She is all clear of any problem that they can think of or run a test for, but still doesn’t feel good.  She has occasional times of feeling a little better and she almost over does herself in those moments because it’s so exciting to feel good for a minute UNDERSTANDABLY.

Just wanted to send a quick note.

All siblings (this is Daina this time) are in there respective cities and Dad is in charge again.

They are treating her nausea with meds…

Praying  for her spirit to be lifted and body to be whole…

hugz from Dallas…

daina

St. E. in Beaumont for now.  She has been having tummy troubles and very nauseated for a while since the surgery as you know if you have read this blog.  She has lost over 40 lbs now since the end of August.

They have run a couple of test here so far but they are the same test they ran in Maryland.  Her regular doctor doesn’t do hospital visits and the on call doctor and Dad are not likely to ever be friends and neither take 2 seconds to hear the other one out, so they are treating mom like a lab rat in the process instead of a person that doesn’t feel good in a hospital room.  But that is a story for a letter in the mail to the administration desk somewhere…not here.

Anyway, they do want to rule out some serious stuff before they peg her with the psycosomatic title that actually could me happening.  She has some very real trauma from being in ICU all those days in the beginning.  If you go back to the beginning of this blog and read thru those days on our end, they were harsh, but when you hear her side of it, it is disturbing to say the least.  The nurses in ICU assured us that she would not remember.  She remembers so much and more that she dreamed.

So here we are …just wanted to update you.

Daina…

This is Daina.  My kids and I drove down to Bmt. Sunday last week to spend the night at Nana and Poppas and we were supposed to go to the airport on Monday to hit Maryland to ROCK Thanksgiving with the siblings and cousins and grandkids!

Monday morning 15 mins after we should have been leaving for Hobby, we finally got Mom , Nana, Martha…to admit that she really didn’t want to be brave and didn’t feel well at all.  We had stuggled with the decision for a while and she was just having a really bad day Sunday and even that morning.

So with great torn emotion, my dad, Willy, Poppa, Mr. Ladd, brought my kids and me to the airport and went back home to work on mixing up medications and call the doctor.

She has gained 6 lbs in just a couple of days, so Kathy and I are sure she has some pulmanary hypertention or heart failure, but we/dad are just shoving in the laxex/lasix and mkaing her pee.  She is still sick at her tummy and feeling so crappy she just crys.  It is killer.

So not at Grandmas…for thanksgiving, but thinking of her often and praying for her even more.

We love our Nana and Poppa and the Ladd Hill Gall THanksgiving will never be the same without them.  We are having a blast, but always looking around for Nana’s lovin’ and Poppas hugs and grins.

Happy THanksgiving EveryBODY…

We are Thankful to have come as far as we have…just really would feel relieved if Nana/Momma could have some good days.

HUGZ from Merryland.

Daina, Kathy, and Chris (actually all together right now…only once a year, usually, not counting surgeries)

Not the basement, Not Kathy’s house, Not Maryland, actually at home in Bevil Oaks…Beaumont, TX.

Kathy and Mom flew in Friday evening from Maryland and did well on the flight.  Mom is adjusting to feeling “different” being at home, but she is doing great. 

Kathy and I (Daina) went to church with Dad this morning and we have relayed tons of messages and hugs to her today. 

Email Kathy if you need any info about visiting or  bringing treats to the house…other wise, check the blog, but we hope to have FAR less news on here by  the grace of God that has carried us this far.

rynhill@gmail.com

hugs from BEVIL OAKS

DAINA and KATHY

Anyways, I have opened up a calendar at carecalendar.org, a website that lets me list our needs and lets you log on and sign up if you want to fill them.  Simply put, I have put up openings for ladies to visit Mom on weekdays, and meals 3 times a week.  Because her information is listed on the pages, though, I really don’t feel comfortable giving the username and password to the page on this very public blog.

So, if you would like to help, there are 2 options.  The first is that you can simply email me at rynhill@gmail and I’ll give you the username and password.  This way you can see what slots are open and sign up to fill them.  The second, if you don’t want to deal with my silly calendar, is that you can just email me with when you would like to help.  If you want to visit on Tuesday afternoons for the next 2 weeks, just let me know and I’ll fill the slots for you.  The calendar is simply my way of micro-managing all the way from Maryland.

Please help me micro-manage. 

~Kathryn

Here’s the honest to goodness truth.  Mom is battling some major depression and anxiety.  She is also still pretty sick with the gastroparesis, and has some more work to do in many areas.  We know that is the anxiety is partially due to her new medication, but I also know that she is miserable in that basement.  She needs to be at home, in her own place.  She needs her friends.  Moving her before her recovery is finished, though, means that I will be passing her off to her doctors, to dad, and to all of you who are there.   We need your help and support.

I need to hear from any of you who could commit to helping Mom out once she is in Beaumont.  I believe it vital that she have a revolving door of people supporting her.  So many of you have offered and wished that you could help, and you have encouraged us emotionally through this.  That encouragement has been amazing for us.  Now I’m going to humbly ask for more. 

I would like to organize some visits and meals for Mom.  Ideally, she would have a visitor 3-5 times a week.  As far as meals go, I was thinking of maybe 3 a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday?).  Dad will have his ands full taking off work for doctor’s appointments, but maybe if someone wanted to take her out to lunch every now and then, or maybe a ride to her physical therapy.  I have found a website that might help me organize things, but for now I just need to hear from you.  I promise not to take advantage.  Please send me an email letting me know you are willing/able to rynhill@gmail.com.

Thanks so much to all of you!!

K

We saw the cardiologist, and they did an echo to check her heart function.  He said her heart looks great!!  (it had better, I thought, since her stomach doesn’t work anymore) 

It was good to hear that the fluid that was around her heart for so long is finally gone, and the medication for pulmonary hypertension is working. 

It was not good that I left her wheelchair in a parking lot on Monday and realized it today.  Luckily, it was still right there at the doctor’s office where I left it.  Whew. 

Now, we must get this gastroparesis under control and Mom can get home.  She still has several health issues to tackle once she’s there, but I promised I would let her leave if she would stop throwing up.  How’s that for motivation?

Please forgive the lack of details for now, Mom is still so sick and I’m so tired.  Together we make up Team Sick and Tired.  That was my attempt at a joke.

Can you feel my pain??  Mom is having some severe adverse reactions to the liquid form of the medication she was given yesterday.  This is, of course, the medication that she needs in order for her stomach to function properly.  I need her to be admitted to the hospital, but not one doctor will return my (many) phone calls.  I think the hospitalization is necessary because it seems to be the only way to get medical attention for more than a couple of minutes.  Surely, some doctor out there could be willing to spend the time necessary to straighten this out.  Surely. 

I’ll keep you posted.