babeofbryan

I am taking a break from house chores to write a couple of things.
Last weekend we had an estate sale at my mom and Dads old house. We did pretty well with only some odd tools and some furniture left. My sister took over even though I'm executor. She didn't price anything small. She priced the furniture. I guess she too high because we only sold one piece. She has been digging at me to get the house for sale so she can get her part. Frankly I'm in no hurry. I'm still grieving my Daddy. But I acquiesced and let her run the sale. We had a couple of "Pickers" who came back and got everything else for one price.

This weekend I am pretty much cleaning out my house of unnecessary objects. I gathered that nothing means anything once you are gone. I did save Mother's old photo albums for my daughter. My sister was going to pitch them. My brother doesn't want anything. He's got a bad heart and COPD. He got a pacemaker earlier in the year after stents and heart rhythm problems. He's 72. Retired from the Army. For God's sake he is a Trumper. So, I don't visit much because we always get into it. I just can't stand his thought processes.

Last week, I went to an orthopedic clinic. We talked about my right knee. It gives way when I walk very much. I use a footed cane now. I don't want a knee replacement. We talked about gel injected. He explained the gel is something that will fill in the spaces around my knee that have happened due to arthritis. So, I agreed. He says one injection and it should last long enough for me to decide to replace the knee. It used to be a hospital stay and rehab. He said now knee replacement is one day. Go home the next day and go to Physical Therapy. Not as bad as I thought.

Yesterday, I saw my neurosurgeon. He is quite pleased with my disc fusion. All three spaces are aligned, and the plate is absorbing into the bone.

We were out of power for 30 hours the first part of this week. I sure don't care for that again. My daughter told me she drove home and dodged trees in the road. She had to drive under one. Crazy! We slept a lot. Not much else to do. I do have a book light. I read a lot of the time. Here in the South, it was humid and muggy.
My dogs didn't like it much either. Lots of traffic on our street. A house not far from me had a huge tree fall across their house. It looked like two separate houses after the storm.

Planning our annual beach trip at the end of the month. The owner of the condo let us know we could come two extra days. 50% off. I'm jumping at the chance, but my son-in-law is trying to see if we can do it. It's been two years since my last beach trip. My neck fusion happened last year so we couldn't go.

Oh well, lunch is over. Gotta get back to work.

Nothing important going on now. I still can't stand the President! I'm working still. Its lunch time but I had rather work.
My old boss was in the hospital here from Christmas Eve till they transferred him to Birmingham to a big hospital. He had flu, pneumonia. He aspirated and ended up on a ventilator until about 4 weeks ago. He had a trach and now its gone. He was transferred last night to a rehab facility in the next town. His wife called and asked me to please come. She was scared and didn't understand. So I head over. I had to dress and drive about 20 mins. I got there and she met me in the hallway. She was upset they were doing nothing.PS they are both Pakistani's. They speak English but Urdu is their language.

So anyway, I went to the nurses and told them her concerns. I asked if they had orders. Not yet they told me. Sheesh! So I went to get his ice chips and water. His wife had a banana and I swiped some applesauce from a cart in the hall. So we helped hi to eat. Then he drank some. He developed some dementia while there. He knew me. Knew his wife but didn't know where he was. Kept wanting some hot tea and some mango. Little hard to get in a nursing home.

Finally I convinced the nurses to phone for orders for his care. Things started rolling. I left around 7pm.
Stopped and got Bryan some BBQ and headed home.

Today, Bryan started sitting with him so his poor wife could go home and rest. She spent the night. So far Bryan has gotten him oxygen and a nebulizer. But he has some dementia going on. He keeps yelling that he wants this or that.

I hope his wife was able to rest. His son is flying in from Dallas tomorrow. His daughter had taken leave of absence for 5 weeks but has two children and needed to be with them too. So my husband and I are helping as I can. Hopefully he will clear up. The daughter lived in Atlanta and has an apartment with her home. The plan is to move them both there as her husband works from home. I pray that happens.

I'm home from work early. The two Physicians I work for are headed to Pakistan for two weeks. They will travel around and visit family. I hope everything goes well for them. I told them I would fill them in on office and patient happenings. They worry about the patients. I like working for someone who does care so much. I have always been lucky to work for Physicians like that. Except one, He was all about the money. Luckily, I didn't stay on with him but about 9 months.

