Christmas and Happy New Year's

Well I left this blog about the 19th of December - just before Christmas. We made a trip to Stillwater to get the Christmas groceries. What a chore! But so glad we can afford to buy what we want! That is nice. Thursday the 21st, I returned to Enid for work and lunch out with my sister Pam. That was nice! I also did a little more looking around, at Eskimo Joe's (no luck), Dillard's (2 shirts) and Penney's (nothing).
Friday rolled around and I checked on my sister Nancy - she is still in the Select Specialty Hospital in OKC - so we got some  stuff for her and took it to her for a little pre-Christmas cheer. Then we were really brave and went to the mall. We didn't buy anything but a little supper and we just people watched.  Sometimes that is fun!

Saturday, the 23rd of December I was struck with the Christmas Crud - Yes, I got sick and stayed sick all through Christmas! In fact I am still not well.  Kristi  and the kids arrived Saturday evening and we had a nice pot of soup. Sunday, Steve and I were on the road to have Christmas Eve with my sister Pam and her family in Enid. The kids stayed home and baked Santa cookies.  On Christmas day we opened our many presents and watched the kids open their presents. Then we cooked Christmas dinner and basically took it easy - and Steve joined me on the sick list.  Also - Kristi was starting to feel sick. She and Austyn returned to El Reno and Logan stayed with us.

Paige & Nancy

Pam & Nancy

Austyn

Logan

On Tuesday - the 26th, I went to work and charted on 7 patients but did not visit them - because I was too sick. I then left work, filled my car with gasoline and headed home. When I arrived everyone loaded up in my car and I drove Steve to the Stillwater VA clinic. Even though he had an appointment, we were there about 2 hours. Then we got a voucher for a Z-Pack to pick up at Food Pyramid. Then a short stop at the Walmart Market for a few more supplies to fight off this sickness.
We all stayed home on Wednesday and everyone griped at me to go to the doctor - so I got an appointment for Thursday in Ponca City, with my doctor. And a return trip to Walmart for a prescription and more supplies.

Friday the 29th of December - it was Steve's birthday (57) and since none of us felt too great - we stayed home and rested. I did make him a chocolate pie. Saturday brought more rest and recuperation.
And today, the 31st of December - we went to Oklahoma City and ate at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate his birthday with Kristi and the kids.  Logan returned to his mom and the kids will go back to school on Wednesday.
Steve and I returned home and napped and watched football. We will ring in the New Year here at home! Hopefully in better health!

December, The Holiday Month

On the 1st of December, a Friday - we got to stay home.  Steve put a pump in the ice maker and we caught up with our bookkeeping and bill paying. My sister Nancy was transferred to Select Specialty Hospital in OKC - a Long Term Acute Hospital.  Saturday, we decided the pump on the ice maker was not working so we went to Stillwater. At Lowe's, we bought a new ice maker and  a garbage disposal. In addition, we went shopping with stops at Best Buy, Academy Outdoors, Schlotzky's for lunch and Walmart. This pretty much did us in!
Sunday, when I called Nancy, she told me they took out her feeding tube and she had a low heart rate about 3:30 AM.  Steve & I whiled away our day watching Football and paying a few more bills. On Monday the 4th, I went to work again. It was actually kind of nice to go to work and do something different. Tuesday, we got up early and went to the VA in OKC for Steve's annual appointment with the SCI clinic. This is the door decoration made by the SCI clinic Nurses - It is a bedpan and urinal bottles to make a reindeer head! CUTE!

Then we visited Nancy at her hospital. We had lunch at Panera Bread and then returned home. We had our usual supper with Linda & Hazel at La Macarena. Wednesday's chores included getting a new tag for my car mailing Christmas cards to Steve's sisters and making a batch of chili. Nancy had more progress in her recovery. Thursday we went back to Stillwater to Lowe's and got a different ice maker - the 1st one didn't work. We also got some stuff to work on the front door - because it doesn't close tight and of course we went to Walmart to pick up medicine and other stuff. Friday we returned to OKC to the VA for another appointment and visited Nancy, then we returned home to rest.
Saturday and Sunday were kind of lazy days, we watched football, napped, cooked and walked around the square. Steve installed the new Garbage Disposal.
When Monday rolled around, I returned to work and Steve worked on the front door plus he did laundry and vacuumed the floor. Tuesday we went back to Lowe's for more stuff to fix the front door, then we ate lunch at Schlotzkys and did a round at Walmart.  We ate supper at La Macarena with Hazel - Linda had a program to go to so did not eat with us. Wednesday we had to go back to Stillwater and get a different doorknob kit at Lowe's! Yes again - many trips to Lowe's for these items we needed to repair stuff around here. I mailed out Christmas Cards and a gift card to my sister, Marsha. On Thursday, I got up a little earlier than usual and went to Thorn's (a flower & gift shop) here in Perry - for their 50% off sale. Boy we did good - lots of presents bought at half price! We got our Christmas Tree up and decorated. I made Orange Chicken for supper and also checked in on my sister Nancy.

Friday was busy wrapping presents! After that we did our bank statements and I started going through my picture/card drawer. I want to figure out some way to organize them.

Saturday we went to OKC/Yukon and did some more Christmas Shopping and attended Austyn's Dance Recital.

We also went by and visited my sister.
Sunday we watched Football, did laundry and caught up our bookkeeping again. ( I think I see a pattern here! LOL)
Monday the 18th I returned to work and then came home and napped. Tuesday, I slept in and then worked out the Christmas Menu and grocery shopping list! Another chore. I re-typed my Christmas Address labels on the correct template to match my labels. I ordered a couple more things from Amazon! I was happy because we found my electronic picture frame - now I can load some pictures on it and watch them more frequently. We did clean out some of the cabinets in the kitchen and got rid of some junk!  Progress is great. We also ate supper at La Macarena with Linda and Hazel and exchanged presents!
Now the Blog is caught up for awhile! Yea!
Picture of me and my sisters (taken about 18 years ago)!

