10-28-2013 Try Again

This is my second go around attempting to cut back the Prednisone dose, the first time a while back didn't go so well. Denise has no clue that I've cut it. This is day 3 and while it is getting tough to swallow or breathe, I'm continuing on. I'm tired, probably from the swelling in my throat but determined just the same. I've cut back on Mt Dew, started drinking some Tea Denise makes that is sugar mixed with Stevia... take some getting use to. Started drinking water more. Its not been as easy as I'd hoped for but not as hard as it was the last time.

  We fed the cows today for the second time, me and Megan. Ran errands and helped mom set up her computer and find the forms she needs and print them out. Mom wasn't able to take her chemo last week, her blood was too low. So she tries again this week after having a shot to build it back up again. She worries about the cancer that is spreading and the Leukemia that keeps her from getting chemo and radiation for the fast one. 

10-03-2013 Lab Results

  Its been a little while since my results came back, just haven't been online as much lately. The Thyroid dosage Rathfoot prescribed was exactly spot on, no need for adjusting. Blood Fasting test shows that I am borderline Diabetic. Denise thinks maybe from the prolonged use of Prednisone and her sister said there is a good chance it might reverse when I get off it. Tonight I dropped my evening dose of Prednisone, yet another major yeast infection in my throat. I decided to cut the dose in 1/2, starting tonight. It will either work or it won't, we shall see.

  Dr Hana has got mom's blood in good enough shape that she starts chemo this month. It has been a while since after discovering that she also has Leukemia in addition to her cancer. She is scared but nervously awaiting the beginning. Worried about her hair, which will come out in about 2 weeks after the 1st dose. I have to admit, that one bothered me a lot too.

  Michael has finished the Sunroom work he was doing and it looks, as always, great. The man is a perfectionist. We have a guy named William that he recommended for the concrete work. It seems strange that we would hire someone to do that, I worked in it when I was young, but I ain't young no more. He hasn't got to finish the parking pad but he did finish the walk way. His health went south so it will be a while. He called tonight to tell me he would try and get it by early next week, apologized for the delay, and thanked us for being nice and patient. Sickness and health is something we have little to no control over and we fully understand that. If ever I understood anything its that. Just as we told Michael not to worry I also told him the same. I built this house in 82, me and Denise added on 21 years ago, and all this time we've lived just fine without a side walk or concrete parking pad and I'm sure it won't kill us to wait a little longer. Me and Megan though done some of the work today in the prep for the pad, but only because we wanted to do it, not to take away or replace or hurry him up. Megan learns something new, I get to pass the day, and we both get to help someone out.

09-17-2013

I got my teeth today for the bottom. Can you say Tater Chips. :) I took them out tonight from a sore they're making, which is to be expected, and he adjusts them tomorrow. I have to go by later on, me and Megan sit with Denise's dad tomorrow while her mom does her errands.

  The Concrete man has begun. He made a lot of progress today digging out for the concrete. Michael said out last 3 windows were in so I have to pick those up tomorrow too. It is going to be a bit hectic the next 2 days.

  I run mom to her doctor Wednesday and I'm guessing that the concrete might be poured that day, unless it rains. Then maybe Thursday or Friday will do the Diabetes blood test thing, then again, I may put that off another week.

  I dreamed of a Bloomin Onion last week, woke up and even Youtube'd it to get directions. I found out there is a kit, so I ordered it. I've seen the spices kit before, loaded with all  kinds of bad stuff, so I found a recipe. Sure sign of age, when one no longer dreams of women or cars and starts dreaming of food, lol. I actually pinned the videos to my Pintrest, lol.

  Full day today and the next two days. Time for bed.   

