Today's News

Today was a busy day. I had a doctor's appointment at 9:45am. The ENT said the sinus area and nose are looking great but there is some congestion in the right lung. I figured as much since i am coughing up some phelm. He added an antibiotic and another nose spray (from the compound shop). I then met my cousin for a quick lunch and made some exchanges from Friday's shopping trip. I also bought groceries, picked up a couple of other items and went to the drug stores, post office and Sam's.

I took another "test" and it was negative. My bottom is better and the doctor was happy about that. Me too!!!!

My fil is some better and saw his regular doctor today and was given a couple of shots and some more meds for ole arthur.

My Daddy is still awaiting the results of his biopsy and we are too, just not very patiently. His pain was worse today. It came and went but never eased up.

Tomorrow is back to the grind......making mixes. Making December's meal plan, doing Christmas cards and hoping to get the laundry caught up, Christmas decorating done and some orders out.

Have a great night and sweet dreams!

Blessings!!!

My Head is Spinning

It has been a long few days. Thanksgiving was great. I cooked and we took it to my parents home. It was just us and the boys and my parents for the noon meal. that night my brother, sil and their 2 boys (17 yrs. and 11 yrs.) came over. We had a blast and by the end of the night Daddy was in pain pretty badly so we called it a night.

I prepared my list, sales papers and coupons and at 3am my best friend Connie and I braved the 27* temps (and the crowds) to welcome Black Friday in all of it's glory! We had a blast and spent about 7 hours of just shopping. I came home and we spent an easy afternoon and night. I am so thankful John was off so he could stay with the boys.

Saturday Daddy had a lot of pain but finally was able to start back on his Coumadin and seemed more like himself and not so sluggish. I was not feeling well and later that night I found out why. I am miserable. I will be going to the doctor tomorrow but in the meantime if you have any suggestions/advice it is much welcome. It seems as I have bleeding (severe) hemorrhoids again. Yuck!

This morning John and I got the boys ready for church and we decided he and them would go and I would stay home and rest. He had been gone about 5 or 6 minutes when the phone rang. It was his Dad and something was wrong (he was crying). He said he couldn't go and I was asking where can't you go? Well, come to find out he's been having pain in his leg. i called John and he brought the boys home and left to take his Dad to the er. He met his is at his Dad's and they took him to find out that his Dad had so much arthritis that he needs a knee replacement. He is 83 and has no heart function and has a pacemaker and there is many many other health issues. I don't see that happening. He was given a script for pain meds and an anti-inflammatory. He is home resting.

Daddy is better today for now, he seems more like himself and was able to go to church.

I am still having my bottom issue as well as being a few weeks late with my period (I will take another pregnancy test in 2 days)-I think my cycle is messed up from having surgery and the stress of everything and my head is spinning from all the green liquid coming from my nose. Yuck! I am praying there is not any infection. Surgery was less than a month ago and now this!!! Please Lord make my Daddy and fil better and heal my body!!!

I see the ENT tomorrow and am going to try to see the OB/GYN too. We'll see.....Have a great night and blessings!!!!

Thanksgiving Eve

Today has been busy. Daddy had to be at the hospital at 5:15am for his biopsy this morning. They did the biopsy and sent it off to pathology. His pain had returned full speed by yesterday and I can only imagine how miserable he must be with a shaved side of the head and a 2 inch incision to boot. He will start the coumadin back Saturday and he can now finish the steroid pack starting today. The annual hunting weekend is out. Please continue to pray for him and some relief from the pain.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen. I made 4 dozen cookies, 2 sweet potato pies, chicken and dressing, potato salad, have the cranberry sauce a chilling in the fridge, the ham baked, the turkey cooked, the gravy made, the rolls made, the corn (from the garden that i cut off and milked this summer) thawing in the fridge. Tomorrow I will warm everything up, cook the green beans and fry the corn and I will be done.

Are you cooking this year?

Thanksgiving Blessings!!!!

