Drat

 Overnight our next door neighbors arrived. And he brought his wicked wife along😁 But I can easily avoid them or her. I'm not outside on that side of the house much, so not having to see her isn't all that hard to do. And after their arrival last year, I doubt she will want to cross me again. 😎 I'm hoping that Murphy's singing drives her nuts. Gosh I can be so mean when someone ticks me off.

The mornings are so nice that we have had the doors and windows open for a long time each day. The afternoons are so hot anymore either. Of course 90º doesn't seem hot to us like it did in MN. A person really does acclimate to their surroundings.  Now at 70º, it feels chilly. 😆

Last night we gave listening to the debates another chance. We really didn't need to listen, we voted last week. We just had to see if the trumpster would act like an adult this time. Well he did a touch better,  but still lied through his teeth and still never answered a question with any real plans. Why would anyone with any brains still support such an evil, ignorant, hard to call him a human, but here goes, person? It sickens me that he still could not acknowledge the fact that he tore children away from their parents and treats them like scum. He has killed America in so many ways, it makes me cringe just thinking of all the evil he has encouraged. Needless to say we couldn't watch the whole debate. I took a shower and Mark walked the dog to calm down. No trump supporter deserves any respect for their choice either. They are part of the problem. God help us world wide and rid us all of trump and his evil doings.

Slow

 Either I've gotten lazy or just slow in my old age. But getting things put down on here or on paper is getting less and less. It could be that since the trump virus we don't do much of anything to write about. We'd much rather stay healthy then go out and about.

Mark has found and is working on a new hobby. He ordered a handheld ham radio. And is currently working/studying for his license. I'm so happy that he found something of interest for him to do while he recuperates from his surgery and when the weather isn't nice enough to be outside. His mom was a ham radio operator and really enjoyed meeting the people and listening to various stations. She had quite the set up in a small bedroom, she called it her radio shack. 

Our Utah friends got here to their new winter home last weekend. We helped with some things, well Mark was the most help. They needed help getting their satellite to work so they could watch tv when they were setting up house. It's so nice having them here. Last year they didn't come and even sold their fifth wheel. Now they have a park model. It's in a different park then us, but just down the road. We think of them more as family then friends. I love them so much I call them Uncle James and Aunt Bettie. Yep, they are family.

In another few weeks I'll be getting ready for Thanksgiving. Even though we are on a healthier diet, salt free, we will still have the usual meal. I'll just be more careful to not be so heavy handed on the salt. But will still use some. Then before we know it it will be time to start on the Christmas baking. OH joy, nope, not a joy in the small kitchen that I have now. But I did it last year and I can do it again, just not without a lot of swearing. 😯 I hope my arms and hands will hold up one more year.

We have noticed that more snowbirds have arrived. The stores are busier and the traffic is getting heavier. Soon it will be a zoo. I'm still hoping that the *itch next door stays in Washington this year. But I doubt we will be that lucky. At least her husband is a nice guy. Not many in the park like her, so it's not just me.😝

Mornings are nice enough now that we can sit out on the porch with our morning coffee. The days are more comfortable too, but there is still a need for the a/c. Windows and doors get opened up when we get up and closed just before or slightly after lunch.  

When it rains it pours.

 Well I'm not talking about the rain 💦 that gets you wet and replenishes the field but the troublesome rain that affects your life in a not so positive way.

Thursday I was so looking forward to going to get my eyes checked and a prescription for new glasses. The glasses I've been wearing are about 15 years old and so scratched that it would seem impossible to see through them. Somewhere between MN and Yuma I had lost my newer glasses. I'd been procrastinating about getting new glasses, I hated spending the money I guess. So Thursday was a day when I would finally get new glasses and see much better.

As luck would have it I won't need new glasses. What I need is cataract surgery in both eyes!! 👀😟 One eye has three cataracts and the other eye has two. So I am now scheduled to meet with the eye specialist and surgeon, on get this, my birthday. Happy birthday to me. 😝 We have not gotten a bill on what we owe on Marks open heart surgery so I'm hoping I can wait a bit before I have to have my eye surgery. Before leaving the eye doctors office I asked about having a corrective lens put in as long as they were replacing the old lens anyway. And I was assured that could be done. It would be nice to not have to wear glasses all the time.  So I guess there could be an advantage to a not so great situation. It's all in how I l👀k at it.  😎

 

One day at a time.

 The title of this entry reminds me of a song,  "One day at a time sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking from you.Give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do." That is how we are living our life right now. Some days are good days for Mark and some days not so good. But each and every day is a gift, a blessing that we don't deserve. But by the grace of God, we have another day.

