Busy 2 Weeks Ahead

Things are going pretty well with us this week.  K got her stitches out Friday and it has caused a little more discomfort than she has been having.  She thinks the doc wrapped it tighter this time and it has caused some of that.  We have re-wrapped it so we will see.  The cavern in my chest is closing noticeably.  We have reduced the nurse visits to twice a week and then just so someone that knows what they are doing can look and see that there is no infection and it is still progressing.

The next two weeks are filled with appointments.  A lab for a blood draw, my surgeon visit., dental visit.  Then the following week my urologist visit, K will have a needle biopsy of the area they are suspicious about from her mammogram, and finally my twice yearly eye exam and then K's visit to her surgeon.  Hopefully she will get a walking boot then.  All this along with nurse visits for my wound.  Then we should be good to go and K will hopefully start getting her foot back in shape.  

K's recovery will determine whether or not we take a road trip to Colorado come October and then maybe over to the Grand Canyon.  She has to be able to walk well enough as there will be some walking if not hiking.  We certainly don't want to undo anything that has been done to her foot.  But we are hoping that it is far enough along in the future for her to be near normal.  I am really looking forward to this trip.  It's been way to long.

My Dad is still at the rehab.  I have not been to see him since he went there earlier in the week.  Apparently he has been grouchy and the rehab is adding to that since it causes him pain.  At 92 he has been very immobile for some time so any sort of exercise is hard and he doesn't want to do it.  Consequently the grouchiness plu snot being at home and having my Mom at his beck and call every second.  He still is getting confused about things too, but from previous experience that is not unusual and may continue off and on for a bit.  

On a brighter note, we had a chance to keep the baby for most of the day Thursday.  I went and got her and brought her home and was very happy to do so.  They were happy to send her off for awhile, she was demanding their attention more than what my Son#2 was able to give at that time.  He was very busy working and needed the break.  It was a nice treat for us and gave us something else to focus on and raised our spirits considerably.  She is a very easy baby and is in a great mood every time we have her.  

How could you not love this face...and those huge eyes?

Happy Trails

Wow-What a Storm

Monday afternoon we had a very quick but violent storm hit our area.  It dumped 3.3 inches of rain along with some very high winds.  Quite a few branches were knocked out of my trees.  Behind us is a vacant lot and there is one tree that is about 10' from my back fence.  It s Huisache and is full of thorns.  Some of the deer in our neighborhood were hiding out under it during the storm, that is until one of the main beams split off and laid across my fence.  Great.  Add this to my growing out of control grass I haven't been able to mow yet.  

Tuesday I figured I needed to do something about that large tree limb on my fence.  I have no access to that property without climbing my 'no climb' fence.  So I grabbed the electric pole chain saw and reached over the fence and proceeded to cut the limbs and just push them back on that property.  That is until the chain got stuck in the branch I was cutting.  Nothing I did could get it loose.  Grabbed a ladder and climbed over and finally got the chain loose.  Quite a sight watching and old man climb a fence I'm sure.  Yes, I finally got it off my fence but it is stacked up right next to it.  I won't do anymore than that as I hate to trespass and I can't do anything with the branches anyway.

I did get to mow, some Tuesday morning.  Until the mower dies on me for no reason.  It smells like it flooded.  It's a lawn tractor that has never not started on the first crank.  So I'm not real sure what to make of this.  Checked the air filter and it was good to go.  So I am letting it sit until tomorrow and see if it will have cleared enough to start.  I suppose part of the problem is the blade cut off.  It doesn't work.  I have to shut the engine completely off to stop the blade.  I am guessing the extra blade turns when I shut if off caused something to get out of sync with the carb/gas.  It had backfired the last time I did that just a few minutes before.  I am going to have to figure this out so I can get this jungle under control soon.  If it won't start tomorrow, not sure what I will do.  I have no vehicle to haul it to a repair place anymore, not that I could lift it like I used to anyway.  This is not fun when you have crater in your chest.

My Dad got moved to a rehab facility nearer my Mom's home than she had originally planned.  No, I didn't say a thing.  But she doesn't like it, surprise.  Dad called her at 7:30 AM complaining about her not being there already.  He claimed that no one came by at night to check on him.  Not sure how they do things in a rehab facility, but it's not a hospital that checks regularly and on shift changes.  People in hospitals always complain how many times they get awakened by the nurses checking on them.  This is a first to hear a complaint that no one woke him up.  I know he forgets things and gets confused for quite a while after anesthesia.  So who knows if anyone came or not.  Regardless Mom is already looking to move him to another facility because she didn't have a 'good feeling' about this place to begin with.  She will get no comment from us.

