April Showers Bring May Flowers

I like to think in metaphors. Like "April Showers" could be the health issues and difficulties Rocky and I had in April. "May Flowers" could be the quality of life we now establish for ourselves. Will it be May Weeds--or May Flowers?

We both came home from the hospital with referrals for Home Health Care and Physical Therapy. Our doctor recommended Bristol Home Health Care, and we have been very satisfied. An RN, Kendria, came twice a week for two weeks, and now is coming once a week for 60 days. A re-assessment will then be done to determine if we need continued check-ups.

The Physical Therapist, Gina, comes twice a week and works with both Rocky and me doing simple exercises and strength training. I have not bounced back as fast as I have in the past following births or surgeries. I am the principal driver since Rocky's vision never fully recovered from the minor stroke he had the end of 2007. I have gone out both by myself and with Rocky. My usual routine is to do several errands in one trip, but now it is tiring to do more than two. I still haven't been to the grocery store!

My first trip out was on April 24 when I scheduled both a manicure and the first pedicure I've ever had. I had been wearing artificial nails and learned from the hospital nurses that they are not allowed to wear them because they harbor bacteria. So one of my first chores when I came home was to soak them in acetone and get those babies off! Now my nails underneath are very weak so I'm letting the manicurist pamper me and strengthen my digits!

The pedicure was wonderful, of course, and I've scheduled another for next week. I also got a perm last Thursday so I feel I look as good as I can, considering the circumstances. My Abingdon VBF, Jean, stayed overnight with me when she brought me home from the hospital. I'm not scared out here in the woods anymore; I've lived here too long to be scared, but I was concerned that the dogs might have an emergency of some kind during the night (skunks, prowling critters that the dogs chase,and howling lost hounds are the most common night-time disturbances) and I didn't feel up to dealing with whatever might come up.

The following night, my Virginia Beach VBF, Norris, arrived and stayed for five nights. I've already talked about what she had to put up with--a very stressed and edgy friend, Me! So, I guess I needed to take the edges off with a pampering manicure, pedicure, and coiffure.

I also found I had a strong need to be in control of my environment. This first became apparent on the first day home when I sat on the edge of my bed and organized all the costume jewelry in my jewelry boxes. It seemed like a "crazy" thing to be doing, sort of low on the priority list, but then I realized that I very much needed to feel back in control after a week of hospital dependancy.

I had also watched a good bit of The Dog Whisperer on tv in the hospital, and Jean and I put that into action immediately as soon as we got out of the car calmly and I didn't make a fuss about being back home with my babies. The dogs responded beautifully, did not jump up on us, and acted like calm four-legged friends. Our massive male Springer Spaniel, Abe, had intimidated his sister, Bonnie, until she wouldn't go to her food dish to eat at all. So I had to let Abe know that I was back and "in charge." Cezar, the Dog Whisperer, says that when dogs sense a power vacuum through its people getting sick or weak in some way, the most dominant dog will take over. Abe's dominance is due to his male-ness and his 85 lbs., but Bonnie at 50 lbs. gives him a run for his money because she is very energetic and smart. Unforunately for her, that just makes Abe more forceful with her so she will submit, and our friend, Jack, who was coming over to feed them in the mornings, reported Abe had bitten her on the nose that morning. It took her three days to go to her dog dish and eat normally.

I showed my Alpha-ness immediately by not backing down when I ordered them to go out, etc. even when Abe would lie down to let me know he didn't want to, nor did he plan to do what I said. As long as I followed through by simply touching him near the collar, and speaking firmly, he would give in and go out the door and agree that I am the Alpha. If you've never watched The Dog Whisperer and you have dogs, do yourself and your canines a favor by following the principles, "Calm, Assertive."

Our neighbors, Rudy and Leigh Ann, had been out of town for part of the week that I came home, but as soon as they returned, they began fixing meals for us. Our first outing was to drive up to their house (they live at the beginning of our lane while we live at the end, a little less than a mile in between) and eat dinner with them. Since then we have eaten at Perkins Restaurant twice and did not wear our oxygen although Rocky had his handy in the car. My instructions are that I don't need to use it when I am "at rest," but do need it when I am "on the go." I find that I have to use it in order to get from a parking lot into a store or building unless it is a very short distance. I tried to go without it at Lowe's this week and after a short distance returned to the car to get it. It's not easy to navigate with a cane in one hand and an oxygen tank in the other. Rocky and I went to Lowe's together last Sat. to try to choose flooring for our bedroom, and it was a horrible, stressful trip. We won't try that again--one of us will have to make the choices.