The cardiologist didn't spend much time with Mark but said he still couldn't drive for another 4 weeks. So I'm still the chauffeur. I'm sure Mark doesn't like it anymore than I do. But we do what we have to do. And that includes still trying to stay out of the way of the trump virus. trump may not care about anyone else but we do. So we wear our masks every time we leave the house and our home is off limits to anyone wanting to enter. Visits only on our porch and social distancing is a must even on the porch!!!! Right now especially with Mark being even more susceptible to everything right now. He can't afford to catch a cold. Just a sneeze or a cough has him in serious pain. I do what I can to keep the house disinfected and clean and everything that comes into our home gets disinfected as well. It's extra work for me, but that is the way it has to be.  We want to stay healthy. 

From the sounds of it quite a few snowbirds won't be coming to the park this year. I say yippee, but the new park owners are the ones that are losing. I keep hoping that the next door neighbors stay in Washington this year. We won't miss that bitch at all. 💀 Canadians won't be able to come if they are driving and if they get sick they won't have insurance knowing they are coming into a covid country. Canada has very strict rules. That's why they don't have many dying or sick from the trump virus. The president of the US doesn't give a damn. So it will be another year that we won't be able to see our friends from Canada. But our friends from Utah will be here. I hope they understand our rules of no enter and masks.

Tomorrow I am finally going in for an eye exam and get much needed glasses. The ones I'm using now are many years old and there isn't a spot without scratches. I can hardly wait to be able to see well again. They called today to make sure I understood the rules of masks etc. That made me feel much safer. A prayer will help too. 🙏😊

Can't blame me.

 

Another blessing by the grace of God. (open heart surgery)

 Thursday, Aug 27, Mark had a special doctors appointment to go over findings from the heart monitor that Mark wore for 24 hours a couple weeks before. Dr Kaynak found that Marks heart stopped beating quite often for 3 to 4 seconds at a time. This was cause for concern, which is why Dr Kaynak called Mark in earlier than originally planned. Mark was then told to go into the hospital Friday afternoon.

Friday afternoon I took Mark to the hospital for an angiogram and an angioplasty. After dropping him  off at the door I headed home hoping I remembered the route. I went by landmarks. If Rally’s diner ever moved I would not find the hospital again. In case the procedure took longer than planned I talked to a neighbor lady about taking me to the hospital to pick up Mark. I don’t do well driving in the dark.

 Early that evening Mark called to tell me that his heart was 90% plugged and they were unable to penetrate the plugged areas in 3 of his main arteries. He wouldn’t be coming home that evening as planned.  After calling Barb, Lincoln, and Patty, I prayed hard. This was just the beginning of many many phone calls, texts, and prayers. Mark was put on many prayer chains and we know that prayer works!!!

Saturday, after consulting with a highly respected heart surgeon they scheduled Mark for open heart surgery early Sunday morning. The surgical nurse kept me informed with phone calls as to what was happening. As it turned out what was to be a triple bypass with a pacemaker ended up being a quadruple bypass. 

It took until Tuesday afternoon for Mark to come out of the anesthesia. He was coming out totally confused and thrashing around so he needed to stay under until he was more calm and less confused. As he came out of the anesthesia he was asked questions. The ones Mark recalls is when they asked him if he knew his birthday. No he didn't quite have that one. Then they asked him if he knew who the president was, and his answer was,and I quote "that fucking trump". That's my Mark. The nurse got the biggest kick out of that and proceeded to tell everyone she met. Everyone who came into Marks room had to comment on his answer.  He called me that evening asking what all had been done. Which he was having a hard time remembering. But after all he had gone through it would take some time before the confusion would lessen. He had an external pacemaker on until he was stronger to have a permanent one put in, which was only a couple days.

His breathing was difficult which was not uncommon for Mark or for the type of surgery. While in ICU we were told I could come and visit for one hour each day. But Mark was so weak and still struggled with his breathing that I didn’t get to see him until Thursday.  When I walked into his room our tears flowed down our smiling faces. Holding on to each others hand the whole hour was priceless. Mark was lucky to be alive. And I was ever so happy and thankful he was.

On September 4th Mark was released from ICU and put into a private room in the cardiac care unit of the hospital. Still having a hard time with breathing though. He had wonderful nurses and great care all the while which made all this  difficult situation easier to handle.  God sure did a great job giving the doctors, surgeon, nurses, and staff the knowledge of what to do to keep Mark alive. I’ll forever be thankful. Mark called every day so we at least got to hear each other's voices. 

A happy day came when Mark was released from the hospital to come home. I had cleaned my butt off disinfecting every inch of our home to keep him safe and well. September 7th Mark came home and was greeted by a very happy Lola. She sure missed her daddy. It was difficult keeping her from jumping up but she minded pretty well for a change.

