2015.....A new start for us!

Since I last posted, it has been a difficult 2 years!
Jeff's health has taken a toll with him suffering a mental breakdown where he spent 2 weeks in the hospital and then a month later, another week.  Took him about one year with weekly therapy to get back to feeling better.
Then if that wasn't enough.....he had surgery last June and then in July was on his way to an appointment at the hospital/clinic and he collapsed in the parking lot.   They put him in a wheelchair, and took him in to the ER.  ER called me and said I needed to come right away.  They thought he was having a heart attack.  He had a CT scan and then went in to ICU for a week.  On day 2 he had surgery to put an umbrella stent in to his abdomen via through is neck.  This was to catch blood clots from his his legs so they didn't go to his lungs.  He had massive amounts and massive sized clots in his legs and his lungs!  He also had a saddle pulmonary embolism across the top of his lungs.  He had some heart damage to the right side of heart also.  So, this past year has been trying as he had a hard time breathing.  Doctors told us he was real lucky that he was where he was when this happened as otherwise he would have been dead!!  GOD WAS WATCHING OVER HIM!

So,to sum everything up from the past couple years....Jeff is retired and we downsized from home ownership to renting a brand new home up in the the Holyland of St. Peter, Wisconsin.  Loving it!

OMG...it's been a while!

Here is hoping everyone had a Blessed Christmas.  We are looking forward to a Healthy New Year and wish that for you as well.

So much has happened that I cannot even write it all down.

I have been busy with scrap-booking and teaching scrapping classes at the Senior Center.  Keeping busy with grand-kids too.

Jeff has had a barky cough for 2 1/2 months, has been doctoring the whole time.  Was on antibiotics 3 times and steroids 3 times.  Nothing works, it's not the flu, he is short of breath and tired.  Finally today doctor suggested we go to ER and we did.  He had a CT scan to rule out a blood clot in the lungs.  Lungs are clear.  He had 7 tubes of blood drawn....sheesh....wonder what they are all testing?  Doctor admitted him to the hospital to do heart testing.  He had the Echo-cardiogram tonight and needs the stress test yet.  He is very short of breath..all the time, but especially at any exertion.

The 2 grand-girls wanted to stay with me tonight.  We went to supper, and Anna didn't even eat as she didn't feel well.  She ended up going home with  Jenny.  Molly stayed with me and after about 2 hours started vomiting a lot.  That's why I am still up doing laundry!!!!  I called Jen at 11:30 pm to tell her Molly was sick and she said Anna was vomiting also.  Good grief....neither one has a fever?  Not sure if it is the flu or they ate some bad food?  We'll see how they are in the morning.  Jen picked Molly up, she slept all the way home, they just put her to bed and she woke up vomiting again.....oh boy.

1:00 now, have to go change loads of laundry......

Janet

Molly's Baby Robin

Molly is talking to the baby Robin while the mother Robin is squawking in the above tree.

We have our important birthdays over and celebrated a wonderful 40 yr anniversary.      Got a little yard work done and now it's time for the surgery.  I go in Thursday  morning to have the rest of the tubing and port and tunneling of scar tissue taken out.  The general surgeon has the thorasic/cardiac surgeon on stand-by in case he is needed.  I am actually looking forward to this as I have had the staph infection for 2 months and it is getting very annoying to say the least.  I will be excited to feel human again.  Please say a few prayers.
Love,
Janet

Jeff turns the BIG "60" !!

 

JEFF TURNS 60 ON MAY 30TH!!

Yep, he got a new - used car....a 1995 red Cutlass Supreme convertible.  He loves it!  We used it on our trip to Lake Geneva and because the weather was nice, the top was down all the time.  We are really enjoying the car.

Happy birthday....................

Love,

Janet

Our "40th" Anniversary

Just like the song from the Turtles.....


HAPPY TOGETHER
Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the one you love
And hold them tight, so happy together

If I should call you up, invest a dime
And you say you belong to me and ease my mind
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
So happy together

I can't see me loving nobody
But you for all my life
When you're with me, baby
The skies will be blue for all my life

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you and you for me
So happy together

I can't see me loving nobody but you for all my life
When you're with me, baby
The skies will be blue for all my life

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you and you for me
So happy together

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you and you for me
So happy together
So happy together

How is the weather
So happy together
We're happy together
So happy together

So happy together
So happy together
So happy together

Mother's Day again...

