Well life has slowed down a little. We only have to go to the VA once this week and I don't have any doctors appointments this week at all. We may survive to live a little longer.
Nathan has a physical therapy on Wednesday and Friday mornings. He leaves about 8:15 or 8:30 a.m for that. Every morning I have to put on a compression stocking for him and two for Larry so I get my workout.
Larry had an appointment for a MRI at the VA this morning at 10:30 a.m. His doctor ordered it because he was having some balance problems after the surgery. We usually have to get up about 7:00 a.m. because we have to leave an hour early so that we are not late and we have all those rituals that we do every morning. We were actually ready to go by 9:00 a.m. but really didn't make it too early because the Valet Parking was swamped so we had to park ourselves in one of their parking lots and then ride the shuttle up to the hospital. But Larry is feeling so much better so that wasn't too alarming. He actually used his walker today rather than get a wheelchair so that was also a big step. They told us to not be alarmed if it took 2 hours to get in because sometimes they get backed up. Today they were only behind by an hour. They didn't take as long as the MRIs that I have had. But we were still not out before 12:30 p.m.
We decided to eat in a new restaurant chain that has come to San Antonio called Pollo Tropical. They have chicken a lot like El Pollo Loco which is Larry's favorite so he thought it was pretty good.
When we got home Nathan was home but he was doing his own thing. So we started watching a new TV series called "Person of Interest". I know it is not new but it is new for us. We have watched all of the"Bones" except the ones that they charge for so we had to find something else to watch. While we watched several episodes I worked on balancing our bank account and our budget and making sure that we had paid all our bills. When I got through we realized that we are almost out of money so we may have to cut down on our spending. But at least we had money left.
After that we ate and had dinner and then read scriptures and prayed to Heavenly Father. After that it was only 8:30 p.m. so I decided that was too early to go to bed and that I needed to do something else so here I am. As you can see it was not a very exciting day. Yesterday was about the same for us.
Nathan was at the lawyers all day yesterday working on something for a VA benefit. We went to Weight watchers and then were home until about 5:30 p.m. when he called us to come and pick him up. He was over on the West Side and so we decided to eat at La Palapas for dinner and let the traffic slow down as it was rush hour.
We had Nathan's kids for the weekend. When they came we had our son Jeff here visiting his father and so Nathan suggested that we take him down to the Riverwalk to a restaurant called Casa Rios. We also arranged for him to see his cousin Mike Trolinger and his daughter Alison there also. Jeff said he hadn't seen him for several years. It was crazy but is was a good time. Jeff went to a hotel for the night and flew out early Saturday morning.
Saturday I spent the day taking Maggie to gymnastics and helping Isaac make the first part of a torte. We finished it on Sunday morning (fast Sunday no less) and it was refrigerated while we went to church. I put a roast in but it wasn't quite finished so we had corn dogs and bagle bites for the kids and sandwiches for Larry and I. Then we had family home evening. The torte was refreshments for Family Home Evening so by the time the roast was done no one wanted to eat it. But it has made several tacos and sandwiches this week.
Last week when Jeff came after we picked him up at the airport on Wednesday evening we took him to Blanco BBQ and he said he thought it was as good as any Texas BBQ he remembered. It was just Nathan and Jeff and us that night. It was fun to have Jeff visit after not seeing him for three years and as Blanco BBQ is our favorite we loved it also.
Thursday Larry had an appointment at the VA for Larry and then we met John and Judy at Logan's steakhouse. We were supposed to meet at Texas Land and Cattle but when John and Judy got there they found that it had closed in January. Jeff seemed excited to see them as he hadn't seen them since he was a teenager. We had a good time but Larry felt like he couldn't eat anything because John and Judy worried that he might get too much salt from everything.
Thursday evening we had Nathan's kids and he decided to take them to the Denny's up the street. They had a ball with Uncle Jeff and really took to his sense of humor. He was good to play with them and entertain them so they looked forward to seeing him again on Friday.
I am sure there were things before that I should mention but I cannot remember them right now. I have had a hard time making myself stay up to work on the blog because I get tired but I will try to do better.
Presser/Christiansen Family
Wednesday, March 08, 2017
Sunday, February 26, 2017
February 25th and 26th
Friday was kind of a lazy day. Nathan had his physical therapy in the morning. Larry and I read our scriptures and we are trying to say a prayer before we read so that we can understand them better. Elder Oaks promised that we would understand the scriptures better if we would pray before reading. I have found that we tend to discuss what we are reading more as we read after we pray. And we can see things by the spirit that we have not seen before. We are reading the Doctrine and Covenants right now along with the curriculum for Sunday School and also the information about President Hinckley's teachings. I have had a lot of fear since my stem cell transplant and I ask Heavenly Father to help me not to fear. Basically I feel like Satan is going to get me. Today we read
4. Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his(the Prophet's) words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.
Basically this scripture says that if we do what the Prophet teaches us that Satan can have no power over us!! It was a marvelous moment to read that and realize what it said that I had never realized before.
After we showered on Friday and Nathan got home and we had lunch, I worked on the budget for a while and then Larry and I decided to go down to get the mail. I was hoping that Larry felt like walking. But he was afraid it was too far. So we rode to the mailbox and went to the grocery store to get some things that we had run out of . Larry did much better this week at the grocery store. He was able to stay with me the whole time. We took the food and went home.
