Homer at last

It was a long and tiring day but perseverance wins out. I started at 9am in Las Vegas airport and ended at 9pm in Homer! There were a few glitches that made me 2 hours later but all-in-all, it was a good day (whatever it takes to get me home is good in the end!).

I found everything great at home. Reuben cleared the driveway, had a warm fire and the house was clean and Tucson happy and healthy. I can't thank him enough!!!

Paul and Ben hit the road about 11am and made it to Sacramento (Elk Grove actually) late in the evening. They spent the night at Candy's house and will be back on the road this morning. What an adventure they're in for this next week, your prayers are appreciated.

Heading Home Saturday!!!

Hallelujah, we're heading home this Saturday, December 19th.

I will fly and be in Homer late in the evening and Paul and Ben will start their drive (barring complications). I bet I get there first, lol.

I'm getting excited but a little cautious because things can still go wrong, knock on wood.

Our Prayers are Answered

I let Paul sleep in on Saturday morning while I went to Wooly Wonders to knit with the "girls". I called him on the phone in the afternoon and asked how he was doing. He answered with the biggest smile in his voice "I'm doing Great!" I was surprised and asked him what that meant. He said his vision had corrected! WOW!!! The changes made to his medications for diabetes has worked to bring his blood sugar under control. That's what they said would restore his vision and they were right. Whew, we're so relieved.

He still has a follow-up appointment with the diabetes doctor on December 17th and his primary care doctor for the follow-up on his sleep study on December 18th. I think we're free to move about the country then!!!

I will fly home and Paul will drive up with his son, Ben. I think it will be good for Paul and Ben both. They will have plenty of one-on-one time to talk and Ben will work with his dad and live in Homer with us.

Ahhhhh, life is good again!!

Finally, Some Good News

Well, Paul has seen the eye doctor and diabetes doctor in the last two days.

The eye doctor said that the temporary prism is working well enough that they're not going to bother with making a permanent lens. They want to see him in 2 months to re-evaluate but I think we're staying in Alaska for the WHOLE winter!!!

The diabetes doctor changed most of Paul's meds and it looks like his blood sugars are coming under control again. He does have to see the doctor again on Dec. 17th. to verify that the new regime is correct and then we'll be cleared to return home!!!

HOORAY, I'm very hopeful that we're actually going to come home soon! There will still be the finishing touches like oil change on the motor home and generator oil change before we can store it, but that shouldn't take too long!

2 Weeks have passed, Sorry

We have had a pretty uneventful 2 weeks. The eye doctor put a temporary prism on Paul's glasses to improve the vision. It's not perfect but much better. If it's good enough, the doctor will order a permanent lens for Paul's glasses. We see the eye doctor on Wednesday (Dec. 2, 2009). They said the body can correct the problem in about 3 months but if it doesn't, they can do surgery on the muscle.

We joined Jennifer's family for Thanksgiving dinner. It is very nice to be with family for the holidays. I am hoping, however, to be home by Christmas. I may have more answers on Wednesday, I'll let you know!

Back in Las Vegas

I drove the 315 miles from Yuma to Las Vegas on Monday. I'd rather sit and knit but with Paul's double vision he doesn't know which double yellow line to follow, lol.

We have a couple doctors appointments on Friday but will need to wait for referrals again to see the next 2 specialists. It's a cruel game the insurance companies play with the red tape to see needed doctors.

Paul is feeling pretty good but the double vision is very troublesome. He's had an occasional pain in his chest or ribs, it comes and goes but he has no clue what it might be.

I'll let you know what we find on Friday (if there's any news) but I'm not expecting much.

Pirate Paul

This is at the request of Lyn. She said her dad already had the boat so the the eye patch would qualify him as a pirate.

A little excitement this week

We started visiting the dentist on Friday and had cleaning and evaluations. We both needed crowns replaced and teeth cleaned, no surprise. We made follow-up appointments for Monday.

Monday and Tuesday we had the prep work done and set appointments for Friday to place the finished crowns. BUT, Tuesday evening Paul started experiencing double vision. We thought it was caused from some medications he'd taken so we increased his water intake. By Thursday evening there was no change so he called his health insurance. They instructed him to go immediately to the hospital and be checked out. That created some interesting and unexpected problems.

We only had the motor home to drive to the hospital. That's not a big problem unless you build the hospital no a hill and there's no place to park the motor home. Paul called and found a rental car so I could visit him in the hospital and make the trip to the dentist.

After much testing ( blood work, x-ray, CT scan and MRI) they decided his double vision was probably caused by neuropathy of the nerve to the muscle of the left eye. No one knows if it will self correct or when it might get better. Meanwhile, he can't drive!!! Good thing we're flying home when he's finished seeing his doctors. (That's a big order too: Primary care doctor, heart doctor, endocrinologist, sleep study doctor and neuro-opthamologist)

We're both glad this week is over. We missed our trip to Southern California to visit Chris and Sara and friends. Oh well, I guess there's always tomorrow, or next week or next year, lol.

