Rob Spends the Night in the Hospital

The second Sunday night of January, we had an event and were at the COB from about 3 until 9 pm.  On the way home, Rob pulled over and asked me to drive, telling me that he couldn't see anything in the bottom third of his vision.  This was similar, but much larger, to a visual loss that he had two years before, but which went away.

The next day, he visited the mission clinic, and they made an appointment for him with a neurologist in two days.  Anyone who has had to get in to a neurologist knows that usually it takes months to get in, but they had a cancellation.  Tuesday afternoon, we had Elder Bridge and Bushman, who we serve with, to give him a blessing.  Elder Bushman did not bless him that he would recover, but that he would receive the proper treatment (I didn't really like that - I wanted him to be healed...)

Dr. Evan Black saw him on Wednesday morning and scheduled him to have a CT scan on his carotid arteries and a MRI on Friday at LDS Hospital.  When Rob had those tests, they told him that he would get the results in about a week.  We left the hospital, heading down to Provo to help Bryan with his home remodeling.

Then the phone rang, and Dr. Black was on the phone.  He said that he wanted him to go to the St. Marks Hospital and get checked in for further tests.  Rob asked him, "When?", since we were heading down to Bryan's.  Imagine our surprise when the doctor responded, "Immediately."

So we drove to the hospital, and I dropped him off.  By the time, I was parked and had come in, he was up in a room.  Over the next hours, they performed a number of tests.

Here he is in bed.

He was just lying there comfortably while I full of concern and turmoil!

Rob had dinner and then Ron and Carolyn came by to see him.  I had been unable to sleep the night before for some reason and had been up since about 3 am, so I returned to Bert's to spend the night - Rob was okay, and I slept much better than I would have in a chair in his room.

Over the course of less than a day, he had, besides the CT scan and MRI at LDS Hospital, seen a physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist, and had an EKG, besides bloodwork. We were fortunate to be at St. Marks which has a been diagnosed as a stroke center of excellence.

We learned the MRI showed that Rob had had a number of little strokes, and the doctor wanted to address those immediately.  We also learned, by the way, that we should have immediately gone to the ER when he had his initial vision loss.  The doctor put him on a stronger blood thinner and after about a week, his vision returned.

Because Rob wasn't immediately healed, we had followed through on the problem, and he found a great doctor.  We felt so grateful that we had gotten him in to the doctor, and that they were able to correct or alleviate this happening in the future.

Helping at Bryan's house

Outside in the driveway looking in at his packed garage!

Besides fun get togethers that were mentioned in our last post, we have had a number of other times helping Bryan with work on his house. We started right from when we arrived in Salt Lake and finished up in January.  I have never seen such a transformation of a before and after house!  Bryan has such vision combined with Emily's skill in just adding the right touches. We were so grateful that we were here to help a little.

Here are some photos of one day when we were working there.

Okay, so I just have to stand on this stool and reach up to the light box , right?

 Rob went across the living room and put wood screws in the joist every 6" to keep the floor from squeeking before they put down the carpet.  Quite a project!

Clay calibrating the thermostats

Our Department Moves to the COB

M-1 (I know, it sounds like a James Bond movie) a restricted floor in the Church Conference Center has been the home for the interpreters since they left the basement of the Tabernacle in 2001.  As we have mentioned earlier, there were booths set up for 54 languages.  Because the space is often left empty most of the time, "higher powers" felt that this area should be vacated and used for offices. The top two floors of the Church Office Building had been in minimal use, so they were remodeled starting in September and were ready by the first week in December. 

So right after the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional on the 4th of December, we came to work in jeans and began the move.  All of the booths had to be cleaned out of supplies, and cupboards had to be emptied.  The physical move wasn't too bad because we were able to put most things in a Church van to bring to the COB.

Here is the beginning of the demolition

  The new offices are wonderful and will be better for various events.  Security had to be provided for interpreters to get in to the COB, mostly after hours, and the badges and photos took a lot of work.  But all was ready by the beginning of January.

Here is one of the new halls with the interpreter booths

Our new desks - it is so nice that there is a space between them so we can see each other

Here I am, all settled in

Here is Rob on his side

 And look at all of the great views that we have during the day and during the night - so beautiful.  We feel very fortunate to have this wonderful place to work.

South, viewing the city

East towards the Wasatch Mountains

Temple Square from way up high

Birds-eye view of the Conference Center

The city at night while we were having one of our interpretation events

The Capitol building on the north

New Years Day with the Family

Sunday morning we met Clay and family at the Tabernacle to watch Music and the Spoken Word.  With all the singers in their family, they really appreciated it.

We then parted and went to our Sacrament meetings.  And then all re-met at our place for a New Years Eve Buffet (as in Christmas Eve Buffet but on a different holiday :-)...) 

Doesn't Bert's and Chris' door look festive?!

 We had pigs in blankets, spicy meatballs, egg rolls, cranberry eggnog (Heather's favorite), and a Jubilee ice cream roll (like we used to get at Friendly's back in Dayton) for dessert.  

That was followed by some individual talent presentations and just general visiting and fun.

Bryan's family sang a funny song about Peanut Butter and Jelly

Talent included Clay's family making a human pyramid

and Kendall balancing a spoon on her nose!

It was just such a great way to begin the new year with our family in Utah plus Clay's.