I am in a ROTTEN mood today. Not sure what is going on but watch out! My kids got the brunt of it today when the toilet got clogged. Our "uncloggable" toilet. This is probably the 10th or 12th time is has clogged since it was installed during the bathroom remodel 3 years ago (or was it 4?). In any event, it got clogged and I got blamed for buying the wrong toilet paper. Uh-oh. Not a good day to blame me for something that I did not do. I probably owe them an apology for my choice language but I am not there yet. In fact, I am cooking dinner and as soon as it is ready I am out.the.door.  I think I might go to the gym or out shopping. We'll see how much worse the mood gets in the next 30 minutes.

Well, it finally happened. Jax had an allergic reaction to peanuts last night, while 270 miles away at university. He did not (yes, you read that right, did NOT) use his EpiPen because he did not initially realize that it was an allergic reaction and then he thought might not be ~that~ bad. So he took Benadryl and waited but it got worse so he had a friend drive him to the ER. Once there, he said he was having an allergic reaction to peanuts and they took him in straight away. His symptoms started with an itch throat a sore stomach. Then a cough and pressure in his ears. By the time he arrived at the ER his face is beet read and he had hives on his face.

They admonished him for not using his EpiPen. He was given epinephrine, a steroid, Benadryl and pepcid and he stayed for observation for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night, he had a biphasic reaction and he called me at 4:30AM and asked what he should do! OMG! I told him EPIPEN then 911. He told me he was going to try to wake someone up to get a ride. I wanted to reach through the phone and grab him by the throat. Anyway, he did end up calling 911 then using the EpiPen (wrong order!!) and his roommate waited outside with him until the ambulance arrived. Again, he was treated with antihistamines and released after a couple of hours. He has to fill 3 Rx for steroids and the antihistamines.

So, he thinks he reacted to either corn bread or the dressing on a shrimp salad from the dining hall at the school. His plan is the meet with the chef to find out if there would have been any chance of cross contamination. He has an app from the school that lists all ingredients of all of the food and thus far (7 weeks) he has been eaten everything else safely. Oh not! What if it is a new allergy to shrimp? Hmmm... **edited to add on 10/161/6 that he found out the salad had peanut oil in it.

Anyway, I just cannot believe that it happened yet I knew it was bound to happen sometime. I am so happy that he is ok and pray that he never has another reaction.

Lots of to-do's now to be done (transfer his EpiPen Rx to a national pharmacy so he can refill it, contact the university's health and counseling services to let them know what happened, contact the chef at the dining hall to determine what he reacted to, review his emergency plan and most of all, always use the EpiPen first).

Well, it finally happened. Jax had an allergic reaction to peanuts last night, while 270 miles away at university. He did not (yes, you read that right, did NOT) use his EpiPen because he did not initially realize that it was an allergic reaction and then he thought might not be ~that~ bad. So he took Benadryl and waited but it got worse so he had a friend drive him to the ER. Once there, he said he was having an allergic reaction to peanuts and they took him in straight away. His symptoms started with an itch throat a sore stomach. Then a cough and pressure in his ears. By the time he arrived at the ER his face is beet read and he had hives on his face.

They admonished him for not using his EpiPen. He was given epinephrine, a steroid, Benadryl and pepcid and he stayed for observation for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night, he had a biphasic reaction and he called me at 4:30AM and asked what he should do! OMG! I told him EPIPEN then 911. He told me he was going to try to wake someone up to get a ride. I wanted to reach through the phone and grab him by the throat. Anyway, he did end up calling 911 then using the EpiPen (wrong order!!) and his roommate waited outside with him until the ambulance arrived. Again, he was treated with antihistamines and released after a couple of hours. He has to fill 3 Rx for steroids and the antihistamines.

So, he thinks he reacted to either corn bread or the dressing on a shrimp salad from the dining hall at the school. His plan is the meet with the chef to find out if there would have been any chance of cross contamination. He has an app from the school that lists all ingredients of all of the food and thus far (7 weeks) he has been eaten everything else safely. Oh not! What if it is a new allergy to shrimp? Hmmm... **edited to add on 10/161/6 that he found out the salad had peanut oil in it.

