Bye Bye cataracts

I am now a graduated member of the cataract club.  I had my second surgery this morning.  Everything went fine and I'm just taking it easy the rest of the day.  Today's surgery was on my good eye.  I lost all central vision in my right eye when I was 8 years old.  With both eyes open it doesn't even bother me but with the eye patch on my "good" eye I'm having quite a bit of trouble navigating.  So if this post is riddled with typos please forgive!  

Tomorrow I can remove the eye shield and then things will be back to normal.

I'm still here....

Well, a lot has been going on since I last posted.  My doctor seems to have given up or at least that's how it seemed to Ron and I when I saw him last.  He appears to have no idea what is making me sick.  He ordered allergy testing and said "I'll see you in 4 months."  So I've been doing 3 breathing treatments a day.  Using two inhalers twice a day. And just keeping on keeping on.  Fortunately I feel fine except for the wheezing and coughing.  I finally heard from the allergy clinic and I see them in April.

In the mean time I decided to get my cataracts removed since I was getting where it was dangerous for me to drive.  Ron of course still can't drive and so I had to do something.  I had one eye done 2 weeks ago and the other will be done Wednesday.  Talk about a cake walk!  It was sooooooo easy.  I had never had Valium before and I thought it wouldn't have any affect on me.  Wrong!  They could have removed a kidney and I wouldn't have cared.  That was the best two hour escape from all worries I've ever had!  Other than the eye drops schedule it has just been so easy.

We decided we will get Mike's eyes done in September.  He will have to come stay with us for 6 weeks because he wouldn't be able to manage the eye drops schedule.  We picked September so that there will be college football on then and that will keep him occupied.  It should be a trip for sure!  He's getting more helpless by the day.  Yesterday he couldn't unlock his condo door and absolutely lost it.  I had to talk him down enough to tell him what to do. his door has two locks, the deadbolt and the door knob.  He was getting one opened while locking the other.  Because of his total panic he couldn't figure it out.  So today we went over and changed the doorknob with one without a lock.  Now he only has to use the deadbolt.

Mike can't keep his condo clean anymore.  He doesn't wipe off counters or sweep the floor like he used to do so we are going over twice a week and cleaning for him.  I have to be sneaky about it and have Ron take him somewhere then I slip in a clean up.  He doesn't even notice!  But if he sees me cleaning he gets really aggressive and defensive.

My older brother had open heart surgery two weeks ago today.  He's in a rehab hospital now.  That really shook Mike up and we kept it from him until we know  Butch was out of surgery and could talk to Mike on the phone.  We took Mike to see him a couple of times and it was the first time I'd seen Butch in a year.  I've been too scared to contact them after the ordeal we went through over the house.  But the visit was fine and he is recovering well.  

Ron and I reached our weight loss goals!  Ron is a slender handsome devil! He lost over 60 pounds and I still can't believe I achieved my own goal.  I have lost 95 pounds from my very highest weight before my hip replacement.  I'm actually smaller than my daughters now which I thought I'd never be.  I'm between a size 9 and 10.  I had to purchase a completely new summer wardrobe.  What a terrible problem to have......ha ha. It took us 2 1/2 years but hey I wasn't doing anything anyway!  I had the time!

I'm still hanging out with my favorite two year-old!  She came over while her parents went out and Ron and I had so  much fun with her.  We played hide and go seek in the back yard and that was a hoot.  She thinks if she covers her eyes we can't see her.  Two year old logic!  She has been so good for our diet.  Every time we have her we lose 2 pounds!  It's been a long long time since I chased a little one.

Well, that's about all I have.  Just going along taking each day as it comes.  Thursday I will have two good eyeballs!  Hooray!

Saw the doctor today and he is still puzzled.  Can't figure out what is causing the bronchitis.  Nothing significant has shown up from the bronchoscopy but he said he was surprised at how much he cleaned out of my lungs.  I'm on another antibiotic, an addition to the albuterol and another steroid.  He wants to see me again in 4 weeks.  I'm disappointed but he said, "We will get to the bottom of this."  He also suggested we get our air vents cleaned.  So guess that is next on the list.

I purchased this dollhouse yesterday.  It was already put together so I get to decorate the inside.  Some of the porch railing is missing and so are the doors but I think I can get replacement parts.  I thought it might be something I can do with Piper when she gets older and then I'll give the dollhouse to her when it is finished.

