Chapter 26

Good Morning,

I’ve been away so long, I was afraid my computer wouldn’t let me type anything. 

One thing that absolutely scares a wife is to find out your husband has had a heart attack.  Yes, Jerry’s was mild, but it is still a HEART ATTACK !!!!

I’m just glad he’s back at home.  We’ve got Dr. Paulk to accept him as a patient.  Dr. Paulk has been taking care of me for years, and out of all the doctors I’ve been to in the last 3-4 years, I believe he’s a good doctor. I can’t say anymore or Jerry will think I mean all this, and he’ll hold it over my head for years to come.  Tee-hee.

I started my rounds with Dr. Ng, Dr. Lyons, Dr. Paulk, and the St. Louis doctors.  I had been thinking that as long as my abdomen wasn’t storing so much fluid on me that I was doing better.  I was told that when I started holding fluids to the point of having to have drained every couple of days that they would do a procedure to insert a metal tube into my liver and that would make it easier for my body to get rid of the fluid.  I would be able to stop going to the hospital for the draining.  My last appointment with Dr. Ng, he said I wasn’t a candidate for that.  Apparently, I’m starting to show signs of dementia. With this the procedure, it will put me in a deadly coma.  I guess I can cross that off my bucket list. Tee-hee.  He had told me to stop driving, so I stayed at home a week with so signs of any problems.  Mom hadn’t been to Wal-Mart in that week.  Had to take her or the pain will be unbearable.

Starting to work on Christmas stuff.  I don’t want to wait ‘til the last minute like last year.  I was up all night wrapping, talk about taking Joy out of Christmas—that did it!

Jerry has an eye appointment to see how he’s doing and hoping he’ll set Jerry up for cataract surgery, I may be mistaken but with the new lenses they put in me made my vision 20/20 and my prescription hasn’t changed since I had the surgery.  I still wear glasses, but it is a bifocal pair and I just need the bottom lens to be a prescription so I can read.  I hope they do the same for Jerry.    I can hear you all, “Jerry this and Jerry that,” makes you think I like him.

You all have a good week and don’t forget to:

CYA,

Arlynda

Chapter 25

Good Evening,

Yes, it isn’t morning this time.  I had taken a nap yesterday, and there’s no rhyme or reason to it.  My little nap turned into about a 12 hour sleep.  Poor Jerry woke me up, and I have no idea how many times he’d tried.   For the most part, Jerry would rather chew off his arm as to take on that task.  I guess I can be a bit testy when my sleep is interrupted.  That’s what I’ve been told.  So, I’ve been up over 12 hours, and as tired as I am, I’m not sleepy.  So, if I follow the last couple of weeks of this sleep pattern, I’ll only get a couple of hours a night for 3-4 days, then on the fourth or fifth night I’ll crash and be out of it for another 12-18 hours. 

It just seemed to me that this week had really dragged on and on.  Then all of a sudden it was Thursday.  Today is Friday, and the weekend is here.  Temperatures have been in the upper 90s, and the lows have been in the 80s.    Oh, how I hate the summertime.  Missouri has the high temps and high humidity.  So, it’s muggy, or as was said from the great classic movie “Throw Mama from the train, “sultry.”

So, it looks like  I won’t be leaving the house often as long as it’s hot.  This will be enough to cause World War 3 here.  Mama has got to be Wal-Mart's biggest fan.  We have to go to that store at least once a week, and if Mama had her way, we’d be there 4-5 times a week.  Mama grew up very poor, as did most families from the ‘30s.  Even after she married my Dad, things still weren’t good.  Daddy made good money and he drank it up.  Mama had an Avon route that barely paid the bills and put food on the table.  She’s always worked hard, physically and mentally.  So. if there’s anything she wants, I encourage her to get it, which has now given us the beginning of a mini-hoarder episode.  Most of my things are still in the garage packed in cardboard boxes.  I guess since I haven’t seen my things in all those years, I should be able to get rid of it, but there are so many pretty things I haven’t had a place to show them off.  Of course, when Jerry reads this you all may want to call 9-1-1.  I’m sure he’ll do 1 of 2 things—he’ll either hold his breath ‘til he passes out or #2, laugh ‘til he’s rolling around the yard like a goof ball.  {Editor’s Note: I actually started feeling real sorry for myself, but my wife doesn’t need to know that.  So, let’s keep it between us—okay?}

I need to get with it before I lose any motivation to get rid of stuff.  Can’t wait to the see joy on this happy little face.  {Didn’t happen.}

CYA,

Arlynda

Chapter 24

Good Morning,

The sun is up already, and I’m fairly sure it’s going to be hot and humid.  Oh well, just another summer in Missouri.  It usually stays hot through September.  At least most of the schools are air conditioned so the kids aren’t suffering.  In 1980, (I was barely legal) when my first husband and I got married, it held the record for the highest temperature on that date since records started being kept.  The shoe factory (where I worked later on) had ambulances all over the place taking people to the hospital for heat exhaustion, while the factory manager sat in his air conditioned office.  These employees stood over machines that heated up all around you.  Mine did, though I know other machines got much hotter than mine.

