NFL FANS REJOICE!

After a rather sad week around here, it's time to add some sunshine to life! And for me, that would be today. NFL regular season kicks off today! Tonight's game is the Saints vs. the Packers. This should be a great season opener. I have to say, however, due to the lockout and limited training camps, I don't think any of the teams will be on their game right away. There's something to be said about continuity year round and if that's lost, well, I think there will be some teams that have been highlighted below by FoxSports.com's Adam Schein that could be good, had they had a full training camp time together. What I think is cool about this is the last time a lot of these guys played before preseason was for the Pro Bowl, which I personally saw! Very cool. I'm disappointed that Peyton Manning is out for week 1. I hope he recovers well enough for week 2. I have to agree that the Colts will suffer majorly without him leading the way. My '9ers, yet again, have a new coach to content with. I have yet to form an opinion on his arrival. They, like every other team, has so little time to work together... I may have to hold my thoughts till much later in the season or even into next year! We'll see. But, just like every other year, as long as the Cowgirl stink, I will be a happy girl. So, football fans (and reluctant bench warmers), whip up some chip dip, warm up some pizza and crack open a cool beverage: NFL starts today!!!

AFC East
1. Patriots 13-3

2. Jets 12-4 (wild card)

3. Dolphins 7-9

4. Bills 4-12

Schein's 9 on AFC East
1. The Patriots defense is going to be much better than it was last season. The additions of Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis and Andre Carter represent major upgrades. The pass rush and pass defense will be much better. Never count out a Bill Belichick defense.

2. With Logan Mankins on the roster for a full year and with the additions of Brian Waters and Nate Solder, New England's line will be improved as well. Tom Brady will have another banner season. Stevan Ridley beefs up the run game.

3. Rex Ryan's defense will become the top-ranked defense in the NFL. The Jets are better and younger up front, Calvin Pace is healthy and Darrelle Revis isn’t coming off a prolonged holdout.

4. It is Year 3 for Mark Sanchez. He has proven to be a winner, victorious in four road playoff games in two years. But for the Jets to win the division or to finally get to the Super Bowl, Sanchez needs to even out his play in the regular season and improve his completion percentage.

5. The Jets rightly received the headlines for bringing back the supremely clutch Santonio Holmes and inking Plaxico Burress, who represents an upgrade over Braylon Edwards. But there will be a learning curve. The Jets must stay true to the "ground and pound" philosophy and run with Shonn Greene, regardless of who lines up at receiver.

6. Mike Nolan's defense will keep the Dolphins competitive and have Miami winning some "upset specials" this season.

7. Tony Sparano's offense will keep Miami from making the playoffs. I wish Chad Henne had a full offseason to work with new coordinator Brian Daboll.

8. I don't understand why Buffalo would trade Lee Evans. How does that help Ryan Fitzpatrick and the 2011 Bills? What a terrible transaction for Buffalo.

9. The front seven on the Bills' defense should be much better with Marcell Dareus and Nick Barnett. It can't be worse after nine running backs gashed Buffalo for more than 100 yards in a game last year. But that Buffalo offensive line remains a major issue.

AFC North
1. Ravens 12-4

2. Steelers 11-5 (wild card)

3. Browns 8-8

4. Bengals 2-14

Schein's 9 on AFC North
1. I love the Ravens trusting their recent draft picks, such as Ed Dickson, Terrence Cody, Jimmy Smith and Torrey Smith. They are upgrades over the veterans they replaced. Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta and the Ravens brass do an excellent job with player development.

2. Lee Evans will really help Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. I think Flacco will have a better season than last year. But offensive coordinator Cam Cameron needs to remember that Ray Rice is the straw that stirs the drink on offense and the Ravens are a run-first team.

3. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis are getting older, but they are still great players. Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs have become the Ravens' studs on defense.

4. Mike Tomlin doesn't apologize for throwing the ball more than they have historically in Pittsburgh — and he shouldn't. With a star quarterback and a deep and diverse group of receivers, it is logical.

5. A healthy Troy Polamalu is gigantic to Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl hopes. Tomlin told us on SiriusXM NFL Radio, “When Troy walks on the field with a helmet on, he’s the best player on the field.” No argument there, but I still think there are question marks in the defensive backfield.

6. Believe in the Browns! Check the schedule in the first seven weeks. I think Cleveland goes 5-2. Colt McCoy is a winner. New head coach Pat Shurmur is the right guy and comes in at the right time to coach McCoy up and re-energize the building after Eric Mangini sucked the life out of the team.

7. Don’t minimize the appointment of Dick Jauron as the Cleveland defensive coordinator and the switch to the 4-3. Rookie Phillip Taylor is a beast inside.

8. Truth is, I really buy into the upside of Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and new Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. But with no offseason, the odds are really stacked against them for this year.

9. I feel terrible for Cincy defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Grotesque mismanagement has cost him players. It’s going to be a long year in Cincinnati, again. The Bengals are the worst team in football.

AFC South
1. Texans 10-6

2. Titans 8-8

3. Colts 7-9

4. Jaguars 3-13

Schein's 9 on AFC South
1. I wrote weeks ago that it would be foolish to anticipate that Peyton Manning would play in all 16 games; and when he does play, it would be foolish to believe that he will play at his legendary level. Manning is officially out for Week 1, and his return is up in the air.

2. The Colts aren't good enough in any other phase to get back to the playoffs. Manning eradicated so many other deficiencies on the Colts roster with his brilliant play. Indy will fall from grace — and fall hard.

