Many Faces of Stroke

When you hear about someone having a stroke a certain image comes to mind.  That of an older person. For many Americans for the past few years on December 31 counting down to midnight we saw stroke survivor Dick Clark.  His slurred speech and drooped mouth were consistent with what we tend to think a massive stroke survivor looks like.  His battle back from a massive stroke in 2004 was a source of Hope to many who battle the same struggles of speech and mobility.

Meet Isiah, born last September he seemed to be a perfectly healthy baby.  Within 24 hours that all changed.  Less than one day old Isaiah had a stroke.   

This cutie is Brody, he had a stroke before he was even born.  He is the survivor of an in-utero stroke.  His twin sister was born healthy. While his family celebrated his sister's reaching milestones they  watched as Brody struggled due to his lack of muscle tone, balance and coordination.  

Meet Evie.  At six months she was diagnosed with right-side hemiplegia due to in-utero stroke.  She doesn't like to be told she can't do something, according to her mom she might do it differently than others but she always gets it done.

Did you know children could have strokes?  How about developing babies having stroke in-uetro did you know that?  Stroke occurs in 1 out of every 2,800 births.  To put that in perspective that would mean that here in Clay County we are graduating 2,537 Seniors from High School in 2 weeks. Assuming they will follow the current county statistics of having three children The reality is that three children born to these seniors will suffer a stroke either in-utero or at birth.  You can read more about Isaiah, Brody, Evie and other pediatric stroke survivors on CHASA  

CHASA stands for Children's Hemiplegic and Stroke Association.  This organization helps children who have suffered an early brain injury as well as their families.  Founded in 1996 by parents of children effected with brain injury the organization has grown to become an international authority on the needs and care of children living with hemiplegic(paralysis effecting one side of the body) cerebral palsy.  Not only a support group they have sponsored international symposiums to bring together distinguished pediatric stroke researchers and neurologists to share findings and developments occurring in the field.  CHASA has three different websites where families can find support and information.  They also sponsor an annual retreat for families.  They hold various fund-raising events as well like this one:

You have gotta love the name of this one :) Very simply it is people like me raising awareness of Pediatric Stroke by blogging and having a direct donation box on their page. So if you are able please click on the donate button located at the top left of this page.

Stroke Awareness 5 Faces Pledge

Help Save Lives

Today's post is short and sweet:
Take the Five Faces Pledge today and join National Stroke Association's Faces of Stroke campaign in giving lifesaving information about stroke to five people you care about.

The Teaching of Talking

 Today I am excited to have my first Guest Blogger, Mark Ittleman speech pathologist.  His book in entitled The Teaching of Talking.  As many of you know there a times when I still struggle with Aphasia issues so this is dear to my heart.

Mark Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP,  Guest Blogger

A stroke or brain injury can turn a family’s world upside down in seconds.  You find yourself in the battle of your life, being guided by whomever you met at the hospital, hoping they have the answers.  As time goes on and speech does not return, you begin to wonder:  “What now?” “Will I (or my loved one) ever be able to speak again?”

Are you tired of gimmicks, worksheets, software, or boring one-hour sessions reciting lists of words? In my clinical practice as an expert speech-language pathologist for the past 40 years, I have seen hundreds of frustrated patients and family members who have said those very words to me. 

I, too, was tired of programs that didn’t bring success to my patients.  I knew there had to be a better way, so I began treating my patients differently.  I put the gimmicks and worksheets and software away, and I began talking with my clients about things they were interested in.  Imagine that!  I learned that people learn much faster when they talk with another human instead of a computer!

The Teaching of Talking our book which is in the process of being published, is a totally new concept in speech therapy.  Within its pages you will find a refreshing, revolutionary speech therapy method that will rock the world of someone you love.   You see, we believe that speech therapy is best done in the home, by family and caregivers, under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist familiar with the methods in The Teaching of Talking. 

