Monday Misc for Sept 29th

I can't believe that it is the end of September already!  However, I am so excited for Fall in the Midwest - even if the leaves are perfect this year there will still be the cool crisp mornings and the smell of fallen leaves. The last time I had a small amount of fall was while living in Sacramento and we left there in 2005 so it has been awhile. Of course I'm fussing about the current 80+ degree weather but that changes later this week.

My CT Scan with Contrast from last Friday:  The was for the Renal Mass that was picked up on the MRI for my back and wasn't conclusive on the ultrasound as to what it was. The CT scan is simple and painless, it's the before and after that was not fun!  Because of the contrast being hard on kidneys, I had to have an IV of saline before and after the procedure plus the port for contrast.  I don't have good veins so there are problems for anything more than a blood draw which has to be on the back of my hand. He finally found a line in the hand for the IV so I set there for an hour before the CT for the saline to feed in. Then I get up to the CT dept and find out that the IV port will not work for the contrast - it is too small.  Apparently they have to have a large enough port/needle where they can push in a lot of dye in seconds. The tech had a hard time getting enough blood in the and for lab work to check my creatinine before the procedure but finally made it. Usually they just withdraw blood from where the IV line is and it's no big deal. He didn't even try to find a new vein for the contrast dye but called the IV Therapy team who are the "experts" in putting in lines when people don't have good veins.  The They decided to do it on the inside of the arm below the elbow.  The first line in the left arm collapsed soon after they got the needle in.  Then it was trying it on the right arm in the same place. While one of the people is engaging me in conversation to get my mind off the 2nd stick, the other person got a good vein. The tech was able to get a reading on the creatinine right there - kinda like a glucose monitor - and it was 1.1 which is high but not bad for me. Anyway, they do the dye and CT. The dye gives you a funny feeling like they ran hot water through your veins - it's a heat rush inside the body but doesn't hurt...  The renal mass showed up and I got to see it after the scan was over.  It is about the size of my thumb and is just there by it's self where the kidney should be. I don't know yet what they have decided but won't be at all surprised if the next step is biopsy.  Anyway, I head back downstairs to the Fusion Therapy dept for my post-CT IV picking up some food in the cafeteria along the way since I couldn't eat before the CT.  I get there and find out that I will be there for 3 hours which I did not expect!  The time passed so slowly.  The good news was that they could use the bigger port for the IV. Finally out of the hospital 6.5 hours after I got there.....

Morris's Ashes:  I got a call from the vet that they were ready and picked them up, came home, got a new box of Kleenex out and took the items out of the bag. I may have mentioned before that an older man and wife have the service that does animal cremations in the area. The ashes are in a very nice small, wooden box.  I didn't open it but I assume there is a plastic bag inside the box with the ashes. There was a Certificate of Cremation for Morris Jerome and the date he was cremated, where, etc. Then there was a nice note from them that was good for 2 Kleenexs about how special each pet is, etc. However, the finale was a poem called "The Rainbow Bridge". I have heard of it before but had never read it.  It was good for half a box of Kleenex.  Here are the first few paragraphs:

It goes on to talk about time passing until the pet sees it's master coming, runs to meet him/her and they cross The Rainbow Bridge together - united again and never to be separated. That's how I think of Morris and Larry......

I also got a card from the Vet and his wife the next day where he wrote many, many lines of small print about how much they appreciated me letting them share Morris with me and how disappointed he was that he couldn't make Morris better but it helped to know Morris was with Larry. There went the rest of the Kleenex box.

 

Getting out of town:  Vivian and I are heading out of town for the weekend on Friday and I am so ready after the last couple of weeks!  We're going to Fort Scott, KS - stay tuned for what we find there and along the way.....

Thurs Tidbits

Cookies:  Now I bet you are wondering what I am going to say about cookies.....  My very favorite cookies for the last year while on Weight Watchers was Nabisco Snack Well's Cookie Cakes, Devil's Food flavor.  They are 1 point each (in Weight Watcher's language), which is low for cookies, so for 2 points I could get my sweet tooth satisfied after dinner and also satisfy my chocolate tooth. I ran out of them several weeks ago and then found out that both of my grocery stores have quit carrying them which was a major crisis.  However, Wal-Mart saved me!  I found them at my local store and was so excited that I bought 4 boxes of them just in case.... 

iPhone 6:  Last Monday I went to the Apple store because of a question on my iPad memory.  Silly me forgot about the lines of people buying the new iPhone 6....  Sure enough there was a line of about 20 people outside the store waiting for a clerk inside the store to be ready for a new customer who wanted to buy the new phone.  They had 1 person taking care of us who did not want to buy the new phone so I got in but was 3rd in line for that person.  He answered my questions in about 2 minutes and on my way out I HAD to stop at a display and check out the new phones.  Checking them out confirmed my initial thoughts that I wasn't interested in upgrading. The smaller of the new phone is a little larger than my 5C so isn't worth the money.  Plus, the upgrades don't do anything for me based on how I use my phone. The iPhone 6 Plus is way too big.  It is too big to comfortably fit in my hand and wouldn't fit into any of the little phone pockets in my purses. So....will set this tech toy out for now.

Weight:  I have gained 2.5 lbs in the last month while Morris was sick  - or so the scales at the Weight Watcher's meeting said yesterday.  So it is time to get serious and go back to what I was doing that worked - cut out so much fast food and sweets.... Stress eating is definitely one of my problems.

Something new along the trail: Yesterday morning I went for a walk along the trail that runs 
through the apartment complex on the way to the golf course. There was the usual bunnies and squirrels along the trail but in the stream along the trail was a crane.  I'm not sure what kind it is.  He was perfectly still and I just happened to see him out of the corner of my eye.  I went on to the golf course and when I came back he was still in the stream. Made my day.....

Monday Misc for Sept 22nd

My brother's 79th Birthday:   His actual birthday is this coming Wednesday although the family celebrated it yesterday with a BBQ at Bill & Vida's house. Son-in-law Dave cooked 40 burgers and 48 hot dogs for the approximately 45 people who were there - all family covering 4 generations plus me. The big family dinners are still overwhelming for me but they are getting less so as I get to know more people.  It still blows my mind that I am related to that many people.  Someone yesterday told me to just "wait until Christmas when everyone comes".

Dr. Cain:  I went by the vets office today to settle up the bill, pick up the collar from Morris and take them the dishes, leashes, food, etc that I don't need anymore. Jeni, his wife, said it was pretty solemn around their house this weekend - especially Dr. Cain.  They told the boys that Morris had died when they got home after work Friday and one of them said "Daddy wasn't there anything else you could have done for Morris?" which is the last thing he needed to hear because he really had tried everything. I do miss by little furry buddy but have great comfort in knowing we did everything we could do and it just wasn't meant to be so now he is with Larry. Dr. Cain said to let him know when I'm ready for another cat and he will find me a good one..... I won't say never but not right now I want to be able to just pick up and go places without having to worry about getting someone to take care of a pet. They got a big kick out of all the different kinds of food Morris had, different dishes, etc. Definitely a spoiled one!

