Well, it's done.
I had my laparoscopic cholecystectomy yesterday. At 11:00, it felt strange to walk into the operating room, rather than rolling in on a stretcher. After several minutes of rather painful searching for a vein in my left hand for the IV, they successfully inserted into the right and 30 seconds later I was out. I wakened around 1:45 and went home at 3.
It hurts to cough, and I need to cough because apparently they also inserted a tube down my throat to keep my airways clear. My voice is rather on the hoarse side.
The four incisions are tender, and lying on either side is uncomfortable, but a good supply of Tylenol 3's take care of that. The doctor had said that some people go to work the day after surgery of this kind, but he didn't recommend it - and neither do I!
John finally got a call to go to work this week -wouldn't you know it -leaving on Thursday. He didn't leave until I was home, though.
And I'm having a relaxing-do-what-I-feel-like kind of day - I haven't spent all day in pj's in a long time! Although I am up to providing simple meals like oatmeal porridge and tea and toast and canned soup, Mom G. has brought over a couple of meals, and some pink carnations.
So I do feel kinda spoiled with it all.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Snow much fun!
We had a fun day today. The Fisher Price house and barn was played with; the dolls got cuddled; a fahion statement was made with several strands of beads around the neck while a camouflage cap was worn on top of the head; and markers and papers were found, too. 
In the photo on the left, Naomi is trying to tell a story to a very interested Petra. On the right, Petra found a hat and Opa's shoes to wear, while Naomi counted out straws to drink snow when we got outside.
We tried to slide down the driveway in boxes at first, but they soon gave way to flying carpets instead, so that we could see who could go the farthest.
And we discovered that it is hard to drink snow with straws, so Naomi tried to catch the snow falling from the trees with her tongue instead!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
On moving, renovations, grand-kids and snow.........
It was a good day yesterday; Terry and Linda, Matthew, Stevin and Katrina and Naomi and Petra, and John and I moved Mom from room 329 on the independent living floor to room 123 on the assisted-living floor. We didn't think it was going to involve an awful lot, but we were all there by 9am and the last of us didn't leave until about 3pm! The furniture moved down first, followed by the pictures and the clothes and - and -- you get the idea.
But the room is a nice one - it's a little bit smaller, but it has a lovely window that Mom can look out of while seated in her chair. The pictures are up, the plant-shelf got adjusted to the new window and the plants are in place, and the phone is on the table beside Mom's chair.
We discovered that the finish on the coffee table( made from a burr from a BC tree) has actually lifted, making the table unsafe to use, so Stevin is going to put his cabinet/furniture finishing skills to work.
I am realising that where there are children, one needs to have a camera around one's neck! There were several camera moments: Naomi marching to the dining room with her plant for Great-Grandma; Petra sitting in a small box; Petra riding on the cart; Naomi having her lunch right behind Great-Uncle Terry; Petra putting her hands in the box of laundry detergent and wondering at the feeling of the powder; Naomi with her new-found 'homework book for high-school' (her words!); Petra leaning against the elevator wall for the ride up or down - the picture moments go on and on! It's wonderful being a grand-parent! It's a well-worn saying but it's so true: if we had known grandparenting was so enjoyable, we would have had the grand-kids first!
Here on the home front, John and Stevin and Reuben are finishing up with the renovated bathroom at Dad and Mom G's. We had a serious issue with paint colour, though. The shower tiles and floor tiles are two different beiges so the walls need a "bolder" colour to keep the room from looking washed out. Because no-one could make up their minds, the person in the paint store made a suggestion - and although it would have made the room look spectacular, that first coat got covered up with something else! It is now a nice golden yellow.
It snowed a bit again today. People are saying that they're tired of the snow already. I think everyone is forgetting that this is Canada after all, and what is winter in Canada without snow!
Tomorrow, Naomi and Petra will be coming here, instead of me going there, and I hope we can enjoy some of that white stuff! Better remember that camera! I've always said that if it wasn't for the snow, children wouldn't have anything to do outside in the winter-time!
