Kaylen

Her she is!!! Isn't she beautiful??!!!!!

Kaylen Wheeler

I am just inviting everyone to go to welcomenewborn.com, enter de la fuente in the name space, and AM-1-587 in the secret word area, so you can see our newest member of our great family!
I love you all! Karensita

Hello from Liz

Hi

I just wanted to say hi everyone, and I also wanted to Thank everyone for calling me on my birthday! I appreciate all the love and well wishes. I especially enjoyed Sharon's version of the Happy-Birthday-Mexican/Anglo-Taco-Bell-Song. That cracked me up!! I love you all very much!

David,

I haven't congratulated you for getting your Master's degree...CONGRATULATIONS, Cousin! I am so proud of you. Higher education is so important, it's one of the best things that you could've done for yourself. I'm very proud of all that both you and Becky have accomplished.

Grandpa,

I hope that you're continuing to feel better and are recovering from your oral surgery. You and Grandma are in my prayers daily. (The whole family is, actually.) I miss you and Grandma very much. I have a story for you. I have a gas stove and the other day I warmed up a corn tortilla directly on the flames because Buster was treating our comal. Anyway, the scent of the tortilla on the flames took me back to Willee Drive and I was 4 or 5 and I could picture your big strong hands flipping the tortillas. I remember being amazed at how you were able to do that without buring your fingers. :) You would heat the tortillas and then we'd eat them with butter. That was a neat memory...and I find it fascinating that memories can be triggered by sights, smells, a song, etc... I hadn't thought about that in I don't know how long.

I love you and Grandma so much, and I thank you both for all of the memories you've given me. Mom was telling me yesterday about the day that I was born and I didn't remember that you and Grandma took her to the hospital the morning that I was born. She said that ya'll were in a Comet. Do you remember what year the Comet was? She also said that your Dad's funeral had been the day before my birth. What did he die of? Did he know that he was about to be a great-grandpa? It's too bad that we barely missed each other.

Michelle,

You're getting closer to your due date! I hope you're doing well. Are you registered anywhere? Are we going to get to vote on Wilhelmina De La Wheeler's name? She did kick everytime we called her Socorro--I'm not sure if it was because she liked it or not. :)

Stuff in our world

Buster received a blood tranfusion on Friday because his red blood cells have been getting consistantly lower and lower. I hope he starts to feel better soon. He didn't have chemo last week because he's been so sick. The doctors are scheduling a CT scan and after we get the results we'll figure out whether or not to resume treatment. I'm not sure what our options will be if this drug has failed as well. Keep him in your prayers.

Lexi's doing well. She got an iPod for Christmas, so she's been busy loading it with songs, and stuff. The first semester of school is almost over so she's been preparing for semester exams. She and Buster baked me a cake and decorated the dining room with streamers. They're so sweet! Lexi's trying to figure out what to do for her upcoming 16th birthday. It's exactly 2 months after my birthday. If anyone has any ideas, please share them because we're struggling to figure out what to do.

Well, I'm going to say good-bye for now. God bless all of you.

Love,

Lizzy

Merry Christmas!!!

(Pictured above are our Canine Babies--left to right are Emma, Scooter-looking mighty enthused, and Katie. This was one decent photo out of about 30...someone was either moving so much that they looked like a blur, or somebody would be looking the wrong way. Scooter was definitely ready for picture-time to be over and get back to playing!)

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. We may not all be under one roof today, but we are not far from each others thoughts and hearts. Family is so important, and I'm grateful to be a part of this one! As crazy as it is. Ha-Ha! :)

We'll be spending the day here at home. Buster had chemo on Tuesday and isn't feeling well, but hopefully he'll feel a little better in a few hours when everyone wakes up. Lexi is typically the first one up and ready to open presents and I'm not too far behind her. :)

Please be safe, and have a wonderful day. Let's take time to count all of our blessings...we're all very fortunate. I've come to think that if things aren't going exactly as we've planned, but we're all still alive, then it's nothing more than a bad day.