Fall decorations:  Vivian, my niece, came over last Saturday and we decorated the house.   She did a great job and some of it looks like a magazine! After so many years in the desert, I love being able to decorate for the seasons. Let's face it.....fall just isn't the same when it is 95 degrees with cactus and palm trees. Below are some pictures:

The front entry which I just love! It is definitely a WOW when you come around the side of the building on the sidewalk. The green plants on the left are mums that have not bloomed yet.

The flower rack along the wall in the front entry.

 What I see on the patio when I'm setting in my recliner and looking out through the French doors.

Larry and Morris - Together Again......

Tough, tough day for me today....  Morris wasn't in a good mood on Wednesday when I went by to see him, yesterday he started going down hill and was much worse this morning. The vet ran blood tests when they got to the office today and the labs showed that Morris was in kidney failure.  Dr. Cain didn't have to explain the lab numbers to me since I could look at them and know he was in renal failure due to all my experience Larry's labs before the kidney transplant. High levels of potassium will stop your heart.  The doctors panicked once when Larry's was 6.5.  Today Morris was 9.5.  His creatinine was so high they couldn't get a reading.  Dr. Cain called me mid-afternoon to let me know things were not going well and it might be time.  I told him I was coming by in 30-45 minutes and I needed to see how Morris was - especially the look on his face. I got there, took one look at Morris and knew the time had come. Jeni brought Morris into one of the little rooms for me and we hung out while Dr. Cain was finishing up with a couple of dogs.  He went over everything and all 3 of us agreed that we had done all we could do for Morris and it just wasn't to be. Yes, we could treat the kidney failure but the fact remains that his legs had not gotten any better in a week and he still wasn't using his bladder.  We just didn't want to put him through any more treatments.  Dr. Cain gave his a shot of a strong anesthesia which puts them to sleep.  I left then because I couldn't stay until they gave him the other shot what would stop the heart. I having him cremated and plan to take his ashes back to Tucson with me in January and spread them out at Saguaro Park East which was a favorite place of Larrys plus there are lots of lizards for Morris.... This all started back on July 22 which was a long time ago....  As I have said before, what made me willing to do so much and spend so much money on Morris was that he was Larry's cat and Morris was a strong link for me to Larry.  Now Larry has him back....

Monday Misc on Wednesday

Computer work:  I have spent sooooo many hours on the computer since last Saturday.  I went through almost 300 pictures from the trip to Arkansas and edited about 100 of them, updated some Family History Books for printing, worked some on the Quarterly for the Genealogy Society and did a Family History Book for Great-Grandfather Arnold who fought in the civil war. Some of the stuff is completed and I'm still working on the Trip book and the book for Great-Grandfather Arnold. It all takes so much time on the computer - good thing I love doing it!

Weather:  I LOVE it!!!!!!! Nights are in the upper 50's and days are in the 70's most of the time.  That to me is the perfect weather.

Another medical test for me: It seems like it just won't quit!  Something I think I don't want to know if there is a problem but then that really isn't me - I want to know if there is a problem.  You may remember that the MRI for the back showed a mass in the kidney bed where the donated kidney used to be. So I had an ultrasound done to confirm what we thought was scar tissue from previous surgeries and then the kidney surgery added to it. But my kidney doctor called this afternoon and now wants a CT scan with contrast done which is what we were trying to avoid by going the ultrasound route. She consulted some other doctors and they all advise checking it out because it is larger now that it was 2 months ago on the MRI.  Scar tissue wouldn't grow that fast. Because of only having one kidney, I will need and IV before the scan and an IV afterwards to flush the contrast out because it is hard on my kidney. The good news is that if you only looked at my labs, you would not know there wasn't 2 kidneys - the function is that good. The IV's are just a precaution. Enough is enough!!!!!!!

Morris:  I went by to see him today and he was not in a good mood today - even the Dr Cain (shown here) and Jeni (his wife who works in the clinic) commented on it. Morris was talkative in a "leave me alone" tone of voice, he kept swatting me when I was holding him and wanted nothing to do with his PT or wheel chair today. Jeni was commenting that Morris is very different with Dr Cain than he with her - same as I was ignored when Larry was around.  Even today, Morris shut up when I handed him off to Dr. Cain . Dr Cain brought his bed over by his desk and put Morris on it who promptly shut up. It is rather interesting to hang around the vet's office and see the different breeds that come in  - some that you don't see very often.  The other day a lady brought in a French Bulldog and today it was a 13 years old Weimaraner who was perfectly behaved but is having bad arthritis problems in his back legs. On Monday it was an Airedale terrier that got my attention. Sometimes I just sit in the lobby with Morris on my lap so he can look out the window. Not very often does a cat come in - mostly dogs. Anyway, Dr Cain and I are going to talk next Wed and see how Morris is doing after he increased his steroid dose today.

Morris, Me and Mums

Morris Update: Well he wasn't exactly smiling this morning.... He looks so funny with all the shaves places and this doesn't even show the spot on the back of his head.  The side is where the pain patch goes when he has it on but doesn't currently and the spot on the back was for the spinal tap as was the one on top of his head. He is doing the about the same with still tiny little steps forward. This morning he pulled his legs back into a setting position and was moving his legs when being "tail walked".  That is where they set him up on his legs, hold the back legs up by holding onto the tail and see if he moves his back legs.  There was no movement of the back legs 2 weeks ago and now there is some - you can see he is trying. I'm glad the vet takes him outside in the grass in the evenings.  He said they get a lot of funny looks but Morris has a good time eating grass and looking for bugs. He gets soooooo much attention from not only the vet but also from the whole staff which I am thankful for. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever will be, will be)......

Medical Update for me: They found something in the kidney bed of my missing kidney when I had the MRI for my back. Radiology suggested a CT with contrast which is a big deal for someone with only 1 kidney.  So the nephrologist wanted to do a sonogram first and see if that would rule anything in or out. I had that done today and the tech who did it thinks it is just scar tissue which was a possibility in the report of the radiologist. I know there was a lot of scar tissue in the area before the transplant so there will be even more now after another surgery. I'm not worried about it but should get the official report in a few days.   I have my pain shot scheduled for Sept 30th and sure hope it works. It is a Medial Branch Nerve Block which is not the epidural that most people get in the back for pain.

Mums, Mums, & More Mums: I am soooooo ready for fall, especially after today when it was 51 degrees this morning, cloudy and intermittently misty today and I am wearing my long sleeves denim shirt today. A crock pot of chile is simmering for dinner tonight. Anyway, yesterday Vivian and I went to Johnson Farms to get mums for outside. I have never seen such big mum plants in my life.  They are in 2- 3 gallon containers and are easily 24" in diameter. The plants are not in bloom yet so you look through a book showing the plant colors, write down the row and name of the plant you choose and they go get them for you.  In the book, it will say if the plant is expected to bloom in last September, mid-October, late-October, etc. The rows just go on forever. This picture is the back of my vehicle which was completely full of plants with the back seats down. There was 3 for my niece, 3 for my brother and 3 for me. Can't wait until they bloom...