I started working on the budget again while watching Bones. Larry and Nathan were in their bedrooms watching other things. So much for the Technology generation! After an hour I started dinner when I was hungry. I have had a lot of pain this week before it is time to take my pain pills so I find myself eating when I am in pain to compensate. We had a good dinner. Watching Bones until we were to the end of the series on Netflix. It ended with a hanging end so that was frustrating. It was frustrating so I sat down to work on the budget for a while because it was only about 6:30 p.m. I continued to work on the budget and realized that Larry had fallen asleep in his clothes. I let him sleep until I got to a stopping point about 10:00 p.m. Then I woke him up by taking off his stockings. Of course doing that woke him up but that way he was able to get his medications and insulin and get ready for bed.
The VA gave Larry some compression stockings and they have been wonderful in helping him to keep his ankles from swelling. He says they are comfortable but today he wore some different shoes to church and he had problems walking because his shoes were too big with those stockings on. But he was also having problems with his balance at the end of church so that was worrisome.
Today in church they talked about Primary and the importance of children and our teaching them to carry on the gospel to the next generations. One thing that I regret in raising my children is that I didn't spend more time with them and listen better and teach the gospel better. But I did the best I knew how at the time and I felt like I was doing a good job at the time but then I watch young mothers ignoring their children while they talk and I realize that I am seeing me when I was younger. I think the hard thing about growing older you have learned beyond where you were at a younger time and you always want to tell others what you have learned.
It is cloudy and it is supposed to rain today. It is really humid. I have been so hot.
I grilled steaks for lunch and for once they were perfect!! It was such a good feeling.
Nathan put on Mormon Channel today and it is great to listen to the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while I type.
4. Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his(the Prophet's) words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.
Basically this scripture says that if we do what the Prophet teaches us that Satan can have no power over us!! It was a marvelous moment to read that and realize what it said that I had never realized before.
After we showered on Friday and Nathan got home and we had lunch, I worked on the budget for a while and then Larry and I decided to go down to get the mail. I was hoping that Larry felt like walking. But he was afraid it was too far. So we rode to the mailbox and went to the grocery store to get some things that we had run out of . Larry did much better this week at the grocery store. He was able to stay with me the whole time. We took the food and went home.
I started working on the budget again while watching Bones. Larry and Nathan were in their bedrooms watching other things. So much for the Technology generation! After an hour I started dinner when I was hungry. I have had a lot of pain this week before it is time to take my pain pills so I find myself eating when I am in pain to compensate. We had a good dinner. Watching Bones until we were to the end of the series on Netflix. It ended with a hanging end so that was frustrating. It was frustrating so I sat down to work on the budget for a while because it was only about 6:30 p.m. I continued to work on the budget and realized that Larry had fallen asleep in his clothes. I let him sleep until I got to a stopping point about 10:00 p.m. Then I woke him up by taking off his stockings. Of course doing that woke him up but that way he was able to get his medications and insulin and get ready for bed.
The VA gave Larry some compression stockings and they have been wonderful in helping him to keep his ankles from swelling. He says they are comfortable but today he wore some different shoes to church and he had problems walking because his shoes were too big with those stockings on. But he was also having problems with his balance at the end of church so that was worrisome.
Today in church they talked about Primary and the importance of children and our teaching them to carry on the gospel to the next generations. One thing that I regret in raising my children is that I didn't spend more time with them and listen better and teach the gospel better. But I did the best I knew how at the time and I felt like I was doing a good job at the time but then I watch young mothers ignoring their children while they talk and I realize that I am seeing me when I was younger. I think the hard thing about growing older you have learned beyond where you were at a younger time and you always want to tell others what you have learned.
It is cloudy and it is supposed to rain today. It is really humid. I have been so hot.
I grilled steaks for lunch and for once they were perfect!! It was such a good feeling.
Nathan put on Mormon Channel today and it is great to listen to the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while I type.
Friday, February 24, 2017
February 24th
Today I thought that after we finished all the morning things we do to get ready for the day that I would be able to work on the budget this afternoon but I was wrong.
I laughed because Larry and I were hugging for a while this morning and he sat up and said do you mind if I watch Donald Trumps speech to the CPAC so we ended up watching that for the entire time of the speech. I know some people don't agree but it makes me feel good to see some of the changes he is making because I want them for our country but I don't think I am strictly a nationalist like he is.
Nathan went to his gym this morning and when he got back he went to talk to the office about the fact that they had come and taken the microwave that they loaned us while ours was being fixed. He also got the mail when he was there and Larry got a letter from AAA saying that it was time to renew and he insisted that we drive the half hour up to their office on 281 and get it fixed. So we did. I told him that I only wanted to do that and take him to get a haircut because I wanted to work on the bills and he understood.
Unfortunately for some reason the traffic in San Antonio was heavier than usual at 1:30 p.m. IH35 south was blocked for about 2 miles with slow traffic and IH410 west was also lined up solid so after we went to AAA Texas we determined to go home another way by IH1604 which wasn't a bad idea but there were places that it was blocked and slow also. But we made good time until we got to FM 78 that we live on.