Anyway, I just cannot believe that it happened yet I knew it was bound to happen sometime. I am so happy that he is ok and pray that he never has another reaction.

Lots of to-do's now to be done (transfer his EpiPen Rx to a national pharmacy so he can refill it, contact the university's health and counseling services to let them know what happened, contact the chef at the dining hall to determine what he reacted to, review his emergency plan and most of all, always use the EpiPen first).

Well, it finally happened. Jax had an allergic reaction to peanuts last night, while 270 miles away at university. He did not (yes, you read that right, did NOT) use his EpiPen because he did not initially realize that it was an allergic reaction and then he thought might not be ~that~ bad. So he took Benadryl and waited but it got worse so he had a friend drive him to the ER. Once there, he said he was having an allergic reaction to peanuts and they took him in straight away. His symptoms started with an itch throat a sore stomach. Then a cough and pressure in his ears. By the time he arrived at the ER his face is beet read and he had hives on his face.

They admonished him for not using his EpiPen. He was given epinephrine, a steroid, Benadryl and pepcid and he stayed for observation for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night, he had a biphasic reaction and he called me at 4:30AM and asked what he should do! OMG! I told him EPIPEN then 911. He told me he was going to try to wake someone up to get a ride. I wanted to reach through the phone and grab him by the throat. Anyway, he did end up calling 911 then using the EpiPen (wrong order!!) and his roommate waited outside with him until the ambulance arrived. Again, he was treated with antihistamines and released after a couple of hours. He has to fill 3 Rx for steroids and the antihistamines.

So, he thinks he reacted to either corn bread or the dressing on a shrimp salad from the dining hall at the school. His plan is the meet with the chef to find out if there would have been any chance of cross contamination. He has an app from the school that lists all ingredients of all of the food and thus far (7 weeks) he has been eaten everything else safely. Oh not! What if it is a new allergy to shrimp? Hmmm...

Anyway, I just cannot believe that it happened yet I knew it was bound to happen sometime. I am so happy that he is ok and pray that he never has another reaction.

Lots of to-do's now to be done (transfer his EpiPen Rx to a national pharmacy so he can refill it, contact the university's health and counseling services to let them know what happened, contact the chef at the dining hall to determine what he reacted to, review his emergency plan and most of all, always use the EpiPen first).

My mother-in-law passed away on October 2nd. We knew it was coming. She had cancer that was spreading and no chemo was keeping it in check. She still passed away sooner than expected and it is always hard, no matter if you know it is coming or not.

Here is her obituary:

Peacefully at home on Sunday, October 2, 2016 in her 78th year.  Mary, beloved wife of Gerry for 54 years.  Loving mother of son M and his wife M, son S and his wife Pez, and son G and his wife T.  Cherished grandmother to L, S, Jax, Dex, Cars, A, and V.  Daughter of the late Frank and Agatha Pocisk.  Dear sister to A.  Predeceased by her twin J and siblings F and E.  Aunt to E, E, B, P, J, A-Marie, and M.  Mary will be sadly missed by family and many friends from her years of teaching, service, faith, and travel.  With passion and enthusiasm, Mary inspired friendships that lasted over 50 years.  Mary loved teaching as much as she loved learning.  She cooked from scratch to celebrate family and friends with food and libations.  She read voraciously and coached her students to develop self-confidence through books.  Devoted to her faith, she turned compassion into service her whole life.  She practiced humility but took pride in her family.  Mary took bridge seriously and played it loudly. She traveled, enjoyed bread and cheese on the Champ-Elysees, pasta in Rome, sampled spices in Turkey and partook Pina Colada in Hawaii. She was a joy to family, friends, and everyone she met.  Visitation at the FUNERAL HOME, on Wednesday October 5, 2016 from 3-5 & 7-9pm. Funeral Mass  on Thursday morning at 10:00am in St. Catholic Church. Interment Cemetery. Reception to follow at the funeral home after the burial.