another update

Hi Everybody!

I just wanted to let you know that my step-mom Robin is still doing
very poorly. She's still bleeding internally. They did another test
yesterday and the results came back today. The same artery that was
bleeding the first time that they sewed up. There aren't a lot of
options to stop the bleeding because her condition is still so weak.
Please continue to pray for her as she fights though this terrible
time. My dad is still going to the hospital every day after work and
he's tired of hearing so much bad news.

I got a lovely email from the Children's hospital that I was not
chosen to advance in the application process. Since I don't have a
job to return to Atlanta for there is a chance that I will return to
NM to help support my dad. Please pray for wisdom for me as I am
making this decision (and as I continue to look for a job).

I love you all,
kapande

updates, updates and more updates

Hi Everyone!

I hope this finds you all doing well.  It's hard to believe that I have already been with my family for almost a month!  Spending my days in the ICU waiting room has really made the time fly!  I wanted to give you a few updates since I have been such a slacker lately.  

My step-mom

Robin is still in the ICU.  They finally decided that she wasn't at risk for more bleeding and that the swelling had gone down enough to suture her abdomen yesterday.  They  were hoping to be able to take her off the ventilator today but since they had to increase her sedation for the surgery yesterday they say she isn't ready yet.  She has definitely turned the corner though and Dad was finally able to get a full night of sleep last night (the first time since her first surgery a month ago!).  Overall she is still ill but she is improving.  It will be hard to leave Saturday with her still being in the ICU.  Please continue to pray for her healing and for my dad as he deals with the stress of caring for her.  

Travel plans

As my time here in New Mexico comes to a close, I thought it would be good to remind everyone of where I will be heading to.  Below is my itinerary.  Please contact me or the person I will be staying with to see what the plans are for my time in each place!  There is a chance that I will switch the Tulsa/Shawnee dates, but I still need to discuss that with Heather and Paige.  

3/21- drive to Carlsbad Caverns and enjoy one of God's beautiful creations, stay the night in a TX Motel 6 :-)  (Pecos or Fort Stockton)

3/22- drive to Austin- stay with my Momma

3/29- drive to OKC- stay with Jenny

3/31- drive to drive to Tulsa- stay with Heather

4/3- drive to Shawnee- stay with Paige

4/6- drive to Birmingham- stay with Meredith

4/8- back to Atlanta- settle with Teresa

Financial Support

I'm sorry that I have been focused on other things and have been a total slacker in writing to you about what you should do regarding financial donations.  According to AIM, they will continue to support me for 8 months so that I can get on my feet and get settled.  However, I have asked them to limit that to only 4 months, March-June.  So, if it is possible for those of you that support me financially to continue making payments through June, that would be a huge help to me!  I have already had a few people say that they can't continue the payments, which I totally understand and respect!  However, this puts me in a shortage.  If there are any of you who do not support me financially that would be willing to make a one time gift or a monthly payment for the next 4 months, that would be wonderful.  Remember all donations are tax-deductible.  If you have questions about making donations please email or call me.  Thanks!

A hunting I will go

I have already submitted an application to the Children's hospital that I was working at before I left and have heard back from them.  They are eager to work with me to find me a position.  There are no positions available in the Neonatal ICU, which would be my first desire, but there is one in the Pediatric ICU.  When they called me they said there is only one position and that they might want to go with someone who has had more recent ICU experience.  There are other positions available in the hospital though so it sounds like they will work with me in finding me something!  :-)  

Car hunting

Two Saturdays ago I asked my dad to take me to look at some cars.  I told him I was only interesting in looking.  However, at the anniversary sale at Rich Ford, they made me a deal that I couldn't refuse (and would have been an idiot if I had!)... so, that night I drove home in a barely used 2009 moss green Ford Fusion.  It's a lot bigger than what I am used to driving and I still have problems parking it straight, but I love it.  It's got lots of fancy features that I am still trying to figure out.... I think the car might be smarter than me!  God really blessed me with a great car!

I hope this finds you all healthy and happy. I can't wait to see you guys!

love,

kapande

update on my step-mom

Hi all...
I would like to say that thing are going well, but so far they haven't
turned out that way. The bleeding started again yesterday morning so
they took her back into surgery for almost 5 hours to find the spot.
They said they found it but still left the abdomen open just in case.
This morning we just got a call that she is bleeding again (more
slowly this time) and they are going to try to find it through an
angiogram (putting dye into the arteries to see where the blood is
traveling). We are headed back up to the hospital now. Please
continue to pray. Thank you.
love to you all,
kimmie

