Love Utah in the Fall

This time of the year is so gorgeous. We have very mature trees, which are turning colors and then in our backyard we can see the amazing mountains with the snow top peaks. This is refreshing since most of my time is sticking around the house still recouperating.
I have an amazing daughter and husband who take very good care of me. If I didn't have them I would be going crazy by now.
Many sad moments over the last month. The biggest one was the lose of my dear friend Renee' Barr. She was a great example to me and taught me many life lessons. She will greatly missed in my life and I'm sure her family. Another thing was yet another surgery on the knee. It went well until the day that I was discharged and then ended up in the ER two days later with cellulitus. After 10 days the infection came back and those two episodes of infection has taken a lot out of me, more so than I expected. We also had a lot of unexpected medical bills that seem to come when it was least expected. So far the longest that I'm able to stay on the leg is now up to about 30 to 40 minutes, which is good since a week ago it was only 20 minutes.
Well as the ole saying goes, " When you dealt a bowl of lemons just make some lemonade".
So off to the kitchen to make some yummy lemonade.

News Update

The Palmer Family picture the day of Eliza's blessing. Little Lucy's personality sure comes through on this photo. But , that's probably Gramma's fault because, Lucy, Kady and Gramma were playing, "Beep noses" all week long. I guess Lucy wanted to see if Eliza's nose would beep like gramma's did.

This is our newest little joy. Eliza Rose Palmer, she is a very snugly baby, to bad her eyes aren't open, because she has the biggest dark eyes, just like her big sisters.

This was the little miss funny as I am, at Dr Samuelson's office today. I got a hold of an artificial leg and told him that this is still an option to amputate and that I already found a replacement. As you see I got a great reaction from him. The girls in the office thought that was one of the funniest things they ever saw. I have to find humor in this stuff because that's the only way I can get through some days.

Let me catch you up on the doc side of stuff. June MRI and EEG, everything came back good, Dr. Cook still worried something is still wrong. So, I do a 24 hour heart monitor, only to find out I have SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia). Long story short is my right upper chamber of my heart is not working right. I actually had a small 3 to 5 second heart attack, with 52 times where my heart raced. So now I get to see a cardio doc. Yipppeee!!!!

As far as the knee doc goes. I had to have several series of x-rays done on the 7th. He wanted to get a better look at the joint so he sent me to go get a bone scan, so off to that later in the day. Go back on the 9th to get results. It appears that the new knee component is loose. Next plan is to cast me on July 30th leave that on, until just before the surgery on September 2nd. This will tell us if there is any chance at all that the knee could heal on it's own. If it works, then I won't need to have the surgery. He didn't think it's going to work, but I'm willing to go one more conservative option before I go for the knife again.

Oh, the same day that I get the cast on I see the cardiologist. Before you know it I will have another cancer check. Oh, by the way that went well. The spot on the lung hasn't changed at all, but Dr. Gouw won't let me go on the 6 month program yet for at least another year. They think that this will more than likely grow into the cancer, but since mine is a low grade,(or slow growing) they want to stay close to it so if it does change they will get it fast.

I TOLD YOU THIS WAS NEWSY

If luck would have "IT"

Last Monday started with a visit with my MD (general doc), who has been concerned enough about some other problems I've had for the last 2 1/2 months. He ordered an MRI of the head, and told me to have the gals out at the front desk to set up a visit with a neurologist, (Dr Fleischer), he said it would take a couple of months to get in to him so if the MRI comes back clean I could cancel that appointment. Got to the front desk they call DR F's office and they just had a cancellation could I make it for Tuesday at 12:30. Of course I could.
I then went down to the radiology office downstairs from that docs office and set up the MRI. Yes, Wednesday in the AM for that.
Tuesday my orthopedic first thing in the AM, have to wear the immobilizer until July 7th when I get assessed again. Yippee, it will put me over 11 months with the knee crud. From there I went back to work and then during my lunch I drove to Ogden to see the neurologist. They did some blood work and then had enough reason to schedule a EEG test, so that is this Friday. The fun with this test is that I have to stay awake for at least 24 hours. So I get up at 5:15am on Thursday and stay up until at least 10am Friday for the test. Poor Chad has to put up with me all night long. I'll let him sleep though, I'm not that mean to keep him up as well.
On the bright side of things, we got the reimbursement check from the flood, so Kait's room will have new carpet and the family room. I can't tell you how great this company has been through the whole process. We are also looking forward to seeing Pam's new baby, and the other 4 grandkids in just about 2 weeks. FUN FUN FUN!!!!

