Fair Week

You know when we were kids we loved the Washington County Fair, loading up our animals, taking them in and showing them on show day. The fair was the highlight of our hard work in the summer, leading, feeding, grooming. You would hope that you would come away with the Grand Champion, of whatever you were showing. Then when we had our kids they too wanted to show, be involved in either 4-H or FFA, so here we would go again. You know now I really have no interest at all in the fair, I did take my mom yesterday to watch the goat show, my great niece, her great granddaughter was showing. She did a real good job, she actually placed Reserve Champion. But after setting on those bleachers and walking around it was just all I could do to get back to the car, my body just can not do those things. I am suppose to help in the women's building awhile on Friday, but that won't be too bad, then that's all the fair I need for another year.

Well I do hope that we get some of the rain due to the hurricane, not wising for high winds or storms, just some nice rain. I love the mornings we have had lately, as long as we can keep the temperature down below 100 we are OK. We are coming up on a holiday weekend, Labor Day always means the Clothesline Fair at Prairie Grove. I don't think I have been in a few years, it's always fun to see the crafts and everything else they have to offer. I like to find the good peanut brittle, it seems like it is either very hot and dusty or it rains. It's just a good place to run into old friends, there is always quite a crowd.

As far as for me I'm doing pretty good, my steri strips are still just as attached as the day he put them on.

Everyone enjoy the weekend and whatever you do be safe.

Healing

I'm still pretty sore from my little surgery last week, Clay reminded me last night that it hadn't quite been a week yet. Well today is a week and I'm still sore. Ha!!! So there. My hand is really sore where she wasn't able to get the IV in, but she did hit a gusher, she had to apply pressure awhile to get it to stop bleeding. That is probably why it is so sore. The area where the port was is still pretty sore as well. It will get better though, in a few days I won't even know I had it done. The steri strips are still very much attached, Dr. Park said just let them fall off, I have had them several other times, but it seems like they come off fairly quick, but these seem like they are going to stay awhile.

I'm so excited for Christmas this year, not for presents or decorations, but for two little baby boys. We will have babies to hold, love on, squeeze and just look at and watch them do nothing. Jeremy and Adrienne watch for the arrival of Jude the end of November. Andrew and Kara are expecting Cooper later in December. It is going to be hard on Jonah I'm afraid, he has had all the attention of everyone now for almost 4 years. Babies are wonderful but we just have to remember that this little guy was here first, babies can't play in the sand or climb on the fort or swing either. I don't think we will ever ignore him, Jonah is so special, he stole our heart a long time ago.

Minor Surgery

Yesterday was my port exit surgery, Clay & I were there at 8 am. It was a little on the funny side, my appointment was scheduled on 8-15 @ 8:15, now you couldn't have planned that any better if you would have tried. We actually went in the Walker Heart area of the hospital, that's where this type of surgery & testing are done. I went into my room pretty quick after getting there, all vitals were taken & the IV started, we were moving right along. Dr. John Park M.D. (Radiologist) came in to talk to Clay & I about what was going to take place. The plan was to just take my port out, because for some reason it had been giving me trouble, so why have a port in if you are not going to use it.  Soon after he left the room they wheeled me down to surgery, I was then prepped with everything sterile around me. You definitely don't want to get any germs in this open area he is working in, I have never picked up an infection from the hospital & I don't want to start now. I was then given some sleepy time juice in my IV and he started his work. I never completely went to sleep but so close that I did not feel the big needles with the numbing meds, so that just made my day. This was so different than the way it is done in Little Rock, and truly there is no reason to be so cruel to patients like that. If I have to have one put back in sometime down the road, I will have it done here in Fayetteville. After Dr. Park was finished sewing me up he showed me my old port, he had a rather large tear in it, that is the reason I could tell & feel the pain in my neck a few days after treatment. The only thing that hurt a little was him pushing in my chest/neck area to get it loose. The ports are just suppose to be dangling in there, but mine decided to adhere to me, so he had to work to get it to come out of there. He told me that I might have a little extra pain for that reason. I was just glad to get it taken out, if I would have left it in any longer there's no telling what he would have had to do to get it out of there. I stayed numb for a while after we got home, later I took something for pain. I slept pretty good last night, it's a little hard to get comfortable, that is the side I usually lay on. Having quite a bit of pain today, Dr. Park said that last night & today would probably be the worse. I hope he is right, the one bandage can come off today, the stitches I believe are on the inside, I have the steri strips which will stay on till they fall off. I called HOG this morning to cancel my treatment for today, just didn't think I felt like going. Candes said she could take me but I just wasn't up to it. I knew I couldn't drive being on pain medication, and my neck is just a little stiff anyway so I knew turning my head would be a little bit of a problem. Can't wait till this day is over, the 80's will be here for awhile sounds like anyway. I just love the temperatures to be lower than the 90's & 100's, I think I'm so ready for fall to be here. Hopefully we will get some rain this evening, we need it so bad, rain without storms that is.

