The Surprise Visitor

R knew he was going to have a visit from our son today and our youngest grandaughter up from south of Indianapolis today.  However...... I got a call when he was pulling into our addition that he had our 9 mo. old grandson with him as well.  Brave father to drive that far in the cold with two little people.  R was very surprised and they all had a great visit.  I ditched work for a bit to come home and have lunch with everyone.
Miss A was very excited to see me!  That made me feel very special.  I got to see Mr. T crawl across the floor and even stand up at the couch!  I got the honors of feeding him cold green beans - which he did not like.  Turned out he was tired and needed a grandma's shoulder and out he went.  Loved that little snuggle time.

Kuddo's to another blessed day.  Some good company and good food showered upon us once again today.
The visiting nurse came today for her second visit.  I was here to meet her - which I was hoping would happen.  She's very sweet.  We needed refills of some of his meds today - what a great feeling to walk out of Walgreens with a receipt that says the charge is $0.00.  Perfect!!  Insurance comes through when you are with Hospice. 

R is still having a little issue with healing of his incision on his back.  There is a little tiny hole that refuses to close up.  The dr. will be making a home visit soon to take a look at that.  We have this special stuff to keep it covered with and it was supposed to promote the healing - but so far not completely.  His left leg and foot continue to be on the numb side.  Other than that...... we have been given another day in which to be thankful for.  May they keep coming. 

I set here tonight - just feeling the blessings pour over me.  We are blessed beyond measure.  We have an awesome family - wonderful friends - amazing suppport system.  You all make us feel very special and loved.  We are so grateful for everyone - you may think you aren't doing anything - but trust me - you are!  We feel your prayers, your thoughts, hugs and everything you all shower upon us.  We are thankful for everything everyone is doing, has done and your willingness to be called upon again. It's been a little over two months since our lives did a huge downward spiral and you have all stayed with us faithfully. We are so very fortunate!!!!

God has put you all in our path for a reason.  We have both learned to accept the help and support from everyone of you.  This illness is so much bigger than any of us.  It's completely out of our control.  Each of our stories have already been written.  We live them - we wait for the plan to be revealed to us.  There is a reason for everything that happens - doesn't mean we have to like it.  God is using this to teach us all a few things. It makes you stronger to have a huge trial like this to deal with.

Thank you just never seems like enough.  Please know you are all appreciated so much more than you will ever know.  Keep praying!!!!  We need them today just as much as we did 2 months ago. 

I started my day really early today when the Epi Cath battery pack decided to die at 3:30 this morning........but I got him all up and running and thus my day began because I could not go back to sleep.
I think he's pretty much been awake since then as well.

An exceptional day for R.  If he stays this good - we are taking the phone away from him, giving him NO caffine and he will not be allowed to call the shots!  :) So far today - he called a car salesman to bring a brand new car for me - which he did - but he didn't really like it - so he's bringing something else on Saturday. I was at work today so I never saw the vehicle.   He called my dad to take him to Lowes to get new "guts" for the spare bathroom toilet.  I'm going to call dad back to say go get the stuff and he'll watch you do it.  I ask him how he was going to get to Lowes to do the shopping...he seems to forget that not allowed to drive.  As far as the Caffine - he wanted a McDonald's Coffee this afternoon and he drank the whole thing - he was pretty much on a high when I walked in the door.  We had a great visit tonight and a very yummy dinner with good friends!  Thank you to K & D!  Nice surprise after a busy day for me.

As you can tell - he is doing really well today.  Tomorrow may be a different story - but we don't think about tomorrow - we deal with the moments of today.


   

Monday's seem to be a tired day for R.  By 7:30 tonight he was pretty tired.  He's got his 9pm meds now so he can go to sleep.  I set my alarm for 11:59 p.m. to make sure he gets his midnight meds. Luckily I can get back to sleep pretty easy.  His wonderful sister is here from Florida to help me out.  She is a god-send.  I stayed at work today the entire day -- which was quite different for me.  I haven't worked a full day since the middle of December.  Another sister came for a visit today and rumor has it - she's bringing breakfast tomorrow -- I'll miss it - We have an important audit tomorrow at work.    

He's having an issue with his feet and some numbness today.  He's still up walking around - so that's a good thing.  His sister didn't think he was on the move as much today as he has been.  Hopefully tomorrow he'll turn that around.  

Everytime we turn around someone is wishing us well.......praying for us........providing meals........giving us encouragement...... helping out around here.......willing to do whatever....and we want you to know it's very much appreciated.  Our support system is out of this world.  Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!!!

Hope is the light....and Prayer is the way it shines through.

   

 

Super Bowl Sunday

R has had another good day.  He's been on the move alot today.  He's also been talking non stop about food all day.  He actually ate a good dinner and wanted pizza and wings for supper - so we oblidged.  He's also been talking non stop about a turtle sunday from Culvers.  Nobody ran there for him - I Know - D & M - we should of called you. But he got the next best thing - Homemade Vanilla Yogurt by Blue Bunny.  :)  I even put chocolate syrup on it.  All it was missing was pecans and caramel syrup.  :) 

Friends stopped by with a gift for him.  If you didn't read yesterday's blog - I gave him a Dora sippy cup because he spilled juice all over
- so they thought he needed a man sippy cup......and how appropriate for Super Bowl Sunday.  Great Idea. We got a good laugh from it. 
G & A - You two are the greatest. 

The Visiting nurse begins her visits here tomorrow.  She will be coming on a regular schedule for keeping up on everything we can't do and making sure everything is good for him. 

We welcome you for a visit if you would like to visit.  He's up for company and right now will talk your leg off.  Praying for the good days to keep coming.  Praying the weather allows our son to make it up here for a couple of days this week.  Still praying for a miracle.   