But at Lowe's by myself and my oxy. tank and cane, I ended up driving one of the little carts around. Man, do those go slow! Sorta fun, though, and I didn't knock too many things over! I did sideswipe an advertising display once, though.

The reason we have been at Lowe's is we decided to take the advice our neighbor/contractor has been giving us which is to get rid of the carpet in our Master bedroom. So, to add to the stress of our lives, we are doing that. Rocky is sleeping in the guest bedroom and I am sleeping on a daybed that friends brought down into the family room from upstairs. I'll talk more about my shopping for a new mattress in a future post.

This one is long enough!

Off to the ER-again!

Wednesday eve we made our 2nd trip to the ER this month. Same old problem--Rocky couldn't get his breath. He had been that way on Monday, then Tues. he was energetic and up and doing.

However, Wed. he could barely get out of bed. As the day wore on, he could sit up but could not lie down (we have the head of the bed adjusted so he is never lying flat) or walk farther than a few feet. He had to stop and rest, gasping for air, on his way to and from the bathroom.

Around noon, he told me to pack a bag in case he decided to go to the hospital. I did so, and with the assist of a calming med (he tends to panic which makes matters worse) he slept for awhile. But same thing resumed late in the afternoon. He feared that he had pneumonia, although he did not have a fever.

So by 6:00 pm, we were on our way to the ER. He saw a doctor he's seen before there. Some doctors can communicate much better than others, as we all know. Discussing the fact that this was Rocky's visit in less than a month, I asked, "What's going on?" Finally, the doctor could give me enough information that I could form an analogy.

The fact is that Rocky's lungs are shot, even though there is no evidence of cancer. Think of it this way: his lungs are his treasure (assets, resource, whatever word you want to use). What's in his pocket is his only cash reserve. He has no bank account, checking or savings. It is possible for him to borrow a little, from an outside supply of oxygen, but that is limited.  And Rocky is fighting against carrying an oxygen tank around with him wherever he goes, and only uses it sporadically. He says he can't feel it is helping him very much. 

He much prefers the breathing treatment he gets from a unit called a Nebulizer. I think it's because he has to breathe the warm medicine in, and it reminds him of smoking, bless his heart. But that's just my guess.

So, the doctor explained, the only thing he can rely on is the cash he's got in his pocket. So let's play out this scenario. He is planning on going to Java J's to listen to, or maybe even tell, a story. He feels pretty good and has been doing household chores to help me out (in other words, he's enjoying life spending his "cash." He might as well since he can't save it up, the doctor says.) Then an hour before we are to leave he breathes in some dust particles (or pollen, or pet dander, or perfume) and his lungs have to spend whatever cash he has in his pocket to fight the breathlessness he begins to feel (and, the doctor says, the lung infection that starts right then). Now, he can't manage the walk to the car, let alone into Java J's and standing at a microphone.

Ironically, he cannot save any cash up by resting more. The more exercise he can tolerate, the slightly stronger his lungs will get, but that sounds more hopeful than it really is, because in the doctor's words, "his lungs are rotten," and to the doctor's credit, he lowered his voice to barely be heard when he said, "rotten." I felt the tears coming, but held them back. I looked at Rocky and his eyes were glistening with tears then, too.

So, we came home with some strong meds and some better understanding of the situation. We've made some environmental changes and plan some more. Yesterday, our helper, Jack, and I moved our 4 cats to a lovely apartment in the basement we created for them out of an old extra dog kennel, covered with a tarp and with king-size pillows in the bottom. We filled up a large petfood dispenser with Meow Mix and I purchased one of those new-on-the-market bubbling water dispensers that will keep 1 1/2 gal. of water fresh for them for several days. 

I have another friend who will come twice a week to take care of those chores (I am so lucky to have friends like this, and enough resources to pay them for their gas and trouble.)

There is a cat door to the outside world so the cats are not imprisoned in the basement. In fact, they had instantly used it and all four, including the old Mama, had climbed the poles that support our upsairs Master bedroom deck. They danced at the door for awhile, but as the night grew colder, below freezing, they disappeared. We didn't see them again today until they came up to lie in the sun.

Rocky will miss the cats a lot. He has always called them his "therapy cats," and he cradles them and pays attention to each one every day. I'm not talking about kittens. Three of these are 10 years old, and their Mama is of an undisclosed age since she came stray. I hope to post a short slideshow of them yet today.

Another decision we made is to move ourselves into the guest bedroom so we can tear out the carpet in our bedroom and put down hardwood. Our family room has wood floors, but we have always preferred the warmth of carpet in the bedrooms. Those days are gone, I guess. 

So life goes on--thank God! And we make the necessary changes so we can remain at Castle Yonder.   Mimi