Talked with Mom this morning and she is still doing well. She said her wound is beginning to heal because they don't have to pack it as deeply as they were having to and there is more white on the bandage when they pull it out (not so much oozing from the wound). Sorry if that was too graphic.
She is definitely starting to make her presence known around the facility. She is starting to relay names of people there to me (Yeah, that was three hours ago and I don't remember any of them now) and she is telling me about one lady she is playing scrabble with (beat the socks off of her as she put it but tells the lady they're just playing for the fun of it...right...) and there is a new couple there that the lady is concerned because she isn't getting all of her medications but doesn't know what the strength of the medication is so they can't give it to her. Mom is amazed that someone would not know every single medicine they take and what the dosages are...she has no idea how unique she is...lol. Anyway, now she had a dream about that woman and her husband coming into their room looking for cups and this couple rides around in wheelchairs. She says "There is no room for two wheelchairs in our room but there was in my dream."
She tells me that she is now really hungry like she used to be and will soon have to push herself away from the table to keep from eating too much. She asked for grits the other morning instead of cereal and they brought her a big bowl of them. She said she only wanted a small bowl but actually ended up eating most of them. It is all good news to me and she sounds just like her old self now. I expect she'll be ready to run around in her usual fashion before long at all. She says she's learned a lot since she's been sick and she has become very thankful because she can still walk around and most of the people who are in the assisted living facility cannot even walk. She is supposed to get her internet hookup by next Tues or Wed and I'm sure she'll have lots to tell about all she has learned from this experience! Well, that's about all for now.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Things are still going well!!
Hello Everyone -
Mom still doesn't have her internet connection yet and asked me to keep updating everyone. I called her today and she still sounds very upbeat. Her appetite has returned full force and the food in The Terrace Estates sounds absolutely yummy. She particularly likes the FOUR PERCENT milk as she keeps telling me. Unlike myself, she loves milk and it has been a long long time apparently since she had 4% milk.
She is also enjoying that Dub is getting up at 7 in the morning and going to get breakfast with her. Thanks to those who are leaving her comments. She will enjoy reading them when she gets back to business here in her blog world.
For the first time since April she is finally not focused on all the things that are wrong with her body...for those of you who know her, you know that was totally out of character. Other than an occasional cold, I have never really known her to be sick before. She said that she started her physical therapy today and she is getting her hair done tomorrow. They have a hair stylist that works there from Mon - Fri...pretty cool, huh? I would love that part. I hate dragging myself hair appointments. When she is done she says doesn't it look wonderful and I always say...if you could just fix the face now...lol.
Anyway...as I told Mom...this is all GREAT news. We can't wait to see her totally healthy again. Keep the prayers coming...
Mom still doesn't have her internet connection yet and asked me to keep updating everyone. I called her today and she still sounds very upbeat. Her appetite has returned full force and the food in The Terrace Estates sounds absolutely yummy. She particularly likes the FOUR PERCENT milk as she keeps telling me. Unlike myself, she loves milk and it has been a long long time apparently since she had 4% milk.
She is also enjoying that Dub is getting up at 7 in the morning and going to get breakfast with her. Thanks to those who are leaving her comments. She will enjoy reading them when she gets back to business here in her blog world.
For the first time since April she is finally not focused on all the things that are wrong with her body...for those of you who know her, you know that was totally out of character. Other than an occasional cold, I have never really known her to be sick before. She said that she started her physical therapy today and she is getting her hair done tomorrow. They have a hair stylist that works there from Mon - Fri...pretty cool, huh? I would love that part. I hate dragging myself hair appointments. When she is done she says doesn't it look wonderful and I always say...if you could just fix the face now...lol.
Anyway...as I told Mom...this is all GREAT news. We can't wait to see her totally healthy again. Keep the prayers coming...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
She's Living It Up on the Hill
Mom called me tonight to 'check in' as she calls it. She had a great night's sleep and ate three full meals and is talking about staying at the assisted living facility for 2 months instead of one. She was in very good humor and it seems like this is the environment she needs for some good healing. Not much else to report. Please continue to pray for her continued healing. She doesn't return to the doctor until 2 September.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Back Home Again
Hi Everyone -
This is Teresa writing for Mom because she doesn't have internet access yet at the assisted living place where they are currently residing. I haven't seen it yet but she says it is a very nice and clean facility. The place where they are located is called The Terrace Estates in Morristown. She says that she and Gramps are living in 'close communion' with each other because they are living in a room that is designed for one instead of two. If a larger room becomes available, they will be moving to a larger room. Right now she states that they are living it up on the hill on their 30 day vacation. It really does sound like a very nice place. She said they even have a piano in one of the common rooms.