Have a good weekend!!!

Be safe out there, remember there will be alot more traffic & kids out & about. Watch for those buses.

It is back to school time, I remember those days, always fun times getting the kids ready for a new school year. Not that they were ready but they just had to get in the swing of things, I guess you'd say.

Flying By

This year is truly flying by, I know some people have already been Christmas shopping, with 105* days it's really hard for me to get in the mood. Well it's August, time for school to start back soon and fall to arrive, we can only hope that is. I'm so ready for fall, everything is drying up so I don't know what kind of fall we will have, afraid there won't be alot of color though. A week ago tomorrow we did get some rain along with very high winds, we lost a large pin oak tree out front & it decided to put the gas grill out in the yard upside down & wrong side out. But we are thankful for the rain we received.

I finished taking my shots last week, can't say that I miss that at all, the blood clot appears to be gone, hopefully to stay. The plan is now to have my port taken out, due to it springing a leak or something to that nature, I'm scheduled to go in August 15th to WRMC. I will miss it in a way, it's just nice to have it so they can access it anytime they need to. Since my chemo changed to the sub-Q, I think the only time they would have to put an IV in is when I get the bone strengthening drug, but that is just every other month. Part of me thinks while they are taking this one out should I just let them put one back in, but Dr. Rosenfeld said that we will just leave it out. Hopefully I will never need it again. I have been having alot of trouble with leg pains & cramps lately, then when you can't hardly feel your feet because they are so numb & tingly, it's a little scary. It's pretty bad when you get in the pool but then can't get out, this is the way it was today, had to be helped out by Candes & my niece Catherine. Guess I will just have to check into one of those lifts you see easing someone down in the water, I could just stay on it, splash a little & feel like I had been in the pool. I know a long time ago (when I was a kid) really long, we had a cow or two that had calved but then couldn't get up, I'm visualizing that contraption we used to get them up several times a day. I'm thinking a pulley and maybe an inner tube, opened up. Anyway, I think that would work, although I hope it doesn't get that bad, I just can't get in the pool when no one else is here and that's sad. I did make a trip to Chick-fil-A this morning, it was yummy as usual. It's great that people can still stand up for what they believe, even though sometimes they get alot ridiculed.
Try to stay cool & continue to pray for rain.

Hot Weather

Well not much has changed since last post, weather wise that is, still not much rain relief. A few areas have seen the rain but most of us have not. It's really sad to look out in the yards and pastures to see only brown crunchy grass or weeds. We have watered so much, as well as everyone else, sometimes you think about just letting it all die, but you have kept it alive this far you might as well keep going.  We may change our mind when we get our water bill. 

Just thought I would mention that by Christmas our family would be a little larger. Yes, we have two babies that will arrive by then. We are very excited for both of them, Jeremy and Adrienne are expecting a boy November 25th. Andrew and Kara are looking at an arrival date of December 20th, they will find out in August whether they are having a boy or girl. Fun, fun, fun we will have with these little ones running around in years to come.

Oh as far as me, I think the blood clot is on the most part gone, but I have 10 more shots to go just to be safe. Hope everyone has a good week!!!!

Try to stay cool if you can.  

Progress

Very thankful for the rain we have gotten over the past couple of days, we would sure like a little more. I know some people got quite a bit of rain where others received very little, its funny how that happens even in the same town. There was some storm damage as well, on a day the wind didn't even blow at our house it tore barns & structures up not too far from here.