3. Finally! The Texans will make the playoffs. This team is loaded with talent on offense.

4. Wade Phillips will prove to be a difference-maker at defensive coordinator as Houston transitions to a 3-4 defense. Team leader DeMeco Ryans is healthy, and that's a big deal on the field and in the locker room. The Johnathan Joseph pickup at corner is an instant upgrade.

5. I'm picking Houston, but, frankly, Gary Kubiak scares me. He is a poor in-game coach, and Houston collapsed down the stretch last year. It is a boom-or-bust year for Kubiak.

6. Titans at 8-8? The quarterback position is vastly improved with Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. Signing Barrett Ruud was the most underrated move of the offseason. Chris Johnson is signed and will look like Chris Johnson right away.

7. I like the way new Titans head coach Mike Munchak has carried himself. And I love the staff he put together with Jerry Gray and Chris Palmer.

8. It's a hot-seat year for Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville, yet Gene Smith drafted a quarterback in Round 1. I support the Blaine Gabbert pick, but it won't help Del Rio keep his gig. I believe there will be a new coach in Jacksonville when the Jags miss the playoffs and finish last.

9. This offseason, we talked about the possibility of the Jags cutting David Garrard. His time was up the minute they drafted Blaine Gabbert and he was due 8 million dollars. But it was both unprofessional and simply the wrong move for the Jags to chop their best quarterback the first week of the regular season. While Garrard was too up and down to be considered a great player, cutting him now hurts the Jags' ability to get off to a good start. And it kills Garrard’s chance of getting another gig. So the Jags cut Garrard, start Luke McCown and save 9 million dollars. That’s Jaguars football.

AFC West
1. Chargers 13-3

2. Chiefs 9-7

3. Raiders 6-10

4. Broncos 5-11

Schein's 9 on AFC West
1. As I predicted on FOXSports.com last week, Philip Rivers will win MVP. Vincent Jackson will be one of the five best receivers in the league. Norv Turner is an excellent play-caller on offense.

2. San Diego's defense will make more game-changing plays this year under Greg Manusky. Norv Turner made the correct appointment with Rich Bisaccia as the special teams coordinator after San Diego's putrid play on special teams last year. I think San Diego starts hot and eliminates the negativity from last year.

3. Bob Sanders hasn't been healthy since winning 2007 defensive player of the year. But he's enjoyed a great training camp with the Chargers and Turner is optimistic. If Sanders can stay healthy, he and Eric Weddle will form an elite combination at safety.

4. San Diego is the most talented team in the division. I think the Chiefs are better on paper, but San Diego won’t underachieve.

5. Kansas City is loaded with offensive playmakers. I trust Todd Haley calling the plays with Charlie Weis off to Florida. But Haley must control his demeanor working with Matt Cassel.

6. I liked Kansas City's Kelly Gregg signing. This defense is well-coached and better than you think.

7. I get calls on the radio saying I'm a "Raider hater." That's not true. How can you expect improvement from a team that is so mismanaged and clearly worse from a year ago with all of the signature players who defected? I’ve been campaigning for Hue Jackson to get a head-coaching gig for a long time. But it is going to be tough to succeed in Oakland.

8. John Fox was the ideal man, with the perfect energy and résumé, to lead Denver after Josh McDaniels ran this proud franchise into the ground.

9. The defense will be better with Von Miller, a healthy Elvis Dumervil and new coordinator Dennis Allen. But it is going to take time to heal all the wounds McDaniels created.

NFC East
Eagles 11-5

Giants 8-8

Cowboys 7-9

Redskins 4-12

Schein’s 9 on the NFC East
1. Forget the label of The Dream Team. Andy Reid and company improved an overmatched defense with brilliant signings and trades. It was all logical and calculated. But you have to wonder about the experience at linebacker, at safety and of first-time defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.

2. The offense should be explosive. But with the play of the Philly offensive line, I can’t be convinced that Michael Vick plays in all 16 games. When Vick is out there, this offense is going to be something special. Vick, LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, the underrated Jason Avant, Brent Celek and Steve Smith will keep defensive coordinators up at night. It’s going to be a show!

3. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves Alex Henery’s résumé, kicking in cold weather for a big-time school in Nebraska. The Jets used that same logic when they spent a high draft pick on Mike Nugent. I believe in Henery, but until he makes pressure kicks, he is an unknown.

4. The Giants had a miserable month of August, suffering numerous and key defections and injuries. And it has continued in September. Now, starting middle linebacker Jonathan Goff is done for the year. Goff and cornerback Terrell Thomas were really good players last year, being counted upon to take a step forward. If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Giants would have none at all.

5. Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride should run the ball first and foremost. Eli Manning is too interception-prone.

6. Rex Grossman? Are you serious, Mike Shanahan?

7. Tim Hightower is an upgrade for Washington at running back. But before we put him in the Hall of Fame, let’s remember that he was available to all teams via trade.

8. I still have major questions for the Cowboys along the offensive line and in the defensive backfield. Dallas having both starting corners nicked up to start the season is not the way new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wanted to go into the 2011 campaign.

9. I think Tony Romo has a big-time bounce-back year for Dallas.

NFC North
Packers 12-4

Lions 9-7

Bears 7-9

Vikings 6-10

Schein’s 9 on the NFC North
1. On paper, the Super Bowl champion Packers are better than they were one year ago. The lockout, which brought with it the lack of opportunity to celebrate the championship, will aid the Packers in keeping focus. Mike McCarthy is an excellent coach who keeps Green Bay thinking about the next game.

2. Ryan Grant is back, but a bit rusty. I expect McCarthy to get all three running backs involved early in the season. Grant won’t carry the ball exclusively. While McCarthy strives for balance, the offense, the team, goes through Aaron Rodgers.

