Saturday October 13 2007

Tetons

A very long night. A nurse said the elk were out early and bugling. If I raised up in bed I could see them and the National Museum of Wildlife Art across the valley. It was cloudy and looking like rain off and on, but cleared up by afternoon. Awake early and ready to get the tests over with. I showered so I'd be ready when they came for me at 7, but no one came to get me and they weren't sure when it was going to be since it was the weekend. They thought maybe 10 a.m. So there I languished. I noticed that I hadn't shaved my legs in too long a time you know that old thing about making sure legs are shaved and underwear is clean and no safety pins in your clothes in case they unexpectedly haul you to the hospital.

Hooked to the IV and tubes. If I put another gown on fastening in the front like a robe, I could walk in the hall by pushing the IV contraption along with me. I found there was a computer in several spots. I liked the one that overlooked the National Elk Refuge. There was a herd of elk and some eagles in sight. And there was able to go into my hughes.net and work on the email. It had backed up a lot since my computer was down so I deleted a lot and answered some letting people know what was going on - if there was a message there from that person so I could just reply.

Well, about 11:30 the young woman who did the CT scans finally came for me with a wheelchair. I held the IV pole with my feet and she wheeled the chair down through the halls and several double doors. I had not ever been in one of those machines before so it was interesting and quick, total about 5 minutes. It is a laser x-ray. I laid flat on a table and was moved into the big ring - a fraction of the length of an MRI. She said each scan took about 3000 photos in a matter of seconds. Amazing. The Drs. read the pictures, and Dr. Poore came in to talk to me. He's a very nice man, and has taken care of Joe before. He said he remembered us both. He was optimistic at this time but said they wanted her to look further down my abdomen too. Dr. Poore said I could have some "lunch" on the clear liquid diet. Oh, JOY!

So in a couple of hours they wheeled me back to have another CT scan and also did a sonogram of my abdomen. That one was more involved and even more interesting. The technician gave more info as she worked than they usually do. I do remember my gall bladder was enlarged, and she showed me where the different organs were. Dr. Poore came in to explain what they had found so far. So now they had done a lot of testing. They said I had to stay put there to have the endoscopy on Monday. They would look at a lump or mass right at or around the bile duct which is blocked. He told me what they were finding in the more detailed tests. He drew different scenarios in diagrams on a paper towel, which I kept. It helped me a lot to remember what he had told me. I told him he should sign it when he said I could keep it. The Dr. was worried that if I went home and got sick there that it was a long way away to get back. He didn't want me to go home. So there I laid, and went to the computers again to pass the time.

Later they asked the Idaho Falls hospital for the records from my stay there in March, and I think that was helpful. I questioned and also several more people have asked if that episode might be related to what was happening now, but they all have said they don't think so. I wonder though. Now that I had something to tell him, I called Joe and explained what had been going on the best I could. He had gotten the dogs back about 9:30 that morning and they were happy to be home. I reminded him to feed the cats. Told him besides the chicken and dumplings there was taco meat and enchiladas in the fridge, how to find the tortillas, and asked how he was doing with the new stove. I supposed he had put the dishwasher in today, but didn't think to ask about it.

Tonight I was put on a full liquid diet - it is really awful, even though I knew my taste and appetite was way off. On Sunday I could be on a "full liquid diet". If I didn't get sick on that I could have real food for lunch and fast after midnight. They kept me hooked to the IV. Another night in the hospital. Nurse Patti unhooked the IV tubes and I had another shower and a clean gown. Out of boredom, I read all the writing on the equipment I was hooked up to, and listened to it "breath. It makes a sound a lot like an aquarium.

After "dinner" the phone rang and I knew it would have to be Betty. She used the i-net to find the hospital number. She told me I had to call the kids and tell them what was going on. We spent some time with me telling her about what the doctor said. It was a nice visit and helped break the monotony here. I've mostly had to sit or lay in the bed because of the IV and have watched a lot of TV. So Betty called Debbie (I couldn't call out long distance). Beverly wasn't home. Debbie called back right away. I told her it was just tests.

Friday October 12 2007

Rusty Sunning on Post

Talked to Kay about the Mixed Media show. And to Jo about the new Community Center. Jo is on her way to China with her family for about two weeks. Judi and I had talked about having me watch their dog Buddy while they went to Texas for a month to see their family and I had said yes. So she brought Buddy over for a trial visit and left him while she took a walk for a few hours up in Muddy Canyon. Judi took that errant painting in to give to Kay who would be going to Cody in a week or so and would return it to the art gallery for me.

In the meantime I called for a doctor appointment and they told me to come in the afternoon for a walk-in visit. I got Joe some lunch and I made me a small ham sandwich to eat on the way, and little did I know this was my last meal for about four days. As soon as Judi got back to pick up Buddy, I took the dogs and headed in to Pinedale. Drove right to clinic and figured I'd walk the dogs later - but there was no later for them. There was very little wait to see Dr. K . We talked about what had been going on and they took a blood test for the biliruben. It was elevated from my September blood fair results - from 0.6 and now was around 3.5 I think. There are several different categories and all Greek to me, so I just relied on the Drs. to interpret.

This is where I got onto the fast track and the next few weeks were just a whirlwind. Dr. K. got on the phone and in no time at all I was scheduled for a CT scan and endoscopy in Jackson tonight and he told me I had to go there immediately and check in to the emergency entrance as an outpatient. I said I had the dogs and he told me I'd better leave them with a friend or board them, that I didn't have time to take them home. Even people at the clinic said they would take them, but not of that sounded quite acceptable for the dogs. He called Dr. Dean, the vet in town, and their kennel was full. Dr. Susie didn't answer the phone, so I rushed to go take them back home which would ad two hours to the driving time. When I went past Susie's I pulled in. Her sign and asked if she could take them overnight and she said yes. I called Joe and told him I had to go to the hospital at Jackson and that I would get the dogs in the morning on the way home after the tests. I had toyed with the idea that they could stay in the hospital parking lot in the car overnight but boy! was sure glad I didn't do that. Joe picked up the dogs the next morning after we knew how long I'd be gone.

