Travels of Paul and Karen

Karen's Orthopedic Doctor visit

2012-01-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

Just as I figured, there's nothing broken or fractured so the doctor applied to the insurance for an MRI.

Unfortunately, they figure 2 weeks for approval, another week or more to get in to a machine and another week to get in to the doctor for the diagnosis. And that's only the beginning if there is any damage that needs repair.

Meanwhile, Paul has his MRI on Monday afternoon (tomorrow).

Las Vegas, the details

2012-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Starting with December 26th 2011: We got a message that Paul's brother-in-law had passed away that morning. (That was his sister, Vyonne's, husband) For the next couple days we contemplated the options. Fly down to the funeral together or Karen stay home to care of the house, cat, keeping the home fires burning, as well as visiting teaching, knitting group and an occasional opportunities to help others.

Then, Wednesday morning December 28th, I was directing Paul to back the truck and log splitter into the driveway when I slipped and fell. I landed on my shoulder then butt, then head. (There probably would have been less damage if I'd landed on my head first instead of last) Since our health insurance is only available in Las Vegas and the fall indicated a torn rotator cuff, it became obvious that I was flying to Las Vegas WITH Paul. Apparently the Lord knew something I didn't and wanted me in Las Vegas.

After the funeral, Paul saw his doctor and found out that his lap band has a leak. Wow, that's something we couldn't have handled in Alaska. Sooooo on Jan 25th they will do a fluoroscope with dye to see where the leak is and replace the offending part.

Also, he has had ongoing pain and loss of range of motion in his right shoulder. Now's the time to research that. Also, with losing 30+ pounds, he needs his c-pap sleep study re-done and the machine adjusted.

Oh, and it's time to have my thumb injected for the arthritis as long as we are here. That could have been done in Homer but it is cheaper here if we are here anyway.

AS of today, I see orthopedic surgeon tomorrow and take next step in diagnosis for shoulder. (I expect he'll apply to the insurance company for an MRI).

Monday Jan. 16th, I have my thumb injected.

Following Monday Jan 23, Paul does pre-registration at hospital for floroscope.

Wednesday, Jan 25 is the floroscope.

We have space in our calendar to fill in with more appointments and hopefully we'll get the calls for both MRI's soon.

Any Questions? Kind of a mess, huh?

I saw on the news the other day that Cordova Alaska was declared a state of emergency because of huge amounts of snow fall. Cordova is in our stake but over the mountains fom us and they got tons more snow than we did in Homer. Our home is fine and our geography is such that we are protected from the initial onslought from Pacific storms by a mountain. Places like Cordova, Seward and Valdez are more like a funnel for the storms.

Can you believe we're BACK in Las Vegas?

2012-01-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

Long story but a funeral and my fall has us stuck here yet again.

We are currently on our way to Long Beach for Paul's daughter's banquet for nomination to S. Cal. Teacher of the year. Tomorrow I should be able to expand on the reasons we're down here.

I've talked to friends at home and I've seen the weather in Cordova, Alaska but Homer is not pummeled.

Much more later,
Karen

Home at last

2011-12-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Homer at last!

Paul and I made it home yesterday evening. It took us a week and a half but we made it.

We visited Chris in San Clemente, Sara from Huntington Beach, Candy in Elk Grove, Kimberly, Julie, Kelsey and Dad in Paradise, Bobby from Brookings and Kristi in Portland. I saw all 7 of my children between Nov. 24th and Dec 9th, That's no small accomplishment, they live in Oregon, Colorado and California.

We cleaned out the motorhome and put in storage in Chehalis WA. It's only one flight home from Seattle and one flight back.

Paul is doing very well with his weight loss. He's down about 30 pounds. He has a VERY quick recovery from his surgery too. We're both very happy to be home.

Fantastic News

2011-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

Paul had his lap band 2 weeks ago today. The doctor said it was a difficult surgery and Paul would be very bruised. Well, he had almost no bruising at all. He has 5 very small incisions on his abdomen and tape over them. He came home the following day and only took 2 doses of pain meds. Wow, he did great.

These last 2 weeks he had to be on a liquid diet. There goes Thanksgiving dinner!!! Instead, we drove to Cedar City Utah to visit my son and his family. We were away from tempting foods and had a wonderful visit with the 3 grand kids too. Courtlyn had a loose tooth for 2 months that she wouldn't let her daddy or mom pull. BUT, she did let grandma pull it, Wow, I'm honored.

Her parents teased her about how much the tooth fairy would leave under her pillow for several minutes. I whispered in her ear that grandma would give her $5 for it and she answered in a heartbeat, "YES, that's more than the tooth fairy would pay". I told her I've pulled many teeth from my own children but that's the first grandchild tooth I ever pulled and it would be a good souvenir. We both won!

We went to the doctor yesterday for Paul's first follow-up appointment. He was very pleased with the nearly painless outcome and 15 pounds weight loss. He said we can go home and have another doctor do the lap band adjustments.

Wow, this is the shortest visit for doctors here in Las Vegas we've had so far.

We made flight arrangements for Dec. 13th. We will visit several children on our way to the airport and store our motor home again. See you soon.

3 Weeks and No Internet

2011-11-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Surprised to hear from me? I'm surprised to be here, lol.

I haven't had internet for the last 3 weeks because the download time on the air card for the computer was used up until this weekend. And the wifi at the RV park is off and on (mostly OFF).

So to get you up to speed, we are back in Las Vegas and ready for Paul's lap band procedure this coming Wednesday. We have been waiting for the approval from the insurance and then waiting for the next opening in the doctor's schedule.

Wednesday morning at 6:30am Paul goes to Desert Springs Hospital and will spend the night. The procedure is only an hour but with heart and diabetes, they probably want to watch him and be sure he's fine. He should come home Thursday.

The doctor told Paul that he only needs to spend 3 weeks or so after the surgery before he can go back to Alaska. WOW, this will be the shortest visit here, EVER!!!

2 Wild and Busy Weeks

2011-10-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we've just spent 2 very busy weeks.

Last week we had several doctors appointments, sometimes 3 in a day. So far, all has been well and the doctors are satisfied.