Making the Long Story Short

The past several days have been crazy with my Daddy. The pain got worse on Friday. We went to the eye doctor since that's where it was and then to the primary care physician. We found out that his sed rate had been off in the ER, but they chose to ignore it. The short of it is that he is having a biopsy on Wednesday to see if they can detect Trigeminal Neuralgia. Inflammation in the blood vessels in the temple. Daddy is off of his Coumadin and Aspirin for 5 days for the surgery.....that is not good as his heart needs those to stay in rhythm. WE should have the results next week. I am asking for prayer once again.

He has been on a steroid dose pack for 5 days and was taken off today, due to orders from the pathologist. It seems to be helping to keep the pain to a minimum.

I am absolutely exhausted. We were at the surgeon office and the hospital for pre admission testing from 11am until 6pm.

Oh and did I mention that I am cooking Thanksgiving for my parents and our little family? My Mom is pitiful, she is so tired and sad and maybe depressed. One of her brothers is too sick for open heart surgery and the other found out last week he also has a heart issue and prostate cancer.

I will be fine, but sometimes it is nice just to have you to take care of. It looks like I am in full swing of care taking for everyone again. I am making it better than I was but still uncomfortable and cannot bend, stoop or lift over 5#. GRRRRRR!

God is good and i will be fine with his help. Thank you for your prayers. I covet them.

Blessings and good night........

Slow Recovery

Can I just say this is getting old......I feel way older than 33! I can go and go and be busy (and do as normal as possible for someone that cannot lift over 5#, stoop or bend) for maybe 3 hours and then the pain hits and I am so tired. I usually need a nap (1-2 hours). I am so thankful the boys are still in preschool so I can rest some. I know that sounds horrible but it's the truth.

This little surgery has knocked the wind out of me! I still have a good bit of drainage, not so much blood anymore though. I haven't had any breakthrough bleeding in sometime. I still have to wash out each nostril twice a day with lots of salt water and it burns! I still use the saline solution every 30 minutes or so. I only have about a week left of the last antibiotic. Thankful for that I am . Just being honest here....... you might want to stop reading now........ I still have the yeast infection and now internal and external hemroids (sp). Heavens to Betsy!!!!! I am making it fine, well as I can and I am trying! LOL! What else can I do?!

So, that's where I am now.

My sil, Sandra is coming to clean house for me Saturday morning. We have small group here that night.

Tonight we went to the funeral home. My friend Connie's, Mom passed away yesterday. She's been sick for some time and now is finally at rest.

My Dad's pain was a little better today, just mainly around the left eye and reading is a little bit of an issue.

John is still getting to work most days but nothing regular is promised.

So, there you have it...........

Hope all is well with you all! Blessings!!!

My Daddy

Well, we saw the neurosurgeon and there was no stroke (this time) nor no tumor. There is an abnormality at the brain stem that has been there since birth and is begin......nothing to do with the headaches. He was referred back to the neurologist to determine what type of headache and what medication regime would be best suited for this. The neurosurgeon told him there is over 100 different types of headaches......crazy!

The good news is that he is some better and even worked in the pasture a little today. He is on the mend! Thank you all for your thoughts, calls, emails and prayers!

Love and Blessings to you!

Update on Daddy

He is some better today, no pain so far. We saw the neurosurgeon and got good news. Post more tomorrow. Night......

Long Day

Today has really been a long, long day with little rest. I have been napping about two hours each day and I had not one wink today. It will be two weeks tomorrow since surgery and I am still finding it difficult to keep up.

John and I took the boys to school this am and then went to Piggly Wiggly and to check on Daddy. My cousin Deb came up from Trussville (John had left for work by then). We went by the bank, then to Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, the pharmacy and picked up lunch for us and my parents. We dropped everything off at my parents and then home to unload. We started the mixes today. I have several orders and hope to get them out this week (depending on the outcome of my Daddy appointment's with the neurosurgeon tomorrow). We did around 100 bags/jars of them.

My Daddy is in awful pain still yet. The new pain meds is not even helping. He will have an MRI and then see the doc tomorrow. Please pray! I will update asap.

