Retreat and Thanksgiving

  I had a very pleasant two day vacation at Grande Ronde cow Camp. A couple of friends joined me on Monday and another friend came up on Tuesday. The food was delicious and plentiful and the company exceptional. I felt rested and ready to go.

  This is the bed in the loft I slept in and the mini quilt next to the bed in the loft. 

  This is a mini cat back sewing machine in the loft. I had never heard of it before. Will have to find one.

  Bruce had a couple of bad days wherein his body does not respond to therapy. He is exhausted from no sleep at night and that effects his body's response to therapy.

We had the last sleep test on Thursday ninth. I got another night off. They equipped him with a ASV machine instead of a cpap. The machine reacts to the patients ability to breathe or not breathe and adjusts the flow of air. 

   When the Dr writes a prescription for the machine and SAIF approves we will have the machine at home. Apparently it is quieter than the cpap machine so that will be a blessing for me. 

   Dr. Ebel is able to make results for Bruce. After swimming Dr. Ebel worked his magic on Bruce's feet. Bruce said his feet felt warm and Dr. Ebel said he was working on the circulation in Bruce's lower body and feet, so that is a plus. The therapists are working on his calf muscles. At home we push Bruces toe back and he pushes them forward, trying to strengthen his muscles. 

  We had a quiet Thanksgiving at home. Andrew worked. I made a pecan chocolate chip pie and a my first ever pumpkin roll. (At my age, no less) I purchased a marionberry pie and cheese ball from Kauffmans. Delicious as usual.

  Some of the children will be home at Christmas so that will be nice. My grandchildren bring me joy! 

  I took a sewing class at the Quilt Store and made a snap purse, using a mental tape measure, very fun class.

 The vacuum cleaner needs a new part and my sewing machine stopped working in the at end of the class. I was able to get the machine cleaned and it runs smoothly. We will send for a part for the vacuum on Monday.

  We played musical beds at our house. I traded a queen size bed for a double and moved the double to the basement and a single bed upstairs in my sewing room. Now I have my room in my sewing room and can reach my design wall. Change is good. I have ordered new egg shell shades for the bedroom so will be able to open and close them for more light during the day and privacy at night. I am organizing my sewing projects and the room is looking good.

Leaps and Bounds

Bruce is improving by leaps and bounds, one week he shuffle walked for four feet the next he is up to ten feet using a walker with assistance! His left leg is really responding. 

 He works very hard and is exhausted after therapy. 

  Bruce and Duncan went to the two year check up in Walla Walla. I was sick, flu stuff. Dr. Marsh is concerned about Bruce's kidneys. Apparently spinal cord patients end up with kidney failure as using a urinal doesn't completely empty the bladder and that puts pressure on the bladder so he suggests Bruce use a catheter three or more times a day. Insurance will continue the payments for therapy as long as Bruce continues to improve.

   This week Bruce will meet with Dr. McCarthy and get info on self catheters. This should help decrease the number of times Bruce uses the urinal. 

  Another side note, we spent one of the settlements we received! Yeah! We bought cemetery plots and caskets! So that is all arranged. Bruce got the cheapest metal casket, who cares what it looks like it is going in the ground and I got the next level up in green. It costs $500 for them to dig a hole with a machine. We have six sons we figure we will save money and have the boys dig the hole for us... Just kidding. And they charge extra, $250, if you are buried on a Saturday. Just some snide political comments. 

 I have been sick for two weeks with achy shoulders, sore throat, runny nose, stuffed up dose and a cough. I'm worn out. I have arranged to go away to my friends cabin for two days in two weeks, she has a long arm quilting machine we will play with. Hope the weather is good. She will pamper me and cook for me and I will see and veg and sit with my feet up and most important I will sleep and sleep. 

  Newt finished a grow box for Bruce. It will be ready for spring next year.

The YW from second Ward raked and bagged our leaves for us. Thank You! 

Our Two Year Accidentary

Today is our two year anniversary, two years ago Bruce was life flighted to Boise from a biking accident. 

I made a cake.

We are wrapping Bruce in bubble wrap. 

He has 100 % of his right hand and a about 80% of his left hand. He is standing with all his weight and walking in a hanging brace with no weight with assistance.

We are very grateful he is improving. Bruce has joy. It is a blessing and a miracle he is improving.

  I am taking cooking classes from Laura Edwards, this one turned out. I will not tell you about the blueberry pancakes without baking powder... 

  Me, I'm fine, I'm struggling. Some days are good, some days anything sets me off and I can't stop crying. Yes I do service, I make quilts to donate, I started volunteering at Greenwood school in the library once a week and I am taking cooking classes. Life is difficult. Life is up and down. 

  We all have problems and there are people worse off than us. 

Listening to General conference has helped. Now I need to something very important, nap time!

The Sistahs are Here!

   My sisters Robin and Bonita and mom are here! Alas the time passed too quickly. 

We went to the farmers market and some shopping at Bealls. 

Sunday we went to church and more eating. They did all the cooking and made me laugh. Andrew says he has never seen me laugh like that before. My mom says it happens when the girls get together.

  Bruce is ever increasing. Another sleep test on Wednesday and hopefully they will fit him with oxygen. He wakes up exhausted. He feel asleep while my sisters were here and that is not an easy task.

  Andrew is working at J C Penny's. He does floor and freight. He scans items  and hangs them up. Can't wait to by a bra from him. Who wants to join me? He turns a lovely shade of red.

  Duncan has been sick so I have done his shift and driving for a couple of days. I'm exhausted. My friends wanted to take me to a quilt retreat. I'm afraid all I would have accomplished would have been sleeping all day.

