later made chief is a testament to their awesome leadership qualities that resulted in their promotions to chief. It is important to say, however, that the one who has been the greatest influence, by far, was CMSgt Mary Waddell. She was/is amazing and I can only hope to be a fraction of the person/leader as she is in my lifetime.

Wow! You can't imagine how that made me feel. I guess it's good to know your friends love you, and even better to know that you have had a big impact on their lives. The only thing she forgot to mention is the margarita parties we had at Mtn. Home where we solved all the world's problems!

New Shoes

I pulled out a new pair of running shoes yesterday! I love new running shoes! I started out with Asics running shoes when I first started running. About a year later I tried out a pair of Brooks, just before my first 10K race. Not a smart thing! As I was starting mile 5 my IT band started acting up and I had to walk most of the last two miles. Of course I ended up being last (with the exception of a friend's sister, but she got lost and never did finish). I blame the Brooks shoes, however it could be that the 10K was mostly downhill and downhill running puts a lot of pressure on the IT band. But I prefer to think it was the shoes, so I went back to Asics as soon as I was able to run again (about 8 months of rest and physical therapy). I've stuck with them ever since. Now I need to be on the lookout for another pair when they go on sale.

I did some speed work yesterday for the first time since my 10K in September. Funny how a 10 min. mile seemed like a good pace back then and now seems like I'm sprinting! I want to be able to run the Grace Race this year at a less than 10 min mile pace. I just checked the date though and I think Mike and I will be in Wendover to see a jazz musician, Buddy Guy, playing. I guess I need to see what time we will be leaving, because I haven't run this race in the past two years and I'd really like to run it. Plus I do much better in my running when I have a goal.

I can't wait to move in to our new house:

Life

Mike's house should close tomorrow or Thursday, then mine on the 27th. We move out on the 29th and then into our house on the 6th of April. We'll stay on base in the meantime. Should be cozy! :)

School is keeping me very busy as are both my part time jobs. I did give up being cookie mom for Chelsea's Girl Scout troop because it was just too much. Can't wait for school to be out at the end of April. I hope to have plenty of time to unpack and get the house set up prior to our wedding on June 28th. Wish me luck!

House

If you want to see our house you can check out the virtual tour at:

http://tours.tourfactory.com then, down towards the bottom right, enter tour # 383875

Moving

Realizing that we have two kitchens full of stuff and only one kitchen to put it all in I suggested we get rid of some stuff. The good news is that the Ogden Homeless Veteran's Fellowship, which gets homeless vets off the streets, off drugs and alcohol and into jobs and apartments, will be getting lots of small appliances and some furniture. We should have everything out of his townhouse today, which will be nice. I dread starting on my house. I have a lot more stuff, but I am willing to get rid of lots of stuff so if you are in need of something in particular let me know and if I don't need mine I'll give it to you! Mary

We bought a house!

Mike and I found a beautiful house that we both love, so put an offer on it on Thursday. It was accepted so we close on April 4th. Chelsea is in Disneyland right now with her HS band so she doesn't even know. Since I didn't tell her, I also didn't tell Eline so it will be a surprise for them tomorrow. I am off to help Mike pack. He has a lot done, but still has a lot to do. Good thing we bought a big house because we both have too much crap! Mary