Worried about Mom

About 7:00PM, my cell phone gave a quick one ring then showed it was from mom. I tried calling right back and learned it had come from her Jitterbug cell phone. My call went right to voicemail. I tried her house phone and it also went right to voicemail. Hmmm. Maybe my sister was calling the house phone and they were talking.

I called each phone on and off for an hour.

There is a Fire Dispatch web site on my computer where I can see problems in the county but it also allows me to see if the fire department has been called to my mom's complex. I checked and they were there.

I began to really worry.

Around 8:00PM, Michael said to throw on some clothes and let's go over the pass to her place. Off we went. I so hoped she was fine, maybe the phone was off the hook or some other problem. We arrived, almost ran up the stairs and my heart felt better when I saw that her bathroom light was on. Michael was ahead of me, knocked loudly on the door, opened it with my key and said, "It's empty!"

My heart just stopped.

I ran in, the front room/kitchen was dark then I tried her closed bedroom door, which was locked. I knocked while loudly saying, "Mom! Hi mom! It's us" I heard movement, the door opened and I was never so happy to see her. She was ready for bed and we caught her brushing her teeth. We hugged each other so hard.

Michael headed to her refrigerator for some special chocolate milk and her stash of goodies while we talked. Apparently, her cable went out as her TV and phones were not working. She had called Comcast on her Jitterbug and they were going to call her in the morning.

I was looking around and it just didn't make sense. Yes, the TVs and phones were down but some lights and clocks in both rooms were also not working. It clearly wasn't a cable issue but an electricity issue. With a cookie in his hand, Michael asked if she had a fuse box. Yes! He opened it and found that a switched had popped. He switched it on and we watched her Comcast modem begin to light and suddenly, the phones and the TVs worked. She was thrilled. She had TV! She had her computer! She had lights!

We stayed a bit longer, chatted a bit then I promised to see her on Friday for her shot in her eye.

It turned out fine in the end but boy, it was a wild ride!

Two More Weeks

My primary doctor had pneumonia and totally got where I am in the process. Coffee? Told me it would take about 6 weeks before I would feel like drinking it again. Sleeping? Get as much as possible. She slept as much as I am now sleeping each day. Not being able to eat? Eat what you can, add protein and know that it will change soon. Back to rehab? Ah, no.

She told me that I have another two weeks of recovery ahead of me. She reminded me that I had pneumonia on top of an advanced lung disease and the flu. It is time to allow my body to heal properly. Two more weeks.

I was getting itchy yesterday afternoon, clearly recovering. I had a bit of energy and didn't take a nap at all! So, the drawers inside my closet have been driving me crazy. I scooped out the sock drawer and threw them all in the washing machine. After tossing a lot of old stuff, it was all reorganized and looking so clean so I could show off to Michael when he got home.

For the first time in weeks, I made a real dinner of roasted chicken, a tossed salad from Trader Joe's for Michael and some corn on the cob for me. It was so good and it went down just fine.

More was done yesterday than I have done in weeks. I must be improving!

Now what is bothering me is the stack of papers needing sorting, papers to gather for tax prep and new files set up for 2018. Maybe today.

Doctor Day

I am ready. All of my tests while in the ER almost two weeks have been printed out as well as the after visit summary. The bills are ready to be dropped off at the post office on my way to the appointment this morning and I plan to swing by one bank to pay the mortgage after the appointment.

I am ready to see the doctor this morning to review my records, listen to my lungs and decide if I am ready to return to pulmonary rehab. My guess? No. I have been needing sleep too much during the day. Clearly, I have not fully recovered from this nasty flu and pneumonia.

Food is still an issue but better. I made some chicken nuggets for lunch yesterday but was unable to eat dinner. Tonight, I am roasting a chicken, which should settle well. Michael bought a beet salad to go with dinner but I don't think I am up for any kind of salad yet.

It will be interesting to see how much weight I have lost. My guess is 8-10 pounds.

Better and Better

Each day, I am feeling so much better. I actually ate food yesterday. Real food. Not a lot of it but enough to see if it would settle well in my stomach. Coffee is still not on the menu, though I might try it soon with a bit of milk.