9-11-2013 Check Up

We went to see Dr Rathfoot today. It was good and a possible not so good. This was the first visit this year where surgery wasn't on the table, the larger dose of Prednisone has appeared to work on the swelling. The down side is that it appears that it may be causing Diabetes. I never knew it could do that and I'm sure the Mt Dews and sweet Tea ain't helping. Limited Saliva glands means keeping liquid on hand at all times, but I should do more water. Normally I don't eat a lot of starches like Potatoes, except lately. Funny how limited one is after dental surgery and no teeth. I've eaten more scrambled eggs, so much so I'm ashamed to look at a hen. :) More mashed potatoes than I eat in a year.

  He explained that I was fortunate, that it looks as though I will get to keep my voice box. (He didn't call it that). The Radiation burns all the cartilage and if it is burnt bad (most are) then the body attacks it. Eventually it can harden and stop working. Mine seems to have stopped finally and now the hardening. I've learned to use my diaphragm to push out tones and loudness, even though shouting is impossible. Sometimes though, certain sounds come out louder than I intend to and some sounds are harder to make. I figure though if Megan can make sounds that she has never heard, surely I can do what I have heard. Only what we say is impossible is impossible.

  So the next step now is to have a test to see what my blood sugar is. I figure since it is diet and probably lifestyle I need to change. I will, even though Denise says no, cut the Prednisone in 1/2 as soon as the swelling from today goes down. It shouldn't be too bad by weeks end. If it works great and if not, well... we can always go back unless my throat closes off in my sleep. Who knows, maybe by December I can come off it all the way. I haven't discussed it with Rathfoot, easier to ask forgiveness than permission. I will say this though. Dr Rathfoot is a credit to the doctors and medical profession and I am blessed that he is my doctor. The world could use more doctors like him and a step more, he is a man to be inspired to be like.

  So tomorrow I get my impression made and within a week I will once again have lower teeth. I can't wait. I think we will celebrate with a grilling, steak and whatever else hits.

  We loaded and took off eight calves to the market. Me, Denise, Megan, and Mark caught and loaded them up. We have about ten more to take later one and one that sometime this winter we will eat, saved him for us. So far Megan hasn't lost any more ducks to the animal that got a few of them. I took one shot at it and missed but we watch and have a more accurate rifle waiting. I think though we found an even better way, dog hair the dogs shed placed about the field.    

09-10-2013

Check up again tomorrow and after that I'm not sure if I have a dental appointment or its the next day. I skipped a little though on events.

  The tooth that kept breaking off, well, cap and post anyway, finally broke one too many times. I talked with Dr Steltzman who tried to put it back on and it didn't even last a day. The last break went deep enough under the gum line it just wasn't salvageable. I set up an appointment with Dr Sidney Boyd and he done surgery to remove the last two from my mouth. I thought losing the last two would bother me but it didn't. So I go and have my impression made for a full plate, probably what I should have done in the beginning, would have saved a ton of money. But we tried.

  I think maybe my Thyroid will be rechecked this visit or he will order it to be checked. I'm hoping surgery will be off the table but if it ain't then so be it. The hay is in and tomorrow evening we load calves for the market. I guess I'll give in this time.

  Mom meanwhile, things have been one right after the other. They can't give her chemo or radiation due to her blood being low and Nutrifils being low. She has had this problem before but apparently nobody ever bothered to test it properly. Well, UT to the rescue again. Dr Hana done tests and mom has Leukemia too, which is preventing the treatment for the other cancer which is aggressive. In between those two findings yet another cancer on her nose, but it was fixed.

  I think at this stage I'm just tired but calm now. I figure God will do what He will and whatever He decides for any of us, though it may not be what we wanted, will be whatever is best. Me and Denise went on a bike ride Sunday for a few hours, something I had said we'd do more of this year. This was however our first real ride, despite the lack of gardening. After my lawnmower lesson it took a while to heal up enough to use the hand, then I seem to head downhill, then mom went downhill, then all the rain. The day was nice and I think we both needed that, I know I did. For a few hours the world seemed to be at peace. Denise is already planning next year's Anniversary trip, somewhere in the Caribbean. I've been engrossed in Pintrest. I guess we've all got our ways of escape, even if only for a moment.   

