I Couldn't Be Happier

...it is so amazingly good to be able to call my sister and wish her a happy birthday!  Millie, I am so glad you were born, so glad you are my sister. I adore you and I hope you know always how very much I love you. You are the most patient person I know. I strive to have the kind of love you have for so many...a love that is patient, and kind, and trusting at all times. I hope you are able to celebrate your special day in the way that makes you happiest, surrounded by family. I love you!

Finish Each Day

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. - Emerson

Visitors

It has been a beautiful day. We can see it out the window. :)

Mike has had several visitors today. We are grateful for that.

Dave and Joanie came by and visited this afternoon. Mike really enjoyed that visit, we both did. It has been a while, maybe last summer since we've seen Dave and Joanie. (Mike has seen Dave, forgot about that.) It is always good to visit with them. They brought a couple bean burros (much needed protein) for Mike, too! :)  Joanie is back to work at UPS after having carpal tunnel surgery. It took a long time for doctors to get her diagnosis right. She almost had more invasive neck surgery because that is what doctors thought was needed. We're so gad she's doing well.

Jacob came up and visited, Pepsi in hand :),  a few minutes while picking up their hair clippers. They brought the clippers last week and Mike has had a shave and haircut. Nice. I cut his hair and used the clippers to trim down the beard, he shaved the remaining beard. Jacob came up to the room, Maria was down in the car with the kids. I walked Jacob out so I could visit Daphne and Davis and say hi to Maria. Those little ones are so cute!

A short while after they left, Kelly arrived with the two girls! That was fun! Ashlee is walking!!! I didn't have my camera so no pics. :(  It is so cute to see her tiny little body bobbing along as she takes one step after another, now with purpose instead of just movement. Her hair has gotten so much lighter blonde, too! Kelly says she had dark hair, John did have dark hair when he was born. His turned blonde quickly but not as light as hers. Ashlee's is more like her Uncle Quentin's hair as a youngster. Maybe even lighter that his, too. Baylee just did a bunch of cuddling with Grandma. :) Made my day. She was hesitant about Grandpa for a while, he looked so different with the shave. It took her a bit to warm up to him but she did and was her usual loving self giving Grandpa hugs. :) It was a surprise to hear Kelly has had some health issues herself. Hopefully she'll get things balanced out in her system before long.

It was so good to visit with everyone today. I am so grateful to have little bits of time with sweet little grandchildren. I know Mike appreciates those moments, too. And he always enjoys time with special people. Our kids and their families and Dave and Joanie are all pretty special.

Saying Goodbye

A friend of mine passed away last Friday. Her funeral was today. It is always hard to say farewell. It is especially hard when saying farewell to a friend. I should have been a better friend for Donna. I should have visited more often. I should have offered to take her for appointments a bit more often. I loved visiting with her, I loved spending time with her as we traveled for appointments. She loved vistiting with my little grandchildren if they were with me as we made those travels. They have been blessed to have that time with her. I have been blessed to have that time with her. I will miss my friend.

Bacterias

We got back the results of the cultures done on Mike's drain connections. There's a bit of good news and some bad news. The good news...no more MRSA! Hooray!!! That is seriously such good news. MRSA was not found in any of the four drain tubes. Mike has fought such a tremendous battle against this infection. He has even faced a couple life and death occassions during this illness.

I am so grateful for the prayers that have been offered in his behalf. I know that prayers are heard, I know prayers are answered. I know Mike has gained strength from the love and support offered through prayers. I am consumed with joy and gratitude that Heavenly Father has seen him safely through these struggles. There are still challenges for the future but one of the more severe challenges facing him at this time has been overcome.

One of the new struggles Mike will have is battling new bacterial infections. :( As the doctor said to Mike, "You've had some really unusual things growing in you."