If you have ever taught a toddler to speak, you will quickly see why our method works when others fail.  We begin slowly, with simple “yes” and “no” questions and one-word answers, and we talk with the person who is learning to speak again all day long, through all of the activities of daily living. Sound familiar? If you offer a toddler some milk, you ask him to “say ‘milk.’”  Well, our method is very similar.  As one-word answers begin to come easily, we expand to two-word phrases, and so on. 

The fact is that in today’s system, most people with moderate to severe speaking difficulties will be discharged by an insurance company long before the need for therapy has ended. You no longer have to be bound to a speech-language pathologist or insurance company or management system that is going to discharge you soon anyway. 

Take a proactive role in the speech and language stimulation of your loved one. Become a pivotal, active participant in your loved one’s recovery, not a passive observer, wondering if they will ever get better. So when the day comes that your loved one’s therapy is terminated or if they have been discharged, for whatever reason, you feel confident in going forward with speech-language stimulation at home for as long as it takes to hear them speaking with clarity once again!

If you would like to know more about this revolutionary new method, please visit my website, http://www.teachingoftalking.com/.  My name is Mark Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP, The speech pathologist who can make rocks talk!   

What's your Stroke Score?

Before I go any further take a moment and fill out this scorecard:

     Done? Good, we'll get to what your results mean in a bit.  

Too often we are quick to dismiss the possibility of a medical event affecting us because we “scored" really well on a test like this.  No one absolutely NO ONE can be guaranteed that they are not going to have a stroke.  Anyone no matter your age, race or sex can have a stroke.  There are risk factors, some are listed above, that you can control and reduce your chances of suffering a stroke.  The reality is that  80% of strokes are preventable.  You can make lifestyle changes or many and others can be treated medically.   

     There are uncontrollable factors that you need to be aware of.  These include being over the age of 55, being male, being African American, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander, or having a family history of stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack) just to name a few. The National Stroke Association has an Interactive Risk Factor Tool that explains 26 of the more common risk factors.  Please go through all the slides as I guarantee you'll find something you didn't know as I did. 

 OK back to your score.  

You should have 3 numbers, one for the red column, one for the yellow column and one for the green column.  Compare those numbers to the Risk Scorecard Results:

Had I taken this test pre-stroke my numbers would have been:  2   0   6     So what do my scores mean?  According to the chart I was at a low risk for having a stroke.  It simply proves that anyone anywhere at any time can suffer a stroke.  

BUT you CAN control the odds of it happening.    

So please the next time you visit your doctor have a Stroke Conversation.  Take with you not only the score from this Risk Assessment but also anything that caught your attention from the Risk Factor Tool.  

  

Grace Kelly, Cary Grant and Lady Bren!

     I have to admit I like seeing my name next to the likes of Hollywood Royalty.  However the reasoning isn't glorious.  Grace Kelly, Cary Grant and I have all suffered Strokes. 
     Like so many things it seems when a celebrities name is attached to anything the public seems to stand up and take notice.  In 2011, three weeks before the Oscars, the International Stroke Conference was held in Hollywood.  Using the location as inspiration the organizers of the conference, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association decided to research the frequency of stroke among a very elite group of people, Oscar nominees. 
    They discovered of the 409 men and women nominated from 1927-2009:

• 30 (7.3 %) suffered strokes and 39 (9.5%) suffered heart attacks
• 67 was the average age of when they had their first stroke
• 18 of the 30 (60%) stroke victims were women
• 6 of the 30 (20%) suffered fatal strokes.

     Among the 18 female stroke victims is Sharon Stone.  Sharon was 43 and training for a 3 mile charity run when she suffered a stroke. After her recovery she became a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association and filmed this PSA.