3. I think the Packers will have the best defense in the NFC. I think B.J. Raji and Tramon Williams, both coming off great seasons, become true stars.

4. Jim Schwartz has totally changed the culture in Detroit. I loved how he challenged his team to win three out of four in December last year and they won them all. The Lions will be a factor in the playoff chase. I have them losing in Tampa in Week 1 and losing the tiebreaker with the Bucs.

5. I would’ve picked the Lions to make the playoffs if it wasn’t for the Mikel Leshoure injury. I love the offense. I love the defensive line. But they needed that “bell-cow” back.

6. Bears fans and safety Chris Harris love when I pick against them! But I still have some major offensive line questions when I look at the Bears.

7. Week 1 is upon us, and Chicago's Lance Briggs and Matt Forte are still unhappy. That’s a problem.

8. I truly believe that Leslie Frazier and Bill Musgrave will prove to be upgrades at head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, in Minnesota.

9. The Vikes are perhaps the most confusing team to figure. They have major questions in the trenches, the defensive backfield and at receiver. I still believe in Donovan McNabb, but he’s a big question, too.

NFC South

Saints 12-4

Falcons 11-5 (wild card)

Bucs 9-7 (wild card)

Panthers 3-13

Schein’s 9 on the NFC South
1. The Saints are back! Mark Ingram gives New Orleans and Drew Brees some needed balance. This team is loaded and a true Super Bowl contender.

2. I’m not worried about the Saints defense looking shaky in a preseason game against Houston. They are too good and well coached under Gregg Williams.

3. Atlanta is also a legit Super Bowl contender. But I’m not convinced they did enough on defense to beat out New Orleans.

4. Matt Ryan is a star.

5. Bucs football! Get on board! Raheem Morris has changed the culture. And they made a decision last year to play a bevy of young players. That experience will help them greatly this season.

6. Josh Freeman will be a borderline MVP candidate this year.

7. I’m a bit concerned about the Bucs defense after losing Barrett Ruud. The second-year defensive linemen must step up

8. I’m excited to see Cam Newton play quarterback. I just wish for his development, and for Carolina winning ball games, that they had a legit veteran to start the season.

9. Ron Rivera will be a fine head coach. It just won’t happen this year.

NFC West

Cardinals 9-7

Rams 8-8

49ers 6-10

Seahawks 4-12

Schein’s 9 on the NFC West
1. Tarvaris Jackson is the Seahawks quarterback? Wow. What a downgrade. And Seattle rewards him with two-year contract and $8 million? Who was the guy who watched the Vikings over the years and thought to himself, “I need to get Jackson as my quarterback and Darrell Bevell as my coordinator.” It’s illogical. It’s a step backwards. Jackson isn’t better than Charlie Whitehurst, last year’s mistake at quarterback.

2. I did like Seattle’s pickups of Sidney Rice and Zach Miller. But this Seahawks offensive line looks putrid.

3. Kevin Kolb changes everything for the Cardinals on the field and in the meeting room. Cardinals’ brass is thrilled how he has improved the culture and accountability. It was missing last year without Kurt Warner. Kolb already has a rapport with Larry Fitzgerald and will get better and put up big numbers as the season moves along.

4. The Ryan Williams injury is a big deal for Arizona. Beanie Wells needs to show Ken Whisenhunt he can be counted on as a runner and in pass protection.

5. Arizona’s defense will be vastly improved with new coordinator Ray Horton. Patrick Peterson was the best overall player in the draft. I think this defensive line has a chance to be special.

6. The Rams boast a strong front seven on defense, and their linebacker core is very underrated. St. Louis was a tough team to leave out of the playoffs. I really like what Steve Spagnuolo has done in St. Louis.

7. Josh McDaniels was overmatched as a head coach but is a great offensive coordinator. I just wish he had an offseason to work with Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

8. Patience, Niners fans. Jim Harbaugh is the right man for the job. It just won’t happen this year.

9. I’m not convinced the Niners' 2012 starting quarterback is on the current roster.

Championship Sunday
Patriots over the Jets

Packers over the Saints

Super Bowl
Packers repeat, beating New England 27-24

Thoughts and prayers for Dawson's family

This is too close to home. We see his family almost everyday: his uncle is our neighbor, his grandparents run the gas station we use very frequently, his other grandpa is a friend of Tony's, they live a couple blocks down from us, he was in basketball and T-ball with Aria this summer, just a few weeks ago, he was over at our house inviting Aria to come play with him and his older sisters, he rode his bike by our house often... we saw him alot. Just this last Friday as I dropped Aria off for the bus, he was there and later that day would read to Aria for a program where older kids come and read to the kindergartners. That was the last time we'd see him. Dawson died Saturday evening on a motorcycle ride with his dad. His dad is in the hospital; I have no idea how severe his injuries are. It's like a friend I was visiting with in church yesterday said, you just never think when you say goodbye to someone it might be the last time you see them. (Her family and Dawson's family were at a volleyball game all day Saturday in Sunburst and she remembers saying "see you later" to Dawson before they left.) It's literally a one moment they're here, the next they're gone situations and the reality is hard to grasp. Tony told Aria yesterday. I don't know if a kid her age understands fully what happened. I remember when another tragic death in our community occurred several years ago. When my sister was 8, the same age as Dawson, a classmate and friend, Courtney, died. Courtney's death was and still is hard to understand. I sat with Amanda during the funeral as mom or dad couldn't since my dad helped do the service and my mom sat with the family. They wanted a family member to sit with Courtney's classmates. Amanda couldn't understand why everyone was crying. She knew something was wrong and that Courtney was dead, but I don't think she actually understood that she'd never see Courtney again. None of us would. That is what is so sad about it. As I watched all the kids during basketball and T-ball, I remember thinking when I saw Dawson play that he'd be a good athlete in high school. He worked hard and had a natural ability it seemed to me. I was really sad for Jada, his mom. While it's very hard right now, Christmas will be hard for this family, next T-ball season will be hard for this family, birthdays and other family events/traditions will be hard for this family. As will the what-ifs and hypotheticals. The finality of death, esp. in a young child is an almost cruel reminder that life is fragile. Don't take anyone for granted. You never know if seeing them will be the last. It also reminds me that while death on earth is final, eternal life thru Jesus is for everyone and for those who believe, and it's so easy, we can mourn the passing of loved one, but know that we'll be reunited forever soon enough. My hope and prayer is that my loved ones and your loved ones know that if Jesus is your Saviour, we do not have to fear death. It's hard to understand and hard to cope with the reality of a loved one being gone. It's something no one wants to go thru, ever (even tho death is certain for everyone), but I personally take comfort in knowing that this life isn't it for me and for many others. Our hope, peace and comfort is in a loving God who is always there for us and has prepared an eternal home for those who love Him.