Then, this week we drove to Hurricane and St. George Utah to visit family. Unfortunately Jerry left town for the day and forgot to tell us. So, we visited with Deb. Then we stopped in St. George to see Nancy Lisonbee and pick up some Real Salt for my daughters. It was nice to see Nancy and her husband and son. We had lunch at Cafe Rio with them and visited a little bit.

Then the big adventure begins. We drove to Paradise to the baptism of a granddaughter, Hailey McKenna Noel Wilson (Kelsey's only girl). While there I had the chance to spend a day with my very good friend, Sandi Talbot on Thursday and that evening, Julie and Kelsey came to visit.

Kelsey had throat surgery on Tuesday and in not allowed to utter ANY sound so, she's signing constantly. The only problem is that I didn't take the class so I have a hard time understanding her. She is very patient and writes almost everything to me. The funniest thing is, that if Julie doesn't like what Kelsey is signing, she puts her index fingers over her eyes and sings "La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La". It caught Kelsey off guard and almost made her laugh (a no-no) and she started coughing.

Then on Friday, my best friend drove down from Anderson to spend the day with me and to see Kelsey and Kimberly. Kelsey had a new remodel of her house (adding 2 bedrooms and Kimberly has a new baby boy just 7 weeks old (that I had not met yet). We also got lucky and attended a church dinner with my dad that evening.

Saturday, I ran to the bank to sign some papers and off to the soccer games of Michael and Hailey. By 10:30am I had free time so I went to Cheryl Peterson's house and helped her and Dad load the dump truck to go to the dump. I got to spend a little time talking with my dad on the way to and from the dump. He's so busy helping others that he had almost no time to visit with me. But that's okay since I had so little time to spend in Paradise.

Sunday we attended church where I renewed acquaintance with many friends and saw Tom and Medi Fowler. Tom rented my little cabin many years ago and moved away shortly after their daughter was born. Now his daughter moved back to Paradise and became best friends with my daughter (neither knowing of the history of their parents). When their two daughters were old enough to be baptised, they wanted to do it together (they are also best friends). What a surprise when the pieces of the puzzle came together and we had a great time visiting.

The baptism was great and I've never seen so many in attendance for 2 little 8 year olds. The chapel was almost full, so many people that we couldn't fit in the Relief Society room, where we usually sit.

Monday, we got up and I went to make a deposit at Wells Fargo and found out that I had about 12 fraudulent charges on my account. That took about an hour to remedy and I still met Kelsey and Kimberly for a donut before driving out of town.

Next, we stopped for a short visit with Candy and dropped off her Real Salt. She looks healthy and happy. She's been working in convalescent hospitals and has just recently been hired by Hospice for 40% more an hour, WOW, what a blessing.

We drove to Tehatchapi too sleep where it was much cooler (oh, did I forget to mention that our air conditioners broke while in Las Vegas at 94 degrees). This trip was very timely. The repair man has ordered the capacitors and should repair them the day after we arrive.

See, I told you it was a wild 2 weeks.

L A S V E G A S , Again

2011-10-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we made the 12 hour day to fly 3 flights from Homer to Las Vegas on Tuesday. Exhausted, but safe and sound, Paul's sister, Arla, picked us up at the airport. She kept us at her house then the next morning drove us (1 hour) up the mountain to pick up the motor home.

We thought we were so smart to turn off the batteries to save them but they were DEAD anyway. It probably took us an extra hour to charge them enough to start the engine. We drove back into town and set it up in the Thousand Trails and rushed off to the first doctor's visit of the trip.

Paul's diabetes doctor gave him some good pointers and sent him off to get lab work done. Today we have one doctors appointment and tomorrow we have 2 doctors to see.

I love my (motor)home away from Home(r)!!! It's comfortable and familiar. All the comforts of home except no friends or family (until we go to see them).

On the 18th we are planning to go to Hurricane and visit Deb & Jerry (Paul's brother) and my niece in St. George but it will be a one day round trip. More on that later.

Then, on the 19th, we are going to drive to Paradise, CA. We will visit my dad and 4 daughters. While there, Kelsey's daughter, Hailey is going to be baptised. It will be so good to see some of the kids but unfortunately not all.

Okay, now that you know what we did and where we are, don't be strangers. Come by and visit, ol.

Silly Request

2011-09-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call from friends the other day. They were concerned because I had not posted if a few months. I said "The name of the blog is 'Spilsbury Travels', you see since we're not traveling, I don't post".

Well, I guess I could post something once in awhile, if I remember, lol. It seems that 'Life' gets in the way and keeps me much to busy.

Paul and I have been home over 3 months now and keeping busy. We have had 3 wonderful visits from friends this summer. First, Marianne and Albi von Dach came for a visit from Arizona. The first thing they asked is "Do you still have Tucson?" (Really, the cat gets first billing?) It was so nice to visit with them.

Then we had a visit from Maureen and Richard Haralabatos from New York, we met them in Florida. They also remembered Tucson but were kind enough to say "hello" to Paul and I first. (Tucson is always so memorable, she gets right in their face to sniff them.)

Then we had friends from Oregon come in to town. Norm and Jerri Pawson came from Aloha OR. They too remembered Tucson but for a different reason, Norm is allergic to cats. So sorry Norm.

Paul and I felt very honored that friends would take the time to visit with us. We have made some wonderful RV friends over the last 9 years.

Well, besides all the cleaning and organizing of the house, that sums up our summer. We will be flying to Las Vegas again on October 11th. Paul and I have a few follow-up doctor's appointment before returning home. I'm planning of visiting Paradise CA to see my newest grandson and attend a granddaughter's baptism the end of October.

HOME(R) at Last

2011-05-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is the news you've all been waiting for, lol. Oh yeah, this is the news I've been waiting for. We arrived safely in Homer yesterday at 4pm. Of course, there were no groceries in the house, we made a short stop at the market for staples and a couple frozen dinners.

It was a long day, up at 5 for a 5:25am shuttle to the airport. There were so many people we just made it thru TSA to make boarding. I have no idea what TSA thinks is wrong with me but it seems I always get wanded or x-rayed. Oh, and they almost always go thru my luggage (this time they went through 3 of our 5 bags).