We all had a great day today.  It was wonderful to be home.  Not so wonderful to have snow duty again so soon.  He didn't seem to mind that he got out of shoveling and running the snow blower again.  :)  R's appetite was good.  He made a few trips around the house.   We had some good visits with family and friends.  He got a Pedicure....from me.  We had to laugh this afternoon - he called for me - he had about an inch of Prune Juice in the bottom of a juice glass and must of fallen asleep with it in his hand and it spilled and went all the way through the 2 blankets, his top sheet, his sweat pants and the cushy pad on the bed.  He wanted more prune juice after I got the washer going.....so he got it in a sippy cup.  :)  He laughed and drank it right up from the Dora cup.   I'll take the good days.  We'll all take the good days.  We have a good handle on the med schedule and that's working out well.  I have a hunch I'm going to be up putting batteries in the eip cath pack soon.  2 of the grandkids were here and glad to have Grandpa home.  They haven't been here for a long time.  It was great to set in the toy room and color tonight with Miss A!  I've missed that so much. 

Keep your fingers and toes crossed for the good days to continue.  It's time we had more laughter in this house like we used to have.  Good night all.....  Thank you for continuing to check on us faithfully.  Hugs to you all!! 

Home To Stay

We made it home today about 1:30 p.m.  It was a little bit of a process to get him checked out of the Hospice Home. They were sad to see us go.  He was a bright spot in their days.   His ride home was ok......but we were both amazed at how stiff he was just riding 15 miles in the car.  He toured our home like it was a brand new place.  And after being gone for 40 + days - it was like brand new to him.  He likes the new scenery.  I think he's glad the hospital bed went into the living room.  He can be comfortable anytime he wants.  He is resting peacefully now.  I just have to stay semi-awake to give him meds at midnight....  tough one for me but it's great to have him home - I'll do it!!!!  We'll get into a routine and it'll be easier (hopefully).

We appreciate all of you so much!!!  Your prayers have helped bring us this far.....  He received this saying on the front of a card today.....  I'm sharing with you all......

A prayer warrior is a person who is convinced that God is omnipotent --
That God has the power to do anything, to change anyone,
And to intervene in any circumstance....
A person who truly believes this refuses to doubt God.

I can't guarantee it just yet.........but it looks pretty good for coming home tomorrow.  PTL! 

He had some great visits today with friends and family. 

Our daughter & 2 of our grandchildren brought him Taco Bell - nice treat for lunch for him. 

Friends brought Culvers burgers for dinner..... and they were GOOD!!  Thank you G & A.

He said good bye to his 2nd pain pack.  Now he just has the epi cath doing it's job!  May it continue to keep the pain at bay.

Hoping to give you great news tomorrow night!  I'm thankful for the progress he's shown and thankful that he's ready to be home.  The hospital bed was delivered tonight so he's got all sorts of places in the house  to try to see what's most comfortable.  It's been since right after Christmas that he's been here - so it should look pretty good to him.  Pray for a good transition for him.  Pray for all of us to remain strong and keep on keepin on!! 

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer"  Matthew 21:22

Old Man Winter sure knows how to make the world stop for a bit.  My work was closed today with all the snow.  I really was getting antsy for the snow emergency to be lifted and my road to be plowed so I could get my wheels moving southward.  I got out of my drive close to 2 p.m. today.  R was anxious for me to get there because it was really quiet today at HH.  All of the Hospice people that are usually filling the halls on the week days were gone today as well.  We had a nice visit.  He's very talkative right now.  If you have some free time and want to visit with him - please do so. 

We won't be coming home tomorrow (Thursday).  They are removing one of the pain pumps tonight and want to observe him tomorrow with the oral mediation they replaced the pain pump with. I was really looking forward to packing him up and getting him home --- but we wait another day at this point.

He did manage to lose his footing today juggling his walker and a glass of chocolate milk.  He isn't even sure what happened - he landed in the window seat which is a good place to land.  Not as far down as the floor. Maybe that will teach him to let someone help him with his drinks.  He manages a cup of coffee and his walker and gets all the way to the sunroom with both most days without spilling.  So far....  He was fine but I later did think about the possibility of breaking a bone.  I don't even want to add that to the mix.  

"Be ever soft and pliable like a reed, not hard and unbending like a cedar."  

For all of you wondering about my car.... one of my wonderful Bosses fixed me up this morning.  No more warning lights or loud dings which is a blessing because it was very annoying.  Today was a weird day.  We closed our business early today so we could all get out before the weather hit.  So I headed out to the HH. Spent some time with R and then stayed just a little too long because it was snowing pretty good on my way home.  It was very rare for me to be home by 5:00 since I stay with him until 8ish.  It felt good to be home for a change although I felt bad about leaving him early.  He didn't want me to be stranded and kicked me out. 

It's looking like we can come home on Thursday.  Pray hard for that!!  Today is the first day I heard him say anything about wanting to be home.  So - I guess he's ready.  He's feeling pretty good and getting around very well.  It's a little tricky with his two pain packs to haul around - but he gets them hooked on his walker and off he goes.   He had a friend from High School stop to see him today.  We had actually ran into him this summer and got reaquainted so today he visited.  Thanks KH!  He enjoyed seeing you. 

I checked on him awhile ago - and he said to find a way out there tomorrow - he needed the company.  So - depending on what happens tonight with the weather - I'll more than likely do that.  This should make him more than ready to vacate the HH. 

We continue to be blessed and we thank you all for everything.  You mean so much to us.  Keep praying!
Your prayers and support are what keeps us going.