I had to go to the bathroom so we stopped at Walmart we spent about 45 minutes there looking for a slinky for Isaac because Nathan wants to get him one to replace the one he had that Maggie tangled up for him. Then we remembered that we needed a picture frame to replace the one that had been broken and we wanted to get some frozen Mango because it comes in bigger packages there. We scored 2 of the 3 and decided to get the slinky online. Larry took his walker with him and he walked all around Walmart with no problem. The guy that fitted him for his compression socks told him that he needed to walk more or the socks would not be comfortable and he really took him at his word. I was pleased that his legs were not swollen when I helped him take them off tonight.
We came out of Walmart and headed west on FM 78 and the traffic was backed up for an accident. It took us 20 minutes to go about 2 blocks so by the time I got him to great clips and back home it was about 4:00 p.m. I was able to work on the budget for about an hour before it was time to make dinner.
Luckily they listened to Nathan and brought us another microwave that works so when we got back we had a microwave that worked. Last night when we got home the one they loaned us was gone so we thought that they had fixed ours and taken that one but when I got up this morning and tried to warm up a breakfast sandwich for Nathan it came out ice cold like before.
I fixed hamburgers for dinner and we watched three episodes of Bones and then we went in to read scriptures and pray together. Larry had got really cold so he told me that he was going to bed with his clothes on but after the air conditioner quit and I turned up the temperature setting on the dial it warmed up and he finally got up and got ready for bed. The thermostat in this apartment is not accurate and it is often frustrating trying to keep it a comfortable temperature. It was 83 today in San Antonio so it would be natural to have the air conditioner on but it was colder inside than it needed to be even though it was set to 75.
I laughed because Larry and I were hugging for a while this morning and he sat up and said do you mind if I watch Donald Trumps speech to the CPAC so we ended up watching that for the entire time of the speech. I know some people don't agree but it makes me feel good to see some of the changes he is making because I want them for our country but I don't think I am strictly a nationalist like he is.
Nathan went to his gym this morning and when he got back he went to talk to the office about the fact that they had come and taken the microwave that they loaned us while ours was being fixed. He also got the mail when he was there and Larry got a letter from AAA saying that it was time to renew and he insisted that we drive the half hour up to their office on 281 and get it fixed. So we did. I told him that I only wanted to do that and take him to get a haircut because I wanted to work on the bills and he understood.
Unfortunately for some reason the traffic in San Antonio was heavier than usual at 1:30 p.m. IH35 south was blocked for about 2 miles with slow traffic and IH410 west was also lined up solid so after we went to AAA Texas we determined to go home another way by IH1604 which wasn't a bad idea but there were places that it was blocked and slow also. But we made good time until we got to FM 78 that we live on.
I had to go to the bathroom so we stopped at Walmart we spent about 45 minutes there looking for a slinky for Isaac because Nathan wants to get him one to replace the one he had that Maggie tangled up for him. Then we remembered that we needed a picture frame to replace the one that had been broken and we wanted to get some frozen Mango because it comes in bigger packages there. We scored 2 of the 3 and decided to get the slinky online. Larry took his walker with him and he walked all around Walmart with no problem. The guy that fitted him for his compression socks told him that he needed to walk more or the socks would not be comfortable and he really took him at his word. I was pleased that his legs were not swollen when I helped him take them off tonight.
We came out of Walmart and headed west on FM 78 and the traffic was backed up for an accident. It took us 20 minutes to go about 2 blocks so by the time I got him to great clips and back home it was about 4:00 p.m. I was able to work on the budget for about an hour before it was time to make dinner.
Luckily they listened to Nathan and brought us another microwave that works so when we got back we had a microwave that worked. Last night when we got home the one they loaned us was gone so we thought that they had fixed ours and taken that one but when I got up this morning and tried to warm up a breakfast sandwich for Nathan it came out ice cold like before.
I fixed hamburgers for dinner and we watched three episodes of Bones and then we went in to read scriptures and pray together. Larry had got really cold so he told me that he was going to bed with his clothes on but after the air conditioner quit and I turned up the temperature setting on the dial it warmed up and he finally got up and got ready for bed. The thermostat in this apartment is not accurate and it is often frustrating trying to keep it a comfortable temperature. It was 83 today in San Antonio so it would be natural to have the air conditioner on but it was colder inside than it needed to be even though it was set to 75.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
February 23rd and before
Well it has been a crazy week. Larry is feeling better so we are going to bed later and I haven't had the energy to write late at night.
Sunday was crazy. I took the kids and Nathan to church. Larry stayed home because he felt like trying to go the time before was too much for him. He had had a two pound weight gain the night before and so I told him to call the nurse and find out what they wanted him to do. They say you should call with a 2lb. weight gain over 24 hours or a 5 lb weight gain in a week. The nurse told him to come in to the ER to be checked.
I found someone to stay with Nathan and the kids. Brother Ben Barlow in our ward is a single military man and he agreed to come over. As we were leaving he mentioned that he had been invited to dinner at the Montes family at 5:30 p.m. It was barely past three and I knew we wouldn't be back that soon and so I told him I would find someone to replace him. After I got Larry settled for a few minutes I had to go out in the main lobby to use my phone to call or text someone. When I looked at it he had already called Sister Montes and told her he might be late so instead of just saying okay she texted me and asked me if it was okay if she took part of the dinner to Nathan and the kids and Ben at the apartment. I called her and we talked she assured me that she wanted to help and seems how I had left Nathan and the kids with the admonition to eat what you can find I said sure. To me that is going above and beyond the call of duty. She said that her mother told her that she fixed too much food so maybe she was inspired. But I did feel bad about breaking up their dinner date.