Im going to try to read more this year. Since my kidney transplant, I have read maybe 20 books. I want to read more and widen my book choices. I never liked romance novels. I used to only read mystery novels. Now I am reading true crime, love stories, cozy mysteries, and biographies. I forgot how much reading opens my mind and my heart sometimes. I am reading an older JD Robb novel. I have learned so much about the Catholic church. My daughter with to a Catholic school. Stepson and Granddaughter went to a Catholic college. Its funny I never paid much attention to their services when we attended services there.

Looking forward to a couple of days off. I'm working on decluttering. Who needs 3 bundt pans? 4 8x12 casserole dishes. I didn't even get all the Christmas out this year. Next year I will have more space.

I don't know if I have posted yet, but I became a great grandmother Dec 4th. He is so sweet and tiny. I just love him to pieces.

Woke up from sleep about 845am. Last night I took too much insulin. I was sweaty and hair wringing wet. So drank a sprite and it calmed down

Went to leave water dripping in Dad's house. The heat wouldn't come on. The HVAC was just replaced in the last 48 months, So I'm getting my brother to get someone to fix it. Sigh, always something.

We are expecting a cold front in Alabama. I know my peeps up North laugh at us. It's just really rare we get 11 degree temps.
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Bryan has been so hateful today. I would leave but it's my house. I was driving close to the white line. He said. I said "Did I go off the road." Then we went to my Dad's and tried the heat. He wanted to call a repairman. I said "Are you crazy? On Sunday. Then we went for Chicken. I got the special. Ordered fries as a side. He audibly sighs. I said Wait make it mashed potatoes. I didn't eat them. We didn't go to his family Christmas party yesterday because he's sick. I was sick 8 days ago but better now. But I made him miss the party. Maybe I am not fit to be married. We dated 20 years He moved in 4 yrs into our relationship.
I swear I'm just destined to be alone.

I can't post anywhere else about this but need to let off steam.
My Dad turned 93 August 28th. I have never written much because I didn't want anyone to happen on it. But they can be damned at this point. 2 and a half years ago my sister said she was out with taking care of his needs. He had quit driving. He can't use the stove anymore. So, every morning for the last 2.5 yrs and every night, my husband and I took turns. We would take him to breakfast and supper. Sometimes dropping by with lunch. He has cold cuts, pimento cheese, peanut butter bread etc. He can make a sandwich.

On Sept 8, my husband went to get him for breakfast. He called and said get here now. Dad looked like he had stroked. He couldn't speak. Kept trying to get up but couldn't. I took one look and called 911. Got to ER after calling my sister and brother. Dad was body temp 60 degrees, his oxygen was 70. His heart rate was full of ectopics (abnormal beats). My sister kept fussing, take him to the VA. He hates this hospital. My brother finally told her to shut up.

So anyway, he was in the hospital for 6 days then went to rehab after he got a pacemaker. He did so well. Walked in therapy, did exercises, ate good and had ice cream anytime he wanted it. Still needed oxygen but he dealt with it. We stayed day and night at the hospital. My sister stayed the first day and night at rehab. Then flew off to Ireland for 10 days. Dry night and the weekend. She comes back and says she's started back to work Daddy was fine. I hired a daytime sitter and I went every night for 2 more weeks.

Fast forward to Sept 30. I came to sit with him and feed him. My friend was sitting with him. She had been crying. She told me he said, "I'm dying". I sat beside his bed and held his hand and just talked. The nurses came in and out. Gave him breathing treatments and put face mask oxygen on since he kept pulling the nasal cannula out. I got ready to go about 9pm. He took my hand and squeezed so hard. I said "Daddy, you are hurting me. Told him to rest. The nurses assured me they would watch him. Next morning I come in and he's breathing shallow. Color looked awful and he couldn't talk. The nurses again kept coming in and out. Told my brother and sister to come. Patted Daddy and said it's okay. We are fine. He passed about 10am Official diagnosis was sudden cardiac arrest. I think the pacemaker was pulled loose. Dad wouldn't keep his left arm down. Wouldn't wear the immobilizer. We said our good-byes. Left when the funeral home came.

Next morning met at the funeral home. I had written an obit. My sister said let me see it. Changed it up. Left out grandkid's spouses. Then we were quoted the price she started fussing. "We should have gone someplace else" I had enough, told her to shut up. Then we left and the siblings wanted to empty his safe deposit box. I didn't have a key. I did but Daddy had warned me to go slow and not have a fire sale. He knew he was getting close to death. 93 is old in our family.

