Busy days

Much has happened in the past couple weeks. Dwight had a very nice Father's Day, enjoying his children and grandchildren.

Dwight is still on strong antibiotics for a few more days, administered at the end of dialysis. He slowly has come back to almost normal numbers on his levels, a couple are not in acceptable range, one because one of his meds were not given to him while in the hospital. The other because of his poor appetite.

A super highlight was the promotion of our wonderful son in law to Sargent with the Ohio State Patrol. Trooper Henn is now patrolling the roadways around Marysville. See Karin's blog for an excellent sharing of the day and their lives now.

Unfortunately we now have fewer pets, including our beloved dog. Health issues and age took their toll. I continually find myself thinking I need to let the dog out, or feed her, or drop her a sample of human food. DeAnna was a wonderful dog and leaves us all sad.

God is good, and His blessings are greatly appreciated by this wife, mother, grandmother and friend of a few special ladies.

Surprised

After waiting out the thunderstorm at the Care Center (as noted by Jackson, the sign says Care Center, not nursing home, so hence forth....) I received a phone call from a JoAnn employee. She told me a good looking man had a delivery for me, where was I? At Speedway taking care of my hungry van.

Diane asked the man to deliver to my home but he refused. And she refused to tell me what it was, only that they would return in the AM.

While helping a customer this morning, a gentleman approached with an arrangement of cut, lilac colored flowers. From my husband, expressing his love for me and thanking me for loving him. Wow. Beautiful. It seems he partnered with our daughters to arrange this surprise for me . Thanks, thanks and thanks.

Visiting this evening he seems more his old self, only mellowed, more gentle, more patient, more thankful. I like all that, but am mostly thankful to still have his smile, to hold his hand, to look into his baby blues, and to kiss him good night.

He has already received several 'Happy Father's Day' greetings, including a balloon from the activities department of the Care Center. He couldn't go to the Father's Day Gala so they brought him and his room mate each a balloon.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's stopping by my blog; you are great.

Better, way better.

Dwight better. I was very surprised when he called me after dialysis. By himself. Yesterday he couldn't hold the phone, let alone use it.

He said that about an hour into dialysis he started to feel better. About 2 hours in and allot of things cleared up. He remembers some from yesterday, but not all.

He came back to Mill Run apologizing to everyone.

It was the missing dialysis, the poison in his blood. At the hospital he went four days without and then two days because the nursing home wanted to get him back on their schedule. Bad choice.

But he is mostly back to where he was. I notice little things that aren't right, and he has a fever, again, so we will be watching him closely.

But we are so thankful to the Lord.

I have more to share, but my eyes won't stay open.

Not good

Our life with Dwight continues to resemble a day at an amusement park. But we aren't amused. The roller coaster, the tilt a whirl, and a lot of other crazy rides .





Monday Dwight continued to be confused and his conversation often confused (an amused) us. They did put the ports in and he had his first dialysis in four days. We hoped to see an improvement, but did not.





Tuesday he was very tired and informed me that God was ready for him to come home. Also the Doctors decided he was ready to go back to Mill Run. He saw angels he saw in the room and wait for them to take him to heaven. He told me he wouldn't see another shift change, done at 7 AM and 7 PM. The transfer van came at 5:30, and...





At the nursing home my sweet husband was the worst mentally I have ever seen him. Something definitely happened on the ride. Dwight says he died and they gave him an IV and revived him. He was given no IV. He was just very tired and confused, very confused. He ate very little. He insisted the south won the war. He wanted almost everything taken off his bed table. He was making a flag on it. I am calling it instant dementia.





It was a challenging evening for our family and the Mill Run staff.





If possible, yesterday (Wednesday) was worse. An new drug has been added to calm him when agitated.





Thank you for your continued interest and prayers, they are certainly giving our family added strength. Please hold the grandchildren up in prayer, they so want their grandfather to get better and come home.

Up and Down and Up

Friday and Saturday we continued on a downward spiral. Saturday the Doctors and nurses were quite concerned, to the point of quizzing Dwight (and I) on his DNR. I left for lunch, a nap and off to work not knowing if I would get a phone call of bad news.

The Doctors decided Dwight was sleeping too much because of the pain meds he is on. Also the baclifin, that he has been on for years. They lowered and stopped some of them. A Doctor from his family practice noticed that he hadn't had one of the IV antibiotics since Wednesday and wrote orders for it and another one that he has had in the past.

This morning he is conversing, not quite normal, but understanding our questions and giving good answers, slowly. They are going to replace the dialysis ports tomorrow and do dialysis. Maybe, maybe.....back to Mill Run soon.

I am not going to count any of it as a 'for sure'. I would love it to happen, but I know my husbands health is still percarious and will take one day, one hour at a time. Dwight belongs to the Lord and we both are at peace with whatever the Lord chooses for us.

Thursday

I know many of you are checking often for reports on my wonderful husband, and I don't want to let you down. I am writing this with tears clouding my vision. The news is not the best, although there may be good news I am just not realizing yet.

Sunday morning and afternoon were definitely our high spots. Nothing short of a miracle. Even Dwight's Doctor was surprised to find him alive. And he was very much our 'Dwight'. He visited very clearly with Doctors, nurses, two Pastors, all of our family that visited.

Monday he seemed a little down from Sunday, but he had dialysis and that always tires him. Tuesday there were more Doctor's visits than he can remember. Wednesday he had dialysis again and they removed the ports from his chest. The plan is to replace them Monday. Yes, that means four days without dialysis. They will be monitoring his blood very closely.

What is it? Still not totally sure. The infectious disease Doctor isn't convinced on the pneumonia. There is no pinpoint name, just a bad infection. With the ports out (possibly the source of the infection) they hope to 'purify' his blood. More wait and see.

Last night all our children and grandchildren wanted to visit him. He said no, he didn't want them to see him like he was. I am sorry I honored that request because I found him in a worse state today. Much more repeating himself, loss of muscle control (jerking) and dozing off. I let the families know they could come for a short visit. He had two visits from family and I must say he did perk up when the kids were there.

Several of you have expressed concern for me, I do appreciate that. I am more tired than normal, I guess that is how my body/mind copes. I am trying not to let it depress me and am trusting God to do His will. God does have a reason for this, for all of our family. I am praying for each of my children and grandchildren to discover what God is teaching us through this. For all of us to understand God loves us and Papa loves us, no matter how much we don't like this.

So happy to know I have friends who are hanging in with us in support and prayers.

I am typing this outside in the cool breeze of the evening. My flowers look beautiful and fireflies are flitting around in the yard. A few birds are singing their good night song. Our maples have grown and are casting their shadow from the street light. Thank you, Tim, for not listening to me (this time) and creating this little oasis outside my back door.

I am blessed.

A name--kinda

Not all cultures are finished growing, but the dozen or so Doctors pretty much agree on what Dwight's body is playing host to this time:

Pneumonia;

a different, nameless kind. #1) it isn't affecting his lungs. No fluid on the lungs, no problems breathing. The spot they found on his lung is not related to it at all. #2) it isn't from any conventional sources of pneumonia. It is probably from the port/catheter they use for his dialysis. They are going to remove the port/catheter, and not replace it for 7 days.

All this is so odd sounding I asked Dwight to repeat it.

Twice.

Same all three times.

Will any of this change? Maybe.

Will I be surprised? No, and I am sure you won't be either.