But then started the marathon that being in the ER can be. It is so frustrating to wait for a half hour without seeing anyone while you wait. They worried about whether they should keep him or just change his medication and send him home. By the time that he went to the ER he had gained 9 lbs of water weight which shocked me. They ran a bunch of tests and took an X-ray and in the end he ended up coming home with an increased dose of Torsemide the diuretic that they are giving him to keep the water from building up in his body. That took from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. to decide. I was glad that he could come home. Monday morning his weight had dropped by 3 lbs overnight and has steadily dropped about that everyday since. On Tuesday when we went to Weight Watcher's he was down to his previous weight before surgery.
Monday was Presidents day so we had a long weekend with the kids. We had a lazy morning. Isaac was invited to a movie with a friend for his birthday. They came to pick him up and then Nathan was going to come and get him and take him to Cold Stone for ice cream because he got a gift card for his birthday. Sunday night they had a huge storm in San Antonio. There was lots of rain and 4 documented small tornadoes. There was a lot of power outage throughout the area. Anyway when they got to the movie theater it was closed because of no power so they went a few miles down the road and went to a pizza and game place called Mr. Gatti's. When we picked Isaac up he had had a good time but when we went to Cold Stone which was by the theater it was also closed because of no power so he was really bummed out.
Nathan had wanted to make ice cream with a small ice cream freezer that he had that I had given him a long time ago. So we decided to make some ice cream with that to cheer Isaac up. He made all of it with a little help from me and he was really excited when it "looked like real ice cream" and tasted good. They had a good time eating that and it seemed to cheer them up.
Wednesday Larry had his 2nd follow-up with Cardiology after he was hospitalized at the beginning of the month with Congestive heart failure. This time he was seeing a pharmacist with Cardology. We thought it was at Audie Murphy Hospital but when we got there just on time we found out that it was at the Shavano Park VA Clinic twenty minutes away. So the receptionist at Audie called the Dr. and she said that she could see us in about 2 hours at 1:00 p.m. So we put the address in our GPS and headed out for Shavano Park. I was surprized to find out the Shavano Park was East of the VA. In my mind it was West but I was wrong.
We had already eaten on the way up for lunch and so we didn't stop for that. We arrived about 12:00 p.m. We decided to just sit and wait and the Dr. actually came out to get us about 12:30 p.m. She went over all the things that Larry needed to know about the disease and evaluated his records of his weight and blood pressure and pulse over the last two weeks. She determined that the extra Torsemide was working and told him to stay on it. She was not worried about him until he mentioned that he was feeling off balance when he walked since the surgery so she went to his Primary care doctor, who's office was next door and they told her that we could see her at 3:00 p.m. which was about an hour from then but we decided to stay and see her. She ordered some tests along with Dr Kim the pharmacy Dr. and said that we should come in Today to get the tests done so they could get them back before Larry's appointment on Monday. So we agreed. We got a lot accomplished but it basically took us from 10:45 a.m. until 3:30 p.m when we were planning on an hour appointment at the most.
I did a lot of laundry and dishes and such before we left and so when we got home we decided to use a gift card that Jake and Nikki had given us for Christmas to celebrate the Valentines that we didn't get to celebrate. We asked Nathan if he wanted to go but he was tired and so we got him some Panda Express and we went by ourselves. It was fun to go out and sit and eat and talk but I was really disappointed with the meal I got at Red Lobster. It was a far cry from the picture that they had on the menu. But the steamed lobster tasted really good even if they looked scrawny.
Today we started out about 10:00 again. Nathan wanted to go with us because he had some business he needed to do at the VA. I am the only one who can drive right now even though Larry is really pushing to drive but his surgeons told him that until he can be out of the hospital for two weeks and get his heart failure under control he cannot drive. Well I almost hit a car going off the exit to Babcock Rd. It really shock me and everyone up. Then I went to park the car with the valet and was watching him and drove in front of a lady on the cross walk so Nathan started yelling at me and then I couldn't understand what the Valet wanted me to do to park and so I did that wrong. Needless to say Nathan and Larry were upset with me and I was upset with them and me when we got to the VA.
Nathan left us to go do his stuff and we went to the Blood lab. Then we went to Radiology and got Larry's x-ray and started the scheduling for the MRI. Then we went down to Prosthetics to get Larry measured for some support stockings and Nathan was there. After a few minutes he came out with a worker with a new Manual Wheelchair. It is much nicer and built to fit him better. He has been waiting for it for 18 weeks he said and they told him that it would come in 6 weeks. It really made his day. After Larry was fitted and got his stockings and Nathan was fitted to his wheelchair we were able to go home.
Larry wanted to take Nathan to a Taco place that we found on Babcock Rd that we liked called Wapo's Tacos. The food is pretty good and it has a clean nice atmosphere. So we went to lunch there and then came home.
This evening we took the Mercedes Van to pick up the kids and Nathan took his new chair to show them. It was nice to have room for everyone and it drives smoother. We went to Subway and then Nathan and the kids went to Target to look for a slinky for Isaac, because his from the party Monday got tangled up. Then for fun they went to Pet Co and looked at the animals. Larry was too tired to walk around and so he stayed in the Van while we did that.