Michael is loving the 24 hours of Daytona on TV, though I really have had enough! Only five more hours!! We may even go out for a ride or to buy groceries over the pass this afternoon.

Tomorrow is the doctor's appointment here in town to see if she thinks I am ready to return to rehab class next week. I have a feeling it will be another week. Also, I have an appointment with the liver doctor later in the week. Michael has agreed to drive me to the appointment.

All in all, I am better. Moving forward. Recovering.

Surprise for Mary

I am sure you are sick of hearing about being sick! I am sooo sick of being sick! Sadly, I am having more problems with my stomach. I wonder if I did damage to the Nissen site while vomiting. This will also be discussed with my primary doctor when I see her on Monday.

Dinner went down well last night. I made freshly ground beef chuck patties, roasted red potatoes and Michael had an artichoke picked from the fields earlier in the day. Today, I am going to add other protein and try to cut the dreaded carbs from my diet.

You may remember that Michael's mom has an aneurysm in her aorta, which is inoperable due to her age. We have been sending snacks and goodies each month. Gorgeous dried fruit. Harry and David baskets. Special things we know she can't afford. We have been trying to find lox, bagels and cream cheese to send to her. She LOVES lox but it is clearly not in her budget. The perfect gift. Nothing online would work to insure it would arrive fresh. Michael got an idea to phone a local bagel place in her town. Online, we found that their catering service offered a 13-bagel package, which included a pound of lox, two smears of cream cheese, capers and red onion. So, I phoned and spoke with Bonnie, the catering head, yesterday afternoon. She is actually going to deliver it all to Mary at 1:30 her time today. Michael phoned his mom and told her to expect a delivery. She is going to go crazy. This is a real treat.

Food, Glorious, Food

Food is still an issue. We are switching from carbs, that went down easier, to protein beginning today. Michael is going to swing by the butcher to buy freshly ground beef for small patties. Simple. I am thinking of buying some red potatoes to roast for dinner tonight, too. That will take care of two days of dinners and then I have to see what sounds good.

Coffee is still out. It takes me to my knees with nausea and the urge to vomit. I have never been a soda person but the saving grace right now is Diet Coke. The caffeine in the morning is life changing!

I picked up the house for the housekeepers, though it took some time and effort. Small tasks are exhausting. I also made an appointment with my primary doctor in town on Monday. I need their advice and to listen to my lungs to see if I am ready to return to rehab class.

But today, I am so excited to get my hair cut and colored. I will feel better.

A Break

Each day, I am a bit better than the day before. It is going to take a whole lot more baby steps to move me towards feeling well. After a nap yesterday morning, it took an hour to get dressed as I was moving slowly. For the first time in a week, I dressed in real, outdoor clothing.

Around 1PM, Michael put the car windows down and we drove to the harbor. I felt like a dog going for a ride. It was all I could do to restrain myself from hanging my head out the window! It was marvelous. The sun was out. The ocean was magnificent.

We stopped to pick up some Clam Chowder for his dinner at the tourist spot. He loves their chowder. After an hour of being out into the world, we were back home. It was enough. I am glad we did not try to travel further or try to do more.

It is supposed to rain all day today. I will be inside, preparing the house for the housekeepers tomorrow and watching a movie. My focus is an appointment with the hairdresser while the housekeepers are at the house. So looking forward to it.

Tsunami

I seemed to be stalled. Not better but not worse. All the goals were hit yesterday: made deviled eggs for Michael's breakfasts and took a shower. I did sleep for a couple of hours in the morning before I had enough energy to do the chores. During all of this illness, I have been able to make the bed (except the first day), keep the sink empty of dishes and generally picked up the house every day. Sometimes a girl needs to fluff a sofa pillow or two!

A stack of filing is calling to me. I need to close out last year, do some paperwork for the taxes and set up the files for 2018. My brain is still a bit fuzzy so that might have to still wait a day or so.

Michael was sneezing last night and this morning and also last night, he had a headache. All not good signs. I started him on Coldcalm this morning, just in case it is a cold coming on. Fingers crossed that it is nothing...

