Welcome to Holland

Welcome to Holland. Yup that's right Holland. Today's post is a rant or vent if you will on exactly what my husband and I have been going through. We were planning on Italy and got Holland.




Confused??? Yes?? I thought so. Let me explain.

There is a fantastic poem that sums up life with a special needs child.  The metaphor in the poem is what I am referring to. The poem is written by Emily Perl Kingsley. She is a writer for Sesame Street and her own son Jason was featured on the show many times. 


Emily wrote the fantastic poem "Welcome to Holland" to try and allow others to understand what it was like to have a child with special needs, in her case Downs syndrome. She writes the poem to give a very strong metaphor about preparing for a trip to Italy (having a baby) and getting off the plane unknown to her in Holland ( having a baby with special needs). I would encourage you all to read the poem. Go to Google and type in Welcome to Holland or you can watch the video of it being read below that I found on YouTube:







This is the closest thing I have found to explain how overwhelming the December night was for us. Everything went from the highest of high to the lowest of lows.

I will never forget the sound of the air being shut off at Valley Regional so that the LifeFlight Helicopter could land.  To continue with the metaphor of Emily's poem, when we arrived at the IWK hospital it felt like Ashley and I had been thrown from a plane somewhere in the middle of Holland with no map and limited Dutch speaking skills. What Dutch we had only made us worry and that much more afraid.

The journey has been very overwhelming thus far. It is something you can't comprehend totally unless you have been through. There is a quiet unspoken language between parents in the NICU/PICU. It's an understanding. The quiet smile and nod as you sit there by your little one, things beeping, flashing or respiring. It is the simple understanding of someone who knows how you hurt, how you want things to be okay, how you want to do something but there isn't anything you can do.

Holland for us was uncharted territory. Pierre Robin wasn't something we were familiar with. We didn't know anything about it. The more we found out, the more afraid we were. Then there was anger and some days there still is. I won't deny it. I was angry. I am angry. Why? Well for numerous reasons really.

First there was the finality of everything.The phrases that started "Your baby will never..." or "Like a normal baby" infuriated me and still do. It was like these medical professionals had a magic ball and decided to tell me our future. In a number of cases they were wrong. As a parent you feel like saying "See what do you know?" but you realized that wouldn't do any good. Yes, the medical profession does this so we as parents don't hold out false hope. So we don't hang onto a dream that will never be realized. Still my husband and I kept trying on many fronts and won.

 Next was how impersonal everything was. It was always cold and clinical. I hated being anywhere near when rounds were going on. I hated how they turned Ben from a baby into a case...not even a patient really. It was always "This is the Pierre Robin baby, baby male Floyd (eventually Benjamin Floyd)...born blah blah blah. I hated it. I know clinically that is how it is done. As a parent, however, it isn't easy. When we were admitted in January I think it was worse. I know the clinically correct term for the reason for admission was failure to thrive, this doesn't make it easier to hear as a parent. Especially every morning for 30+ days. There are only so many times you can hear the team come in and say "This is the Pierre Robin baby, Benjamin Floyd, 6 weeks, readmitted for failure to thrive"....blah blah blah without feeling like you are the failure. That somehow there is more you could have done, something you should have done, or thought of that you didn't that would have prevented the admission and problem. Even though deep down you know there wasn't anything more to be done.

Finally the very few who have decided to be nonsupporting in our unplanned trip into Holland make me frustrated and a bit angry. They meet us with attitudes that somehow imply that this is our "mess" to get out of.
I'm sorry but there wasn't a form to fill in that included a box as to if we wanted a child with special needs or not. Would I change Ben?? NO NOT FOR ANYONE OR ANYTHING, to me he is perfect.
Being thrown into the middle of this kind of a situation takes a very large toll emotionally, physically, financially and psychologically. To be honest and blunt about the situation, the only way to cope is to accept help and in some cases ask for it when needed.