When we got home my granddaughter, Taylor, called me and wanted to talk to me because her mother was talking to a friend and she didn't want to play with the friends daughters because they were younger. She was really animated and told me about not being able to go to school yet and how her dad felt about that and which Dr. would not let her go. She talked for a good 15 minutes. One of the funniest things she said was, "Grandma it must really be hard for you to take care of Uncle Nathan and Grandpa right now". I admitted that is was kind of hard and she said, "I understand. I have been having to take care of my Mom all day while she has been throwing up" So out of the mouth of Babes come the most interesting things.
Sunday was crazy. I took the kids and Nathan to church. Larry stayed home because he felt like trying to go the time before was too much for him. He had had a two pound weight gain the night before and so I told him to call the nurse and find out what they wanted him to do. They say you should call with a 2lb. weight gain over 24 hours or a 5 lb weight gain in a week. The nurse told him to come in to the ER to be checked.
I found someone to stay with Nathan and the kids. Brother Ben Barlow in our ward is a single military man and he agreed to come over. As we were leaving he mentioned that he had been invited to dinner at the Montes family at 5:30 p.m. It was barely past three and I knew we wouldn't be back that soon and so I told him I would find someone to replace him. After I got Larry settled for a few minutes I had to go out in the main lobby to use my phone to call or text someone. When I looked at it he had already called Sister Montes and told her he might be late so instead of just saying okay she texted me and asked me if it was okay if she took part of the dinner to Nathan and the kids and Ben at the apartment. I called her and we talked she assured me that she wanted to help and seems how I had left Nathan and the kids with the admonition to eat what you can find I said sure. To me that is going above and beyond the call of duty. She said that her mother told her that she fixed too much food so maybe she was inspired. But I did feel bad about breaking up their dinner date.
But then started the marathon that being in the ER can be. It is so frustrating to wait for a half hour without seeing anyone while you wait. They worried about whether they should keep him or just change his medication and send him home. By the time that he went to the ER he had gained 9 lbs of water weight which shocked me. They ran a bunch of tests and took an X-ray and in the end he ended up coming home with an increased dose of Torsemide the diuretic that they are giving him to keep the water from building up in his body. That took from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. to decide. I was glad that he could come home. Monday morning his weight had dropped by 3 lbs overnight and has steadily dropped about that everyday since. On Tuesday when we went to Weight Watcher's he was down to his previous weight before surgery.
Monday was Presidents day so we had a long weekend with the kids. We had a lazy morning. Isaac was invited to a movie with a friend for his birthday. They came to pick him up and then Nathan was going to come and get him and take him to Cold Stone for ice cream because he got a gift card for his birthday. Sunday night they had a huge storm in San Antonio. There was lots of rain and 4 documented small tornadoes. There was a lot of power outage throughout the area. Anyway when they got to the movie theater it was closed because of no power so they went a few miles down the road and went to a pizza and game place called Mr. Gatti's. When we picked Isaac up he had had a good time but when we went to Cold Stone which was by the theater it was also closed because of no power so he was really bummed out.
Nathan had wanted to make ice cream with a small ice cream freezer that he had that I had given him a long time ago. So we decided to make some ice cream with that to cheer Isaac up. He made all of it with a little help from me and he was really excited when it "looked like real ice cream" and tasted good. They had a good time eating that and it seemed to cheer them up.
Wednesday Larry had his 2nd follow-up with Cardiology after he was hospitalized at the beginning of the month with Congestive heart failure. This time he was seeing a pharmacist with Cardology. We thought it was at Audie Murphy Hospital but when we got there just on time we found out that it was at the Shavano Park VA Clinic twenty minutes away. So the receptionist at Audie called the Dr. and she said that she could see us in about 2 hours at 1:00 p.m. So we put the address in our GPS and headed out for Shavano Park. I was surprized to find out the Shavano Park was East of the VA. In my mind it was West but I was wrong.
We had already eaten on the way up for lunch and so we didn't stop for that. We arrived about 12:00 p.m. We decided to just sit and wait and the Dr. actually came out to get us about 12:30 p.m. She went over all the things that Larry needed to know about the disease and evaluated his records of his weight and blood pressure and pulse over the last two weeks. She determined that the extra Torsemide was working and told him to stay on it. She was not worried about him until he mentioned that he was feeling off balance when he walked since the surgery so she went to his Primary care doctor, who's office was next door and they told her that we could see her at 3:00 p.m. which was about an hour from then but we decided to stay and see her. She ordered some tests along with Dr Kim the pharmacy Dr. and said that we should come in Today to get the tests done so they could get them back before Larry's appointment on Monday. So we agreed. We got a lot accomplished but it basically took us from 10:45 a.m. until 3:30 p.m when we were planning on an hour appointment at the most.
I did a lot of laundry and dishes and such before we left and so when we got home we decided to use a gift card that Jake and Nikki had given us for Christmas to celebrate the Valentines that we didn't get to celebrate. We asked Nathan if he wanted to go but he was tired and so we got him some Panda Express and we went by ourselves. It was fun to go out and sit and eat and talk but I was really disappointed with the meal I got at Red Lobster. It was a far cry from the picture that they had on the menu. But the steamed lobster tasted really good even if they looked scrawny.