And, I awoke this morning to a notice that there was a huge earthquake in Alaska and there was a tsunami watch in effect. Great, I thought, let's quickly toss everything important in the cars and head over the pass! The thought of it almost sent me into a panic. I physically could not do it! While struggling with horrible thoughts of a huge wave moving our home off of its foundation, the local news announced that the tsunami had been cancelled for the entire West coast.

Thank you.

Pursed-Lipped Breathing

The inhaler was out in the living room where Michael was sleeping when I began coughing in the bedroom around 1AM. It was ugly. Suddenly, I was very short of breath, wheezing and uncontrollable coughing. Trying to take some kind of control, I began focusing on pursed-lipped breathing. It began to work. The wheezing stopped, I didn't feel the shortness of breath and the coughing began to come under control.

Pursed-lipped breathing is what we were taught in the rehab class so many years ago. I still use it if I am facing a flight of stairs or packing the car with groceries or anything I need an extra boost of oxygen. Inhale through the nose then exhale very slowly out pursed lips. It brings the saturation rate right up.

I have two simple goals today: shower and make deviled eggs for Michael's breakfasts. There will also be a few naps throughout the day. Mom phoned Michael last evening. He is to drop by her place after lunch today to pick up some magazines and other goodies for me. Still such a great mom. Chip and Betty phoned from New Mexico and we chatted for almost an hour. Such good people.

I feel like I am moving forward everyday but I realize that I will need to see my local doctor for their approval to return to rehab. I want to be sure that I am no longer contagious after the antibiotics for the pneumonia. I also have a feeling that rehab will want a note to insure I have doctor's approval to return.

Two Step

This flu with pneumonia definitely is a "two steps forward, one step backward" experience. Wild swings go from feeling pretty good to not being able to function at all. I remember eating some toast for breakfast yesterday, taking all my morning medications then nothing until I was awakened three hours later with the sun in my eyes. On Facebook, people have been sharing their experiences with me so I realize that this is going to be a longer process than I had planned. It may take weeks to recover.

I did kick up the oxygen last night back to the 2.5 liters and slept until I got cold. Frost on the roofs this morning. Snuggled in with an extra blanket, I slept the rest of the night.

After a very light breakfast, I feel pretty good this morning. No coffee, though, as it caused me to feel awful yesterday. The goal today will be to get dress, write out some bills and that's pretty much it. The brain is still fuzzy so I just don't trust myself to do anything with lots of details.

What I am watching for is a sudden shortness of breath, higher fevers, productive cough, chest pain, or diarrhea, which will send us back to the ER.

...Better

Tamiflu is amazing. I feel so much better, still sleeping a lot but no fever. When I was in the hospital with pneumonia a few years ago, they made sure I had inhalers every 4 hours. I forgot that until last night when I was wheezing so much, I could not breathe. Since Michael was sleeping on the couch, I snuck out to my purse in the family room then hurried quietly back to bed. Two puffs. Settled right in and fell back to sleep.

Memo to self: with pneumonia, make sure to use inhaler every four hours.

My head is less foggy this morning. My focus is better. I can actually see myself washing the sheets and taking a shower today, which was impossible just a day ago. Nothing else is planned except more sleep.

Food is an issue. I just can't face much food right now. Michael keeps offering to buy or make anything that sounds good. Nothing really sounds good. I will have a bit of soup for breakfast and maybe some turkey for dinner. Light. Simple. Benign food.

That's the update. I think I may just survive this double hit.

FLU and Pneumonia

I guess you may be wondering where I have been? SICK! Tuesday around 10PM, the diarrhea began and continued every ten minutes then it was followed by vomiting. Together! What fun! When I checked my temperature and it was 101, I told Michael that I should go to my university hospital. He drove quickly, we got there in record time and they set me away from all the people waiting. I was a special case. I am immunosuppressed, which is not good in a room filled with sick people. They zoomed me to the top of the list and we were in a room with it own bathroom within minutes.

Then, the testing began. I was so dehydrated, I needed two IV bags of saline. The fever rose to 102. After a chest X-ray, it was discovered that I had pneumonia. But, also the flu. A double hit!

They were thinking of keeping me for a day or so but I think it is safer and I will get more rest at home. Michael is taking care of me and looking very concerned at all times.