Help comes in many forms from picking up the phone and calling/texting,  helping arrange care for the other kids, making a meal or helping cover financial costs among many other things. In some cases support has come from family and in other cases complete strangers. By accepting this help we are doing NOTHING wrong.

Please do not feel we are looking for handouts and please try and find out the whole story before passing judgement on us. We are NOT out for someone else to pay our tab or deal with the unpleasantness so we don't have to. We want understanding and support.

To answer the questions I have had about the pay pal donate button on the right (namely why is it there), it is there because we have had offers from friends to help us cover the costs of Ben's care in the city. This gave them a way to help without us giving our financial information out. It was an offer and we accepted. That is it.

Now I am sure this has raised the question of  "Isn't health care free in Canada?" well yes...to a point. What people don't seem to remember is that Ben is the patient. While I roomed in with him, I was NOT a patient. While this seems obvious and trivial it makes how you view the situation totally different. Ben was able to stay for free in the hospital. I was allowed to stay with him. Ashley, however, was not able to since he had Harrison with him. This means that in order for Ashley to be close by to emotionally support Ben and I during all the procedures he needs to PAY to stay somewhere. Then there is that matter of meals. Ben was able to get breast milk or formula. That was the patient meal. This means for Ashley, Harrison and I we needed to pay for all of our meals. Three a day for 30+ days. That is a LARGE chunk of change. Then there is the fact we had to buy a van to get Ben's car bed in. The gas for a van isn't cheep either, especially driving 100+ Km each way to and from the IWK. With the van came the registration and insurance and all of those little extras. Lets not forget parking fees too. Plus there was Christmas. Then there were Ben's medications and medical supplies he was discharged on/with. They cost money too. Even though I have a drug plan we were still left paying a hefty bill. Then there are the follow up appointments. Driving back and forth means more wear and tear on the van (repair bills like the brake line), fuel cost, parking and meals. As you can guess things add up quickly. This is without taking into consideration the airfare for Ashley, the fact he was here on unpaid leave for a long time and lets not forget the "Chevy Aveo" Chronicles that preceded this whole mess. Oh and we have the "normal" bills for not one but two households. I am sorry but this is why when someone OFFERS to help us financially I don't turn them down. I certainly do not expect ANYONE to help pay for these things, and I am not asking ANYONE to do so but when the offer is made to us (no matter how large/small) and I accept this does NOT make me a bad person. It will not make me "stronger in the end" to turn the help down and find another way.

I would also like to point out that I am now here on my own without my main emotional, physical and psychological support, since Ashley had to return to the UK and go back to work. Holland is NOT an easy place. It is lovely but it can still be overwhelming.

Now for the UP part of the post. I want to thank a few of the people who have been our supporters.The ones who have followed us into Holland and are there with us to stay no matter what. THANK YOU. To my parents, our other children (Victoria and Harrison), my grandmother, several of my aunts and my uncles as well as my great Aunts and Uncles, Emelie ( my cousin or rather my sister since she is the closest I will ever have to a sister) her husband Jonny and son Parker, many many  more of my cousins, my friend Laurie and his mom Lucy, my husbands friend John, our church family, the entire Gaspereau Elementary School Family, my father in law, all my sister in laws and brother in law, my nieces and nephews, as well as our friends who follow us on Facebook and the blog ( Sara, Carolyn, Louise and Bill, Marcia, Erdeena/George, Marjory, Barb and Dave, Andy, Guy, Mark and Pam, Judy, Connie, Tiffany, Margaret, Andrea, Ashley, Pat, Sherry, Melissa, Marlee, Charlyn and too many more to name) THANK YOU!!!! You have all given us so much support in every possible way. We would not be surviving in Holland without you. The little things mean so much.

We are adjusting to life in Holland. Even though it is different, I think we are going to like it here.

Dear Air Canada....

Dear Air Canada,

Please don't take this personally but my husband hates you. This is one case where the "It's not you, it's me" speech will not work. It is you...all you! Where do we even begin to explain.

Perhaps it is the plethora of fees you charge for nothing. The fees should stay the same...but sadly no. We think you make the figures up as you go.