Today we started out about 10:00 again. Nathan wanted to go with us because he had some business he needed to do at the VA. I am the only one who can drive right now even though Larry is really pushing to drive but his surgeons told him that until he can be out of the hospital for two weeks and get his heart failure under control he cannot drive. Well I almost hit a car going off the exit to Babcock Rd. It really shock me and everyone up. Then I went to park the car with the valet and was watching him and drove in front of a lady on the cross walk so Nathan started yelling at me and then I couldn't understand what the Valet wanted me to do to park and so I did that wrong. Needless to say Nathan and Larry were upset with me and I was upset with them and me when we got to the VA.
Nathan left us to go do his stuff and we went to the Blood lab. Then we went to Radiology and got Larry's x-ray and started the scheduling for the MRI. Then we went down to Prosthetics to get Larry measured for some support stockings and Nathan was there. After a few minutes he came out with a worker with a new Manual Wheelchair. It is much nicer and built to fit him better. He has been waiting for it for 18 weeks he said and they told him that it would come in 6 weeks. It really made his day. After Larry was fitted and got his stockings and Nathan was fitted to his wheelchair we were able to go home.
Larry wanted to take Nathan to a Taco place that we found on Babcock Rd that we liked called Wapo's Tacos. The food is pretty good and it has a clean nice atmosphere. So we went to lunch there and then came home.
This evening we took the Mercedes Van to pick up the kids and Nathan took his new chair to show them. It was nice to have room for everyone and it drives smoother. We went to Subway and then Nathan and the kids went to Target to look for a slinky for Isaac, because his from the party Monday got tangled up. Then for fun they went to Pet Co and looked at the animals. Larry was too tired to walk around and so he stayed in the Van while we did that.
When we got home my granddaughter, Taylor, called me and wanted to talk to me because her mother was talking to a friend and she didn't want to play with the friends daughters because they were younger. She was really animated and told me about not being able to go to school yet and how her dad felt about that and which Dr. would not let her go. She talked for a good 15 minutes. One of the funniest things she said was, "Grandma it must really be hard for you to take care of Uncle Nathan and Grandpa right now". I admitted that is was kind of hard and she said, "I understand. I have been having to take care of my Mom all day while she has been throwing up" So out of the mouth of Babes come the most interesting things.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
February 18th
Saturdays with the kids are always busy. We get to sleep in to 8:00 a.m. because they are old enough to turn on the TV and have their IPads so they are entertained and Nathan is usually up by 5:00 a.m. so he is awake if they need anything.
Nathan is planning for two weeks recipes that he wants me to make with the kids. Then it can change on Saturday if he sees something that he likes that day. I went shopping earlier in the week and told him I would make three things this weekend and got the things that we needed but then this morning he saw two more recipes that he wanted to make and I needed to get some things for those.
Anyway after getting something for everyone for breakfast Larry and I read scriptures this morning for about an hour. At about 11:00 a.m. I decided I better get dressed because I have to take Maggie to gymnastics at noon. So I did that and then we fixed lunch for Maggie and I before we left.
Meanwhile Nathan was helping Isaac make brownies from his Thrive food storage mix that he wanted to cook in jars that can be saved for a while. When things were not working the way he wanted he would call me and ask me to help Isaac. Isaac made the brownies himself with just a little help from me. They were cooking before we left. I asked Isaac to help me get the things he used cleaned up and the counters washed but of course he forgot.
While Maggie went to class I went shopping at the HEB next to the dance studio. We were able to get the things to make the things Nathan discovered today and some fresh fruit and salsa and other things. Maggie was disappointed that I had already shopped because she wanted to help me. So I had her help me take in some groceries when we got home and the boys got some also.
Nathan and the boys had gone to the basketball court while we were gone. Maggie was disappointed that she didn't get to go and Nathan told her she could go over after we made cookies so she was happy with that but we never made it.
I put a roast in the crock pot to use for sandwiches or tortillas and Maggie, Sammy and I had some watermelon to eat. I told Nathan that I needed to rest for a half hour and then we would make the cookies so I went and got Larry's pills for him and then I sat down to look at Facebook on my phone. Two hours later and hurting because I forgot to take my own pills I realized that it was time to make cookies. Nathan has a cookie mix with his Thrive food storage that is pretty good and makes it easier to make the cookies but they are still work cooking. We made white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. I didn't know if the kids would eat them but they ate a few along with the brownies.
After that I made a smoothie from Nathan's Thrive freeze dried fruits and some yogurt and orange and pineapple juice. I made the kids all try it but only David drank a 3 oz cup, Nathan and Larry and I drank the rest. At that point I checked the roast and shredded it because it was done. Nathan and Larry wanted some on a bun. I tried it and then started to talk to Nathan thinking I had swallowed it and it came back up and went into my windpipe and I coughed for about 15 minutes so I decided not to have anymore for a while. The kids were still full from eating cookies and brownies and fruit and a vegetable tray I bought for them at the store so they did not want any so once again I went into rest. At this point I had not finished the dishes and David had left a pan from cooking Pizza Bagels while I was gone and Isaac's dishes were not cleaned up yet.