Rehab

It didn't rain until late last evening and it is muggy and warm this morning. Mom and I had fun exchanging her purchases at JCPenney's yesterday, a quick run through Lowe's then lunch at Red Robin. At Lowe's, several towns north of hers, our cashier greeted her like an old friend! She had been a cashier at Sears before it was recently torn down. She and mom used to chat and it was so sweet for me to witness this exchange. The woman was young, yet they spoke to each other like friends. They clasped each other's hands as we were leaving.

As I pulled into our driveway in the afternoon, I immediately noticed that the tree was gone. Michael told me later that it was down and into the recycling bins within and hour and a half. Rick was a professional! Now the hard work begins. We need to remove the front part of the large stone container to remove the trunk, fix some sprinkler pipes and bring in fresh soil. Ron is itching to get it planted with vegetables.

Rehab class today! I have noticed that Jeannie is not breathing well lately. After her hospice break from the class, she returned walking quickly and breathing really well. Now, she has to pause from the apartment door to my car then needs more time to get her breath back sitting in the car before we can get on the road. She seems to be going downhill. It is sad and scary to watch and I know that she is well aware what is happening to her. She insists on exercising, despite the concerns from the hospice people, but I wonder if it really is good for her, at this point. Or maybe what I am seeing is just part of the downgrading of the disease. I can only offer help and support. I know she enjoys our rides to rehab class together and that alone makes me happy.

Rain Holiday Evening

Monday! A new week and a holiday! Happy MLK Day!

Rain is expected later this early evening and I am so excited that a tree, that is far too big for the stone container in which was planted back in 1997, is coming out today! Several of the neighbors will be involved. Ron, next door, has been asking for it to be taken out for a while since it is messy and interferes with the sun on his vegetable garden. Rick, of Rick and Natalie, is bringing down his chain saw and will do most of the work. Michael and Ron will be the pick up and place into the recycle garden containers crew. I will be over the pass with mom and Michael is so relieved not to have me standing, watching and worrying! What will be planted in the huge container long the side of the garage? Ron is excited to build a small greenhouse, of sorts, for vegetables. We will share them!

Yesterday, I had a house key made for Michael and finished reading a book while he was painting a piece of friend's car. We then returned the shoes I bought on Friday. It was a typical shopping excursion with Michael: We walked in, he picked out one pair, it was good but hurt my bunion, he walked away, I looked up, he motioned me to the back of the store, he pointed, I gasped, I tried on, I jumped up and down. Took under five minutes. He found the perfect shoes to complete the outfit put together with mom's Christmas money. In fact, I bought the shoes with mom's birthday money! The outfit is a brown pencil skirt, goldenrod lightweight top and a two-button jacket primarily eggplant plaid with bits of goldenrod, white and light navy blue. The shoes? Eggplant. PERFECT!

He walks in. He spots it. It is a style that I would never have picked out. I buy it.

We drove the long way home, up the mountain through the huge redwood trees, back down the back side of the mountain to the rolling hills, to the ocean. It was beautiful and typical of this time of year is that it was overcast and cool on the other side yet warm and a bit of sun here on the coast.

After we got home, I put the new alarm app on Michael's iPhone, had some issues, got them straightened out and now he is able to set and disarm the alarm via his phone. Once again, I fell asleep on the couch and stumbled into bed.

Recovering

To wrap it up in one word: exhausted. The gig Friday night was fantastic and we played so much better than any of us expected as it had been almost a month of not playing together. Rusty, or so we thought. Maybe it was fear of facing a live audience that makes good musicians focus and play better. The swanky place was packed with our fans, both new and old. They were an attentive audience, dancing and clapping along to the music and all of them stayed the entire two hours!

Michael and I fell into bed around 10PM, so much later than my regular bedtime but we had to be up and dressed by 8AM. The alarm company was coming to install an updated system to our home. The technician arrived right on time and stayed for almost three hours. It was a long morning with a lot for me to learn. My brain hurt. I was tired from the gig but working with him pushed me over the edge. After he left, I was heading for the couch when the phone rang. Michael's mom was calling with some good family gossip and we chatted for another hour. I remember falling onto the couch as I hung up the phone but that is all I remember for a few hours.

Done. I was done.