She is in some pain because they changed her dressing today (which consists of removing the internal bandages and then packing them back in) and the pain medication that they gave her is not as effective as what they were giving her in the hospital. She says Dub is very happy that she is back and when I talked with her he was sitting and reading his bible and seemed to be content. Well...just wanted everyone to know she got back home safe and sound and has been deposited in the assisted living facility to take a break from trying to care for herself. Yeah for Carol and Ally for setting it up for them!!
She will be getting access again soon and will be back to being Blabbin' Grammy! Thanks to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. We know your prayers are getting her through this very difficult summer.
This is Teresa writing for Mom because she doesn't have internet access yet at the assisted living place where they are currently residing. I haven't seen it yet but she says it is a very nice and clean facility. The place where they are located is called The Terrace Estates in Morristown. She says that she and Gramps are living in 'close communion' with each other because they are living in a room that is designed for one instead of two. If a larger room becomes available, they will be moving to a larger room. Right now she states that they are living it up on the hill on their 30 day vacation. It really does sound like a very nice place. She said they even have a piano in one of the common rooms.
She is in some pain because they changed her dressing today (which consists of removing the internal bandages and then packing them back in) and the pain medication that they gave her is not as effective as what they were giving her in the hospital. She says Dub is very happy that she is back and when I talked with her he was sitting and reading his bible and seemed to be content. Well...just wanted everyone to know she got back home safe and sound and has been deposited in the assisted living facility to take a break from trying to care for herself. Yeah for Carol and Ally for setting it up for them!!
She will be getting access again soon and will be back to being Blabbin' Grammy! Thanks to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. We know your prayers are getting her through this very difficult summer.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Yeah, I Know It's Been A While
Hey, Y'all,
It is Saturday morning, and I thought I would check in with my readers. It doesn't mean that I am feeling great, but just that I needed to consider you all. It has been a difficult week for me, and I don't like to whine. I have been running a low grade fever and know that No Doubt, I will have to go back and have the drain put back into my liver. I have been in contact with my doctor's office in Nashville, and they have sent a request to my family doctor to do a CBC (complete blood count) to see what is going on. I have been in a lot of pain where a couple of the drains were. They told me to keep a check on my temp and let them know if it went over 100. So I called them on Friday and they set up the appointment with my family doctor for Monday.
I have been having trouble with my appetite still, and trying to find things that I didn't feel like spitting out when I put them in my mouth. Or not even feel like putting in my mouth in the first place. I have been taking a tylenol at night to help with the pain, and woke up early each morning drenched in sweat, then had to get up and change gowns and was able to go back to sleep.
I did go to Hardee's yesterday morning thinking maybe some biscuit/gravy would taste good. I was able to eat most of the biscuit with gravy on it. I went then to the grocery store and bought some things to fill the empty fridge and got some Hungry Man meals for Gramps so that he won't starve while I am coping with my own problems.
Now you know how things are going here. KInd of S-L-O-W. I appreciate the continued prayers on our behalf. l am doing the best I can with what I have. This is Blabbin' Grammy, looking toward a better day. So long for now. Love to all of you.
It is Saturday morning, and I thought I would check in with my readers. It doesn't mean that I am feeling great, but just that I needed to consider you all. It has been a difficult week for me, and I don't like to whine. I have been running a low grade fever and know that No Doubt, I will have to go back and have the drain put back into my liver. I have been in contact with my doctor's office in Nashville, and they have sent a request to my family doctor to do a CBC (complete blood count) to see what is going on. I have been in a lot of pain where a couple of the drains were. They told me to keep a check on my temp and let them know if it went over 100. So I called them on Friday and they set up the appointment with my family doctor for Monday.
I have been having trouble with my appetite still, and trying to find things that I didn't feel like spitting out when I put them in my mouth. Or not even feel like putting in my mouth in the first place. I have been taking a tylenol at night to help with the pain, and woke up early each morning drenched in sweat, then had to get up and change gowns and was able to go back to sleep.
