Crazy Cats

My Snookzie, who is almost one year old, is a very beautiful cat. Altho' he is probably the largest cat I have had, he is still light weight. Sophie Rose, Kristen's cat, is smaller but very much overweight. Hard to believe the way the two of them chase through the house. Their favorite time to chase is when we are going bed. We are disappointed that neither is a lap cat, I have told them I have considered the addition of a third cat or a dog, but they don't seem to take me serious.

Dwight continues much the same. He is continually tired and takes allot of naps, although on dialysis days he doesn't sleep as well at night, waking often. All the infections have affected his mind, it takes him longer to think things through and respond in conversation. Very frustrating for myself and the children, not the same as he was two years ago before this started. He seems to have lost more weight.

A couple of minor surgeries have been suggest to reduce the urinary tract infections, he has agreed to one of them, now just trying to getting it set up. The urogolist won't see he because we have an outstanding balance. I was unaware of it and told them it is kinda hard to pay a bill when you don't send me one. Still waiting to receive it.

Sam and his girlfriend where down over the weekend and spend time with Dwight. It is hard to believe that in one month Sam will be heading out on the Appalaciation Trail. We will be keeping up with him on his trail blog.

I am still looking for winter and have asked the Lord for a snowfall of at least a foot.....

Snow

What a boring winter we are having. Can not believe it is February and we haven't had any more than a half of snow at a time. I know not to expect snow belt snow in central Ohio, but really...my snow shovel is getting lonely. Just one good snow of a foot or more would be more than welcome.

Dwight went back to Mill Run Wednesday evening(Feb 1). They did dialysis in the hospital on Wednesday and we made sure the nursing home had him scheduled for Thursday. They didn't get an actual diagnosis of the newest bug until Friday, but in time to order it for Friday night's RX delivery to the nursing home so he could get started on a new antibiotic. It was ordered and delivered but the nurse on his hall didn't give it to him, said it wasn't in the delivery. Don't understand how you can get a drug delivery and not take care of it. It all has to be checked in and properly stored in the locked supply room. They did get him started Saturday night, it does to seem to be working. Dwight doesn't seem as cloudy in his thinking, he did sleep through most of the Super Bowl. (But they did hear my cheering out in the hall!!!)

Dwight does seem some weaker, and I do believe he has lost more weight.
Most of his blood work looks pretty good for a guy on dialysis.

Dwight is very thankful for his Kindle, it is light weight and with the large font setting it makes it very easy for him to continue his Bible reading and study. He spends a good amount of time praying for his family and for other prayer needs.

Can't say he is happy about the snow, or the cold. But he is happy that I am happy with our half inch of white fluff. It is so pretty.

In the Hospital Again

Saying good morning to Dwight this morning, I had feeling we were in for 'it' again. But he often sounds tired and his conversation is a little off before breakfast. But about 40 minutes later he called and asked me to come see him, he needed to talk. Normally he knows I babysit Esther Faith on Tuesday, but he had either forgotten that or that it was Tuesday.

Pastor Tim had stopped in to see him before he went to dialysis and he immediately knew some was wrong and talked to me when he realized Dwight was have difficulty holding the phone and communicating. After talking to him and the nurse, we knew another infection had descend on my dear husband.

Off to Grant Hospital again. And again some in the ER thought he was having a stoke or something.... Please listen to me, I know what an infection does to my husband, please start the testing--find it and treat it.

We were there by 10:3o, it wasn't till 4 that they gave him a broad spectrum antibiotic. It was 6:30 when he got to a room. No food, no drink, no pain meds all day. But the infection was affecting him so that he wasn't aware of the pain. It was 8:30 before I was asked all the admitting questions. Gr-r-r.

Dwight also told me that he has been getting antibiotic shots at the nursing home for about four days, I knew nothing about that. I do believe I should have been told, and I will be calling tomorrow.

Dwight was sleeping when I left, he gets another dose of antibiotics at midnight, hopefully we will see some improvement. Also, they are to get him into dialysis first thing in the morning, three days without is one to many.

Thanks Pastor Tim for your help and thanks to all friends and family for the prayers going up.

Pity Party

I am hosting a Pity Party, all are welcome, altho' I know few will attend. Every once in awhile it is necessary, then you move forward.