Me on the left, then Marsha, Nancy & Pam

This is my Mom, who we lost in 2002. This was taken when she turned 80.

Sometimes the Holidays make us a little melancholy when we remember our loved ones who have passed on before us. 

It Was a Wild Ride Through November

I left off last month with Steve having an appointment at the VA Hospital with the surgery group. The appointment took a while.  First we saw a nurse who took Steve's vitals, then resident doctors, then their supervisor. Finally we saw the surgeon who would perform the surgery.  The neat thing was that they did all the pre-surgery labs, chest X-ray and EKG on the same floor.  We also met with the anesthesiologist. We left and were to return the next morning before 8:00 AM.  Also they had a cancellation - so he got to have surgery the very next day.  In a way he got very lucky!

We left bright and early on November 2, 2017 (Friday) and arrived about 8:07 AM. They got Steve in an outpatient surgery room and started an IV and asked more questions. There was a constant parade of people through. They finally took him into surgery about 11:30. They called us about 12:30 and said surgery was completed - he only had one hernia to be repaired. It took a long time for him to get fully awake and get out of recovery.  He came back to an outpatient surgery room about 3:30 PM, Kristi left us about 6:00 PM. Steve still had not been able to to pee - then he got a bad pain - bladder scan showed he now had enough fluid in his bladder that he should be able to pee.  They ended up having to have a catheter inserted and that was very painful.  We got to leave about 8:15 and arrived home about 9:30 PM. We spent the next three nights in the living room - Steve in his recliner and me on the couch. This made it easier for him get around. 

We returned back to the VA on Monday and Steve got his catheter out. Woo Hoo! And I did not go to work this day either. He was starting to improve. We spent the next few days resting and letting him build back up. 

On Tuesday the 7th of November - our back toilet backed up and we could not get it to clear. So we called the plumber and they said they would call the next day and let us know when they would arrive. We also tried to snake it out ourselves. NO luck. Then Wednesday rolled  around nothing from the plumber, so I called them and they said they would not be able to get to it this week. Then we called another plumber who promised to be there Thursday before noon.

Well of course when noon arrived, there was no plumber. So I called him and he said he would be here by about 3:00 PM. That time rolled around and no show. Finally he called and said he was on his way.  He got here about 4:00 and plunged the stool and it cleared1 He only charged us $50.00. We were fine with that!

Friday the 10th of November found us at Lowe's in Stillwater, had lunch at Chick Fillet and made a trip through Walmart. Saturday and Sunday were spent resting and watching football.
Monday the 13th of November, I went to work in Enid and then to a jewelry party at my Sister's. Tuesday I returned to Enid for a doctor appointment (female) and bought new walking shoes.
I was able to walk at the YMCA 4 days in a row this week and we just putzed around the house up through Saturday.
On Sunday, my sister Nancy went to the Hospital in Oklahoma City - she was in ICU on a vent - wow this was so unexpected and scary.
Steve and I did our run to Walmart and watched some football. My other sister who lives in Enid  and I planned out a strategy so that we could visit Nancy on Monday.
So Monday brought work and a drive to OKC then returned home and JC met us in Perry and we all ate supper and he took Pam home.
Tuesday, Steve & I got our hair worked on at Linda's (beauty shop) and ate supper with her later. The doctor taking care of Nancy called and updated us on her condition.
Kristi and the Kids came to our house Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday - I called to check on Nancy and she was stable on the vent- no real changed to report.
We had a good supper and prepared to go to my Niece's house in Bartlesville for Thanksgiving, the next day.

Thursday - we drove to Bartlesville (2 hours one way) and had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner and took lots of family pictures.
On Friday, the 24th of November - Steve and I and the grandkids went to OKC to see Nancy. We also went by the nursing home and  saw her roommate - this has been a very sad and difficult time.
Saturday, a neurologist called and stated Nancy was not responding to the IV Immunoglobulin Treatment for her Myasthenia Gravis. Again I was very upset and scared and worried.  We decided to put up the outside Christmas lights to get our minds on something else and the grandkids were great help.
On Sunday the 26th - we met Kristi at Guthrie and had lunch at the Pizza Hut. The kids returned home with her. Steve and I went back to OKC to see Nancy - she is still on the vent and sedated.  The doctors are wanting us to make some decisions.
My sisters and I mulled this over and slept poorly Sunday night.  Nancy did not have an advance directive or any expression of her wishes. So we agreed that she would want to be a DNR and be kept comfortable.
Monday rolled around and Steve and I went to talk to the doctors to discuss this decision with them. Well the hospitalist and the pulmonologist talked to us and said since she had no advance directive and no medical power of attorney that they would take her off sedation (while still being ventilated) and ask her what her wishes were. They did this and she answered their questions. She did not want off the vent and did not want to be a DNR. So, actually this taking her off sedation really helped her in the long run, because then she started doing more breathing on her own and by 4:45 PM she was able to be taken off the ventilator and be on bi-pap.
What a troubling day. So glad she improved and got off the vent.
Tuesday was spent at home recovering from this emotional roller coaster.
On Wednesday the 29th, we went back to Enid to be with my sister Pam - because her husband had to have a kidney stone removed.
On Thursday the 30th of November - we went back to Oklahoma City and spent time actually visiting with Nancy about 3 hours. She was able to talk and they were trying to decide where to send her for further recuperation.
Finally this month is over and we are looking forward to December! We hope everyone stays well!