Saturday, Mar 3. Late tonight we had a call from John’s sister Peggy that Kathy had been moved to a nursing home, and had a stomach feeding tube inserted. Hearing stories of the move, and all associated problems, brought back bad memories to John and me of my move in January, 2010. Thankfully, I survived and I hope so will Kathy. I wrote her a nice note today and it will get in the mail tomorrow, reminding her to keep her faith and that she will get back on the road, gain use of her muscles, and get out of bed. It’s hard to believe right now, but I saw several people who had had strokes who managed to get back on their feet (from being paralyzed), and walk on a walker. One gentleman was 87, so that was a good thought to tell her. He is still doing all right, and living at home with his wife, who was my roommate for half the time I was there. She was my inspiration; she kept telling me she was exactly where I was a few weeks ago (unable to walk, get in and out of bed, and potty on her own). She was right, and I still tell her she was my savior telling me I could get back to normal again. The sad thing is that she has had to return to relying on a walker because her Parkinson’s flared up after I was with her.
Sunday, Mar 4. We departed the last blog comment with one that Saturday was overcast and we found it hard to believe this day would be sunny. Well, it was and a beautiful day. Mid-afternoon we took a trip in the ’89 Ford truck over 1.5 miles and up a mile to check out some new development that John had seen on his last trip to run the truck. We need to keep it going because when it sits it is not good for it. It sits a lot in the winter because it is 2WD and normally used to pull our horse trailer, which we don’t do in the winter. Last Sunday John went by himself because I was too sick to move. Today, however, I was able to climb up on the running board and get into the truck. After seeing that, we went over and back East, once up on the hill, I used my cell phone to call my friend Morris over in Othello. He is doing better. I kept talking to him and we got back to our road, but John decided to turn left and go north on Naneum. We saw two people on horses at Allen Aronica’s place, and so we stopped and drove up to his back porch, where he was cooking chicken on a propane grill. I handed the phone to him to say hello to Morris. Morris has known him (he’s a Yakama Indian) for years and visited with his mom, Ida Nason, doing cultural history type interviews, 25 and more years ago. They live(d) about a mile north of our house. He is also the one who helped us bury two departed horses.
While cleaning up today I came across the little yellow tablet of notes I took while interred in the nursing home. Some things I had forgotten, but my detailed notes (not always legible) brought back good and mostly bad memories and gave me a laugh or two. All my comments about the food was hilarious. I remembered it was awful, but I have exactly the details in my log. Cannot believe how many sausage patties, tough and gristle filled, and how many times I returned them and refused to eat. I requested they not bring them, but I don’t think they did until the last week I was there. I’m surely glad I survived the ordeal. The good part was the physical therapy that got me back on my feet. Both my favorites have left there and gone on to better (I hope) jobs. The head guy PT had worked there for 14 years. Tells you something about the administration, perhaps. Now they just hired a new director, Mar 1. Might have been the cause of my nightmares–finding and reading those notes.
Monday, Mar 5. This morning John’s up early to do the animal chores and then leaving at 7:30 a.m. to prune grape vines at White Heron winery at Trinidad, on the Columbia River. They only put in 3 hours/day so as to allow everyone to do the other things they need to. And then there is that repetitive hand motion of pruning – 3 hours is plenty. He returned about 2:00 p.m. Here’s how it is done now: (except John uses gloves)
http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20070105/Grapevine-Pruning-182128.jpg
And here is the future:
http://www.technovelgy.com/graphics/content09/pruning-robot.jpg
I did not go to town today. Only had one event (exercise) and decided not to go. Spent much of my day working on plans for going to my mom’s family’s family reunion in Guyton, GA the end of June. What is totally cool is that my cousin Susan and her husband John will donate their air miles to me for the trip from Yakima to Savannah. That will save much time and beau coups of money, would have been almost $900 to pay for it myself. The cheapest way for me to go was via Atlanta, (still almost $500), but then I would have to find someone there to pick me up and deliver me back to the Airport, and worse, I would have to rent a car and drive the distance to Guyton, GA (30 miles north of Savannah) down and back. My stamina is really not up to that much, I don’t believe. Part of the problem with flights is the rural locations near smaller sized cities on both ends that require either hours of driving or extra links from tiny airports.
Tuesday, Mar 6. What a full day; my first out of the house to town, in over two weeks (except for one day a week ago). I really enjoyed it, but was totally worn out. I’m writing this at 8:30 p.m. and ready to hit the hay. The day began, wishing John well as he left at 7:30 for pruning. Then morning chores were on the computer and in the den and kitchen. Finally got cleaned up and off to town without much to eat, at 1:44. Saw and stopped and talked to John at the end of the driveway as he was returning. Went on to the hospital for a blood draw and from there on to the Sr. Center for foot care. Not bad for a 1/2 hour of attention for $10.