My step-mom

Hi Everyone...
I haven't been keeping up with emails lately because I have been
spending time with my family and helping to watch over my step-mom who
you have been praying for because of her recent surgery. I wanted to
give you an update on her. This morning (Sunday) she started vomiting
blood and telling us that her heart hurt. My dad called the ambulance
and they whisked her off to the ER. My dad and I spent the whole day
in one waiting area or another as they stabilized and cared for her.
To make the long story short, they found that she had some bleeding in
her small intestines so they took her back to surgery tonight. They
thought they had found exactly where with the endoscopy, but once they
got got her on the operating table they couldn't find the spot. They
are left the surgical site open for easy access in case it starts
bleeding again. I imagine that they will keep her sedated over the
next few days. If there is no more bleeding in the next few days they
said they would take her back to the OR and close the surgical site.
Please pray for her healing, wisdom for the doctors, and stamina for
my dad. We'll both be spending a lot of time at the hospital this
week I am sure. Thanks in advance for your prayers.
much love,
kimmie

Surprise!

Dear Family and Friends....

I am writing to you from the comfort of my dad's couch.  What you say?  That's right... Surprise!  I am back in the US!  I arrived last week into New York to stop at the AIM HQ, then proceeded on to Atlanta so I could do things like get a cell phone and get my driver's license renewed.  Then, I flew into Albuquerque to surprise both my sister and my dad for my sister's birthday!  My uncle has been in cohorts with me and helped me set up a birthday party for my sister at his house.  Then he picked me up at the airport and we made the plan for the reveal.  My dad was early and my sister was late, but it was still a surprise to both of them!  :-)  They both told me that they were never going to trust me again and that they were both going to kick my bum... but I think that they have forgiven me!  My sister's eyes teared up a little when I was hugging her.  It was really special and I am glad that it worked out, even with all the stuff I had to go through to get here.

Flying in

I flew from Namibia on February 16th.  My box gave us all a headache since it was 2.4kg (5.2 lbs) over the overweight limit.  It was also huge, which gave the airline guy more than a little concern.  Finally though he said he would take the blame if there was any trouble for it being over the weight limit and he sent it through.  My layover in London was fine and I arrived in NY without any problems.  I was concerned though that my luggage didn't show up.  Finally I heard an announcement that oversized luggage had to be picked up in a special place so when I went to the other end of where I was I found it.  I was so relieved!  I am sure that I looked a little more than comical as I approached customs.  I had a luggage cart with the box and basket on it and I had balanced my carry-on on top.  Then I was pulling my big suitcase behind me.  It was difficult, but I was determined!  When I got up to the front of the line at customs the guy looked at me and actually snorted!  I said 'Ya, I know."  He asked me what everything was and what was in it and I told him.  I was fully expecting to have to open everything up.  I was very surprised when he just waved me through!  So, the box and basket are now safely at the AIM HQ in Pearl River!  YIPPEE!!!!  It was going to cost way too much to try to get it onto the flight to Atlanta with me, so AIM is shipping them to Teresa's in Atlanta.  I told him it could take a slow boat past China if it would make it cheaper!  :-)  

Culture shock

WOW!  Being in the States has been good but difficult!  Sometimes it's the little things.  In Namibia it's illegal to put light switches inside the bathroom, so I keep feeling the wall outside the bathroom whenever I try to go in.  It always takes me a moment to figure out what I am doing.  The handle for flushing is on the right in Namibia so I keep reaching for the right side instead of the left to flush.  When I opened the fridge to make myself an omelet for breakfast Tuesday morning I was in shock that the eggs were white!  :-)  And sometimes it's the big things....  Driving on the right side of the road has been difficult.  I have actually driven three times now, all without incident!  YAY!  But it's very odd.  Being in the driver's seat actually helps a lot.  Sitting in the passenger side is the driver's side in Namibia so it just perpetuates the feeling of being wrong.  Being on the driver's side is a lot better.  Teresa (my future roommate in GA) and I walked into a CVS (like a Walgreens) and I almost had a breakdown!  I actually felt tears well up in my eyes.  Thankfully she saw my face and knew what was happening and pushed me through the store.  She was amazing during those first few days!  I am sure that there will continue to be many things that I will struggle with, but those are just a few of the highlights!

New contact info

I have a cell phone with Verizon Wireless.  I have unlimited texting and I love to text... so I would love to hear from you!  My number is 770-712-0523.  My email will continue to be ktibbetts@aimint.net for a few more months, but if you want to switch to using my hotmail account (fooferdawn@hotmail.com) now, then it's ok.  For mail, I will be here in NM until March 20th, so you can send anything to 970 Lomax Avenue, Bosque Farms, NM 87068.  After March 20th my mailing address will be 4202 Towne Lake Hts, Woodstock, GA 30189.  It would be great if you could send me your phone numbers so I can get them into my address book and phone.  Thanks!