I love you all,

Liz

P.S. Ugh!!! For some reason I'm having trouble with adding a space in between my paragraphs and I'm just anal enough for it to drive me crazy! It's late--or early, and I'm tired so I'm just going to leave it alone and get some sleep.

Thanks Givin'

Hey Everyone - hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving with full bellies. Same place same chef next year. Love - becky and david

I should be given demerits or something...

I can't believe that my last post was in July! There's really no good excuse, so I'll take the demerits coming to me. :)

So, here's an update on the Hewitt Happenings over the last four months...Hmmm, where should I start? The easiest place for me to start is Lexi. I can ramble on and on about my sweet girl for hours on end. How much time do you have? Just kidding, I'll try to keep it fairly brief.

Well, Lexi's almost halfway through her 10th grade year. I can't belive my baby is getting so big! She's doing well in school. She says that this year is more demanding than the previous years, but she still has all A's and B's. She wasn't able to get her braces off in July afterall, but they're scheduled to come off tomorrow--finally! She's had them on for 27 months, she can probably tell you exactly how long she's had them down to the exact hour and minute. For the last week she's had "finishing eleastics" on and her teeth are basically wired (with the rubberbands) shut. Her mouth is sore, but amazingly enough, she's still managed to talk with her teeth clamped together! Here Buster and I thought we'd have a quiet week, but there's no stopping her from talking! :) It's been quite an ordeal, but she'll have a beautiful smile to show for it.

Lexi and I have been getting allergy shots for nearly a year, and it's been wonderful! We haven't had any sinus infections, bronchitis, etc... and her asthma has really been under control as well. I wish we had done this a long time ago.

In August after Buster had a CT scan the doctors told us that the 2nd line of chemotherapy had also failed because the cancer was still growing. They put him on the 3rd and final chemo drug that's available for colon cancer. It was difficult news to hear, and to make matters worse, the doctor was a real piece of work. I would like to use a colorful adjective to describe her, but I'll behave myself. She was rude, talked down to us, and was overall very insensitive. My husband is a human being as deserves to be treated well, not to mention that he fought for this country and it's because of the sacrifices he made that she was able to move here from Pakistan or wherever the heck she's from, and enjoy the freedom that the United States has to offer! It's also because of his service to our country that he ended up with this cancer in the first place. I'll get off my soap box now...sorry for ranting...

With this new chemo we're now going to the VA for treatment every week instead of every other. He's managing pretty well, and is still fighting like crazy. He has good days and bad days, and still amazes me with how much he does despite his illness. He pushes himself like no other person I've ever known.

Buster's brother, Don, and his wife came to see us earlier this month. They live in Alabama and Buster and Don hadn't seen each other in about 10 years. It was nice to finally meet them in person. It was a really nice visit. His sister, Charlie, has been coming over just about every other weekend for a little over a year. She's truly been a blessing during all of this.

I was taking 2 classes, but with everything going on it was too much, and I had to drop my classes this semester. I hated to do that, but it was for the best. In September I had two tumors removed - one from my forearm, and one from my thigh, two days later Buster had to have a blood transfusion AND he had a pretty bad infection in his colon (Beck, it was C-Dif). Anyway, for the next 12 days he was in pretty bad shape, and I just couldn't keep up with everything. There's always next semester, right? There's a billboard in our area, maybe it's in SA too, it has an elderly lady on it dressed in a cap and gown and it says that she's the oldest graduate at 92 years old. I'm begining to feel like I'm going to be their next "oldest graduate"!

I miss all of you, and will try to be better about posting updates.

Love,

Lizard

baby pics!

My belly at 15 weeks

my sonogram pics at 12 weeks

ahh! alien baby!

New exhibits!

Hey familia,

There are 3 new exhibits at the Southwest School of Art & Crafts that feature the work of Latina artists.

Here's the hyperlink http://www.swschool.org/index_flash.php. The opening is this Thursday from 5:30-7:30pm maybe we can all have dinner before or afterwards somewhere downtown.