Almost two hours later, Michael woke me with a phone call, I stumbled awake but never really woke up the entire day. After dinner, I fell asleep on the couch, he woke me up around 6:30 and put me to bed. I never moved until 4:30 this morning. I feel good but I think I will still need time to recover some more today.

He is going to shoot a fender for a friend this morning so I am going with him. While he is painting, I am going to workout at the other rehab. Treadmill. Bike. Arm bike. It will feel good. We will meet up for lunch then a few moments to return the shoes I bought Friday. He says they are the wrong color to go with the new outfit from mom at Christmas.

Next week, the Irish Fiddling group has a rehearsal one night and another gig on Thursday evening. I worry that Friday's gig went so well that we might walk into it too relaxed with too much confidence. We must remember to focus and to play/breathe together. Sounds easy but...

Happy Birthday

Today is my brother's 61st birthday. My little brother, who is so much taller than I am. UPS notified me that he received his batch of birthday baklava last evening. He once told me that I was famous at his work because of my non-traditional baklava. People were begging for more! He and his Betty are going to take their camper and visit some casinos north of them in New Mexico in celebration of his birthday. Hope he is a winner! I plan to call him before I leave to spend the day with mom.

I remember when he was born in our little town north of Chicago because dad had Lee and me walk to the back of the hospital in the snow. Mom was waiting to wave at us through the hospital window and showed us our new brother in his bassinet. I was three-years old. Mom always smiles when she says that he had three mothers. Poor kid! He has had an exceptional life, which I blogged about HERE and HERE. Since these blogs, he returned to teaching at the university last semester but swears he will never teach there again. His brain won't stop and he is currently working on a paper to discredit some research that he found was based on faulty data. It is still all Greek to me! He is now officially retired.

Yesterday, I sent our son his birthday card. It will be waiting for him as he flies home from Scotland on his birthday. After other errands, we arrived to the rehab class in time to say our goodbyes to Louise, the founder of the pulmonary rehab program. We were able to talk and I expressed my concern that since she was such a fighter for the program, once gone, there were going to be changes from the administration. It was already beginning. There is now a six month wait to get into the program. They have decided not to support two separate classes and have reverted to one 8-week class of eight people. It is going to take a long time to get to people who really need the program. Insurance and Medicare pay for this 8-week program so she did not understand why they would not support another set of classes, as there was certainly a demand for it.

The suits are beginning to take over the program. We will see what their plans are very soon. Since the maintenance part of the program is not covered by any insurance, I expect their $15.00/class rate is going to greatly increase. They just don't understand that it is not only about the exercise and education but it is more about the social and emotional support. A kinship. People who understand.

It is going to be an interesting year.

Fighting Back

I didn't leave the house yesterday. It was a day filled with rest and Coldcalm. It seems to have paid off as I no longer feel a cold coming on. Success! But, it is not smart to feel too smug as it can sneak back and BOOM! Just to be on the safe side, I am going to swing by CVS to buy more Coldcalm to have on hand.

The newspapers are filled with stories about the flu and the misdiagnosis of the flu (meningitis) and the sad deaths of young, healthy people. I am reading about the differences between a cold and the flu. Apparently, the flu hits you like a truck. Miserable. Fever. Cough. My health could not handle the it, at this point. Michael is worried about me being exposed to it in my rehab class and doesn't want me to go for a few weeks. The rehab RNs were telling me that some people tried to come with colds and they sent them home. They are pretty good at spotting problems. I just must remember not to touch my face at all as that is how it can easily enter my body.

For dinner last night, we had day two from a huge pot of soup filled with vegetables, which warmed our bodies. We slept great and I feel like I can conquer the day. There is an Irish Fiddling rehearsal this evening and a 7PM gig tomorrow night at a swanky place. Saturday, the house alarm company will be here at 8AM (!) to upgrade our system. A busy few days ahead.

Stormy

We were stunned watching the Southern California mudslides on the news last night. La Tuna Canyon! We were right there! Highway 101! Driven on that stretch of highway dozens of times. We decided to drive home from Palm Springs on Highway 5 instead of 101 through Santa Barbara and all the areas now flooded with rivers of mud but, we had driven those road many, many times. Those poor people!