It is very large........3 feet wide and over 3 feet tall.  I told Ron we either have to build on to our house or move just to accommodate the dollhouse.  I want to wallpaper the inside rooms and add electric lights.  I don't know if I have the necessary skills but I'll try!
 

Bronchoscopy

I had the bronchoscopy Wednesday and it went smoothly.  I was awake but there was about 3 minutes that I can't really remember.  Weird kind of conscious sedation but it works.  It was the few minutes it took to pass the camera through my nose and down my throat that I have no memory of.  I was aware of everything else.  

The doctor showed me what he cleaned out of my lungs but it didn't look shocking or anything like what I cough up.  It was just white in color.  He told us he didn't see anything "scary" like cancer.  He didn't do a biopsy because he didn't see anything to biopsy.  Everything was sent to the pathologist.  Afterward I was told to expect to be coughing a lot and I didn't cough even once.  I felt fine. 

Thursday I didn't cough or wheeze when I got up but by night time I was wheezing pretty bad and coughing.  Today I haven't coughed much or wheezed.  My doctor called me today and said he was ordering another antibiotic.  He said he didn't find anything that would require IV antibiotics.  He found what I thought he said was oily bacteria.... or at least some kind of bacteria.  He is still waiting for additional reports.  I take the antibiotic 7 days and go see him again on the 16th.

So my hopes that they would just identify something and then give me the cure are kind of deflated.  I'm not sure where we go from here.

Update

I saw the doctor the last Monday after running a fever and having chills on Sunday night.  He just looked puzzled and told me he can't give me anymore oral antibiotics as an outpatient.  He then ordered the bronchoscopy for yesterday but it was canceled because my doctor got sick.  Now it is scheduled for next Wednesday.  He will also be doing a lung washing.  Then it goes to pathology and he won't get the results for two weeks.  In the meantime I'm still running a temp of about 102.  I'm now taking Tylenol every 6 hours just to keep from running a temp.

So that's where I stand with all this.  Tomorrow my daughters are coming over to learn how to prepare Mike's meals.  Just in case I'm not up to it next week.  

Yesterday Ron and I went to a little town just South of us where a new business has opened.  It is called Peaceful Portions.  They are a meal delivery service and specialize in healthy meals.  They even calculate the Weight Watcher Points on all their meals.  When I was reading their website I noticed that they accommodate special diets.  Soooo I went there to see if they could accommodate Mike's dietary needs and they said YES!  They will prepare 5 days of meals AND deliver!  Almost too good to be true.  Now they haven't seen the list of his food allergies yet but I told them about his chicken phobia and they said they could substitute another meat.  So it sounds promising.  I brought home one of their breakfasts (the spinach tortilla egg wrap) and one dinner (eggplant parmesan) and they were both delicious.  I'm going to share my (no tomato) tomato sauce recipe with them.  Anyway it gives me an option to try.  And the pricing was very reasonable as well.  In fact it's cheaper than what I spend a week at the grocery store.

By the time we got back home from our outing I had fever and chills.  Not the best way to end a really good day!

Today I have kept my temp down by taking Tylenol every 6 hours.  I'm scared if I'm running a temp on Wednesday they might not do the procedure. I also went over to Mike's and cleaned his condo.  Then I came home and made about 8 servings of his spaghetti sauce to put in the freezer.  It's been a busy day!  I also sent 4 huge boxes of clothes to Goodwill.  They were all 5 sizes too big and I finally have enough confidence in myself to let them go.  I went from a size 22 to a 12.  I can't believe it!  I still have another 11 pounds to lose so I don't know where I'll end up on clothing size but I'm determined I'll never be a size 22 again.  I actually weight less than my daughters!  I gave my size 14 clothes to my daughters but they are both doing Weight Watchers now and I'm sure they will pass me very soon.

Oh Ron also saw the neurologist this week.  Ron tried his best to get him to say he could drive but nope....it's a state law.  Can't drive for 6 months following a seizure as long as you don't have another one.  The doctor did tell him (wish he hadn't) that his office doesn't report patients to the state but just let's them be on the honor system.  In other words drive at your own risk.  Now it will be twice as hard for me to keep Ron from behind the wheel!  He also changed Ron's seizure med to one that isn't supposed to cause agitation.  

