Learning to Swallow again

Bob's workout with Lori

A Day In the life...

I decided to share our day with you...this was yesterday 11/11/09.

For whatever reason I seldom sleep more than five or six hours..

I start the day with raisin/cinnamon toast sprinkled with a bit of sugar...and coffee..black

I then prepare Bob's "breakfast"

He gets Carnation Breakfast VHC (very high calorie..560 per can) and 300 cc of water with 3tsp. of Benefiber added.....he gets these two things 3 times a day....... his meds. in the am.....first I check his blood sugar...He gets an insulin shot at bedtime so usually it's normal in the am...80's or 90's.  rises during the day into the 200 range.

the red cup is Robutisson D,... the gold is Centrum Multi Vitiman...the clear is Benzanatate

Benzanatate...this little capsule reduces cough reflex by anesthetizing stretch receptors in respiratory passages ...fortunately it dissolves in a bit of very hot water.

The ramaining cup contains

Warfarin (blood thinner),

 Amiodarone (used in the treatment of heart arrhythmias

 Prevacid, an antacid

 Meclizine, used to treat vertigo or motion sickness...he experiences a great deal of dizziness...this  rx.does not seem to be working for him.

 Terazosin  for enlarged prostate,

 SulafamethTH,  an antibiotic given for infection on his elbow..a skin tear resulting from a fall became infected...he only has two more of this to take..

I crush these medicines together and add hot water to help thin out enough to get through his feeding tube.

He has Tssionex Suspension, cough syrup with codine to use as needed. I also give him tylenol and/or Aleve when needed for headache.

Until last week he was also getting prednisone...the doctor has taken him off this. He will be getting a sonogram of his arm and if the blood clot is gone he will also be taken off blood thinner.

Next I clean and change the dressing of  his three "wounds"...elbow infection, trech opening and peg tube opening.This is also done throughout the day as needed. The opening in his throat for the trech is almost closed...not as much secretions coming through there...his elbow is healing up.

That done he usually goes back to sleep for several hours.  Today we had visits from all three Home Health people.They check his blood pressure, pulse and oxygen level.

    Rachel, the nurse, came at 10 am..she checks his vitals and anything else thats going on...she checks blood and reports to his oncologist...he, in turn, notifies us if the warfarin should be adjusted.. She checks his "wounds", changes the dressings if needed, checks to see if any supplies are needed, listens to his chest...etc.

At noon  Desirei, the PT, arrived...they worked on his leg strength..which at times is non existant. Before she left she asked if he had had any more falls...we had to say yes...around 1 am that morning he was making his exchange from bed to couch..would not wait for me to get the wheelchair and tried to use his walker...he had taken about five steps and his legs gave out...I was beside him but am unable to hold him up...he just sorta crumbled to the floor...not a hard fall against the wall or anything like that.... ..after a few moments of lying flat out in the floor trying to get past his dizziness he crawled to the couch and together we were able to pull him up onto it  Desirei said that today she is going to show him how to get up off the floor..

At 2 pm...his Speech Therapist, Lori  arrived..she worked with him for about 45 min..She spent time doing things that strengthen his throat muscles and  larynx....working toward recovering his ability to swallow.

Between their visits and for the ramainder of the day he slept. Around 6pm Eddie and the boys came over for a while.  Eddie pushed Bob around  the swimming pool area in his wheelchair.

I had (extravagently) ordered personalized license plates for our car..knowing that we would soon need Alabama plates...but I wanted a souvenir and now I have it.

While they were here Brian put them on the car for me...

Bob was in bed and back asleep by 6:30 and I joined him around 7:30...slept for a few hours...then helped him make his switch from bed to couch around 12...I stayed up at this computer(my ever present friend)  for a few hours and then took a nap of an hour or so. Up around 4am posting and ready to start this new day.

Nicki

Nicki was here for a week to help out...she went back to Chicago day before yesterday but will return on Nov. 21..I think she plans to stay for several weeks...I wish she could stay until we move to Alabama and go home from there..I would like her to see our "cabin"...at least whats been completed..
She was a big help to me...she's very energetic...cleans, does laundry...helps with her dad...shops for groceries...serves me lunch and anything else I need...she's a good little nurse.

she gives great foot massages...

she also likes to "feed" him

It's very quiet around here without her..

Peete/Stallings Family Vets

Uncle Joe 1949...World War II

Bob 1951-52 Germany

Brother, Nick   Viet Nam

My brother, Ed Stallings...US AirForce 1958/59 served stateside...