Happy Trails

SMH

It's all I can do.  SMH.  K needs a needle biopsy since they found small abnormalities during her mammogram.  Getting it approved by the insurance is becoming a chore also.  They say they won't allow the OBGYN that ordered the mammogram to order this.  It has to be done by her primary care doctor.  Of course this makes no sense at all.  The biggest issue is getting the primary care doctor to actually do it.  It isn't the doctor's fault for the most part, his staff seems to be incompetent when it comes to returning phone calls or letting you know they did what you requested.  These are for things they don't want you to come in for.  

K is doing really well and it makes thing much easier on me.  She even tries to do things I have been or think I should be doing for her.  We went to church Sunday.  However, all this extra activity, Saturday visiting my Dad and church has caused her knee she is walking on to hurt and swell.  So I am limiting her activity.  No more excursions for a while.

As I anticipated my Mom is off the charts with her anxiety.  My presence seems to add to it.  No matter how hard I try I seem to say the wrong thing at the wrong time (her perception). Long story. 

But that has caused me a great deal of concern.  She has to now make a decision for a rehab place for my Dad.  You would think she would choose some place close to her.  It appears she has chosen a place downtown that has no free parking or ease of parking for that matter.  Any place down there is not a safe place for an elderly woman to be walking alone.  She used to work there 40-50 years ago.  She loved it then, but does not realize how much things have changed there and downtown in that time frame.  It is also very difficult to get there now.  There is no direct route and it isn't close at all.  The traffic patterns have changed so much and increased exponentially from what she is familiar with.  As much as I would like to persuade her to try somewhere else, my doing so would cause her more worry and I just can't do that at this point.  This may sound harsh, but I will limit my contact.  She calls K all the time.  I keep up with things that way.  That way she can focus on thing other than my poor communication skills.  

I apologize for all the depressing news.  I write this mostly so I can remember things/events.  My old brain has its own issues with keeping track of events and where they go in the time frame.  I am sure things will become more positive as things progress.  By nature I am optimistic mostly so I don't ever get down in the dumps regardless of how this blog sounds at times.  Remember, it's just documentation of my goofy life.

I am going to try and start a small leather project to help pass the time and still be close at hand for K.  I can only watch so much TV.  

Happy Trails

The Hits Keep Coming

As I write this Friday evening about 6 PM my Dad is undergoing surgery on his hip.  He fell and broke it last night.  Mom called early this morning to let us know.  With K immobile and my open wound, it is near impossible for me to be there with her.  My Brother and his Wife are there along with Son #2.  I worry about my Mom and how anxious she gets in stressful situations.  This is a very serious issue for my Dad.  According to the doctor, the next 90 days are critical to his survival.  How rehab goes will make the difference.  He didn't do well in rehab 6 years ago with his knee replacement.  It's all up to him.  The future is clouded.

On a brighter note, K had her first doctor appointment since surgery.  Things are progressing nicely and her pain is minimal.  That in itself is a big deal as far as I'm concerned.  She will get the stitches out next Friday and then the following week get a walking boot.  Encouraging.  

We have also cut our home health nurse back to two visits a week.  K is willing to handle my wound care now that I am relatively pain free.  They will come in to check progress the other times and make sure I am not infected.  The nurse today gave her a quick lesson on how to do it and what to look for.  This is great as far as I'm concerned.  It frees us up more and will allow us to not have to  wait around all day for the nurse.  So if K has a mind to we may even go out for a change of scenery or at the least to church.

More good news, my closest cousin who I grew up with has been battling similar issue to me with same surgeries etc.  They recently found mass on his pancreas.  It turns out it is NOT cancer but will have to be removed or it could turn to cancer.  Thankfully he didn't ignore the warning signs.  this was great news to hear after all the other news lately.  I stay positive regardless.  My faith sustains me.

I've been keeping up with the news and the craziness with Iran.  However, it seems pretty strange that there isn't more continuous coverage.  Or maybe I just missed most of it with all the things going on.  I am not real sure what to make of this all.  I know Iran likes to talk big and tries to provoke us, but to what gain?  Yes, I know they hate us like no other but is that all it is?  What's their long game? Do they really think things will go well for them if we decide to go to war?  Puzzles me to say the least.