We had a short (2 hour) layover in Seattle before our flight to Anchorage. There we only had 1 1/4 hours before our flight to Homer.

I'm so happy to be home and hold my cat, Tucson. She was happy to see us and had to sniff us over and over again before she was content to sit on my shoulder and purr. She quickly fell back into her old habits with us. She's a fun pet.

Going Home

2011-05-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the latest neurologist did new lab tests to eliminate other possible causes and the results are negative. That's good news, sort of, it means I don't have some terrible diseases. On the other hand, it means the cause is still unknown, maybe inherited?

The final try is Cymbalta, for nerve pain and changes the way the brain deals with pain. It takes up to a month to see if it helps, so far I think it is making a difference in the burning pain. Since we've eliminated the scary possibilities, we're going home.

May 20th we fly out at 7am. I'm excited but it still feels unreal. Since Paul's diabetes doctor must see him every 6 months (the insurance prefers 3 months) we will be back October 11th for doctors appointments the 12th - 14th. It should be routine visits and a short trip, you've heard that before, huh?

Still Hanging Around

2011-05-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Paul and I are trying to be patient but we're so bored.

Paul had a treadmill stress test and the results were good. The doctor said the heart has improved since the bypass surgery. He also had a lung function study and that looks like minor problems with breathing. The doctor hasn't called with results yet so it must be minor.

Me, on the other hand, I'm still looking for a correct diagnosis on my foot burning and numbness. I've been sent to a second neurologist. I was very impressed with the intake exam and blood work ordered, he was very thorough. It will still be another 2 weeks before I get the results. The blood tests had to be frozen and take 2 weeks to complete.

I decided that I'm giving up and going home after I see the neurologist. Either he has a diagnosis and treatment or not, and I go home. This has gone much too long, even if I have to survive on pain pills!

Well, What Can I Say?

2011-04-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

I know that there are some of you that are reading my blog to see what's happening. I hate to say, "I don't know what 's happening". I saw the pain specialist doctor today and there is so much unknown about the cause of the pain and numbness in my feet, we've gotten 'nowhere', it seems. She is concerned about adding any more steroids to my body right now so there will be no more injections. I have not found any relief in my feet from the injections and she feels that the neurostimulator will be just the answer. W E L L , Paul and I are not so sure. We are both afraid of the procedure and it's inherent dangers. I'm afraid of having someone touch my spinal cord in any way. They want to place a little strip of plastic with electrodes on it along side the spinal cord. SCARY!!!

There are other issues keeping us in Las Vegas right now too. Last week Paul had a treadmill stress test. The primary care doctor said yesterday that she got the copy of the test report and there is a problem I guess Paul heard her say he'd need an angiogram to decide the next step. He's not thrilled about finding a problem but willing to explore the issue and possible help.

We will be coming back to Homer in a few weeks (if nothing serious exists for Paul) and if something becomes available for my feet, we'll return to Las Vegas and try that out. I've gotten pretty discouraged because doctors have no answer. Oh well, I'm grateful to have medical insurance and a safe place to stay while here.

After the Funeral

2011-04-12T21:40:00.001-07:00

We are finally back in Las Vegas. We had good roads and weather for the trip. The funeral was very nice. Carl Turner offered the eulogy for my brother. He did a fantastic job. He told stories from 29 years of being best friends. Craig (son) told his story of his dad. He told of the Plan of Salvation and that he knows he will see his father again when he also passes from mortality to immortality. After the graveside prayer, the family returned to the church where the members of the Paradise First Ward of the Chico California Stake of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-saints provided food. That was a good time to visit with all the family and get the much needed hugs and kisses. Denny had 7 children and 12 grandchildren. I have 7 children and 28 grandchildren. Ric had 4 boys and I don't know how many grandchildren (none of his grandchildren were there). Most of the grandchildren were at the funeral and food. What a wonderful time. All the little 2nd cousins pairing up and trouping around. I have a wonderful family and extended family. It's a sad event but it was still a sort of reunion. I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. No matter how things go from here, I can't complain, I have children, grandchildren and a father that love me!!!

Saddness Mixed with Reunion

2011-04-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon (April 7th, 2011), my brother, Dennis Keith Tovey passed from this mortal life. He battled Acute Leukemia for 10 months. He is survived by his wife Becky and ex-wife Jeri, his father Keith Tovey, sister Karen Johnson Spilsbury, brother Richard Tovey, seven children: Christopher, Jennifer, Wendy, Craig, Nancy, Doug & Vicky and 12 grandchildren. No one should have to bury a son, kids are supposed to outlive the parents, that's from the Book of Karen. Denny was 61 years old, too young to die, in my opinion. He ran a successful auto mechanics business in Paradise for many years including servicing all the police and town vehicles. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-saints Paradise 1st Ward for about 30 years. His funeral is/was Monday, April 11, 2011 at 1pm at the Buschmann Chapel and he will be interred at the Paradise Cemetery. Yesterday we had a family gathering at a local park to share some love and hugs between cousins. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet outside of the funeral atmosphere. There were 4 generations enjoying food and happy hugs. It is a sad event that allows us a huge family reunion. But the chance to visit family, separated by great distance, is such a rare and wonderful time. Family traveled from: the greater Salt Lake City Utah area, Parker Colorado (Denver area), Orange County California, Hillsboro (Portland) Oregon, St. George Utah, Las Vegas Nevada and parts in between. I love my children and nieces and nephews, I'm so glad to see them and hug them.