I hope this finds you all well and not too mad at me for my many lies over the last few weeks!  :-)

love and hugs!

kapande

   

RE: update on Robin, my birthday, the new girls, Dophelia and my travel plans/countdown

Safe Travels, Kimmie! Wish I could be at the airport to welcome you home, but since I can’t, just imagine me waiting, holding a big sign that says “WELCOME HOME, KIMMIE!!!”. I’ll start smiling really big and jumping up and down when we see each other! J I k now you will be happy to be back on American soil.

 

Sheila

 

 

From: Kimmie Tibbetts [mailto:ktibbetts@aimint.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2009 8:07 AM
To: kimmieconnection blog
Subject: update on Robin, my birthday, the new girls, Dophelia and my travel plans/countdown

 

Hi Dear Family and Friends!

 

First I want to say thank you to my family who has helped keep me updated on my step-mom.  She is still in the hospital as of Friday but they are thinking she might go home today (Saturday).  That's about all the details I know at this point.  Dad tried to call me Thursday for my birthday but the call didn't go through (I can't wait to be finished with TIA!!!) so I haven't been able to actually talk to him about what's going on with her.  Please continue to pray for full recovery.

 

My Birthday

Thank you to everyone who sent me cards, emails and notes on facebook for my birthday!  I had a wonderful day!  :-)  The evening was definitely the best part.  Monica and Hansie, the South African doctor/dentist-wife/husband duo, had us over for a braii (SA word for BBQ) and it was so nice!  We even had fireworks!  Ok, it wasn't really fireworks, but that's what I am choosing to believe!  The menu was chicken and gem squash, which are these lovely little round squash that you cook then scoop out the middle and enjoy.  It wasn't the first time that Monica and Hansie had cooked these and all other attempts had been normal and without incident.  Until now.  As we were sitting around the fire pit talking, Hansie was turning the chicken when suddenly there was an explosion!  All of us just about jumped out of our skin, and Minnie had brought Ndahafa so she started crying (poor thing!).  We all stood around in confusion for a moment until we figured out what had happened.  One of the squash exploded!  We don't know if there weren't enough holes poked in it or if the holes that had been made weren't deep enough.....  We just know that I had fireworks for my birthday!  :-)  When we went inside we all had little yellow bits of squash covering our clothes and Minnie had it in her hair!  Hansie suffered a minor burn on his neck where a piece of the hot squash landed and he didn't get it off fast enough!  (He'll be fine and he was quite embarrassed that all of us girls were fussing over him to make sure he was ok)  I thought it was great to have my last birthday bash end with a bang!  Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

 

The New Girls

Nicole and Tricia are so wonderful!  I did get fully packed before they came and I think they are settling into the house well.  I am not saying that it wasn't a rush to get everything packed, but I am very glad that I did!  The girls are both from Kentucky so it's fun to listen to them talk.  I think I am going to pick up a southern accent again before I even make it home!  Tricia is a NICU nurse so it's been really nice to connect with her on that level and talk to someone with the same nursing background.  She's been very interested in how things are done at the hospital but I haven't been able to give her a tour yet.  I hope this coming week we can get that done.  Nicole has her Master's degree in conflict resolution.  I believe that God's timing for bringing her here is perfect!  What's the first thing we did with her?  Throw her into the situation with Dophelia and her grandma/auntie!  Yup, we sure did.... or rather... Sabrina did since I haven't been going out to project much.  :-)  That's right.... I am pointing the finger in anyone else's direction but mine!  Though she'll only be able to work with them for a few months, please pray with us that Nicole can make some good progress with both Dophelia and the family.

 

Dophelia

Speaking of Dophelia, the situation is getting worse.  The auntie that agreed to let us build the hut on her property has been getting drunk more often and beating both Dophelia and her brother Jacob more.  There have been several meetings with the social worker and police in the last two weeks and the auntie hasn't even attended several of them because she has already been at the bar drunk.  Rightfully so, the social worker made the decision that the auntie could no longer have custody of the kids.  Of course that's a good thing because they need a better caregiver.... but it's also a bad thing because there really isn't any place for her and Jacob to go.  Please continue to pray for Dophelia and for Sabrina, Nicole and the social worker as they try to find a good solution for where to put Dophelia and her brother.

 

Windhoek

My plans for when I travel to Windhoek have changed.  The original plan was that I would travel with Daryl & Sabrina to Windhoek when they were going to South Africa.  However, due to several circumstances (the timing of the arrival of the new girls, the change in flights that they had to make for leaving Namibia, etc) they are no longer going to South Africa right now.  So, that means that I have to make my own way to Windhoek before I fly out.  Since I really don't like the overnight bus ride, I will be going with the public combi (minivan packed with people and things) sometime next week.  I think they'll have a fit when they see the size and amount of my luggage and I'll probably have to really pay for it... that's ok.  It's worth it to get the box and that basket home!!!  So, all of this to say that I don't know when I am actually headed to Windhoek.  What I do know is that I have only 9 more days left!  YIKES!  It still doesn't feel real.  I don't know if it will... it seems like I am living in a cloud.