Keep Jada, Cory, Kayona, Abby, Duane, Darlene, Jerry, Butch, Lonna, Jeb, Jalena, and Jenny and their families in your prayers.

What a month it was!

First off, thank you to all of you for your kind wishes and prayers. This last month or so has been a real challenge for us, but we're almost done and it's family and friends like you that helped us get thru it!

Let me start at the beginning. About the end of June, Tony started having kidney stone pain. As I've mentioned before, he has a chronic condition called cystinurea and forms kidney stones that are usually too hard for lithotripsy to work and much more frequently than the average person. He has had then enough in the past that when he gets this pain, he recognizes it right away and starts taking measures to relieve his symptoms. More often than not, he passes them on his own with the help of pain meds. Well, about 3 weeks into trying to pass the stones on his own at home, July 13 to be exact, he couldn't take it any more, so we were off the the ER in Havre. A cat-scan there revealed 2 stones on the right side, one stuck in his ureter that was 6 mm, and a smaller one still in the kidney. The left side was the major issue. There was a stone in his left kidney called a staghorn stone. Staghorn stones are fairly rare, very large and hard to treat. His stone was about 2 in X 3 in. Sounds hard to believe! The ER doc's eyes were enormous when he came in to give us the news. The interesting part about that is the fact the Tony was having pain only in the right side. Not the left side AT ALL! Tho looking back, we wonder if Tony's reoccurring back pain wasn't caused from the left side stone. Well, they made an appointment for us to see a urologist in Great Falls the next day. On July 14, Tony had a nephrostomy tube (basically a catheter placed directly into his kidney, so he had a tube coming out of his back draining into a bag on his leg), placed into the right kidney to relieve the pressure created by the stone blocking his ureter. He was scheduled for surgery July 22. Our hope was for the doc to get everything cleaned out that day, Tony would have the tubes into both kidneys for about a week, and then Kidney Stone 2011 would be over. WWEELLL, not so much!

Tony was in surgery for about 4 1/2 hours. They only worked on the left side, trying to decrease the large stone. They got about 60% taken out, when Tony started bleeding, so they had to quit. They put in another nephrostomy tube into the left side to get access to that kidney and used a newer machine to "laser blast" the stone. He came out of surgery pretty rough. The nurses had a very hard time getting his pain under control. He was in the hospital for 3 days I think. When we got home he was pretty much bed bound. For him to walk from our bed to the bathroom, which is about 15 steps, was agony for him. I was doing daily dressing changes to the tube sights (he now has a tube going into both kidneys) and monitoring his pain meds, on top of keeping him hydrated and comfortable. It was a lot of work. Not being able to do much else to keep him comfortable was frustrating. Tony is not one to lie around and doesn't like to sit in the house for long periods of time. He was starting to feel better a little by the next scheduled surgery on August 1. The doc wanted Tony to rest up and recover and bit. Again, the hope was for this surgery to clean him out and prepare for baby's arrival as we scheduled the c-section for August 18.