On the Road Again (Houston to Las Vegas via Dallas)

2011-03-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

We sure had a nice visit with Jyn and her family. We really enjoyed playing and talking with the grandkids. They are all very smart and conversant. The 3 year old is a kick in the pants, he played with his grandpa with his legos. He was insistant about sitting on his lap to build and take apart his structures. Sunday afternoon, Morgan played her viola which she does beautifully. She just turned 11 but you'd think she was much older to listen to her play, amazing. Emmerson was pretty artistic for 5 years old. She made several paper dolls with alot of detail like, jewelry, crowns, and high heels. And Kennedy also plays violin, is artsy and does a good job knitting. She also likes to paint and draw like her sister Morgan. Monday morning found us up at 7:15 am with the road grader ready to plow up the driveway where we were parked. We hussled like traumatized ants and got out of "Dodge" in about 15 minutes. We parked in the parking lot and made a breakfast protein drink and double checked the rig for travel. We got the car hooked up and we were off about 8 am. We made a few mistakes on the highways of downtown Houston but finally made it to Dallas by 12:30 pm to visit my Uncle Gordon and Aunt Arlene. I haven't seen them in 3 years and don't know if I will again. They treated us to a very nice lunch and showed us their apartment in a retirement residence. Wow, it was really nice, and all the staff are very attentive. We had a nice, but all too short, visit and headed down the road again. The traffic out of town was very light and peaceful so Paul just kept driving. We made it all the way to Amarillo Texas, 625 miles in one day. We found an ELKS Lodge there and spent the night for $10 with electricity and peace and quiet. Today is more of the same, if the road and traffic are good we will make good progress toward Las Vegas. We're hurrying to speed up doctors visits by a week, so I'll be free in case I need to go to California to my brother's funeral. (If you haven't seen it, his blog is http://www.dennytovey.blogspot.com/ )

In Houston

2011-03-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

We made it to Houston today. We made a brief stop in Tucson to play cards with good friends, Barb and Craig Stephens. What fun. We also got to see the little place they bought and fixed up for long stays in Tucson. (They are travelers at heart and will still be on the road in their motorhome.) They have 2 married sons in Tucson so they'll be there often and that's where we'll probably catch up with them.

I've been watching the blog about my (15 months) younger brother, Denny. You might remember that the last time we thought we were going to Houston, my brother had a turn for the worse and Paul and I drove to San Francisco. That was January 31st. Well, things are not looking too good. If you know him or are interested in what's happening, here is the blog address: http://dennytovey.blogspot.com His oldest daughter, Jennifer, keeps the blog updated.

Paul and I will visit Lyn for the weekend and start the 1490 mile drive back to Las Vegas on Monday. (I don't have a doctors appointment till April 7th.)

The Verdict

2011-03-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

I did see the doctor today. She thinks that I am sensitive to drugs and medications. She thinks that we should wait 3 weeks before the next injection. Fortunately the next 2 planned injections are low dose shots and shouldn't affect me so adversely. There has been some improvement so we're going to move forward with the next neck and low back injections. The insurance has been notified for approval on the neurostimulator trial, that takes about a month or two. Moving forward.

Friday we have a few doctors appointments and when we're finished we can leave for a few weeks. I think we'll go to Texas to see Lyn and her family. It's been a few years since I've been there (less for Paul).

The Jury's still out

2011-03-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

I did have the injection in my neck at C5-6 three days ago. I'm not sure if there's any change. There might me less needle pain in my toes but numbness is still there. I'll see the doctor Tuesday and make a better evaluation then.

She is scheduled to inject my low back again BUT, I'm not sure that's a good idea. I have had a really hard time since the last one. I may not be handling the steroids all that well. I talked to the anesthesiologist because I thought what he was using was causing me so much sleeplessness. He said everything he used was quick and short acting. He did say that the steroid could keep me from sleeping.

I have felt so lousy since Thursday that I called the doctor and asked for a sleeping pill. (any of you that know me, know that's TOTALLY out of character for me) I did take one Ambien on Friday night and slept for almost 11 hours. But, I felt lousy all the next day. (I don't even feel like knitting). So I took 1/2 a Xanax before bed on Saturday night (I thought the Ambien was too strong for me). I slept 10 hours but still didn't feel any better in the morning. I went to church and came home to take a nap. I don't know what's wrong, I have no fever or any other symptoms. The only thing I can figure is, it's the steroids. Maybe I shouldn't have injections weekly? I see the doctor again Tuesday and we'll discuss this new situation and decide.

I'm a Little Down Today

2011-03-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

I saw the pain doctor again, today. I'm getting discouraged again. I've had no relief from the last injection. I was so hopeful. She has one more trick up her sleeve. She's going to inject specifically at S1 right and left. (She is going to still inject the neck this Thursday, we'll see what the effect is there.)

She also suggested neurostimulation. That's where they surgically implant wires at the spine and hook you up to a battery operated stimulator. (It sends electrical impulses to the brain so the pain signals can't get through.) There is a trial stimulator first and if it's successful, they do the permanent implant under the skin.

Her last resort is to refer me to the spine surgeon.

You can see why I might be a little down today, right?

Woo-Hoo, progress

2011-03-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'm getting hopeful again. I saw the pain management doctor yesterdays and made more progress. I'm now scheduled for a low back injection tomorrow. Follow-up on Tuesday. Injection in neck C5-6 bi-laterally Thursday. Follow-up for that on the next Tuesday!!!

Are you seeing a pattern here? Injections every Thursday (as long as they're helpful) and the follow-up for that the next Tuesday!

I don't need as much help in my neck as I do in the low back so it won't take long there. Unfortunately there is permanent nerve damage there, bummer.

Maybe that is daylight at the end of the tunnel, lol.

I sure have has a couple good days recently. Having some of the pain in my low back relieved has allowed me to walk around the RV park for 15 minutes without support. I've had more energy and accomplished more each day too. I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for his care and blessings, I AM RICH beyond my wildest dreams!!!

Hope in sight

2011-02-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

I got an appointment with the pain management doctor tomorrow (Tuesday March 1st) to evaluate my neck MRI. I think that means that we can do an injection every Thursday, one week on my low back and the next on my neck. (It takes 2 weeks to jump through the hoops and have the next injection on each individual area)

I'll let you know if it's going to happen this way. That would surely shortcut the process. I keep praying that it happens fast (but in the Lord's time of course) so I can go home(r) and get back to my life.

First Injection, it's a start

2011-02-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I had my first injection in the low back. Today was the first visit with the doctor for follow-up and make the future plans.

The first one was helpful. I usually needed to lean over a grocery basket to walk thru the store. Friday I walked in to Walmart and out without hanging over the basket. Woo-hoo!!!