John is working late and is off tomorrow to do the driving all over Birmingham tomorrow for us. Praise the Lord for that.

I am exhausted. I am off to get the boys down and then me. I have bills and things to do at the office for my parents tomorrow before we leave for Daddy's appointment. This no stooping, bending and lifting over 5#'s is getting old!!!!

Sweet dreams dear friends and blessings always!

At A Loss.......Where To Begin

I am getting better little by little and gaining strength. I went back to the doctor yesterday and still no lifting over 5#, stooping or bending. I am still having issues with bleeding. I even drove the hour to the doctors (my Mom went too). I am feeling better but the junk coming from my nose is nasty and after the suctioning and spraying out at the doctor yesterday day....yuck! He was even digging in there with super long tweezers! Just saying. I go back in two weeks to the doctor. I also am rinsing my sinuses with salt water twice daily. It burns!!!!! Then I am using the saline spray every thirty minutes or so while awake. I am still taking one antibiotic and have two weeks of it left.I also now have a yeast infection....I did Diflucam today......hope it works!

Now, onto bigger things, more important anyhow......my Daddy is sick, stroke level sick. Last year some of you may remember that he was having severe pains in the head(August or September), which resulted in a neurosurgeon getting involved and we thought for awhile he had a brain tumor only to find out the spot on the brain was scar tissue from a stroke. Well, the pains started again last night and got so bad this morning Mom took him to Birmingham to the er. No stroke showed up on the brain scan. His blood pressure was 180/90 and he is already on 2 bp meds. Not good. The doc seemed to think he has been under too much stress and gave him pain pills. They released him. He already had an appointment with the neuro doc this coming Tuesday......now I hope he will keep it!

Please pray for him........the pain is horrendous! He is so uncomfortable and it leaves his head tender and his cheek with a burning sensation......
Thank you for your prayers and I will keep you posted.

Have a blessed weekend!

Yesterday, Today

Yesterday was better. Not great but good, it was doable. I functioned without prescription pain meds, only Tyneol. The pain, burning in the eye was better but worse at times today. Yesterday my mom came and did some laundry, some odds and ends and we spent a great few hours together, just us. It was much needed! I slept, two, two hour naps to be exact. Our pastors' wife and daughter came and brought an elaborate meal, delicious it was!

Today my friend, Monica bought my groceries, my parents are taking and picking up the boys as we have been blessed that John has gotten to work all week (and tomorrow too)! I am getting there. I just cat napped today and tonight managed the boys by myself for a couple of hours without incident. My Mom bathed them and helped with supper (she and my Daddy ate with us).

There is still lots of drainage and clots. I still am vomiting some from the drainage and have lost 12 pounds since last Tuesday. I need to lose more but this is a bad way to lose it.

I go back to the doctor Friday.

We are blessed and the wind is slowing building back up in my sails. Thank you for your prayers!

Hugs and Blessings!

Rough Day

Today started off with plans and ended with a Lortab and bed. I had a bad bleed out (from left sinus area) and managed to stop it on my own with doctors and the dear Lord's help. We also have determined that maybe a nerve was "messed with" behind the left eye and is causing awful pain, twitching, burning and irritation. The drainage is still tremendous as well as the severe headache and general tenderness. I am exhausted and worn down today, hopefully tomorrow will not be as "rough".
Goodnight......... and blessings!

Back in the Saddle

Well, not quite, if you count sitting upside down with the saddle on the horses belly. LOL! I am still feeling pretty rough. Yesterday was the best and the worse day of the last few. By that, I mean I went back to the doctor and he removed the 2 pounds of packing (all total about a foot). It was so gross and man it hurt! As the doctor was gently pulling it out it felt like my brains were coming with it. Then he sprayed and suctioned and repacked a little to stop the bleeding. Then I could breath out my nose! YAY! The worse part of the whole ordeal was not being able to breath through my nose and when I ate/talked. I could not breath because my throat being blocked. It was crazy and I am so thankful the packing is gone.