Yeah...get to go out AGAIN for Mother's Day!  We took my mom last week for breakfast and today we are taking Jeff's mom.  I just love it when we can s-t-r-e-t-c-h it out!!!   lol

Have a beautiful Sunday, today.  The sun is shining and it is nice and warm...time to be outside again.
Blessing,
Janet

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Went to breakfast, talked to all the kids, did a little shopping for yard stuff, took a short nap and enjoyed the day with Jeff. 
Hope all the mom's out there had a great day too.
Hugs,
Janet

p.s. still not healed from my April 3rd surgery, I still have the staph infection.  I am going this Thursday for the CT scan to see if I need further surgery.  Prayers please.

Update on Janet

Well, things are getting a bit better now that I am on a new antibiotic.  I ended up with a staph infection in the surgical sites.  This whole month I have been a bit blah, tired and just not up to par.  Have been changing bandages every couple hours due to the drainage.  May 17th I will have a CT scan so that the Thoracic/Cardiac surgeon can see about the tunneling from the scar tissue near the heart.  Depending on what he finds, it may be a nasty surgery (those were his words).  He said the scar tissue tunnels are bad as they are a constant threat to infection.  The 4" of tubing on the clavical doesn't concern him as it is sewn down pretty well, he said it shouldn't go anywhere.  His concern is the whole issue by the heart and the fact that I may have a hole in the left side of the heart. (which would have been a cause for the mini stroke I had).
Looking forward to summer, sun, swimming and being healthy again.

Blessings,
Janet

Last of stitches out...finally...

Went to the doctor for the last of the stitches to be removed.  Still having issues with a lot of blood that needs to be absorbed in to the body.  Still have pain in my right arm and shoulder area, along with the 2 surgery sites.  I asked the doctor today if this happens to other people?  He said "no"!  I am actually the only person that he has ever had that the port grew to a bone and has caused so many complications.  Has to be "Murphy's Law"!!!  I asked him if he thought it would have been better to have been in a hospital surgery room etc.  His comment was that if he knew what he knows now, he wouldn't have even done the surgery.  Lovely.  If in 3 months I still have any pain in that area or I still have any infection and redness, I will have to have surgery, like it or not.  He said it will not be an easy surgery as they will have to go under the clavicle bone and ribs.  He just kept saying it will NOT be a nice surgery and that I won't like it.  Okay, now I am a tad nervous!  Yikes.  All this because my port was in for too long!  The doctor has been really good, gave me his private number so that I can reach him anytime.  Guess I was pretty close to being septic again!!! Anyway, God has been good!
I am here.
Love,
Janet

Dr. appointment today

3 pm saw the doctor in his office.  Temp was 99.5, running low grade.  The cold hands and feet are side effects from the body trying to fight the infection.  I have some infection, but what really hurts is the cellulites.  He feels there is about 3 cups of blood under the skin that still has to be absorbed and that could take another month or so.  Great, as that is what is causing the pain.  Sure isn't what I signed up for.  Oh well, just so it gets better asap.  Had a bad night sleeping last night, hopefully tonight goes better.  Last night was fall asleep for 5 minutes, wake up from nightmares, be awake for about 5 - 10 minutes.....repeat all night.

Looking forward to tomorrow night, as 3 of us have April birthdays we are going to celebrate by going out to eat.  yummmmmm

Nighty-night,
Janet

Pain issues today...

Woke up today with big pain again (not quite as bad as before).  The first incision looks more red and drainage.  I wasn't doing anything today, so I kept my jammies on and was in and out of sleep until Jeff came home at 10:00 am.  He felt so bad and was worried about me because of the pain again.  My right chest is very red and burning hot, however my feet and hands are freezing cold.  Running a low grade fever yet, so my face feels hot also.
Because it was my birthday, Jeff took me out for lunch, although we brought most of it home.  While we were gone for lunch, the doctor called.  I called him back and he wanted to know how I was doing.  He wants to see me tomorrow instead of Thursday.  That's probably a good thing.  We took a big nap!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK...
Love,
Janet