"Will the grandkids keep coming?" stay tuned for more

I don't have postings of Pam's new baby yet, but little Eliza Rose was born June 2nd weighing in at 8lbs 10 oz, which is just shy of being smaller than Wendy's addition Addison Elizabeth who came in at a whooping 8lbs 14oz. Both are amazing mothers. Congrats to both.

This makes number 19 for Chad and I, we're in waiting mode to see who will make it an even 20. Will it be Amy, Biff, Steph or soon to be Andrew's wife Amber? We'll keep you posted.

We had so much fun with the kids, and Wendy always amazes me. She made the most delicious homemade bread ever. We just had a great time. The kids were great. Little Maggie watched me every morning get ready for the day, so of course I had to get the photo of her admiring herself in the mirror.

This was the main reason for going to Arizona. Addison is one of the sweetest babies ever.

Readers Digest version of life on the Ranch

Knee was doing well for a week after injections. Had a little incident with the bathroom and now I'm in an imobilizer for one month. UGH
Elizabeth (Biff to family) graduated from nursing school at the University of Utah today, we are so proud of her. She did so awesome. Way to go girl.
Chad and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary a couple of weeks ago. We are still loving every minute we can with each other. I can't believe how fast time is flying.
Our progress on the bathroom remodel is going slowly but we are to the point of painting. Next will be the tile and counter, we just need some extra time. Kait can't wait either so she can have her own bathroom again.
Kait bought her first car. Franklin the Ford Focus. She loves it, it starts, all the windows work, CD player, AC and heat. What more could a girl want.
Trip to the insta care unit this past Monday only to find out that I have another fun issue called benign vertigo. Trying to walk and not get dizzy and keep my BP down has been challenging (160/110) just a little high. Dr told Chad that the meds that I'm on aren't the issue, and this is more serious than he thought. I just want to stop ending up in the bathtub at 3am when all I wanted to do was flush the dang toilet, but that's a whole nother story. It is quite funny though.
We have been enjoying the most beautiful weather ever. I love when it's 75ish here in the valley and we still have snow on the mountains, there is something so amazing about that to me.

Life is Great

Life a funny way of turning a situation of bad luck to something fabulous.

I was supposed to fly to South Carolina to see Andrew graduate from Marine boot camp and finally meet his girlfriend Amber. But weather played my trip a different hand. I ended up in St Louis with no way to get to S Carolina. Bonus was I called my brother Dave, how lives in Illinois, and he came and picked me up from the airport. I stayed with him and my sister in law Linda.

I got the airline to fly me out the next day to Detroit, since I was supposed to fly out of Detroit on Sunday the 5th anyway from a lay over.

As you see I was able to visit a lot in the very short time that I was there.

I do miss all of the fresh water, especially Lake Huron, and all of the trees. But you can't beat the mountains in Utah.

Update on my knee. I was referred to Dr Samuelson in SLC. He started cortisone injections on March 31st and did the last series on April 9th. With a total of 10. April 7th was the first time in years that I was totally pain free in that knee. This week was the first time since the 7th that the pain has returned. What a miracle he has been. He is so personable and caring. I feel very lucky to have him as a doctor. I won't see him until the 28th of the month.

