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Family visit to New Orleans Aquarium
For Christmas, Uncle Zack and Aunt Allison got the family tickets to visit the
New Orleans Aquarium. This was a
great time of exploration and excitement for everyone.
Over the past several months April, while playing a game on Facebook, began
introducing the kids to different sea creatures. So while at the aquarium April
really got excited about being able to match-up each one of her virtual
creatures to the real ones. Aldyn was able to name each one of the real ones
based on the her interaction with April on the computer.
National Doughnut Day June 4th
On June 4th, National Doughnut Day, the family visited the local
Krispy Kreme
Doughnut Shop and received a free doughnut. We were able to see doughnuts being
made and watched them as they made their way along the conveyer belt all the way
to being iced and filled. Our favorite part was imagining what it would be like
to take a glazed icing shower like all the lucky doughnuts. Trey brought his
report card and received 3 doughnuts for free because he earned 3 A's. Way to go
Trey. Kami had the chocolate cake glazed, April had the Boston cream filled,
Rick had the white cream filed, Trey had a cruller, apple filled, and something
else, Aldyn of course had the glazed sprinkles.
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The Warranty on Rick wear out This has been a
very tough year and a half for Rick and his health. It started back in Oct 2008
when he was out training in bad weather and bad seas when he was brought back to
the dock with chest pains. After a ride in the ambulance and 4 nitroglycerin
pills later he wound up in the ER. Doctors determined his heart was not the
culprit and noted only two small gal stones. Three referrals, 3 doctors, and 2
"procedures" later, he needed to have the gal bladder removed in January 2009.
Fast forward 8 months to the move to Louisiana, Rick
was cutting grass and stirred up a bee's hive in the root system of a tree.
Scrambling to avoid getting swarmed he ran away; however, "sure-footed Rick"
turned, slipped, and fell on his elbow.
 The
weight of his body drove his upper arm through the shoulder joint tearing his
rotator cuff. It must be noted his shoulder was not in perfect condition due to
surf boats and his assignments on cutters. Rick now has 3 screws as part of the
repair to keep his shoulder together. The surgeon (Dr.
Misty Suri, team orthopedic surgeon for
New Orleans Saints) also had to
detach his bicep and re-attach it. Two weeks later Rick started his physical
therapy at Babin Physical Therapy.
He has gone from simple no weight pulley shoulder exercises to 110lbs shoulder
exercises, and 1lb bicep curls to 25lbs curls in 9 months.
At Babin Physical Therapy they take a total body
wellness approach to healing and got Rick started on the elliptical exercise
machine to start a cardio program. While on the machine something in his knee
broke free and he felt the oh too familiar pain. While at a shoulder follow-up
with Dr. Suri, Rick had the doctor feel his knee and the doctor ordered an MRI
on the spot and said there was no way around surgery. After the MRI, the doctor
gave Rick two possibilities, partial knee replacement or
break the femur bone and reset it to change the weight bearing surface to the
inside of the knee versus the outside. Dr. Suri then hesitated and said he would first
go in a look before he did anything else.
A week before Christmas 2009, Rick had his 3rd knee
surgery. Dr. Suri told April it's bad and Rick shouldn't be able to walk without
debilitating pain. He continued to state that Rick's knee looked like a 70 year
old, and there is nothing else that can be done except a complete knee
replacement at 50. So Rick continues physical therapy with
Mike Babin and his staff.
In May 2010, Rick got a severe case of poison ivy
over 30% of his body which lasted what seemed the entire month. Right after that
poor Rick got a case of the singles in his mouth.
Let's hope the rest of the year is less painful
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