Seems to be like there is more to this story...
Posted By: sm on 2008-09-02
In Reply to: What is your opinion of this? - (husband and wife disagreement)
Part of me says "it's only $10" but another part can see the selfishness behind it. I don't know what I would do in this situation. My husband and I usually mutually see what each other has and are both left with equal in their wallets - unless one has plans for needing more and it would eliminate another ATM trip.
I guess a lot would depend if they keep their money separate or have a joint account. With a joint account, its really not his and hers but being separate it becomes more personal for me.
In the same breath, they are married and whether he has a job or not you vow to care for one another in times of need...this might be one of those times, unless he's a dead beat and just doesn't want to get a job and she feels she is being taken advantage of in other ways like she pays for everything while he still buys things for his hobbies, beer, etc.
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There is teacher's side of story, kid's side of story
x
And I DO not believe her story, either
This day and time you can get outside help. She kept her eyes down all time while questioned. If in front of Judge Judy she would have to look the judge straight in the eyes. I think she should have gotten much more time, flimsy story, crocodile tears.
come on now...tell the whole story.
You decked her out, right? LOL. If you didn't, she is one lucky woman.
Do you believe this story
For the most part, she blames her actions on stress from her illness. I can (somewhat) see someone stealing to pay bills or to put money aside for savings, but not for a lavish wedding or cruises. GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- A woman accused of stealing more than $1 million from her nonprofit employer said she used the money to pay for medical bills, vacations and her daughter's wedding. "My daughter was getting married; I wanted her to have a nice wedding," said Linda Bevins, who has colon and lung cancer. "I had nothing, it all went to cancer. I thought I was going to die. I wanted to have a good life. I wanted my husband to have peace of mind." Bevins was fired in June from her job as a payroll supervisor for the Crotched Mountain Foundation, which runs a disabilities rehabilitation center in Greenfield. She, her husband, and daughter now are being sued by the foundation. A criminal investigation is also going on. Bevins was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and took a job as a payroll specialist with Crotched Mountain in 2001 to help pay her medical bills; she was promoted to supervisor a year later. She told the New Hampshire Sunday News she began taking money in 2004 after doctors told her the cancer had spread to her liver, and the prognosis was not good. Bevins said she's not certain how much money she took, but doesn't dispute Crotched Mountain's estimate of $1.3 million. She said at least $200,000 went to medical bills for her cancer treatments and another chunk paid for her daughter's wedding, which included a custom-made wedding dress. Bevins said she also took her family on two cruises and used stolen money to make donations to churches and other organizations. "It bothered me a lot because I was not the type of person to do that," Bevins said of the thefts. "I would get depressed that this was happening and I'd say 'I can't do this anymore.' But then something else would happen and all of a sudden I'm doing it." An audit commissioned by Crotched Mountain revealed allegations that Bevins issued payroll checks to her daughter, Holly Sears, and herself, and funneled foundation money into personal bank accounts. Bevins said biannual company audits didn't catch her scheme, nor did a co-worker who helped her with the payroll. Neither her daughter nor husband knew anything about the thefts, though she acknowledged that sometimes she asked Sears, 26, to cash checks for her, Bevins said. Bevins said she's ashamed of what she's done, but blames at least part of her actions on her former employer. As the only employee who could handle the payroll, Bevins said she was constantly on call, even while on vacation or sick leave. She said Crotched Mountain workers even called her cell phone while she was in the hospital, and nurses became so fed up by the they asked a doctor to put a stop to it. "If I didn't have the stress, maybe I wouldn't have gotten sick and wouldn't have had the bills and maybe (the stealing) wouldn't have ever started," she said.
My story...{sm}
I understand. One time on our way home while on vacation, I was driving through the mountains in Colorado, and I was driving about 50 or 55 mph. I am not used to driving in the mountains - I'm a flatlander. My husband got mad at me because I wasn't driving fast enough! I told him that this is the speed I felt comfortable at. He told me that someone was going to run into us from behind because I was going so slow. At the next town we came to, I pulled into a restaurant and told him I wasn't going to drive anymore. He said that one of us was going to take the bus home from there. Well, that didn't happen, but it sure was quiet the rest of the trip.