Updates

I was sooooo glad to get home yesterday after a long day of driving.  I drove 3 hours to Bentonville, AR and then spent a couple hours at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The Museum opened in 2011 and is really an amazing place.  It is out in the middle of nowhere with an outstanding collection of art by American artists of all mediums. There are many miles of trails surrounding the museum with art displayed - again in various mediums suitable for the outdoors. It is someplace I definitely want to go back to and spend a lot more time. 

This is part of the museum as seen from the dining room.  I wasn't prepared for it to be so modern in design and it seems a little strange to see the modern architecture set in the Ozark outdoors on a lake.

 

MORRIS UPDATE: I went by to see my little buddy this afternoon. I haven't seen him since last Thursday but did get an email update over the weekend from Dr. Cain who knew I was out of town. The consensus of Dr. Cain and the staff is that Morris is making progress and I agree.  Today when I walked in and he heard my voice he started meowing. He is moving his back legs just a little bit during his physical therapy and "tail-walking" him. He gets PT 3-4 times a day and hates it. Sometimes he pees on his own - not just dribble. Right now he is not getting any pain meds but is getting very heavy doses of steroids.  They were telling me today about a beagle who had the same behavior with his back legs as Morris does and the dog is walking again but it took him about 3 months to get his legs back. A big thing for me was today when I watched him pull his back legs up to his body and sat like a cat. It was slow movement but he did it.  He is still going everywhere in his wheelchair when he is home with them at night. The vet's wife, who also works there, found a video on the internet for a wheelchair made out of PVC pipe using a cloth sling that the whole body rests in. I think the vet is going to dry making one....  So...I have a little hope that I may get my buddy back someday.  Walking and bladder/bowel control are the must have criteria for him to come home and Dr. Cain agrees.

Little Rock Misc.....

I had forgotten how polite people are in the south.  I am amazed all over again with "Yes Ma'am" from teenagers.  People hold the door open for maturing people. Yesterday a young girl on the elevator wished me a "have a good afternoon" as she was getting off the elevator.  Refreshing!

I looked at the weather for this week in KC and was shocked to see that the temperature for Friday is 51 H & 42 low that night.  Time to get out sweaters or a least long sleeves out of the closet!  Can't wait for fall. I plant to go to the nursery this week and get mums for the patio and entry.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the hotel has been totally renovated since I was here last. I had breakfast in the café/dining room this morning (they call it a Bistro) and again they have something I have never seen before.  There are the usual tables and chairs but there are 4-5 of these little areas where there is a corner sofa with a table and your own little TV with control for watching TV while eating. There is also an electrical plug-in for laptop, phone, etc.  I liked it!

I saw this in the sports section of the paper this morning and thought it was rather interesting. With today being the opening day of the football season, everyone starts out with a clean slate.

 

I was excited to see that the current special exhibit at the Clinton Library is an exhibit by Chuhuly who is a world famous glass blower.  I have seen his work in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas and now Little Rock.  This is by far the best exhibit - mostly due to how it is displayed.  Above is his work in the fountain outside the library. I like them in the fountain much better than mixed in with cactus like they were in Phoenix Botanical Garden

When you walk in this room and see this it is just breathtaking!  Everything is set on black glass and the lighting is perfect.  I have seen some of these pieces in other places but never in one room together like this. It took his people 5 days to set up the exhibit.

There is another room on the 3rd floor that has individual pieces.  Again, displayed on high black glass tables with spotlights on them. It was really an outstanding exhibit!

This morning I went to the zoo while it was still overcast and relatively cool - well 73 degrees cool. I really can't believe that Larry and I never went there while we were here since I love going to zoos. I think we thought it would be too hot....  I'll get the many picture I took edited when I get home and add them to the blog in the next few days.

I was walking back to the hotel earlier in the evening after dinner and saw a cop stop two motorcycle riders. They had passed me and you could hear them coming from a block behind me since they were going really slow and reving their bikes every few feet.  There is a police station on the corner to the left of the above. The cop heard them coming, walked out into the street and stopped them when they got to him. There is not a lot of crime own here in the Market Street area and I think it is because of the police presence. The street is crawling with cops walking and riding bicycles on Friday and Saturday nights.  Tourism is important to the city and they are protecting the area that brings in money to the city.

I's heading home in the morning with a stop in Bentonville for to visit the Crystal Bridges museum before going on home later in the day. It is about a 3 1/2 hour drive each leg of the trip.

 

 

Research and Shopping

Research: Well I didn't find out where my Great Grandfather Jefferson Luther Arnold is buried!  He died in a Union regimental hospital in 1864 at Brownsville, AR of Small Pox. His military records just record his death but nothing about burial.  What I did find out today is that back then, when someone died of small pox, especially in the Civil War, the bodies were buried in a mass grave or cremated. All their clothes and bedding were burned. It was highly contagious so they couldn't take chance of it spreading. Of the 216 men in his regiment, 182 died of infectious disease - probably small pox. We will probably never know for sure what happened. So, moving on to his father and other members of his family including a son (brother to my grandfather). I did get a lot of information on land owned by my 2nd Great Grandfather in northern Arkansas during the 1800's. And then there is the recently discovered information that my Great Grandmother (Jefferson's wife) died in Missouri and family legend implied she died in Arkansas so I need to also do some search on her.....  The journey continues.....

Shopping: After finishing the research, I drove out to Larry's favorite Dillard's for a little shopping. I do love 65% off sales.....

The trip down here has been good for me.....  All the stuff with Morris has brought back so many hard memories of Larry getting sick, waiting on test results, and then the end. It seemed like I couldn't get my mind of remembering.  Down here, I am remembering the good times and good memories of places, etc. I needed the mind shift!

I got all the research done today which was much faster than I had planned on so will probably head home on Monday instead of Tuesday. Some of the leads I got today I can do the research on at the Midwest Genealogy Center at home.

Back in Little rock

     What a lot of memories there are in Little Rock for me and I'm basking in all of them.  Larry and I had such a great time here in the summer of 2011! The drive took 7 hours which included 2 pit stops and a stop for lunch.  I kept remembering Larry's awe of all the trees when in northern Arkansas you can look in any direction, as far as you can see and all you see is trees.  He just couldn't get over that.   
     The freeway got a little boring at times but my playlist on my phone kept me company. I listened to satellite radio for awhile and then went to my phone music.  I usually use cruise control when driving on he freeway since I do tend to speed.  However, I hadn't set cruise control after a stop, was singing along with Willie Nelson and looked down to see that I was over 80 but below 100.  Fortunately I immediately slowed down just before I came around a long curve in view of a Highway Patrol car with a radar gun. Close call...... Reminded me of the time back in the late 1980's when I was driving between Eugene, OR and San Francisco.  I was coming down out of the mountains in northern Calif in a small sports car with the top off and listening to the Beach Boys blaring.  I passed a Highway Patrol Car!!!!!   I immediately pulled over and waited for him.. He gave me the ticket I deserved for driving 85 in a 70 mph zone and suggested I drive the spread limit until after I got to a certain town about 50 miles down the road.
     I love listening to my favorite KC radio station on my cell phone via Bluetooth in the car!  I'm so addicted to talk radio...
     I'm staying at a Marriott Courtyard in Little Rock which is right downtown. When we were staying here, I would walk down to it on Sunday mornings and have their buffet breakfast while Larry stayed in the condo, read the paper and drank coffee. However, since then they have totally remodeled the hotel. Most of it I like but I HATE, HATE, HATE the sofa in the room.