     Here is the complete list of those who suffered stroke and their most recent best actor/actress Oscar nomination:

Ruth Chatterton, 1930, Sarah and Son

Mary Pickford, 1930, Coquette

Bette Davis, 1963, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Claudette Colbert, 1945, Since You Went Away

Merle Oberon, 1936, The Dark Angel

Gladys George, 1937, Valiant is the Word for Carrie

Robert Donat, 1940, Goodbye, Mr. Chips

James Cagney, 1956, Love Me or Leave Me

Greer Garson, 1961, Sunrise at Campobello

Cary Grant, 1945, None But the Lonely Heart

Walter Pidgeon, 1944, Madame Curie

Jean Arthur, 1944, The More the Merrier

Celia Johnson, 1947, Brief Encounter

Gene Kelly, 1946, Anchors Away

Anne Baxter, 1951, All About Eve

Broderick Crawford, 1950, All the King's Men

Kirk Douglas, 1957, The Lust for Life

Julie Harris, 1953, The Member of the Wedding

Burt Lancaster, 1982, Atlantic City

Richard Burton, 1978, Anne of the Thousand Days

Grace Kelly, 1955, The Country Girl

Anthony Franciosa, 1958, A Hatful of Rain

Elizabeth Taylor, 1967, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Patricia Neal, 1969, The Subject Was Roses

Edith Evans, 1968, The Whisperers

Dudley Moore, 1982, Arthur

James Garner, 1986, Murphy's Romance

Sharon Stone, 1996, Casino

Samantha Morton, 2004, In America

Rehab and Awards

   The craziness that is May has begun so with that in mind tonight I am sharing a post from my stay in Rehab.  I wrote it after my first day and I was not a happy camper: Rehab Reality: It Isn't pretty  If you have any qualms about privacy and bathrooms then this story is for you :)

     It seems that everything this week was scheduled on the same day.  Tonight alone we had 3 different activities that Patrick was a part of.  He wound up having to miss rehearsal for tomorrow night's YouthQuake Live show, which will be his last.  The first event of the evening was NJROTC awards.  Wait a bit of drama just for fun.  Awards start at 6:30, Cadets had to report at 6.  Patrick had gone to a friend's house to get ready, she was driving.  6:40 no Patrick or friends. I can't get a hold of him on his cell phone ~ you know what I was thinking.  Now I'm asking the kids who aren't involved at the moment do they have L's cell number or R's some thing's wrong.  No one can help as the kids were instructed to give their cell phones to their parents.  Just as my worry is reaching hyper mode the three kids come running in ~ thank heavens, then I chewed them all out.  After that bit of drama I'm proud to say Patrick received a personal achievement award along with other unit awards.  The Unit had over 50 trophies displayed that they won this past year :)  Tonight was the last time he is required to wear his uniform; I however am making him wear it for Graduation Sunday at church.


While we stayed for a few quick pics we then (along with a few of his friends) loaded into the Van and headed across town to our next Award Ceremony of the Evening~  County Media Festival.  That started at 7 but as they also give out awards to Elementary and Jr. High Media Teams we had a bit of time.  We walked in just as they announced his Video has won Second Place.  Another of his Videos also won Second.  A highlight of the night was the introduction of a new Media Teams at one of the High Schools.  All of its members are handicapped in one way or another.  Watching their excitement when their video was played just made my night ~ Congrats RHS Sky Blue Team.

The night ended with laughs at our local Steak and Shake.  It's only May 4th and I'm getting worn out~thank heavens I took a long nap today!!   All in all a great nite

Strokes and the Chiropractor

      It is amazing how often I'm researching one item for a blog and wind up learning something that completely changes everything.  While looking for more images of stroke awareness I came across this picture of a billboard and was completely shocked!