Happy Trails

What a Pair We Are

Here we are about 48 hours post surgery for the wifely unit.  The pain is minimal at this point only using the prescription strength ibuprofen.  This is great.  I was pretty worried about the pain and how debilitating it would be for her.  She is getting around on the knee scooter pretty well when she needs to.  I am pretty much her nurse 24/7 and try to get her everything she needs or wants whenever.  Honestly, that is pretty tiring and trying to take care of all the other things.  Trying to do some things before I have even made coffee makes me a little grumpy.  Yesterday I started having what appears to be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics I was given for my procedure.  Pins and needle feeling all over my entire body.  Wasn't sure it was diabetic neuropathy that had hit me full force.  So having to be the nurse and dealing with that.....wasn't a very good day yesterday.  Today all seems fine, the doc let me get off the antibiotic and I won't need the steroid pack he offered if it didn't get better.  We are quite the pair.  Yes, I am much more pleasant to be around now.  I take her back to her surgeon on Friday.  I assume they will be replacing the bandage at that time and hoping her pain will be minimal after.  

I went to see my surgeon yesterday and he said everything looked good.  He was running almost an hour late, got stuck in surgery, so he was in a little rushed I guess.  I forgot to ask if the biopsy had come back, he didn't remember to mention it either.  I know it's nothing but everyone keeps asking.  I'll find out next visit 2 weeks from now.  He said the holed should get about 3/4 closed by then.  I'm hoping I can let the home health care off and I can do it myself before then.  Waiting for them to call and then show up hampers things I may need to do.  However, I am most grateful for the service they perform.  

Yard work is looming big time.  I didn't get a chance to cut grass before my procedure and we have had some good rain with good sunshine after that and is making the grass go nuts.  I need this hole to close more to be able to get out and get it done.  Maybe early next week I'll try.  

Happy Trails

New Week, New Challenges

It's been interesting this week having a nurse come to the house and repack the wound in my chest.  Most all the pain is gone but it's a strange feeling having someone pack Carlsbad Cavern on my chest.  I can't help but jump sometimes when they do it.  

Tuesday, K will have a long planned surgery on her heel to remove this giant bone spur that has limited her for the past year.  She will be very immobile for at least two weeks and then very limited after that.  We get varying time frames so we are a bit confused as to how long this will take until she is able to move around without the knee scooter or a boot.  I will be waiting on her as she will be depending on me for everything.  This will be a challenge with this cavern on my chest, but I am very optimistic.  The thing I will miss the most is having the baby come stay with us for quite some time.  Planning for a much needed roadtrip to Colorado in October is on hold till K is able.

Father's Day was pretty good here.  Both Sons came with their families and we just visited and ate dessert.  We were very blessed to have them all together.  One of them even got to watch the nurse deal with the cavern and he was making all the comments you might expect from a Son.  The nurse thought he was hilarious.  Unfortunately I was not able to see my Dad, but I did call while the whole family was here and put him on speaker phone for him.  He seemed to have fun.

We need to make a few last minute errands to get things squared away around here and not have to make an unplanned trip with K immobile.  Groceries are at the top of that list.  I have a follow up with the surgeon the day after K's surgery but she should be OK alone for a couple hours.  Just some juggling of things are needed.

Storms came through around midnight last night and wow was there a lot of lightning.  It was constant but the storm was fast moving and was gone in about 30 minutes, then the tropical rain started.  We got a very strong rain and received 2 inches in my gauge.  Today is it already getting steamy and will be throughout the day.

OK, I gotta head out.

Happy Trails

Post Surgery

It's done and gone.  This mass they removed from my chest wall was so big they couldn't stitch.  I have this huge hole right in the center of my chest.  They packed with a ton of gauze which I found out when we had to change the bandage.  Ugh.  The sticky part of the bandage was the stickiest I have ever seen.   My chest was shaved and I still couldn't pull it off without much pain  I had to have the wifely unit pull it off.  It was much easier that way.  Then came the removing of the packing.  I had tears in my eyes by the time it was over.  And replacing the packing didn't go so well K freaks out when she sees me in pain so it really didn't get put in correctly.  They had offered home health care to take care of that.  Today K decided to avail us of that.  I wanna see the reaction when the nurse sees this cavern in my chest.  I just hope it can be done easier and with a lot less pain.  Had no idea it would hurt like this.