It's been a while since we've gotten together...so join Becky and I at the new exhibit viewing!

Love ya'll,

Dave

The Whiskey Rebels

Hey all.....I know I haven't posted on here are much as I should. I've been super busy with school, but while working on my papers I've been sitting next to my friend David Liss at Olmos Perk. Anyway I thought, why not post about his new book? It's called Whiskey Rebels, that will be released in September! So here's a description of the book....love ya'll- Dave





Description

David Liss’s bestselling historical thrillers, including A Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader, have been called remarkable and rousing: the perfect combination of scrupulous research and breathless excitement. Now Liss delivers his best novel yet in an entirely new setting–America in the years after the Revolution, an unstable nation where desperate schemers vie for wealth, power, and a chance to shape a country’s destiny.Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington’s most valued spies, now lives in disgrace, haunting the taverns of Philadelphia.



An accusation of treason has long since cost him his reputation and his beloved fiancée, Cynthia Pearson, but at his most desperate moment he is recruited for an unlikely task–finding Cynthia’s missing husband. To help her, Saunders must serve his old enemy, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who is engaged in a bitter power struggle with political rival Thomas Jefferson over the fragile young nation’s first real financial institution: the Bank of the United States.Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a young woman married to another Revolutionary War veteran. With the new states unable to support their ex-soldiers, the Maycotts make a desperate gamble: trade the chance of future payment for the hope of a better life on the western Pennsylvania frontier.



There, amid hardship and deprivation, they find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. But on an isolated frontier, whiskey is more than a drink; it is currency and power, and the Maycotts’ success attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton’s orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear.As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders–both patriots in their own way–find themselves on opposing sides of a daring scheme that will forever change their lives and their new country. The Whiskey Rebels is a superb rendering of a perilous age and a nation nearly torn apart–and David Liss’s most powerful novel yet.

-Source Amazon.com

Tough Days

**Warning: morbid, do not read**

Hey all-Just finished a 33 hour shift at the hospital, it was my most challenging yet. From the moment I walked in the door we had one patient actively dying and two more heading that direction. My pager would not stop, and family was gathering for our patient "in extremis". I managed to get the paperwork in order, including request for autopsy, between all the wailing and crying. He was a beloved patient over the last several weeks, not sure what happened exactly, so I called the medical examiner myself to make him aware of our concerns. Starting the day this way I knew it was going to be rough!

Just a few hours later another patient rapidly decompensated, troubling EKG findings and rapidly rising enzymes indicative of a massive heart attack. Unfortunately, family had only been recently notified that he was in the hospital because he was found in a ditch having massive head injuries from an apparent assault and it took several hours to find out who he was. So, they arrive to find him "in extremis" as well. Since I was the oncall, I took the lead on explaining his poor prognosis (mostly related to the massive head injury, then the heart attack), and managed to get a DNR order. Autopsy is automatic since this was quickly becoming a murder case. I waited for family to arrive, about thirty of them, and turned off all the drips while started a steady infusion of pain medicine, that is when it got awkward.....

So yea, he didn't die right away like we all predicted, and the family gathering stood anxiously for about an hour - then started leaving, and leaving more, as he lasted late into the night. So, I guess we don't know everything. I kept monitoring him from a remote system, and his heart just hung in there - not enough to sustain life but just enough to make this even more painful for the intern on call. Everytime I walked by they thought I was coming to pronounce him. It wasn't until about 3am that his heart gave out and I pronounced death on my first patient. For the first time, I found myself actually smelling like death, it is very distinct. Pleasant, huh?