 Once I started looking I found various stories on the web about people who have suffered strokes following their visits to the Chiropractor.  One that interested me was that of Brittmarie Harwe.  In her own words here is her story as she told it to the  Connecicut General Assembly, March 3, 2008 : 

On April 18, 1993, I was just 26 years old, the day before my daughter turned 2. I went to a chiropractor because of a sore shoulder and neck.  I had a stroke immediately following the chiropractic cervical adjustment. The chiropractor called 911 and reported his patient was having a reaction.  He didn't mention he had just performed a neck adjustment, nor did he mention that I became immediately so dizzy I was unable to sit or stand without his assistance.  I couldn't speak. I was unable to focus my eyes. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and tests revealed that one of my vertebral arteries was crushed during the adjustment.  I was left with many neurological disabilities, including left-side weakness, paralyzed vocal chord, and the worst of all, I lost the ability to swallow. Since I can't swallow, I have a feeding tube that was surgically placed in my stomach. For the past 14 years, I haven't been able to eat anything except liquid nutrition.

As you continue to read her testimony not only before this assembly but others it is clear that she was harmed by her chiropractor.

What does the medical community have to say about this? Well before we go any further you need to understand what a VBA dissection is: (thank you Wikipedia) Vertebral artery dissection is a dissection (a flap-like tear) of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. The symptoms of vertebral artery dissection include head and neck pain and intermittent or permanent stroke symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination and visual loss. It is usually diagnosed with a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI scan. Got it, ok onward.

According to  The National Center for Biotechnology Information's study published in March of 2010:

VBA stroke is a very rare event in the population. The increased risks of VBA stroke associated with chiropractic and PCP visits is likely due to patients with headache and neck pain from VBA dissection seeking care before their stroke. We found no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated chiropractic care compared to primary care.

So where does this leave us?  Should you visit a Chiropractor?  Dr. Harriet Hall, an outspoken critic of alternative medicine and a retired US Air Force flight surgeon, wrote an article for Science-Based Medicine on this subject.  She ends her article   Chiropractic and Stroke  with this advice:

“Don’t ever let a chiropractor touch your neck “is the safest advice; but we can’t expect everyone to accept it. Some patients have had good experiences with neck manipulations and will continue to ask for them. We can’t presume to dictate to others. If someone judges that there is a one in a million risk of a stroke and is willing to take that risk, he has every right to do so. I think people have the right to engage in risky behaviors like skydiving and smoking cigarettes. I just think they deserve to know there is a risk, and to have some idea how much of a risk it is. I suspect the general public doesn’t know the facts about neck manipulation.   Following this article there are over 300 posts sharing direct thoughts and views on the subject.  

     As with anything education and communication are the most important tools you need to have.  Be completely clear with any health care provider as to any and all symptoms you are experiencing. Express any and all concerns about any treatment you are going to receive.

      I saw a chiropractor about 15 years ago following a car accident.  While he was unable to help me I had no complaints.  HOWEVER now knowing the risk involved I am not sure that I would ever visit a Chiropractor and allow him to manipulate my neck.

What's your opinion?  Did you know that this risk existed?

May is.....

     May is pretty simply one of those busy busy months.  We have Mother's Day kicking if off and then Memorial Day ending it..  Ooooo never noticed how May is book-ended with M holidays (remember I'm easily entertained).  Once you have school aged kids the outside obligations seem to pile on... recitals, play-offs, award ceremonies, end of year parties, dances... it truly can get incredibly over whelming at times.  Well I am here to add one more thing to the mix:

As you know the entire reason that I even have a blog is because I am a Stroke Survivor.  Too many people suffer devastating disabilities because those around them were not aware they were having a stroke.  The simple reality of my life is that because my husband loves Gray's Anatomy, he knew I was having a stroke. We can't remember if it was a Public Service Announcement or simply an episode that discussed Stroke Symptoms but he learned the warning signs and got me help as quickly as possible.  For the next few weeks I will sharing and hopefully educating as many people as I can on Stroke Awareness.

Please learn this simple acronym: FAST

Time truly is of the essence when it comes to diagnosing a stroke.  There is a medication that can ONLY be given up to 4 hours after the onset of symptoms. Had my husband listened to me he would have taken me home to sleep.  I received the medication within 45 minutes of onset and was incredibly lucky.  WE refuse to even think about what would have happened had he listened.

