Saturday October 20 2007

Horses by the Ditch - Pastel Drawing

Another day short on notes to go on. I talked to Jackie for a while today. Got the Jenny Lake colored pencil tweaked a little more and Horses by the Ditch pastel finished and will take them to the framer next time I go in. I can remember dropping them off but not sure when it was. I just told Ruth to do what she thought best with them and know she will do a good job. The dogs got their toenails cut, then had to vaccuum up all the clippings and get the house straightened up for company this evening. Sheral and Dick came over for dinner just before they go back to Layton. I fixed the crusted baked salmon and and turned out pretty good.

Friday October 19 2007

Old Tibbals House -

This is a Sears Craftsman House ordered from a catalog and built in the early 1900s.

It is on a ranch about halfway to Boulder from our place.

Not much in the way of notes today. I know I've been trying to get the house cleaned up and finish some of the things on my to do list, since I'm sure it will be a while after the surgery before I can do housework, Dr. K said. This is the first day I'm obviously turning yellow, not a good sign. Betty has been calling every day and we have a good visit that helps keep my spirits up. Also my other friends are calling often, and the girls.

Thursday October 18 2007

Dining Room at Rendezvous Pointe

Joe had to go to the dentist today. His temporary crown had broken off last night leaving a big hole in his tooth.

I went in to see Dr. K and got an appointment for the surgery at the University of Utah. He checked my biliruben level and it was up again. We're all still gathering information. He described that the surgery would probably be the Whipple Procedure, a pretty radical surgery that takes out parts of half the stuff in there and reconnects it all in a new configuration. The recovery time the literature gave was 3 weeks in the hospital and 2 more in a nursing home, mainly for maintenance of all the tubes you would have in you. They were going to do the surgery in a few weeks, but I was worried about it getting so close to winter, especially if I needed checkups down in Salt Lake afterwards and driving down there in a storm. So Dr. K was working on getting the surgery set sooner. First I have to go for a consultation with Dr. Mulvihill at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital and Institute, then later go back again for the surgery. Don't know the dates yet.

I checked through my email at Rendezvous Pointe and deleted all the unnecessary stuff. The cherry frozen yogurt sounded real good for lunch. I had the dogs with me and we took a couple of walks. Then got a few groceries and went home.

Wednesday October 17 2007

View over near Sheral and Dick's

Not much to go on from my notes on the calendar for today, but I must have been doing some cleaning and organizing in order to be gone for the upcoming checkup and then back again for the surgery. This evening we loaded up "the boys" and went over to Sheral and Dick's for dinner. They made roasted chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and made a special jello salad I could eat. After the hospital food this was wonderful. We had a great visit too. They are beginning to prepare for leaving the ranch and going back to Layton for the winter soon. It was windy, but other than that a nice day.

Tuesday October 16 2007

Squaw's Tit - Mesas on the Back Road to Farson

This was our Mixed Media meeting day and I had to cancel out on going. They had a nice get together and lunch at the seniors Rendezvous Pointe. We got up early and drove to Rock Springs for Joe's eye appointment at 11 a.m. I didn't want to postpone it because with surgery coming up was unsure when I would be able to bring him down for another appointment. He had a side-vision test. We were so disappointed that the eye dr. told him there was nothing more he could do for him. As they have said all along his declining vision is not his eyes, but what the stroke he had did to the part of the brain that processes what you see.

We got the oil changed at the Pennzoil place. The people who run it are quite gay and get gayer every time we go in. Two older men, one's name is Dawn and has long blond hair. The other has a nice perm and hard to describe whether he's a he or a she. But they are very efficient and do a good job - can't believe how quick they are. I'm really not sure if Joe has noticed the situation or not, he's never said a thing. We went to Applebee's for lunch and after waiting a long time to order, waited an hour for the food to come. I don't ever want to go back there again, because the food has really gone downhill too. They did give us about 30 percent off our meals for having to wait. Then I went and shopped at Walmart, more quickly than usual as I was tiring out. We also went to Home Depot to see if they had a smaller fan that would install over the new range, but they only carried the larger ones. We might find something that will fit better at an RV supplier.

If I remember right it was a pretty nice day with afternoon thunderstorms rolling across the landscape on the way home. We saw a few wild horses. We went down on the back road and home on the highway. We got back about 5:30. By now I was running on fumes, so I only put the perishables away, and worked on the rest the next day. I'm sure we had something easy for dinner. My notes say Betty and Beverly called.