The storm yesterday was very light as Jeannie and I made our way to and from the rehab class. One of our classmates has returned to class after being out for awhile. In October, her husband fell, hurting himself but not badly. Through November and December, he slowly showed signs of trouble like not being able stay in a lane on the highway to where he became unable to walk and talk. Finally, she drove him to the ER. He had hit his head in the fall months earlier and had a hematoma on his brain. A blood clot. A few blood clots. After brain surgery, he was home and stable, which allowed her to come back to the rehab class. She was happy to be back but still so worried about him.

Rain is back today. I am staying in all day, except a quick run out to the UPS store to send William a birthday card with an Amazon gift card inside. He will be on a plane flying home from Great Britain on his birthday. What a way to celebrate. He told us that he will be home the entire month of March so, we are planning a trip up to Seattle for a visit.

Driving home from rehab, I began to sneeze. OH NO! My nose itched and I began to feel something in my throat. The moment I got home, I began ColdCalm and made a pot of soup. Last night I took a pill to dry everything up and slept like a baby though the night. This morning, I felt something in my sinuses but only when I woke up. Feeling nothing at the moment but I will be on ColdCalm all day. It really does seem to work for me.

Hanging with Mom

It poured. Mom and I danced between the raindrops while running errands for her. She also bought a new pair of sunglasses and distance glasses each with the same adorable frame from Costco. We had a Nordstrom lunch, were greeted by all the staff and had a good time together. I was able to drive home before the worst of the storm, which happened right at rush hour. The pass was already beginning to flood so it must have been a mess during the downpour.

My brother's baklava was shipped off yesterday and should arrive to his house in New Mexico on Thursday, a day before his birthday. I hope.

Jeannie and I will be going over the pass later this morning for the rehab class. We will see if there is any damage and I will worry about any large trees falling on us!

I noticed that the heaviness of the storm really affected my breathing. I was wheezing and coughing and feeling like I needed some oxygen, which I did not bring with me. Mom was so much better and recovered from the flu.

Gathering all my energy for Friday night's Irish Fiddling gig. I also am planning a recovery day on Saturday. Lots of naps!

Rainy

We ran non-stop yesterday. We needed groceries plus a few errands including a quick visit with mom. Michael had to pick up her box of Christmas decorations to store in our garage until next Christmas. After we got home, I began to cook. First up, Crustless Quiche for breakfasts then I made two recipes of Baklava before roasting a turkey breast for dinner. My brother loves my Baklava so I made a full pan to get into the mail today in time to arrive for his birthday on Friday. He will be surprised. The other pan will go to my mom, the workers at the UPS Store and the mechanics who work on our cars. Michael is going to surprise them with it this morning. They are my biggest fans! They really love my less sticky-sweet baklava.

A huge storm is here today and tomorrow. Love to hear the sound on the roof. Mom and I are going to run a couple of errands very close to her home then I will get back over the pass before a big wave of storms are due around 4PM. Batten down the hatches!

I ran an experiment last night. I have not been sleeping well since returning fro Palm Springs. As we missed the filling of my liquid oxygen tank, I am using an older accessory tank. Michael had not set it right on the number of liters and I woke up a couple of nights getting way too much oxygen.  Last night, I set up my portable oxygen system - Eclipse - and slept almost eight hours straight. My other tank will be filled on Thursday but until then, I think I will be using my POS.

Today is going to be busy and wet. After a quick shower, I am going to be at the UPS store when they open at 8AM then, I will head to mom's for a few hours. We need this rain so I am not complaining. My garden will be very happy.

And the Doctor Said...

It was interesting. At one point, the ILD Clinic doctor, Dr. C. waved then came over to the waiting area to give me a hug and that was when I told him I was there to see him. I needed some cheap advice. He laughed.

When he finally was ready to see me, he mentioned that he looked through my file to read his notes from our last visit when he realized that we have never seen each other formally but were tied through the speeches and conversations through the years.

I began with the facts. Dr. K asked me to meet with him to talk about the acid reflux, if my ILD would flare during the re-do surgery and if there something else we could do other than the surgery. He was unaware of the high fatality rate but did mention that the surgeon was one of the very best and that I was in good hands.