But the room is a nice one - it's a little bit smaller, but it has a lovely window that Mom can look out of while seated in her chair. The pictures are up, the plant-shelf got adjusted to the new window and the plants are in place, and the phone is on the table beside Mom's chair.
We discovered that the finish on the coffee table( made from a burr from a BC tree) has actually lifted, making the table unsafe to use, so Stevin is going to put his cabinet/furniture finishing skills to work.
I am realising that where there are children, one needs to have a camera around one's neck! There were several camera moments: Naomi marching to the dining room with her plant for Great-Grandma; Petra sitting in a small box; Petra riding on the cart; Naomi having her lunch right behind Great-Uncle Terry; Petra putting her hands in the box of laundry detergent and wondering at the feeling of the powder; Naomi with her new-found 'homework book for high-school' (her words!); Petra leaning against the elevator wall for the ride up or down - the picture moments go on and on! It's wonderful being a grand-parent! It's a well-worn saying but it's so true: if we had known grandparenting was so enjoyable, we would have had the grand-kids first!
Here on the home front, John and Stevin and Reuben are finishing up with the renovated bathroom at Dad and Mom G's. We had a serious issue with paint colour, though. The shower tiles and floor tiles are two different beiges so the walls need a "bolder" colour to keep the room from looking washed out. Because no-one could make up their minds, the person in the paint store made a suggestion - and although it would have made the room look spectacular, that first coat got covered up with something else! It is now a nice golden yellow.
It snowed a bit again today. People are saying that they're tired of the snow already. I think everyone is forgetting that this is Canada after all, and what is winter in Canada without snow!
Tomorrow, Naomi and Petra will be coming here, instead of me going there, and I hope we can enjoy some of that white stuff! Better remember that camera! I've always said that if it wasn't for the snow, children wouldn't have anything to do outside in the winter-time!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
My Dad
If you've been following the posts of my children, you now know about Dad.
It's been a busy couple of weeks: Martin and Emily arrived in Ontario with Maria on the 13th; the Sunday School play was on the morning of the 14th; Dad and Mom were here for that weekend, so that they could come with us to Stevin and Katrina's on Sunday afternoon to meet Maria. For the last several weeks, Dad kept asking when he would get to meet Maria!
They both enjoyed the weekend with us, and of course, fell in love with Maria. And as usual, they enjoyed the antics of Naomi and Petra.
I brought them home on Monday, the 15th. Dad was saying how tired and breathless he felt, but we all attributed that to taking care of Mom, and that weekend he had forgotten to take his puffers along for his emphysema.
Tuesday the 16th, I arrived home to find out that he had been taken to hospital with atrial fib and shortness of breath. After the preliminary routine xrays and bloodwork had been done, it was evident that they needed to dig a little deeper to find out what was causing his symptoms.
After the CT scan on Thursday, they knew what we were dealing with: lung and liver cancer.
The xrays had shown some spots here and there, but the scan made it very clear. It was decided that he could go home as soon as his vitals were stable, and further investigations and treatments could be done on an outpatient basis. But then they decided that it would be better to do everything as soon as possible.
And of course, he was quite upset that he couldn't go back to take care of Mom. I had to reassure him several times that Mom was ok.
At that point, he was given about a year to live, but he didn't want to know the prognosis yet.
A week later, after the bone scan, it was evident that he had less time. The cancer was into his bones as well. The doctors were giving him up to half a year now.
All this time, his bloodwork was quite abnormal too. It was the type of cancer that does erratic things to the blood, and his was no exception. The blood was very thin - meaning there was not much there for clotting. If he were to cut himself, he would bleed -a lot.
On Christmas Day, he looked and felt pretty good. His heartbeat was finally down to a normal level, and the doctor said he could go home if it kept up. That night, he decided to ambulate by himself, and he fell. The next day he was in the acute monitoring area - under observation all the time.
