Kidney stone removed

Mom's kidney stone surgery went really well. She is feeling so much better. Now I just have to figure out how to be 3 places at once tomorrow -- w/ Mom after she's discharged; w/ Dad at a dr.'s appointment; and home with my family.

My sibling said he'd call me tonight and get the phone number for the hospital so he could call Mom. I"m still waiting for the phone to ring....

I'll do bodliy harm to my own kids if they treat me the way my brother is treating my parents. Wish I could do so w/ my brother, but that won't happen.

Ugh.

Sunday

Well, Bible Drill went very well yesterday. My oldest DS got a perfect score. So, he was awarded the Bible that he used in the competition. He's very proud of his accomplishment -- and well he should be.

Mom and Dad's friend has now left town, so Dad is here at my house until Mom is discharged from the hospital and is in good enough shape to care for the both of them.

His nervousness is about to drive me up a wall, but I have GOT to be understanding about it. He has a mental illness. He doesn't do this to annoy me. He just craves structure so much that any little change to his routine throws him for loop. I don't have to ride the loop with him. I need to remember that.

We are a week behind on laundry and kitchen duty. At least mom is well enough that I feel I can leave her alone at the hospital. This will allow me the time to get caught up at home -- especially since my sons are both capable of assisting in all aspects of housework.

I just hope Mom's surgery for the kidney stone removal goes well. The blocked bowel problem resolved itself! Hooray. No surgery was required for that. She just needed lots of meds to keep the pain and nausea at bay.

State Bible Drill is Today!

My oldest DS qualified for the State Bible Drill competition a few weeks ago. We're off to do that this morning. I've asked a few friends to check in on mom at the hospital before noon. I hope she's better today.

It's Been a Busy Week!

On Tuesday of this week, my Dad had his 2nd test done. His vocal cords are NOT paralyzed, so the doctor removed Dad's trach. Daddy was also discharged from the nursing home on Tuesday!

Hooray! Hooray!

On Wednesday evening, I had to take my mom to the ER. She was having severe abdominal pain. It took all night to get her into a hospital room and the doctors suspect an intestinal blockage. Mom's been in great pain and has had much nausea. Thursday she slept most of the day due to the nausea meds and the pain meds.

Today she was more lucid and did not have the nausea. A step in the right direction. The doctors plan on keeping mom in the hospital over the weekend, to make sure she's o.k. because during the CT scan from the night in the ER, they discovered that Mom also has a kidney stone in her right kidney and it's blocking the tube from the kidney to the bladder. At least they found it and we'll handle it during the same hospital visit!

I get one of them out of the hospital and then the other one goes in! Ugh. Dad has been able to stay at Mom and Dads since Mom and Dad have a houseguest right now. She leaves Sunday, so Daddy will be here Sunday night and probably longer.

Maybe my sibling will come help out. We'll see.....

HOORAY!

On Tuesday I took my Dad in for another swallow test. This time the trach. had been pulled out by about an inch. We were having this test done with this adjustment to determine if the trach. was putting pressure on the esophagus and thereby causing the swallowing difficulties.

Dad swallowed with NO problems at all!!!!

So, one hurdle is behind us. Next Tuesday, Dad will have one more test done. The dr. wants to make sure Dad's vocal cords are not paralyzed. I know they aren't, but everything has to be done correctly.

Then, when the Dr. sees that the cords are not paralyzed the trach. will come out!! Dad will get to eat like a normal person again. He is so happy, and so are the rest of us.

If the trach, comes out, he can eat normally. Once he can eat normally the G-tube can come out. Once the G-tube is out, there will be NO more appliances required for daily living. When that happens all of the equipment that Dad needs at night to sleep will no longer be necessary!

And it hasn't even been a year!
I am very grateful that God has taken care of us.

Shoebox Swap Card

This is my card that I've designed for the Shoebox Swap I'm participating in this weekend. It uses all SU products. The recipe is:

Stamps: In the Stars stamp set & Classic Stars Jumbo wheel
CS: Real Red, Confetti White, YoYo Yellow
Inks: Brilliant Blue, Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Green Galore
Other: Yo Yo Yellow Marker, Dimensionals, Paper-Piercing tools

You cannot see it on this scan, but the top portion of the card has been wheeled with the Classic Stars Jumbo wheel in Real Red. the large star is adhered with Dimensionals.

Progress!

Dad is to have an in-hospital swallow test tomorrow (Tuesday, 4/15) at 1 PM. Since the company that comes to the nursing home to do this test will NOT remove Dad's trach, the ENT, Dr. Matheny, ordered the test done in the hospital. I'll take Daddy in for the test, as Mom is still sick.

She IS better, but not well enough to be around Dad. If he gets this, I'm afraid it will delay all the test that may allow for the removal of the trach. Mom is upset that she isn't going to be the one to take Dad in for the swallow test, but we have to be practical.

I have done lots of laundry today and I'm still trying to dream up the card that I want to use in the shoebox swap I'm participating in at the Stampin' Up! training I'm attending this weekend. I'm closer to getting the card designed, but I have not had time to play with stamps yet. That's what tomorrow morning is for!