I did go to Hardee's yesterday morning thinking maybe some biscuit/gravy would taste good. I was able to eat most of the biscuit with gravy on it. I went then to the grocery store and bought some things to fill the empty fridge and got some Hungry Man meals for Gramps so that he won't starve while I am coping with my own problems.
Now you know how things are going here. KInd of S-L-O-W. I appreciate the continued prayers on our behalf. l am doing the best I can with what I have. This is Blabbin' Grammy, looking toward a better day. So long for now. Love to all of you.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Drain/Pain is Gone
Hey, Y'all,
Yesterday morning, bright and early, before dawn, I headed out to Ina Ray's house, and arrived there an hour later at 7 a.m., with high hopes for the removal of the drain in my side when I got to my appointment with the good doctor. When I arrived at Ina's, she showed me her three kittens that she rescued from under her porch a few weeks ago, and they are just adorable. ALMOST made me want to adopt one of them. A few days under our feet and I am sure we would be burying one of them. Two of them are Persians, and the other one is a tiger cat with orange stripes.
Ina and I had a really great trip to Nashville, and with my reading directions from the printed Google map search. We found the clinic with very little difficulty. We had a lot of time to talk about all kinds of things, and actually never ran out of any thing to talk about. We always enjoy our time together, we just don't seem to have enough time. She goes with me each year to the Jonesborough Storytelling Festival in October.
When I got in to the little room to see the doctor, it had a chair that was not very big, but was covered in white vinyl or leather and was adjustable both in the back and had a recliner section for elevating the legs to a comfortable position. As the nurse told me it was my throne, she was pulling the white paper over the back and the seat. I lifted the white paper to look at the seat before I sat down, and said, "Where is the hole?" She said, "What hole?" I said, "Didn't you say it was a throne?" She finally got it and laughed. (my intention, of course).
Anyway, she adjusted the seat to my satisfaction, and left. Enter then, the young intern, a cute red-headed fellow, and he introduced himself and we sat and went over my recent medical history. He seemed to be impressed by my knowledge of all that had gone on with me and I told him that since it is my body involved, I made it my business to be informed. He was also amazed at my detailed chronology of the drain log where I recorded that information. Well, yeah, I admit it, I just charmed the socks off the fellow. My intention, of course.
He left for a while and discussed the report he had just written down with my surgeon and then they both returned within a few minutes. Dr. Wright, the surgeon, told me that he was going to remove the drain, but that if I began having chills, fever, etc. to call his office and let him know, and there was a possibility I would have to have the drain put back in. It was quite painful when he removed the drain, and he apologized for hurting me. He put a piece of gauze and tape over the drain hole and I will be removing it soon and cleaning it with a saline solution.
I am hoping, trusting and praying that I won't have to have it put back in again. He asked me how my eating was going, and I said, slowly. He ordered some lab work to be done before we left and also told me he was going to have a ct scan done with blood work, also in about a month. Then hopefully, he would be able to discharge me from his care.
We left the office and went down to get the labwork done and then left the clinic. We stopped on our way back home at the Cracker Barrel in Crossville, and I had a chicken pot pie for my late lunch. It was good and I ate most of it.
We arrived back in Knoxville about 5 p.m. and I was soon on my way back to New Market. My sister-in-law, Imazo, who had come up here the night before, had supper almost finished when I got home, and we sat down to mashed potatoes, green beans, and pork barbeque, made with some of the boneless pork tenderloin I had cooked on Monday evening. After supper, she cleaned up my kitchen for me, and we soon were on our way back to Knoxville, where I left her with my thanks for helping me so much at her home, and I dropped on down to see my sister-in-law, Mae. We had a good visit and I headed on back home.
This morning, I was able to put on summer shorts (yay) and actually feel comfortable for the first time in two months. How wonderful it was (and is). P.S. The pain is not actually gone yet (drain hole is sore, but it soon will be).
Well, I have to stop and prepare supper. (I had watermelon for lunch, yum) and am having potato cakes, boiled corn, and barbequed pork. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. More later. Love to you all. Bye for now.