I didn't get any relief for my painful feet yet so the doctor decided to skip the second shot in the same place and opted for a different approach. She's going to insert a catheter and inject the medication on several levels down the low back. We're both thinking that should effect the feet.

It will take two weeks to meet the insurance guidelines for each successive injection BUT, I also need my neck fixed so we're going to try to alternate between low back and neck and then I can have an injection every Thursday. Time will tell if that works, it's great in theory.

There is still no light at the end of the tunnel yet so we don't know when we'll be home. When I finally do see the light, I may be fearful that it's the train and not the end of the tunnel.

Busy Week

2011-02-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Busy Busy!!!

Paul and I have been in San Francisco visiting Denny, Gilroy having dinner with Tim and Irene Day, Elk Grove celebrating Candy's birthday, Lake Mindon (just north of Sacramento) visiting with long time friends Sandi and Duane Talbot, and finally Paradise visiting my dad, Kimmie, Julie, and Kelsey and their families. All this between Tuesday and Saturday, see what I mean?

Oh, did I forget to mention that I spent 4 hours today with Kelsey and Kimmie's families watching the Super Bowl. AND, we rooted for Green Bay, HOORAY!!!

I'll do a little more visiting for a few days and then we'll meander back to Las Vegas for the next round of doctor's appointments. Tuesday is Paul's follow-up and Thursday is my first back injection. Pray for me.

Unexpected Change of Plans

2011-02-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that I was planning to use my two weeks without doctors appointments to go to Houston Texas to visit Lyn and her family. Paul drove the little RAV4 down from Homer to leave it with the motor home so we could tow a car when we travel. All looked settled. We would leave Monday morning and start the 3000 mile round trip.

Sunday afternoon I got a call from my dad and Kimmie that my brother was in bad shape. He has been having chemotherapy for Acute Aggressive Leukemia since June/July. We all thought he was 'out of the woods' and having his last treatment when we got the news that the leukemia was back in full force. It looks like he's as bad off as he was in June when the told him he had 2 weeks to live.

Needless to say, I'm in California to visit my brother! Paul arrived from Alaska Sunday evening and we hit the road Monday at noon.

Paul and I parked the motor home in Morgan Hill (85 miles south of UCSF hospital) at the Thousand Trails campground. From there we drove the little car and visited Denny for 1 1/2 hours Tuesday afternoon.

His spirits are up and he's confident and patient. His energy was pretty good too. He was able to talk fairly clearly (for being on pain meds) and hold a thought beyond interruptions. I feel better now that I've seen him and talked to him. He's not out of the woods yet and he has some pretty serious junk to endure but it looks encouraging.

Since I still have a small break between doctors visits, we're going to visit friends and family for a couple days. I will go back and see Denny again before we leave Morgan Hill and tonight we're having dinner with Tim and Irene Day. We've been friends since 1969 or 1970.

Patience, hard to come by...

2011-01-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I know you've been expecting to hear about my back injections BUT, it's been postponed for a month.

On January 8th. I woke up with my right foot/ankle stiff and hurting. I figured I had slept on it wrong and it would eventually get better. I drove off to the yarn shop to knit with the girls (and guys). By 4 pm I was in such pain I couldn't hardly bear any weight on the foot. I had one errand to run to the pharmacy for Paul's prescription so I made the great Herculean effort. When the pharmacist said it would be an additional 25 minutes, I bolted for home. I told Paul he MUST take me to an urgent care or emergency room.

I was admitted to Desert Springs Hospital over night with cellulitis in my right ankle. There was no break in the skin and no one seems to know how it got there. I took morphine and duladid (It turns out that I'm allergic to this pain med also) for pain and by noon Sunday I could walk on it again. They released me by 3pm with 10 days of oral antibiotics.

Interesting side note here: The hospital doctor said I had pneumonia, noted in my chest x-ray. I didn't have a chest x-ray, she was looking at the wrong patients paper work. Then she said she was releasing me with amoxicillan (which I'm allergic to) and I asked her "Have you read my chart?". To that she said "No" and left my room. I don't have much confidence in her.

My ankle seems to be fine and the pain and redness are completely gone. Unfortunately, when I saw the doctor for my back injections, she said NOT for a MONTH because of the antibiotics.

Boo-hoo, see what I mean about learning patience?

Another interesting development: I "yelled" at Paul about being bored and depressed. I told him to find something to do to keep busy and interested. The next day, when I got home from the market, he announced that he was flying back to Alaska. That wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I told him to find something to do, lol.

He got a call from the Camper repair people and they wanted the camper ASAP, the rest is history. He and Ben are driving down Wednesday through Sunday this week.

I did get a consultation with the hand doctor about the numbness and pain in my hands. He said the carpal tunnel wasn't bad enough for surgery but he could inject the arthritis in my right thumb and left wrist. It helped and maybe one more injection will complete the relief ( Feb. 28th).

Life is good even if 'she' is a tough teacher, lol.

Karen's Continuing Saga

2011-01-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

I went to the pain specialist today. I had such great expectations and now I have great depression.

Yes, they think they can help with the pain in my back and feet with injections in the spine but they expect it to take 3 to 4 months of treatments. Apparently there are 5 or 6 vertebra that are deteriorated and are causing the pain. The insurance will only allow them to inject 2 spots and they want to do 10 to 13 (that is on both left and right side of each vertebra). They wait a couple weeks to a month before re-injecting the same area and they can do up to 3 injections per area...I think? In 2 weeks I'm scheduled for the first injection and a week later for the follow-up visit to determine the success.

I'm still waiting on the diagnosis of the neck and possible treatment for that. I guess it could end up the same as the low back, oh mercy me. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you when I'll be home.

2550 miles in 12 days

2010-12-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

I only have a minute. Paul and I left Las Vegas after church on Sunday (Dec 12th) and headed to Paradise to spend a few days with 4 of my daughters and surprise my dad for his 82nd birthday (and boy, was he ever surprised).
We left there Saturday to spend the afternoon and evening with Candy. Sunday morning we went to church and left for Las Vegas (on our way to Hurricane Utah). 2 short stops in LV to pick up Paul's prescriptions and see my chiropractor before heading to Hurricane.