He began. If I had the surgery on the former Nissen site, that would not include the thoracic area, therefore, the lungs should not react. That was good news. He also told me about a study that he, my surgeon and my gastroenteritis did together, which looked at acid reflux in IPF patients. Once medications were introduced and the acid in the reflux was greatly reduced, the other microaspirations that continued to flow into the lungs did not do damage.

He was very concerned with the number of years I have been on prednisone and rather surprised that the head of the transplant clinic told me never to pull back as it causes a fatal fall in patients with HP. He said that he has several patients with HP who are not on prednisone. Interesting. I did mention that  I have tried to pull back through the years but have found the sweet spot of 15 mgs. Anything lower and my cough becomes unbearable.

So, his suggestion was to take medication for a month, suggested Lansoprzole as that was what he takes, to see if I feel better. As for the lung transplant people, he said to consider having the re-do surgery as I qualify for the transplants. Basically, at that point, I don't have a lot to lose.

He also suggested that I email the surgeon and ask if there are any new devices that could help the reflux instead of re-doing the surgery. Devices. The is the word he told me to use.

We ended the conversation with a hug. I'm sure I will bump into him in the lunch line again.

While all this was going on, Michael and mom made their way to her university hospital for the monthly shot in her eye, she introduced him to all of the people who always greet us and she loved showing him off. He is rather handsome. She told me they had lots of fun!

Somehow, I lost the house alarm fob yesterday afternoon while we were in town. The alarm people are due this afternoon to set up an upgraded system that will allow our smart phones to set the lights and alarm without fobs to lose. That is my Saturday!

Last Person Standing

I felt horrible last evening. Not enough sleep along with no appetite left me rather weak while working out in the rehab class. Limping home, I ate some nuts and drank lots of water but it still was not good. After a bit of dinner, I felt worse. By 6PM, I was drifting off to sleep and Michael put me to bed very early.

This morning, I am feeling much better. Soon, I will drive into the city for the meeting with the ILD doctor to talk about the options other than the re-do surgery to stop my acid reflux from flowing into my lungs. It should be interesting.

The news from the class yesterday was that the founder of the pulmonary rehab program, Louise, is retiring as of January 11. She was the visionary who began the program, which is the finest in the Bay Area. Her educational piece was the first time I learned the physiology of my lung disease. I learned how to manage it and to adjust my life for it and to also keep living. The exercise piece saved my life.  Programs (and businesses, i.e. Apple) who lose their visionary change. The suits move in. Louise fought so hard against the suits (hospital management) through the years. I remember her telling me that one head of the entire PT and rehab programs at two hospitals asked her why have rehab classes for pulmonary people as they are going to die soon anyway? That type of thinking was what she faced. And fought.

Ironically, Louise has been fighting liver and lung cancer. A non-smoker, she has been through about two years of chemo and is facing more. Sadly, her husband died of liver cancer and their son is constantly having his monitored.

With this news, I looked around the room and realized that NO ONE was left. Not one person was still involved with the program since I began in 2005. No RN, no exercise physiologist, no class member and now, no Louise. I am the last person standing.

Shaking

Earthquake! The bed began to shake around 2:40 this morning and ended with a good jolt. It was a 4.4 quake near Berkeley, across the bay. It was on the Hayward Fault, named as it runs right through the heart of Hayward. The problem is that the designers of the city erased the fault on their blueprints and built the new city right on top of it! Ignored the fault. We live on the west side of the famous San Andreas Fault, which runs through SF. In several million years, we will break off and drift north with the currents to Alaska and beyond.

Yesterday was my day off and I never left the house. I started at the back of the house and worked my way to the Christmas tree. Each room, I gathered and removed Christmas so it was all together in one area ready to be packed away. Finally, the tree. I was able to do everything myself except take down the fake tree itself. Michael took care of it later in the afternoon then removed all the exterior Christmas lights and, for extra bonus points, he put everything up into the attic.

The house kind of looks a bit naked.

Rehab class today!