Sometimes two bags can be checked for no additional cost. Other times it is a $20 Canadian surcharge, other times it is $75 or even as much as $100, the other times it is nothing at all.

Then there are your change fees. Sometimes no change fee sometimes it costs $90 others $200 or $250 BEFORE the fare difference and is never what was quoted at the time of booking.

Then we move to your lovely "food". Which on the international flight you still provide "free" is at best, inedible. You get what you pay for I suppose although with increasing fares and decreasing cabin space, "edible" food does not really seem like an unreasonable request. Alas this is not where our disappointment in your high quality "service" ends. On other flights where I can purchase food that may be slightly more appetizing WE MUST use a credit card. No other option exists. Charging a pitiful sandwich and can of Pringles on my credit card is the last thing I want to do however you leave us no choice.

While we respect the fact that for our own security we can no longer transport more than a drop of liquid through security, questioning us what my husband will do with the "large" bottle of water he requested of you in flight seems a bit rude. What did you think he was going to do with it?? Maybe take it to the lavatory and make some sort of "shower" out of it? Really??

Then we move to perhaps what has become the deal breaker. Notification of flight changes, or the blatant lack there of. Most times I am anal enough to catch whatever flight change you try to slip past us however in the last month you have gotten away with it 3 times! Not just to my husband by my father and daughter too. Really calling my father as the plane is ready to pull away from the gate really isn't proper notification. Nor is emailing us that you have moved my husband to another flight at YOUR discretion when we asked changes be called in to us. Paying for three airline tickets to get my husband back to the UK and to work because of your stupidity and lack of customer service is not okay, EVER. While I understand economic times are tough, you are in the customer service business. Telling us the best you can do for us is to purchase a new ticket sooner than later is really not customer service on any planet.

There are so many other things I could mention that have caused our relationship to go south. Losing my suitcase for over a month, then once finding it shipping it to some random address, running out of "free" meals on the aircraft and flying planes with only one functioning lavatory in economy come to mind, but I digress.

Please consider this letter a termination of our association.

Sincerely,

Former Air Canada Passengers.

It's 2am...

...and I can't sleep...or rather you aren't allowed to sleep in this place.

Someone is always in the hallway making noise, one of Ben's machines alarm, or someone decides to come in and ask you something stupid and pointless that could have waited until morning...

UGH....I soooo need a few hours sleep!!1

Am I Really THAT Over Protective?

Perhaps I am a bit over protective, okay a LOT over protective.

I had a minor freak out this morning at the residents. Some where full of cold and coughing and sneezing. I asked them all to put on masks.

I'm sorry, Ben is having surgery in a few days and he is NOT getting sick on my watch! I mean honestly if my husband and son aren't here because they have a cold, AND I haven't seen them in almost a week then I am not letting ANYONE in whom has anything resembling a sniffle. Sorry that's just how it is. Hence the bright blue sign I made and put on our door.

I think the little happy face makes the sign less bitchy...no??

7 Days....

We have the date. Ben's surgery is in 7 days.

The weekend was painfully slow and today has been a never ending stream of faces. Most of the information was information we have heard before...and the normal interruptions for vital checks and feedings.

Dr Hong was in and took some pictures of Ben to get ready for next Monday. It's really happening. In 7 days Ben starts his journey. I can't even imagine what he is going to go through or how scary it must be when you are that small and don't really know what is going on and why everything is happening. To see him be able to breathe comfortably and not struggle will be so wonderful, it is just everything between now and then will be hard.

I think both Ashley and I are running on empty. This has been emotionally, physically, psychologically and financially draining. I can't help but wonder how we will find the strength to keep going and provide Ben with the support he needs, but we always do. Perhaps it is better not to question where it comes from and just be glad we find it from somewhere.

T - 7 days.....7 long days....

I hate that beeping machine!!!!!!!!!

It is impossible to sleep in this place...I am getting so tired.

All night long some thing was going BEEP!

First it was the kangaroo feeding pump.