That's a whole different story
I had a friend in a similar situation. Her hub didn't beat her, but pushed her on several occasions and was generally overbearing in all their day-to-day decisions. She did leave him, but the middle one of her 3 children opted to stay with the dad and the judge allowed it, thus splitting the family. He went on to lavish that child with all kinds of goodies, alienating the oldest child. My friend later moved in with another guy, much like the husband she had left, and at that point, their youngest child refused to change schools and also moved in with her dad.
So, either way, I would suggest counseling for you anyway, if nothing else to insure you don't end up with another man just like the first.
Another cat story . . .
BARTLETT, Tenn. -- Tabitha Cain has fed a feral cat she calls Wild Oats for several years, but now she's thinking of changing its name to Survivor.
That's because she said the cat survived for 19 days with a peanut butter jar stuck on its head.
"We tried to get her, but being the type of cat you can't catch, she kept running and hiding," said Doretha Cain, Tabitha's mother.
The family saw the cat several times and tried in vain to catch her. She disappeared for a week, and the Cains feared the worst.
"I thought she was going to die with that jar on her head," Tabitha Cain said.
They found the once chubby cat on Wednesday, too thin and weak to escape. They caught her with a fishing net and used some oil to get the jar off her head.
They gave her water and treated her wounds and on Friday she began to eat again.
"I've heard of cats having nine lives but I think this one has 19 because she survived 19 days," Doretha Cain said.
Dr. Gerald Blackburn, a veterinarian at Gentle Care Animal hospital in Memphis, said he's heard similar stories of pets getting trapped for days or even weeks at a time and surviving.
Blackburn said the cat may have lived off of its excess fat, but Doretha Cain had another explanation.
"God will take care of animals just like people because that cat is really a miracle," she said.
I believe your story, but
if you could not move, how did you use the phone?
Oh please, the OP's story
is bunk. If this really happened *as described,* anyone adult would realize steps would need to be taken.
Really, someone at the school called her a bad parent over the things she describes?
If it was *truly* over being late in the fog or a flat tire, or "coddling" a second grader, or saying you were encouraging a romantic relationship in 2nd grade (what evidence is that one based on?) wouldn't YOU know you need to deal with that **without posting on an MT board to ask advice???**
Also, she titles the post something about the counselor being "defensive." What exactly was the counselor defensive about? Sounds like she was on the offensive, if she busted a gusset to talk to the OP and considering what she "said." Clearly the OP was on the defensive! Sounds to me like the post changed somewhere between the subject line and the narrative to make the OP sound and feel better.
The post does not ring true. There is more to it than we're getting.
It is her story
Management company wanted her to go to rehab. She asked her dad if he thought she needed to go, and he said no. It may not be pretty but it is a true life story.
I find that much more compelling than Brad Paisley singing about picking ticks off his lady love!
Wow, what a story!
Like, why? Didn't it hurt eventually? And how could you sleep that way?
My story was the same, except it was my mom.
Mom dying, dad with Alzheimer's, so I'm taking care of both, though my dad was still independent in ADLs. I worked at home so I didn't really work and I was supposed to take everyone to the doctor. My sister had 3 days off, the same time as my son's/husband's birthdays. She said she would come help one day, but that needed time for herself. I'm the one with young kids, I'm the one trying to maintain 2 households and work full-time ....... I finally moved in with my parents, gave up any privacy, spent 98% of my waking time when not working taking care of someone or something. I don't regret it and I would do most of it all over again because I'm a caretaker, but if there are 4 other siblings why should I have to carry the burden. After my mom died I fell apart. I had to put my dad in a facility and my sister said she would take over primary caregiver duties, but she was hit or miss. Her kids were grown and out of the house, her DH was always off playing golf. She complained that my dad was only getting 2 showers a week, but she wasn't willing to go give him a shower. She complained about using all her vacation time for doctor's visits - like I didn't have to either take vacation or make up my time. I could go on and on. They told us in grief counseling that in most families there is one that always ends up doing everything.
The only thing I can say is that when your dad is gone you can seek comfort in knowing that you did all you could to help him, that you were there for him when it counted. Your sister will be the only who has to live with the guilt that she wasn't there (and she will suffer, must maybe not right away). At the same time I think your dad is just thinking about what he wants and I completely understand. My mother wanted to die at home in her own bed, not a hospital bed, even if she was still at home she didn't want a hospital bed, but I also think it puts a lot of stress on you and one day he will be gone and you'll have to pick up the pieces and continue on and there may be a day when you can no longer care for him at home.