This may be the latest in style but the most uncomfortable thing I have ever set on.  For one thing, it is like setting on a round bed.  Even with pillows piled behind me, my feet still won't touch the floor. You can't  really see the curve in this picture but take my word for it. The good thing is that instead of an ice machine on each floor, they have a small freezer with little bags of ice that fit in the ice buckets.  Never, in all my years of travel and the hundreds of motel/hotels I have stayed in have I ever seen ice like that.  I love it!
   Tomorrow I am going to the Farmer's Market first thing just to walk through it since it is such an awesome place, have a croissant at the bakery (they are huge and melt in your mouth)  and then head over to the Arkansas Historical Museum for research on my paternal great-grandfather and his family. Hopefully I will have a successful day of research!

Morris update:   I saw him yesterday and he was about the same.  They added another med to see if it would work. I took over his car crate, bed, litter box with 1 1/2" cut down sides, etc so he will have some familiar things.  Also took a baby gate I had so they can put it up between his room and the lobby.  He can see what is going on in the lobby but not go out there.  He does have the run of the area behind the office gate before you go out to the big room where the dogs are. He seemed quite content!  The vet thinks that within a month he will either get better or go the other way. We'll see what happens since it is out of our hands.......

Morris update

What an emotional week this has been for me and parts of it were not so good for my little buddy either.

At right is his face on Tuesday morning - no spark in his eyes and totally lethargic with none of his personality.  The vet and I were thinking it was time since he seemed to have given up the battle that Morris had been fighting so vigorously.  The vet wanted to wait 24 hours and in the meantime put a pain patch on, change his environment, etc and then we met again yesterday afternoon.  I asked my niece to go with me since I fully expected that we would put him down and I needed some support.  So with a pocket full of tissues we headed off to the vets.

What a surprise when we got there yesterday. He was alert, meowing and wanting his ears scratched.  You can see the difference in these 2 pictures. The vet and the whole staff couldn't wait to tell us about the change in Morris. He got the pain patch put on Tuesday morning and it kicked in late afternoon. During the day on Tuesday he was moved to an exam room where a bed was made for him with food, water, etc. The vet said a lot of animals get depressed when kept in the cages and just give up - like people.  Tuesday night he was outside his cage at the vets house and interacting with their 3 & 7 year old boys. The vet took him outside in the grass to express his bladder and Morris stalked and found a cricket for dinner while they were outside. He was in "his room" yesterday at the clinic. The vet checked his back and back legs for sensation and he reacted quickly so he does have good feeling in them but the message to move the legs isn't getting to the muscles. He is eating everything in sight, drinking some water but still doesn't have any use of the back legs nor is the bladder working.  They "express the bladder" 2-3 times a day which is squeeze it forcing urination. The room he is in at the clinic is still used as an exam room but Morris just ignores what goes on and stays in his cave which is underneath the island used as the exam table. If the room isn't in use, they leave the doors open and Morris can come out if he wants to.

Since Morris was so much better yesterday they decided to try him in a wheel chair which is shown above and he went all over the place in it. He looks funny with so many shaved places on him.  The one on his head was for the spinal tap. So....Morris is now the official Clinic Cat or as Vivian says, he is in "assisted living". The vet said he needs more care than I can provide, they love him and want to keep him as long as Morris is Morris with visiting privileges for me and I pay for meds, etc.  When he isn't Morris any more then the vet has my permission to do what needs to be done. The meds may kick in or he might stay the way he is but as long as Morris is trying then he gets the chance.  He will like all the attention and activity going on. As for me, I slept better last night and I don't have the know in my stomach today.

Primary Care Vet for Morris who is an amazing person.

Monday Misc for Sept 1st

I just cannot believe that it is September already - the months here have really flown by.  I can't wait for fall - a real fall - not the desert fall.  Let's face it....palm trees don't change color...  I know it is early but I did put some of my fall items out in the house today but won't do the outside stuff for a few more weeks. I have been through a little bit of Winter, full Spring and Summer so now comes Fall to get my 4 seasons in that I missed so much being in the desert.

An interesting dilemma: I had made plane reservations to come back here in early January before I had originally planned to move in March. I cancelled the plans when I put the house on the market early and it sold.  I wasn't worried about cancelling the reservation since I knew I would be going back to Tucson in January 2015 and planned to use it then.  I made my reservation for Tucson last week and got a surprise!  The cancelled fare must be used before Nov 12th which is when the original reservation was made. My dilemma is to go someplace before then or loose the fare which I don't want to do but not sure what to use it on.  I'm going to look at everywhere Southwest flies to and pick a short trip. Since I'm in the Midwest, there are more options that won't take so long to get to as flying from the west does. From Tucson, it takes a full day to get to the east coast. Interesting dilemma.... Any suggestions?

Morris: Nothing new as I haven't seen him since Saturday. I'll go by in the morning for a visit.  I'm hoping for a miracle but not expecting it. I fully understand that him being sick is all wrapped up with Larry and it is all very emotional.  Just because I understand it doesn't make it any easier....

Little Rock: Plans are made to go down on Friday and back on Tuesday. That will give me 2 days for research plus a day to play tourist. I can stay another day if I decide to.  I checked the Clinton Library to see what temporary exhibits they have since they usually have some really good temporary exhibits.  I've seen their fixed exhibits a couple of time so that doesn't interest me. Imagine my surprise to see that there is currently an exhibit of glass art by Chihuly!  I have seen his work twice in Phoenix in the Botanical Garden and once in Oklahoma City at their Art Museum. It will be interesting to see what is on display at the Clinton Library. Hope the Irish Pub is still there and still serving the big baskets of home-made French Fries....

Another medical day....

Morris: All the tests are back and there is nothing that says it is lymphoma in the spine or inflammation of the spine. IF it is lymphoma, it has not spread and only 15% have it just in the spine without it showing up somewhere else. So he gets high doses of steroids which would be used to treat either one. They are also giving him antibiotics for good measure. We all agree we will give the meds 2 weeks to see if they make a difference and then will look at options which I don't like thinking about.  I visited him this morning for awhile and sat in the lobby with him on my lap so he could see outside and watch what was going on. A woman brought another cat in and her cat and Morris kept talking to each other which was kind of funny. He sees a lot more dogs than he does cats....  He seems a little weak which is totally understandable after all the tests he has been through. His PCV (primary car vet) takes him home with him at night where his 3 boys have fallen in love with Morris. Poor Morris keeps getting places shaved on his body for tests, etc and the latest one is on the back of his head (below) for the spinal tap. He has this spot, a big one on one side where the pain patch was and a shaved circle on each front leg where he has had IV's - looks funny....