Yesterday morning, bright and early, before dawn, I headed out to Ina Ray's house, and arrived there an hour later at 7 a.m., with high hopes for the removal of the drain in my side when I got to my appointment with the good doctor. When I arrived at Ina's, she showed me her three kittens that she rescued from under her porch a few weeks ago, and they are just adorable. ALMOST made me want to adopt one of them. A few days under our feet and I am sure we would be burying one of them. Two of them are Persians, and the other one is a tiger cat with orange stripes.
Ina and I had a really great trip to Nashville, and with my reading directions from the printed Google map search. We found the clinic with very little difficulty. We had a lot of time to talk about all kinds of things, and actually never ran out of any thing to talk about. We always enjoy our time together, we just don't seem to have enough time. She goes with me each year to the Jonesborough Storytelling Festival in October.
When I got in to the little room to see the doctor, it had a chair that was not very big, but was covered in white vinyl or leather and was adjustable both in the back and had a recliner section for elevating the legs to a comfortable position. As the nurse told me it was my throne, she was pulling the white paper over the back and the seat. I lifted the white paper to look at the seat before I sat down, and said, "Where is the hole?" She said, "What hole?" I said, "Didn't you say it was a throne?" She finally got it and laughed. (my intention, of course).
Anyway, she adjusted the seat to my satisfaction, and left. Enter then, the young intern, a cute red-headed fellow, and he introduced himself and we sat and went over my recent medical history. He seemed to be impressed by my knowledge of all that had gone on with me and I told him that since it is my body involved, I made it my business to be informed. He was also amazed at my detailed chronology of the drain log where I recorded that information. Well, yeah, I admit it, I just charmed the socks off the fellow. My intention, of course.
He left for a while and discussed the report he had just written down with my surgeon and then they both returned within a few minutes. Dr. Wright, the surgeon, told me that he was going to remove the drain, but that if I began having chills, fever, etc. to call his office and let him know, and there was a possibility I would have to have the drain put back in. It was quite painful when he removed the drain, and he apologized for hurting me. He put a piece of gauze and tape over the drain hole and I will be removing it soon and cleaning it with a saline solution.
I am hoping, trusting and praying that I won't have to have it put back in again. He asked me how my eating was going, and I said, slowly. He ordered some lab work to be done before we left and also told me he was going to have a ct scan done with blood work, also in about a month. Then hopefully, he would be able to discharge me from his care.
We left the office and went down to get the labwork done and then left the clinic. We stopped on our way back home at the Cracker Barrel in Crossville, and I had a chicken pot pie for my late lunch. It was good and I ate most of it.
We arrived back in Knoxville about 5 p.m. and I was soon on my way back to New Market. My sister-in-law, Imazo, who had come up here the night before, had supper almost finished when I got home, and we sat down to mashed potatoes, green beans, and pork barbeque, made with some of the boneless pork tenderloin I had cooked on Monday evening. After supper, she cleaned up my kitchen for me, and we soon were on our way back to Knoxville, where I left her with my thanks for helping me so much at her home, and I dropped on down to see my sister-in-law, Mae. We had a good visit and I headed on back home.
This morning, I was able to put on summer shorts (yay) and actually feel comfortable for the first time in two months. How wonderful it was (and is). P.S. The pain is not actually gone yet (drain hole is sore, but it soon will be).
Well, I have to stop and prepare supper. (I had watermelon for lunch, yum) and am having potato cakes, boiled corn, and barbequed pork. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for now. More later. Love to you all. Bye for now.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday Morning
Hey, Y'all,
As you may know, Gramps is back home again. A friend from church went up with me and helped me bring him and his belongings home on Friday. We are settling in and trying to get things back on an even keel. He got up yesterday for his three meals, but spent quite a bit of his time in bed, but that is okay. I went into Jefferson City to the Walmart yesterday and walked around up there for close to two hours, getting supplies that we needed.
My appetite is not returning as quickly as I hoped it would, but I am eating enough to stay alive. I am still searching for appetizing foods. This drain I am wearing in my side has an odor to it, that is off-putting for enjoying any kind of food. I don't know if anyone else can smell it, but I can. Maybe when it is removed I will be better able to eat, who knows?
Wednesday, my friend, Ina Ray, will be taking me to Nashville to see about getting it removed, but I am thinking it is still draining too much of the same yucky stuff to remove it, so that will mean yet another trip a couple of weeks away. I am running out of people who might be willing to take me. It is getting mighty old business.