Last week, drainage from Mike's tubes took on a nasty, foul odor and the look and consistency of the discharge changed. Everyone seemed to shrug it off, except me, of course. I really did want to know why things changed, what was going on in there. When one of the drains got a bloody discharge, I pushed a bit harder for answers. Cultures were taken of all four drains and the results have been a surprise. Mike has several new bacteria growing in him. ::(

Enterocacter cloacae - heavy growth
Pseudomonas aeruginosa - heavy growth
Gram negative bacilli - heavy growth
Staphylococcus species - scant growth
Klebsiella pneumoniae - heavy growth

Seriously! I looked up each of these and they're all so unusual...and exposure comes in a hospital setting! :( He's in the hospital.care center because of infections and getting more and more infections as he goes along. Each of the bacteria is opportunistic, moves in when someone is already in a weakened condition. And Mike has certainly been weakened over these weeks and months.

Fortunately, the doctor had already started Mike on an antibiotic, Cefapine, in anticipation of the final results (based on prelim results) so Mike has already started treatment effective against each of these bacteria.

Since one of the drains had blood in it...that means these bacteria have access to Mike's circulatory system. It is my prayer that the treatment will stop these bacteria and prevent them from gaining access to his blood system. It is my prayer that Mike will continue gaining strength and energy and will effectively fight off these new bacterias that have invaded his body.

Tests and Such

Mike is going to the hospital today for a CT scan. I will be pushing him over there in a wheelchair. It'll be a workout for me, that's for sure!

Thoughts of Norman

It is still so hard to acknowledge that two of my siblings have already crossed the veil. Norman is one of the two, Anthony is the other. Today would have been Norm's 52nd birthday. I am missing him bunches on his special day. Love you, Norman. Always will.

A Feast

Yum! Maria provided a feast for Mike and I to share for dinner this evening. And it was all so tasty! We thought she and Jacob were joining us for dinner but Jacob called a bit after six and said Maria would be dropping off the food to us. She made small green chile burros and included a side of sour cream, green salad, banana nut bread, and angel food cake with strawberries and whipped topping. What a treat! It was all so good and we appreciate so much the time and love that went in to preparing a home-cooked meal for us.

It Is Today

Today is here and we'll have fun in spite of the rain! Instead of a park we'll gather together indoors for lunch before going to the afternoon show. I am so looking forward to this outing with my precious grandchildren and I'll be missing even more the one who is not here to participate. Fun, fun, fun!

Daily Progress

Each day brings new challenges and new accomplishments for Mike. He is getting stronger and stronger but still has so far to go. He is participating in physical and occupational therapy during the day but it wears him out to complete those sessions. Yesterday, he walked to an outdoor patio and sat in the open air for about 30 minutes. It is the first he's been outdoors other than the ride here from Show Low on 3/30. He misses being outdoors. Hopefully soon he will be able to spend more time outside.

Mike has enjoyed visits with each of the boys since being here. Quentin was here last Sunday and John and Jacob have each been here a couple times. John stayed the night with Mike a couple days ago when I made a trip up to St. Johns.

The days are long and slow. I know the pace bothers him but he still has such a long road to travel to get back in good health. The slow pace lets his body heal at its own rate. Mike is nearly off meds now, well off many of the meds. He still has the feed tube in his abdomen but isn't getting nourishment via the tube. He is able to eat anything his appetite allows and still is working on high protein foods. The feed tube is used for giving him especially distasteful meds and supplements, like syrupy proteins. Mike receives potassium each day. Those are huge old tablets but they dissolve very quickly. He tried swallowing one down at the start and it caused so much grief as it disintegrated in his upper throat. Too far down to cough up and not far enough down to avoid choking. Now, he puts the tablet in a bit of water and sucks it down using a straw once it's fully dissolved, usually just a minute or so.

Mike gets a shot in the abdomen each evening to prevent blood clots. He gets a medication to prevent stomach disorders from the meds and he gets the regimen of meds needed to keep his heart and circulation working as they should. He still receives Vancomycin by IV each morning.

It sounds like a lot, it really is just a bit when compared to all he had going on just a couple weeks ago. His coloring and contenance is so much better than it had been. He really is looking himself these days...especially if you forget the fact he's wearing a hospital gown! :)  He rests a lot but he's also holding up his head while sitting and walking more uprightly, and he's walking! That in itself is a huge step (no pun intended) forward.

Love my guy, love that he's getting better each day.

