I spent today doing nothing.    I took two naps.   I just rested.    I think it is making a difference, my cold definitely seems to have subsided.

So I have nothing to report at all.  Dick is still VERY tired.   However, he says there is no pain and hopefully a day or two we will see an improvement.

Monday I will have to call the prosthesist as he is still not able to stand with any confidence.

Tomorrow, I will go to Mass and maybe will feel a bit more alive.

Dia Dhuit.

Mary

Thank God that next week, Dick does not have any appointments outside the home.   I only have to go to Bible Study, see Mother and get my hair cut.  It is a virtual boring week.   I am so delighted and intend to spend as much time as I can just hiding from every real thing in this world.

We left for Sheboygan Memorial at 9:15AM and got Dick all checked in for his procedure.   They were pretty on schedule for that but we had not been informed (big surprise) how long it would take for his release.   He does seem to be breathing a bit better but the next couple of days will tell the tale.   We finally were released at about 2PM and got home at about 2:30APM.   Judy, the home health aid was here.  So Dick had to hang on for another hour while he got his bath.

We know that they took 400 CCs of fluid out of his lungs.  About a half liter.   This should, if there is a God in the heavens, provide some relief to his breathing and help with his general weakness.   This evening he is actually saying that he can breath in a bit deeper.

So this is my Blog for the night.   I have been sneezing for two days and have just spent four hours in a hospital and just want to do NOTHING>

Thank you for understanding as I know all of you will.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Thank the Lord today is over.     We had a visit from Sara at 10:30AM, a visit from Rachel at 11:30AM and had to go over to Advanced Eye Care at 1:25PM.

The therapy and the blood draws went just fine.   The eye visit did too.  Dr. Cheryl took one look at her prescription and what was sent from the manufacturer of the lens and said that no wonder there was a problem.   She has reordered and they will call us when it is ready.   We have the old lens in in the meantime.

I tried to nap this afternoon, but have a cold and it was not possible.   I am going to bed early tonight with a hot toddy to relax me and clear the nasal passages.   Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

We have to be at the hospital at 9:45AM for Dick's lung treatment.   Please keep us in your prayers.

The other evening, Dick and I had just gotten to bed and were drifting off nicely when we heard a terrible crash.   I jumped up and looked around to find that the wall sconce that Bret made for me in high school, that I had hung in the bedroom, with the statue of the Infant of Prague that I got from Aunt Helen's house that belonged to my Grandma Deeley, had fallen off the wall, God knows how.   The sconce needed to have the mirror re glued but the Infant was smashed to smithereens.   You have no idea how pathetic his little head looked so separated from his body with the world he stands on laying on the other side.   I hope that was not an omen.  But it can't be.  My Grandma Deeley would not let anything bad happen to me.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A lot happened AGAIN today.   I did stay go back to bed after feeding Roxie for an extra half an hour.    I was so tired because it was one of those nights when you know you must have slept but can't for the life of you believe that you did.

After I got Dick up and settled with his pills and all, I took off for grocery shopping and a side trip to Walgreens.  Home before 9:30AM, we had the donuts I bought for our breakfast.  We were able to get Dick's hair washed today before Bobbie got here for lunch at 11:30AM.    All went well, and we loaded him up in the car to go to have Marty at Wisconsin Prosthesis do some adjustments on his right leg, the new one.    This was the first time that he was able to see Dick actually take some steps in it as he has been so weak and out of breath at the other fittings that he had to kind of do an educated guess.   Sara, Dick's PT, met us at the place and she and Marty were able to share their expertise for the adjustments.    I was so grateful to Sara for coming and Marty was so pleased too as they got to collaborate.

Sara will come tomorrow for his regular PT also.   Marty gave me a spray to use to clean the sockets and some lotion for the stumps.   Neither has alcohol so will be easier on his skin.

We got home at about 2:30.   Ashley, the RN, came at 3PM and checked Dick out.   Then she watched me give him that  shot that I have been dreading.    It went well and actually, Dick said that I didn't even hurt him.  Andrea hurt him yesterday.    Now I have several more days of that.  I have really learned more than I want to know.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a whole day at home but we will have to go out just once to have Dr. Cheryl check Dick's lens.  I got it put in the day before yesterday and it is just not right.   That too!

Roxie was especially delighted to see Bobbie today and demanded lots of love and petting.    They both enjoy it you know.  

It was as high as 69 degrees today.  A full on spring day.   It was a might cloudy and the wind was what I would call blustery but guess what, the snow is all gone.    That is always nice in March.   I hope it stays away at least through The Holy Day, March 17th so that we may march in peace and with God's own sun lighting our way.

I can see a few little green things trying to poke their heads above ground already.   Imbolc is finally upon us.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I have been pretty tired and the ribs are still very sore today.   But Dick and I muddled through OK.   I rested as much as possible.

Dick is still extremely tired.  Falling asleep at every opportunity.   Today was rather hard on him too.   Nancy, the health aid, came to give him his bath at 11AM.   Sara the PT came to do therapy at 11:30AM.   And we had Angela, an RN. came to give him the first of a series of shots that will be a bridge while he is still off of the warfarin.  

