Chapter 11

Good Morning !!!

Goodness, is it just me or has this summer just flown by?  I just noticed that this is the last of July!  

The medical madness has started again.  I have a new G.I. doctor here in Springfield, and it is exhausting trying to get this new (to me) doctor trained.  I go to St. Louis every 6 months, and the docs there want a MRI and sometimes an ultrasound.  It is so much easier on me and my poor sister, who drives me there and back, to have those tests  done here and take  the radiologist’s reading and the actual films on a disk  to my liver specialist.  If, for some reason, I can’t get them done here, I would need to get to St. Louis at around 6 a.m. to have the tests done there, which would mean having to leave here around 2 a.m. to get there on time.  That is just too early for any of us to be in a good mood.   I had the ultrasound last Friday, and I am scheduled to have the MRI tomorrow morning.  

Yes, I have a new doctor.  My old doctor packed everything up and moved back to Columbia, MO.  Just when I got him trained right!  Tee hee.  I met him once, just minutes before he did an upper GI on me.  Several days later, I called and talked with his nurse about scheduling the ultrasound and MRI.  She kindly pointed out that my new doctor does things a little different.  It took over a week before he finally ordered the tests.  Guess I’ll have to really start his training in November, with my first appointment with him.   

After yesterday’s ultrasound, Mama and I went shopping.  We went to some stores I hadn’t been to in years.  We bought a few things, and we had to go to Golden Corral.  We have all our dinners out there.   That’s the only place to eat according to mom.  Once in a while, she’ll eat at an Asian buffet, but that’s rare.  Birthdays, good news, bad news, if there’s an occasion, that’s where you’ll find us.  With my body retaining fluid it makes it awful to try to walk the length of the food bar without problems.   I just don’t seem to be able to get through to her how so very hard this is on me.   

I rarely say no to her demands.  She was born during the Great Depression, and has worked so very hard all her life.  So, I figure that if she has the money and wants something, she should get it.   Although, I do argue with her if she wants to buy anything that will need any “fixin.”  If it’s a garment that needs hemming up, for example, my talented sister will take it home with good intentions, but then it disappears and we never see it again.  Come to think of it, that is actually a GOOD thing!  Her favorite is to buy, buy, buy.  If one is good, 10 are better.  Gotta love her!!!  Guess I’d better  get back in my chair.

Have a great weekend!

CYA,

Arlynda

Chapter 6

Hello again,

I try to post a new “chapter” every other day, but goodness—how time flies.!!  I should feel like a million bucks after sleeping all day.  I think I’ve slept 18-20 hours.  I saw Jerry for about an hour, and maybe 2 hours with Mama.  Cousin Betty came by and took Mama to get her hair cut or I’d have seen more of her.  I still can’t believe anything can knock me out like that.

With all the Memorial celebrations for all our Veterans, both living and dead, has caused me to pause and reflect on all the blessings we take for granted.  All that await our military people coming home and making the adjustments to civilian life, both physically and emotional.  My Grandfather was in the service, but I’ve lost everyone that could tell me much about it.  My Daddy had done a lot of genealogy, but at his death, all that info went to my nephew, and his Mother has it and is working thru it all.   Jerry’s dad was in WW2, and helped to liberate the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, but he never really wanted to talk about it.  Couldn’t blame him, with the nightmares being so real to him.  It tears me up just watching the stuff on the History Channel, or the video tapes I bought when working at a video /book/music store.  I’m not sure why I just had to get them.  Guess part of it is so our nephews and nieces will have documentation, and not just believe what someone will tell them.

Well, I’ve been up for about 3 hours, and it’s nap time.  I will reply to your  messages when I wake up.  Hopefully it won’t be 18 hours again. LOL.

Cya,

Arlynda

5/24/2014 Update

Good Morning Gentlepeople,

This is usually a good time to work on this.  Jerry and Mom are asleep, and the dogs are resting quietly.  This is more fun than doing the dishes. LOL

My little Yorkie, Grayson, is grieving over Stewart.  He won’t get up on the couch with me.  That spot was Stewart’s, and he doesn’t want to be loved on or held.  Considering the fact that Grayson was never a cuddle buddy, but he would always get up on the couch with me as long as I promised not to hold, squeeze or kiss on him. No, Grayson is not very good as a snuggle bug, but he still follows me around everywhere.  I think Grayson thinks I’m gonna run away from home and escape, and he’s not letting me go without him.  I always knew he was a smart dog!!!

I’m holding my own with my liver disease.  Had more blood work done on Thursday (May 22) and when I called about it, my results were really good.  On top of being a diabetic and having to take 7 shots a day (not always good about taking my shots) and the dietary restrictions that goes with that (nasty healthy food) now I have to be very careful about ingesting things with potassium.  I knew bananas were high in it, but tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, as well as many other “healthy” foods will mess me up.  I’m on 2 diuretics, lasix and and spiro-oh who cares.  The spiro works the best, but it also causes high potassium.  If my levels go too high, I could have a heart attack, and without it, I’ll have to go to the hospital all the time.  The nurses at the juicing station have told me that they have some people coming in everyday and having 10-20 liters drained off each time.  Oh, the threat of infection, that is really scary.  So now I’m attempting to watch everything I buy at the supermarket, but there are a lot of labels that don’t mention the potassium content.

Mama loves to go out to eat, and she really loves Golden Corral (if given the choice).  Mama’s brother, Kenny, and their cousin, Betty, have been going on Wednesday for the past several years, and they would rather go to Ryan’s.  I had to have a hard talk with Mama, cuz she wants to go every week.  I can’t physically afford to go that frequently.  I went with the group to Ryan’s acouple of weeks ago, and I used to really enjoy the place.  However, Ryan’s has changed so much, and I am not impressed.  So, I don’t have to worry about overeating there, LOL.  But when I have a doctor appointment or labs—Mama strikes for the kill.  If I don’t take her to Golden Corral, I WILL pay for it!  There’s nothing worse than a hungry 76 year-old Mama (being all of 4’ 11”) and I am just too tired to fight anymore.  I’ll take her every 2 weeks, and if she wants to go more often, she can go with Uncle Kenny and Cousin Betty.  I never had children, but this is what I would imagine from a child—throwing a temper tantrum.  I have learned that I have to pick my battles with her. Besides, she’s so cute when she’s not mad.

Guess I had better shut up.  I want to get the dishes done before Mama wakes up. Quite sure she’ll want a Hardy’s bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and a McDonald’s coffee.  Fortunately they are caddy-corner to each other.

Cya,

Arlynda Lea