My nephew, Anthony...US Navy...1983 and presently serving with the Texas National Guard

Nephew, Greg  US Navy Retired...

My POW/MIA braclet that I wore during the Viet Nam war...S/SGT Donald Gervais..reported missing 5/01/1968

The Poppy Story

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

 
Seeing a post honoring veterans day brought to mind a time when I was a little girl...On this day every year we would be dismissed early to cavort around the town square giving away (for donations)  red, paper poppies just like the one pictured above...wonder if that's still practiced.

That motivated me to research this custom.

"In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter war, an armistice was signed. The "war to end all wars" was over. November 11th was set aside as Armistice Day in the United States, to remember the sacrifices that men and women made during World War I in order to ensure a lasting peace".

Congress voted Armistice Day a federal holiday in 1938, 20 years after the war had ended. In 1953 townspeople in Kansas called the holiday Veterans' Day in gratitude to the veterans of their hometown. Soon after President Nixon declared it a federal holiday.

For The Poppy Story go here http://www.cal-mum.com/poppy.htm

Past, Present and Future...True Story

Part 1:The Meeting

It was the summer of 1951...he was twentyone...she was sixteen...

... he had finished basic training, was home on a two week leave before  being "deployed" to Germany ..it was the summer between her sophomore and junior high school years.

They had lived less than 10 miles apart most of their lives, each in a small town... but never  knew each other.  He was a "country boy" from the farm,  she a "town girl" ..

Charlene knew Bobs' sister, Margaret, as they both worked at the local Ben Franklins five and dime store...Margaret set them up on a blind date...  it was love at first sight...true enough to last a lifetime.

Part 2: The Wedding

April 24, 1953...in January he had returned from his service to Uncle Sam ...three months later they were married at a small Episcopal church in Covington with a few  family and friends in attendance..it was a very nice, small service arranged primarily by his beloved Aunt Laura....it had rained all day...but they didn't care. They spent the first night in Memphis at his aunts house as she had remained in Covington for the evening.  The next morning they drove to New Orleans for a three day honeymoon. She had to go the the principal's office to obtain an "excused absence" before being allowed back in school.



Part 3: The Life

Fiftysix years and counting...five children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren...

In some ways a life like many others ...both hardships and ease, joys and sorrors, sickness and health, hard work and pleasures....a life greatly blessed by God.

In other ways a life unlike others ...a growing love for each other, children who are rich with big hearts, good character and a respect for what is right.... blessed with life lived long enough to know and love their grandchildren as well as their great-grandchildren...

Part 4: The Future

...Bob's quality of life has been stolen by his fight to survive cancer and replaced with uncertainty as to the future..I have experience his fortitude, courage and selfcontrol on a deeper level than ever before. In a real sense I now know how lost I would be without him...We both have become more deeply aware of our faith and trust in a loving God who is sustaining us during this time.

Second Childhood by Robert William Service

When I go on my morning walk,

Because I'm mild,

If I be in the mood to talk

I choose a child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd rather prattle with a lass

Of tender age

Than converse in the high-brow class

With college sage.

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the touch of silken hand

That softly clings;

In old of age I understand

Life's little things

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the lisp of tiny tongue

And trusting eyes;

These are the joys that keep me young

As daylight dies.

For as to second childhood I

Draw gently near,

With happy heart I see the why

Children are so dear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So wish professor, go your way,

I am beguiled

To wistful loving by the gay

Laughter of a child.

"A Soft Place To Land"

This is what our early morning view will be when we are living in our new "cabin" in Alabama...

The first check from our "construction account" has been written...the septic tank permit

.....we made some changes to the original plans and those are being drawn up...Thiis weekend Barb and the contractor will be selecting the exact location for the cabin and which trees will have to come down  : (    not very many will have to be taken out... : )  ...of course Barb will be documenting the progress with her Nikon and we'll be sharing it on our websites...we're sooooo excited!!!

Open House at Barbara's shop

The girls at

agentletouchsalonandspa.com

 in Hazel Green, Alabama sure do know how to have a good time...

as evidenced by the photos below...taken this past weekend at Barb's Open House, or as she calls it,

her "customer appreciation day."

This was the 10th. anniversary of this occasion, began the year she opened her new shop. She, along with her staff and two best friends work for days preparing food, entertainment, games, prizes and marked-down prices on some of the gifts and Avada products offered in her shop.

Shane Atkins....

A Must Read

I invite all to read The Cyberspace Dawdlers' post regarding love letters...

http://cyberspacedawdler.wordpress.com/