Planning For Fun

It is going to be so nice to spend time with the grandchildren this weekend. All but one of them will be getting together for a picnic lunch followed by an afternoon of Disney on Ice. Jayden won't be participating with her cousins, she is in Maryland with her mommy.

Tickets for the outing were gotten way back on March 4th, after I returned from New Zealand and before we knew how very sick Mike still was. There was a brief block of time that morning when the tickets were available at 50% cost reduction. Gotta love a good deal, especially when it means lots of fun with the little ones!

I made a card for each of the grandchildren; just a tiny message of love.

It will be so nice to spend time with the grandchildren and let go of the stress and worry for a few hours. As the day gets closer, I find myself being more and more excited. I can't wait to see their faces and hear them as they watch the Princesses and performances on the ice. Oh what fun!

GO = Grandchildren Outing :)

Slow Going

Parallel Parking

Posers

POAR

Today

Thinking of my dad and missing him bunches. Seventy-five years ago today he was born. He left far too soon. Love you Dad.

Cousins & Such

A Boy and his Flashlight

This picture shows my living arrangement while Mike is in the care center. In ICU I had kidded about having a two foot by two foot area. Here it is more like two foot by six foot. The chair makes out to a narrow twin size bed. That's my space. :)

And what do you do for a two year old when he's visiting Grandpa in a small room? Give him a reading light, of course! Check out that smile.

He's now able to explore dark areas.

Although there's still a bit of hesitancy on entering into the darkness.

But there's not a hint of concern on climbing into a ighter, brighter cabinet. He loved having this door closed so he could play with the light in a dark area.

It was so much fun to watch Davis play. Mike was enjoying it, too. He's always been a proponent of giving toddlers a flashlight. One of the best toys ever.

State of Confusion

Is it any wonder I'm confused at times? ;)  Check out these menus posted outside the dining room here at the care center.

Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?

Huh? March? Okay.

She Got Me

TJei called me late this afternoon. She was in tears and so distraught. "Grandma, they won't let me go to second grade" she exclaimed through her tears. What, baby? Who won't let you go? What are you talking about?"

"The school" she said. "I missed too many days and they won't let me go to second grade!"

My heart just broke for her. At the same time, my mind raced...what the heck? She hasn't missed that much school. What on earth was going on?

Then TJei squeeled...with laughter. "April Fool's!"

Oh my gosh. The girl got me good. She totally had me believing she was being held back.

More Catching Up

There is still a lot of catching up to do in pictures and in journaling. The flowers were still looking pretty even on the last day of Mike's hospital stay. I love daisies so especially enjoyed their bright and sunny show of color during Mike's hospital stay. Many people commented on how pretty they were. :)

This is the disposable blood pressure cuff they used for Mike. With MRSA, much of the equipment and supplies used in Mike's room were disposable. This cuff caught my eye too because of the size. Would you ever in your life expected that an adult small anything would have fit Mike's upper arm? I sure wouldn't have.

This is all that pureed food. :) That's fish on the left and cole slaw in the bowl. Yuck! Mike didn't eat any of it. I don't blame him. Shudder, I had a hard time even looking at it. There was nothing at all appetizing about the meal.

It's nearly empty but this nourishment goes into Mike's small intestine each night, from 6pm to 6am.

Mike has been adjustng to the new surroundings. I have been, too. There is a chair in the corner of the room that unfolds to make a twin-size bed. I have spread a sheet on it (we brought some bedding) and use it to sleep on at night. Except last night. I went to Quentin's in STV and stayed the night. I did laundry and had a "Hollywood shower".I worried myself sick about Mike being alone, and he worried too about being alone, but we both got along well. Mike called me when I was just a short distance from the care center. He wanted me to bring him a breakfast burrito from McDonalds. Alright! He "wanted" something to eat. That's been a long time coming. He just wasn't up to whatever was being served here.

John stopped by on his way home from work. He was bearing gifts, too. A Pepsi for me and a protein bar for his dad. A-w-e-s-o-m-e!  It was good to visit with him. He stayed quite a while and "talked shop" with Mike. He may have even stayed longer except poor little Ashlee was sick and Kelly was taking her to see a doctor. She had actually been seen while John was here but he needed to get on home to help with his little family. Hope Ashlee gets better quickly.