The bad parts now is using the spray every 15-30 minutes in my nose, the clots of blood and yuckiness going down the back of my throat and the pain in my face (the swelling is virtually gone-due to the packing being removed). It hurts to cough, sneeze or touch my face or head for that matter. I still cannot lift much and no stooping or bending as I am light headed much of the time. But, the good news is that the infection is gone and I am on my way back! Praise the Lord!

My parents kept the boys overnight from Monday through Thursday and I do not know what we would have done without them. My Mom made jello, baked sweet potatoes, apple cake, scalloped apples and many other yummies for us and my queasy tummy.

Belinda and Monica cooked a meal each and John tried his hand at cooking supper last night and did a terrific job! He has been amazing! I thank the good Lord for such a great husband!

We are going to get the boys out in a little while after their naps and let them play. I am looking forward to a little sunshine!

Thank you for praying for my uncle, he is very sick and they are stilling working to stabilize him enough for 5 bypasses on Wednesday. Please keep him in your prayers, his name is Tom.

The owner of the boys school/daycare is still having an awful time with the unexpected death of her husband. Please pray for Ms. Lisa and her family. The funeral was today.

I hope all is well and I hope to catch up soon!

Blessings!!!!

Day 3

From the world of Mr.homemaker/caretaker:
The swelling in her nose seems to be a little worse making the pain be worse. The packing must be saturated because the drainage is now going down her throat.She tried to get up and be a little more active yesterday but she must have over done it because she's paying for it this am. Her only plans for leaving my recliner today(where she's been sleeping)are for potty and shower breaks.The appt. for removal can not come soon enough. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Just an after thought in case some of you are unclear, she had sinus surgery in order to clear up infection that several rounds of different medications couldn't do.They also had to shave the bone in her right sinus cavity to allow more air passage.

P.S. Say a prayer for Marva's uncle.He was airlifted to Birmingham this am with a possible heart attack/stroke.

Thanks
John

Update

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. All went well as far as we can tell.Dr. said recovery will take time. Her throat is extremely sore(making swallowing very difficult)and the nausea is pretty bad at times. The packing in her nose has her airways closed(packing will be removed on Friday am).Just gonna take time and patience from all involved.Please continue to pray and we will keep updating as often as possible.


Thanks
John

It's Me, Again

I am suppose to be at the surgery center in the morning at 5:45am. Please say a prayer. John will post tomorrow to let you know how things went.

Also, this morning I took my boys (who now feel better) to school. The director (owner)'s husband fell dead of a heart attack around 9ish. He was not even 50 and in great shape. He and Ms. Lisa were not just husband and wife but true sweethearts and best friends (as well as parents of 3 beautiful girls). Please pray for this family. They are in shock and are devasted.

Blessings!!!

November Meal Plan

Here's the meal plan this month. There are meals being provided for a few days following my surgery.......a blessing that is!

1 Paula Deen's chicken pot pie, salad
2Oven baked Parmesan crusted catfish fillets, boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, corn, slaw, salad, rolls, onion rings, oven fries and hushpuppies
3 meal brought in
4 "
5 "
6 "
7 "
8 "
9 "
10 "
11 Beefstew, cornbread
12 pork roast, gravy, biscuits, candied sweet potatoes
13 Chciken noodle soup, grill cheese sandwiches
14 OUT
15 Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
16 Tuna helper, green beans
17 Chili
18 Chili dogs, oven fries
19 Small group- chili, onion dipw/ chips, dill dip w/ veggie tray, pigs in blanket, pizzas (DiGornio)
20 philly cheesesteak casserole, green beans, corn on cob
21 sloppy joes, oven fries, slaw
22 chicken fingers, peas and mac & cheese]
23 chicken burritos, salsa and chips
24 Santa Fe Soup, corn chips
25 leftovers
26 Thanksgiving
27 leftovers
28 Pizza! Wings! Take Out!
29 Tuna salad sandwiches, chips and dip
30 Tacos and Nachos