On August 1, they cleaned out the right side and attempted to get more of the large stone on the left side broke up. They did get more of the stone, but there was still more to go. He was in the hospital another 2 days. At this point, I am doing weekly appointments with my doc in Havre, and running Tony to Great Falls once a week. He had another surgery scheduled August 8. I wouldn't be able to make it to this one as I had to work. Tony's parents would go down with him. August 8 was a tough day for me; not being there with Tony was frustrating for me. Being a medical person, when the doctor would come out and explain things, I could understand. I am not so good at communicating what he told me to others, but I could understand what was being said. Not being there to hear for myself was hard for me. Tony's parents did a wonderful job of being there for him and explaining to me that while the doctor was optimistic of how things went, he felt that Tony still probably had one more surgery to go. I think that day was the day I lost it mentally and emotionally. All I kept picturing was me alone in the OR having a baby without her dad there with me as he was having yet ANOTHER surgery! Up to this point, I think I had done pretty well at keeping a stiff upper lip and all. I remember a conversation Tony and I had about how God doesn't give us more than we can handle and Tony's remark was "I wish God didn't think so highly of me!" That and wishing kidney stones on Obama was about all Tony really complained about. He was in alot of pain, but he still managed to keep a decent sense of humor thru it all. An appointment with the doc that Thursday and another CT revealed another stone in the right kidney and mostly just sediment in the left kidney. They had taken out the right neph. tube on the 8th. The left one was still in, but I knew it would have to come out soon as the tube site was getting pretty red. Another surgery was scheduled on August 15 to take the tube out and place a stent and remove the stone from the right side. The thought with the stent (a tube going from the kidney to the bladder) was that the sediment was small enough that it would pass thru easily enough and the stent would come out the following week. The 15th came and Tony was in surgery for another 3 or 4 hours. A lot longer than any of us had anticipated! They put the stent in and he also had a catheter placed. Tony dealt with severe bladder spasms till the catheter came out. Once the catheter came out (I removed it the following day), he felt much better. It was the 16th... 2 days till baby came. Obviously, we weren't going to be done with all of this as we'd all hoped, but at least he was feeling better. We went camping the weekend before, thanks to Tony's brothers help, and did okay. While we wanted this to be over before baby came, the farther along we got, the more we (including the doctor) realized this was a more complicated case than initially thought. On the 15th when the doctor came out to visit with me after the surgery was over, he asked permission to use Tony as a case study subject he wanted to present at a kidney stone conference in October. He wanted to get other doctors feedback on how to deal with this particular condition. As mentioned earlier, Tony's stones are very rare (about 1% of the population gets these kind of stone), and staghorn stones on top of it are even more rare. The doctor is doing chemical workups on Tony's stones to see if there are different or better meds Tony should be on. Even tho this process took a lot longer than we'd all hoped, I really feel like this doctor did his best to get Tony "cleaned out" as fast as possible. The doctor has over 20 years in just Great Falls and I believe is very knowledgeable in his practice. Tony was probably his hardest patient he's dealt with in his career, tho. He is pretty nice and took quite a liking-to to Aria!





On August 18, Tony was feeling great. Taryn Kennedy was born right at 8 am, weighed in at 9 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches. Her features are very similar to Aria's when Aria was a baby. Tho Taryn doesn't have a dimple on her chin like Aria and I and I think she's a bit darker complected than Aria too. She is pretty mellow, but lets you know when she's had it! Tony's family was all there and my parents were there for her birth as well. It was a good day. I got pretty sick after the surgery (I still blame the morphine!) and the recovery hasn't been as speedy as I remember Aria's being. Friday morning, Tony started not feeling well again. Thankfully he had pain meds and was able to make it thru the day. Saturday morning things turned from bad to worse for him. I looked at him and said "we're in the hospital! Go downstairs to the ER get something stronger for pain and see what else they can do". So, he did. A CT showed the stent was plugged up about an inch deep with stones. A call was made to Tony's doc in Great Falls and even tho he was not on call or anything that weekend, he agreed to have Tony come in and "clean him out for good" this time! To have a doctor come in on his day off is saying something. Tony's brother, Dustin, drove him down for the procedure on Sunday. They basically flushed the left kidney out for 15 minutes. In the meantime, my doctor, who was fully aware of our situation over the past few weeks, pretty much said even tho I could go home, he wanted me to stay one more day as "we can take good care of you while your husband is recovering". We all returned home Monday. Tony and his mom brought Taryn and I home. Tony had a sample cup and the bottom of it was covered in stones that had been retrieved from the stent. One wonders how much more could've been in there from the whole process.

The stent comes out Sept. 9. Tony went back to work yesterday. He's on light duty aka office work this week. He had his manager at work covering calls and messages when Tony was out ( July 14 - August 28). I guess the 3 stacks are about an inch or so thick each. Thankfully, working the the medical field, one has to just say kidney stone and surgery, and people are pretty understanding! Once the stent is out, this will be over. Then on to long term treatment and prevention. I imagine Tony will have a CT or Xrays done at least yearly to see if there is more stones forming. Diet and exercise don't help prevent these stones. He's missing a gene that doesn't process protein efficiently. Meds and hydration are the main thing in prevention and even that is no guarantee. We know what the problem is, it's just finding something that will keep recurrence to a minimal. Tony's family have been just awesome thru all of this. They mowed our yard, vacuumed, washed floors, watched over our dogs (including poop patrol!), cooked meals, kept Aria on surgery days, and just checked in frequently. We couldn't have made it thru without them. Many of you emailed, called to check in, sent cards... it's been wonderful! Our church is now supplying meals to us on a daily basis and that has been a wonderful blessing, too! I can't tell you how this has really helped us. Words seems to fail me. I truly believe that it has been everyone's support that helped us get thru this! Other than August 8, I have been fairly optimistic and positive. Perhaps hormones play into that, but honestly, we are really blessed with great family and friends.




I've included some pictures of Taryn and of Aria's first day of kindergarten (!) as if this momma didn't have enough to deal with, I sent my little girl off to school on top of everything else! She so far seems to like it, tho she told me the other day that they don't have the dress up clothes like preschool and they only time they get to play is recess! Another Aria-ism for you: The other day, Taryn's cord stump fell off. Aria was there and promptly went to find her dad to let him know "Taryn's cork came out, dad! Her cork is out!" Life is slowly getting back to normal. Taryn had her days and night confused, but I think we're getting that reversed. I plan to return to work the end of Sept. (the doc wanted me to take off 2 months, but we agreed to a month after some strenuous negotiations!). My mom will come up when I return to work to be my daycare for Taryn till she has to leave. I have a wonderful daycare person (highly recommended if you live in the Rudyard region, tho I think she's booked for now!), but want to keep Taryn home as long as possible, just cause it's fall and kids tend to share more illnesses than usual with school resuming and all.