Here is my tale of woe.  I spent a hunk of the morning trying to figure out what happened with the results of the blood test that Yvonne took yesterday.    I finally got the results from the Anti-coagulation Clinic and called them in MYSELF to Dr. Kreams office.   They discussed things and have scheduled the thoracentesis for Friday.   We have to get him to the hospital at 9:45AM.   I don't know what time the actual procedure will take place.

Then I was told that he would probably just stay off of the Warfarin until Friday evening, UNTIL, I got a call from the anti coagulation clinic that they decided, because of his several conditions that he should have these bridge shots of Lominox until the day of the surgery and for several days after.    Angela came today and administered the shot and had me observe.   Someone will come tomorrow to assist me, but I will give the shot and will administer all of the rest of them.     I am not thrilled, but one does what one has to do.

I did go out to the Kettle Country Quilt meeting and stayed for an hour, then I dropped old pills at the police station, stopped at Advanced Eye care to get Dick's lens replaced, cashed a couple of checks at the bank and picked up a couple of prescriptions at Walgreens, including the syringes of Lominox for Dick.   I got home at 3PM and Angela called at about 3:30PM and got here about an hour later.

We had soup and sandwiches for supper and now are winding down for the evening.  I just have to be sure that Dick does his last nebuliser treatments and takes his pills.   I have to set up my coffee pot. AND I have to get tomorrow's pills laid out for both of us.

Ha HA!   I had to get up to help Dick and everything is done now.   So I think I will go to bed and read until 8:30PM.  It is now 7PM.   I know I will be getting up a couple of times for Dick before I can get to sleep anyway.   He is having quite a difficult day.

So until tomorrow, when we will have been to the prosthesist for adjustments to Dick's legs.   The new one is so loose and needs much work, I think.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

NEW WORD – Ineptocracy

        A little hard to say – extremely hard to swallow

Ineptocracy (in-ep-tow'-cra-cee) - a system of government

where the least capable to lead are elected by the least

capable of producing, and where the members of society

least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded

with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth

of a diminishing number of producers.

            

Dick and I got up at 6AM today because of the busy schedule.

We were all up, fed and dressed when Betty, the RN, came to check Dick out and take MORE of his blood.   This time it was just for the INR.  I left while she was finishing up so that I could get to Bible Study on time.

We never heard from anybody at Aurora about what the reading on the INR was so we don't know if the coagulation count is low enough to do the procedure on his lung or not.   I will be calling Dr. Kream in the morning to find out what is going on.   

I left for Bible Study a bit after 9AM and stayed until 10AM.   We had a nice discussion about Psalm 20 and God's promise to the Israelites and to US.    I also have everybody there praying for Dick and me as we are going through all these tests and procedures.

Then I went over to Mom's.   I needed to spend an hour with her so that we could get the bills paid and I could do any other little things she needed, like fill the pill box for her.    Someone else would have done it anyway, but I was there.   I wanted to have time to tell her about the procedure that I was having this afternoon.   It is so much easier in person.

I got home at about 11:15AM and then fixed dinner for Dick before Kate came to take me to the Plymouth Surgical Center for the steroid injections.  That seems to have gone very well.   I will still have the soreness in my ribs for a couple days and right now, I am really quite exhausted.   It was, after all, an invasion of my body.   So I plan on going to bed and reading for a while.

So pray for us as I pray for you all.

Dia Dhuit.

Mary

A busy, mostly at home, Sunday.    I slept until 7:30AM or so and Dick stayed in bed until 9AM.   He actually woke up then and sat on the edge of the bed for a while before getting up.  So he had a half a sandwich after he was up and took his pills and did his nebulizer.  

Warren and Nancy picked me up at noon and we went out to Rhine to finish shooting for the pistol league.   As you remember, Friday night was not a night to be out  and about.   I found out that there was some shooting of Trap that night though.  Murphy said that he was there and shot a couple of rounds.   I suppose that those who started out there figured that they might as well continue once they got on the road.     It was not fit for man nor beast if you ask me.    That drive from Sheboygan was more than too much for me.  I didn't end up too badly.  It is still fun and that is the most important thing.     Next week is the bust up and then the new league starts the very next week.   Whew.   Sure glad I am not a member any more.    This is enough.   Work hours would kill me.

I got a lot of chores done around the house and was able to get the baby quilt for the Kettle Country Quilters to a point that I can take it with me to show it if I am able to attend the meeting on Tuesday.   It will depend on how I weather the cortisone shot at 12:30PM tomorrow.   I should be fine by then.

There is always the chance that they will schedule Dick's procedure to drain the fluids from under his right lung too.   Help!!!!!

It is going to be OKAY!  Don't worry, Mom.    That is what Bret said to me when he was about 3years old and it is a great thing to remember and know is true.   I so appreciate all the prayers and good thoughts.   I always know that Jesus and the saints (especially Dad and the rest of the family) are with me too.   Very comforting.

So.  Lets all rest easy tonight.   It is after all the beginning of a new week and as my Celtic friends say, we are now well into the holy month.   Less than two weeks until St. Patrick's Day.   I only hope that the weather is as lovely as it was last year for the Irishman's Walk in Plymouth.   I will enjoy my friends and the celebration and I believe a gathering at my sister, Eileen's home in the evening.    I LOVE the Wearin of the Green!!!


Dia Dhuit

Mary