Just to add a bit more to the month of May~

     We are on Graduation countdown..... June 1st is graduation so things are going to be quite busy which of course means life is going to be incredibly entertaining and you know I'll have to share it with you.

I'm looking forward to spending the next 30 days driving crazy, crying, laughing, ranting and probably more crying (you know the proud Mom kind) and I hope you'll join me :)   And please oh please if you or someone in your family has survived a stroke or are helping someone recover do contact me I'd love to hear your story.  

Thank heavens Cinco de Mayo is here soon as I'm gonna need some Margaritas (send tequila please).

April's Real Pins and 25,000!!!

From my heart to yours:

During the month of April my blog page views totalled over 25,000!!! 

That absolutely amazes and touches me deeply. 

Ever the math geek I never grasped how huge that number is until I thought of it this way:

Your 25,000th minute of life occurs when you are:

 17 days, 8 hours and 40 minutes old 

Your 25,000th hour of life occurs when you are:

 2 years, 311 days, 16 hours old

Your 25,000th day of life occurs when you are:

 68 years, 6 months, 1 week and 5 days old

Here's the new things I tried from Pinterest this month: 

1. Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven ~ these were so easy to do and turned out wonderfully.  I cooked 20 at once and not a one cracked.  The eggs did turn out with brown spots as the post mentioned but the spots wipe off while you're cooling them in water... no more boiling for me.  I did this while baking a cake so double duty for the oven :)  Royally Rocked

2. Organizing Measuring Cups and Spoons ~ My attempt did not turn out as lovely as this but it was truly my fault:
       ~I recently treated myself to metal measuring cups/spoons from Crate&Barrel that I love however they are bigger and heavier than most
       ~ I did not buy strong enough hangers for my metal measuring items
I plan on retrying tis idea in the next week so hopefully I'll have a picture in May

3. Freshen air in bathroom~ Use your favorite scent of essential oils dropped onto the toilet paper roll to freshen up the air after each use.  Maybe we go through rolls quicker than most but I went through a lot of oil and no one really noticed the scent  Royally Failed

My biggest disappointment to share with you this month was with crochet attempts. 

I think I got a bit too ambitious with trying these new patterns:

Not willing to be defeated I created a YouTube Channel and filled it with crochet videos so I am planning on having new wash cloths to show you next month.  I think I'll learn better watching someone instead of figuring it out myself.

That was pretty much the extras in April that didn't get their own blog posts. 

 Remember you can find me on pinterest as Lady Bren.  If you don't have an account and need an invitation email me and we'll get you set. 

Are people really that clueless?