Anyway, I am executor. Dad told he what he wanted to happen. I'm doing as he wished. They have already raided his properties getting good stuff. Yesterday they were harassing me wanting their part of the money. Dad had a lot in the bank. Guess whose name is on the accounts with him? So, they have to wait. It's a mess how family can turn against you.

I know this is long. I had to put it somewhere or explode.

Tomorrow, I have to be at the hospital an hour away at 5am. The Neurosurgeon is going to put Titanium plates and screws in my neck. I have to stay overnight in the hospital tomorrow night. Then when healed, I have the Thoracic discs to work on. He thinks the neck is worse because I have 3 discs compressed. He wants me to be able to walk normally before we tackle the back. I am so ready! Hope to be back here soon with a great report.

I think I have written about my back. But anyway, Jan 2025 I started having balance issues. I kept leaning to the left. So I had a quad cane donated to me at work. Worked well for me for a couple of months. Had x-rays done. Dr. said I had severe arthritis in lower spine. Right knee full of arthritis. Sucks getting old. Can't take Nsaids. They will kill my new kidney. Also causes stomach issues. The doc told me we would get MRIs and take Extra Strength Tylenol.

The next couple of weeks, I started falling 4 times on concrete. One time I slipped on our tile floor in the bathroom. My right leg was bent backwards toward my right hip. I couldn't stand up. Woke Bryan from sleep and he pulled me up. We went to the ER in Birmingham 70 miles away. Thats where I had my transplant, so they had my records. I was sure I broke my hip. X-rays were all clear. ER Doc said I was deconditioned as most older people get. Start on multivitamins and supplements.

Got results of my MRIs. Arthritis and Discs degeneration. Have to see Neurosurgeon. By now I'm on a walker. Cane doesn't keep me from falling. Gets harder and harder to get up. The neurosurgeon went over my x-rays and said you need surgery but I don't want to do it. Your kidney is too new. I'm sending you to UAB since that's where you had transplant. They can coordinate. I'll send an emergency consult. Well two weeks later I se3 a NP. she explained my problems and sent me for MRI of neck after examination. So I have severe cervical stenosis. I have one herniated disc in my neck. That's why I am falling, and my hands don't work. I have three herniated discs in my thoracic spine. My tailbone is fractured on both sides. Plus, severe arthritis in Lumbar spine.

Next step I see another neurosurgeon at UAB next Friday to discuss surgery. I want to get all this over with soon. I reduced to a rolling walker now to get around. So thats me.

So I haven't posted in a year. Gosh its been a year too! To start with after my transplant I ended up back in the hospital for a week with a UTI and was on antibiotics. It was resistant to all but one antibiotic thus the hospital stay. I got a picc line (Iv in my chest). I had the picc line another week and toted an IV with me everywhere. I left the Sunday after they took it out to head to the beach. I stayed in the condo for the most part. Since I have no immune system anymore and meds can cause Melanoma with sun exposure. I went to the beach one day. Covered in 100 SPF lotion. LOL Didn't swim at all. Ate good food. All was well.

Went back to work when we got home. Worked two jobs until recently. I left one because of the drama. Now I work on M,W,F. It keeps my mind busy.

About December, started having falls. I have bad ankles, arthritic knee and now my back has slipped herniated discs in 3 places. I fell 3 times on concrete. Probably 6-7 times at home. Went to ER. They never x-rayed my back because my complaint was hip pain. They said nothing broken.

Started walking with a borrowed walker because a cane didn't help. Had MRI done on both lumbar and thoracic spine. My doctor ordered an epidural. It helped for a week. I saw a neurosurgeon two weeks ago. He said I need surgery in two places. Zhe didn't want to do it because my transplant was so new. So he ordered an emergency consult with the hospital I had transplant done. Yet to hear from them. I see my transplant team tomorrow. I plan to ask them to intervene. Still working albeit on a walker. Not the best situation.

Anyway hope to post more regularly. Hope all is well!

Mother's day was a great day! I spent time with my family. Went to the cemetery and left flowers for my Mom.
Got home and got a call at 9pm that a kidney was available for me I headed to the transplant clinic aand now I am the proud owner of a new functioning kidney. I feel so happy and blessed.