My focus is on tomorrow. Michael will be driving mom to her eye clinic for her macular degeneration shot while I drive up into the city for the appointment with the interstitial lung disease doctor. Dr. C. and I have a long history together. He is totally about research, sits on several boards and stands about 6'7" tall. We met when he asked for a piece of my lung for research right before my biopsy in 2005. I have given formal speeches during his continuing education classes and we often bump into each other in a lunch line.

He knows me. He will be honest with me. That is all I ask. We are meeting to see if he has other ideas regarding the Nissen re-do and its horrible fatality rate. Will the surgery spur my ILD into overdrive then require emergency lung transplants? After our meeting, I will swing by the gastroenterologist to see if I can set up a meeting either in person or phone. Gathering data.

Back to Class

Word from Oklahoma City is that British Don was surprised how everything easily fell into place, including attending a little party in the evening. From the flight to falling into bed, the entire day was a totally smooth transition into his new life. He feels at home. All good news.

The rehab class had just a few people attending, guess others were not ready to return yet, but it felt great to workout. It was so good to talk with each other. One of the RNs, who has helped out in our class but is an expert in the Cardiac Rehab program, had her last day at work yesterday. After 41 years, she was retiring. Her daughters have had four children in the last 18-months so she is going to watch the babies two days a week. It was a bit teary for both of us. I will miss her.

Michael got his brother to drive up to the city to pick up the Jeep from Don's garage so we didn't have to drive to the city during rush hour yesterday. Great! We had a quiet evening and I fell asleep early again.

Today, Christmas will go back up into the attic. I am going to take my time and enjoy just being home all day. Also today, we are finally expecting a bit of rain through Friday. My gardens will be very happy.

Back to Life

The eagle has landed! British Don and his cat made it with not a blip of a problem to their new home in Oklahoma City yesterday. Michael and I are going to remove his friend's borrowed car out of the garage after rehab class and drive it home for Michael to clean up before handing it back to its owner.

While Michael was with Don, I spent a couple of hours with mom. She looked and sounded so much better than when we spoke earlier. Her cough was rare and really loose. She thinks she had the flu, which was scary for an 89-year old. It is a miracle that none of us got it from her at Christmas.

Michael and I met back at the house, had lunch then rested, did a few things around the house, made a lite dinner and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

Rehab class. The first one of the year is this today! It will feel great to move and also to see everyone.

Christmas decorations and lights are still blinking but I have time tomorrow to put the interior decorations away. Rain is due around noon tomorrow through Friday so I hope the exterior lights can come down on the weekend. One year, I ended up taking them down in July. Not good!

Back to life - before rehab, I need to pay the credit card bills at the bank then swing by our investment group in town. William wants to transfer his investments to them so I am going to connect them, via email, to set up a date and time for a phone chat. He will be in Europe on tour, I think he left yesterday, so he wants to nail down a specific time for the conversation.

I can't quite believe that I am still alive in 2018! So unexpected! Thanks to Dr. K., good medication, pulmonary rehab and my diet, I have lived so much longer than expected. Rather amazing. I am trying to remember to appreciate every day as I know my health can turn on a dime. What will this year bring? Here we go.

Welcome 2018

Happy New Year!! Welcome 2018! We were in bed early and slept through it all.

Sunday, we had a final meal with British Don before I said my farewells. Michael just left moments ago to meet him at his loft in the city, take care of a couple of things then load up his luggage and the cat carrier and head to the airport. The cat has to arrive by 7:30 and he has to check in by 10:30. They will sit at the airport and share a final cup of coffee.

This will be a fantastic move for him but it is still so scary. Jumping off a cliff, so to speak. As he is retired, he did the math and found he would save around $50K a year in expenses by moving east. With a dear friend who is a mover and shaker there, he will have a very active social life. It will be so good for him.

While Michael is with him, I will be heading to mom's around 8:30, fix her computer, tell her about our trip then meet Michael back at the house at 11:00 for lunch. The plan. We'll see if it all works out. I did phone mom yesterday and learned that she had the flu on Christmas and, as of yesterday, was feeling better. While there today, I will be wearing a mask and will wash my hands right before I leave.

In 2018, I am hoping for a solution to my failed GERD surgery and my focus will be to try to rebuild my stamina. More workouts. More walks along the ocean. It will be a push and a struggle but I have had to begin again so many times before. Here we go.