Paul's brother has an appointment in Thousand Oaks for minor back surgery and I need to take care of his wife, Deb. She's the one with the major back surgery a few weeks ago and is still in bed. So, Paul and Jerry will leave today and come back Thursday (if all goes well).

Friday we'll drive back to Las Vegas just in time for Christmas with Paul's daughters, Jennifer, Rachel, Sara, and Leslie.

Whew, busy-busy 2 weeks but rewarding to see family and help where needed. We have been well blessed.

Merry Christmas to all and remember the reason for this holiday.

Love to all,
Karen and Paul

MRI: News You've all Been Waiting To Hear!!!

2010-12-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

Is that a little presumptuous?

I finally saw the doctor on Monday and got good news. He is a surgeon and I was afraid he'd opt for surgery. He said he wouldn't do anything to me he wouldn't do to himself and I don't need surgery, yet. He said my low back is stable but he wants more diagnosis on my neck.

Doctor said he wants a nerve conduction on my hands/arms and he wants me to see another doctor for pain relief (injections in low back). He said it looks like the arthritis in the low back is causing the pain in my feet.

Now, back to the waiting game. If I don't hear in 2 weeks, I should call these two doctors. He set my return appointment with him for report on the nerve conduction study in 6 weeks. Sometimes it seems like it will never end.

I'll let you know how I do with those shots. I've been told they can be pretty painful. I've also been instructed to ask for whatever it takes to make the procedure pain free. I hear that the 3 shots can be given 10 days to 30 days apart. I guess it's up to the doctor to decide. It probably depends on the particular patient and problems.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has an enjoyable and family filled day/weekend.

I'll be staying in the motor home, alone because I got sick Monday. I was running a fever Tuesday of 100' and today it's down to 99.2'. I was invited to Jennifer's (Paul's oldest daughter) house with her sisters but I'd hate to share my misery. I have been sneezing, coughing, nose running, and sinus headache. I have food to eat, vitamins to take, herb tea to drink and privacy for my sneezing etc. I will knit as I feel well enough and watch TV and nap. I'll be fine, REALLY.

Even though I'll be alone, I'm really thankful for all I've been given. I have 7 wonderful children, 28 cute/handsome and smart grandchildren, a healthy father still running a tractor and helping others at 82+yrs, and a caring & loving husband. (Who will be back in Las Vegas Monday, Nov. 29th.) And, no matter where I travel, I can always find friends and family at church.

The Second MRI

2010-11-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

I know that the last post says I'd have the MRI and get the report from the doctor on Nov.18th. That WAS true but things have changed. The insurance company approved a second MRI to the first doctor. I thought that was strange and turned them down since I already had an MRI scheduled for the following day.

Well, in talking to a few chiropractors and a nurse, we realized that it would be nearly impossible to have the pain in both feet from problems in the low back. The nerves are individual 'hairs' there, but the nerves are bundles in the neck. So the quest was to have the second approved MRI changed from lumbar spine to cervical spine.

I made an appointment with the neurologist's office and saw the physician's assistant. She agreed with my research and contacted the insurance company for the change to the MRI.

Well, I had the MRI of my neck yesterday. That is very stressful for me because I'm claustrophobic. After a Xanax and some TLC from the technician, I got through the procedure. I got a ride there from a sweet friend at the yarn shop and when she got me home I slept for over 2 hours.

It's going to be a secret till Dec. 6th unless I can get a cancellation. I'm calling the doctors office everyday, so far, no openings. I still don't have a diagnosis but hopefully I have the tests necessary for one.

MRI Today

2010-11-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

That's kind of misleading. Yes, I did have the MRI today BUT the return appointment with the doctor for the report isn't until Nov. 18th. I've tried to get a cancellation and they're going to call if they get one. That sounds like "the check's in the mail".

Paul flew back to Homer yesterday (Thursday Nov 4th) to pick up his big dump truck and start winterizing all the heavy equipment. I really miss him and wish he could have handled being stuck here with me. I really could use his moral support. I'm hoping he'll finish before something serious happens for me (like back surgery).

The weather in Las Vegas has been unseasonably HOT and next week it's supposed to cool into the 60"s, Hooray for me!!! Life is good and the Lord has been generous in my life, I'm sorry to complain so much.

Depression in Las Vegas

2010-10-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

I guess you can tell that I haven't blogged for 5 weeks. That's because the news is so discouraging.

Paul continues to do well, except for the depression about being stuck in Las Vegas and not in Homer taking care of his toys (equipment). He needs to winterize everything.

I am doing pretty good with the depression if I continue to knit all the time and keep my mind off my problems. I did get some allergy blood tests and they showed absolutely NOTHING! So my primary care doctor sent me to an allergy specialist. He poked about 120 spots on my back and found that I'm allergic to: Navy Beans, Apples, Peaches, Peas, Spinach, Clams, Nutmeg, and Black Pepper.

"Whoa" I said to the doctor, " the blood test said I wasn't allergic to Clams" (along with whatever else the they tested). I think the blood test was bogus and the doctor was in agreement. He called the lab and retested my blood. I'm waiting another 10 days for the results of that one. That was 5 days ago.

I did get an x-ray of my low back and it looks bad. I was sent to a neurologist who did a nerve conduction on my feet (which are numb and burning all the time). The insurance denied me having an MRI 3 times, even after my doctor talked to the insurance doctor on the phone. So, I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon.

I had my appointment with Doctor Lee on last Thursday, not good. I really liked the doctor but he didn't like my x-ray or the symptoms I manifested. He said I have 5 vertebra in my low back that are damaged (deteriorating) and there is a curve in the lumbar spine. When I told him I have burning in my feet he said "That's bad, we need an MRI" and he went out of the exam room and I didn't see him again. A girl came in with a paper in a few minutes. She said "Here is your return appointment on November 18th. and as soon as we get the approval from the insurance for the MRI, we'll schedule it and give you a call".

Well, after that appointment I was supposed to go to the yarn shop and knit but I was so depressed that I went to the car and cried. I called Paul and he said to come home and he'd give me a hug. I was so depressed I couldn't even knit for 2 days, that's just not like me.