Then Ben kicked off his SPO2 monitor.

This continued ALL night long!!! One would beep then the other.

All this has done is increase my anxiety levels and prevent me from getting any rest at all. Perhaps if the parade of people isn't too bad I will try and rest once my husband gets back.....

Somehow I wouldn't hold my breath on that one ***SIGH***

Hanging by a thread...

That is seriously how I feel right now....that we are just hanging by a thread.

Perhaps I should start by warning you all that this is LONG. Okay not LONG but insanely LONG. We have been here for 9 hours and holy what a day. You may want to make yourself comfortable, perhaps get some tea because this is one rocky ride.

Lets rewind to yesterday....

We arrived at the shared clinics at the IWK for our follow up with the cleft palate team. This team includes a feeding team (headed by the nurse that I didn't really get on with), a plastic surgeon, an ENT and a pediatrician to name a few.

Things started off alright...mostly measurements and background about how things have been since Ben was discharged. His weight was up by a few grams...nothing enough to be excited about but at least he didn't lose. The nurse was bordering on rude. I tried my best to hold it together but lack of sleep, lack of eating and feeling rather attacked I lost it. I was crying I was so angry. While Dr. Hilliard and every other health care person involved in Ben's care has asked me the same questions this was really the first time I felt I and my parenting was being attacked. It was like she was insinuating that I wasn't feeding him...or feeding him correctly. My husband jumped to my defense but she really wasn't listening to anyone but herself.

As the morning progressed my frustration only increased. The Doctor from plastics came and talked with us from the plastic surgery point of view. Not much had changed really. His main concern was that Ben wasn't putting on weight like he should be. He actually went above and beyond and explained that babies who are born with Pierre Robin often seem to have a set back (like what we are experiencing now) around the 4-6 week mark. We are at that point now so this could be what is contributing to the poor weight gain. He could not however, explain why this is. While this does seem to explain where Ben is now it has some serious implications. Due to the fact Ben isn't putting on weight his overall growth will inevitably slow. This means his jaw will not grow as quickly as it could and will simply prolong the breathing issues. Prolonging the breathing issues will continue to complicate feeding since Ben has to work harder to eat and burns more calories than he gets in many cases. This vicious circle means that his palate surgery won't be able to happen as soon as it could because of poor growth. In other words he was supporting the insertion of an NG tube. While I was frustrated, I know this is the best solution. The pediatrician came in and said her bit but it was basically what the plastics guy had just gone through anyway. The next discussion was around admission and inserting an NG tube. While I wanted to stay and have things start moving right then and there, the pediatric medical unit was full. Arrangements for a direct admission were made for the following day (today) at 10:00am. I should make it known that I explained my rather unique situation, in the hopes that the nurse would have half a heart (and brain!) and help me work something out. My husband is going back to the UK next week, my family goes to Barbados next week. Leaving me with a sick infant and 2 other kids to care for. My concern is not about being home, but what to do should Ben need to be readmitted. The nurse was rude stating my other children could be anywhere around let alone room in. While I didn't expect them to room in with Ben I did think perhaps we could find some solution to what may happen. I should have expected this response when it was like pulling teeth for her to make sure arrangements could be made for Ashley to stay with me. I became quite upset, understandably, wanting to know what I was to do with the other kids should Ben need more care. She told me to stop worrying, to calm down and basically get over it....Can you tell I don't care for this woman!!!!!

The nurse started in again about me "calming down and stop crying" before ushering my husband, Harrison and I out the door to the ENT department. This was actually the most relaxing and overall best part of the whole visit. The ENT guys seem great. They were informative without being pushy or rude. The explanation of why Pierre Robin children get more fluid build up and have more infections was covered as were the overview of tube insertion surgery. No big deal. SOooooooo we head back to the clinic.

