The day after Christmas and my heart aches. I think I’ve hit bottom of my sadness during the holidays. I don’t know why. I titled this Boxing Day as that is what the day. However, I think if I picked up some gloves and started punching a bag, I might feel better. Unfortunately, I probably won’t last more than a minute! I know that isn’t the meaning of boxing day, but it should be.
8 Months Later
Hubby had the TAVR procedure in March or April. He feels better, but still has some pain, not like before, but similar. He sees the heart doc in a couple of weeks, so we’ll see what they have to say. With all the medicines he’s on, he has no energy and still has pain from his back surgery. It’s frustrating when he can’t get answers. So we wait for the doc appointments this month.
Our youngest granddaughter turned 7 last January. She’s now in second grade. Our younger grandson is a freshman this year and started playing football. Our oldest granddaughter started college. Our older grandson is in his 3rd year in college. Our middle granddaughters, one started high school, the other is in 5th grade, I think. Time is flying!
Summer is almost over and I haven’t made it to the farmers market at all. Geesh, what is wrong with me?! I guess I’m a little depressed, which has me worried about going into the holidays. I usually get depressed at that time, so I need to pull myself out of this funk soon!
Not much else is going on. The days are slow, but the weeks go fast. How is that possible?
Hope you all are having a safe Labor Day weekend. We’re hanging out at home, as usual!
Happy New Year!
Well, Christmas wasn’t’ anything like I expected. On the 23rd, my hubby went to the emergency room for chest pains. He underwent another heart cath and it’s been determined that he needs a valve replacement. It’s moderately clogged. He was discharged on Christmas Day and was told that they were going to try & treat it with meds and monitoring. I’m not sure I agree with this as he still is having pain and/or discomfort. He had to wait until the following Monday to get his extra meds & set up all his follow up appointments. Now they want to see if he’s a candidate for the TAVR procedure. So now we wait for the VA to give us direction.
We were able to stop by our son’s house after hubby’s discharge from the hospital. It was fun to see their energy from cookies & presents. We went home an hour or so after. Hubby was getting tired and I still had dinner to warm up.
We’ve been home since. Even though New Year’s Eve is our anniversary, we had a nice quiet night watching Christmas movies and being on the internet.
Hope your night was safe and here’s hoping we get answers on hubby’s heart.
Three years of silence
Wow, it has been three years since I blogged. I’m still here. I’m still married. We still do nothing. Unfortunately with 2020 and COVID, we spent a lot of time home. Other than his sister visiting us a few times this year and my son & his family visiting when they can, we are mostly home.
I should probably back up, this year sucked, even more thanks to COVID. My brother in law passed away earlier this year. My kids, 3 of our grandkids, hubby’s sister, hubby & I traveled to Kansas City for the service.
When we got back, hubby had back surgery. It was right when the quarantines started and I was the only one that could visit him in Omaha. His sister and I stayed in Omaha so we didn’t have to drive back & forth. Either during or just after surgery hubby had a mild heart attack. Thankfully he was still in the hospital and they jumped on it right away. What was supposed to be a day or two stay, turned out to be a 5 day stay. They were supposed to do a cardiac catheter, but, the hospital was quickly trying to convert the rooms for COVID patients. So he was discharged on Friday.
Unfortunately he wasn’t feeling much better. On Easter, we took him to emergency. They did the cardiac catheter and immediately did a stint as he had a 90% blockage. He still has residual pain from this procedure in addition to the back surgery. He’s been doing cardiac rehab and is now doing physical therapy from his back surgery.
So between rehab & therapy, that’s pretty much where we go. The rest of the time, we are home. I’ve become an expert at ordering groceries online. I’m glad they offer this option.
We did get to spend time with 2 of our granddaughters from Utah. It was so nice to have them around. We did manage to go to the zoo and the National Roller Skating museum. The rest of the time, we stayed in. It was too hot to do anything outdoors. They did split their time at their uncles house. They would wander through the sprinklers, sit in the blowup pool, jump on the trampoline, play with the chickens or watch movies. They did say they had fun, I hope so.
It’s been a crazy year, with activities getting cancelled. Wearing masks when out, trying to stay away from people, etc. I’ve had a sinus issue for a couple of weeks. I finally went to the doc last Thursday. With their protocol, I had to wait in my car until the nurse came out. She took me in through the side door bypassing the lobby. They called it their high risk clinic. Not sure if it was to protect me or them. Diagnosis was a sinus infection. They did a COVID test and Friday I was told it was negative, yay!
So Christmas is upon us, I’m not sure how that will look as I’m sure the rest of you are facing the same.
I wish you all a safe Christmas as well as a safe New Year!
December 5, 2017
It’s no secret that this time of year is depressing for me. I get sad and start questioning me. I just finished watching a movie that made me sob. It reminded me how family is everything, even in the middle of the craziness that is family. It made me question where I went. What happened to the me that I was; adventurous, daring, courageous, fun, happy go lucky, independent, etc. Somewhere in my adulthood, I lost that person. It made me question my childhood; why I get this way during the holidays, why I remember things different from my siblings, is what I remember a lie or my version of the truth.
I look at my husband and wonder where we went. The couple we were when we first got together. We’d be adventurous and explore. Now we act like old people and don’t do anything. The thing is, we aren’t old. Our bodies may have limits, but we lack the sense of adventure that we used to have. Where did we lose that couple?
How do we get that couple back? Do we want that couple back? Do we want to be a couple? Yeah, things that go through my head. Probably not a good thing to watch movies that question these things. However, isn’t it good to question these things?
I guess if one watches things that present questions to oneself, that self should look at those questions and think them through. I know, it sounds a lot like work and I’m not keen on looking within myself to find the answers to these questions. Probably why I remain stuck where I am.