My back: My Pain Management doctor called this morning with the results of the latest x-rays. I do have arthritis in both knees which is no surprise but it isn't severe yet.  The back x-ray shows some movement in the spine but since I'm not having any pain from it we are not going to do anything about it yet. She said it may or may not get worse.  I think I will do the nerve block for the back pain I have but not until everything is settled with Morris. The nerve block is done to specific nerves outside the spine leading to a specific area and is NOT the same as an epidural.

Getting away:  Unless something comes up, I think I will take off next Friday and do a genealogy research trip to Little Rock and Arkansas for a few days.  This has been a tough medically stressed summer and I need a break.  The vet say "Go while we are taking care of Morris." It will be good to get away!

All things medical

For Me: Last Thursday I went to my new kidney doctor and got set up with her for care. I swear she looks like she belongs in high school - not a board certified nephrologist!  I can't say I have her blessing to take ibuprophen but she knows I do, have taken it over the years with no negative effect on my kidney function so if I need to do it moderately for back pain then go ahead.  Tylenol doesn't work and a prescription for a pain pill just put me to sleep. She is recommending that I have a ultrasound in an effort to determine what the suspicious area in the area of the missing kidney is that showed up on the back MRI. The radiologist suggested that it could be scare tissue which would make sense since I had a lot of scar tissue already in the area when they took the kidney out and that just created more. The other test would be a CT scan with contrast and if I do that, then a lot of pre and post IV's are needed to flush the contrast out of my kidney. Otherwise, get my labs done very 6 months and come back in a year.
Yesterday I saw the Pain Management doctor for my back to get the MRI results and a plan of treatment. I found out that I have moderate-severe arthritis in the L4-S1 part of the back and that is what has probably caused the disk damage. There doesn't appear to be any constriction on the spinal cord. She had some more X-Rays done yesterday to check for movement and don't know the results on that yet.  She also did X-Rays on the knees to check for arthritis as the cause of the pain and stiffness in the knees. The back pain is the big thing.  Sometimes it is quite severe and other times it is very mild - depends on what I have been doing such as lifting, twisting, etc. However, the good news is that she can go in and cauterize the nerve that goes to the area and zap - no more pain.  The nerve can eventually grow back but it usually takes a few years to happen. Ill deal with that after the issue with Morris is resolved. After 2+ years, what is a few more weeks....

For Morris:  The tests today were inconclusive as to whether it is inflammation in the spine or lymphoma. There are no spots anywhere else in the body based on x-rays and ultrasound so that makes it more likely to be the inflammation. A spot on the spleen was a little off so they did a biopsy just in case.  However, when they did the spinal tap there was not the huge amount of inflammation cells to conclusively say that it is inflammation. No one know for sure what it is......  They are going to treat with steroids and see what happens which would be the treatment for either one. I picked him up at ICU a little while ago and took him to the regular vet who will keep him since he requires too much care for me to take care of him even if I could. He still has the catheter in, must be given meds and monitored. He was going home with the vet tonight and may do that for the next few days. Waiting....

MRI Results for Morris

Vivian and I went over to visit Morris after my back doctors appointment this afternoon. His neurologist called me and said he had some results from the MRI but I wanted to talk to him about it instead of just getting it over the phone plus I wanted to spend a little time with Morris. The doctor was still in surgery when we got there so we hung out with His Majesty until the surgery was  was done.

The vet tech put us in a visitor's room and brought Morris to us complete with his catheter. I was to let them know when we were done and they would take him back to his "room". The surgeon came in about the time Morris started getting restless so Morris went back and the doctor spent about a half our with us in which we talked about the results, he showed us the MRI and we talked about future plans. So........ there is no ruptured disk or breaks in the back which would have been easy to fix with surgery. Instead it shows that he probably either has massive inflammation in the spinal cord or lymphoma in the spinal cord. He is sending the MRI films to a radiologist for his opinion and they are doing x-rays and ultrasound of his whole body to see if any cancer shows up.  If nothing shows up then they will do a spinal tap tomorrow to check the level of inflammation. Treatment for both options will be the same - massive doses of steroids.  If it is the inflammation then it's 50/50  he will respond.  If cancer, then the steroids may buy some time. Unless the treatment is successful I will have to make a decision on what is an acceptable quality of life for Morris but I'm not going there yet.  Both vets say they will help me make that decision. Since he won't need to stay in ICU, I will move him to his regular vet either tomorrow or Thursday and he will be there for awhile until the catheter comes out and he shows some improvement. The fall did not cause any of this.  The opinion is that it was already there in the spine and he was weakened which is why he didn't clear the desk on his jump like he has done for years. The people at the hospital have fallen in love with him as have the other vets and are giving him special treatment, etc. I went to the regular vet's office from the hospital to fill them in and talk about boarding him which they are more than willing to do.  While there, I found out that Dr. Cain (regular vet) and Dr. Weinstein (neurologist) went to vet school together and know each other very well. We will see what tomorrow brings after the tests.

I'll write about my back tomorrow....one back at a time... 8-)

Odds n Ends

High temperature: Yes, 94 is hot with a heat index of 98 with a 43% humidity.  But I was just out in it going to the store and to me is a lot better than same temps in Arizona.  Why? There is a 12 mph breeze blowing and that to me, makes all the difference in the world! 

Morris update: Not much new.... Most of the time he is in his little area and thank goodness he doesn't protest too much. This picture was Thursday evening when I put him in his car carrier for awhile so he could check out the neighborhood.  He was definitely being overmedicated so on Friday we stopped the oral med and he just has the pain patch. Now he is more alert, wanting his ears scratched, etc. His acupunture vet is going to have a fit when I tell her that Morris "went over the wall and escaped" Wednesday night. I heard a noise in the night but it didn't fully wake me up at the time but when I did wake up a little while later for my usual nightly trip to the bathroom, I checked on Morris and he was not in his area.  I had forgotten to put the 2nd gate up (each one is 2' high) when I went to bed the night before - bad nurse! I went looking for him and see a tail sticking out from under the bed.  The next night I hear him rattling the gates after I go to bed so I get up and tape a big piece of cardboard to the gates on his side so he can't climb out. The gates have diamonds in them that are big enough for him to get his paws in so I could just see him climbing up and out again. Today I got some screen wire and stapled it to his side of the gates so he can't climb out.  It just never ends......  Tomorrow we go back to get the pain patch changed and another test of the reflex in his back legs. Both vets gave me their cell phone numbers in case I needed them this weekend which I really appreciated. I don't know how long they will wait before recommending the surgery that we are hoping to avoid. He really has been such a trooper through all of this and the vets just love him. I met a lady at the Genealogy board meeting the other night who has a cocker spaniel that has a completely torn ACL and is having surgery on it this week.....