I am "60" today......YES

Celebrated 2 days in a row....so far......lol  Yesterday during Easter celebration dinner, the kids presented to us what we thought was a video.  Julie asked for Jeff and I to view it on Joe's laptop.  We went over to it and it said a decorated way, "Happy Birthdays" Mom and Dad....from All of Us Kids.  We read it and we kept waiting for the video (we thought they made a video of themselves and the grand-kids)...so I sort of waved the okay, hurry up thing with my hands.  They were laughing and saying "Happy Birthday"! ( a few times actually).  Guess we turn sort of dense when we turn 60!  The laptop was our present!!!!  Wow, that was one HUGE surprise!  I am actually using it right now!  Love it.
Our Easter was really wonderful.  After everyone got home from church, Julie and Mark helped hide 90 eggs all over the yard.  The kids had so much fun looking for them.  Yes, they all overdosed on chocolate.  We then enjoyed dinner with my mom, our kids and grand-kids, Dave's mom, sister and her husband.  My brother and his family stopped over for a while also (for my birthday).  All in all it was an awesome day..thank you all.  I was exhausted and went to bed very early.  I just love having birthdays!

New 5:00 pm update

Well, temp tonight is 101.5

Doctor said to wait a couple of hours, as I just took the Peracet and extra Tylenol.  Dr. Mikkelson is on call for only me this weekend...that was nice of him.  He said if temp is still 101, 2 hours from now, I need to go to ER.  Great!  Just what I need with all my family coming home tonight.  Oh well...they are bringing all the food, I am just making the ham for tomorrow. (I should say Jeff is!)

Today is better...

Slept sitting in the recliner last night.  I think I actually got some sleep!  The new pain pills work much better.  Although it is hard to type as I have to keep one eye shut because I cannot focus very well.  I can actually use my arm today, so far!!  Yes, I must be on the upswing for sure.
Thanks for listening!
Blessings,
Janet

My "chemo" port issues....

Decided to have my port out as I was having issues with it for the past 8 months.  A port removal is supposed to be an easy surgery...what should have been a short surgery turned in to an hour and a half.  Of course mine was left in way too long.  Doctor had to make a second incision as the tubing was hung up on my clavicle bone.  Go figure eh?  He was able to get about 10" of tubing out and had to leave 4" in as it was really stuck.  He dug around and tugged and pulled with no success.  Said I'd have had to been in a regular surgery room with an IV etc. because it was a trickier surgery.  Wednesday, Thursday and today was brutal as I could not even move my arm, standing and sitting caused horrific pain.  I ended up with a fever yesterday, so I was put on an antibiotic and Vicoden for pain.  The pain pills did nothing.  I spoke with the doctor again this morning and he recommended I come to Waupun Hospital as he was there today doing surgeries.  Ended up he had an emergency surgery and I had to see his Physicians Assistant.  She was wonderful.  Now I am on Percoset (much better) and just have to wait for the antibiotic to work.  I have a fever still tonight, not quite 101 degrees.  She observed that I have major inflamation and swelling and redness in an area of about 9" x 9" on my chest, shoulder etc.  I developed an infection also which is why I am on the antibiotics.  Like my dad always said, "it's always something".  Found out that my hands were icy cold from lack of circulation, so now I have to keep that arm up as well.  I will keep you posted!  I decided to post all this as I could not keep up with emails.  Thank you and God Bless.
Janet

From Our Favorite Son Joe....

Joe Hopper Who's ready to be an Aunt or Grandma again?

This is what our favorite son emailed us today.  I was so excited I got Jeff up from his nap, he hobbled on his bad foot that is in a "cast" type knee-high boot.  I am on the phone with Joe as I am looking at his email.....I ask him how far along Andrea is?  He says...hmmmm....about 6 weeks, isn't that about the time they do an ultrasound?  I said I could not remember, but what kind of baby do we see here?  boy - girl?  Then he started laughing!!!!!  Of course, it is April Fool's Day!!!!  He got us good.....my heart is broken!  Just for that, he better be sending us this news for real...REAL SOON!  Bad boy......he even doctored up the words on the picture to make it look like it was real.  hmph.....it's not nice to fool Mama Janet this way!

Question???

WHAT IF YOU AWOKE TOMORROW MORNING WITH ONLY THAT WHICH YOU THANKED GOD FOR THE DAY BEFORE ...

Dogs love the snow....

Dogs are loving the snow.  We are supposed to get about 8" snow, it is wet and heavy.  More shoveling!!!

Janet

FUN SNOW DAY WITH DADDY

Nice snowfall and daddy Dave takes the kids out to play!

They had tons of fun, even though daddy ended up leaving baby Jake on the sled in front of the garage while the rest of them played.  Wait until next year and Jake will be running after his 2 big sisters!

Hugs,

Janet