    It amazes me that people can be so rude and think no one notices.  I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by at times it still takes me aback. In the past two weeks I have had run in with people who just are clueless. One I went back at and the other was well a delicate situation.
     The first was at the bank.  Patrick was driving and let me off then parked the car ~ in a handicapped space, which we have a parking tag for.  On most days I don't use the tag but on some days I'm very thankful we have them.  As we were getting ready to leave a noticed a gentleman talking to him.  When we got to the car I asked what he said. Seems the gentleman made the comment that Patrick didn't look handicapped.  OH NO he didn't!!  Considering how crappy I felt lashing out at someone was a welcoming opportunity.  I went back inside and from the door called to the man.  "Sir, I understand you made a comment to my son regarding parking in a handicapped spot? Just so you know not all handicaps are visible.  My son happens to have Spina Bifida which YOU can't see.  He's endured more pain than most men will ever know.  Not only has he overcome that but he's enlisting in the Marines to serve YOUR country.  On top of that he's driving me today because due to complications from my stroke I'm unable to drive.  So next time you think of making a snarky comment remember all handicaps are not visible."  With that I left the bank. I'll admit that was a bit easier as there was maybe 6 customers that day.  As we were getting ready to leave the gentleman came out. I could see Patrick thinking oh no what did she do now.  The gentleman began a huge apology but then pointed out that we didn't have handicap license plates. NO sir we had the blue handicap placard hanging on the rear view but we've taken it off to drive which you are supposed to do.  He then said his goal was to make sure that people weren't using the parking spaces that weren't supposed to. Once again he apologized.  We felt a little bit bad because we couldn't put down the window when he was talking to us because it was broken but didn't feel bad that he had to talk louder to make his apology.
     While that was incredibly annoying at least it was from a stranger.  Today's situation just blew me away as it was someone that we know.  Well I don't know him but my husband does.
     There are some days when my migraines are so bad that my speech is affected.  I usually wind up repeating words or get stuck on words.  This morning was one of those days.  I called Michael to let him know not to call me at lunch when he usually does as I was going to lay down until I had to leave for physical therapy.  Unlike his old shop that had a phone on the work floor to reach him in this new shop I have to call into the office.  Today when I spoke to his boss instead of only using six words - Can I please speak to Michael - it wound up being probably close to 20.  Sure, his boss said.  Maybe he thought he put the phone on hold because the next thin I hear is him mimicking me! This is Michael's boss who is well aware of my situation. I made sure not to cry when Michael got on the phone as I really wasn't even sure whether or not to tell him. When I did tell him I could hear the conflict in his voice.  He was obviously upset with what his boss did yet at the same time this is the man who picks and chooses who gets to work overtime.  That didn't matter he told me he was going to talk to him.
     How could someone who knows me indirectly be so cruel?  So immature, so clueless?  Does he think this is fun for me?  It took me right back to the first weekend I was home from rehab when a door to door salesman called me retarded due to my speech issues.  And my therapist wonders why I hate going out in public

A Little Bit of Sunshine

I was so excited to see that I had received a blog award:

April 23, 2012

Thank you to Lynette atRantRaveWrite for passing this award along

The rules for this challenge include answering the following questions:

1. Favorite color-  Green 
2. Favorite Animal-  Whales My dream is to swim with a Blue Whale
3. Favorite number – 23 (ok not really mine as I don't have one but this is both hubby's and son's)
4. Favorite non-alcoholic drink -  Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free
5. Facebook or Twitter – FACEBOOK though really getting into twitter of late
6. My passion – Music 
7. Getting or giving presents - Giving. I love finding that "perfect" gift
8. Favorite Pattern- well now that I am crocheting I'd have to say anything easy :)
9. Favorite day of week – Friday love kicking off the weekend
10. Favorite flower - Tulips

5 Blogs I am passing this award onto:

Denise @ Denise Moncrief

Erin @ My Nuggets of Truth

Jane @ A String of Pearls

Katherine @ Life with Arie

Trish @ Chickletslit

The Healing Power of Music

            The expression is often misquoted as " Music has charms to soothe a savage beast"  from Playwright/Poet William Congreve's The Mourning Bride, 1697.  The power of music has been recognized to such that we now have certified music therapists.  Did you know that simply handing a teenager a CD has healing powers as well?

     The first Friday of every month is YouthQuake Live.  All three of my kids have been cast members over the last 4 years.  In all honesty we do not attend every show for a number of reasons. First off it is by teens  for teens ~ In other words it is very very loud with music and skits that appeal primarily to teens.  Secondly very often they overfill the venue so seating is usually limited and should be available for the kids. Thirdly until Meg joined the cast Patrick and Emily were never on stage as they were on the Tech Team and kept telling us to not come.  However whenever Meg is on stage we are always there. 