  Bruce is steadily improving. They had him shuffle walking with assistance. He says it is like when he first started to shuffle walk in the pool. He wears a harness and doesn't have any body weight, they will steadily add weight.

  They are working on strengthening his knees now.

End of Summer

Summer is almost over.

   Bruce is improving. He stands up five times in a row, four sets, so twenty times at PT. in pool time he stands up, walks and pushing off the wall with one leg at a time and stretching. They have him standing up using a walker and standing up using a transfer pole. We have a pole for the house, won't set it up until they train us at home how to help him. 

  Dan and Heidie came for a visit. Heidie helped rearrange the furniture. The living room is more open, I love it. They helped us with several projects around the house. I love hearing 'grandma' from a squeaky little voice. What joy!

  We are going to order a tall love seat for Bruce so he can slide board evenly, not uphill and that will get him out of the wheelchair. He is looking forward to that. 

  We purchased a clap lamp for the bedroom. Bruce reads in bed now and can claps to turn the light off. His finger tips are numb and he can't feel the light switch to turn the lamp off so he claps to turn the light off and I don't have to take my grumpy self in there to see what he needs.He says it is another step to independence.

   

  

Long, Lazy Summer

    Haven't written much, it has been a long, lazy summer.

  On my walk yesterday I saw they had patched the big hole in the road. And I met the little girl with the pink tricycle. When I asked if I could ride her bike, she replied "mine". Her dad was friendly and the baby sitter, both wanted to pet Hali. 

This morning Hali was trying to be friendly with a grey cat where we walk in the grass because of no sidewalk, the cat did not want to be friends. 

I went to Zumba, there were 15 people there.

   I had my Quilt Questers group last night. They honored past presidents with a yummy box of fudge. I had my blocks partially sewn together. 

 Must go shower after Zumba.

   Luke says he loves the Star Trek quilt I made for them. It had a red chevron backing.

We went to a Pioneer Day pot luck at noon, before it got too hot.

   Bro. Pedro played the harmonic and that was delightful. He had several different kinds, I had never seen them before,  a regular one, a longer one, one with four different harmonicas combined an ad one with horns, that was very, very old. We did a singalong and heard two stories. They had a sling line up for the young ones to try and a pony to ride.

   Bruce and Bro. Hutchinson were the judges for the Dutch oven cooking. They both liked the spicy food. 

   We went to Wal mart after and I got some batting for two of my quilt tops. I worked on another top today and am very pleased with it.

  Our friend Newt Stanger has finished redoing the garden for us. He is now working on Bruces shop in the garage. Bruce was sorting screws, nuts and bolts. 

    Bruce is still progressing, albeit too slowly for moi. He straddles a pole and climbs hand over hand until he is standing, next he swivels his hips and plops down on a chair. So in fact he is using the pole to do a standing transfer. He did it four times and the last time he sat it was controlled no more plopping.

  At PT they have him doing transfers using the fun push-up grippers. No more slide board. At home we still use the slide board. They have ordered two poles for home use, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom. We won't use them at home until he is stronger. 

  He only dropped his water bottle once this week and his leg only jerked off the bed once. Bruce awakens very tired in the morning. He has signed up for a sleep study. We did the initial interview and are waiting for permission form the insurance company. We think he has sleep apnea and hope a machine will help with that.

  I am exhausted and am making too many mistakes. My mom has returned to Utah and I miss her. 

PTSD

Mom and I are having fun. 

 She does dishes, folds laundry, cooks meals, picks raspberries and goes on walks with me. 

She has an annoying habit of wanting to pay for everything. Bruce said one tank of gas and one meal and no more. 

We just stay inside in the evening and watch mysteries. Now we are watching Murdock Mysteries. Mom likes it. It happens in Toronto in the 1890s. We watched a cliff hanger tonight and will watch the rest on Monday. 

 Found out Reed Waite was a in a four wheeler accident. They did surgery on his spinal cord. Dr. Montalbano did the surgery, the same Dr that did Bruces. He remembered Bruce. I was in shock and couldn't function for a day, It brought back such turmoil, fear and uncertainty. I might know what PTSD feels like, reliving a traumatic experience.

Then we heard the news the family decided to unhook Reed as the MRI showed no brain function. What a shock, hope and then the worst, death. Went to the funeral on a rainy Saturday morning. The heavens were crying.

   We have temporally stopped work on the garden. Newt has a spot on his lungs and needs to rest. I had two teenagers come over on Saturday and worked them hard for two hours. They cut the rest of the blackberries back that Bruce wanted under control, moved some bark mulch, put a protective coating on the planter and we laid some ground cover down for the next section of pavers. 

  It won't be finished when the grandchildren are here this week. We will probably not get to wander out there in the rain anyway. Now I will have to clean inside. Mom helped me clear off one table. I'm just a pilot. I pile things here and there...

 Mom finished the binding on yet another quilt. The Star Trek quilt is ready to send to Luke and Taylor. Will get it in the mail this week. I have begun the blocks for the Star Wars quilt. Will put binding on another quilt so mom can work on it.

  I told Debbie I would sew some of Reeds shirts in a quilt for her. She said she would bring them over when she gets settled. Man, her life is going to going to change. 

Our lives aren't what we hoped they would be. 

  Bruce is able to stand on one leg and move the other leg back and forth about two inches. They are working on strengthening his knees as they give out when he tries to stand. He is able to stand for about five minutes now. He said he stood in four feet of water at the pool which means he can support about half his body weight now. 

We bought a new grill for the Fouth and so I recycled the old grill.