By then I think it was about 4 p.m. or so. I drove steady and a little fast and got up there about sunset. It was a lovely fall day full of color through the canyons. I watched for those landslides but never spotted the places they were. They were expecting me at the emergency entrance and I was actually all checked in since they have our info in their computers. That was painless. They took me right into a hospital room and hooked me up to an IV and I was a prisoner. I put my purse and clothes I was wearing into a drawer. I was also immediately fasting. Was sure glad I had that sandwich as an afterthought. I thought I'd have the scan that night, but they said about 7 a.m. in the morning. I had nothing with me to be away from home, but then I didn't need anything either. I watch TV about all night, and the nurses and aides did their thing with the monitoring and vitals every few hours. I was so hooked up to tubes that I had to call a nurse every time I wanted to go to the bathroom. Slept about 20 minutes all night.

Thursday October 11 2007

We had been expecting the new appliances to be delivered, but thought we would have more notice than they gave us. Falers called about 9:30 a.m. and said they would be here by noon with the stove and dishwasher. Joe went right to work disconnecting the old ones. He really had a job getting first the dishwasher all disconnected. We got the power off, and he unwired and then got the plumbing undone. It was tough and was so tightly connected it took most of the time to get it moved out. Then the stove was taken out and the downdraft fan came out just as the delivery truck drove up into the yard about 11:30. The men were very helpful and nice and soon the old dishwasher and stove were taken out and new appliances were carried in. Joe had to cover the hole in the floor where the downdraft fan had been vented.

This was a long awaited moment, ......But wait!! As they came out of the boxes I saw .......they were the wrong color. I ordered black and these were white. I pretty quickly but reluctantly made the decision to keep the white ones because it would have been another three weeks to have them order and deliver black ones. Joe was the one who kept saying he wanted black. We could do without the dishwasher - I had been not using it for quite a while anyway - but we needed the stove. Both the old ones were basically trashed just getting them out and the men would take them to the dump. They plugged in the stove, and in the next few days Joe got the new dishwasher hooked back up. Luckily since he can do those things we didn't need a service man to come. But now we have the two white appliances and a black refrigerator. Perhaps in a year or so we can get a white refrigerator although this one is pretty new. With both new being so computerized, we had to learn how they worked. It took a little while, but even Joe is able to get all the right buttons pushed.

I had turned on the computer this morning, but when I tried to work with it nothing would open, not even the mouse. I called Best Buy but had to leave a message, the first of several.

I still had the pale b.m. and when I weighed had lost some weight. I had been able to google and find that this probably had something to do with a bile duct obstruction. If it didn't get better in another day or so, I would get a doctor appointment.

Wednesday October 10 2007

Geek Guy Fixing the Computer

I waited all day for Jerimiah from Best Buy to get here, without getting much else accomplished for thinking he would be here any time. Finally he pulled up in his Geek Squad bug about 3 p.m. I sat with him quite a bit of the time while he worked, and didn't feel so great, not sure what was going on with that. Joe and I had leftover tacos and enchiladas for dinner, Jerimiah said he didn't want to eat. He worked on the computer until 8 p.m. and it was running when he left.

I took some tylenol PM and did get some sleep. Also watched a few TV programs through the night.

Tuesday October 9 2007

Cattle Next Door in October

Aubrey and Pat came over for a visit and brought us a couple of large packages of fresh trout, filetted and frozen. I tried to get them to stay for dinner but they wouldn't. They said they would be leaving for Georgia for the winter in a week or two now. We had a nice visit.

The phone was out most of the day again.

This is just my memory working now from a distance - I didn't have it written down - but I think Sheral and Dick came over for dinner and I made Mexican food. That night I didn't sleep all night, feeling sick with an overfull indigestion, although I ate about half of what I usually do at dinner. And then in the night I had a very pale b.m. It didn't mean much at the time, besides being quite strange.

Monday October 8 2007

Betty's Friend and Helper Hans, A Nice Man

Today Joe trimmed a couple more horse feet while I held her. Then went out to check the trap. Well I had caught Smoky. You would think she had learned not to go in there. She must have been terrorized as there were raccoon? tracks going round and round the trap. She was pitiful and glad to get out. I set the trap again.

I cleaned house today. Then after showering, cut my own hair. It probably wasn't the best job this time, but at least I got the back short like I want it, I can never figure why I can't get the beautician to cut my hair the way I want it done. A few days later I had to go back later and get quite a few stray tufts trimmed.

Betty called and said Amigo was gone. She made the decision to have him put to sleep. Although he was still young-ish, he had a very wonderful life for a dog while she had him. He had always had health troubles and Betty put her heart and soul into caring for him. It's always hard to loose your pet, they are such a part of your family and your life. Hans came and dug the grave and he's out on the hill across from her kitchen window.

I worked on the grazing goats pastel painting. Its got a lot to be straightened out.

Sunday October 7 2007

Nube Knocks at the Art Show

This morning Joe got the live trap down and I baited and set it to try and catch whatever varmit is invading the cat territory. I had a nap, an ATV ride with the dogs, and a small walk. Mopped the floors. Tonight we had a nice steak dinner.

Betty has called and said Amigo is pretty sick again, so I am thinking of them often, hoping he will get well one more time. He is at the vet.