I have found that I can eat eggs, so they are almost a daily part of my food intake, along with cheese and yogurt. I bought some orange juice yesterday with the intention of drinking a little of it every day. We had a hot dog for lunch and it tasted pretty good. I made some cream style corn, opened a can of green beans, and fried a few pieces of very crisp bacon for supper. I tried to eat the corn, and couldn't, couldn't bring my self to eat any of the green beans, and put the two half-pieces of bacon on bread and ate that. I did eat a cup of yogurt later in the evening. I drank some V-8 Fusion at lunch with my hot dog on light bread.
I know all this about my diet is so fascinating, but I am going to shut up about it for right now. ha.
Gramps said he misses the black ladies coming in and waking him up in the morning and telling him to get out of bed. I said well, I could wake him and tell him to get out of bed. He said, Okay. I told him I was going to be bossy and he said, you are the boss, so that is okay. ha. I think he had really gotten to like being at the Terrace Estates and will probably miss it.
They were really nice to him up there, and I think would not object to going back.
Our son-in-law in Texas has just lost him mother who was in her nineties and who has had Altzheimer's for eight or more years. Our hearts go out to him and his family. We love you all.
It has been raining here almost every day for the past several weeks. I think it has only missed raining a few days of the past thirty and it is raining again this morning. Not a lot of chance of sitting on our front porch. Gramps and I did sit out there for an hour or two yesterday and saw our little "hummers" darting around and watched the birds eating from the bird seed feeder under the trees.
Well, I think I need to go see if I can eat something for breakfast. I will probably scramble an egg with some cheese mixed in and make a piece of toast. I have some homemade plum jam, courtesy of our neighbor to spread on the toast. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. Much love to each of you, and bye for now.
As you may know, Gramps is back home again. A friend from church went up with me and helped me bring him and his belongings home on Friday. We are settling in and trying to get things back on an even keel. He got up yesterday for his three meals, but spent quite a bit of his time in bed, but that is okay. I went into Jefferson City to the Walmart yesterday and walked around up there for close to two hours, getting supplies that we needed.
My appetite is not returning as quickly as I hoped it would, but I am eating enough to stay alive. I am still searching for appetizing foods. This drain I am wearing in my side has an odor to it, that is off-putting for enjoying any kind of food. I don't know if anyone else can smell it, but I can. Maybe when it is removed I will be better able to eat, who knows?
Wednesday, my friend, Ina Ray, will be taking me to Nashville to see about getting it removed, but I am thinking it is still draining too much of the same yucky stuff to remove it, so that will mean yet another trip a couple of weeks away. I am running out of people who might be willing to take me. It is getting mighty old business.
I have found that I can eat eggs, so they are almost a daily part of my food intake, along with cheese and yogurt. I bought some orange juice yesterday with the intention of drinking a little of it every day. We had a hot dog for lunch and it tasted pretty good. I made some cream style corn, opened a can of green beans, and fried a few pieces of very crisp bacon for supper. I tried to eat the corn, and couldn't, couldn't bring my self to eat any of the green beans, and put the two half-pieces of bacon on bread and ate that. I did eat a cup of yogurt later in the evening. I drank some V-8 Fusion at lunch with my hot dog on light bread.
I know all this about my diet is so fascinating, but I am going to shut up about it for right now. ha.
Gramps said he misses the black ladies coming in and waking him up in the morning and telling him to get out of bed. I said well, I could wake him and tell him to get out of bed. He said, Okay. I told him I was going to be bossy and he said, you are the boss, so that is okay. ha. I think he had really gotten to like being at the Terrace Estates and will probably miss it.
They were really nice to him up there, and I think would not object to going back.
Our son-in-law in Texas has just lost him mother who was in her nineties and who has had Altzheimer's for eight or more years. Our hearts go out to him and his family. We love you all.
It has been raining here almost every day for the past several weeks. I think it has only missed raining a few days of the past thirty and it is raining again this morning. Not a lot of chance of sitting on our front porch. Gramps and I did sit out there for an hour or two yesterday and saw our little "hummers" darting around and watched the birds eating from the bird seed feeder under the trees.
Well, I think I need to go see if I can eat something for breakfast. I will probably scramble an egg with some cheese mixed in and make a piece of toast. I have some homemade plum jam, courtesy of our neighbor to spread on the toast. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. Much love to each of you, and bye for now.
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