Gone to Yuma and Los Algodones

Thursday afternoon Paul said he was ready to leave Las Vegas and go take care of our dental and vision needs in Mexico. We still had a hair cut appointment with Rachel and go to a movie with her. (We saw Julie and Julia, it was quite good) So by the time we were done, it was nearly 8pm. But, we left anyway and arrived in Yuma at 12:30 am. Paul prefers to drive the desert and highways at night when traffic is light and you can see lights ahead of you.

We hooked up with Barb and Craig Stephens,(friends we made in Tacoma Washington and spent the whole winter with in Florida a couple years ago) They have introduced us to their dentist, who we liked quite well. They helped us get appointments with the dentist and eye doctor and drove us back and forth. All is going well and things are getting done.

We will be done in Yuma on Friday and we'll head to San Clemente and Huntington Beach. There we'll visit with Sara Chris and his family for a couple days. On the way back to Las Vegas we'll stop and see Irv and Linda (friends we made in Las Vegas in 2003).

Oh, did I forget to mention that I got a call telling us that we have finally received two referrals to the Heart doctor and endocrinologist? Yeah, well that only took a week and now it will take 10 to 14 more days to actually get in to see the doctors. (This system stinks but I guess it's better than having no health insurance at all.)

Las Vegas, again, lol.

My last visit with the girls was Monday morning for breakfast. We met at Cozy Corner and enjoyed some more conversation and babies. Paul and I left for my visit with Candy in Fresno.

Candy looks good and the kids are sure growing. The littlest one is in school too, Ricky is in kindergarten so Candy has a little free time. (How can a mom of 6 have any free time? There's laundry and grocery shopping to do when the kids are gone.) Candy and I ran errands and talked lots. Paul joined us for lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant too.

Wednesday Paul called his doctor for an appointment the next week and was told there was none. There was an opening the next day and the race was on. We made hasty good-byes and headed for Las Vegas. It's 400 miles and we made it about 1 am.

The doctor's appointment went well but it was for lab work and a referral to his cardiac doctor. We can't even see that doctor for another week or two, there are no openings. That same day Paul got a call from his sister that their brother Jerry was in the hospital in St. George, Utah. He was going to have bypass surgery the next day. Sooooo, we made the drive on Friday to visit the family while Jerry was in surgery. We will drive up again tomorrow (Monday) to visit with him now that he should be awake and ambulatory.

We didn't go to Southern California because Paul didn't want to tow the race car on the trailer that far. We still have that little side trip to make to see Sara and Chris. It well probably happen next weekend (Nov. 6 to 8).

I finally got to visit the Wooly Wonders yarn shop and see my Las Vegas knitting friends. They treated me like a celebrity, they are too kind. I have missed them and the help with knitting questions, they are a fun group.

So many children, too little time

Well, we did get to Bobby and Katherine's in Brookings but not until 9:30pm. (so much for playing games with the kids)
Tuesday we did see the family and play games. All went well until the winds started the next evening. I couldn't believe the high winds and heavy rains. It sounded like a hurricane and kept me awake most of the night.
Thursday we drove to Redding and I spent 2 days visiting with Joy. She and I keep in touch by phone almost daily but it's so good to see her in person and show each other what we've been making.

Saturday afternoon we made it to Paradise and Sandi and Duane Talbot drove in right behind us. Paul and I visited with them, ate Chinese dinner and played hand and foot canasta. What a treat, we were having withdrawals, lol. We went to church on Sunday and barbecued some steaks for dinner. We fit in some more games and a visit before they had to head back to Santa Rose. I sure miss Sandi and really appreciate their sacrifice to be in Paradise for a visit.

I've spent marathon hours visiting with 3 of my daughters. Kimberly, Julie and Kelsey live here with 11 of my grandchildren. We have played games, eaten tasty lasagna, shopped, run errands, and visited. Tonight Paul is working on his race car trying to get it ready to race tomorrow. It's not an organized race, it's a fun race around cones up in Anderson (near Redding)

Saturday we will be celebrating Tori's birthday and watching as Michael and Hailey compete in a track and field competition similar to the Jesse Owens Track and Field events. Then it looks like we'll be heading south on Monday. Many more family to visit before we're through.

Well, it's late and I'm going to bed. I'll fill you in again in a few days or a week.

Continuing Saga

Well, as you can see, I've has a little time on my hands.

I've made 3 Lotus Leaf Neck Scarves, 1 pair of leg warmers, and a gray reversible scarf. There is something good that comes out of spending 3 1/2 days in an RV repair shop, lol.

We are currently in Grants Pass Oregon having our windshield replaced. We did visit with Kristi and the kids Thursday night till Sunday morning. The kids are great and Kristi looks healthy and happy.

HOPEFULLY the glass guy will get on the ball and get us on the road today. I made plans to play games with Bobby's family tonight. The glass guy said he'd be here at 4pm and Paul said that was TOO late. We'll see what happens, so far no word and it's after 10am.

I'll bet you thought we got lost!

It's been over a week since I saw the Internet, woe is me. We did escape Canada on Friday night and slept in the Tacoma Elks Lodge RV parking. On Saturday, Oct. 3rd, we made it to the Church in Centralia for conference. But on Monday, my whole itinerary went out the window.