I was very long-winded, but what I'm trying to say is don't worry about your sister. Focus on your dad and do what you can do and that is all you can do.
My story
I went through very similar circumstances. I left about 3 times. Finally in 1998 I made an appointment with a Christian psychiatrist and he agreed to go to see her. She diagnosed him as being bipolar and Baker Acted him. Today I can honestly say, he is not the same man. He is warm and caring and actually helps me with my medical transcription business. He is on proper medication. He had proper counseling and support groups. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks and then went to a 3/4 house, where he received proper counseling and support groups, which were mandatory. I thank God that he is better today. At the time in 1991 I wish that someone would have diagnosed him as having that propblem, as my older daughter moved out and he has no relationship with her at all and knows that it was his fault back then. Who knew? It was a disease that was in the closet so-to-speak, but now I am very concerned about our older daughter. We have a younger daughter who does forgive him and lives with us who is 25 years old. I hope you get the help you need before it is too late.
Yes, I saw that same story -sm
I have to admit that the Open Ceremonies were spectacular beyond belief and the Chinese gymnasts are better than ours this time overall, BUT they do seem to be manipulating the system at every turn to present the best possible image for China, even if it means fabricating by any means they can get away with. I am glad these stories are coming out little by little. IMHO, if you lie about one thing you will lie about other things...
A sad story...sm
I have a sad story to tell. My husband's cousin's x-wife had an accident Friday night and was severely injured. She was coming from a night out and was drinking and wrecked. She was ejected from the vehicle and suffered severe head trauma. She was put on life support and was found to be brain dead. Her parents had to make the decision to pull the plug. The doctor assured them she had no brain activity and could not breath on her own or anything. So they unplugged her yesterday. This young woman was I think if not mistaken 29 years old. She had 3 children ages 8, 4, and 2. They have no mother now. She was so disfigured from the accident that her boyfriend went in ICU to see her and hit the floor as he passed out from the shock of seeing her face. She never dreamed when she left to go out last Friday night that she wouldn't be returning and she was leaving her kids for the last time to soon find they had no mother. I had the pleasure of knowing this woman for her brief time here on Earth. She will be so missed by her children and the rest of her family. The 8 year old boy is taking it by far the worst because he comprehends what death means and that he won't see his mommy anymore on this Earth. The 4-year-old just knows mommy is in heaven but can't comprehend that mommy can't come visit her from heaven. The 2-year-old just doesn't understand at all. She just misses her mommy. Brief story about what the 4-year-old said to her mawmaw yesterday: They were going down the road and she had learned earlier that day her mama was gone to heaven. She was staring out the window at the sky because she was told that was where mommy was. She was just desperately hoping for a glimpse of mom I guess. Then she said mawmaw that's my mom. And she pointed to the sun. It was shining really bright inside the car on them. It was a really sunny day. Her mawmaw says where baby? She said do you see the sun mawmaw? She said yes baby I see it. She said that's my mommy shining down on me. She is watching me mawmaw. This is from a 4-year-old. Now if that don't break your heart what does? Pray for these children who have suffered probably the greatest loss they will know. And please don't drink and drive.
LOL at the elf story.
What a cute story about the Elf! I love that!
My sister once had a friend call my nephew and saw she was Mrs. Claus. Omg, it was so cute. He was so serious on the phone talking to her. He must have been about 4. He was perfect that year waiting for Christmas and doing everything Mrs. C asked him to do.
I think everyone puts the bag of marshmellows on the oven. That's too funny the things you remember. I'm sure it was funny at the moment though.
I have finally given up shopping the day after Thanksgiving too. It's crazy how mean people can be. Two years ago I sat outside for 3 hours in the dark by myself with a bunch of strangers and didn't get any "great deal" so I vowed never again from that day. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, my mom was one of those mean people trying to get my cabbage patch kid that I spoke of earlier. lol It's very unlike her but I guess you'll do anything if you know it will mean that much to your kids.
your story
AMEN SISTAH!
I *totally* agree with the description of "toxic" family members. I have known the same to be true of so-called friends, too... Some relationships are simply not healthy.
Don't know story - sm
Could it be a custody thing - they were being flown to the non-custodial parent?
Don't have whole story...was hoping
some of you guys did!