PS: My friend, Joy, called me and said I need to put a note on the blog so people don't think I'm suicidal. I'm not, I'm just discouraged at the delays and still not having a diagnosis.

Progress, slow but sure

2010-09-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Two more doctors appointments done. Yesterday we both saw the primary care doctor and there are still a couple items pending. She was pleased, with my blood pressure (118/82), but I was ECSTATIC!!! FINALLY, I got a good reading in the doctor's office (I have lab coat syndrome, false high blood pressure in the doctors office).

The doctor is agreeing with me that my other symptoms may be caused from allergies. I'm having blood work on Monday (Sept. 20th) for adult allergy and food allergy. It'll take a week or so to get the results, I think. Wouldn't it be nice to get rid of my problems by avoiding something simple like food?

Today I (Karen) had the nerve conduction study and proved there is nerve damage in my low back which is causing the numbness and pain in my toes and feet. We're still waiting for the approval for the MRI from the insurance company. That test will show the cause, either bone or disk and tell us what the options might be for relief. The pain has been bothering me for years but it's finally become intolerable.
I'm feeling pretty guilty about not being home taking care of my responsibilities. Every other time we've been here because of Paul's health, this is new for me and I don't like it.

Vegas Heat and Doctors

2010-09-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

More doctors appointments done. Paul's heart doctor is pleased with his condition.

My doctors visits aren't turning out as well unfortunately. I've had swelling and high blood pressure since we arrived and I'm beginning to think it could be more serious than just the heat. I'm trying to stay cool and follow doctor's orders but I'm not improving. I have another appointment on the 16th to get further diagnosis.

Paradise to Las Vegas

2010-09-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe that wasn't the best timing. Labor Day is in 5 days, and we're in Las Vegas. I'm hoping it's a quiet weekend. I think we'll just stay home and try to keep cool in the 105+ heat.

The visit with Candy was cut short because she got a new job, darn for me, good for her. I love her and missed my one-on-one time with her.

The drive from Paradise to LV took a little longer than expected. The steering stabilizer slipped and made it pull to the left. We spent the night in Bakersfield and spent the morning in repairs. It's fixed and just fine now.

More good news on the doctors visits. Paul saw the diabetes doctor and he's very pleased with the progress. Paul's A1c has improved and the doctor made NO changes in the medications. That's a big Hooray and one more hurdle done. That makes our return trip home look sooner rather than later!

Well, that's about it for now, pray for my survival in this heat. This is NOTHING like Alaska!!!

Thousand Oaks to Paradise, California

2010-08-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Paul got a clean bill of health from the spine doctor, Hooray!!!

He had a neck x-ray, acupuncture treatment, physical therapy, etc before being released from care. We packed up the motor home and hit the road, seems like old times. He was feeling so good that he wanted to drive, and DRIVE he did. He drove almost 500 miles from Thousand Oaks to Paradise, California.

We arrived about 9pm and found a parking place at the ELKS Lodge. Tired and hot we hooked up, leveled, put out slides and satellite up before hitting the sack. This is a quiet RV park by the ELKS Lodge with pine trees, oak trees and grass. It's right in the center of town but you wouldn't know it.

Saturday we ran a couple errands and had dinner at HULA'S Mongolian Bar-B-Que, the best I've EVER had ANYWHERE!!! (We waited in line for an hour and it was worth it. I don't wait in for much of anything!)

Sunday I spent a couple hours with my brother before attending church where my dad is second counselor in the bishopric. We then had dinner at one of my daughters house to celebrate Katy-Beth's 3rd birthday. I love my family and miss them so. What a blessing to have 3 daughters and their families together today.

Doctors and Surgery

2010-08-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, the news we've all been waiting for...Paul's neck surgery was successful. Yesterday the doctor cleaned up two herniated disks and Paul can feel with his fingers again and he has improved range of motion in his neck.

Hooray for Paul and thanks to Dr. Chiu. By the way, Dr. Chiu's planning to visit Anchorage twice a year, what do you know about that?

Also yesterday, we got the call from the doctor that the referrals came for Paul to see the cardiologist and endocrinologist. I called and got appointments for Sept. 1st and 3rd. Also my appointment with the primary care doc is Sept 2nd. It's starting to look like a 'perfect world' to me.

Oh and more good news, the lab report came in Wednesday evening that said everything looked good. My thyroid was NORMAL, after not taking any for 2 weeks!!! I was right, I was being 'poisoned' by taking any at all. Life is good!

I will have 2 doctor's appointments 2 weeks apart but that sounds like it's going to be simple enough to come home to Homer sooner rather than later, time will tell.

Surgery is over

2010-08-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

Paul has come through the surgery with flying colors. The surgeon is very pleased with the success of the proceedure. Paul said he has more mobility in his neck and more feeling in his fingertips. He is still in post-op but should be walking out in the next hour or less.

He will take it easy today, walking and resting and seeing the surgeon tomorrow. After that appointment, we'll be free to 'move about the country', lol!!!

Our next stop is Paradise California to see my dad and 4 daughters before returning to Las Vegas for further doctors appointments.

Life is Good!!!

Left Homer and Arrived in Las Vegas

2010-08-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, that's a bit simplistic. We actually left Homer at 7:30am and made a few plane changes and lots of treking through the airports before arriving in Las Vegas at 5:00pm!

The down side is that several boxes of frozen fish bumped our luggage and we're WITHOUT!!! It may arrive late tonight but "a bird in the hand" if you know what I mean.

Also our rental car fell through. Hopefully they'll have something mid-morning.

Oh, it's 104' here too, ain't that just peachy, lol?

We're both tired and going to bed and hope tomorrow gets better.

Friday is our first doctors visit but we won't know anything because it's just to start the lab work and referrals.

We'll write more when we know more!

Finally, some News.

2010-08-02T00:27:00.000-07:00

We finally have surgery dates for Paul's herniated disks in his neck, August 18-20

That means we will be arriving in Las Vegas the week before to see our primary care doctor for referrals to his cardiac and diabetes doctors. (all that takes 2 to 3 weeks)

From Las Vegas, we'll drive to Thousand Oaks, CA to see Dr. Chiu for Paul's surgery (actually a repair not a vertebra fusion). It's the same surgery I had about 9 years ago with the same doctor, very successful!!!

