My leukemia's back.

[lazy gardener]

Us healthcare folks make the worst patients, don't we?

I don't even tell folks I'm a nurse anymore. I wish my kiddos would quit ratting me out

. But they're proud, so it's okay I guess.

That prednisone has him feeling like King of the World today. We had a follow up with his PCP, who basically said he has no clue and will chase a diagnosis as long as we want, but we may never know. As long as it's not a blood clot and he's not gonna drop dead, I'm okay.

And why do I love my boy's PCP? Cause he has a sign in the exam room that says "I'll start being nicer when you start being smarter"

Talk about a man after my own heart!

I'm so glad I'm not going to be working anymore. I gave it a good try, but there's just so much stuff at home I need to take care of. And my brain function definitely isn't what it used to be. I found that sleep deprivation really messed my cognition up while he was in the hospital. So, better to be home, for now at least.

I'm going to go take a nap! My sister and niece are coming in late tonight and going to be here tomorrow and leave Friday am, so I need the rest.

And cause I can

Yeah, we do. I never tell a person that I'm in health care when I'm at an appointment. But it sure doesn't take them long to figure it out. Translation for PCP "chasing a diagnosis" = "I'll spend just as much of your money as you'll let me spend." You've made a good decision to stay home. Work was just too much for you at this point. Heck, just hearing about all you're doing at home makes me weary!

I did get a letter today....i have an appointment on the 16th......Yay!!!!...

Yay!!!

 

[Blooie]

Thanks, Phil. Just been busy swamped around here. Summer is the heavy travel month for Ken and me - I feel like all I do is pack, go, unpack, wash the clothes, repack and go again. Kendra has also taken a lot of time - the kids have made 4 trips to Denver with her from June 1st to August 1, and I keep Katie when they go. I had to learn to cath Kendra yesterday using the Mitrofanoff and wasn't successful - just couldn't get that tube stuck into her tummy. <sigh> I gave up before we both started crying and I just cathed her the old familiar way. I'm going to have to master this before Jenny goes back to work in a couple of weeks because I'll have to cath her before we take her to pre-school and then go over there once during her school session and cath her again...the doctors said every 3 hours like clockwork. I'll get it. It's just new.

I'm doing well. Had my annual followup on the stents and they are all still open and functioning well, all 9 of 'em! So he cut me loose....for the first time since 2007 I don't have to go back to St. Vincent's Cardio/Vascular Center. I'd been going yearly - and sometimes as often as 3 times a year - but I'm done now unless I have any more claudication or pain. Compared to "normal" people my legs are still a mess as far as circulation goes, but there was very little reduction in blood flow compared to last year's testing so while it will never get better, it's as good as it's gonna get for me and I'll take it. Heart is still doing okay too. We leave for Wyoming Grand Lodge on Sunday and will be gone for 4 days. Then 3 weeks after we get home we have Sessions, so it's time to repack and head out for another 4 days. But that's the last trip until we go back to South Dakota for Thanksgiving with my family, weather permitting of course. The rest of the time it's just taking care of Ken, Kenny, Jenny, Katie, Kendra, Tam and Evan - easy stuff, you know!

 

[Suzie]

Proof of the residue of my cooking skills..a saucepan scarred for life...no, this is not a new world map...wish it was!

Sending much love to you all!

Rachel, Phil and Blooie...how much heartache can we tolerate? Mt heart aches for you and your beloved families...my problems are insignificant compared to all that you face... Rachel.. so pleased to hear that Big Boy is home with you and he is feeling so much better...

I shall not linger here...but just to say that all of you here mean more to me than you could ever know... how is life in your new home NFL?

Where is Three Good Eggs ? Needing some wonderful comments from you...!

Sourland...Hope life is sunny and great for you with the Princess...

I will be in contact soon....

 

[FridayYet]

. Nice to hear from you Suzie! Hope you are well.

 

[sourland]

Hi, Suzie, we miss you.

 

[Blooie]

Hey, Suzie!! Miss you.....so glad to see your name pop up! Hope you are doing way better - I think about you and wonder!