On Saturday, the doctor called me and said we needed to come talk with her. So, Mom and Terry and I received the news that his condition was grave, the plan was to apply to the Elizabeth Bruyere Centre for palliative care, and that he had weeks or less to live. And he still didn't want to know how bad it was or how much time he had left. The doctor told him anyway.
We were hopeful for a few weeks of grace, but it wasn't to be.
He passed on to glory in his sleep on Sunday morning - at a time when we all are usually getting ready to go to church.
A family friend told me yesterday, that he had once told her that if he found out he had cancer, that he wanted the time to be short - his wish was granted!
We're coping as well as can be expected - we were just beginning to absorb the information and the implications, and then he was gone.
Mom's doing well -she's reacting normally and that's good.
The service yesterday was upbeat with lots of singing, and quite reflective of the man he was.
And now life continues - please keep us in your prayers. Mom especially will need support in many ways. I do hope that friends will visit her often - it will be quite lonely for her with no one to chatter at and for her, now! They were married 58 years!
It's been a busy couple of weeks: Martin and Emily arrived in Ontario with Maria on the 13th; the Sunday School play was on the morning of the 14th; Dad and Mom were here for that weekend, so that they could come with us to Stevin and Katrina's on Sunday afternoon to meet Maria. For the last several weeks, Dad kept asking when he would get to meet Maria!
They both enjoyed the weekend with us, and of course, fell in love with Maria. And as usual, they enjoyed the antics of Naomi and Petra.
I brought them home on Monday, the 15th. Dad was saying how tired and breathless he felt, but we all attributed that to taking care of Mom, and that weekend he had forgotten to take his puffers along for his emphysema.
Tuesday the 16th, I arrived home to find out that he had been taken to hospital with atrial fib and shortness of breath. After the preliminary routine xrays and bloodwork had been done, it was evident that they needed to dig a little deeper to find out what was causing his symptoms.
After the CT scan on Thursday, they knew what we were dealing with: lung and liver cancer.
The xrays had shown some spots here and there, but the scan made it very clear. It was decided that he could go home as soon as his vitals were stable, and further investigations and treatments could be done on an outpatient basis. But then they decided that it would be better to do everything as soon as possible.
And of course, he was quite upset that he couldn't go back to take care of Mom. I had to reassure him several times that Mom was ok.
At that point, he was given about a year to live, but he didn't want to know the prognosis yet.
A week later, after the bone scan, it was evident that he had less time. The cancer was into his bones as well. The doctors were giving him up to half a year now.
All this time, his bloodwork was quite abnormal too. It was the type of cancer that does erratic things to the blood, and his was no exception. The blood was very thin - meaning there was not much there for clotting. If he were to cut himself, he would bleed -a lot.
On Christmas Day, he looked and felt pretty good. His heartbeat was finally down to a normal level, and the doctor said he could go home if it kept up. That night, he decided to ambulate by himself, and he fell. The next day he was in the acute monitoring area - under observation all the time.
On Saturday, the doctor called me and said we needed to come talk with her. So, Mom and Terry and I received the news that his condition was grave, the plan was to apply to the Elizabeth Bruyere Centre for palliative care, and that he had weeks or less to live. And he still didn't want to know how bad it was or how much time he had left. The doctor told him anyway.
We were hopeful for a few weeks of grace, but it wasn't to be.
He passed on to glory in his sleep on Sunday morning - at a time when we all are usually getting ready to go to church.
A family friend told me yesterday, that he had once told her that if he found out he had cancer, that he wanted the time to be short - his wish was granted!
We're coping as well as can be expected - we were just beginning to absorb the information and the implications, and then he was gone.
Mom's doing well -she's reacting normally and that's good.
The service yesterday was upbeat with lots of singing, and quite reflective of the man he was.
And now life continues - please keep us in your prayers. Mom especially will need support in many ways. I do hope that friends will visit her often - it will be quite lonely for her with no one to chatter at and for her, now! They were married 58 years!
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