Happy Holidays – Bah Humbug!!!
July 5, 2017
I trust everyone had a safe Independence Day. Our’s was quiet. Well, on our part. We stayed home and listened to all the hoopla outside. I did go outside and it looked like what I would think and smell a war zone would be like. Our upstairs neighbor lit a box that had 10 fireworks in it. Once the concussion hit my chest, I went inside. I’m glad that holiday is over, but I’m sure there will be the odds and ends booming for the next week.
I’ve realized that hubby and I are practicing to be dead. We spend quite a bit of time sleeping! Mostly due to back and foot pain. Other by lack of motivation. I spend a lot of time in the house as it’s hot and humid outside. It’s pretty depressing staying inside. I’m frustrated that I’m stuck inside as I’m not driving. So I feel like my wings have been clipped and my freedom is gone. Which can be depressing as I used to be an adventurous one that would go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted!
I do miss being me!
Rock It
A year has passed! How time does fly. The last post was a daily devotional I was doing. I didn’t do the last day. Another thing left not completed! Was this by choice? Was this laziness? Was it that I lost interest? I’d say a little of all!!
What I haven’t done is talk about my life with Scleroderma in a while. Yes, I still have it. Yes, I’m still frustrated with it. Yes, I still cannot type with it as my hands don’t stretch. Which could also be a reason that I don’t blog like I used to. I could get a mic and a program to turn my vocal words into typed words, but I’m afraid that I’d be misunderstood as much as Alexa misunderstands me!! Of course, that would be an interesting post, in between my cuss words!!!
I’m still here and enjoying time with the grand-littles!! I get tired easily but I’m trying to stay focused. I wake up in the morning (ok, sometimes in the afternoon) and my brain has a list of things for me to do: Laundry, vacuuming, dusting, scrub the floors, etc. But, I don’t get too far as my body just laughs at my brain and its enthusiastic ambition. I find that I only do what I have to in order to keep the health department away, but, this place is no where near as clean as I’d like it to be!! It’s frustrating!!
Hubby’s been great at taking over what I my hands are limited doing. He now cooks and does the dishes. He’s getting adventurous with his culinary skills and dinners turn out great! Not only does he cook and take care of the kitchen, he’s my driver and assists me in walking, putting on a jacket/sweater/button down shirt, etc. My arms don’t go behind me to put these on anymore, so he has to assist. It’s a disappointment to me that I’m losing this ability, but thankful that he’s here.
What I miss is my girl time with my friends. I miss talking for hours escaping my house to visit in theirs or the park. I miss wandering around the thrift stores to see what might be a great find! I miss going to lunch with my girlees and just be girls! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being near my son and his family, but, I do miss my friends!!
I have a friend that moved to Idaho. We talk almost everyday by messaging. She’s been my saving grace as I still feel connected to her with the distance between us. My face is taking on a 2 tone appearance. Around my eyes & nose, the skin tone is light. The rest of my face is a couple of shades darker. I asked her today if I should rock the two tone or get makeup. I LOVED that she said to rock it!! I really don’t like wearing makeup!!
I have Scleroderma that is changing my skin, body & organs. I could be ashamed & hide or I could just carry on with my head held high and accept the changes that I’m going through. I choose the latter, but, I do try not to complain. I know I could be worse off than I am. I know this disease could turn ugly, so I shall accept the changes and rock it with all I got!!
So get out there and rock your life!! I’m sure going to rock mine!!!
May 11, 2016
Today’s devotional is titled “The Lonely Around Us.”
I’ve heard in songs, “Let my heart break for those things that break Yours, God.” If our hearts are to be one with God, then what breaks God’s heart?
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27
When I read this, I started thinking that I don’t know any widows or orphans. Then I was hit over the head with God’s 2 x 4.
I know people that have lost the true love of their life and have been alone after their love’s death. They are constantly reminded of grief as the life they planned together was cut off too soon.
I also know people that were tragically killed in an auto accident and immediately left 4 children orphaned.
Did I feel God’s heart break over this … yes, I did. It was almost too unbearable and I was the outsider to these events!
God wants us to love those that are lonely, hurting or lost. We don’t have to fish slap them in the name of Jesus. We just need to love them like Jesus.
May 10, 2016
Have you ever spent time faking a smile while inside you were broken. I mean really broken, heart shattered, mind shattered with whatever did the shattering. This could be a child, health, relationships, you name it. You don’t know how you can become whole again. To avoid talking about this, you put on the happy face. But to those that know you, they see the happy doesn’t reach your eyes. They can see that you are hurting. Those that don’t know you, take your smile as you are fine and go about their business.
Sometimes with those people, I just want to bonk them over the head and yell “See Me!!!” I’m hurting!!
How many times have you felt that way?
Thankfully God sees me! Sees my brokenness. Sees my heartache. He sees I am struggling. I just want to climb up in His lap and cuddle.
May 9, 2016
My devotional today talks about hanging in there. When I’m going through my own storm, people tell me to hang in there. But do I really? Do I really understand the words?
The author of the devotional I am reading, his family was going through their own major storm. As he prayed, he heard God tell him to hang on. Don’t stop his project of the new album or the new devotional, but to hold on … He has this. To trust God with not just part of the storm but ALL of the storm. They did and their storm, that shook them to the core, has passed and they are in a much better place than when the storm started.
With my health, I have to remember to hear “Hang in there,” not as a blanket saying, but as a direction from my Father. Letting me know to hang in there, hang on to Him as I go through all the waiting to find out my results of my tests. As I wait for the doctor’s appointment. As I wait …
You did what? 