Here is a link to the story..
http://crime.about.com/b/a/257174.htm
I have a similar story -
my girlfriend's husband was put in jail for 5 years because he was a "victim" for receiving child pornography. Says he opened up an Email and it snowballed from there.
Of course it was all a lie. He had his own website out of the UK and was filming himself masterbating. I did some research and it was amazing that almost ALL men that are busted say the same thing --- they were innocent and all they did was open an Email! Hope he rots in jail.
I agree and I think that's exactly what that is, a story.
The FBI is not going to arrest someone for child pornography and put them away for 8 years without good reason. Sounds like she is covering up or she actually believes that. What else is she going to say? Very sad, especially for thier little girl, but I would not let my child go over there either, or at least not until he is in jail.
Actually no MAN would have said that - she's embellishing the story a tad
x
A Christmas Story
nm
Hysterectomy, my story sm
I had to have a TAH-BSO. My fibroid was the size of a soccer ball, so that was the only way it could come out. My doctor recommended, since I was over the age of 45, to remove the tubes and ovaries to prevent future possibility of ovarian cancer. I was on estrogen for a little while (first estradiol patch - didn't like it, then Cenestin), but I didn't notice any hot flashes or anything really different, so I stopped taking the estrogen. It was so nice not bleeding so much any more. I was out of work for 6 weeks, though. Also, if you have stress incontinence or any other problems in the area, they can fix that all at the same time, so it really was worth it. I had umbilical hernia surgery in the past so don't know about the adhesions, but I was fine. Also, won't need yearly Pap smears any more, just once every 5 years or so (according to my doctor). Good Luck
CJ (my new Siberian) story
CJ was playing with a stuffed hedgehog he found at my house. My niece showed him that it squeaked. As she continued to squeak it, he started to cry ... and then softly howl. I had to ask her to stop.
He's 5 years old and looks just like a miniature wolf, but ...
Don't hurt CJ's stuffies.
that's a GREAT story - don't get mad, get even...
So - here is the final story (sm)
The insurance company is givig them $1250 towards carpeting. They were told their premium will not increase now. However, if they were to have another "accident" in the next 3 years, their premium will increase 10%. So, that's the deal.
That is a sweet story!
Lucky rooster! I check the stray section of our local humane society all the time, and there is a rooster there also waiting to be adopted that was picked up as a stray! How funny!
I love that story, tell us another. nm
x
tell him he needs to do it for his family - end of story
nm
I've been following the same story....
An airport was considering adding foot baths so that their muslim cab drivers had somewhere to wash their feet, instead of the same sinks travelers use to wash their face and hands. This is ridiculous. Are airports going to set up special rituals for ALL faiths or just kissing the behinds of one faith. AND, a college was considering doing this at taxpayer's expense, because this is a public university. If they want to wash their feet, go home and wash them like everyone else. Taxpayers are not supposed to pay for anything of this nature. Separation of church and state, REMEMBER? So, unless they're going to kiss everybody's feet, then don't go there. I'm sick of people trynig to be so PC about everything, even at the expense of our own country's safety. You give a inch, they will take a mile. And you're right, Americans are muslims too, but just trying going to a mosk and see how welcomed you really are.
Funny story...sm
I have 2 teenagers and 1 in college. I get to work in peace most of the time. The biggest emergency I had this spring was when my daughter drove to school early for band practice and her younger brother, who doesn't drive yet, failed to arrange for alternate transportation and then also missed the bus, so I had to stop to drive him to school.
my squirrel story-sm
I had a squirrel that apparently watched me feed the birds from across the street and without my trying - she became tame. When I would walk outside, she would come from across the street where she lived. I started getting peanuts for her. She would come to my window where I worked and knock. Then she started coming to the door if I wasn't at the window. She would see my car and be waiting for me to pull in. This went on for years - think around 5 or 6. I would miss her for a while sometimes and then when she reappeared, she would have signs that she had had babies. If I was out in the yard talking to someone, she would walk right up. I guess she must have died last year. Never saw her on the street (was somewhat afraid to look). I also have a hawk that comes occasionally but I think he likes birds. Anyway, she was a real character and I miss her. I could, however, do without the chipmunks.
