Unhappy Doctor

Dwight visited his kidney Doctor this morning. Fairly good visit until he asked her about the phone call I made about a month ago concerning the problems and symptoms I was seeing. She had no record of getting the message. She went through her records four times. Absolutely NO record of my calling the office. It seems someone has been listening to phone messages and answering them without giving them to a Dr. Not a good practice, I am sure when they are found out they won't like the review they receive....

Just wonder if he had started treatment then if we could have avoided most of the last 2 weeks.

The Dr told Dwight he needs to see another Dr for the removal of the kidney stones---that appointment is next week.

Good note...Physical Therapy says Dwight is more than ready to come home. But wound care wants him to stay a couple days longer, they have his wounds healing--hope they tell me what they are doing so I can continue it at home. We may be able to get home health care for a couple weeks. That would be great after he has the stones removed.

Asking God to provide the best for Dwight.

Quick Update

Dwight has settled in, somewhat, at the nursing home. He is feeling better, but misses his own bed. They have him in physical therapy and tell me that when they think he is strong enough he will be coming home. I am thinking that clearing up the infection is also a priority....

We are so grateful for all the people who are praying for us at this time. God is answering those prayers. The cards and well wishes are much appreciated also.

I am back to work, but do seem to tire easily. I didn't sleep much in the hospital and I believe some of the meds I received there are still affecting me.

Singing in Heaven

One of Dwight's favorite Aunt's and the last of his parents generation is being laid to rest today. Aunt Ginna had a warm, loving heart. She was gentle and sweet. She gladly accepted Dwight's wife and children into her circle of love.

Aunt Ginna had an singing voice beyond compare and now is surely singing in the heavenly choir.

I will sing of the Lord's great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness

known through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

We miss her.

We love you cousin Karen and Larry.

Where Does My Help From?

I lift my eyes to the hills-

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of Heaven and earth.

Psalms 121:1,2

****

In the day of my trouble I call to you,

for you will answer me.

Psalms 86:7

***

Yesterday was perhaps the hardest day of my life.

The hospital was releasing Dwight, but he clearly wasn't ready to come home.

Nor was I ready to take care of him, altho my heart strongly disagreed.

I am his wife--I care for him. Period

*

Dwight was given a list of nursing homes offering respite care. A long list.

I did some online comparing on the medicare web site.

Dwight did alot of praying.

To accept that he needed to go to a home,

and to find the right one for him.

*

He was to be transferred at 5 PM.

*

When I was asked to leave his room so they could prepare him for travel

I felt myself losing it.

I wanted to cry. (eventually I did)

I wanted to anyone and everyone to pray, but God forbade me.

He reminded me to rest in Him. He is in control,

"yes, but can't someone else be praying too?"

*

God reminded me again He had it under control, just relax in His wisdom.

At that difficult acceptance my cell phone let me know

I had just received a text.

It was from a wonderful Christian sister who was praying--

at that minute.

Thank you Sharon for your obedience.

*

As we were leaving into rush hour traffic onto

some of the most congested roads

I felt the ok from God to call my Mom.

A short talk offered the reassurance that this was the best,

and then the tears as I confessed my feeling of failure

to care for my husband,

after all it is my job.

*

Arriving almost an hour after we left, we were given

an unbelievable warm welcome.

Had to check to see if Dwight was listed as

royalty somewhere on his paperwork.

*

I just don't have the time right now to tell you every

good thing that happen within the

first 30 minutes of being there.

One wonderful praise is that they promised, and had

delivered a larger bed for him--by bedtime.

*

I left shortly after eating part of his supper for him.

Someone brought him 3 more bowls of jello when they discovered

he liked it and would eat it after not eating for several days.

*

At home, I again had to deal with my emotions,

but realized the quiet house, comfy chair,

Bible and lala medicine would be good for me.

*

The lala medicine is to strong, when I take again I will

cut it in half or even quarters. I was

asleep by 7:30, woke to go to bed and got up at 6:30.

Then took an hour nap.

*

Again--GOD IS GOOD. ALL THE TIME

HE IS IN CONTROL

Papa D Update

Dwight has a bad kidney infection, the result of a very large kidney stone blocking each kidney. They have placed a stint in each tube so that they can drain the infection. He is on strong antibiotics. He will have an ultra sound tomorrow to check on placement. Of course this has messed with his diabetes but they are monitoring that very close and often. They will not do anything about the stones until the infection is gone.