 

I hope this finds you doing well and surviving the cold.  I have looked at the weather several times this last week and think that I am going to die when I get there due to the cold!!  :-)  

 

I love you all and can't wait to see you!

kapande

 

 

update on Robin, my birthday, the new girls, Dophelia and my travel plans/countdown

Hi Dear Family and Friends!

First I want to say thank you to my family who has helped keep me updated on my step-mom.  She is still in the hospital as of Friday but they are thinking she might go home today (Saturday).  That's about all the details I know at this point.  Dad tried to call me Thursday for my birthday but the call didn't go through (I can't wait to be finished with TIA!!!) so I haven't been able to actually talk to him about what's going on with her.  Please continue to pray for full recovery.

My Birthday

Thank you to everyone who sent me cards, emails and notes on facebook for my birthday!  I had a wonderful day!  :-)  The evening was definitely the best part.  Monica and Hansie, the South African doctor/dentist-wife/husband duo, had us over for a braii (SA word for BBQ) and it was so nice!  We even had fireworks!  Ok, it wasn't really fireworks, but that's what I am choosing to believe!  The menu was chicken and gem squash, which are these lovely little round squash that you cook then scoop out the middle and enjoy.  It wasn't the first time that Monica and Hansie had cooked these and all other attempts had been normal and without incident.  Until now.  As we were sitting around the fire pit talking, Hansie was turning the chicken when suddenly there was an explosion!  All of us just about jumped out of our skin, and Minnie had brought Ndahafa so she started crying (poor thing!).  We all stood around in confusion for a moment until we figured out what had happened.  One of the squash exploded!  We don't know if there weren't enough holes poked in it or if the holes that had been made weren't deep enough.....  We just know that I had fireworks for my birthday!  :-)  When we went inside we all had little yellow bits of squash covering our clothes and Minnie had it in her hair!  Hansie suffered a minor burn on his neck where a piece of the hot squash landed and he didn't get it off fast enough!  (He'll be fine and he was quite embarrassed that all of us girls were fussing over him to make sure he was ok)  I thought it was great to have my last birthday bash end with a bang!  Ha! Ha! Ha!

The New Girls

Nicole and Tricia are so wonderful!  I did get fully packed before they came and I think they are settling into the house well.  I am not saying that it wasn't a rush to get everything packed, but I am very glad that I did!  The girls are both from Kentucky so it's fun to listen to them talk.  I think I am going to pick up a southern accent again before I even make it home!  Tricia is a NICU nurse so it's been really nice to connect with her on that level and talk to someone with the same nursing background.  She's been very interested in how things are done at the hospital but I haven't been able to give her a tour yet.  I hope this coming week we can get that done.  Nicole has her Master's degree in conflict resolution.  I believe that God's timing for bringing her here is perfect!  What's the first thing we did with her?  Throw her into the situation with Dophelia and her grandma/auntie!  Yup, we sure did.... or rather... Sabrina did since I haven't been going out to project much.  :-)  That's right.... I am pointing the finger in anyone else's direction but mine!  Though she'll only be able to work with them for a few months, please pray with us that Nicole can make some good progress with both Dophelia and the family.

Dophelia

Speaking of Dophelia, the situation is getting worse.  The auntie that agreed to let us build the hut on her property has been getting drunk more often and beating both Dophelia and her brother Jacob more.  There have been several meetings with the social worker and police in the last two weeks and the auntie hasn't even attended several of them because she has already been at the bar drunk.  Rightfully so, the social worker made the decision that the auntie could no longer have custody of the kids.  Of course that's a good thing because they need a better caregiver.... but it's also a bad thing because there really isn't any place for her and Jacob to go.  Please continue to pray for Dophelia and for Sabrina, Nicole and the social worker as they try to find a good solution for where to put Dophelia and her brother.

Windhoek

My plans for when I travel to Windhoek have changed.  The original plan was that I would travel with Daryl & Sabrina to Windhoek when they were going to South Africa.  However, due to several circumstances (the timing of the arrival of the new girls, the change in flights that they had to make for leaving Namibia, etc) they are no longer going to South Africa right now.  So, that means that I have to make my own way to Windhoek before I fly out.  Since I really don't like the overnight bus ride, I will be going with the public combi (minivan packed with people and things) sometime next week.  I think they'll have a fit when they see the size and amount of my luggage and I'll probably have to really pay for it... that's ok.  It's worth it to get the box and that basket home!!!  So, all of this to say that I don't know when I am actually headed to Windhoek.  What I do know is that I have only 9 more days left!  YIKES!  It still doesn't feel real.  I don't know if it will... it seems like I am living in a cloud.

I hope this finds you doing well and surviving the cold.  I have looked at the weather several times this last week and think that I am going to die when I get there due to the cold!!  :-)  

I love you all and can't wait to see you!

kapande