A night out: Several weeks ago I got tickets to one of the local dinner theaters in town to see Smokey Joe's Café. I took my niece, her husband and her step-daughter along.  It was really good to get out and do something fun for a change after spending so many hours taking care of Morris.  At least with his litter box, I can leave him for awhile at a time. The show was a musical and very good.  Dinner was good and overall it was a very good evening. I needed it!

Bed rest for Morris

I sooooooo want him healed and back to his onry self!!!!!!! It was 4 weeks ago this week that he fell and hurt his back.  To me, he isn't any better.  To his team of doctors (regular vet and acupuncture vet) he is making progress with more feeling in his back feet when they test it and less swelling in the area of some vertebra - T 12 and T 13 to be exact.  They agreed that he needs to be confined and prefer him to not be walking to let the bruise/injury heal.  I want to see him moving but I have to trust them. So......instead of the 3x3 ft area they preferred, we compromised and I made him an apartment in the 3x6' hallway where his litter box already is. Maybe I should put a picture of a lizard on the wall..... He is not thrilled but he is such a good patient. I think having to do this to him is harder on me than it is on him. I can take him out to sit on my lap but he cannot be allowed to jump down or I can carry him and put him in his car carrier (below) where he can see outside. He can't be on a slick floor hence the carpet in his apartment. He still has the pain patch which get's changed every 3 days $$$, I give him a dose of oral pain medicine and predisone daily and he gets weekly acupuncture $$$. He hates the oral meds and I am not nearly as good at giving them to him as the vets are - they make it look so easy. We go to every other day for the predisone on Sunday so some days I will only have to go through it once a day. They both say that injuries like this can take months to heal which is not what I wanted to hear. I want it fixed now and I'm sure Morris agrees with me! The acupunture vet made me promise that I wouldn't make myself a bed in his space like some of her patients have done and sleep in there with him.......

Sunday Stroll

Needing some fresh air and exercise, I went down to the Plaza early this morning to the Kauffman Gardens and Brush Creek. Great way to get some exercise.

 I never get tired of looking at the flowers that are in the gardens.

 

I took 11 pictures of this silly bird to get a good one....

The top picture is a bronze statue of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill titled "Married Love". The larger than life statue was done in 1984 by Artist Oscar Nemon.

The tee-pees on the grounds of the art museum are due to an exhibit they currently have on Native Americans.

 

"Come on knees, we either gotta go up these stairs or swim across Brush Creek and we can't swim....."

Saturday Stuff

Morris Update: He is about the same after this 3rd acupuncture treatment.  We went back to his regular vet yesterday to get the pain patch replaced and more meds. The vet compounded the steroid with some chicken flavor to hopefully make it a little more palatable but not sure it worked.  I got some freeze dried shrimp that he only gets after his medicine. When he sees me coming, he makes a dash under the bed.  I get down to the side closest to him and then he moves over to the other side.  This morning we played that game several times before I could reach a paw to drag him out. I'm going to put some low boxes under the bed to reduce the amount of space he has because he definitely knows how long my arms are. It really makes me feel BAD when he runs from me!

FOOD: I have had several people ask me what I eat since I have been loosing weight. I do eat a lot

less but the biggest difference is in what I eat. This is a typical dinner for me - lots of fruit (or veggies) and a sandwich.  In this case it is a toasted English muffin with Canadian bacon and cheese on it. Or it could be smoked turkey on multi-grain break. I also had a 1" slice of lemon cake (no frosting) from one of the miniature loafs they make. Now for lunch yesterday....I stopped at Longhorn Steakhouse and had their lunch of  Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders with a baked sweet potatoe and bread. Breakfast was toast and an orange. So...I'm eating regular food. I still have cheeseburgers and fries but it is usually once a week instead of several times a week like it was 30 lbs ago.

I went to the farmer's market this morning and am going to start taking 2 bags since the 1 bag was totally full today. The peaches, tomatoes and apples were picked yesterday. The apples are called "Blondies" - similar to Yellow Delicious but a firmer texture.  The peaches are free stone and soooooo good. I also got a couple of ears of white corn.  I have not eaten so much fruit and veggies since Larry and I were in Little Rock and went to their Farmer's Market every week - sometimes twice a week. Maybe it is the soil difference but the stuff from the farmer's market in Tucson is not nearly as flavorful as it is here. I am thoroughly enjoying going to the farmer's market on Saturdays, loading up and enjoying it all week. It has been interesting to see the progression of fruit and veggies over the weeks. Today I saw the first watermelon of the year at the market so more will be there soon.

I'm now a volunteer

Last week I agreed to take the volunteer position of Editor for the quarterly that is published each quarter by the Johnson County Genealogical Society titled "Genealogist". The position has been open all year and I kept thinking about it since I joined and started going to their meeting in March.  Last week I met with the President and liked what I heard. Then on Saturday I met with the 1st VP who has been doing the Quarterly this year after the editor left in January and agreed to take it on. I did newsletters years ago for the company I worked for and have always enjoyed writing. There are several members who write articles for the quarterly so I don't have to do it all myself.  My main job will be to come up with story ideas, either do them myself or pass them off and then put the quarterly together using Microsoft Publisher software.  I was thinking about getting involved here with something to do with genealogy but this particular position was not on my radar - mainly because I didn't know such a job existed with them. I warned both people I met with that I do not want this to become a full time job but that will be up to me to control. The Society here is very active and have a lot of volunteers doing different things in the community to assist people in discovering their roots. They also do a one-day conference each year where they bring in an outside speaker, do different workshops, etc. all genealogy related. I have learned a lot in the 5 months that I have been attending their monthly meetings. The temporary editor is doing the September edition and then I pick it up for December.  That gives me time to reacquaint myself with the software, learn how they do things, etc. I think I will enjoy it.

Woman vs Cat

Now you would think that a grown woman would be able to hold down a 11 lb cat and give it liquid in a syringe. Right?  Wrong!  (1) He hates anything going in his mouth that he didn't put there and (2) when he clamps those little jaws tight you can't pry them open by yourself while trying to hold him while he is squirming around. Yesterday the vet showed me how to put a finger on each side of his jaw in a certain place, pull his head way back and then the lower jaw will automatically open.  Well to start with, the vet's hand is much bigger than mine and Morris has a very big head so we got a problem right off. You would have laughed your head off last night watching me down on the floor trying to get the syringe in his mouth!  Then as an insult to me, I didn't get it far enough back in his mouth and he promptly spit the prednisone out. So we go for round 2 and I succeeded in getting it far enough back in his mouth that he swallowed it. It is easier with the pain med since I only have to get that on him gums and it can be absorbed but he has to swallow the prednisone. He didn't fight quite as much this morning but giving it to him was still a challenge. This morning he is much better than yesterday and is all over the house chattering away. Hopefully we are on the right track this time!