Nathan decided that the kids could help him move all the books out of the bookshelves in our room and take them to his closet. They were not very happy about this and complained a lot. Sammy seemed to scream anytime anyone asked him to do anything that was not playing on the IPad or watching TV today. But the boys got them moved with lots of complaining while I was making cookies with Maggie.
Larry spent most of his time in the bedroom watching Fox news and some of the other programs he likes. I went in with him to rest. After a while all the kids started screaming again. Nathan wanted them to do the dishes and they were not happy about it. They also had to complain about what everyone else was doing and it got pretty loud. I stayed in my room most of the time because Nathan is the parent and I think that it is good that he is teaching them to work but I did come out one time when I thought David was going to kill Sammy but Nathan got them all calmed down by dividing up the jobs that they had to do and eventually they got most of the dishes finished.
We said prayer as a family and then Nathan told the kids to get their pajamas on and brush their teeth. Maggie wears pull ups here and she informed us that she didn't have any left so Maggie and I drove to Target across the street and got her some. She is quite the conversationalist. It is fun to go with her. She talks as much as I do. She told me all about how she doesn't wear pull ups at her moms because her mom says she doesn't need them but then her mom has to wash her sheets and put them on her bed. I wish I had the energy to do that but pull ups are fine for me and my dad used to say that by the time they are twenty you can't tell what age they were potty trained.
So I came home and read scriptures with Larry and Maggie played on her IPad. He wasn't feeling well tonight so he went to bed at about 8:30 p.m. Maggie came out and talked to me and helped me clean up the rest of the kitchen and now she has fallen asleep by me on the couch so unless she wakes up when I get up she will stay there because I cannot lift her into her top bunk bed.
Nathan is planning for two weeks recipes that he wants me to make with the kids. Then it can change on Saturday if he sees something that he likes that day. I went shopping earlier in the week and told him I would make three things this weekend and got the things that we needed but then this morning he saw two more recipes that he wanted to make and I needed to get some things for those.
Anyway after getting something for everyone for breakfast Larry and I read scriptures this morning for about an hour. At about 11:00 a.m. I decided I better get dressed because I have to take Maggie to gymnastics at noon. So I did that and then we fixed lunch for Maggie and I before we left.
Meanwhile Nathan was helping Isaac make brownies from his Thrive food storage mix that he wanted to cook in jars that can be saved for a while. When things were not working the way he wanted he would call me and ask me to help Isaac. Isaac made the brownies himself with just a little help from me. They were cooking before we left. I asked Isaac to help me get the things he used cleaned up and the counters washed but of course he forgot.
While Maggie went to class I went shopping at the HEB next to the dance studio. We were able to get the things to make the things Nathan discovered today and some fresh fruit and salsa and other things. Maggie was disappointed that I had already shopped because she wanted to help me. So I had her help me take in some groceries when we got home and the boys got some also.
Nathan and the boys had gone to the basketball court while we were gone. Maggie was disappointed that she didn't get to go and Nathan told her she could go over after we made cookies so she was happy with that but we never made it.
I put a roast in the crock pot to use for sandwiches or tortillas and Maggie, Sammy and I had some watermelon to eat. I told Nathan that I needed to rest for a half hour and then we would make the cookies so I went and got Larry's pills for him and then I sat down to look at Facebook on my phone. Two hours later and hurting because I forgot to take my own pills I realized that it was time to make cookies. Nathan has a cookie mix with his Thrive food storage that is pretty good and makes it easier to make the cookies but they are still work cooking. We made white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. I didn't know if the kids would eat them but they ate a few along with the brownies.
After that I made a smoothie from Nathan's Thrive freeze dried fruits and some yogurt and orange and pineapple juice. I made the kids all try it but only David drank a 3 oz cup, Nathan and Larry and I drank the rest. At that point I checked the roast and shredded it because it was done. Nathan and Larry wanted some on a bun. I tried it and then started to talk to Nathan thinking I had swallowed it and it came back up and went into my windpipe and I coughed for about 15 minutes so I decided not to have anymore for a while. The kids were still full from eating cookies and brownies and fruit and a vegetable tray I bought for them at the store so they did not want any so once again I went into rest. At this point I had not finished the dishes and David had left a pan from cooking Pizza Bagels while I was gone and Isaac's dishes were not cleaned up yet.
Nathan decided that the kids could help him move all the books out of the bookshelves in our room and take them to his closet. They were not very happy about this and complained a lot. Sammy seemed to scream anytime anyone asked him to do anything that was not playing on the IPad or watching TV today. But the boys got them moved with lots of complaining while I was making cookies with Maggie.
Larry spent most of his time in the bedroom watching Fox news and some of the other programs he likes. I went in with him to rest. After a while all the kids started screaming again. Nathan wanted them to do the dishes and they were not happy about it. They also had to complain about what everyone else was doing and it got pretty loud. I stayed in my room most of the time because Nathan is the parent and I think that it is good that he is teaching them to work but I did come out one time when I thought David was going to kill Sammy but Nathan got them all calmed down by dividing up the jobs that they had to do and eventually they got most of the dishes finished.
We said prayer as a family and then Nathan told the kids to get their pajamas on and brush their teeth. Maggie wears pull ups here and she informed us that she didn't have any left so Maggie and I drove to Target across the street and got her some. She is quite the conversationalist. It is fun to go with her. She talks as much as I do. She told me all about how she doesn't wear pull ups at her moms because her mom says she doesn't need them but then her mom has to wash her sheets and put them on her bed. I wish I had the energy to do that but pull ups are fine for me and my dad used to say that by the time they are twenty you can't tell what age they were potty trained.