After returning the nurse decided to have one more go at me before we left for the day. She wanted to see Ben feed. While the breast milk was heating was when she, in my opinion, crossed a line. She told me in an attempt to save my husband and I money and added financial stress during this time, my husband should return to the UK and stay there for at least 6 months!!! To be honest not much registered after that....I was FURIOUS!!!! I then tried to get her to listen again...it still didn't work. She didn't listen to how Ben was feeding, what medications he was on, what his schedule was like, what his doctors in the valley said or anything really. As my husband pointed out I think she just likes the sound of her own voice. She followed by saying "Ben isn't a sick baby, throw your guilt out the window and be happy he isn't dying...I mean it isn't like he has cancer." and walked out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!!!!!!!! Sooo the opposite of being helpful.

The nurse came back to watch Ben feed and was very snotty and down right rude. "Oh look he does suck on the bottle" "Oh he did take his feed in under 40 minutes" "He seems to be breathing okay." I felt like screaming no Sh*t Sherlock at her but realized that wouldn't get me anywhere.

I was never so glad to leave an appointment in all my life and knowing we were coming back to be admitted made me feel sick!

Fast forward to today...

We are readmitted to the Pediatric medical unit. We arrived at 10am. Once the admitting paperwork was completed we headed up to the 7th floor of the IWK children's site.

Things stared off pretty slowly. The nurse came in, eventually, and did the nursing admission database with me. She took me for a tour of the unit. She did some basic vitals on Ben and left us too it.

A resident pediatric doctor came in and took a complete history. He also did a basic assessment of Ben and left.

The nurse brought a breast pump and my husband hunted down a pump kit for me. I called the pharmacy back home to get the dosage of Ben's medication that I forgot to bring with us and my husband and I had lunch.

Ben feed and slept as usual. Genetics came in to see us and went over the results that came back before Christmas in more depth. After they left my husband and I were wondering what was taking so long for someone to come insert a stupid NG tube!

I eventually flagged down our nurse who informed me they were waiting on the anesthesiologist before putting the tube in. I thought this was strange since the anesthesiologist wasn't present when he had the NG tube put in the NICU.

A social worker came to help us iron out any needs we may have to make our stay more comfortable. Since the nurse from yesterday hadn't found Ashley a cot, I asked if she could get him back in Ronald MacDonald house. She did. She was also able to provide us with some phone card to call home to the kids and our family that is away.

While she was here the consultant from plastics came in. He explained to us that the anesthesiologist felt Ben should be in the OR to have the NG tube placed. He also came to explain that when this is the case that the child is often looking at having mandibular distraction osteogenesis surgery in the near future. From this point on all the conversations became about surgery. Basically the distraction is a surgical procedure to lengthen the jaw and stabilizes the airway. I will explain the procedure in more depth another time. The plastics doctor continued on the he and his associate from ENT Dr Hong would be back to see us.

They came back a little later and went over more specifics regarding the procedure and the benefits of Ben having it done and having it done sooner rather than later. To see if Ben is a surgical candidate we need to have a CT scan done and a 3d mandibular reconstruction done as well as a bronchoscopy. Both will need to be done under sedation, so they will try to be arranged for the same day. That will be happening sometime next week.

Dr Hong came back a bit later with a nurse and put the NG tube in. They decided that having him in the OR was overkill since he tolerated the procedure well while in the NICU. Other than absolutely HATING the thing...Ben is doing well with it.

The next pain in the bum is that the feeding schedule has him doing what he was at home! The dietetics department have him on 3 oz every 3 hours by bottle! He is taking and has been taking that at home. They are only going to top up to 3 oz when he can't meet the 3oz per hour feeding schedule! It seems pointless for him to have that tube!

Right now I am trying to have all the information sink in to make scenes. It isn't really working.

It looks like we will be here a while....It looks like Ben will be having his first surgery soon...and he will be going through loads of tests.

I am not sure my nerves will take much more!

Haberman Feeder

First off this bottle is a miracle for us! Ben feeds so well with it. Most people have never heard of a Haberman Feeder...I know up until I had Ben I hadn't, or if I did I don't remember it.