We checked in to Brazel's RV Performance center for a few repairs. What an un- foreseen bundle of problems. The water pump wasn't bad after all, just errors in the valves. Except when they put the new one in, it kept blowing the fuses. That took 3 days. The alignment was fixed but that set up a shimmy at 40 mph because the old tires were worn badly. The next problem was the leveling jacks, they sprung a leak. They had the repair kit and fixed them BUT... one of the parts was wrong and they had to order another repair kit. (That was available in Redlands, California and was overnighted.) That whole process took 3 1/2 days.

We made it to Kristi's tonight, visited for an hour or so with her and the 3 kids. Tomorrow Paul will take the motor home to Junction city to have the satellite dish adjusted and come back to Portland while Kristi and I go shopping!!!

On The Road Thur Canada

We've been on the road since Monday morning. We had a stop over in Anchorage for 2 to 3 hours before heading toward Tok. Mostly uneventful travel except for the freezing of our fresh water pump. Fortunately we brought extra bottled water to drink and flush the toilet.
We made about 450 miles Monday and the last 80 to Tok on Tuesday morning. We had a tasty breakfast at Fast Eddy's in Tok and a short nap before taking some more of the Alaska Highway.
Tuesday found us dodging many frost heaves and driving much more slowly than we'd wished. We did make it to Whitehorse before 9pm (that's Pacific time, we'd lost an hour). Good thing, we made it to Walmart in time to shop, whew! (I get withdrawals when deprived of shopping, lol!) We slept in the Walmart parking lot and hit the road for more fun miles.
Wednesday included seeing the bison herd and a flock of sheep, (both were on the road). We saw 5 Caribou crossing the road near us too. Our goal was to make 600 miles in one day to get thru the winding mountain roads. We might experience snow in the passes and we don't want to spend the night in the high elevations (our fresh water pump was still inoperable from the freezing temperatures). All the mountains have snow and they are beautiful to look at with the contrast of the dark green pines and yellow aspens at the lower elevations. Traffic is nearly non-existant, so peaceful to have the highway to ourselves.
Surprisingly there is still some bridge work going on along the road. A couple bridges were one lane with a signal for right-of-way control. This part of the highway is the most winding and also the slowest but with the most wildlife viewing. You must just drive slow and keep on the lookout because they could be right around the next corner and in your lane!
The first 2,000 miles is all about the distance and the next 2,000 miles is all about the stops. We have stops to visit friends, children & grandchildren, motor home repair, and finally doctors. Actually, one of my exciting visits will be in Las Vegas to see all my new friends at Wooly Wonders yarn shop. I have missed them and their friendship. I'm excited to see what they've been making since I left the first of May.(That's 6 months worth of knitting, it better be good, lol.)
Well, that's 3 days travel, any questions? Oh, I heard one about the weather. Well, we've had sun everyday and some clouds with a smidge of snow flurries but nothing on the road. Does that about cover everything?

Homer Turkeys

I was out helping Paul winterize the camper and boat this afternoon and we ran out of anti-freeze. When we left the pad and headed up our road we followed a flock of turkeys (about 30 birds). They were in no hurry so I got out and gobbled at them and followed them. They gobbled back and kept walking. There were several adults and quite a few teenagers.

Homer is full of surprises, this is my first turkey sighting!

We had the driveway paved

The driveway is now wider and has more defined edges. I think it looks neater and more modern.

I'm a little excited to shovel snow this winter because it will be easier. Last time I had to try to leave the gravel behind and only scoop the snow.

Tomorrow they'll be repaving our street. They came along and ground up the pavement and watered and compacted it.
And today they paved the north side of the street and cut a straight line along our newly paved driveway.

By this time tomorrow I expect them to be finished with whole street and our neighborhood will look like new and have a smoothe straight street!

Ah-Ha, It's still September!!

I'm back before the month ran out, aren't you surprised? I am!

I took some pictures of our boat and I thought I'd share them with you. The first one is in the water and the second is out on the pad next to Paul's big Dodge truck. That sure is a contrast of size, isn't it?

Paul is adjusting the rocker arms and winterizing it. He's not putting it back in the water till June of 2011. This year he fished so much he didn't get any stumps pulled or logs taken out for firewood. So, the land is next summer's project.

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

What the heck happened to August?

I just looked at the calender and I can't believe my eyes, it's already September!

This month we have made 2 trips to Anchorage (that's an overnight event). First we took a sweet lady and her husband up to her sisters for eventual back surgery. And, of course, we did shopping and errands. ON the way we saw a rainbow that touched the ground at both ends.

Second, we took Paul's sick Honda motorcycle up for a cure. Fortunately, it was just a battery problem. Seems too simple and dumb to have to make a trip all the way up there. His meter said the battery had 13+ volts but it wouldn't do anything. The starter didn't budge and the lights didn't go on. As it turned out, the battery had volts and no amps! I guess that makes sense because they put a new battery in and Voila, it runs like a champ! (I guess his battery charger fried the other battery.)