So I came home and read scriptures with Larry and Maggie played on her IPad. He wasn't feeling well tonight so he went to bed at about 8:30 p.m. Maggie came out and talked to me and helped me clean up the rest of the kitchen and now she has fallen asleep by me on the couch so unless she wakes up when I get up she will stay there because I cannot lift her into her top bunk bed.
Friday, February 17, 2017
February 17th
Today was a lazy day. I woke up to fibromyalgia pain and realized that I wasn't hurting before because of mere stress but the stress was aggravating the fibromyalgia and then I had a good time like you do. But as I got up and got going the pain was better.
Nathan went to his Physical Therapy so we had the morning to ourselves.
Right after Nathan came home Kirsten called me and we talked for a while as she drove down to Riverton to Taylor's cardiac appointment. It is good to have cell phones now so I can talk to them as if they were right here in Texas without extra charge. Larry changed the laundry while I was talking so he must have been feeling better for a while.
This afternoon Nathan watched the Lord of the Rings I and II, Larry watched with him sometimes and other times was watching Fox News on TV in our room and I called my prescription insurance to find out why my copays on my roseaca lotion were $400.00. When I called they said that I had to enroll in a program with the same company for Texas so I was on the phone for an hour talking to them about a new policy. They thought the high copay was because I was out of network for Utah but in the end it will still be a $350.00 copay. Apparently I was able to get it in Utah for cheaper because the price goes down to $8.00 when you are in the catastrophic phase of the prescription cycle for Medicare. And with all my chemotherapy last year I made it to that last phase. So I guess I will have to go to my dermatologist and see if there is something that I can use that isn't so expensive on my insurance. Ironically in Utah the lotion was given to me as a lower priced thing to use because the other things I was using in Texas were too pricey in Utah.
When I finished that the guys were still watching the movies etc. and I didn't feel like watching it so I went to get the mail, I tried to call Mom and I got ready for the kids to come by looking up some recipes that Nathan wants the kids to make. Mom called me back later right before the kids came and I was able to tell her the good news about my cancer being in remission.
The kids came at 6:00 p.m. and they were in a contentious spirit when they came. Sammy wanted to go hide somewhere and be by himself and screamed every time Nathan wanted him to do something and David always wants to parent as well so it was a little hectic but they have folded their clothes and put them away and eaten dinner and are settled down and quiet now. Not in bed but quiet.
I was impressed that because Nathan had planned corn dogs for dinner David took over and fixed them without anyone having to asked and giving me a break. Larry also ate something else rather than a hot dog which is processed meat that he shouldn't have with his congestive heart failure.
Nathan went to his Physical Therapy so we had the morning to ourselves.
Right after Nathan came home Kirsten called me and we talked for a while as she drove down to Riverton to Taylor's cardiac appointment. It is good to have cell phones now so I can talk to them as if they were right here in Texas without extra charge. Larry changed the laundry while I was talking so he must have been feeling better for a while.
This afternoon Nathan watched the Lord of the Rings I and II, Larry watched with him sometimes and other times was watching Fox News on TV in our room and I called my prescription insurance to find out why my copays on my roseaca lotion were $400.00. When I called they said that I had to enroll in a program with the same company for Texas so I was on the phone for an hour talking to them about a new policy. They thought the high copay was because I was out of network for Utah but in the end it will still be a $350.00 copay. Apparently I was able to get it in Utah for cheaper because the price goes down to $8.00 when you are in the catastrophic phase of the prescription cycle for Medicare. And with all my chemotherapy last year I made it to that last phase. So I guess I will have to go to my dermatologist and see if there is something that I can use that isn't so expensive on my insurance. Ironically in Utah the lotion was given to me as a lower priced thing to use because the other things I was using in Texas were too pricey in Utah.
When I finished that the guys were still watching the movies etc. and I didn't feel like watching it so I went to get the mail, I tried to call Mom and I got ready for the kids to come by looking up some recipes that Nathan wants the kids to make. Mom called me back later right before the kids came and I was able to tell her the good news about my cancer being in remission.
The kids came at 6:00 p.m. and they were in a contentious spirit when they came. Sammy wanted to go hide somewhere and be by himself and screamed every time Nathan wanted him to do something and David always wants to parent as well so it was a little hectic but they have folded their clothes and put them away and eaten dinner and are settled down and quiet now. Not in bed but quiet.
I was impressed that because Nathan had planned corn dogs for dinner David took over and fixed them without anyone having to asked and giving me a break. Larry also ate something else rather than a hot dog which is processed meat that he shouldn't have with his congestive heart failure.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
February 16th
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| Nathan with the completed money "cake" |
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| David and Maggie and Isaac |
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| Maggie and David |
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| Sammy |
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| Isaac, Grandpa Larry and Nathan |
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| David, Nathan and Isaac |
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| Maggie |
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| Sammy, Maggie, David, Isaac and Nathan front |
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| Isaac with his "cake" |
I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ and the Gospel of the Restoration. It is a constant source of comfort to me and helps me to overcome my day to day challenges by turning to him and giving him my burden.
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