You guys have my scuffing my toes in the sand here! Nothing I do is any big deal. Walk down any street in any town and look at the faces of folks you pass. Every one of those people have stories with some kind of impact on those lives and the lives of the people they love - some good, some bad, some just very ordinary. Some hike up their britches and get the jobs done, others bemoan their fates and wonder why "it" happened to them. I'm just a britches-hiker. The Good Lord blesses us all - sometimes with blessings we'd rather not have had when we first receive them. We just have to learn to be patient and look through the "junk" to get to the good parts, kinda like cutting open a watermelon to get to the good stuff! See? Easy!

 

[sourland]

Proof of the residue of my cooking skills..a saucepan scarred for life...no, this is not a new world map...wish it was!

Some of your finest work.

 

[lazy gardener]

Proof of the residue of my cooking skills..a saucepan scarred for life...no, this is not a new world map...wish it was!

Sending much love to you all!

Rachel, Phil and Blooie...how much heartache can we tolerate? Mt heart aches for you and your beloved families...my problems are insignificant compared to all that you face... Rachel.. so pleased to hear that Big Boy is home with you and he is feeling so much better...

I shall not linger here...but just to say that all of you here mean more to me than you could ever know... how is life in your new home NFL?

Where is Three Good Eggs ? Needing some wonderful comments from you...!

Sourland...Hope life is sunny and great for you with the Princess...

I will be in contact soon....

I did that to my best frying pan this week. Put the butter in to cook my egg. Turned it on. Stepped outside for a minute... must have seen a squirrel. Cause when I came back inside the butter was smoking and so was the kitchen!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Me too@Suzie. I'm a great cook, I just have to set alarms for everything..... Not just cooking. Not sure how many loads of "water" I've washed. I'm a bit scattered brained. DH calls me a Blue Fish......I like blue fish

I have been so busy it's been hard finding time to post on BYC. But I'm out here reading when I can and praying for you all.

New job is super awesome. I keep waiting for the other foot to drop, or to wake up from this dream....They treat us like adults! Lol! I have no set time to be at work. I get there, work 8 hours, go home. Weekends and holidays off. Lunch is a quick onsite break, so I don't lose the typical 5 hours a week away from my family. Been working there only 2 months and have 56 hours sick time & 2 personal days to use within a year. Also have accrued over a day of vacation time. And my company helps find housing and placement for homeless. So, everyday, coming home from work, it feels awesome to know that my job has made an impact on homeless people's lives. It's so sobering to look at my daughter & know that children her age are sleeping under bridges, in cars, in boxes. Their parent(s) can't buy school supplies or clothes, have no idea where or when their next meal is coming from. Their little friends can't come over for play dates. Their extended family can't come over for the holidays. It's all So sad. I am so blessed. I used to be more critical of people, but many talks with God has shown me a new perspective on things. Speaking of work, I'd better get my rear in gear & get to work! Friday is a great day to get home early

Hope you all have a wonderful day

 

[donrae]

Hi all

Went to the livestock auction today. Didn't even bid on a single thing, but it sure was fun

Blooie, you make me tired just reading your posts......I hope things go well with Kendra and the new cath. I don't know how similar the stoma is to a "regular" suprapubic cath, but I know as a nurse those were always kind of hard for me. Other folks liked them cause there was no "missing" which hole to go in, but something about them was just difficult for me. I hope you master it with little issues for either of you.

Outpost, I'm so glad you're loving your job! Sounds like such a blessing. Funny, I know exactly what you're talking about with the lunch breaks I always wanted to work through mine and get home earlier but they wouldn't allow that--such a waste of time!

Phil---get thee to the doctor! Praying things go well.

Suzie, glad things are back to normal in the kitchen

.

Sour, say Hi to the Princess.

LG--

It was hard to leave work, but I'm actually going back in on Sunday to monitor the Telehealth patients, and then on Thurs for a web conference to learn more about the Telehealth system. So, I'm not going cold turkey or anything.

I need to talk to a loan officer and see how things look for a new place, now that I've messed things up so much. I have no idea what we'll qualify for. My sister from Arkansas was over for a visit on her way home and is starting a campaign for us to move out there. I told her no thanks, last time I went to Arkansas I came home with leukemia

.

I broke up a broody and her chicks this morning, put her in a breeding pen and the chicks in a grow out pen. So, now I've got an empty pen....

Oh the possibilities!