From there, on to Hospice to do all the paperwork and sign out a 4-wheel walker with a study seat for my 86 yr old neighbor, who broke her hip in 5 places over a month ago. She is doing really well on her physical therapy. I picked out a light but sturdy one, put it in my trunk, and went on to her room in the nursing home. She was so happy to see it and me, and she got up and used it to walk down a short hall, on the north side of the building and then the entire length on the west side of the building. That was a long haul and I was tiring, but she never stopped for a rest. We spoke to the physical therapist and he measured it and it is perfect for her height (5’3″). I had looked through 8 different ones, and decided it was the best fit. Turns out I was right. I’m so happy. Then when she sat down (in PT), she realized how far down it was, and so to get back up was difficult, but she managed. I went back down the long and short hall with her, and then walked out to my car to retrieve my favorite pillow I used with my walker way back in 2010. I took it back in, and she was thrilled. I know this will be perfect for her. Just having the extra height above the seat will allow her to get up easier. It did for me, so I remembered well and was happy to assist. I received more yesterday and today on the Master’s thesis I’m reviewing. I found some time to put on the new section on statistics (she did in response to my comments). She visited with another prof who is much more up-to-date than I am, and he was most helpful.
Wednesday, Mar 7. Up very early, both of us. John had taken care of the neighbors animals before 7:00 a.m. and came home to do ours. I was sitting by the back patio door and looked out to see a ring neck rooster pheasant walking along the backyard fence. He was a dark colored (but with the red head). That is the first time I have seen him, but John has seen him in the ditches out by the road. We have lots of quail, but seldom see a pheasant.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3537/3428347702_4094815106_z.jpg
For me, today starts at 11:30 on my way to the Soup Kitchen for playing music (and they feed us a nice lunch at the end). Today was something called Goulash, but not my idea of that. It was a nice mixture of meat, noodles, tomatoes, and beans. With it we had garlic bread, and a nice green salad. There was dessert, but I didn’t have any. One was a blueberry yogurt type thing, but I decided to skip it with my milk protein “allergy.” My voice has returned since I started leaving off chocolate milk, milk, cheese, and ice cream. Interesting that my complaint to two medical doctors (family physician and my cardiologist) had no solution. It took my acupuncturist / massage therapist to realize it. I’m very grateful, and so is my music group. Don’t know that my dogs appreciate my voice projection being back, however. After that I went to my exercise class at the AAC, and it had been 2 weeks plus a day, since I had participated. They greeted me with hugs and happiness to have me back. Very cool. From there I went to the grocery store, and because I was pretty weak from doing so much so soon (I was careful and didn’t push it for exercise); but I still decided to get one of the little power carts at the grocery store. Picked up a few things, particularly milk we needed to make the cherry/ blueberry/ walnut cobbler for dessert to take tomorrow to the music group potluck. Then off to my massage therapist. I had a nice one today, plus he gave me on his time at the end of my hour session another 15 minutes of “healing touch” which he had a class in this past weekend. I was impressed and appreciated him working on me with it. It’s rather fascinating and the hands never touch the body. Apparently, it is slowly being accepted in some hospitals as an alternative to calm down and relax patients who are anxious for whatever reason. It’s been 3 weeks since I was in there. John and I made the cobbler and it is beautiful.
Thursday, Mar 8. I continued working on computer correspondence and preparing my music for the order that we will play today, tonight, and Saturday night. Had to take a couple of calls about issues for others and for me. Finally I got ready and went the 2 miles around the block to my neighbor, who cut my hair. It was getting really long and straggly. Came back home and got a bite of tuna fish salad on multi-grain crackers. Took off again for town to play music at the Rehab where I spent so much time in Jan/Feb 2010. We had a smaller number of people than usual, but we were fine and practiced our music for playing in Yakima Saturday night. There was one person there who won’t be there Saturday, but will be at our potluck tonight, along with two others who will be at the Yakima shindig. To share with folks who have a slow connection and don’t like large emails, I took along CDs of some pictures John took at the Spirit of the West. Another needed a printed map with directions on how to get to the place Saturday night in Yakima. John made the map using internet sources with Google Earth “street view” captured images. No one should get lost. My Subaru made funny sounds on the way in to town tonight but nothing seemed wrong and it managed to get me home. Tonight at the potluck was the following food: Chicken Ratatouille, apples & cranberries, scalloped potatoes, apple muffins, green salad with blueberries!, chips and homemade salsa/bean dip, we took a jar of pears (canned by our neighbor), and the cherry, walnut (both ours) blueberry (from our valley) cobbler. We bought some banana split ice cream to put on top, and we warmed the cobbler in their oven. It was the only dessert and very well liked. People couldn’t stop talking about it and eating it. John left without dessert to get to our Kittitas Valley Trail Riders meeting. There was a piece of cobbler left to bring home to him. I stayed and we had a jam session after a nice table discussion after dinner.
Friday, Mar 9. I was awake enough to know John was leaving at 7:30 but I went back to sleep for a couple of hours ! I guess I wore myself out the past three days. So, didn’t go in for my class today. Frankly, I didn’t wish to drive the car when John was so far away, yet I will have to on Monday. Still don’t know why it was acting up last night. I transposed “This Land Is Your Land” for our clarinet player, and sorted and filed and 3-hole punched all the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) for all medical payments in 2010. Now I have to sort the checks I paid for each one. There are some discrepancies I need to check up on. John’s home, had a nap, and we need to put together another cobbler for our neighbor’s birthday and welcome back from the nursing home party. I will deliver it tomorrow morning when I go over to change dressings on her son’s foot.
Saturday will be a busy and late day, so tomorrow’s events will lead next week’s report. Hope your week was a good one.
Nancy and John
still on the Naneum Fan