Our visit this weekend

We had a nice visit this weekend and we were able to get a lot done with the quilt.   By the time we got there Friday night Mom was quite exhausted.  She talked with us for a few minutes and then went to bed.  Dad and I talked until almost 11:30, he was very thankful that they were able to remove the fluid yet that day.   He was concerned about her cough that evening as she was coughing more this time after the procedure than the first time.

Saturday morning he said that she had coughed quite a bit during the night.  When she got up in the morning it seemed to have diminished a lot.  Mom was not eating much the past days because everything had a "medicine" taste to it, we started applying peppermint oil to the her big toe and the base of her other toes about 30 minutes before eating and then the food tasted normal.  Saturday she ate pretty well.  She was having a very hard time walking, her hip was bothering her and sometimes it would almost give out on her and she would have to catch herself.  It was hard to watch and it makes her frustrated and a little sad.  I did a Raindrop therapy massage session on her Saturday afternoon and her hip pain seemed to get quite a lot better.  She was moving faster and without much of a limp.  Today she said it was still tender but it felt a lot better.  Dad mentioned that she slept very well last night.   Karen, I told them I would try to teach it to you before you go down and maybe you could do another session while you're there.   I gave Dad a Raindrop therapy this morning, he said it felt good but he didn't have much else to say about it.  However, Mom, Sarah and I noticed just a short while later that he was walking a little faster and without as much of a limp. We just smiled to each other but said nothing to him :)

As far as the quilt project, Dad had the squares cut so Saturday morning we (Mom, Dad, Brian, Sarah, Eric, Ben and I) laid out a pattern and I got started sewing.  We were able to get half of the top of the quilt put together.   She did sew some of the pieces yesterday and she really enjoyed it. I was going to take it home to finish but Mom was feeling better last night and today that she wants to sew as much as possible on days when she's feeling good.

So it was a good weekend.  We laughed (I cried a little) and enjoyed our time together.  
Have a good week everyone.
Love, Janice

This is Bonnie.  I called mom this morning and told her becuase of my cold I was not coming this weekend.  I did not want her or dad to get it.  She told me Wednesday night and yessterday she was totally wiped with backaches and some shortness of breath.  She wass not sure iif the wethter waas causing the shortness of breath.  She took a tylenol before bed last night and felt better this morning.  She was not sure if she should take a tylenol before seeing Dr. jeffires today.  I told her it was good she did and she should have called Dr Jeffries about taking the tylenol if she was concerned. .  She also said they forgot to pick up her nauseua meds Tuesday night, so Tuesday night and Wednesday morning she used old nauseu meds from last year which she had to swallow( not dissolved on her tongue)  so did this cause the achey back. I don't know, I doubt it.  I said she may have just caught a bug from the pharmacy or Hyvee where they had been.  She was going to tell Dr Jeffries about the achy back and shortnes of breath. They have a book that came with the chemo meds dad was looking through for anything about achy backs.

 She also told me when she had been working she would get an achy back and hip, but never told Dt. Jeffrries.  

Carla, let us know how the appt goes.  Hope all is well with Marv and Carol also.
Jan - good luck on the quilt. Sorry I had to bail. 
Paul - where is harvest at ?
Denise - hop eyo  have good weather for homecoming this weekend.
Karen - hope your weekend getaway last weekend was good.
Thanks to all of you for the congratulatory wishes on Isabella.  She had a c-section and they go home today.   they want the first 2 weeks as a family.  So we can't go to OK til oct 15 and that is a Tuesday.  So it will probalby be the weekend of Oct 18 - 20.  If mom is feeling alright we may ask them to go with.
Rod, Dietrich and I are off to an important meeting in Fort Dodge.

Need to run.

Love to all,
Bonnie  

I am planning on going to Sioux Falls on Friday for the appointment, it is at 1 pm.  I may drive up on Thursday night and stay at Marv and Carols, go to the appointment and then head back home after the doctor visit, or may just drive up Friday.  Will see how the rest of the week goes.  I will let you all know what we find out at the doctor.  Love ya Carla

sharing

I just am expressing my concern that we share on this blog what we find out about mom's  health or decisions mom and dad have made.  I feel like mom and dad only tell certain kids certain things and not share with at least me.  I plan to discuss this with mom and dad tonight.  This is nothing new, they seem to have done it all their lives with me.  Maybe I am overreacting, I don't know.  All I know is that I have some hurt feelings about them not sharing with me when I have emailed and called them weekly.   I shared my feelings with Denise last night on a phone call we had.     You can call me if you don't understand what I am trying to say.  Truthfully, if they have made some desicions I feel it is important that all 6 of kids know those decisions  so one or several  of us does not get hurt feelings for  not knowing.
I don't care about what the decision is they made, I would just likemyself and all of us  to be included in on the knowledge of it.