Where did the rest of the month disappear to? Piddly chores and helping others. I had the opportunity to sit with a couple dying elderly people and give respite to their loved ones. I've cleaned the pantry cupboard and reorganized it. We cleaned out the boxes from the spare room/office that have been ignored since we moved in to the house. Oh yeah, I paid the property taxes, ON TIME!!! Whew, I'm glad that's done. I was having a stomach ache over that one!

Sorry, I almost forgot, I got a haircut while in Anchorage. It's a cute style but not a very good cut. I'll have to have Rachel fix it when we get to Las Vegas.

Which brings me to the next subject. It looks like we'll be driving the motor home down (hopefully by the end of September) and having a follow-up visit with Paul's doctors. We'll store it in Vegas and fly back and forth for future travels.

Homer Fireweed

Need I say more? Paul and I went for a short drive today, WOW.

Slacker Mentality

Here I am sitting & knitting and staying quiet & peaceful.

I have been asked to sit with a couple older people that were dying. It is a great service to keep them company and relieve the family for a little break. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve and get over my own sad past.

Paul has been serving visitors by taking them fishing. Now the boat is "broken" but it's only a temporary set-back. I think it's the alternator or batteries. He has an appointment with a Russian man that will help him troubleshoot the issue.

Not a very exciting blog post but that's the way it's been going this last month or so. We are planning a trip to Anchorage this month (August) to drive Gloria (a friend here in Homer) up for a surgery and shop at Costco. Maybe life will get more exciting between now and then, lol.

Tyler's Dodecahedron

Well, I finally made it but now I have to find a box to fit so I can mail it.

Tucson helps Paul nap, lol.

Paul has been taking friends out fishing 6 of the last 8 days and he's VERY tired. Tucson is helping him take a nap!

2 Dodecahedrons for my Grandchildren

I'm sorry this picture is so small but that's the best I could do with the cell picture Kelsey put on facebook. That's what I get for forgetting to get pictures before mailing the gift.

I'm not sure how you pronounce it but it is a 12 point ball/toy. It has a small bell inside for a soft jingle sound.

Kelsey had demanded one for her 4 month old baby boy since he likes these so much.

Our Trusted Friends from Washington

This is Patty Custer from Vashon Island, Washington.
This is her first Halibut fishing trip and she caught a 40 pound fish.
She called her family at midnight to brag (it isn't dark in Alaska so she didn't think about the time) but her sister wasn't impressed.











This is Bob and Patty Custer at the head of the Chilkoot Trail near Skagway, Alaska. Her grandfather hiked the trail twice during the goldrush years.


We are so thankful to our friends for driving our truck and camper home for us. When they left us, they took a cruise ship back home to enjoy the other half of the Alaska experience.

Great Visit from Friends

I can't believe that I didn't use my camera this last week.
Dumb, Dumb, DUMB!!! I don't have a picture of our friends or the fish and places we visited. I should have my brain checked!

Bob and Patty Custer drove our truck and camper up from Las Vegas so I didn't have to. That allowed Paul and I to drive together. They spent 4 days here in Homer and we showed them as much as we could jam in to such a short time.

I had back spasms on Thursday but Paul took them fishing anyway. Bob caught some gray cod and Patty caught 2 really nice Halibut. One was about 30 pounds and the other was about 40 pounds. She squealed and hollered for a few minutes and then called her family around midnight to brag! I guess they weren't very impressed at that hour, lol.

We showed them the view from Skyline and they did some exploring on the Spit and Frontier. We took them out to our lots near Fritz Creek and dinner at Fat Olives (yummy calzone and stromboli). We also took them to Pier One Theater and saw "That Darn Plot". We all enjoyed that!

The time was WAY too short because I kept saying You'll have to come back to see this or that. We drove them to Seward to catch the cruise ship for their trip home to Seattle (actually Vashon Island) Washington. We hated to see them go, we really enjoyed their visit. We hope they come back next year!

Home 1 & 1/2 Weeks, whew.

Boy is there a lot to do when you move from one home (motor home) to another (the house). I bet we moved two dozen boxes from the motor home to the house and most of them are still full. It took until Saturday (10 days) to get the motor home emptied, cleaned and moved out to the property with the gravel pad. I'm encouraged because the house looks better without that in the driveway. I wish I had a picture to share because the motor home is almost as big as the house. It is as long as the entire driveway and half as wide. We barely got the little trailer and RAV 4 in the other half of the driveway. Now you can see my blooming flowers,

Ta-Da!!!

For the first 3 days at home I was sick with a chest cold and upset tummy but I'm much better now. Now I'm just sick of unpacking boxes, lol.

I have spent a little time knitting, enough to finish the shrug. It measured exactly 62 inches when done (which is what it was supposed to measure). It was dirty (white yarn) so I put it in cool water and cleaned it. Unfortunately it relaxed to a whopping 74 inches. I'm going to unravel the sleeves and replace the cuffs. Oh well, it's only time, ha, ha.

I did plant some vegetables and flowers. I bought some squash, broccoli, swiss chard and tomatoes. I found some hanging baskets too with my favorite color of pansies. I also potted some pansies and petunias in several hanging baskets and planter pots. My house has COLOR this spring, Hooray!!!

