Pardon the absense

 My friends I am sorry it has been so long since you heard from me last. I began getting ill the last of Feb.. It steadily got worse and I spent many nights sitting up in great pain in my bladder and back. I finally got to thinking one night in July and realized I had started a new medicine in Feb., so I stopped taking it as it was not any thing that would harm me to do so. Within a few days I began to get better and am now back to myself thankfully. The doctor said it was affecting my kidneys. Enough about me!

Jack had a pretty good year until recently. In August we learned he has stage 3 kidney disease and has his first appointment with a nephrologist this coming week. Then in September his left leg swelled up, developed blisters and weeping quickly and scared us greatly! We called the doctor and started wound care that Monday once a week. We also had two visits a week for iron infusions as his iron was terribly low. All done with that now. He sees the wound doctor again later this month and may well be discharged from that as things are much better now. We also have a visit for Jack to a cardiologist as a precaution as the leg my be just a side effect of the kidney disease or could be congestive heart failure. Jack also has a terribly itchy, painful rash from the kidney issues. So it has kept me busy caring for him, Bozz, me and our home. However we are enjoying our selves!

Now for good and enjoyable things! Jack turned 70 the first of October. I took him to a restaurant in a town near by for his birthday. The dear people and customers sang happy birthday to him. He ws pleasantly surprised!

I also got Jack a lovely cross stitch for his birthday!

The Saturday before his birthday we went to Great Vespers at church and enjoyed the moonrise in a parking lot here in town before tucking in here at home.

We have a lovely batch of flowers this year and will be doing some work out front now the weather has cooled.

I am still working away on crocheting and stitching for others and a hat for me from "It Was Yarn"! And Jack is busy happily also.

Bozz is just, well, Bozz!

We are just living our lives leaving all in the Lord's hands! No worries just pushing ahead and taking life as it comes for good or bad! We are happy and blessed beyond measure and thankful too! Now good bye for now and I will try and visit other bloggers this coming week. Huggles and blessings.

A little talk and some crafts

 For those wondering how Jack is doing. That often depends on the day. some days are a struggle to walk due to balance issues and back pain as well. Those days are for more stitching and sitting hobbies. Other days are better and he can help with dishes and other chores. He also loves playing with Bozz kitty and laughing at his silliness. That silly cat is often full of so much energy and orneriness it isn't funny. Jack always uses a walker when leaving the apartment an I drive now as it is painful for him. All in all, we are thankful for so much and so blessed. I often have little projects to do for others and that is a joy. I am thankful for the lovely neighbors around us and our little apartment that is so easy to care for! Now, on to some crafty stuff we have been up to!

Yarn for a heavy cardigan for next winter for myself. I got the yarn at a very good sale price so that was good.

Doing an icon of the Protection of the Theotokos for our Priest's wife.

A poncho for those crisp days that is now finished.

A Christmas table toper for a friend.

Jack;s latest baby quilt for a friend.

An afghan waiting to be finished some day.

So here we are in our sweet little hometown and apaprtment doing the best we can, going to church as often as we can and just living our lives the best we can! Blessings and huggles!

Our Little Home

 

 I thought I would share pictures of our little home furnished. It has been stressful trying to settle in. We had to give up a lot including furniture and a lot of our hobby things. I had a hard time letting go of my gateleg table but it was sold at good Samaritan's even before we left. I was able to tell the lady who bought it a little of what I know of it. Now I am at a place where I am very content, and happy here. It is so easy to care for, we have good neighbors and a wonderful community as well. So without further ado, enkjoy the pictures of our little one bedroom haven. We are eager to finish up our little garden patch when it warms up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Long Overdo Post

 I am so sorry this post is so long in coming. While the surgery went well, the hospital refused to send him back to our hospital and sent him home only two days later after surgery. Mind you, the man still had a horrible infection and could not get up by himself. Also, the doctor had called the hospital and notified him he was to come back for inpatient therapy. Needless to say Jack had a fall again here at the apartment in the bathroom. It took four ems workers to get him out of the bathroom and in the ambulance.

He was readmitted as observation over the weekend for bedrest and serious iv antibiotics until the paperwork could be completed. He was very ill, lethargic, confused and in pain. They began working with him to regain upper and lower body strength that week. We had thanksgiving lunch together the next week at the hospital and Jack was getting so much better. The top picture is the day they sent him home. You can see how ill and weak he was.

He came home the day after thanksgiving. We were blessed to get our deposit back from our Joplin apartment and a blessing from a friend so I was able to set him up with a riser for the toilet, a new shower chair that extended out of the tub and many other things needed. Here he is using his tool for putting on his socks.

He needed a lot of care yet when he first got home but we made it work! He had therapy here at home twice a week and a nurse once a week. We did have a couple falls in the beginning that required lift assists from ems but is slowly got better. He worked so hard! Naps were required!

He was discharged from home care the end of January. He can now walk on his own steam some days here at home, such as nightly trips to the bathroom. But needs a walker at all times while out and about. We hope to return to church again soon. Our Priest has visited and kept a check on us as have so many of our church family.

In January, our former priest from Arkansas, now living in Colorado, and his lovely wife stopped in for a visit. Here we are and here they are!

I did mean to write this sooner but I got sick from stress and being exhausted in November and had a very bad uti in December. It's been rough but we are getting back to a new normal. Jack is even able to help with some things again. 

Blessings and I will write again soon.