     This past month her team was featured in a video.  She told us we didn't need to be there as we could see the video on line.   I was quite surprised when my phone went off just 30 minutes after the show had started.  "Mom, I'm with the nurse I hurt my knee!"  What? How? She was part of the dance team that got the audience excited at the beginning of the show. The nurse gets on the phone and he believes she has dislocated her knee. Of course this is the month that Patrick wasn't there as his NJROTC team was in Pensacola, FL for National Competition.  Meg wants to stay for the rest of show, claiming that she's fine in a wheelchair with ice on her knee.  I'm walking out the door.

     Ever notice how you are aware of every traffic light and car in your lane when you're trying to get to a hurt child?  I just dropped her off 4 hours earlier and knew exactly how long the ride was.  How is it that the 30 minutes now felt like an eternity?  Why does everything seem farther in the dark?

     By the time we arrive she is surrounded by cast members and adults as she's now in serious pain and the tears are flowing.   On top of being hurt she is also upset as she realizes she can't go to her Bible Study's Beach Party the next day.  With her knee swollen we settle her in the van and head home.   All I want to do is make her feel better NOW; do you want a drink or snack on the ride home?  Then it hits me, I know how to heal her pain, well ok at least distract her from the pain...  I hand her a CD that I purchased over a week ago and left hidden in the van.  Her sobs of pain turn instantly to squeals of joy.  If you haven't heard a teenage girl squeal over a boy band it is something your ear drums will never forget, so consider yourself lucky.

     Remember how I said the ride to get her seemed long ~ well the return ride listening to her One Direction CD seemed even longer.  I'll admit though I preferred hearing her sing along to the CD then cry.  The healing power of music gotta love it!

YQL Sept 2010 Meg dancing for  OutCast

     Thankfully the Orthopedist said she didn't locate her knee but horribly overstretched the ligaments.  She is currently in a knee brace and starting 6 weeks of physical therapy.  She will not be dancing in the May Show.

You shouldn’t have to get mad to get what is fair

            I don’t back down.  If I think I am right I will go toe to toe with anyone.  Today the lucky person to feel my full wrath was the manager at The Orange Box Store *.

     Last Spring we went through a fruit tree phase.   We bought 6 different varities of trees.   We’ve been fertilizing and just generally loving them for the past year.   All but one of our fruit trees have been doing really well.   This one tree finally lost its fight with the last dry spell we had.  But I wasn’t too disappointed as we bought the tree at The Orange Box Store .  Like Lowes, The Orange Box Store offers a one year guarantee on their plants.  With that in mind we leave the store tags on the trees in case something happens.  (Can you see where this is going?)

     In the past I have had to return plants.  I’ve never had an issue.  Return the plant in its pot with tags and you get a replacement, no questions asked.  Having decided to return my dead tree I called over to The Orange Box Store and spoke with the garden manager.  Told him my tree was dead and it still had all of it’s The Orange Box Store  tags on it.  I explained I no longer have the receipt and that I didn’t want a refund just a replacement.  He said no problem, bring the tree in and we’ll swap it out.  I should have gotten his name.

            Today we dug the tree up and headed to The Orange Box Store to get a new tree.  I really have to wonder- do the put the most clueless person at the returns desk?  Seriously if they don’t have any authority whatsoever don’t put them there!!  We explain to the girl (in her tight leopard top-can’t make these things up) about the tree and our conversation with the manager.  Sorry you need a receipt.  Again tell her what the garden manager says, she repeats all this (in a “TONE”) to another girl in customer service who repeats the store motto ~ no receipt no return.  Honestly who keeps their plant receipts for a year?  Never mind the fact that today’s receipts are not printed in ink like the good old days but are actually printed on thermal paper and even with the safest storing methods fade over time.  “No sorry you need a receipt, how do we know you bought that plant a year ago?” 

            Obviously she thought her stern tone would be enough to scare me away.  I replied with one of my favorite lines ~ can I please speak with the store manager?  She calls the store manager, tells her the situation and turns to me and says, the store manager said you need the receipt.  UMMM NO I asked to speak to the store manager can you have her come here.  

