Friday, June 26, 2015

Miss Penny and Me

I really don’t have a lot to write about.  I haven’t been doing much since I returned from Ohio.  Miss Penny is definitely glad to be home.  She hasn’t left my side.  I guess she missed me while I was staying at Jana’s.  She did get a lot of attention at Brian’s, but I still think she missed me.  She has had a good time checking everything.  I never know where she will be next.  She is always in the same room as I am, I just never know where.  I think she also missed watching the birds because she spends a lot of time at the windows.

It has been extremely hot here so I haven’t been outside very much.  The weeds have taken over my rock garden.  I am hoping that after next week I will be able to work outside again.  I cut a small area of grass, saw a snake and quit!  Apparently snakes are plentiful around here this year.  LaNora has seen quite a few and Renea saw one in their vegetable garden.  Yesterday Renea and LaNora cut both my grass and Renea’s grass. 

I guess I should tell why I have not been doing anything, especially yard work.  A couple of months ago I went to the doctor and told him about how short of breath I always am.  I was trying to ignore it, but when Kevin and Renea noticed it, and they both insisted I go to the doctor.  Not only that but they called Brian and told him, and he called me and said the same thing.  So, as I said, I told my doctor.  He immediately sent me for chest x-rays and an ekg.  I was then given an appointment for a heart echo.  Next was an appointment for a stress test.  Because I have a blockage in my left bundle branch I could not have the treadmill test.  Instead they gave me the medicine thru an IV.  That test is supposed to last four minutes.  I made it about 45 seconds and they had to reverse it. 

Of course, they don’t tell you anything.  I just had to make an appointment with the cardiologist.  And, since I am a new patient I didn’t get an appointment for six weeks.  I did see my primary care doctor, and he told me they didn’t find anything life threatening.  Just the start of heart disease and blockage.  He changed some of my medicines and sent me on my way.

Right after this, David passed away and I went to Ohio for a month.  This was another reason the family would not let me drive to Ohio by myself.  A couple of days after my return was my cardiologist appointment.  She informed me that the heart disease is a thickening of the walls of my heart due to my high blood pressure.  And, yes, I do have blockage.  They are just not sure how bad so I am going to have a heart cath on Tuesday, 6/30.  This will determine how much blockage is there and if I need a stint.  Meanwhile, I am to stay out of the heat and not do anything strenuous. 

It’s really boring.  I have been doing a lot of reading, working on the family genealogy, and my plastic canvas.  I also join Penny watching the birds.

My cardiologist gave me some new medicine which I take once a day.  She told me I would probably get a headache when I first start taking it.  I not only got a headache but I got dizzy and drowsy.  It’s getting better, but I still get a headache just not as bad.  She also gave me a prescription for nitro tabs. 

So, that’s my tale of woe.  I just hope that cath will not show anything serious and I can get on with working in my yard. 

Monday, June 15, 2015

What A Month!


As most of you know, I have been in Cincinnati for the past month.  My sister’s husband, David, passed away on May 12th.   She had called me the day before to say he was not doing well, so I was making arrangements to go to Cincinnati later that week.  However, she called me around 2:00 a.m. and told me that he had passed away.  Since she was by herself, I continued talking to her on the phone until the hospice nurse and her sister-in-law arrived.  Later that morning I called Brian and Tracy and Kevin and Renea to let them know.  Brian made arrangements to take off work so he could drive to Alabama and drive me back to Ohio.

My family has decided it is not a good idea for me to be driving back and forth by myself.  Therefore, either Brian or Kevin take me.  So, Brian drove down, left his car here and drove me to Ohio in my car.  He did get a few hours sleep before we left Alabama.  Brian and Tracy offered to take care of Penny while I was at Jana’s so I didn’t have to board her.

I spent most of my time with Jana – mostly for support.  She is doing quite well.  She is keeping busy.  Everything went fine as far as the visitation and Mass.  However, Mass was at St. Jude’s since St. Al’s was having their festival.  After the ceremony at the cemetery we went to David’s sister’s house.

Jana and I were worried about Smoky.  She is still grieving and seems to be looking for David.  She was so bad that we were afraid she may die.  I think she is doing better but it will be a while before she is herself again.  She knows he is not there but doesn’t understand why.

Penny kept things interesting at Brian’s.  A couple of days after we arrived Brian went to the basement to feed her and could not find her.  However, he did hear a soft meow.  After some searching he found her in his ceiling.  She got up but couldn’t get down.  Eventually, she figured out how to get up and down so she spent a lot of time in the ceiling.  She thought it was fun I guess.  The reason she could get up there is because Brian is getting ready to do some remodeling and he has taken the ceiling tiles down.  Since I couldn’t find all of her toys when I got ready to come home I assume she hid some of them up there. 

Meanwhile, Bradley and Brianna have moved in.  They will be living with Brian and Tracy for the next two years while they finish school and try to save some money.  Also, Samantha graduated from high school.  She will be attending UC Blue Ash in the fall.  I did get to spend an afternoon with Rita and Bob.  I spent a few days at Brian’s, but most of my time was at Jana’s. 

Jana and I spent a couple of hours one day at St. Mary’s Cemetery.  This is where Jim and I will be buried.  Since he was cremated I have requested his ashes be put in the casket with me.  Uncle Clarence gave me a grave site next to him, Grandma and Grandpa Althoefer.  While we were there we walked around to see if we could find where some of my ancestors are buried.  We found quite a few, but we are going to have to go back to find the rest.  I wore Jana out, as she put it, climbing Mt. St. Mary.  There were a few hills.  The next day she asked me to go with her to David’s grave.  She didn’t want to make the first trip by herself.  He is buried by mom and dad so she put flowers on all their graves.  Jana will be buried between dad and David. 

I am home now.  Brian drove me back last Thursday and he returned to Ohio (with his car) on Saturday.  Of course, the grass is butt high and weeds have taken over the garden.  All the birdfeeders need to be filled.  However, the temperature is in the high 90’s and feels like 110.  So the grass and weeds will have to wait.