I hope you haven't all been bored to tears with this update, I've just gotten some questions and felt this was the best way to address them. I hope it made sense and clears up any confusion. Again, thanks for all your support and prayers. The care we received in both Great Falls and Havre was outstanding. We're both on the road to recovery and look forward to a "normal" day soon!

I'd like to take this opportunity to come out against Obamacare. If we were on universal healthcare, there would be no way Tony would've been seen so quickly. We maybe would still be waiting for the first appointment! Yes, our medical bills will be high, but after a (rough) month, we're almost done. Please, for those who maybe think universal healthcare is the way to go, RECONSIDER!!! Paying more for our bills is much more worth it than waiting... and waiting... and waiting.

I've had a few chances to watch some preseason NFL. While in the hospital, I was feeding Taryn, watching a game, and thought does life get any better?! I can't wait for regular season to start... I'm gonna have to post my preseason picks soon!

A picture worth a thousand words

No denying it, Aria is very proud of her little sister!

Welcome to the world and to our family Taryn Kennedy. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 3 oz., is 20 inches long. She is pretty mellow, so far. I have to say that Tony and I make pretty good looking babies, but I'm a bit biased! I am feeling better, the pain isn't quite as intense. We'll be staying in the hospital one more day as Taryn's bilirubin count is up, so she's "tanning" under a bililite for the day and they want to check her levels tomorrow to see if she needs to go home with the bililite or not. AND, Tony had another surgery done this morning in Great Falls. He had a stent placed in his left ureter and the day after Taryn was born, he started getting worse and worse pain in the area. He couldn't take it, and since we were already in the hospital, I told him to go to the ER and have it checked out. A CT showed the stent was plugged with stones again. So, his doctor had Tony come down early this morning to clean him out. From what I hear, this should be it for stones. But Tony usually feels pretty rough after surgery, so my doctor and I agreed I should just stay in the hospital one more night. I'll tell you what, we will really appreciate normal health once we all start feeling better. I am so grateful for Tony's family: Dustin drove Tony down to Great Falls, Craig brought our camper home for us as Tony couldn't today, Heidi has been so good about checking in on me and watching our dogs and Rick and Debbie have had Aria all weekend so she didn't have to hang out at a hospital again (2nd home away from home lately!). We are so blessed with all our families and are even more blessed to have a healthy, beautiful little girl to bring home!

There IS light at the end of the tunnel!

Weeelll, after 3, count 'em, 3! surgeries, Tony may be done. The first surgery got 60% of the 2 inch x 3 inch stone. He started bleeding, so the doc stopped the procedure. The 2nd surgery they cleared out the other kidney and got a little bit more of the bigger stone. The time in between each surgery was a week. Tony was pretty much bed bound and to stand and walk to the bathroom and back was too painful for him to bear. I was doing dressing changes every other day and monitoring his tube sites into his back. The right side liked to plug up a lot, so I was flushing that frequently, too. The 3rd surgery, this past Monday, they blasted the remaining large stone and manually removed it. According to the doctor, they cleaned him out as much as they could. That means there is more in there, but they can't get to it and it is most likely "stuck" and will either stay there or eventually work itself out. We have a follow up appointment with the doc this Thursday, where they will take some x-rays and determine if they are done and hopefully, remove the 2 nephrostomy tubes. I think then, Tony will feel next to 100% better. It has been very hard. Tony is not one to sit around the house. It pretty much drives him crazy. I have to admit, I felt like I was doing pretty good till after the 2nd surgery and the doc said there was more to come. I lost it that day. All I could picture was me sitting alone in the operating room, getting ready for baby to come and Tony was in another hospital somewhere else. I never wanted to be a single mom!! I know it sounds dramatic, but my mind and probably hormones went there that day. The tunnel was long and very black. No light. I was also unable to be with Tony that day as I had to work. His parents were with him, and while I know they were looking after him quite well, to not be there myself, I felt helpless and hopeless. But, I had my little moment, and things got better. I am really grateful to Tony's family for their awesome support and help they have been. My sister, Marcia sent tons of flowers and balloons and called ALOT, which was wonderful. My mom came up for a few days and helped out around the house, too. It all was such a blessing. I am very anxious to talk to the doc about long term plans and what, if anything, we can do for our kids as far as heredity is concerned. We powered thru! I am one exhausted, very pregnant lady tho. But, I'd do it forever if I had to. No one can care for my husband like I can!

So, onto baby stuff. I am scheduled for a c-section August 18 at 7:30 am. I had my pre-op visit with the surgeon yesterday and I really liked him. Tony was having his final surgery that day, so he couldn't be there, and I wished he had been. I had heard some things about this doc and I was a little nervous to meet him. Thankfully, I was quite wrong and the guy was very informative, and very friendly. No worries! Until Tony is 100% (and his has like 9 days to get there!), I really have been in a holding-like mode. No baby till he's better, I'd say. I can say now that I'm ready! I am very excited to meet her and see what she will look like, what her personality will be like. How different will her and Aria be, how similar? If there is one thing that makes me sad thru all of this is how will Aria and my relationship change, if at all? For the last 5 and 1/2 years, it's been her and me. Granted, she'll be starting kindergarten and I'm sure that will keep her somewhat occupied, but I just wonder how different our lives will be. I know it'll probably be okay, like everything else ends up being, but it's something I've thought alot about lately. I have to keep reminding myself I wondered about this same thing when it was just Tony and I. Life just made sense after Aria was born. The transition from a family of 2 to a family of 3 was hardly a transition at all. It actually felt natural and right. So, I have to have faith that addition number 4 will be the same way.