Well, the doctor appointments have started again.  Last Friday, I saw my endocrinologist, and this Friday, I see my primary care doctor.  In August, I see the G.I. and the dermatologist.  Last but not least,  we get to go back to St. Louis in September or October.  Yippee!!  Well, if you can’t beat them, join them. 

I’m absolutely exhausted after watching Ann’s little Gibbs run the house over.  It’s a good thing there weren’t any cats around or they'd wish they were in a rocking chair factory, just for the rest!!!  Tee hee.

CYA

Arlynda 

Chapter 23

Good Morning,

It’s 2:30 a.m. here.  We made the great drive to St. Louis, again.  We left here about 3:30 a.m., and it was another safe trip.  We arrived in plenty of time.  Talk about an efficient department.  Springfield could take a lesson.  They got me in, the MRI made me start to glow green (of course not, but having a MRI every 6 months or so makes you wonder) and I was done.  Made it to my doctor’s appointment.  He was supposed to go over the results with me, but the radiologist hadn’t read it yet.  My coordinator called a day or 2 later with the results.  Everything looked good.  My meld score was 8, which is wonderful.  It dawned on me just how good I am doing.  Two and a half years ago, Dr.Halsey told me I had 2-5 years to live.  I’m still ahead of the game.  Leslie, (my sister) reminded me that there are some procedures I will have to undergo to help stave off the transplant or death.  I’m not going to candy-coat this, there is a lot of pain and invasive procedures I’ll have to undergo.  However, I need to stay positive. 

I have to stay strong.  Mom and Jerry need me.  Of course, my puppies need me.  They love me and stay right at my side protecting me whenever someone comes anywhere close to me.  It really is funny to watch, but I am fairly confident they would snap at them.

Next appointment in St. Louis is in October (something to look forward to).  Leslie got the results from her liver biopsy.  She has been waiting for 3 weeks!!!  It was driving me totally insane.  From her blood tests, they were sure it wasn’t cirrhosis like mine.  It was a type of liver disease that is treated and possibly even curable.  Now it turns out that it is the same as mine.  Pretty good, my sister and I never really drank.  Daddy drank enough for all of us.  Anyway, Leslie and I can schedule our appointments together.  Isn’t that a great way for sisters to “paint the town red.”  Best quit for now.

CYA

Arlynda    

Chapter 22

Good morning,

Sorry, I haven’t written in so long.  I don’t have any big excuses, just not feeling like doing anything I don’t have to.

We ended up leaving at 3:30 am for my trip to St. Louis.  Now that’s too early to be up and on a long drive not to have any fun.  Six Flags wasn’t open yet, or I’d have tried to go there instead of the hospital.  We got there with a little time to spare.  So, we didn’t have to jump through hoops to get to radiology.  There was no prep for the MRI.  They said I could eat and drink and it wouldn’t affect the test.  So, after putting my sister in charge of protecting my diet coke I went off to have some pictures made.  The results were supposed to be ready in time for my appointment so the doctor could give me the results.  It wasn’t of course.  My sister had fun (not really) telling this doctor that I wasn’t thinking clearly.  Always a problem with ammonia building up in the intestines and the residual problem shows up as being terribly forgetful, and saying one thing when meaning to say something else.  I hate the medication for that.  It’s almost like drinking honey.  I like sweets, but this is ludicrous.  The pharmacy told me I could add something to help the taste.  First I added a package of crystal light that absolutely was the wrong thing to do—in that just made it even sweeter.  I finally realized that the plain unsweetened Kool-Aid  that I grew up with would flavor that stuff, and help shut down some of the sweet.  It’s still something I have to force myself to take.  I’m afraid I’ll be on it until I have a transplant or until I die-ugh!!!  My coordinator, Valorie, called and let me know the results of my tests. My meld score is 8, it’s slowly working its way up.  The lower it is the better.  If I understood her correctly, my MRI didn’t show any cancer and the spot on the back side of my liver is gone.  Like I said, if I understood her.  I have an appointment with Dr Ng, and I want him to explain some things for me.

The next round of Doctor appointments have already started.  Dr. Ng, Dr. Lyons and Dr. Paulk.  Sure hope no more get on my schedule.

My sister, Leslie, had to go to St. Louis for a procedure.  She had a mass on her kidney, and they were able to go thru a vein up to the mass and stop the blood flow to it.  She’ll have to have another MRI to make sure it worked.  Her Doctors seem to be really knowledgeable and compassionate.  So now that that issue hopefully has been taken care of, she gets to move on for her liver issues.  They did a biopsy last week and she’s waiting for results.  It might not even be cirrhosis!!!  If it is, they think it might be one of the many types of cirrhosis that medication can slow down, or even cure.  No, I don’t have that type, but if one of us had to have the kind I have, I’m glad it’s me.  She’s got a husband and 2 kids.  Michaela is almost 20, and Loren is almost 28.  I just have to worry about Jerry, my mom, and our puppies.

It’s Mother’s Day.  So to all you moms, step-moms, and those to Mother anyone in need—HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!  I hope you get to spend the day with family, lots of good food, and…  Sorry, forgot what I wanted to finish off with.

CYA,

Arlynda