The Critter Count

2 Young caribou, probably licking salt off the road.

Male Buffalo, separate from the female and babies.

Female Buffalo and 3 babies, this is where the majority of the heard was grazing.

Grizzly Bear, walking along the highway looking for food (we left before he got any ideas about us or the cat, lol).

Little black bear heading back into the forest, they don't like sightseers.

We saw many other wildlife along the way but I don't have pictures of them. They are as follows:

swans, ducks, sheep, deer, moose, about 50-60 bison.

Funniest cat in the World

Tucson helps Paul drive the motor home.












Tucson helps Karen knit.

Tucson soaks up the sun, enough said!

Bouncing Shock Absorbers

Today we're having new shocks installed in Centralia, Washington. We should be on the road tonight and stop in Tacoma to see Bob and Patty. They will be leaving in a week or two to drive our truck to Homer.

When we go in to Canada, we'll have less Internet access, so we'll probably blog less. Oops, can it get any less often? I haven't been updating too frequently because we've been so busy, or boring?

What a Difference

BEFORE

AFTER

The left hand cabinet was left untouched. You can see that the TV sits way back towards the windshield now but before it set out front of the cabinet.

Also, if you look closely, you can see the huge difference in the screen size. It's something like the old one was 27" to the new one is 40".

Stopped in Junction City, Oregon

We had a wonderful 4 days with my family. All seven of my children and their 'other half' were there with 26 of my 27 grandchildren. Whew, what a crew.

They played a little soccer together and decorated the church for my dad's 80th birthday party. They also prepared food for the event. They worked together well and the little ones (ages 3 months to 19) played together well too. The 2 littlest ones walked around holding hands the entire weekend, too cute.

I think my dad had a good time. The unfortunate thing about reaching your 80th birthday is that you've outlived many of your friends and usually a spouse. Fortunately, he found a wonderful new spouse and he's made many, many younger friends! He sure doesn't look 80!!!

Monday we drove to Junction City Oregon. We are parked at Davis Cabinet having our TV cabinet rebuilt to house a new TV. (The old one is square and the new one is a wide rectangle.)

We are researching an electrical issue. Might be an inverter problem but there is a trustworthy man right here in J.C. that can look at it later today. By Thursday evening we should be heading out for Washington. (That is, "IF" we have a simple remedy for the inverter!)

I called the Wooly Wonders yarn shop in Las Vegas yesterday. I was knitting and missing my sweet friends so I called during a Knit Meet-up to say "Hello". I'm so glad we have family there because I know I'll be able to visit again in the future.

Arriving in Paradise (California, not Alaska)

We've traveled about 800 miles since leaving Las Vegas. All is well, Paul continues to thrive and we're both very happy.

Don't expect to hear much from us for several days. Today I start visiting with my 7 children and 27 grandchildren. I'm glad my dad reached his 80th birthday to give the family an excuse to have a reunion. (It usually takes a wedding or a funeral.)

It's Spring, get out and enjoy the weather. Get away from that addictive computer, lol.

Escape from Las Vegas

No, it's not a new movie title, it's our get away. It was a hectic morning trying to get all the last minute things finished, success, finally.

We are in Azusa California, safe and sound waiting for tomorrow morning. We have to be up, dressed and out of the motor home for the Banks installation by 6am. I'm not thrilled but they'll be done by 3pm, that's good. Maybe we can make some miles toward Paradise, our next stop.

I'll let you know where we are and that we're okay, as often as I'm able. (You know, Internet access isn't always going to be available on the road)

Love to all,
Karen

Down to the wire

The time is drawing near for us to start driving home. I'm getting excited and we've been VERY busy.

Yesterday we had 4 doctors appointments, pick up our old computers, (a friend was able to look at them) and then drive up to the mountain pass to load the camper on the truck. We didn't get home for 12 hours, long day.

Today I took red velvet cupcakes to the Yarn shop for my goodbye party. I got a nice surprise there. 4 of my knitting sisters bought me 2 gorgeous merino sock yarns. There were balloons and a few others brought cake and snacks. I also got cards signed by just about everybody (such nice sentiments too). I'm sure going to miss all of them. I wish there were some way to take them with me to Alaska. I'll keep in touch online through Ravelry, Facebook and this blog, it just won't be the same.

Tomorrow is our much needed day of rest and Monday is going to be another marathon. One more doctors visit and pick up Bob from the airport. Get him familiar with the truck and camper and make sure he has all he needs for the long drive. (He'll drive it to Washington and pick up his wife and they will drive together to Homer.)

We have been so blessed to have friends that will drive our truck and camper to Alaska for us. Bob and Patty will drive to Homer and visit for a few days then take a cruise through Southeast Alaska back to their home in Washington (Vashon Island).

Then Tuesday morning we drive out of Las Vegas for California, Whoopee! We're down to the wire and everything is getting done, we're so blessed!

The Final Doctors Release

Paul saw the cardiac surgeon Thursday and got released. The doctor was pleased with Paul's progress and said "go out and live life, use that heart".

We have been very busy seeing doctors and getting his medications finalized. We have been driving around town trying to get other errands done between doctor appointments.