So that's it in a nutshell!  We are still plodding along!  I thank everyone for their insight and best wishes.  It really helps keep the spirits up!  So thank you!
 

Keep the faith

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  Although I was sick I did manage to make it to my daughter's house Christmas Eve and spent it with my favorite two-year old!  She had a great time.  She played elf and passed out all the gifts.  She was trying to distinguish the difference in the two Mikes.  (My son-in-law and my brother)  She finally came up with her own method.........son-in-law was "that" Mike and my brother was "old Mike".  It was funny how she came up with that on her own.

I finish my steroids tomorrow.  I finished the antibiotic Friday.   I am still wheezing and coughing so we will be seeing the doctor on the 4th or 8th.  I am anxious to see what comes next.  I guess the bronchoscopy and maybe the lung washing.  I'm just ready to get to the bottom of the problem whatever it is.

My older brother has not spoken to me in about a year.  I just gave up.  I haven't tried to contact him either but I sent a Christmas card.  I guess that was sort of an olive branch although I never did anything to deserve the way he has acted toward me.  I'm too afraid to make much of an effort because I have no idea how he or his wife would react.  I'll just focus my energy on taking care of Mike.

The other night Ron was talking to me about what he would do if something happened to me.  He said he would probably move to the condo with Mike and take care of him.  If possible he'd sell the one bedroom and get a two bedroom.  He would take care of him until Mike went to a nursing home. That's the first time he's ever said anything like that but it definitely would be cheaper to keep just one residence.
Ron's income would drop significantly without my retirement.  I don't know if he was telling me that so that I might stop worrying about what happens to Mike if I'm not here but it was a very selfless thing to consider.

It is almost the New Year and I wish I felt more hopeful for the country.  I've been donating to any congressional campaign running against the current congress.  Especially the democrat running against Paul Ryan.  I'm hoping to get back to the democratic headquarters here to continue volunteering.  They have been closed during the holidays and of course I was sick.

I'd also love to attend the Women's march January 20th but I know I can't be out in the cold air.  Speaking of cold air.....we are in the single digits right now.  We got the arctic blast from the North.  I don't know how they handle this cold all the time.  We are lucky right now because the wind has been mild.

Well, here is wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous and happy New Year!

 

When it rains!

As the old saying goes, "When it rains it pours".  Over the weekend I got really sick with bronchitis again.  I was too sick to drive to the city to see the doctor and of course Ron isn't allowed to drive so fortunately my daughters are on school break and came to our rescue.  My son-in-law came down with the flu and I didn't know if I had the flu or what because this time I have been so much sicker than before.  Fortunately I didn't test positive for the flu.  

The doctor put me on yet another round of steroids and antibiotics.  I've been in bed since Saturday.   The doctor called me on Tuesday and said if not better in 24 hours he wanted me to be admitted to the hospital.  I've just stayed low since desperately trying to avoid being in the hospital.  

Today I actually got dressed.  Still feel pretty bad but just making myself do as much as I can.  I know I'll be going to the hospital after January 8th because the doctor wants to put the camera down my lungs to see what is going on.  Sounds like a boat load of fun.  My only goal right now is take care of Mike (my daughter is going to help me make his meals for next week) and be home for Christmas. 

Mike just called me and wanted me to go to the store and get him potato chips.  I had to tell him that he is capable of doing that.  He goes to Walmart all the time.  He's testing me to see if I'm still here for him.  

Normally I like to believe I'm in control of everything but this time at the doctor visit I broke down and cried.  My voice is almost gone so it was hard for him to hear me.  I asked him if stress could be keeping me from getting well and then I proceeded to tell him my husband has fought cancer for the past 9 years, I take care of my brother with schizophrenia oh and my husband was just hospitalized the week before because of two grand mal seizures.  Once I heard myself saying it I just started to cry.  He didn't really answer the question he just stared at me and said "That's a lot of stress."

I keep being reminded that I HAVE to come up with a plan for my brother if something happens to me but I'll be damned what that could possibly be especially now with all the uncertainties is this country.  Then I just added this administration to my list of stress.  I've worried so much about it all, called legislators who don't give a crap and have just felt sick over it for the past year.

But, life just goes on and all we can do is try to roll with whatever life throws at us.