Thanks to everyone who has kept us in your prayers and thoughts lately. I've been too busy to personally thank all of you, but please know that I really appreciate all my family and friends. Your prayers and concern have literally kept us going!

Football and Facebook

In what has been a rather hard week, some happy news brightened my day today. The NFL is back on! And it's coming out guns a-blazin'! Free agency is happening like mad, trades and deals are being made like every minute. I'm so happy to know the season will start without too much a hitch. I kind of thought it might, but there was always that "what if" in the back of my head. So, yay football! I hope the league has enough sense to try and make it up to us crazy, loyal fans somehow. We love the game, but the greed and attitude shown these last few months was a bit disturbing.

Speaking of disturbing, I have come across something that really has been bugging me and I need to get it off my grumpy chest. For the last week, I've been sort of updating Tony's facebook profile, per his request to keep facebook "friends" posted on the latest. He has 99 "friends" on there. Do you know how many people of these supposed "friends" sent well wishes for his surgery? Um, like 11. Wow! Nice to know people care. So I did some further research/stalking. Some of you who read this were my "victims". Some of you have 100's (REALLY?!) of "friends". You may have had a birthday recently; not even half of your "friends" wished you a happy birthday! I would think that if a person were my "friend", they could at least wish me a happy birthday or wish me well on a rather major surgical event. This bothers me greatly. Maybe it's why I shun facebook. Why have a "friend" when all they're really concerned about is updating their own profile to mention what they did for fun all weekend while their "friend" suffered in a hospital with no mention of "hey take care, buddy" or "thinking about you". It's a self-serving, self-promoting piece of garbage in my book. And, perhaps, I would become a hypocrite and self-promote myself if I were to get a facebook account. Maybe that is the underlying theme with facebook. But it bothers me. One can chose to ignore or acknowledge someone elses issues at will. Now I'll be reasonable; a post of "went to the store and bought groceries" (while stupid) doesn't need a response. But to me, a post of "having surgery today. wish me luck" requires a response, esp. if that person is a close friend... someone who would have the honor of being my facebook "friend". Just saying. Same thing with a birthday or other major life event. This is a chance to send your thoughts and best wishes to that person, since you can't do it in person. Or do I have a weird expectation of facebook and what it should be? Is it mostly to let people know how you are and that's it? "Who cares about your life, cuz mine is too important... look how popular I am with all my "friends""!!! That is the message I got this past weekend with facebook. Yes, most of you are on my guilty list too. Sorry, but either be a friend and send along your wishes, or don't bother friend requesting if all you're worried about is NOT checking in on all 30082 "friends" you have to keep up with on freakin' facebook! BTW, this includes emails and phone calls, too. Don't be a stranger and call to check up on your 8 months pregnant friend (who to say is feeling overwhelmed would be an understatement... listen to the song Sinking by Jars of Clay to get where I'm coming from right now) caring for her incapacitated husband and 5 year old daughter who doesn't understand why mommy and daddy can't play with her like normal!

Tony will be having surgery again August 1. The doc was able to get at only 60% of the stone in his left kidney. The stone (or rock) is 2 inches x 3 inches (yes, inches!). They were using a rather new machine to bust the stone into smaller pieces. The doc didn't count on the stone being that large, so it took longer for them to get at it. Tony was in surgery for about 4 1/2 hours. Tony started bleeding, so the doc decided to stop the procedure. He'll go after the remaining 40% and the right kidney the next surgery and then hopefully Tony can start to recover! Tony has a nephrostomy tube into both kidneys. He's in a lot of pain and can tolerate standing for only a few minutes at a time. I miss my Tony. He stays in bed almost all day as that is where he's most comfortable. Poor guy. It's hard to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything about it. I truly hope his next procedure the doc can clean everything out and then Tony can start the healing process. August 18 will be here before we know it! And then, the fun begins... not that I'm not having "fun" now.

Maybe get a glass of ice tea or coffee for this one!

Wow! A month has passed and it seems like just a few days! I guess that is a good thing considering how close I am to D-day (delivery day). I will do my best to update, but let's get a few things out of the way first.

1.) Okay, it's mid-July... why the hype about the heat?! Seriously, who is surprised at the 3 digit numbers? And if you are, then get on some Namenda or something. July is always hot, people! I am 8 months pregnant and I am not complaining cuz I am not dumb. I am fully aware that mid-July is hot. Granted, it was barely breaking the 70's like last week, but still, this kind of weather is not at all surprising. Remember, everyone, to stay hydrated and if you're home doesn't have AC, your car surely must. If your car doesn't... well, then you need to get a good paying job so you can afford this modern luxury and quit whining!

2.) Rep. Sheila Jackson: you are the reason racism exists in our culture and you alone. Republicans are bucking Obama on the debt ceiling because of common sense, not skin color you nit-wit! If this is the best argument she can come up with we are in serious trouble.

3.) Casey Anthony. *head shakes* What a fiasco. While I believe her actions surrounding her daughter's death are very suspicious, and had I been on that jury it would've been very hard to get past that alone, I have to reluctantly agree with the jury's verdict. There just wasn't enough hard core, fact based evidence to convict on the charges she was facing. Now had her charges been like negligent homicide or something, but I'm no lawyer. Clearly, she was irresponsible, and one of her sentences should've included automatic sterilization. But there are a lot of people who should be handed that particular sentence, in my book.