All in all, I arrived at 5am that morning and did not eat/drink anything until 11:45pm that night. Though the conditons are extreme, I am learning so much, and my confidence is increasing. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I am glad I am forced to do it because nobody would choose to be in this horrific situation. As a physician, it is an experience worth having though it is painful at the present.In addition to the awkwardness of my patient sort of "hanging in there", I had several admissions and various mundane issues with the other patients. I was able to start an arterial line and assist with a chest tube placement - pretty good for a rehab doctor. I am not sure how it happened, but the morning came quickly. One of our nurse pracitioner helpers took the day off, so we were severly short handed with more than our normal number of patients. I ended up having twice the number I usually take, which made the morning even more busy. My fellow interns are just not able to help very much, but they are nice people. What a perfect storm!

After all this cr*p going on, working way beyond my hours, and dealing with the aforementioned surgery types, they have the nerve to begin recruiting me into surgery!!! That is like some bully that beats up on you for three weeks turning around and asking you on a date. I just laughed and told them I was not nearly sadistic enough to be a surgeon, which is the truth. I love rehab, and this makes those pastures even greener. I enjoy the compliments and that always makes me feel better, but it doesn't change the circumstances.

Sorry for being so negative, I am actually doing well, I just wanted to share the events of the last few days to keep you up to date. I don't think the shows on tv acurately portray what residency is really like, the pressures, the sounds of the alarms/venilators, the crying families, the distinct odors - it all gets smushed up together in the ICU, which is why I mostly stay in the musky call room with a tv from 1981.

It has been standard for me to miss David while I am at work, but I am really surprised at how much I miss my three dogs. If I randomly think of them I get a little choked up, and I had not considered myself one of those crazy dog people either. If you don't already know, Boston sleeps right next to me every night and even when I am post-call during the day. It made me think that there are some people in my position who have kids, notably the other intern (male) who has a 4 month old, I just don't understand how they do it!! For the last four years I knew internship would be tough and that is why I always decided to hold off on starting a family - and now that decision is proving to be extremely accurate. I don't know how I would do this if I had kids, which is why it is not uncommon for people to leave residency altogether as a result of this particular rotation.

So anyway, the prognosis of this rotation is improving. It appears that three of the four interns during August are American, which is a good start. I think things will improve - if nothing else it is getting closer to being over!Love you guys, back to sleep for me! Becky

Thank you guys! I'm absolutely ecstatic. the only thing I'm sad about is that Shawn probably won't be back in time for the delivery. But I'm not gonna let it get me down. The cravings have begun, but it's for the better so far all I really want to eat is fresh fruits, veggies and lots of soup. I'm currently snacking on prunes and blackberries. My due date is somewhere in early Mar to late Feb.

I'm glad to hear Buster is doing better, he's a real fighter. I hope he stays as positive as he can. Moniquee and Lexi are growing up way too fast we need to work on something to stunt their growth. : ) I miss my little thumb-sucking, amanda-toting, Olsen-twin uber-fan of a cousin, not to mention my cheeky Moniquee.

Being doctor sounds exhausting, but very interesting. All my knowledge of that line of work comes from scrubs and Grey's anatomy though. I hope you have a ton of fun on that cruise. Shawn and I will definitely have to look into that sometime.
Well I'm off to bed now, God Bless you all and I miss you chingos.

Updatin'

This is how most of my patients arrive... In Style!!

Hello Supportive Community of Family and

Friends -
Boy, am I in it now! There is no looking back! Two weeks into doctorhood and it feels like a lifetime. I will spare the gruesome details, but in general, each of my call days consists of: 1) dude +/- beer, riding motorcycle and hits a deer (three so far -always looks like the deer wins) 2) drunk dude + poor decision making + car + pole = braindead badness 3) half-dead dude with no chance of survival sent to University so we can finish the paperwork 4) drunk dude hit with sledgehammer. I have started to call it "social disease" - since these things happen to a very specific population. In fact, it has heightened by interest in the correlation between trauma and unempolyment, since many parents tell me "he was doing so great, then he lost his job, then he started drinking and being irresponsible".

He will mess you up!!

Otherwise I pretty much have no life. I slept about 16 hours on my day off. Today, I ventured to Target which was a big step for me. Before my rotation started I was worried which weekend day I would get off (Sat or Sun), haha, funny story, my day off can only be a Mon-Thur. So yes, I work every weekend for two months, it's great.