Will it end or will I end, That is the question

First of all, my cancer check was yesterday and so far so good. The docs are watching the same two areas, a spot on my liver and a spot on my lungs. So I will have to do the fun CT scan with the lovely berry contrast in June. I did come across an unusual thing this time with drinking the beverage, it tastes better with a swig of coke right after I finish the portion of contrast I have to swallow every 20 minutes. I've said this before too. it is starting to taste good, like I'm not even noticing the bad after taste. Scary huh!
I also was way hypertensive with a BP of 153/96 when the nurse first took my BP and a slight temp of 99.1, (which is high for me since I normally run 97.9). So the doc sat with us for a while to see if we could get my BP under control. But, when she walked out with us and stood there making sure the BP would be better, I kind of knew that it probably wouldn't, since my knee was acting up so bad by then that my pain level was between a 9 and 10. The new reading was 147/114 , she felt like it was the pain that was causing the high BP, since I have no history of hypertension.
Well, now the knee, leg whatever you want to call it. I am now beyond the patience level of it. The pain is now worse than before. Yesterday, it literally took me down to the ground 3 times. When I am out in public I use crutches and/or wheelchairs. At home I'm not as religous about it,but I'm not going around doing housework like I would like, actually, between Chad and Kaitlyn yelling at me to stop walking around and doing stuff, (which doesn't happen that often, the walking stuff) my life is pretty boring. Go to work, sit, go home, pj's on bed, ice 9x out of 10, dinner is made for me, cleanup is done for me. Sometimes, I'm lucky and get to go to Wally world or Sam's, but I'm in a wheel chair. And even with all of this for the past 7 weeks my leg is still not getting better. I try every once in a while to walk around or go without the walking devices and then I end up paying for it for several days, worse than using them.
I hope that none of you who read this blog have pain like this. This is going on for 8 months and it has kicked my tooty. You find so many reasons of not keep going when all you want is relief. Even one full day without pain would do the whole head good. I have been blessed with lot's of great people around me, especially Chad and Kait. They have been the most awesome, from making meals to driving me when I can't drive, to just sitting on the bed with me for hours talking or watching tv. My support from my ward family has been truely humbling. I'm the activities chair and we have a big ward brunch this Saturday, I have only two people on my committee 1 inactive, 1 works on saturday, but yet people in the ward have offered to help with every aspect of the brunch. I delagated and more have asked to help more. What a wonderful church I have, where people are so willing to help and most barely know me.
We are so excited next week to have Amy's wedding next week. Chuck is such an awesome guy and we are so proud of both of their accomplishments. We can's wait. We will have more kids in Utah, YEAH!!!!!!!!
One more fun positive point is, we almost have our bathroom remodel finished. I love handy men. GO Greg, Chad and Brett.

Life on the Ranch

The great hotel.
Cheese Factory and the view.

It has been way to long since I have updated my blog. I thought I was keeping up on it better, but oh well don't dwell, ei Kaitlyn's quote.

So. as time ticks on so do the 4 bedroom walls that I have gotten way to familar with over the last 13 months of my life. To my great surprize last weekend Chad has literally treated me like a queen, not that he usually doesn't, but he did exceptionally well last weekend.

First I was in charge of the set up for our Stake family activity on Friday (13th), Chad and some of the Bishopric members helped with that. I sat on the sidelines on a chair watching. That's a whole nother story. Then I get my hair cut, which needed bad. Took a nap, yeah. Back later to the dance at the stake center. Then to the movies, we saw "Yes Man" it was ok. Home. Saturday, slept in. He really surprized me and gave me a huge box of good chocolates and a gift card for a 1 hour massage. He's so sweet. Then Chad took me to or usual Valentines dinner spot, Timbermine, LOOOVE their prime rib, went over to his dad'd and shoveled snow, not me but Chad. Then back to the movies again, I finally saw "Twilight", I'm reading the series, in book 4 right now. Loved the movie. Home again snowing more. Church on Sunday then later that night Chad took me to Logan for an overnight. The hotel room was great. It had double sinks, a living area, nice king size bed, fridge, microwave. Can I say it just was awesome. We spent Monday just bumming around Logan. We even made it to Gossner's cheese factory and got some squeaky cheese. Love that stuff. We left Logan aroun 3ish and headed back home. And you never can pass up Smith and Edwards if you have time. So we trapest around that place for about an hour. We arrived home at 5pm. 24 hours after we left.

This little get away really helped me get my head out of my deep depression that I have been stuck in for the last couple of weeks. Which brings me to all my down days the last few weeks.

Quick run down. Can I say PAIN. I made my doctor listen to me and he finally ordered a bone scan back on 1/30. And lo and behold I have a stress fracture of the femur and a loose (new) knee replacement. I will be on non weight bear status until around mid March. So life in the pain catagory is limiting me once again. I just want it to get better.