I'm with you. I can't believe they are buying her story. nm
d
Mione's Story - sm
I have to admit that I did not think I was an animal person. I never wanted any animal to be mistreated, but I just didn't think I wanted one - especially not an animal in the house. My ex-husband was her original owner, and she had an accident in the house, and he kicked her out. One mistake and she was gone. Our oldest daughter showed up at my door, tears streaming and Mione in her arms. She was crying so hard she could barely speak and finally got out the words, "Daddy won't let me keep her." Her heart was broken. Anyway, I ended up with Mione, and she is one the best "things" that ever happened to our family. She keeps me so much company. Many days she lays in my lap while I am working. When my youngest daughter gets home from school, Mione instantly switches gears from my co-worker to Becca's baby. She wears a baby bib with no protest and goes for rides in the baby stroller. As for accidents, my husband trained her using Honeycomb cereal. The kids call her a "Honeycomb Ho" because she will do ANYTHING for a Honeycomb. We do love Mione, and I thank God every day that my ex-husband kicked her out.
What a great story.
I hope they both sleep happily on (or in) your bed and there is still room for you. :o)
I remember my DH one time coming into the bedroom and launching himself into the air, planning to land on the bed next to me. That's when I had to announce that there was a cat under the covers he was about to land on, so he had to change his plan in mid-air.
Can't help you, but funny story
My daighter taught my father how to text. He sent one to my neice. she called him right back and was like "UUUHHHH, Papaw.....did you... just... text... me????? If I have to send a text to one of my children, I call one of my nieces (they can keep their phones with them at their school, but my children can't so I will have one of them send a text for them to call as soon as they get out of school and turn their phones on)and have them do it for me.
True story
The scariest horror movies are the ones based on a true story! My personal favorite is The Entity. It is an older movie, effects are not so great, but It scared me!!!
Your story is mine exactly-
I sat through Christmas with the kids ripping open packages and casting aside, wanting to get finished to go to their maternal g'parents. My DIL did not want to share any holidays so we at first split- but when my half of the day came, they were late or if I had the mornings, they were ready to leave about as soon as they got there. Your note is exactly what I have lived. I would have loved to grow up with the g'children around- couldn’t because the maternal side too strong to want to come to my home. It started as soon as they were born. Waiting at home to go see the grandson at maternal grandmothers first day home, I was told to wait to hold the grandson because the cousins, g'grandmother and aunts, etc. on the maternal side not finished holding him yet. I cried so hard- it was like that from the start. Parents do not know when they don’t share how much it can hurt the other g'parents. I finally just stop trying.
I don't tell that story to frighten you
But I do think it makes several points. First, the courts no longer automatically give the children to their mother. Second, do not underestimate how bitter and manipulative a control freak will be, even at the expense of his children. Third, take care yourself that you are not attracted to the same kind of guy and end up in the same boat.
I agree with the poster who suggests you consult an attorney and get you and your kids in counseling.
Can you tell me where the bird story is?
Thanks
Lakoda's Story
Here is a picture of Lakota, she lived all of her 10 years in a backyard pen, her owners lost their home and had to give her away. She is very sweet, but a little deaf. She is being fostered in the Nashville, TN area and is desperately looking for a new home, someone very special to care for her. She loves walks and especially going to the creek. She is totally housebroken and is good with all other animals. She had to be shaved because of severe matting, even her little tail. If you can offer her a forever home or know of someone who would like to take in this special girl and give her lots of love and attention, please let me know. Thanks so much for looking.
This is such an amazing story. sm
Doctors say they have never seen anything like it: A window washer who fell 47 stories from the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper is now awake, talking to his family and expected to walk again.
Alcides Moreno, 37, plummeted almost 500 feet in a Dec. 7 scaffolding collapse that killed his brother.
Somehow, Moreno lived, and doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center announced Thursday that his recovery has been astonishing.
He has movement in all his limbs. He is breathing on his own. And on Christmas Day, he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since the accident.
His wife, Rosario Moreno, cried as she thanked the doctors and nurses who kept him alive.
"Thank God for the miracle that we had," she said. "He keeps telling me that it just wasn't his time."
Dr. Herbert Pardes, the hospital's president, described Moreno's condition when he arrived for treatment as "a complete disaster."
Both legs and his right arm and wrist were broken in several places. He had severe injuries to his chest, his abdomen and his spinal column. His brain was bleeding. Everything was bleeding, it seemed.
In those first critical hours, doctors pumped 24 units of donated blood into his body - about twice his entire blood volume.