Monday October15 2007

Well, this morning was the endoscopy (camera down the throat and into the stomach and intestine) and an EKG (heart). They took me into a room where they started the sedative through the IV and then into the room where the endoscopy equipment was. There were several very capable and personable men and women around doing what was needed. A nice surprise was that one of the special nurses thought I looked familiar and we decided that she was the one who took care of Joe 14 years ago when he was in the ICU for some time after his stroke. I have always remembered her because she was the one who gave me so much invaluable information and advice. I just have never forgotten her.

The procedure seemed to be so quick that I didn't even know it happened, have no memory of even being put to sleep. Just a bit of irritated throat for a while. I was wishing that I would have told Dr. Poore to go ahead and do a colonoscopy while I was out, but didn't think it would be the right thing to do. It would have been painless to do them both at once. So at some point will need to do that. Not too long after when I was awake but still in the recovery room, he showed me the pictures he took and gave me a copy. There was one picture showing the tumor protruding into the small intestine. All the rest of the pictures were good. It looked like the size of a tennis ball, but of course was not. Just very magnified. Dr. Poor said it was likely on the head of the pancreas and the size of about a quarter. He was right on with everything he told me. I admire him very much. They soon took me back to my room and said if I could eat lunch without getting sick I could go home. Judi and Rollie had arrived this morning and said that if I could leave today they would take me home, Judi driving my car and Rollie driving theirs. And if it was tomorrow, then they would get a motel room and have a mini vacation until I could go home. They were so thoughtful to do this, and as it turned out the doctor said I couldn't drive for 24 hours so it was good to have friends there. Judi so thoughtfully brought me a care package of drawing things and books and toys. It was fun checking that out. I tried to get them to go do something fun, but they waited in the hospital until the procedure was finished. I think they went to the cafeteria for some lunch. Yes, by early afternoon they said I could go home, and I dressed and gathered up my stuff. The drive back home was beautiful and we did see a few spots where the landslides had gone into the river. One was huge and nearly blocks the river. It will be interesting to see what happens there in the spring runoff. Judi and I chatted away all the way and I told them I was sure I could go ahead and drive from Boulder to home and they didn't need to come all the way out here. So that's what we did. I did just fine driving myself on home, a little slower than usual just in case. I was very glad to be back home - got there about 5:30 and thankful for my good friends.

Sunday October 14 2007

Snake River, Tetons

Did sleep better off and on and watched TV in between. It was foggy this morning and a beautiful view out the window with the sunrise hitting the peaks of the Tetons above the fog. Stayed layed down until about 8 although up and down to the bathroom in the night. Last night I finally began unplugging the IV myself from the wall and not calling the nurse. It was quite a feeling of liberation. Ordered cream of wheat for breakfast, my third meal, about 8:30 after washing up. Things have changed since I was last in the hospital and you can order any time you want from a nearly regular menu. It's called "room service". I liked that. The nurses were in and out, they cleaned the room and made the bed, to take blood pressure etc. I am having no real pain or discomfort to speak of, but did wake up headachy and achy so asked for Tylenol or something. Norissa gave me something in the IV and I felt better soon.

Dr. Poore came into talk again and said my liver enzymes were elevated more again. About 5.5 this time. So I still couldn't have any real food and I was looking forward to that but I'll have broth again. I'm going down the hall to look at the elk in the spotting scope and take a walk. Richard brought me a second gown to use for a robe. There was a computer there so I looked at my email and deleted all the stuff I didn't want. Was able to write to the waow board, Jackie and Betty and will try Bev, Deb and Gloria.

There had been some really rough boys almost beating each other up especially picking on the youngest, four of five of them down at the computer. They were a Mexican family and their grandfather was in the hospital, their parents finally came and took the kids and left.

Then went back to the room after a couple of hours, took a shower and washed my hair. Richard brought shampoo, clean towels and a hair dryer, but I had to ask for them. Then ordered lunch, all liquids and some jello. I got hooked back up to the IV and watched a movie. Later I walked down another hall and found a second computer in a solarium with a different view. While walking I could see there were a lot of empty beds.

About 3:30 Virginia came in. She said Beverly had called her to ask her to come and check on me. We all love Virginia and Calvin. She is a relative of my first husband and my daughters. They grew up in Afton and Jackson.

Then later talked to Betty, Judi Gloria and Jackie. So had good afternoon of visiting with them which helped pass the time. Jackie's husband had recently had a pacemaker put in and then had to be medivaced to Spokane, and she's recovering from a broken leg so she's been having her share of lots of things going wrong right now too. I called Joe after he would have had his dinner , but didn't have much more news for him yet. I feel bad for him with all of this such a surprise and going so fast. Surely he's plenty worried and stressed not knowing what will happen.