 Yesterday at the vet's office after getting his "cumberbund" put on to hold the pain patch against his skin. It is just a wide cloth tape wrapped around him several times - like an ace bandage.

This morning while out getting some grass for breakfast. I'm hoping the prednisone is starting to kick in since he is all over the house this morning. He is also being his demanding self today.  His back legs still go out but not as often and when they do, he just stops a minute and then takes off again.

TGIF

When you are retired, it doesn't make much difference if it is Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  However, I am always glad to see Friday and don't ask me why - guess it is just the 47 years when I was working and you always looked forward to Fridays......

Brother's Surgery:  My brother had surgery on Tuesday for his back.  They did a Lumbar Laminectomy due to stenosis of the spine. The surgeon had him out of bed walking within 1 hour of getting into his room from recovery and we were just in awe when we watched him walk - it was so much better than before surgery. He went home the next day but it was 2 very long days....

Morris Update: I didn't spend much time at home on Tuesday and Wednesday due to Bill's surgery. I was shocked yesterday to see how poorly Morris was walking and by the time we went to bed last night he was almost dragging his hind legs as he tried to walk.  I had to get him positioned on bed in his usual position because he couldn't get his legs moved around.  About an hour later I remembered that I had one more dose of pain med left and gave it to him even though he protested. I felt him get off the bed a couple of hours later and then in the litter box so I got up to see how he was walking.  Much to my surprise he was walking better than he had in a few days. This morning he was still moving around pretty good but once in a while one of the back legs just goes out on him.  I called his regular vet this morning, took him in and Morris got another pain patch put on. We'll see how it goes. He doesn't make sounds like he is in pain but his actions say he is.  He has another acupunture treatment on Thurs. Both vets think he just has a lot of swelling in the spinal cord from his fall since both legs are affected and no breaks or disk problems show up on the x-rays.  Hopefully the swelling will go down and life gets back to normal with him.  8-)

Lunch: Today I went to Firebird's for lunch, had a great salad, good bread and a glass of wine - I deserved it!!!!!!!

Football: It was fun to watch the KC Chiefs play last night and be in a town where there is a pro team. I was an avid Chief's fan when I lived here in the late 60's and early 70's. Pro football just isn't the same when you live in a town that doesn't have it's own pro team. I somewhat followed the University of Oregon football while living in Tucson so I'm interested to see how the Chief's draft pick from U of O does. He certainly got off to a great start last night!

Monday Misc for Aug 4th

6 Months Later:  Six months ago today Morris and I got into the packed car and headed east. It was the culmination of plans that Larry and I had started making 4 years earlier when we agreed that it was time to leave the desert.  The problem was that we didn’t know where we wanted to move to. We looked at maps and he looked on the internet for possible locations. Then those plans got put on hold when he got sick, died and I tried to rebuild my life. Finally the time was right and I felt it was time to pick up the plans that Larry and I had started together. As I look back, there are some things that I was really smart about: (1) Coming back here during the summer and spending a couple of months before I made the move. (2) Selling the house furnished although that was not my original plan. (3) Settling in Overland Park which is busy, convenient and yet close enough to family and (4) Renting an apartment instead of buying another house. Once I made the decision then everything just fell into place convincing me that I was making the right decisions. So…..6 months later, I love it here and there is not a bit of doubt about the decision to move here.  I don’t know that I will live here forever but for now, it is absolutely the right place to be.

Morris Update:  He continues to slowly improve.  Sometimes he walks almost normally but with a slight limp and then the back legs go out so he just sits down for awhile. He is eating pretty good and drinking an acceptable amount of water. The change over to canned food is not going well so I have about given up on that mission - can't believe he prefers dry food.   He is back to eating his cheese and smoked turkey. 8-) This morning he managed to get up on the toilet for a drink but couldn't get his back legs into position so got down and suffered through having to drink out of a cup. He gets another acupuncture treatment this afternoon.

Rain: Yesterday our 20% chance of rain turned into 100%... It woke me up early in the morning when the wind was blowing it against the bedroom window and then it rained for about 6 hours - sometimes light and sometimes pretty heavy.  Loved it! I can't wait for fall....

Birthday Dinner: Fifteen of us went to Olive Garden on Saturday to celebrate my sister-in-law's 81st birthday which was on Sunday and it was fun to see everyone. The round thing in front in the picture is a bundt cake that is decorated with a "paper flower" on top and some other things for a birthday. There is a store here in town that only makes bundt cakes, all sizes and all flavors. They are sooooooo good! 

 

Tidbits for Today - Aug 1, 2014

Morris Update: I think he has improved some - mainly his personality is returning to more normal for him. Last evening he came into the kitchen when I started getting dinner which he had done forever until a week ago. He purred, at least his version of purring, while we were watching TV last night. He was alert when sitting in the window and watching the dogs being walked by on the sidewalk. Just things like that....  He can walk a few feet normally and then his leg will give out. He is eating some better and last right he made history of his dish of black walnut ice cream which he had refused the last few days.  I took him to the vet today to get the pain patch removed so he doesn't have any more doctor's appointments until Monday.  When we got home I told Morris he has the weekend off but not sure it translated correctly into cat speak....

Weather:  I know this isn't a typical Midwest summer but I sure am enjoying it in case it is a few years before I see temperatures like this again....  So far there have only been 7 days where the temperature was over 90 degrees this year.

Birthday invitation:  Today I received an invitation from the local Vera Bradley store to come over next week for the celebration for her birthday which is on Aug 6th.... 8-)  Besides 25% off all full price items, they will also be introducing new styles. Guess I better get my RSVP call made...  Wouldn't want to miss that!

What a good patient!

I got a call from the vet who does acupuncture yesterday with an opening in the afternoon so changed plans and took him. Vivian was here and we had planned on going to the Arboretum but instead had an interesting afternoon learning about pet acupuncture, chiropractic and Chinese Herbal teas as they all relate to treating pets. I was a little leery when the primary vet for Morris suggested this method of treatment instead before rushing into surgery.  I looked the new vet up on line to verify that she was indeed a "real vet" which she is plus has several degrees from Vet Schools that also teach pet acupunture, etc.