They gave him plasma and platelets and a drug to stimulate clotting and stop the hemorrhaging. They inserted a catheter into his brain to reduce swelling and cut open his abdomen to relieve pressure on his organs.
Moreno was at the edge of consciousness when he was brought in. Doctors sedated him, performed a tracheotomy and put him on a ventilator.
His condition was so unstable, doctors worried that even a mild jostle might kill him, so they performed his first surgery without moving him to an operating room.
Nine orthopedic operations followed to piece together his broken body.
Yet, even when things were at their worst, the hospital's staff marveled at his luck.
Incredibly, Moreno's head injuries were relatively minor for a fall victim. Neurosurgeon John Boockvar said the window washer also managed to avoid a paralyzing spinal cord injury, even though he suffered a shattered vertebra.
"If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one," said the hospital's chief of surgery, Dr. Philip Barie.
New York-Presbyterian has treated people who have tumbled from great heights before, including a patient who survived a 19-story fall, but most of those tales end sadly.
The death rate from even a three-story fall is about 50 percent, Barie said. People who fall more than 10 stories almost never survive.
"Forty-seven floors is virtually beyond belief," Pardes said.
Science may never be able to explain what protected Moreno when the platform he and his brother were using atop an Upper East Side apartment tower broke free and fell to the ground.
Edgar Moreno, 30, of Linden N.J., died instantly. He was buried in Ecuador, where the brothers are from.
Alcides Moreno, whom his wife described as strong and athletic, may have clung to his scaffolding platform as it dropped. It is possible that the metal platform offered him some protection, although doctors said they were unsure how.
An investigation into the cause of the accident continues.
Rosario Moreno said that her husband remembers little of the fall but that he didn't need to be told his brother had died.
The injured window washer spent about three weeks on a ventilator, unable to speak, and initially his only means of communication was by touch.
"He wanted to touch my face, touch my hair," Rosario Moreno said.
She would take his hand and hold it to her skin. Then, one day, he reached out and touched one of the nurses.
Rosario Moreno said that when she heard about it, she jokingly lectured her husband to keep his hands to himself. He answered in English, "What did I do?"
"It stunned me," she said, "because I didn't know he could speak."
There is still a rough road ahead for the tough New Jersey man, a father of three children, ages 14, 8 and 6.
He was scheduled to undergo another spinal surgery on Friday, and he will need another operation to reconstruct his abdominal wall. There is a chance he could develop complications, even life-threatening ones, during the months ahead.
Moreno will remain in the hospital for at least a few more weeks, doctors said. After that, he will need extensive physical rehabilitation. It may be another year before doctors know how much he will improve.
The medical staff was guarded Thursday about his prospects for returning to a normal life. Doctors said they believe he will walk, but they also suggested that some of his injuries are likely to be lifelong.
"We're optimistic for a very substantial recovery, eventually," Barie said
Rosario Moreno said she knows this much for sure: His days as a window washer are over. "I told him, 'You're not going back to work there,'" she said.
Posted by LS
CBS and Associated Press contributed to this report.
NEW YORK -- (AP) Doctors say they have never seen anything like it: A window washer who fell 47 stories from the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper is now awake, talking to his family and expected to walk again.
Alcides Moreno, 37, plummeted almost 500 feet in a Dec. 7 scaffolding collapse that killed his brother.
Somehow, Moreno lived, and doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center announced Thursday that his recovery has been astonishing.
He has movement in all his limbs. He is breathing on his own. And on Christmas Day, he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time since the accident.
His wife, Rosario Moreno, cried as she thanked the doctors and nurses who kept him alive.
"Thank God for the miracle that we had," she said. "He keeps telling me that it just wasn't his time."
Dr. Herbert Pardes, the hospital's president, described Moreno's condition when he arrived for treatment as "a complete disaster."
Both legs and his right arm and wrist were broken in several places. He had severe injuries to his chest, his abdomen and his spinal column. His brain was bleeding. Everything was bleeding, it seemed.
In those first critical hours, doctors pumped 24 units of donated blood into his body - about twice his entire blood volume.
They gave him plasma and platelets and a drug to stimulate clotting and stop the hemorrhaging. They inserted a catheter into his brain to reduce swelling and cut open his abdomen to relieve pressure on his organs.
