Tracheitis

Wow! I didn't realize that I hadn't posted in 6 weeks! A lot of things have happened!

Our new neighbors moved in. Al and Clara are sweet, hard of hearing, and bewildered at times. Al is 91, a retired surgeon, and Clara is 86. Al is pretty disabled with his back and hips, also very poor hearing. Clara does everything, like I do, for Al. Their daughter Kathleen is a sweetheart and she and her husband help them out a lot. Clara likes me, and says that she feels good just knowing I'm next door.

Wayne's daughter Donna was here for a week in June. She was bored the whole time. She did like the quilt I gave her. We went up to Naperville to visit Laurie and her family. Ken came down and visited with us. Laurie got on my case about Wayne. I don't know what to do. Wayne has got to be motivated to make his own changes. I try to support his good habits, and discourage his bad. But I can't make him be more active if he doesn't want to be.

Poor Scooter! We kenneled him at the vets for the weekend we went to Laurie's. I picked him up on Sunday night and the vet said he had been fine. The lady who picked up just in front of me had an animal who had developed diarrhea while there. She was told it was stress, but they had put it on antibiotics. Well, we got home, and Scooter promptly pooped on the living room rug. I was getting gas in my car at that time. Scooter later went on to have more poop on the rugs. I called the vets the next morning, but thought it was just stress, not to feed him until it had been 12 hours from his last poop, then boiled hamburger and rice. By that evening he had had 2 or 3 more poops, pretty mucuosy, and Scooter was looking pretty punk. We took him to the emergency animal clinic. No fever, but he did have an overgrowth of bacteria in his stool. They placed him on metronidiazole for a week. And I started fixing him boiled hamburger and rice (thankfully, I had a bunch of rice leftover from earlier in the week.) He started perking up pretty quickly, and best of all, no more poops on my carpeting. Thank goodness we had purchased a Spotbot right after we moved in. It has paid for itself!

We have also had our back patio enclosed to make a sunroom. I love it, and all the neighbors have complimented us on it. Of course, Donny Robinson is going to get one just like it (although he says his will be better...right). We had Jason and Angie make a strip two foot out from the back side of the house, edged with brick and filled with river rock. We have brick pavers for steps outside the three doors. I have planted two red roses so far. These went in front of the white porch bannister on the patio that we did not enclose. I bought some pleated flag bunting to hang from the bannisters for Fourth of July. I have received a lot of nice compliments on that. Nina from across the pond said I had stolen her thunder, as she was going to do the same. I told her I think it would look great for her to have it also, and gave her the brochure from the website that I used to order it. I couldn't find any in town.

Which brings me up to today's title. I have been feeling pretty good. Really no fatigue. June 27 I rode my scooter home from work in the rain. Didn't get chilled, and stripped and took a hot shower immediately when I got home. Felt well on June 28. June 29 I started feeling lousy, headache, bodyaches, fevers, chills. I laid around the house all day, worried that I might not be able to work on Sunday. Felt better on Saturday June 30. Had a slight sore throat, and little nasal congestion. Started coughing Saturday night. Not a deep cough, more from the back of the throat. By Sunday morning, I am feeling great, but I am pretty hoarse. I managed to see 40 patients in 6 hours and still stayed cheerful. The next day, yesterday, I go to work, but I am even more hoarse. But I feel great otherwise. Last night while fixing supper, I started to chill and have the body aches. My left ear also started to hurt. Took a Vicodin and went to bed.

Woke up this morning at 4:30 and couldn't stop coughing. Cough is coming from the back of my throat. My ear feels a little better. I'm thinking I have tracheitis. Makes sense, as I had esophagitis from the radiation, the trachea is right there, and LeAnn said I could be at risk from pneumonitis for 6 months after I was done with treatments. I started myelf on Advair on Sunday. I see Dr. Chaudry this Friday. I don't see LeAnn for another 2 weeks.

I am starting to get some sensation back in my left breast that I had lost during radiation. I am getting a pulling sensation when I lift, reach with my left arm and shoulder. I am trying to keep it supple.

I have been praying for God to help me with patience with Wayne. I am praying that I keep a good attitude, that I don't be sarcastic. It is a horrible struggle for me. That is why I need God to help me.

I got the new Janome sewing table! It is wonderful! Well worth the money spent. Next weekend is the East Central Illinois Quilt Shop Hop. I am also signed up for the Illiana Quilter's Shop Hop in August. Can't wait!