Day 4

This is day 4 with Don's new meds and so far he has been pain free & sleeping 8 hours a night. Still not eating much more but hopefully soon.

Now it's my turn . . . I'm officially 28 pounds lighter than I was a Christmas & I've paid my monies and joined Curves for the next year.

A Spring Picnic

I haven't written in a really long time . . . I got tired of talking about Dons health and I'm sure you were tired of listening to me. It's been a tough start to the year but hopefully things are starting to turn around.

I've been to the Opera a couple of times and really enjoyed it. Colleen, Shane, Krysta & Molly were all here for Easter which was wonderful - we got to spend lots of time just visiting. I've started going to the gym, I love Zumba classes and have lost just over 20 pounds since the first of the year. Dons health is still up & down but we went to the Dr again last week & they changed meds for him so hopefully if we can manage the situation, get him sleeping more he will have less pain, get him taking the pain meds on a regular basis he will feel more like eating, get him eating more & he will gain a couple of pounds & feel better about himself . . . cross your fingers for us!

I packed a picnic lunch today & we set off on a drive . . . didn't go far just explored some of the back roads around Vernon we had never been on. We landed up at the Head of Okanagan Lake, found a place to stop with a view of the lake & the mountains and unpacked our lunch. Took Don about 2 seconds to find a horse in a pasture that he could share some of the carrots & apple with. I'd forgotten how good a horse in a pasture feels & smells!

Don's been discharged . . .

. . . He's safe & sound at home. Been pain free now for 4 days so hopefully . . .

THANK YOU!

I don't know who you are but Thank You! to the Good Samaritan that came and shoveled my driveway. You'll never know how much both Don & I appreciate your kindness!

Well Don's back in the hospital

Called the ambulance Monday morning just before 8 - Don was unresponsive and not able to get out of bed. I knew it was coming he's been getting more pain and weaker every day for the last six weeks.

The ER did all the standard blood & fluid tests, a CT scan to make sure it wasn't a stroke, ECG to make sure it wasn't a heart attack . . . on the up side he didn't have a stroke, didn't have a heart attack, doesn't have diabetics and all his organs are functioning properly just that pesky feeling of a "tennis ball" trying to go from his stomach and up thru his asaphagus. Once they got the pain under control he was feeling much better but they wanted to keep him overnight.

I was up at the hospital this morning by 8 am so that we could both talk to the Dr during rounds. Don's been admitted and is on a ward now (rm 227 east) waiting for another endoscopy. The Dr is going to put a referral in to the Pain Clinic at St Paul's in Vancouver. No one seems to be able to pin point what is wrong with Don so let's start finding ways for him to cope with the pain . . . because its a vicious circle, he has the pain and it gets too bad, then he doesn't want to eat very much because he's in such pain, then he gets weaker because he hasn't eaten much, then he can't do very much because he's weak, then the depression hits because he can't do very much and around around we go.

He's resting comfortably and would love company . . . bring the Vancouver Province if you go up to see him! He actually looks better tonight than he has in a couple weeks - amazing what being on an IV for fluids and pain meds pumped straight in can do for him!

Up to 5 km walks

Yes siree Donna & I are now walking 5 km every other day! Very proud of ourselves . . . . could even say smug. We started out at the beginning of the year walking 2 km every other day and my goal for the year was 5 km 5 times a week so we are definitely getting there! I'm doing great but Don is getting worse if that's possible. I don't know if he has the flu on top of everything else but he has no energy, doesn't want to get up in the mornings, eating very little but of course won't go to the Dr - its hard sitting by and watching him get weaker and weaker knowing there isn't a thing I can do. And then he will turn a corner and have a couple of good days and I feel like I imagined the entire thing.

Poor Don . . .  he just seems to get one thing under control and another pops up.  He's been suffering with his Diverticulitis so he's been only having clear liquids . . . now this does nothing good for his weight gain program, but his lower abdomen was feeling a little better.  Now he's got the pain back in his chest and thru to his back every time he eats . . . yes the same pain that brought us back from Mexico last year.  

He heard from the MRI people in Kelowna and they have looked over all the "films" that have already been taken and they can't see anything either and they don't really feel that an MRI would show anything more.  This was not what we wanted to hear, we were both hoping that maybe they would be able to see something that someone else had missed or that an MRI would show something new.  


It's tough because Don's world was always so large, he curled, he golfed, he bet the ponies, met the guys for a drink 3 or 4 times a week, he went on golf trips with the boys, we went on holidays to Mexico and now his world is becoming very small. . . we go to the hockey games and when he is feeling ok he skates with the boys but even that is too much right now, when he's on liquids he simply can't use any calories on exercise he has to conserve them.   We went out for pizza after the hockey game a week or so ago . . . sounds like such a simple thing . . . it's not anymore.  The Doctor had told us about 6 months ago that Don wasn't to eat anything that wasn't cooked in our own home. . . .we didn't want to believe that but unfortunately I think he might have been right, seems that when we do eat out  he has problems afterwards . . . sometimes only small set backs, sometimes more painful (like this time).  Golf membership is due on February 1st and I honestly don't know what is going to happen. . .  right now he can't even sweep the snow off the front steps without causing extreme pain - I can't imagine how golfing is going to feel.


We all say "oh the last time I did that"  but you never really think that the last time might actually be the last time - remember to enjoy what you have today, treasure it . . . tomorrow is not a guarantee!

The Enchanted Island

I went to the Met Opera again this morning . . . it was wonderful. Joanne and her sister in-laws came too. We saw   The Enchanted Island   which is sort of the next installment of A MidSummers Night . . . with liberties. Didn't make it to exercise before I left but did shovel snow for a half hour so that's it for today. After the show we went for a glass of wine & nachos so my will power is a little on the weak side right at the moment . . . My get up and go . . . Got up and left. Tomorrow is a new day and I enjoyed this one very much!

It's January . . .

. . . Dons worst month of the year. Traditionally he has some discomfort during the winter but this year . . . it's oh so special. We've been up in the night the last couple days - not so bad if I have the next day off but a killer going to work if we've been up since 2:30am. He's finally decided that he has to go to the Dr - yippee! He's had pain in his chest, pain in his back, pain in his lower abdomen & he's got a cold on top of it all! I was having trouble working up much sympathy if he won't do anything to make himself feel better. Hopefully if he gets some antibiotics to work on the infection, eat only clear liquids (not great for his weight but what can you do) he will be feeling better in a week or so. I'm going to start going to the tanning salon this week - tired of looking pasty white, I need colour! Still walking every day, up to 4km a day . . . I know that doesn't sound like much but that's huge in my life. Must go now have things to do & people to see!

A week into the New Year . . .

. . . and I've been a very good girl. Eating healthy, doing some excercise every day & trying hard to let go of the stuff I can't control. That's harder than it sounds . . .Don's not feeling well again - pain in his upper chest thru to his back which means that he isn't eating very much so is losing weight, getting depressed & lethargic - But I can't control it & unless he goes to the Dr to let him know the Dr won't do anything about it. I wish there was something I could do to make him more comfortable, but there isn't, the only thing I can do is make sure I stay healthy! Don't worry about me, I'm actually feeling stronger than I have in the last year.