I'l post a picture of the card once I get it made.

The latest...and Spring Fever has arrived.

Well, my family of four seems to be doing well. Tempers are in check, we all seem to be getting along. We spent yesterday working as a family on cleaning out our garage. We need to have a garage sale and the boys have agreed to help prepare and run it with me (in return for part of the proceeds). The hubby helped too and it was GREAT to get rid of so much junk.

Today the boys each had a luncheon at church and activities afterwards. We're waiting on the oldest DS to return and then we're off to visit my dad at the nursing home. Seems they didn't give him his medication on time today and that explains why he called me crying at 1:20 this afternoon. I guess I'm going to have to go down there and knock some heads. I hate having to be the bad guy, but Daddy isn't in the best position to demand stuff, so I guess my hubby and I will go do that. I know that the boys will enjoy seeing dad. I know he'll like seeing all of us.

Mom is still very sick with bronchitis. I've taken soup and other groceries to her. She said she needed help getting some papers together for our accountant. I guess I'll go over tomorrow and get that rounded up for her so I can fax it to the accountant. This is another year that we are (personally) doing the extension thing again. Someday we'll actually get the taxes done by April 15th again. But not this year!

I am in the mood to sew or stamp or paint a room. I guess I'll settle for getting laundry cleaned, planning for my next stamp club, designing my shoebox swap card for this coming weekend, and preparing for the garage sale. If I can get rid of the stuff in the garage, plus the unused toys in the toy room, and outgrown clothes, maybe I'll feel more inclined to see the progress around here.

I'm also itching to plant flowers in the front yard and to create a new flower bed for shade-loving plants in the back yard. I need to get rid of the swing set in the back yard too.

Why isn't my list getting shorter? I guess it's Spring Fever! I'm glad I feel like I have time to even create a list with the expectation that one or two of them will actually get accomplished this spring.

Finally some good news about Daddy

Daddy may get to have his trach. removed!

We met with a new ENT yesterday (Tuesday) -- Dr. Matheny. He says he thinks that the bend in Daddy's esophagus may well be caused by pressure being caused by the trach. SO...Daddy is to have a new swallow test later this week. Then on the 22nd Dr. Matheny will do an in-office procedure to look at Daddy's vocal cords to make sure they aren't paralyzed (I don't think they are). If all is well, then he'll remove the trach!!!!

Daddy is thrilled and so are we! If this works, Daddy may regain the ability to eat normally, which means the g-tube will eventually be removed!

Yeah!

And after rereading my posts, I don't think I've mentioned it here -- Daddy is no longer on Lamictal and he's no longer manic!

Another Yea!

A Perfect Score

Today was our oldest DS's first association-wide Bible Drill competition. He made a perfect score. I am proud of him for the score, but even prouder that he's memorized 25 Bible verses and 10 Key Passages from the Bible.

He had to get 12 out of 24 to go to the association-wide drill. He did that last weekend. Today he got all 24 of 24, so we'll be going to the state Bible drill competition sometime this month. It sounds more involved (travel-wise) than it is. We'll just have to go to a church in east Dallas -- not that far from us.

Many of the kiddos in his group (8) made the grade and will be at the state drill.

I am now certain he can memorize scripture. I just hope he doesn't turn the tables and expect me to know all of those same verses.

The Power of Prayer

I have deleted a recent post that talked about how some ladies from my parents' SS class had been insensitive when they talked about my parents. I learned today that IT WAS NOT TRUE.

I have deleted the previous blog because Mom talked to one of the ladies involved and the record has been set straight. I guess the real problem is the 'friend' that told Mom that this happened.

I'd called a very good friend who knows everyone involved and she & I had been praying that the truth would come out -- that God would work in this so that Mom could know what really happened. God answered that prayer today! Mom is no longer stewing. I'm no longer doubting my ability to judge the character of people I know.

Now we just need to pray for the lady that made all of this up! God know who she is. Just ask God to change J's heart.

That's all for now.

Guilt?

My mom is to have cataract surgery on tax day. She's insistent that she bring my dad home from the nursing home three days PRIOR to surgery. I suggested today that perhaps a delay in his return home by one week would be logistically prudent. She was not open to that suggestion.

She is very angry that no one from their Sunday School class has taken time to visit my dad at the nursing home. Did I mention that she's Very Very Angry?

She is also upset that no one calls to check on her. I think I was purposely lumped into that last group since I didn't call her today. (This is the exact same conversation she used to have with her own mother, which she always told me to NEVER have with her, but I digress.)

But, I was busy working on my own house, finances, and mental health today -- and somehow those are all intertwined anyway.

I am really very disappointed in their SS class members as well. But I can't call them and chew them out for not caring -- or for not caring in the way my mom and dad both desperately need at the moment.

Maybe, just maybe, part of the anger today is fear about Dad's surgical procedure tomorrow.

We'll see.

Recovery

I saw my therapist today and she commented on how relaxed I looked. I guess the two weeks worth of vacation is having it's payoff now!

I am more relaxed. I'm less stressed. And I'm much more pleasant to be around.

Thank goodness!