Moreno was at the edge of consciousness when he was brought in. Doctors sedated him, performed a tracheotomy and put him on a ventilator.
His condition was so unstable, doctors worried that even a mild jostle might kill him, so they performed his first surgery without moving him to an operating room.
Nine orthopedic operations followed to piece together his broken body.
Yet, even when things were at their worst, the hospital's staff marveled at his luck.
Incredibly, Moreno's head injuries were relatively minor for a fall victim. Neurosurgeon John Boockvar said the window washer also managed to avoid a paralyzing spinal cord injury, even though he suffered a shattered vertebra.
"If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one," said the hospital's chief of surgery, Dr. Philip Barie.
New York-Presbyterian has treated people who have tumbled from great heights before, including a patient who survived a 19-story fall, but most of those tales end sadly.
The death rate from even a three-story fall is about 50 percent, Barie said. People who fall more than 10 stories almost never survive.
"Forty-seven floors is virtually beyond belief," Pardes said.
Science may never be able to explain what protected Moreno when the platform he and his brother were using atop an Upper East Side apartment tower broke free and fell to the ground.
Edgar Moreno, 30, of Linden N.J., died instantly. He was buried in Ecuador, where the brothers are from.
Alcides Moreno, whom his wife described as strong and athletic, may have clung to his scaffolding platform as it dropped. It is possible that the metal platform offered him some protection, although doctors said they were unsure how.
An investigation into the cause of the accident continues.
Rosario Moreno said that her husband remembers little of the fall but that he didn't need to be told his brother had died.
The injured window washer spent about three weeks on a ventilator, unable to speak, and initially his only means of communication was by touch.
"He wanted to touch my face, touch my hair," Rosario Moreno said.
She would take his hand and hold it to her skin. Then, one day, he reached out and touched one of the nurses.
Rosario Moreno said that when she heard about it, she jokingly lectured her husband to keep his hands to himself. He answered in English, "What did I do?"
"It stunned me," she said, "because I didn't know he could speak."
There is still a rough road ahead for the tough New Jersey man, a father of three children, ages 14, 8 and 6.
He was scheduled to undergo another spinal surgery on Friday, and he will need another operation to reconstruct his abdominal wall. There is a chance he could develop complications, even life-threatening ones, during the months ahead.
Moreno will remain in the hospital for at least a few more weeks, doctors said. After that, he will need extensive physical rehabilitation. It may be another year before doctors know how much he will improve.
The medical staff was guarded Thursday about his prospects for returning to a normal life. Doctors said they believe he will walk, but they also suggested that some of his injuries are likely to be lifelong.
"We're optimistic for a very substantial recovery, eventually," Barie said
Rosario Moreno said she knows this much for sure: His days as a window washer are over. "I told him, 'You're not going back to work there,'" she said.
Posted by LS
CBS and Associated Press contributed to this report.
What sad yet heartwarming story. nm
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Mean nurse story
Had to share this story of a mean nurse. My aunt went in the hospital for a total hip replacement. She had the surgery and the following morning she was in bed sleeping. Her nurse came in and asked if she would like a sponge bath for her back. My aunt said no, I just took a shower before I came in last night and I'm in a lot of pain and would prefer to not even be touched. The nurse said of course she understood and asked if there was anything she could get her (pain meds, water, tissue, etc), my aunt said no thank you I'd just like to sleep for awhile. About 5 minutes later the supervising nurse came in and said to my aunt "you need to have a sponge bath". My aunt said I already told the nurse I don't want one. I just showered before I came in yesterday. The supervising nurse said "I don't care, you're going to get one whether or not you like it. Grab the side rails on the bed and roll onto your side". My aunt said she was screeming in so much pain she knew the people down the hallway could hear her. I was absolutely horrified to hear that a nurse could treat a patient so bad. My aunt ended up reporting her to her doctor and her doctor was mortified that a nurse would do that to a patient. Especially since my aunt had just taken a shower less than 24 hours before that. I wish I lived closer to her and if I was there at the time I would have given this lady a piece of my mind. I don't know what happened to the nurse. Hopefully she was transferred somewhere where she will have no patient contact - maybe the mortuary would be a good place for her! I don't care if a nurse or someone who has contact with patients are having a bad day or what. That is no excuse to treat a patient like that.
A Christmas Story. sm
"You'll shoot your eye out."
"I double dog dare ya."