Our next event was last night when we attended "Savior of the World" at the Henderson Pavilion. It was a very touching musical about the birth and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was performed by local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was fantastic, I wish everyone could have seen it but tonight is the last performance.

Next on the list is that I'm going Thursday to see the Jersey Boys with our friend Rosalynd Munson. I've been wanting to see them since Susan Wise told me about them. (Paul hasn't wanted to see them so I had to find a friend to go with me.)

Then on Friday night, Paul and I are taking his sister Arla to see Phantom of the Opera. We have orchestra seats and it should be pretty exciting when the chandelier drops. It's too bad we've been here for 7 months and haven't been anywhere but poor Paul just hasn't been up to much. I'm so happy to have a healthier, stronger Paul back in my life.

We are making plans to leave Las Vegas on May 5th and head to Los Angeles before we go to Paradise for my dad's 80th birthday party. I've been richly blessed to have my dad around so long and to have him healthy and happily married. (Boy, what more could a daughter wish for her father?)

I've so enjoyed the time I've spent at the Wooly Wonders yarn shop in Las Vegas. The owner and other employees have been very helpful and friendly. I've also enjoyed the friendship of many women knitters (and crocheters) three times a week (in "knit meet-ups" and "open knit" on Saturdays). I couldn't have hand picked nicer people to keep me company for these many months. I'm going to miss all of them and they don't know what a difference they have made in my life. I can't thank them enough, I can only hope to "pay it forward".

Soon it will be "Goodbye Las Vegas" and "Look out Alaska, here we come!"

Men in Skirts (Kilts)

Paul was feeling good enough to spend a few hours watching the Scottish Highland Games today. We invited a good friend to go with us and the three of us watched men throw hammers, children's dance competition, a Celtic Band, and the world champion pipes and drums band. We looked at lots of Scottish gear and souvenirs. We even found that to have a kilt made would cost $700+. Paul decided he didn't want to wear a kilt.

There was a t-shirt that read "many have been kilt for calling it a skirt", I thought that was a cute one.

We finished our Scottish day off with a Thai lunch, only in America!

This picture is of the world champion bagpipe band, what an awesome experience.

H A L L E L U J A H

PAUL GOT OUT OF THE REHAB HOSPITAL TODAY!!!

When I got to the hospital to pick up Paul for the accountant's appointment he said the doctor was releasing him. We went ahead and filed the taxes and headed back to the hospital. He talked to the physical therapist, nurse, doctor and got his pic line removed while I packed his belongings.

(Paul will still see 3 doctors for follow-up and he has 2 weeks of physical therapy following Thursday's PT evaluation.)

Woo-Hoo, it didn't take us long to head home, what a relief. Don't expect to see us around much, I think we're going to stay home and get re-acquainted, lol.

False Alarm

No such luck. The doctor said that he was "keeping Paul's butt right there" in the rehab hospital until he was sure that the white blood count was stable. They have had trouble with Paul's white blood count since the bypass surgery and they don't want to take any chances now. What's one more day or two?

Paul and I are being patient because neither one of us wants him back in the hospital, EVER!!! I'm keeping busy knitting and visiting with my new friends at the yarn shop.

Murmurings

I hear speculations that Paul might be out Easter Sunday!

I think his last dose of IV medications is the Saturday morning and they should send him 'home' to me right away. Like I said, it's only talk but at least it is getting closer.

His favorite nurse left after her last shift last night for the operating room at University Medical Center Hospital. I'm glad Paul will be out soon since we'll both miss her.

Aside...

Here is our funny cat Tucson.

She fell out of the window onto the sofa a few minutes later, lol

I took her to visit Paul again in the rehab hospital, he likes her and vise-versa.

Paul's improving

Paul's still in the rehab hospital. He is improving everyday. He is nearing the end of his antibiotics too. They took more blood to test for bugs and update his antibiotic plan.

On Friday I took Tucson to the vet for a check-up and update her shots. The rehab hospital let her come to visit Paul. She seemed happy to see him as she lie down next to him on his bed. I'll probably take her again this week.

Paul has a busy schedule with all the meds and physical therapy. He has worked out a couple dates with me to see videos. I bought him 007-Quantum of Solace and Australia (which we both enjoyed and shared with a couple other patients).

The doctor came in today and they're trying to decide when would be best for Paul to be released. He said Paul would probably know when he was ready to go home. Life is good and getting better and we have been continually blessed. I don't even have anything to ask for in my prayers, they have been provided before I need it.

Yippee, he's in rehab!!!

Well, he's finally well enough to move to the rehab. He's just 2 blocks from the hospital but what an improvement. He's up walking around and visiting with his roommate and visitors. He's even feeling well enough to tease the nurses and give them a hard time.

It's a nicer place than the hospital. He has a valance on the window which makes it look homier. The kitchen makes better tasting food. And, if he doesn't like the scrambled eggs, they'll make them another way. Wow, have you ever heard of that?

Paul's roommate is the same age and they have a lot in common. Today Paul didn't even take a nap he just visited, walked and talked. He's tired tonight but it's a "good tired".