I love the fact that the bottle creates the suction for him (where he can't because of the cleft palate) and that he is in control of how much he gets. I also love the fact that if he is being "lazy" you can still squeeze the tip (like the squeeze feeders) so that he still gets his food (and calories!!)

Honestly I think this picture explains how it works better than I could!


And a bigger picture of the bottle/feeder:

What I DO NOT Like....THE PRICE!!!!

Last week I ordered one in from a local retailer in Halifax. After taxes one bottle cost us $42.98!!!!!!! ONE FLIPPING BOTTLE!!! ARGH!!!

On the plus side they are A LOT cheaper in the UK!!! Even with the stupid exchange rate.

Okay...I'm here...Where the heck are you?

So....after waiting over 8 months to see an opthamologist whom specializes in corneal disorders...NO ONE WAS AT THE OFFICE!!!!


Ashley and I arrived at the Coburg medical professional centre and went to suite 401 as instructed in my appointment letter. When I pushed the door open in was an empty suite with exposed wires and a pile of post on the floor! I was not impressed...and I really don't thing there are words to describe my husbands disbelief!

Anyway it turns out the office moved up the road to the Spring Garden Road Medical Centre.

I did make it to my appointment and had a less than fun procedure done...which I get to have done again in 10 weeks time.

*sigh*

I am starting to think we are being tested!!!

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN (in case I don't get to facebook or message you!)

Somedays I feel like giving up!!!

Today Ben went for a follow up appointment with Dr.Cogswell. Ben has been doing well (in my opinion). He is eating and sleeping well. We haven`t had any problems managing his airway or caring for him. We have all kinds of appointments set up for him and I thought things were going well.

When Ben was weighed...his weight is down...again. I don`t know what else to do! I am already staying awake most nights so I can wake and feed him. I may order a scale to have at the house so I can monitor his weight a bit better. Obviously I am not doing so well at it at the moment. The doctor mentioned supplementing the pumped breast milk with formula.

While we will supplement his feeds, I honestly just want to cry. It is bad enough I can`t breastfeed ( in the true sense of the term breastfeeding anyway) but now to know the milk he is getting from me isn`t good enough just adds insult to injury.

I have nothing against formula and formula feeding. It just isn`t for me. Breastfeeding isn`t for everyone and that`s fine. I think it should be a choice made that is right for parent(s) and baby. I, however, did not get a choice this time and I am having a hard time getting past it.

Ben will be seen again on Tuesday for a weight check. Hopefully his weight will be up a bit. Today has been a bad day....I am trying to keep optimistic but I think my optimistic meter is broken. All I see is this ending in poor Ben having the NG tube again and even worse ending up back in hospital.

*SIGH* Here is to tomorrow being a better day!

Who would like to teach me to count???

Okay I am obviously missing something. I am starting to think I fell asleep back in preschool when they taught us to count to ten. 2 weeks ago I put out the following on garbage day for collection:

1. 1 clear bag of garbage

4 blue bags of bottles and cans and plastic

2 blue bags of paper and cardboard

and the green monster (also known as the compost bin)

I came home to find a tag on 3 bags of recycling saying I was over my 8 bag limit. Uhm...wait 4+1+2=7 and if I'm not mistaken isn't

7 less than 8???? My cousin lives in town and her limit is 5 bags total. I called Valley Waste Resource Management and for my area it is a total of 8 bags. This week I put out the following for collection:

1 clear bag of garbage

5 bags of glass/bottles, cans and plastic

1 bag of paper/cardboard

and the compost bin (aka the green monster)

AND.......everything was taken!!! I am so confused....how can 7 put me over my limit one week but be acceptable 2 weeks later???

I swear you need a degree in waste management to sort and take out our garbage in this county!