Did you see the story on the news where
I think a kindergartener or 1st grader had a mowhawk and after something like 6 months in school they decided it was a distraction and wanted his mother to either cut all his hair off, or be suspended (maybe expelled)? This was totally ridiculous. My kids have never done anything "out of the norm" but I would have definitely went to bat for this kid. It says in our school code that nothing that brings distraction in class is accepted. Like I said, this has not been a problem for us, but I would support someone if they had a legitimate complaint. There is a girl in my children's high school that has what I assume is alopeica. She does her best to wear her hair in a mowhawk but even that doesn't look right. I feel for her but she is there every day not trying to cover it up, just being who she is. I say live and let live. I used to think earrings were "for girls" but then I substituted, and my thinking really changed. As someone else said, "Pick your battles", life could be soooo much worse. If you think he is ready, then go for it.
Very heartbreaking story
(CBS) Fifteen-year-old Alex Koehne died suddenly last year from what doctors thought was Meningitis.
"He said, 'Mommy, am I going to die?', and I said, 'No baby, they're going to make you all better,' his mother, Lisa Koehne remembers.
His devastated parents took some solace in knowing that his death would give others new life. His mother says organ donation is very important to the family. "Alex always knew what he wanted."
CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes
Alex's liver went to a 52-year-old man. His pancreas to a 36-year-old woman. His kidneys went to two different men, one 46 and the other 64.
A month later, an autopsy revealed that Alex never had meningitis. He had a rare and fast-moving lymphoma cancer -- one that was now working its way through the bodies of four other people.
The organs were removed, but the lymphoma already had killed the recipients of his liver and pancreas. The two kidney patients had the kidneys removed and survived. They're now undergoing chemotherapy.
"When we found out that they died, our hearts went out to them," Koehne says tearfully.
"It’s a very, very rare event," says Dr. Lewis Teperman, director of transplantation at New York University Medical Center, where two of the four organs ended up.
He co-authored an article about the case in the American Journal of Transplantation to warn other doctors.
"We're alerting people to the fact that if someone calls a death from bacterial meningitis and there is no bacteria, we're saying, you know what, let's back off for a little bit and reconsider whether we're going to use these organs," Teperman says.
Alex's hospital and the donor network responsible for the health of the organs won't do interviews about the case. But in a statement, the donor network urged potential donors not to "allow the horrible circumstances surrounding this rare case to affect their decision to sign the donor registry," which every year gives 22,000 people a second chance at life.
Medical privacy rules may prevent the family from ever knowing the names of the people who died. Now, Alex's parents want to keep others from suffering a similar fate.
Link to story on ABC.com
Here's the link to the story on the web, FYI.
Some Think Baby, Born With Two Faces, Is a Reincarnation of a God. FONT SIZE. EMAIL ... WATCH: Two-Faced Baby Hailed as a Miracle. PHOTOS: Tallest Man Gets Giant Bike ...
abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=4549608&page=2
2 sides to the story
First of all I think there's another option that neither you or your sister are seeing, home health aide. Look into it re: insurance etc. I can see where both of you are coming from. I don't know your sister's financial situation or how far she has to drive to see your father. I think that she probably feels she is working hard to earn her paid time off but if she has to use it all to take "everybody" to the doctor what will happen if she needs to go to the doctor herself or wants to take time off for a vacation or mental health day. You have to admit she has a point.
My advice would be not to alienate your sister. You are going to have to work together to take care of your father. I would arrange a time for both of you to sit with your father and lay out the facts. With little to no eyesight, he simply cannot live completely independently any longer. If he wants to stay at home then either hire a home health aide or a live-in caregiver or one of you would have to move in with him. Avoid the word nursing home and instead suggest an independent living facility where there is assistance with daily activities such as preparing meals. Be open and honest with each other. You have your own separate lives and not only do you not want your father to feel like he is a burden, you also do not want to feel burdened. With the cost of gas these days, your sister certainly has a valid point. As far as her popping to Wal-Mart and the mall, she could have perfectly viable reasons for going to Wal-Mart including grocery shopping or perhaps purchasing your father's medications there on their $4 plan. The mall may be her escape mechanism.
You both sound stressed out over this situation and you both need to take care of yourselves first and foremost before you can be expected to care for someone else. Good luck to both of you and remember that you both love each other and your father and only want the best for everyone.
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