Improvement for Paul

Well, the doctor came in today and said that Paul doesn't have C DIF. I haven't told you sooner that he had diarrhea for 4 days and they thought it might be C-DIF. That can be spread person to person and cause a perforation in the bowel (it can sometimes cause death, but we weren't talking about that!). The diarrhea is apparently caused by the antibiotics and will improve when they stop them. Meantime he needs the antibiotics for 14 days to completely get rid of the pneumonia.

So, there are more complications caused by the treatment, bummer. They just brought him back from an EGD (esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy) and we don't have the results yet but they were looking for the possibility of an ulcer caused by the treatments. The next step is a colonoscopy tomorrow. (Boy, they will have looked at all Paul's organs from the inside by the time they're finished here, lol.)
(Forgive the spelling, spell-checker doesn't know how to spell these either)

Paul is breathing MUCH better and they did an EKG that looked good. He still has lots of fluid retention but the doc said he'll get right on it. He thinks the steroids probably caused that and he'll have them stop the steroids gradually.

I'm escaping every day or two to maintain my sanity. Today I saw Duplicity. It was okay but confusing to follow. I've also seen Hotel For Dogs and Coraline in 3D (I told you I was desperate, lol). I am escaping to the Wooly Wonders yarn shop to knit with the "girls" for 2 hours Tu & Th and usually a couple hours on Saturday. I've made some nice things but best of all, I've learned lots about knitting, woo-hoo!

2 weeks of IV antibiotics

There isn't much to report right now except they need to give Paul iv antibiotics for 2 weeks to treat the pneumonia. Holy Cow, that's a long time. The antibiotics cause other problems in the digestive track.

He's feeling better with regards to his heart but worse in his stomach and intestines. It's a catch 22 dilemma, darned if you do and darned if you don't, lol.

We hear from home that ash is falling in Homer finally. Not a lot, about 1/8th inch expected but bothersome none the less. Everybody turns off computers etc to protect them from the deadly dust. It's very sharp and does much damage. We are more fortunate that we have endless use of our computers. I'll pray for rain to wash away the ash from the air and ground. It will be good for the crops but bad for the lungs.

Feel free to write or call. There isn't much else to report but It's good to communicate by voice. Much love to all, Karen

FLASH, this just in: PNEUMONIA

The specialist just came in and they finally have a diagnosis of pneumonia in the right lung. They are treating it with antibiotics and the doc said he'll keep an eye on his progress.

They are doing cultures of the fluid and sputum to determine which bugs are growing and which antibiotics are going to kill them (that takes 3-4 days).

That's all for now!

Paul still in Hospital

We have had a partial diagnosis of a lung collapsing because of fluid between the lung and the sack. They did draw off 21 ounces of fluid but that didn't give the hoped-for results. Paul is still wheezing and coughing being unable to breathe.

Last night at 12:30 am they did more CT scans of the lungs. We still don't have the results of that test.

Paul looks well and sounds bad. He apparently feels pretty good as he gives the nurses a hard time (teasing and joking).

Sunday night he started coughing something up from his lungs and couldn't breathe and doesn't feel safe to go home yet. The nursed think it's bronco spasms and the doctor said something about asthma (adult lung reaction not the usual "born with it" type of asthma. They are still giving him breathing treatments and steroids. Hopefully it will help.

Better News

We have a diagnosis. Paul has fluid in the sac holding the lungs (pleura, I think). Same problem as last March in Houston Texas. They will put a needle in his back today and remove it. It's preventing the lung from expanding and giving him shortness of breath. The fix is immediate and he should be home by tomorrow.

Sorry for the lack of details but I am using the worlds slowest internet access and I'm heading out the door to church and then off to the hospital, bye, Karen

Good news and Bad news

The good news is that I've finally finished my new socks. They are bright enough to keep you awake at night. I think they will look good with jeans and my sandals.

The bad news is that Paul was having trouble breathing and he wanted to go to the hospital. The doctor doesn't think it's serious, just bronco-spasms (an asthma response in the lungs from all the irritation of surgery). They kept him overnight and are doing tests to eliminate everything else. He looks good and his blood oxygen is 95 or better.

Please don't worry or panic, I think everything is going to be just fine.

The First Day

Paul's first day home was uneventful. He walked to the Guard House to say hello to a couple of the gate guards here at the Thousand Trails. Everybody here knew of his problems and have been praying for us. They were very excited to have him home again too.

I made the trip to Walmart for his several new prescriptions. What a test. It took about 1 1/2 hours and we turned the papers in the night before. Oh well, so much for planning ahead. There were some conflicts with several pills and even one he can't take until he finished the antibiotic.

That taken care of, it was time to trade Arla's car for Paul's truck. The timing worked out to have his truck in the dealership for warranty repairs and borrow a car Paul could climb in and out of by himself. It sounds like a simple task but it took 2 1/2 hours. I stopped at Costco and picked up Paul's repaired hearing aids on the way home but that only took 10 minutes. I fed him lunch and we both took a much needed nap.

When he's through on his computer we'll go for another short walk and settle in for the night. We're both tired but he has a reasonable excuse, I'm just dragging for no apparent reason.