4.) Our governor here in Montana is such an ignoramus. The oil spill accident in the Yellowstone River was just that: an accident! Much of the state has been inundated with high waters due to a wet, wet spring. Most likely, the leak was caused by debris in the rushing waters of the rising Yellowstone River. Exxon-Mobile did not intend for this to happen and once they found out about it, they resolved the problem as fast as they could. Their response to me was timely and efficient. Now there are people out there who are looking to make a quick buck or two and their knee-jerk reaction of who's gonna pay for my long term suffering was not at all surprising. But for the Governor to come out and bully Exxon-Mobile and accuse them and everyone involved with the clean upon how to do their job and take soil samples is just plain stupid. Who is my source on all of this? My dad, who has been working very closely with government officials and Exxon-Mobile people alike. And how much will you bet that by maybe even next summer, one won't even know there was an oil spill in that region? Oil is a product of nature and nature cleans up after itself rather well. We humans just can't learn that.

Now on to news closer to home! First off, I am scheduled for a c-section August 18. I picked that day in homage to my sister Marcia, as she has a b-day on the 18 (it's just in March, but the day is right!). I also didn't like the idea of having a kid on an odd day... no real explanation for that. I'm not really superstitious, I just like even days better for some reason. The name we have picked for her is Taryn Kennedy. I picked Taryn as it's a bit unique and there are 2 A's in the family, now there will be 2 T's. Kennedy is for Tony's grandpas, both named Kenneth. Kennedy was as close as we could get to Kenneth. Now just in case this girl turns out to be a boy, the name would be Royce Kenneth. Tony's great-grandpa Miller was Roy... so we were clearly looking to his family for name choices this time around. For some reason, with the date picked out now, I am suddenly very excited about her arrival. Not that I wasn't before, just without the date in place, I felt like I had lots of time to prepare and all. I think as far as nursery and all goes, I'm ready. I have tons of clothes, we buy diapers and formula whenever we go grocery shopping, I kept most everything of Aria's when she was a baby, so I think we're just waiting for her arrival and then settle into a family of 4 (which will remain that way; we're done. I plan to have my tubes ties since I'll already be under the knife, FYI). Just in time for Aria to start Kindergarten!

Tony is anxiously awaiting surgery this Friday, July 22. A little background: when Tony was 25, he developed kidney stones. Okay, no problem. People get these a lot. So a round of lithotripsy, some pain meds and off he went to pass them at home and be done with it. Six months later, we were back in the ER with more kidney stone problems. So a stent was placed, more pain meds and off he went to pass them at home. Six months later, we were back in the ER. So this time a nephrostomy tube was placed (like a catheter directly into the kidney) as the stone was blocking his ureter and causing major swelling in the kidney. We also found out this time around that his stones were called cystine stones. Cystine stones are found in only 1-2% of all kidney stones that are formed. They are very rare and hard to treat. Lithotripsy doesn't work on these stones as they are too hard to break up. They usually have to be removed surgically. Cystinuria as it's called is genetic. However, no one that we are aware of in Tony's family has this condition. And it usually occurs in childhood. Cystine stones form rapidly and often. About the only way to prevent them is lots of hydration and medication intervention. Tony had 2 more stents after the nephrostomy tube and the last occurrence happened about 6 years ago. He passes a few stones a year, but has gotten quite used to the pain and the symptoms that what for the average person might take them out of commission for a while, he just powers right thru. After visiting with nephrologist in Billings several years ago, he put Tony on a medicine called Captopril, which while for blood pressure, had shown good results in decreasing the amount of cystine stone formations in an individual. It did work well. So well, that Tony kind of slacked off in the pill taking dept. He would take his pills if he felt a stone coming on (yah, he has gotten that aware of his condition), and then the problem would go away. Till about 3 weeks ago. He saw our family doctor about some pain pills as he was passing stones but needed something for break through pain. He figured he'd pass all the stones and just needed some help for the pain till it was over. July 13, he couldn't take it anymore. We headed to the ER. Tony was hoping for a stronger pain med, but the Doctor wanted to do a CT scan to see what exactly was going on. Good thing we did! Tony's right kidney has 2 stones, one is half way down the ureter and stuck. It's blocking the kidney and consequently the kidney is swelling and left untreated could die. The left kidney had the doctor just amazed. It is literally filled with stone that is called a staghorn stone. These are very large and very bad stones. They will not pass on their own and the only intervention is surgery. We went to Great Falls July 14 and Tony had a nephrostomy tube placed in the right kidney to alleviate the swelling. Remarkably, the left side he's had no pain. The tube obviously has relieved some of the pain, but the tube is very uncomfortable and he is on stronger pain meds to decrease some of the pain and discomfort associated with it. On Friday, they will go thru the tube and removed the stones on the right side. They will place a nephrostomy tube into the left kidney, use laser ultrasound to breakup the large staghorn stone into smaller pieces and remove all the remaining sediment from that. The doctor thinks he can get it all in one setting, but it may take a while. Once this is done, other than some soreness from digging around the kidneys, he should be pain-free almost instantly. This is no guarantee he'll get stones again. This particular condition is chronic. Many people with cystinuria end up on disability as they spend more time in hospitals than not. We've been very fortunate. This isn't your classic case, get kidney stones once and your done experience. My other major concern is one of heredity. How Tony has this when no one else in his family does is a mystery. But we'll have to discuss with the doctor at some point if our kids will need to be tested to see if they have it or are carriers of it. So, I hope this sheds some light as to what is going on with him. He can't wait for this to be over, and well, neither can I. I want my Tony back... he hasn't been himself for over 3 weeks! Plus, he needs to be better to take care of me in a few weeks (sound selfish? well, maybe a little!)

So, keep us in your prayers. We have wonderful family support here and are doing well otherwise. I'll try to keep you updated as best I can.