Not to be too pessimistic, I actually enjoy taking care of the patients and families. The nurses are the top of the line. In fact, patient care is the highlight of my day. The intense pains and agony come from dealing with the surgery team - transiently incompetent, disorganized, and arrogant to boot. They make things about 100 times more miserable than they should be. It is a punitive environment where a bunch of surgeon types are all positioning to establish themselves as the dominant, omniscient demi-god they have always thought they were. I am like an anthropologist in some chimp colony. They make a bunch of sounds and movements while I try to discern what they are really communicating to us regular folk. So, this set of mammals will move on at the end of the month and I hope that situation will improve. All in all, my plan is working, because I am completing this obstacle without missing any Aggie or Spurs games - because that would just throw this one over the top.

So, tata for now, I am on call again tomorrow. Thank you for all of the support. David dutifully keeps my scrubs washed and folded, and my in-laws graciously bought us a new water heater and room air conditioner. So, a hot shower and cold room post call! Awesome!

Love, Becky

PS CONGRATULATIONS MICHELLE!!

Condolences, Congratulations, Questions and Updates

Condolences
I was very sad to hear of Felipe De La Fuente's passing. I'm sorry for the loss that the De La Fuente family is going through, and if there's anything that I can do please let me know.

Congratulations!
On a happier note, I'd like to congratulate Michelle and Sean (did I spell that right, or is it Shawn?) on their pregnancy! Children are blessings and I'm excited for both of you. You guys are always in my prayers. I know that Sean in training right now, but once he's deployed let us know what his address is and what things that we might be able to send him in a care package. Maybe each family can take turns sending him some items once a month or something like that? It's just an idea...let's discuss it. Here's a funny story--when my step-brother Ted was in Iraq he asked us to send him some Nair! He's pretty hairy and it was so blasted hot over there he needed something to get rid of all of the hair and Nair was it! :)

Questions
Becky, now that you've graduated what's the next step? What are you specializing in? I'm not very familiar with the process of becoming a doctor, so I thought I'd ask.

Dave, I noticed on your profile you said that one of your interests is Hispanic Literature. I really took an interest in American Literature after I took Am. Lit in college, but I've never read any Hispanic Lit. Do you have a favorite author piece that you would suggest that I read?

Updates
How is everyone doing? What's happening in your world--anything new? It doesn't even have to be exciting news, just tell us how you're doing, share a recipe, post a picture, etc...It would be nice if everyone would post some sort of an update. :) How was the reunion? We really wanted to go, but Buster was really sick, and I couldn't see leaving him at home by himself.

The infection is Buster's hand is gone, and he was finally able to resume chemo treatments last week. His next CT scan is scheduled in about a month. Lexi is in no hurry to go back to school, but the summer does seem to be passing by very quickly! I was reminded a couple of days ago that I still haven't mailed out her 9th grade school pictures, and she's about to start the 10th grade! I guess I better do that before school starts, so look for them in the mail soon. :) My garden is doing pretty well. It turned out that it's too small for all of the veggies that I initially planted. The zucchini and the tomatoes took over so the carrots, radishes and onions got blocked from any and all sunlight.

Well, I better go for now.

I love all of you,
Lizard

Vacation

Ensenada, Mexico


Carnival Elation

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to let everyone know David and I are thinking about taking a vacation in January to celebrate his graduation, his birthday, my intenship being half way over and our five year wedding anniversary. We would like to invite everyone, but I realize that the time/money/desire might not be there - but we would love for you to join us if you are interested. It's not a for sure yet, but we wanted to test the waters and see if anyone else was game. You may ask why we go on vacation every year... it's because that is what keeps us working hard!!

Our thoughts right now are a 5 night cruise out of San Diego - the prices in January are the cheapest offered all year. The cruise goes to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico.