Melamine

I am sure everyone has heard of the tainted milk scandal in China. In case you have been living under a rock I will update you quickly. Melamine is a synthetic material used in things like counter tops and dry erase boards. Why on earth would you want to add a synthetic flame retardant material to food? It can increase the apparent protein content in food. Sounds too good to be true?? That's because it is. Why??? Several reasons;

• Melamine reacts with cyanuric acid causing several renal and urinary problems in humans and animals. These include kidney stones and renal failure.
• This chemical is NOT water soluble....meaning it has to be mixed with another chemical (like formaldehyde!!!) in order to be dissolved in milk.
• Melamine introduced into milk helps to conceal fraudulent dilution of the milk with water by keeping the protein content up.
• The use of Melamine has been UNIVERSALLY banned when it comes to food production.

This contamination or tainting is being blamed for the deaths of several infants and making several thousand children sick. The source? Tainted baby formula made from contaminated milk powder.

Once this scandal became public numerous recalls of products occurred around the globe.

On one of the parenting message boards I frequent I came across a link to a YouTube video on "candy 9-11". The creator shows some chocolate products found at his local Target store which contain full cream milk powder and skim milk powder AND were made in China. I can certainly see his concern. I will link to the video so you will all know what I am talking about.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R3dbBQPIFf0

Now do I think this Halloween will be "candy 9-11". No. Having said that I ALWAYS check my daughters candy (DUH!!!) and this year I will pay extra attention to the chocolates. Anything made in China or from an unknown source will go out the window....or at least into the compost. Why? While for myself I'd probably eat the chocolate and say oh well, this is my daughter and when it comes to her I am allowed and within my right to be over cautious.

Personally I do trust our CFIA, but they can only work so fast. While I hope this is a viral video there is always the possibility that there are chocolates out there that should have been recalled and haven't been. I recommend the following which link to the CFIA and provide up to date information publicly released in regards to Melamine and general food product recalls.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/2008melinfoe.shtml

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/recaltoce.shtml

You Say Beach Resort....I say motel

I don't even know where to start with this one. The weekend may have been perfect but the "hotel" left something to be desired that's for sure. First off the place we stayed at marketed itself as a beach resort. This in and of its self sets a certain standard. Note the green building in the picture below....THIS was the building we were in. Tell me this is a resort!!!! It is a freaking motel!












I have no problem with motels, let me start by saying that. HOWEVER do NOT market your establishment as a beach resort and provide a motel. Nor do I appreciate being charged as if I was staying at a beach resort and ending up in a cheap motel room at best. I wish the list of complaints stopped there but sadly they do not. In addition to the whole motel thing the follow added to the "charm" of the place;

• Upon checking in we were given a map and told to drive back down the road half a Km to the "unit" we would be staying at. We were also given two mystery keys with a sticker which had the room number on it. This should have been my first clue something was up.



• Upon getting to the room we note that neither of the keys was needed as the door did not latch. Oh good this makes me feel safe!!



• The room had an overpowering stench of mildew, more than likely coming from the dank dark carpet. I swear the stuff was from 1962 and NEVER cleaned. Oh yes it was that apparent.



• The bathroom door did not lock...and you had to slam it to get it to stay shut.



• The sink was leaking



• The floor by the tub was rotten. I thought I was going to fall through it at one point.



• The knob on the shower was broken and was spraying water EVERYWHERE!



• There was NO hot water what so ever.



• You could hear EVERYTHING that was going on in the next room. (Yes I am surprised there were other people staying there too)



• It was freezing because one of the windows was broken and not replaced or even covered.



• While we had a coffee maker and free coffee, I was almost sick when I saw dried lipstick (not mine) on the coffee cups provided...icky!!!! It was an instant GAG moment!


• Around 3 am the last night there I met another "guest" on my way to the bathroom....a RAT!!!

Now not all the rooms were that bad. Peter and Bev's room was quite nice. The food was good too. I will go back to that part of Cape Breton, I will eat at the restaurant however I WILL be staying somewhere else

I am so not impressed!!!!

