Quick Updates

03 Aug Quick Updates

The last several weeks have been fairly intense around the Kuzma household. Here’s a couple quick updates and a chuckle for you:

Jonathan seems to be doing pretty well at Heritage School in Provo, Utah. We miss him like crazy! Not that one ever knows what a situation like this will be like, but I really did not expect to miss him so much. At times, it’s deeply emotional. His homesickness settled in about 3 weeks ago or so. Our phone calls and last couple of therapy sessions have been filled with lots of tears and wishes that we could be closer (on his side AND ours) and see each other more often. On the up side, we are trusting this will build a deep appreciation in him for being with family rather than being separated. He’s doing great in school, is off of his main Bipolar medication and seems to be handling it pretty well. He’s lost 25 pounds, likely due to being off the medication. We don’t know what the long-term picture looks like as far as meds. It’s too early to tell.

Colleen had a recurrence of the heart issues 3 weeks ago. (If you’re not familiar with what I’m mentioning here, you can go back to the posts around June 14-21 for more details.) We didn’t tell many people about it because all tests showed nothing had happened heart-wise and there was no increase of fluid around the heart and lungs. There was no change from her echocardiogram done 2 weeks previous to the recurrence. What they did do was take the steroid medication (which she had been slowly weaning off of per doctor’s orders) back up the maximum. They are weaning her off more slowly this time in hopes that the heart issues will recede and she can make her way completely off steroids. Upside is that some blood work last week showed much improvement. Downside is that she is going through some of the side effects of the steroids. Next echo is this Friday.

If you follow my blog or Facebook page, you likely heard of my involvement in the memorial events for Simi Valley Police Officer Nicole Anderson. The Memorial Service was last Tuesday, July 26. It made for a couple of pretty packed weeks, though it was such an honor to be involved. Then, this week, tomorrow in fact, I’ll get to participate in a short memorial for Simi Valley Police Officer Michael Clark, who is the only Office in our history killed in the line of duty on August 4, 1995.

So, for the last couple of days, I’ve taken a chance to get out of town for a short respite. Hanging with a friend down in Temecula. It was quite the trip. I was supposed to come down Sunday afternoon. For long story reasons, I got several miles out and then turned around, with both of us thinking the trip was off. Then, Monday morning, he called and said it was back on.

I got all the way to Pasadena before realizing I had forgotten my wallet! Colleen was gracious enough to meet me halfway. Then, Monday evening, I realize I hadn’t packed some medication I needed. Took care of that Tuesday morning at the pharmacy. THEN, Tuesday afternoon, we go to leave for golf, and I open my trunk to find out…NO golf clubs! Had to rent a set to play with.

After we both started the round pretty sadly, we were able to settle down and had a great time. In the meantime, I’m working through some school work for my Master’s program as well. Trying to keep the reading schedule intact (it’s a bit behind) and assignments turned in on time.

Have spent today reading, getting a haircut (LOVE it nice and short), and more reading. Oh yeah, to top things off, while I’m driving out here Monday afternoon in triple digit heat, my car’s air conditioning quits on me! Yeah, I’ll be waiting till well after sun down to leave for home tonight!

I leave you with a chuckle! Enjoy …. the seniors RV ….