I just could not believe how Morris just laid there and let her put the needles in and do the treatment. She had quit doing cats because they are so hard to treat but said if they were all like Morris she would go back to treating cats. Instead of "twirling the needles", she hooked probes to them so there was some electrical current and he didn't care. When she was done with the acupuncture, she did a chiropractic treatment on his back - not the snapping but just a massage in specific places and stretching. Again, he didn't care what she was doing. She thinks that his problem is in the L12 which seems to be offset from the other verterbrae thus pressing on nerves.  It probably happened when he hit the desk while trying to jump up on it.  He still isn't drinking or eating properly plus has some intestinal issues because he isn't getting enough fluids.  She says that it may take a few treatments before those things improve. He has never been good at drinking water out of a dish and getting up on the toilet for a drink is impossible right now. I put a little footstool in front of the window and now he gets up on the footstool and then on up to the window sill where he lays since he can't jump up on the window sill.  In the meantime, the price per pound for Morris keeps going up....... In the below picture, you can really see his morphine patch.  I take him in tomorrow to get that removed. The pain medication doesn't seem to make any difference which makes them think it is all a nerve issue.  He doesn't seem to be in any pain when walking, he just is really weak in his back legs and sometimes one of them will collapse on him. Poor guy!  It was really good to have Vivian along yesterday during the drive over to the vet which is about 30 minutes from home. She held his carrier on her lap, opened the top a bit so he could stick his head out and see what was going on while she petted him.  Never once did he go into full screaming mode which was a relief. Needless to say he does not trust me when he sees me walking toward him since he thinks it is time for another trip to a vet....  We have 3 more appointments scheduled and should know by then if the treatments are going to work or not. In the meantime, I am trying to find things he will drink and switch him from all dry food to mostly canned cat food which has more liquid in it.  So far I haven't found one he really likes but will get a few more different brands to day to try him on. Milk seems to be his preferred liquid with the toilet bowl of water not available. What an experience!

All Things Medical.....

Morris: I pick him up at the hospital around 5 today. The vet called me a little while ago to give me an update and his recommendations. He decided it was probably neurological so carefully went back over his x-rays and didn't see anything. Then he went down his back with his fingers feeling every bone.  When he would get to one place, more than once, Morris would cry out but yet nothing shows up on the x-rays. Morris did one of his running jumps up on my desk last Tuesday, a paper slid and he fell back on the floor making lots of noise so I knew he hurt.  Then the next day, he was limping really badly and this all started. He said he sees this a lot in dog, especially small ones, and they have the same symptoms as Morris does. Cats are more agile so he doesn't see it as much. The vet is going to put a strong pain patch on Morris and see what happens. He says that he is having 100% success with the 18 dogs he has sent to a woman who does animal acupuncture and avoided surgery for the same type of injuries.  However, they have never tried it on a cat but he was going to call the acupuncturist and talk to her about Morris. O.K. you can quit laughing now...... 8-) Sure was lonesome last night without him around.

My Back: The doctor's nurse called me yesterday on my MRI results. I printed the report out and am totally clueless as to what all the problem is.  Basically the L4 is not sitting properly on the L5 causing a bulging disk and narrowing thus irritating the nerves in the spine. I tried to look up some of the terms they used and don't get much information so will wait until I see the doctor and get simple English explanations.  My PCP doctor is referring me to a Pain Management Doctor at the Spine Clinic that he goes to for his neck. They called today and I have an appointment with the pain doc on August 16th to find out options, etc.
I am just amazed that these KU Med doctors who read X-Rays, CT Scans and MRI look for more than just the specific issue the test was done for. The one was to look at the heart and also scanned the lung because it was on the picture thus finding the tumor in the lung. This time, he was to look at the spine.  However, he also looked at everything and found a lesion on the left nephrectomy bed which is the area where the missing kidney would be.  It could be a blood clot, "fat infiltrated scaring" (whatever that is) or just bad scaring, etc and he recommends a CT Scan with contrast dye to check it out. The surgeon who took my kidney out told me later that I did have a lot of scaring around the kidney area from the hysterectomy I had in 2001. He said "we had to chisel the kidney out of the scar tissue" plus more would have formed after they took the kidney out.  So, I'm hoping that is all it is.  The problem is that I can't do contrast dye without kidney doctors being involved because it is hard on kidneys and I only have 1 to get the dye out of the system. I have an appointment on Aug 21st to get set up with a local kidney doctor so will discuss it with her.  It just doesn't stop......

Monday Misc for July 28th

Morris Update: After a weekend of watching his behavior, I called the vet this morning and took him back in. He drinks very little, doesn't eat much, won't even eat tuna and his favorite ice cream so I KNOW he is really not feeling good. He is also constipated, still limping, can't jump and at times is in obvious pain. So.....he is staying in the hospital, probably overnight, where he is getting flooded with fluids via IV and getting a neurological checkup. He did another set of x-rays and there is stuff in the intestines/colon that hasn't moved much since Friday. We don't know if there is a stomach problem that makes it painful to move or if there is a nerve problem that is affecting the whole back part of his body - legs, hips, intestines included. So for the first time in 7 years, I am in the house without him and won't have him sleeping on my legs at night...... I feel like the biggest responsibility Larry left me with was his cat.... 8-)
Postponed Trip:  I had planned to drive east to Boonville, MO this morning, stay overnight and come back tomorrow.  This afternoon was going to be spent being a tourist at some of the old, little towns along the Missouri River that Lewis & Clark spent time at.  In the morning I was going to take a tour of Warm Springs Ranch which is where the Budweiser Clydesdales are bred, raised and trained. You have to make reservations for the ranch and it took me 5 weeks to get a ticket for a morning tour.... Another time..... 
Hot Water Heater: Friday morning the water in the shower wasn't as hot as usual but I was in a hurry and didn't think much about it. So...Saturday morning I go to take a shower and there was nothing but COLD water....  I called the office after they opened and they deemed it "an emergency" thus dispatching a maintenance person on the weekend. He came out later in the day and it was just a tripped switch on the heater which is electric. There are two of them and one of them had tripped. I had already checked the fuse box and knew it wasn't that when I called them.   I was reminded again how wonderful it is to not be a homeowner!

Voices from 2010

Back in Sept 2010, Larry and I did our first major road trip in which we visited New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and then home. Most of the time we were just being tourist but visited my family in Missouri and some distant relatives of Larry's in Kingman, Kansas that I found on the internet. I spent several hours one afternoon interviewing my brother on audio tape getting some history on my family and his own history - childhood, where he was when, etc. I finally got around to transcribing the tape this week - 4 years after it was made. There were 3 channels on my little audio recorder and his was on channel 2.  However, before I discovered that Bill was on channel 2, I started to play it back and the recorder was on channel 3, last one used,  which was an interview I did with a relative of Larry's. Imagine my shock when I heard Larry's voice on the recorder chatting with Wilma Hovan, whose mother was Larry's grandmother's sister.

Needless to say, I was stunned! It is one thing to see pictures of a loved one who has died but it is quite another to hear their voice 4 years later. I didn't listen to it but quickly turned it off and found the channel where the interview with Bill was. About 1 hour into the interview, I hear Larry asking Bill a question and that happened several times during the interview. I got through the transcription of Bill's interview but have not tackled the one with Larry's relative when he talked a lot and asked her questions and she wanted to know about him. I would like to get it transcribed so I can add the info to his Family History book but I think it is going to have to wait a few months until I am ready to deal with the voice. Emotional. Sad. But yet it also brings back good memories of the wonderful trip we had that summer which was the first time Larry had ever been to the Midwest and then couldn't wait to get back to Arkansas.