Our family has been wonderful thru this all. Tim has been a trooper, drawing the short straw to take me to and stay with me at the ER. Not many son-in-laws like that, very few, after all he had to put up with me. Karin has been helping her family understand Mimi, and now Papa, being sick so soon after their sister. She also has been doing all she can to make sure have everything I could possibly need for my stay. Sam has constantly tapped his wife's brain to help understand the 'big terms'. Kristen played a great part is helping get her Dad to the ER, staying with him there and they traveling with him to another hospital on the other side of town, returning to her questioning kids this afternoon. (Kristen doesn't do hospitals well). All three have made sure we are on prayer lists. Our amazing God also arranged for my 'adopted' daughter Jen was able to be here when my daughters were not able. Her love and support have been welcome. My family has also been very supportive, encouraging and praying.

The way has worked through this amazing. We are not happy he is in a hospital so far away, but we firmly believe that there is a reason God put him there.

Happy Valentine's Day

Six years ago today our wonderful children helped up pack our belongings into a Uhaul and say goodbye to home we built and raised our children in. Lots of fun times there, now some else is making memories there.

We unpacked and settled in our new 'little' home in town-and started making new, good memories. These new memories have a few more wrinkles in them. Right now Dwight is lying in pain in the same ER I was in two days ago. They have found two huge kidney stones, one for each kidney. Plus all the stuff and goes with it and more. There are no beds for him here.

A very sweet nurse arranged an "okay" for me to go down and see him. It was obvious he was in extreme discomfort, complete with tremors and fever. While I was there they also discovered no empty beds at Riverside or Grant. They were trying Dublin. If they have no room there, I am not sure what is the next option. I am waiting for a text from Kristen, whose cell phone battery is dying.

I am so glad someone finally has discovered what he had been fighting for the last month. As they work on ridding his body of this he will feel better.

Thanks for your prayers.

Dwight

Dwight hasn't been well for a few weeks. We have dealt with it. After a bad, bad night a couple weeks ago we called two different Drs of his, but really didn't get any answers. Neither were able to see him and the blood work showed nothing. (Maybe it wasn't the right blood work?)

Dwight hasn't handled my being in the hospital very well and finally realizes he can't handle this alone. He has allowed himself to call 911 and go to a hospital. He is requesting Riverside, where he was before, we will see.

1. More later.

-----

9:55 update

Karin here...

Dad was taken to Doctors West Hospital. Same as Mom. Hopefully, they will get to see each other. At least they are sleeping under the same roof tonight. And I believe God's hand is right over that roof. Protecting my parents.

New room

Karin here...

Mom is moving to room 618 within the hour.

-----

Mom is scheduled for a heart CT sometime today or tomorrow. Depending on the results, she may have a heart cath after that. She is resting, but not sleeping. She really needs to sleep.

Update

This is Karin, Susie's oldest daughter.

I have hijacked my mom's blog. She is currently in the hospital under observation for chest pains and a probable heart condition.

Mom is in severe pain. On a scale of 1 to 10, she hovers around a six.

Isaac and I just spent some time with her. Her heart hurts. Her chest. Her back. Her head. At one point, Isaac and I waited in the hallway while the nurses did another EKG. He leaned into me as I furiously sent text messages. "Mom," he said. "This isn't a very good time." I looked at him and just wanted to swoop him up. "First Esther-Faith," he continued. "And now that she's getting better, it's Mimi. I just don't like it when my girls are sick."

I think I melted into a little puddle on the floor when my nine-year-old called his little sister and his Mimi "his girls." What a sweet, tender boy.

And when we went back into the room, Mom let Isaac climb onto the bed with her and she just kissed his face and played with his curls. I could tell that he didn't want to hurt her, but that he didn't want to move either.

I told mom to call or text no matter the time if she needed something. She said, "If I'm sleeping, I'm not going to be texting." I could only smile. Tim would tell you that I learned a LOT of my sass from my mom.

The thing is, as much as we tell her to get some rest or not worry about anything, she will anyway. About Dad and her mom and her kids and her grandkids. It is her nature. Especially my dad. Her sweetheart. The love of her life. She's really worried about him. And I really wish there was something we could do to ease her worry, but I don't think there is. If we take care of one thing, she will move to the next on the invisible list in her head. It is her nature. She takes care. Of Dad. And the grandkids. And us.

So if you could, please pray for my mom. And my dad. And the medical staff. And all the things she worries about. Because we all want her to get better. For the pain to go away. To be completely healed.

Cause Isaac is right. Things are just a mess when his girls are sick.

Admitted

Mom (Susie) is being admitted to the hospital.

Her second EKG came back "concerning" and the doctors think she may be in the beginning stages of a heart attack. Her heartbeat is irregular. They will do a heart cath. The doctors used words that made my Tim very nervous.

She will be on the sixth floor of Doctors Hospital West within an hour or so.

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Angina/Angina_WhatIs.html

11:45 a.m. update:

Mom is still in the ER. The doctors are trying to get her pain stabilized before they move her to a room. She is on nitroglycerin and heparin. She is in a lot of pain, both in her chest and she has a headache.