Things are improving with the bloodclot, still there but I can tell the pain is much less now. So its 14 down & only 16 shots to go. I did see Dr. Rosenfeld on Thursday, he of course wants me to continue the shots (blood thinner) the full 30 days. He also thought that Dr. Barlogie was on the right track with changing my treatment somewhat. Unless a problem arises I will not get the liter of fluid each week & I will go to the Sub-Q chemo shot, so just 1 more shot each week, also in the stomach.  This will cut my treatment time way down unless they are real busy then there will be some wait time. So for the Portagram we will just hold off for awhile, probably a week or two after I finish the shots they will schedule it with WRMC.

Everyone continue to pray for rain!!!!!

Have a good week.

Good Report

Nothing has really changed from the last post, it's still hot, hot, hot as far as that's goes. Oh my goodness we sure do need some rain, the parts of Florida that has been flooded from the results of Hurricane Donna I believe would probably like to share with anyone. We would gladly take a few inches off their hands, but more likely the good people in Colorado & Colorado Springs need it so bad to put out some of these fires.

Clay & I made the trip to Little Rock on Monday, we left at 6:45 and got back home about 8 that night, sure makes for a long day, then with this heat it just takes everything out of you. It was 112* in Little Rock that day, way, way too hot. I did get a good report from Dr. Barlogie though so I guess it was worth the trip. All the test  that I had done the week before came back good, clean I guess you would say, seems like he usually rushes you through but we had alot of questions this time & he was very good to spend the time with us to answer all of our questions & concerns. As I had talked about in the last post about my port line having a leak or hole in the tubing, Dr. Barlogie said it wouldn't be a problem having the porta gram done to find out whats going on with it. The contrast they put in is a very small amount & therefore it wouldn't harm my kidneys. We also discussed the Sub-Q chemo method, this wouldn't have to go thru my line it would be a shot instead, so another thing not needing my port for. Dr. B also thought I could do without the liter of fluid I get each week along with the chemo, so again no port needed there. I do take a bone strengthening drug that is through my port but it is only every two months, I think I could stand an IV every other month. So I will talk to Dr. Rosenfeld next week when I see him, when I go to WRMC to have the Portagram done if it has a leak or tear, hole or whatever they will probably take it out, either replace it or maybe not. I'm thinking not, but then I think while I am out maybe they should just replace it because what if I need it down the road aways, it would be much easier to do it now that to have to go back in. You know usually when you get good news, there's alot of times you get a little bad news to go along with it. So I have talked alot about my left leg, foot with the swelling and all, it has been pretty bad lately, I actually rode in the back seat most of the way to Little Rock & back so I could keep my foot up trying to keep the swelling down. I think it was Saturday my leg started hurting some then Sunday afternoon & evening it got alot worse, a clot had crossed my mind but not so much. By the time we got home Monday night I told Clay I think I may have a blood clot, I was hurting so bad. Tuesday morning I was scheduled for a massage at 9, well I knew if there was even a thought of a clot that wasn't going to happen, so I went in & I had a nurse eval, saw the APN, had and ultrasound done & waited for the results. Indeed I do have a clot in my groin area, on Tuesday there was really alot of pain involved. My leg felt like I had weights strapped to it, not to mention the pain with it. I got a shot in the stomach & pick up the prescription for 30 more shots to be given each day. So this being said I have put the portagram on the back burner for now, when you go in the hospital for surgery no matter how big or small you try to prevent blood clots so you sure don't want to go in with one. So like I said you always get a little bad with the good or a little good with the bad. I think on the most part we did get good news, these 2 little things are again just a couple of bumps in the road, hey and living in NW Arkansas there are always bumps in the road or at least construction going on. But the best news of all is that when I go back in 4 months Dr. Barlogie said he wasn't ordering a bone marrow biopsy!!!!! WooHoo!!!! Clay & I both looked at each other then looked at him like he was crazy but a good crazy. He just ordered an MRI & blood work. Can't wait, how awesome is that. I guess the last thing, he let me start taking a very low dose of water pills for the swelling/fluid in my leg/foot, I will just take one every other day but its crazy I don't know if they work that fast or not but my foot has not been swollen today at all. I took the pill yesterday so we will see, I hope they keep the fluid down & out. 

So I think I surely covered everything, for the most part I think our visit was very productive this time, as I said I did ask Dr. B about the swelling & water pills but did not mention the pain in my leg & my worries, I knew I could get it handled at HOG in a decent amount of time. He would have ordered me an ultrasound & we would have been there till midnight at least. I feel like I get very good care at HOG, love the doctors, nurses & all the staff there.