As far as mom's health I would really like us to  use this blog.  I know all of our lives are really super busy.  I just ask you to share when you know or find out something.  I try to do that all the time.  The last time I texted because I was driving.  I did pull over to send and write the text. 

So know you have heard my soap box and I wish you all a good day.   Love you all.
Bonnie

Weekend in Iowa

Bill, Ben and I went down to Mom and Dad's on Saturday.  Got there around Noon.  Mom had taken a nap in the morning.  She looked a bit tired and a little short of breath when we got there but she improved as the day went on.  She didn't take a nap in the afternoon.  I did a little cleaning for her (bathrooms and kitchen floor) which she wished she could help with but was grateful.  They showed us pictures of the headstone they have purchased for the cemetery.  (That was a little hard for me.)  Dad showed us the cleaning they had done in the basement this past week.  We found an old Wahoo board so Mom, Ben and I played that Saturday night.  She laughed and enjoyed herself.  Sunday morning she said that tired her out but she enjoyed being able to laugh.  On Sunday, Dad, Ben and I went to Sheldon while she napped.  We ate lunch together and then went for a drive in the country.  She was doing some remembering on Sunday morning about her childhood so I asked to drive by the place she lived on until she was 10 years old before they moved to "the hill" by Paul and Kim's.  They drove us by the cemetery to show us where the plot is they picked out (another hard one for me).  We drove around a little more and then went back to Boyden.  We left around 6 PM.  She did not nap in the afternoon but was tired by then.  She said good-bye and was heading for the couch.  I told her on Sunday as she was a bit short of breath at times to call today to see about getting fluid drained off again.  I said it might help her to use her energy to work with the pill to fight the disease rather than using her energy to get around.  They both said they'd see how she was today and possibly call to get in for that.  Her appointment with Dr. Jeffries is scheduled for Friday so they might try to get in before that to get fluid drained.  We had a good time - it was good to be with them.

Denise

Phone Call Tonight

I called Mom tonight.  She sounded a bit better than the last time I talked to her, not so raspy.  She's looking forward to getting the pill - hopefully tomorrow.  While I was talking to Dad, she got a call from the Palliative Care Department at Sanford.  The caller said Dr. Jeffries recommended that they call Mom to set up an appointment.  Mom feels like she is not ready for this yet.  She told me, "I'm not giving up yet."  She is still somewhat hopeful with the pill coming, the oil and rife machine.  I told her she has to know for now what is best for her.  I'm encouraged that she's not ready to just give up yet.  She still wants to fight and I think that's good.  I know we don't know how long we have with her but for now she said she feels pretty good and wants to do all she can on her own first.  She said eventually she may want an appointment, just not yet.

This Weekend

We had a good visit with mom and dad this weekend.  Just some brief details of our time....

Mom's color looked good Saturday morning when she got up.  She had to take the last of her bladder meds and after being up a few hours I thought her color changed a bit (more yellow) and she went to rest around 11.  When she got up about an hour later, she looked her normal color again.  She took some Frankincense orally at that point and we had lunch.  She ate really well at lunch and we had a great afternoon.  By appearances, she didn't tire at all, looked good all through dinner and went to bed around 10:15.  Somewhere in the day, I told them I thought she would benefit from at least another Frankincense during the day because I think that helped her at least feel better and have more stamina.

Yesterday, we left their house around noon and went to Sheldon for lunch.  Again, I think she ate decently and looked good.  I know when we said goodbye she went home and did the Rife machine and took a nap. 

I did get an opportunity to ask both mom and dad how long they thought she had.  Both answered they felt "her time was short".  I didn't ask them to quantify it, and really, only God knows the length of time until she leaves us.  She is beginning to think about her funeral a little bit, which I think is healthy and normal. 

We'll see how the chemo pill works out for her.  Hopefully it will arrive today or tomorrow. 

Karen

Playing with blog to see if I can remember what to do to post.

Talked to mom last night and she told me that Cure-a-script called that she has been approved.  So at this point, it looks like everything is a go for the chemo pills to arrive on Monday or Tuesday.  The rep at the pharmacy wasn't sure they could still get them out last night, but they should be going out on Monday for a Tuesday arrival.  At this point, I believe it when she actually has a tracking number and/or the pills in her hand. 

Thanks Carla for all the leg work you put into helping yesterday (and any of the rest of you who worked behind the scenes and I am just not aware).

We drove to Iowa last night after Jack's soccer game.  It was a spontaneous decision.  No one is up yet except for me so I can't say how mom looks (yet).  We will stay today and leave sometime tomorrow.  We didn't get here until 11:00 and thankfully neither mom or dad waited up for us.  Although if they were asleep I may have woken them when I accidentally set off the car alarm :)