Marks breathing continued to bother him and continuously got worse. On Sept. 9th I called his cardiologist and we were sent to ER where Mark was once again admitted to the hospital. It was a very long drive home for me since I don’t see well at night and it was way dark by the time I left ER. But by the grace of God, I made it home safely.

As the days passed Marks breathing became worse and worse. To the point that he couldn’t take one step or move without being extremely short of breath. Every x-ray they took showed no reason for the shortness of breath or why it was worsening. Finally one x-ray caught a glimmer of some fluid. So on the 14th they proceeded to pull liquid from around Marks left lung. Thinking it would only be a little, they ended up taking almost 2 full liters of fluid from around that lung. His lung had collapsed due to the fluid. Very scary to not be able to breath.

After a bit, Mark started to shake and get very cold, then out like a light, he went into shock. The nurses covered him in a heated weighted blanket until he was awake and comfortable again. His being able to breath again and oxygen level in his blood was a shock to his body and to himself. He was thrilled to be able to breath again. There were times he thought he was dying or would have to live in a wheelchair with oxygen for the rest of his life. But the diligence of the hospital staff by God’s grace once again saved Marks life. He called me in the afternoon so excited to be able to breathe more freely again that he sounded like his ole self again. He was told he could be in the hospital yet for another hand full of days. And Mark said he wanted to make sure he was well enough to come home this time.  

Well, God had other plans. Mark called me at 3 in the afternoon the following day saying, “if you can come and get me, I’m out of here”. I grabbed my purse, keys, put on my shoes and was out the door before you could say “yipppeee”. About 40 minutes after I arrived at the hospital Mark was wheeled out to the car, smiling from ear to ear.  We were going home!!! One of his doctors saw how well Mark was doing walking in the hall in the hospital that he called for a consolation with all of Marks doctors. They then decided to send him home.

His first few nights at home Mark had night terrors, dreaming he was suffocating. All due to the breathing struggles that he had endured for days on end. He thought he was dying slowly from not being able to breath. It will take a bit of time for his subconscious to heal.  Each night it is getting better.

Each day is a learning experience for each of us. Not quite knowing how to or exactly what we are doing. But we are managing to get through each day learning as we go and taking one hour, one day at a time. 

Gradually Marks lungs are getting stronger but as with the heart, it will take some time to heal and get to 100%. Mark is anxious to be able to walk further than a few houses down from our home, to drive and to get into the pool once again. We really miss our daily activities in the pool. Our eating habits have had to change as well as our activities. 

No salt is a tough diet to follow and live with, but it’s what we must continue to do and it can be done. Not like last time,  give up and go back to unhealthy eating that contributed to the heart and lung issues. We don’t want to go through that ever again. There is sodium in everything including milk and bread. If you keep track of all your food consumption you would be amazed at just how much sodium you take in, even without adding any salt to the food. And eating out? OMG, that is the worst of all. So eating out will have to be a special occasion thing and then eat responsibly. Not something we are used to doing. God help us to succeed. 

The first and hopefully final visit with the heart surgeon went well. Everything on the EKG and the x-rays looked good. He told us to set up an appointment with the cardiologist, which is already done.  And the cardiologist will set up physical therapy for Mark as well.  

Today, Sept. 29th Mark and I got all the way around the block with only one small rest. He was so happy to get that far and not need any help along the way. This was quite a milestone. Each day we will go further as the weather permits. Summer isn’t quite ready to let go, but at least the mornings and nights have cooled down to comfortable temps.

Thank God from whom all blessings flow. We are indeed blessed and truly thankful.

Give me strength

Lord, I’m weary. My energy is sagging, and my motivation is lagging. And I am so in need of you. I need your strength and your fresh touch to get back on track again. Your Word says the joy of the Lord is my strength.

The pressures of life sometimes push me into a corner, rendering me helpless to move forward. A hundred voices call my name, and I feel paralyzed at times to answer, not knowing where to turn. Lord, help me not to quit, to keep running the race faithfully, and to find strength in that safe, secret place of yours, under the shadow of the Almighty.

You are my rock, and I run to you today, believing that you will lift up my heavy arms, that you will fuel me for the tasks you've given me, and that your joy will completely consume the weakness of my life and make me strong again. I don't want to stay grounded, crippled by limitations and failed attempts. I'm tired of feeble efforts. Lord, I want to mount up with wings like an eagle and not just fly. I want to soar.

Renew my strength, Lord. Fill me with your supernatural power to overcome each obstacle in my path. With my eyes on you, Lord, with you walking beside me, working through me, I can make it. Thank you, Lord!

In Jesus's name, Amen