            The store manager comes up front and before I can say anything tells me that a receipt is required to return anything to the store.  (Oh yeah this is going to be fun) I explain my conversation with the garden manager.  I also tell her how I have returned plants to Lowes, which is literally right next door, without any problem whatsoever.  This doesn’t seem to faze her one bit.  She stands her ground repeating that she’s sorry but a receipt is necessary.  After five minutes this was getting old.  Feeling like we were losing the battle I start to leave and let her know that this is not done.  I tell her I plan on contacting not only the area manager but the corporate headquarters telling them how this store seems more concerned about paperwork then their customers.  Before we leave I turn one last time to tell her that I am going to write a blazing blog post regarding how this store treats their customers.

-and then-

Mam!?!  Mam!?!  I want you to know that this one time I will exchange your plant.  But please know that in the future if you need to return a plant you will have to have your receipt.  You can go to the back and pick a tree to replace this one with.

Now why did it take me threatening to write a blog for me to get a replacement tree???   Let’s face it when something is returned it goes against the vendor not the store (my husband used to work at Lowe’s so I know how this works).    UGGH SO FRUSTRATING!  Imagine how many people just give up.  I hate that stores and corporations have gotten so big that customer service, real customer service barely exists anymore.  Oh forgot to tell you the tree in question cost a whopping $19.95, imagine if it had been one of the $59.95 trees!

My orchard now is the proud home of a Cherry Tree!!

***So I ran this post by my husband as he was there with me.  He pointed out how I threatened to write a blog and got a new tree yet here I am writing a blog.  He felt it would only be fair if I took the name of the store out, The Orange Box Store was our compromise.  Also in all fairness I did not mention which one it is as there are 4 in our area. 

   

How could I do this to my teenager??

     To have heard the moans coming from my 18yr old this weekend you would have thought I told him we would no longer have running water in the house.  What could have brought on such cries of protest?  We didn’t cancel our TV subscriptions.  We were still going to have cell phones.  We were not moving.  If it wasn’t any of these life altering changes that had him in such dire straits what could it be?  It was the simple fact that we were going to continue our Easter tradition of coloring eggs and watching old Easter movies.  I know you’re all thinking what horrible horrible parents we are exposing our son to such demanding tasks.  We were actually asking him to spend the afternoon with the family! GASP

          Though he may not admit it he had a blast, as did we.  Tell me, when was the last time you watched The Easter Bunny is coming to Town with an 18yr old?  We still have our original copy which means it is on VHS. We definitely know almost every line and especially every song.  Watching the movie with a running commentary from a snarky teenager was an incredibly entertaining experience.  From Sunny (the bunny) pretty much taking over the town at age 1 to kids that never seem to age and let’s not forget about Hallelujah Jones hanging around a bunch of kids unsupervised ~nothing was left untouched.  Yes we saw this timeless treasure through new eyes this weekend and I’m pretty sure it was not what Fred Astaire had in mind when he provided the voice of the narrator.  Also I’m quite sure we never laughed that hard while watching it before!

          Shortly after the movie came the dreaded egg coloring.  Are you really going to do this? That’s so lame?  The torture I was going to expose him to~ someone call Child Services!!  Could someone explain to me how an unnamed 18yr old took longer than anyone else to color his eggs? Ever the perfectionist, his eggs had to be colored just so and have certain patterns.  Then came the comparison of the talent put into each eggs.  The fact that I chose to use stickers and other items to create patterns didn’t show creativity rather an inability to design without aids. Oh to have the ego of a teenager. 

          I have to be honest.  With graduation looming less than two months away I am having those “last moment” thoughts.  Is this his last Easter home?  When we will color eggs together?  I’ll admit that sometimes, only sometimes, I am even embracing those annoyingly entertaining self-centered moments of his.

Easter Eggs ~ do you like my use of stickers :)

**Pinterest moment: I baked my eggs instead of boiling them and they came out absolutely perfect! Directions here