I was just checking my bank account and noticed that my account is about 200 bucks lower than what it should be. Totally perplexed I decided to go over ALL my bank account activity with a fine tooth comb. As it would turn out I noticed a double transaction on my account for yesterday. The idiots at Nova Scotia Student Loans took out my loan payment TWICE!!!! I am so flipping mad!!!!! I tried the 1-800 number but was instructed to call back during business hours!!! To top it off the extra 200 was NOT credited to my loan so can someone please tell me exactly WHERE my money has gone???? I am going to be on the phone as soon as "business hours" start and get this mess sorted out. How much do you want to bet I will get someone who won't speak English and/or won't be able to understand my East coast accent???? Why do I feel a RAS coming on???

And this is why I don't go to the Hospital!!!!

While surfing the web for news stories I stumbled upon this little gem.

As much as I complain about my hospital at least stuff like this doesn't happen!!!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/19/ap/strange/main4461946.shtml


I am NEVER having surgery EVER!!!

STOP STRESSING ME OUT!!!!!

I hate stupidity. I cannot stress this enough. Things have been very busy at work lately and RAS (random acts of stupidity) stress me out. I do not have the time to deal with stupid people, their questions and mistakes. Lately my goal has been not to yell and/or murder anyone in the run of a shift. The following is a list of things that you should probably avoid doing if you want to stay on my good side.

1)Unless you are my boss under NO circumstances are you to tell me what to do or how to do my job!

2)Do not call to ask my if I have fixed Meditech. I am not IS, I do not fix computers. I am not HITSNS I do not fix Meditech. May I suggest calling the large 1-866 help desk number glued to every computer, monitor, label printer and MFU (multi-functional unit....not swearing this time for once lol) in the facility.

3)Have all the info when you call something in to me. I am getting tired of being put on hold while you try to find it. Hang up....call back...I will be much nicer.

4)The bed check census...DO IT! This has been done since the dawn of time. It is mandatory and needs to be done by 2330 and not later than midnight. I am getting tired of explaining this process to you.

5) I am not your lost and found. Keep track of the things you need to do your job and DO not call me to try and find them.

I am stressed just thinking about this list....back to work in about 2 hours....Oh YIPPEE!! :P

The work week from...

Okay so this week is one I won't soon forget as much as I would like to. It has been nuts to put it nicely. I haven't been up for blogging lately but I am working on a couple of posts so hopefully I will have those up soon.

Cell phone update!!

I talked Rogers into a new phone!!! It is actually kind of nice lol. It works so thats is the main thing. I am slowly rebuilding my contact list. Text me or email me your number. My cell number is the same.

Off to a meeting....*sigh

Shannon if it wasn't for you I think I'd quit!

Shannon honest to goodness had you not been working with me tonight I think I'd quit!!! Tonight was an insane mess to say they least. And we are back to do it all over agian tomorrow.
See you at 1400 :)

SMILE :P

It makes people wonder what you are up to LOL

Dear Rogers Wireless....

Dear Rogers Wireless,


Tonight my cell phone dropped 4 calls even though I was in an area with full bars of reception. I received several text messages sent by people last weekend. I know the post office is slow but honestly an old fashion letter would reach me faster! As if this were not enough to illustrate just how useless this phone is, I have lost ALL the contacts in my phone book again. I have no clue how this phone deletes them or why but it does. This does not make me a happy person/consumer/customer. I do not wish to pay $400 + the next month to cancel my plan. I am tired of calling the 1-800 customer line to talk to a computerized menu that for whatever reason has no voice recognition skills. When I finally do get put through to a representative it appears my options are limited...or perhaps this is because I have not yet found the one English speaking employee you are required by law to hire. When I do finally get through to someone do not be surprised if I tell you where you can stick your stinking cell phone and the exorbitant plan that costs me a lot and provides me with very limited service. If you wish to keep taking my money monthly please provide me with a cell phone that will actually allow me to make a 2 minute phone call without being dropped 10 times. It would be nice if my text messages were received more promptly as well. I mean really if my friend in BC can drive and get here faster than his text message what is the point in sending a text message??? I am sure any of the competition will be just as happy to take my money as you are, with one small exception, they will actually provide service and a working phone.

Yours Truly,

Ticked of Rogers Wireless customer #122839678