Sunday Morning Coffee: What a Week!

I’m pleased to report that Terry is doing extremely well after his heart attack last Saturday. It’s actually quite amazing! There was no damage to his heart because it was caught so early on the EKG. Using the most recent protocols, there was no need for extensive surgery. He received outstanding care from his doctors and nurses, and even though it’s hard for him, he really is trying to rest and pay attention to the restrictions the doctors suggested.

Every life experience is a learning experience, if you let it be so. What I’ve learned this week:

1) In the early stages, there may not be chest pain. My concerns were the pain in both arms, and his extremely pale complexion. Although he doesn’t remember saying so, he also told me he couldn’t get a good deep breath.

2) Because we had no working car at that moment, I called a friend who immediately came and took Terry to the ER. Later, his nurse told that if it happens again, I should call 911 because they can start treatment in the ambulance, and because Terry is now in the system, he would be taken directly to Bethlehem.

3) I learned about platelets, what they do, and their importance (did a google search). One of his new meds is specifically for keeping his platelets healthy.

4). I learned that people we have been friends with but may not have seen for several years are still concerned and willing to help, and to pray for us. Dozens and dozens of them. What a blessing!

5) I learned, once again, that God is in the details.

That’s a short list. There is more, but I need to get myself ready for church. I asked Terry if he were going this morning, and he said, “Why wouldn’t I?”

Right.

Unexpected Event!

I hope you’ll forgive the copy/paste. I posted this on Facebook yesterday and wanted to post here as well, but I find that I just don’t have the energy. Things are going well, but I’m very tired. I hope to be back to writing my normal posts here sometime next week. In the meantime:

This past Saturday night, my husband Terry had a mild heart attack. A friend helped get him to the ER–we’re without an operating car right now–and they did an EKG. They actually saw the attack happening on the EKG screen, so they ambulanced him up to Bethlehem St. Lukes. They did a cath, and found one artery that was 90% clogged. They cleared out the debris and inserted two stents. He was in the hospital until yesterday, Monday evening. They cut him loose once they were satisfied that there was no further need for him to be there.

He seems to have slept well last night. He’s in good spirits, and I think keeping him quiet and resting, as per doctor’s orders, is going to be a challenge .

So many have been praying. Kindness has been offered to us at many levels, and I appreciate every single one who has stepped up to offer help. We are blessed with good friends!

God has been in the details every step of the way. There is no damage to the heart because the attack was caught so early. Terry suffered very little chest pain, although he did have pain in his arms. He was taken directly from the ambulance to the cath lab with no waiting. The procedure went quickly and smoothly, and he was done in about 45 minutes. He was given kind and excellent care for the two days he was in the hospital.

He came home with a boatload of new meds, of course, which doesn’t make him happy. (“I hate taking pills!”) But of course he will take them faithfully because he’ll have me to deal with if he doesn’t

Terry is 80 years old, and in good shape considering the injury to his left heel 11 years ago. He’s always kept moving, in spite of that pain, which is chronic. You can’t keep a good man down

Again, for all of you who knew and have been praying, thank you SO MUCH!

Saturday Soliloquy: I’m Back–I think :)

Just stopping in today to say “please don’t forget about me!” It’s been most of a week since I posted anything. I had a nasty cold, but the worst of it is over. I’m left feeling just tired, as if I’ve put in a week of hard labor. Good thing I’m retired–no alarm clocks bossing me around!

I should be back to my regular routine, though, and will resume our walk through the Psalms on Monday.

I’m told that many, many people are dealing with bad winter colds. Please, if one of those colds roosts in your nose, throat, or chest, don’t just ignore it. Treat the symptoms. Drink lots of fluid. Sleep. Rest.

This too shall pass!

Taking a Little Break

I have managed to catch a nasty cold. No fever, but all the other symptoms. And I’m very, very tired. That’s why I didn’t post yesterday, and not today either–maybe tomorrow, but no promises.

Poor me 🙂

Saturday Soliloquy: Surprise!

It’s August 27, last week of what is often the hottest month of the year.

As I glanced at my header, I had to smile. It says, “Hello August! Surprise me!”

Well, I got my surprise. Covid finally found me. It robbed me of about two weeks during the worst of it. It wasn’t as bad as it was for many people, but it was a little more than “just a cold.” Starting with unexplained fatigue before I even knew I was sick, I had every symptom on the list. My normal temperature is 97.5, so when it goes up to 101, I’m truly miserable. That lasted for only three days, and what a relief!

Over all, I’d say I got off lightly. Still feeling some fatigue, and some have told me to be careful not to push too hard because the fatigue can come sneaking back just when you think you’ve got it licked.

Yesterday I decided to do a little deep cleaning in my bedroom. Sometimes you just need to move the furniture and clean up the accumulated grick under and behind it. I got a good start, moving my bedside table, dusting, mopping, using the hand-vacuum. Felt really good to see it fresh and clean!

That’s when I looked at my dresser, a rather large piece of furniture, and knew I couldn’t finish. Terry happened to look in and see me sitting on the edge of my bed. He sized up the situation quickly, and offered to help. I truly couldn’t have finished the job without him.

Cleaning, for me, always includes doing some reorganizing. I have two small, flat containers filled with my essential oils. I keep them in alphabetical order, same as I do with my herbs and spices in the kitchen. Some certain family members think it’s silly, but I always find what I need quickly. It does require maintenance, though, like any filing system. Things don’t always get put back in the same order. I spent maybe half an hour on that task, which I could do sitting down. In the process, realized I had used up all my tea tree oil, and was also out of clove oil. So I ordered those things, put everything else back in place, and felt most virtuous at a job well done.