Happy Birthday Megan

Happy 21st Birthday Megan Kimmae`. 

 You almost had the name Megan Mae, Mae from your mom's grandmother Mae. On the night you were born though, things changed, and fast too. You gave no sign that it was anything more than a regular child birth until you started out. You were what they called a double nucal, or something like that. The Umbilical Chord was wrapped around your neck twice so they had to stop you and cut it from around your neck first. Then they resuscitated you. It was a hard, scary birthing and they all worked hard that night.

  So we wanted to honor the doctor that delivered you, his name is Kim. So later that night we talked about it and put the Kim along with the Mae, which made the name Kimmae. This is what I intended on calling you but dad started out calling you Megan, then the rest of the family did too.

  You were that .01% that birth control pills make an error on. If anything even tells the worth of someone or wants proof that God intended on them being here it is you. .01% chance, so I'm guessing God wanted you here a lot, and He put you with us. My memory comes and goes during that time from the Lymes Disease I guess, but I remember the strength your mom had and still has.

  I think you were about 3 when we discovered your hearing loss, but when you were born we didn't notice. Denise taught you how to form your letters using percussion, holding your hand up to her mouth and pronouncing a letter, then holding it to your mouth to imitate it. Night after night, day after day, year after year. She took you to UT Speech & Hearing, who also taught you how to use your hearing aides and learn words and sounds. It didn't take us long to figure out though that it wasn't you who were born with a handicap, it was us. You hear watching expressions and body language and, you hear someone's heart, a rare gift.

You have no idea how much you changed our world... for the better. From you I have learned much and you probably didn't know that, but it is true. I've learned from all 3 of you but perhaps you the most. You took teasing and cruelty and yet didn't hold a grudge and have always been quick to forgive. Gentle in nature and though you are physically strong, your inner strength amazes me to this day. You went to school where some teachers said you didn't belong, put up with their sarcasm and sometimes cruel words knocked you down, and yet you got back up. I will say that with a lot of them when you were in school you didn't fit in, you were above that. I also remember you seeing if I needed anything when I was so sick, and even to this day when bad days come, you help. Me and Denise are both extremely proud of you, as we are your sisters. Now if we can just get you to drive. :)               
 

08-05-2013

  Imagine that, no posts for a while and then suddenly here we go again. Mom got her tests back on her place on her nose and it is cancer, a different kind and completely treatable. Then she got back the results of a swab they done in her nose. Seems that when she had surgery at Ft Sanders she brought home a present, MRSA, since back in the spring! They noticed her WBC count was low, Nutrifils were low, yet of all the doctors that came into the room, nobody caught it. I'm sure she wasn't their only case, it had to start from somewhere. So she is taking meds for the MRSA and maybe that will get her blood building back along with a new Dr added, Dr Hanna, which Denise said she has heard good things about. I remember hearing that name when I took chemo. Now that she is at UT I think things will go better if they can get her on track.

  So come Monday I go see Dr Boyd to get the 2 teeth out I have left, but this is for a consult. I got 2 teeth, want to be knocked out... should be an easy one. :) I have to go and get checked for MRSA too since I was with mom. Maybe thats been my sinuses and stuff, but maybe not. My blood work came back and the Thyroid is officially dead, RIP. They expected this a lot earlier but we all knew it was going to happen. That would explain irritability, sleepless nights, yet staying tired. Hair falling out and dry as a desert, nails breaking off, weight gain (I think the extra Prednisone has a lot to do with that though), and hard to focus (good excuse on that, usually I'm just scatter brained, or ADD). Dr Rathfoot is out until Tuesday, so meds won't be until then at the earliest. The nurse asked if that was ok and I figured sure. As hard as that man works he deserves some peace and quiet, and this isn't life threatening. I think Denise said 4.5 on something level and mine is 5.777.