K had her yearly mammogram the other day.  She got a letter to come back in for more imaging. K's mother died from breast cancer so I am just a bit on edge.  She seems fine, but I know how her mind works.  She doesn't want me to worry so covers it up well.  She said she thinks she moved during the test and that could be the reason they need to look again.  They say it is common to retest for various reasons.

We get the nugget again Friday Night and most of Saturday.  Oh and their dog.  Son #2 has a small show to be at so he needs her taken care of while he prepares.  Of course I can't wait to snuggle her again.  They say she has moved on from her constant singing to constant raspberries.  That should be fun for Poppy.

Happy Trails

Slackin'

I've been slackin' posting I know.  Actually I have been pretty busy and it just didn't occur to me to work on a post.  I really don't have much to say.  My minor surgery is tomorrow, I have to be there at 6 AM.  At least I should miss the traffic.  Be glad when it's done and the pain is gone.  Speaking of pain, my back has been giving me some issues of late and I just don't feel good.  Since I have the upcoming surgery I have had to stop ibuprofen and that has been rough yesterday and today.

Son#2 and his family will head out to Arizona in July.  It boggles my mind to go there in the summer, but they really had no choice since his wife is a teacher and so are the folks they are visiting.  It's really the only time they have.  Some have never seen my Granddaughter.  They are in for a treat.  I offered to keep the little nugget while they went out there.  Just trying to be helpful, ya know.  #2 says they probably don't want to see them if they come without the nugget.  Well, there's that...

We are gonna get the nugget for one or two nights this week and their dog will come too.  They have a lot going on and the nugget would make things very hard to get them done.  Of course I am looking forward to it.  Even having the dog should be good, he is pretty well behaved now that he has gotten to know us better.  But that's a 2 sided issue.  Having a dog around again will be a pleasure but may give me urges to get another.  We are trying life without pets for awhile.  They have kept us from doing a lot of things and we want to be freer to enjoy those things without that worry.  I am sure I will be the first to cave on getting another dog if the opportunity comes up....resistance is futile.

Son #1 got a new job within the company he works for.  He moved up to a managers job and will have his own team of adjusters.  It will me less travel and more $$.  He does have to turn in his company car.  So he has been looking for a new one.  I assumed he would get a Mustang since he had one before and loved it.  But his wife says it has to have 4 doors.  He has the speed gene so he wants something fast.  He was looking online and saw one that fit the bill, in Vegas.  So he and the wife booked a quick trip out to have a look.  They drove it home.  I don't know anything about this one, a Genesis g80 Sport.  He says it has twin turbos.  I see many tickets in his future.

Happy Trails

Roofer and Other Stuff

The roofer finally came today and we are good to go.  No surprises and the insurance company estimate jives with his, no surprises.  They are pretty busy so it will be 3-4 weeks before they can get to it.  If I had a steeper roof, we would be looking at Aug/September.  It is amazing how much roofing prices have increased.  3 times more than what I had done in 2000.  Boggles my mind.  Be glad to get this done.

This will be a somewhat busy week for us.  K is at the doctor right now for her pre-op appointment.  She will have surgery on her heel to remove a giant bone spur around the 13th.  I don't remember the exact date.  We have and appointment for something else tomorrow but I can't remember what it is at the moment.  I have an appointment with the surgeon that did my hernia on Wednesday.  I need some minor surgery that my PCP and Dermatologist wouldn't touch and said I had to see a general surgeon.  It's nothing serious, I have had a similar (in-office) procedure when I was in my twenties.  So I assumed this could be done the same.  I assume it is due to insurance issues and liability that they won't do it in office.  So I guess it will cost me a little more.  But I have great insurance and I may not have any out of pocket expense.

Those people that take care of my new Granddaughter have not returned her to us.  They seem to think they need her more than me.  The nerve.  When K goes down for surgery I guess our time with her will decrease.  But I am inclined to get her here as much as I can.

Oh!  I almost forgot.  Got me a new shootin' iron.  Well, not much iron on this one.  Academy had a sale on that I couldn't pass up.  M&P Shield compact in 9mm, and they threw in an extra magazine all for less than $300.  It is so much easier to carry than my previous.  I need to get to the range and put it through its paces.  Hopefully this Friday evening.  There is an indoor range near me that has a special on for couples that includes supper.  Hard to beat that.

Happy Trails