All in all, he's doing great and taking it easy, as the doctor insisted. I'm just doing the chores to keep life going. We have been richly blessed and are so very grateful for all our friends and family who have been praying for us, a huge
T H A N K S .

Paul's Home, finally.

I think Paul must have some Irish blood to be so lucky to get released this early. Only 6 days since a very serious and life threatening surgery.

We waited from 10am till 6+pm for them to wade through the red tape. Then to top it off, they forgot to send us with all the prescriptions. I finally got him to the motor home at 7pm.

It's been a long day for both of us but we're ready for a rest and as you can see, Paul and Tucson have already started.

The doctor says it will be 6 weeks before he can drive and 3 months before he can ride his motorcycle. He must take it VERY easy for the next week and then take it easy for the next 2 weeks. We see the doctor in 3 weeks for a follow-up.

I'm a Happy Camper and so is Tucson, she really missed him.

Coming Home Tuesday, Woo-Hoo!!!

Paul got his "swan" out of his neck this morning and they finally transferred him down to another room. He's detached from all the tubes and wires and he's free to move about the halls. He's been walking twice today and the doctor came in to see us both.

Dr Martin said he was doing well and asked us how this compared to the last surgery. We said there was NO comparison. Last time he looked pale and weak for 2 weeks but this time he looked healthy and normal on the second day. He also has NO arm pain for the first time in 14 months.

Doctor said it looks like he can come home tomorrow. The doc will be in mid-morning and see how he's doing. He expects he will release Paul then.

I washed the bed sheets and got things ready for him to come "home". The doctor said he wants to see Paul in 3 weeks and then in a month he can make the drive back to Alaska. It will still be 3 months before he can drive the boat or run his backhoe or dozer. That's okay, Paul's future is finally bright again.

Bored is good news

This picture is just a pretty sunset in Las Vegas and it has nothing to do with Paul. I don't have any new ones of him right now. I'm planning on taking one when he gets moved to another room.

I can tell that Paul is feeling good because he's bored and fighting his tubes and wires. He even asked the nurse to take him for a walk today.

He didn't see all 3 doctors today so he didn't get moved downstairs. I guess they'll get him disconnected tomorrow and move him. (all 3 doctors have to agree that he's out of the woods before he gets moved)

Paul eats dinner in a chair

Not a big deal but Arla (Paul's sister) wanted to see her brother. (She's stuck in Hawaii, poor thing, lol)

Paul's color is good and he's happy and talkative. He's been up walking each day since the surgery and sitting in a chair for 3 hours at a time.

It looks like they will move him to a regular room tomorrow. They still have to remove more monitors but that only takes a minute.

Happy Birthday Leslie

Today I finished Leslie's lace poncho. Fortunately, it was also her birthday.

For Paul: Friday the 13th is Good Luck

Paul got the chest tubes out of his chest this morning along with the "pacemaker" wires. It was very painful and traumatic and it messed up his blood sugar and started his heart fibrillating.

He has had very good nurses and the doctors have been seeing him often so they're right on top of every incident. They got his heart in sinus rhythm by 1pm and the blood sugars under control shortly thereafter.

He started feeling better and got up in the chair for a couple hours and then walked around the CCU. After such a busy day he's tired and in need of a nap. After a short nap he felt much better and sat up and ate dinner.

His recovery this time is nothing short of a miracle. With the first bypass surgery he looked the same for the 12 days of his hospitalization. This time his color is great and he continues to improved everyday. We are truly BLESSED.

Hooray, Paul's doing GREAT

I wasn't looking forward to going to the hospital this morning, Paul looked so bad when I left last night.

What a pleasant surprise when I walked in and he was sitting up, awake and asking where I was. His color is terrific and he has a BIG smile.

The doctor removed the ventilator this morning and he started to talk right away. His voice is a little horse but that will go away soon. They are removing tubes, wires, and medications systematically and getting him ready to be up in a chair later today. They expect him to be walking by tomorrow morning.

I haven't seen him look this healthy for well over a year. He's happy and animated. He's talking non-stop and cooperative. I am amazed and thankful for the huge blessings from our Heavenly Father.

I'll update again tomorrow but it can only be good news. Thanks to all our friends and family for the prayers and offers of help. We love you!

Paul is out of surgery

Well, the worst is over.

The doctor said that he replaced the 3 bad bypasses. He said that Paul's blood vessels are so small that there was no where else to put blood vessels. He said that Paul had his ONLY bypass surgery, there is no place else to put blood vessels.

It took the doctor 2 hours to cut the heart out of all the scar tissue before he could start the bypasses.

Paul is still sleeping and on the ventilator. They will let him wake on his own and remove the vent from his throat in the morning.

He is not bleeding because they did some precautionary platelet and blood products at the beginning of the surgery. It's a good thing because he needed it.

They are trying to keep his blood pressure down and warm his body up. He did rouse enough to know I was holding his hand but that's about it.

Oooooh, a new tam

Silly girl, taking a picture of myself in a mirror.

I just wanted you to see the latest tam I made last night and today. These are some of my favorite colors. Of course, I won't need it till next winter.