First off, Dwight is doing quite well. It seems the antibiotic did its job, he is pretty much back to his normal. He is going to a new pain management Doctor on Friday. We are praying they can get him on a better management than he is on now. Someone at the nursing home, who doesn't see him to discuss his pain, keeps changing his drug program.

My self pity list:

1) I have been using Dwight's desktop PC since mine got sick, but his has limited hard drive and keeps yelling at me.

2) In the fall the dryer quit. Just stopped being helpful. You can faintly hear the heating element come on, but no tumbling is happening. Took the back off the dryer, the belt is intact and there is no fuse. Just a no go show boat. Not an overly big deal, I just hung some clothes line in the basement, dug out the clothespins, a fan and hang the clothes.

3) Just before Christmas my blue tooth printer decided to go off line. And of course the CD ROM is no where to be found to reload in the PC and get the printer to do its job. Gr-r-r

4) This morning I tried to run the dishwasher, it is very full of very dirty dishes. It is (was) a good dishwasher, a Maytag, you don't have to rinse your dishes dishwasher. It has been moved four times and still ran well, mostly. It is at least eighteen years old. Sometimes the door won't shut tight, it gets caught on the counter top. It was installed by Dwight in the wheelchair and an elderly gentleman from down the street so a couple hiccups are acceptable. Till this morning, the door wouldn't close tight--at all. As I tried the usual tricks the door removed itself partially from the dishwasher and now will not close or open completely. Just kinda hanging there. I truly appreciate the knowledge God gave someone to invent the dishwasher, and I am one who greatly enjoys that blessing. Guess it is time to shop. From somewhere where they install without spending a fortune . Guess I keep hanging my laundry for now.

I could list many other of life's challenges, but those are the ones that are causing me frustration today.

Thanks for attending my party, there is still coffee in pot, nice and hot--it works fine. Want a cup?

Getting Better

Thursday they changed Dwight's antibiotic and we started seeing improvements. He has been given this antibiotic by IV twice a day and by Sunday afternoon he was definitely better.

He had both Doctors visit him again on Friday, both presenting their opposite ideas to him. At this point neither will be used.

Dwight had several visitors from Church yesterday afternoon which served to put him in a great mood. I am not sure I can say the same about the Steeler's loss in the evening tho'.

It is planned for Dwight to return to Mill Run this afternoon. The IV antibiotic will be administered as a shot there.

I thank the Lord for his recovery from this round and to all of you who prayed for us, we really appreciate it and know it helps. This round has really wore me out, would love a couple normal days, but I know better.

Now to finish getting the Christmas decoartions taken care of......

What to do?

I can not honestly say I am seeing any improvements in Dwight. He is alittle more awake, but not totally understanding what is being said to him. It could be that the board spectrum meds just aren't doing much because he is resistant to them, or it could be that he is just so bad.

One Doctor has suggest one extreme that I don't believe Dwight could handle, and is a kinda like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen. Another Doctor suggest something totally in the opposite direction. They can't be further apart. I just don't know what to do. I have prayed with no answer. I have searched the scripture and felt like I was studying a math book when it is a history test I am going to take. I have prayed some more. Mostly, "God this is your man, your servant. You know better than any Doctor what is going on and what needs done. Please show us your will." And I wait, we all wait. It is hard on all of us: wife, children, in-law children and grandchildren, and extended family. My Mom worries so and wants to be here.

They finally got a result from the urine culture this AM and will start on a new antibiotic. We will see. How much more must my dear husband suffer? I love him so and miss the 'real Dwight'.

God, please, show us what is your Will.

At the Hospital Again

When I spoke with Dwight Monday morning I knew we having a problem. I hoped I was wrong, but about 12:30, in the middle of making mac n cheese from scratch, I got the dreaded call. Off to ER, all the classic symptoms of a bad infection. Only they didn't tell me his urine was mostly blood.

He didn't arrive until after 1:30. And it turned into a mostly waiting day. He didn't leave for a room till 1:30 in the morning. They did a chest X-ray, was the same spots they always see and declared pneumonia. A CAT scan and lots of blood work. The scan did show a serious problem, but no one worked on it till this morning in dialysis. Not something a dialysis RN does, but did, thank you.

Several DRs in, waiting on cultures to grow on the blood work, Dwight was given a general antibiotic in the ER. He continues to sleep, not eating or drinking anything. Another waiting game....

I have received several posts on Facebook of people praying, We thank all of you.