I’m easy to please 🙂

I’d started a pot of beans in the morning, using a soup bone and some smoked pork neck bones. Smelled SO good! I like to make cornbread with that meal. I’ve been looking for a recipe using creamed corn, finally found one online. It’s delicious, kind of a cakey texture, but I think it was just a tad underdone. I’ll try it again, using a little bigger pan. I remember my mom using a similar recipe, and her cornbread was never crumbly. I think I’m on the right track now, just need to tweak it a little bit.

Well, this has certainly been a home-style post! And it all started with my August surprise 🙂

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The Fourth of July

Saturday Soliloquy: A Chair!

I have a new chair!

It’s a Pride VivaLift Recliner. It is sized to fit shorties like me all the way up to 6′-plus. It has infinite setting capability, using a control, so I can put the lumbar support exactly where I need it. It is equipped with a lift motor. I don’t expect to use that a lot right now, but the day is coming when I know I’m going to need it.

I can actually touch the floor with my feet from a fully-seated position! If you’re short like me, you know how exciting that is! Most recliners leave me with my feet dangling six inches or more above the floor, feeling like a little girl sitting in Daddy’s chair 🙂

I could go on and on about how comfortable I am in my new chair. Terry has spent hours online making sure he found exactly what I needed. He takes such good care of me! He and son Mike got it assembled in short order, and I’m absolutely loving the comfort and convenience. It can flatten out completely if I want to sleep in it, but I already have my adjustable mattress, so I’m not seeing using the chair as a bed just yet. I did take a short nap yesterday. The headrest adjusts, too, which is a real plus. Most recliners’ headrests tend to push my head forward. Not comfortable at all.

AND: It is considered a class II medical device, so our insurance will pay for the motor lift components.

As always, there’s a song in my head when I think about the comfort of this chair. Here it is:

First Snowfall

I took this picture from our back window–should have raised the slats. Oh well. I just thought it looked so pretty and peaceful. It won’t stay that way long. Right now there aren’t even any animal tracks. The squirrels must be huddled together keeping each other warm. If there are deer tracks, they’re way down at the bottom of our property. I suspect they also are staying together for warmth. It won’t be long before we see rabbit prints, bird tracks, and maybe even a fox. It’s surprising how much wildlife shows up in an older, settled neighborhood.

Terry’s going to go out in a little while to clear our driveway and the walk to the house. He puts a plow on our lawn tractor, and it doesn’t take him long to get the job done. It’s still snowing, but he’d rather do it now before the accumulation gets too heavy for our little tractor to manage. He’ll probably do it again once the snow stops. I’m sure the day is coming when we’ll have to pay someone to do it for us, but I’m also sure that Terry will do it himself as long as he’s able.

Terry loves the snow. I tease him that he grew up in a place where it snows every month of the year except July, and there’s no guarantee of that! He says the snow invigorates him. He’s welcome to it. I’m thinking about a cup of hot chocolate to invigorate me 🙂

It’s nearly the end of January. Here, our heaviest snow months can be February and March, but it’s really been a few years since we had a really major snow like my kids remember from when they were much younger. It was always a lot of fun for them to be out playing in it when it piled up above their heads.

I see the wind is picking up a little. I hope Terry won’t be facing into it. And I suspect he’ll be so invigorated that when he comes inside he’ll stretch out on the sofa and catch 40 winks.

Well, happy snow day to all my southeastern PA friends. If you love the snow, this is your day 🙂

Catching Up

I haven’t posted since Sunday, Aug. 1, so I thought I probably should stop in and let you all know that I WILL be posting again, maybe tomorrow or Saturday. I’ve had a rough week. Pain can kill one’s energy level!

I was able to see my pain doctor on Tuesday. It was God’s hand of intervention that I got in the same day I called! He changed up my pain meds, and it’s already having a good effect. I’m thankful for every step downward on that pain scale of 1-10 that you’re all familiar with if you have a chronic pain condition.

I’m also thankful for all the years and years of good health I enjoyed before my creaky old back started falling apart. Remember running, swimming, jumping, ball games–all in one day— and still being able to enjoy hide-and-go-seek after dark? Of course, back then I fell into bed and slept like a log all night long!

I wish I could tell healthy younger people to please enjoy every moment, and take care of yourselves! Of course, I would have thought, when I was younger, “But I’m fine!” And I was.

One of the things you learn with advancing years is that the word “fine” gains a new definition. I still respond positively when people ask, “How are you?” because no one wants an organ recital 🙂 They’re really not asking about your liver, lungs, and lumbar! They just want to know if things are better. Usually, once I’m out and about again, I can respond “I’m better, thanks!”

All right, that’s it for now. I miss doing the daily Bible study, and I should be back on track soon. I appreciate comments from readers who have wondered if I’m okay. Yes, just not up to par yet., and thank you so much!

A Day Off

My Germany family left the house @ 5:30 this morning. We said our goodbyes last night, as I didn’t think I could handle being up that early after being up rather late. We had some friends here last night that Mike hadn’t seen in many years, and we had SUCH a good time!

So–I’m asking your indulgence today. I’m just purely worn out. I plan to do nothing whatsoever today. I may even go back to bed. I was vaguely aware of their leaving this morning, but forced myself to go back to sleep. It was not much of a struggle 🙂

I should be back on track tomorrow, and I am looking forward to the next passage in John 10. It’s beautiful. I’m going to enjoy digging into it.

See you then!