2:25 update:

Mom has been admitted to Doctors West Hospital. Room 327. Tim is still with her. He says she is irritated by the low-cholesterol diet they just handed her. She is NPO at midnight for a lipid test. She is trying to get Tim to sneak her some butter and cheese.

Hijack

This is Karin, Susie's oldest daughter.

I have hijacked my mom's blog. She is currently in the ER having EKGs, x-rays, blood work, etc... for some chest pain that she has been having for the last couple of days. She describes the pain as "heavy." I'm not sure of the exact timeline, but she called my Tim at work this morning, he came home, changed clothes, went to mom's house, and took her to the hospital.

He is keeping me updated via text message and email. And even though she says not to, it is difficult not to worry about my mom. She is a strong woman and is still giving marching orders from the hospital bed. Tim said, "She seems ok. I keep making jokes and she's laughing. Told me I could go back to work, but not because I'm annoying or anything."

I will keep you posted.

Here she is spoiling my kids on Sunday...

Good News, Almost Good News

GOOD NEWS

As most of you know from reading Karin's blog, Princess Esther Faith is home,

ruling her domain once again. Everyone is happy.

Everyone.

Please check Karin's blog, it is excellent reading.

ALMOST GOOD NEWS

Dwight is back close to normal. Close. I called his kidney Dr and left a message of what was going on, including with his urine--they called back and said that

nothing that is happening is related to his kidneys.

Hm-m-mm-m?

He did go to 'a Dr' at his Dr's practice. His Dr is out of town,

and the substitute Dr thinks it has something to do with his thyroid-

again-hm-m-m.

Also, she continually stated that he needs to talk to his Dr. You think?

He needs someone to look at the whole picture and help us

straighten things out.

That Dr visit was pretty much a waste, hope the blood work is more successful.

He also had a very hard time getting down the carpeted halls, really could have used some help pushing.Iwanted to leave work early and meet him there but it didn't work out.

He took a two and half hour nap after supper.

Our wonderful grandson Isaac loves to go with his Papa

and is a great help pushing his chair, sure could have used him.

Isaac is an encouragement period.

Dwight is cold (normal anymore) but very much normal, no head fog. Tremors

very, very slight. Pain never leaves, but it should be worse with current

low front pressuring us.

Snow, beautiful snow.

We have about 8", unlike many other parts of the state and nation,

ours is much easier to deal with. I have some shoveled and more to do soon.
What I don't like is that when it starts to melt I'll spend allot of time mopping in the basement because of the stream that is the result of the

extremely poor work done

by the contractors (who disappeared) that did repairs after

the windstorm in September 2008.

But I am loving the beauty of it all. I miss New York.

Bad----Good

Woke this morning slightly after 6AM, or we could say after 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep, by a sound that told me I just had some extra work added to my day. I wasn't overjoyed, nor was Dwight as those two hours of sleep were part of our total of 3 hours.

It seems Dwight has some type of infection that is causing all kinds of extra problems. I do believe he is finally willing to call a Dr about it today. If he remembers. Part of the result of the infection is that he is far from logical. Conversation with him last evening (and into the night) was mostly frustrating, and if you allowed yourself to step back alittle--amusing. He does seem some better this morning. About 7:30 I got him into bed, something we couldn't do last night as he was too weak and had horrid tremors. I tried catching a nap also in my cozy bed, but two cups of coffee--and being more of a morning person keep sleep at bay.

After an hour of enjoying listening to my cat purr in my ear I got up for another cup of good coffee. (Dwight fixes the pot at night so all I do is plug it in in the AM--and he doesn't drink coffee--how sweet is that? Last night he used hot water, couldn't tell me why) The 25 year old percolator decided to test me this morning, as if I didn't have enough stress, it was plugged in but not perking. Then, after my first cup it lost power, even tho it was still plugged in. Unplug, replug--red light--hot coffee. Hope it is only the power cord as they don't make good percolators anymore.

GOOD

Our granddaughter, Esther Faith, is making good progress, altho she has hit a couple road bumps, I do encourage you to read my daughter Karin's blog as she is doing an excellent job keeping the world posted.

This morning I delighted the beautiful dusting of snow, it is so pretty on the lawn, but the road is clear. I am sorry to say that it is now almost all melted, I am glad I saw it at 6:30 on my way to the coffee pot.

Dwight's problem has been on going, receding and reappearing. It hit last evening shortly before Kristen and her kids were to leave the house. AS his chills got worse and I piled the blankets on and turned up the furnace even more, Aurora got concerned about him. Instead of him praying for Jackson and Aurora before they left they each prayed for Papa. PTL

God is good...