Here is the info from the travel agent (she's good to work with), feel free to call her with any questions:

Hello Rebecca,
It was pleasure speaking to you earlier today. The rates I quoted you are all subject to availability and subject to change without prior notice. I highly recommend to secure the rates with a risk free deposit of $200.00 per person.

Carnival Elation 5 night Baja Mexico 01/10/09
-------------------------- Itinerary ------------------------ Emb City: SAN DIEGO Emb Time: 12:30pm until 02:30pm Day Port of Call Arrive Depart SAT SAN DIEGO, CA 4:00 PM SUN FUN DAY AT SEA MON CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO 8:00 AM 5:00 PM TUE FUN DAY AT SEA WED ENSENADA, MEXICO 9:00 AM 5:00 PM THU SAN DIEGO, CA 8:00 AM
Interior Cabin past guest rates cruise and port tax included is $269.00 additional is the government tax and the fuel surcharge of $110.05 per person. Total per person is $379.05 per person.

Any questions and to book your cruise please give me a call.
Thank You,
I am in the office Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I look forward to your call.ALWAYS ASK Rageeni FOR UPGRADES, SENIOR DISCOUNTS, MILITARY DISCOUNTS, INTERLINE, AND PAST GUEST PROMOTIONS!!!Respectfully,Mrs. Rageeni DavePersonal Vacation PlannerCarnival Cruise LineRDAVE@CARNIVAL.COM800-819-3902 ext 82445
Thank you in advance for your referrals, that is how I build my business…

Click here for BROCHURES

I'm miserable here in colorado the weather and my unit suck. I don't have too many days off either, so i don't have much to say(sorry). I'll try to write here more often i'm just not much of a blogger. Diamond did just have another litter to answer you Lizzy. I'm glad to hear about David and Becky and all their travels. I hope David has a great time in Romania. I know Paris is blast. I can't believe Lexi is all grown up now, i hate to think of Mo and her as high schoolers i always make mo say she's gonna be in 2nd grade next year when she talks about school. : ) Oh well that's about all i got for now. Later.

Dave off to Romania

Hello Family (well... seems like only Liz reads this... so really HEY LIZ AND LEXI)


I dropped David off at the airport bright and early. I have to say he was pretty excited. He has worked very long and hard for this degree so I am glad he gets to take this trip as a way to put it all together in studying the healthcare in a far off land. I mean seriously, who goes to Romania? Anyway, he took off on time and should be getting into Paris around 1am tomorrow morning. He will then take another plan to Bucharest where he will be for six days, before capping his trip off with a few days in Paris on his way back home. So, long story short, you will be able to follow his adventure at the following blog:

davetapiainromania.blogspot.com

Take Care!

Calling any and all De La Fuente's!!!

Hello! Anybody out there?? It would be nice to hear from you guys too... what's going on in De La Fuente Land? How are Michelle and Sean doing? What are Mo and Mike doing this summer, is Diamond pregnant again? etc... C'mon people, don't you want to be part of our family chit-chat? Joe, don't answer that honestly. I'm looking for "yes" answers only!

Wondering if ya'll still exist,
Liz

DC part two

Hey Guys!

We went to the Natural History museum today. I have been wanting to go there with David for several years since he is such a dino buff - and my dream came true today, it was well worth it. We also visited the National Cathedral and the National Basilica - any good Catholic should see those two sights if in DC. In the afternoon a fierce storm hit the area, the worst in recent history, with tornadoes and such. We weren't in danger, but we did see several trees knocked over. Well, we will be home soon!

Love, Becky and David

DC

We visited the National Zoo today - this is one of the pandas.

Barbara Boxer, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman

La Casa Blanca.

We happened to walk up on a press conference outside the Capitol and saw the senators, crazy huh?

Even though I have been here several times, there is always more to see and do. The food is great and the museums are free. Back home soon!!

Beck

Happy Birthday Aunt Rachel & Becky!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Aunt Rachel and Becky, Happy Birthday to you...and many more!!!

We love you and hope you both have a wonderful day.

Love,

Liz, Lexi & Buster