We will go from there to Paradise, CA about August 21 for a week's visit with my dad and 4 of my daughters. We'll then drive back to Las Vegas to see the other doctors (however long that takes). (But we all know that, when you're dealing with an HMO, it's never a perfect world).

In a perfect world, we'd be ready to fly back to Homer Alaska by the 10 of September, I'm just hoping to be back by the middle of October (I'm trying to be realistic here, lol)

The Blizzzard and more

2010-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was very disappointed this winter with the lack of WHITE in Homer Alaska. I came home as quickly as I could (from Las Vegas) so I wouldn't miss the snow, only to find there wasn't any, well almost none.
The weather was warm (40ish) for 3 weeks at a time and then freeze and snow (a little) for the next week. Only to melt and warm up to the low 40's again. It was messy and dirty and NOT white, as I had hoped.
Then, the worst thing happened on Feb. 2nd. Puxatony Phil came out of his groundhog's hole and didn't see his shadow. That meant that winter was over and Spring would arrive early (in 2 weeks). BUMMER for me, I hadn't had my winter yet. Well, things got better right away. We had a blizzard that lasted for 5 days! So exciting, snow and wind, dry, blowing snow. It was WHITE and clean and drifting everywhere. We had several feet of the white stuff drifted high against every building, car and plant. It was beautiful.
Poor Ben, he needed a snow plow to clear the driveway when it was over. And there were several people that knew I'd asked for more snow. I got phone calls from them asking me if I was satisfied yet! Oh, YES, I was very happy that it finally felt like winter in Alaska.
We've had a little more snow off and on since but the effects of the blizzard are gone from the streets and driveways. The ground has been exposed in many areas except where the snow was piled or drifted. We did get 4 inches night before last that melted in the daytime warmth. I love Alaska!

It's been a L o n g Winter

2010-03-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's not been long because of the weather but because Paul totaled his 07 Dodge truck. He had whiplash and abrasions on top of his head. He's had x-rays, CT scan, & MRI but nothing is broken , just bent.

He's been seeing the chiropractor a couple times a week and is finally feeling better most of the time. He had shooting pains down both arms because of pressure on some nerves in the neck.

It took quite a long time to find a replacement truck too! We had several dealerships looking and we were searching the classified ads, Internet, leads, and Craig's List.

He wanted another 2007 Laramie and they're like finding "Hen's Teeth". Apparently when someone buys them they intend to keep them forever. Fortunately, we finally found a man in Fairbanks that had 2 trucks and wanted out from under the payments. We drove up (almost 600 miles) to Fairbanks and looked at the truck. It was a beautiful bright Inferno Red Crystal color. It was in fantastic condition and had a bonus sunroof (which Paul wanted on his first truck but wasn't available to him then) so he bought it.

He talked to the repair shop that did the estimate on his damaged truck and there was $24,000.00 damage. It didn't look that bad but the underside had significant damage.

He did a 180* spin on black ice and took out 5 mail boxes set in concrete and a 12 inch diameter tree. He was VERY fortunate!

I'm sorry I haven't updated this blog since he got home but you can imagine we've been busy with doctors appointments and truck shopping.

All is well and we are still enjoying Alaska and the weather. Tucson likes everything but the snow so she stays in all winter. She is still quite the character and is still the boss of the house.

The man of the house is finally IN the house

2010-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

There was some problem with blogger saving my post last weekend. It saved the two pictures but not the clever text. Now I have to try to recreate the witty blog post, here goes:

It took 3 weeks for Paul and Ben to arrive in Homer, AK.

It was near dark when they got to the overlook and they wanted a picture. You can see some of the dirt on Ben's truck. Paul's truck is also VERY dirty.

They were both very tired and extreemly happy to have reached the end of the road.

Welcome Home Travelers!!!

Paul misses Christmas and New Year's

2010-01-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

I may have arrived home Dec 19th but poor Paul is still on the road. He made a couple extra little stops on the way but the biggest adventure was a blown transmission.

Paul and Ben are driving two trucks, 4000 miles, from Las Vegas to Homer Alaska. Sounds okay but not so simple. Even though Paul had his truck checked out the transmission didn't last. On Christmas day it blew 120 miles south of Fort Nelson, BC Canada. It's pretty cold there, -26 degrees.

There were a few glitches in making the repair. The mechanic couldn't find a transmission in Edmonton but Paul found one in the Anchorage area on Craig's List. They found a man in Homer coming their way to bring it to them. Unfortunately that turned out to be for a 4-wheel drive and wouldn't work in his truck. He found another in Prince George, about 500 miles back down the road. So, on New Year's Eve day, they hit the road and drove to pick up the transmission. THEN, they turned around and drove back on New Year's Day. The roads were empty and they were fortunate that they didn't break down, again, lol.

Now the mechanic can get to work and meanwhile Paul goes to the parts store to buy block heaters for the 2 trucks. The man at the parts store said he didn't need them and sent him on his way. The good news is that the mechanic found a broken starter mount and replaced that before it caused another break down. The bad news is that they really needed the block heaters.

They got on the road in 9 days only to be broken down in the next town. The batteries froze and neither truck would start. Now they were back in the shop to have block heater, pan heater and 2 battery blankets installed on the 2 trucks. They even had to sleep without heat at the one and only motel because they had run out of propane.

The good news is, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, Oh yeah, they were safe, healthy, and saw several critters on the road. Paul called last night and said he made it into Alaska. It looks like they will be home on Friday afternoon, Woo-Hoo!!! The weather report last night said there is freezing rain on snow in Anchorage which is causing many accidents so I'm praying for their safe travel on this last leg of a difficult trip.

Homer at last

2009-12-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-12-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-09T14:06:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-14T19:46:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-11-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T17:16:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-09-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

2009-09-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

What the heck happened to August?

2009-09-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

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

Slacker Mentality

2009-07-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-07-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tucson helps Paul drive the motor home.

Tucson helps Karen knit.

Tucson soaks up the sun, enough said!

Bouncing Shock Absorbers

2009-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-04-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-04-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T12:19:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-03-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-03-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

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