Pre-Christmas in Huntsville, Alabama

My sister, Sally is doing much better.  She's been in the rehab hospital here in Huntsville for a week now.  In many ways, she is stronger now than before she had her heart attack a month ago!  We are thrilled with her progress although she still has kidney stone surgery facing here in the very near future.  We're not sure exactly when.  We're awaiting word form her urologist.  Her tentative discharge date from the HealthSouth Rehab Hospital is December 18th, so she should either be going home or back in for the "stone" surgery.

Back in Huntsville

I'm back with my sister, Sally.  Her color looks better and her recovery from the triple-bypass surgery is progressing.

Back Home for a few Days

I'm back home in San Antonio for a few days.  It was good to see Clayton, Aron and Randy at the airport yesterday and to have a great Thanksgiving Day with my kids and most grandchildren.

Randy, Anna, Aron and Maria had to go home today, so it's quieter (and sadder) with them gone home.

 

My sister, Sally is doing OK...Recovering a little slowly from her heart surgery, though.  I'll head back to Alabama in a week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday 11/25 5:57 PM

We saw Sally a little while ago.  She's beginning to open her eyes.  We thought we'd play this song for her when she goes to her room:

more Cher lyrics

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves Lyrics

I was born in the wagon of a travelin' show

Tuesday 11/25 11:46 AM

We just spoke to the heart surgeon.  My sister Sally's triple-bypass heart surgery went very well.  She's in recovery and we'll be able to see her in a little while.  

We are very grateful for all of our answered prayers!  

Monday 11/24

We're still at the Huntsville Hospital awaiting Sally's triple-bypass surgery tomorrow.  She's stronger and ready to begin getting these organ issues fixed.  We are blessed with a great group of doctors and medical professionals treating her.  If all goes as planned, I plan to return to San Antonio on Thanksgiving Day for a few days.

Tuesday morning at Huntsville Hospital

We're here at Huntsville Hospital with Sally.  We have a blog for those who want to follow the minute details of what's happening with her.  It's at www.sallygrand.blogspot.com

We're working through the difficulties of her multiple-organ issues.  My wife and Clayton are doing OK back in San Antonio.

November greetings from North Alabama

I know that I haven't updated this blog for a while so I won’t try to catch up in one sitting.  I’ll just tell you what’s going on right now.    I got a call last Monday from my niece in Alabama telling me that my sister Sally was in serious condition from a heart attack, bad kidney infection and other complications.  The call was on God’s timetable since that morning, I had just wrapped up my registration process for the Spring semester classes and, except for one medical test for myself, I was free to go to Alabama to assist.

On Tuesday I had an exciting nuclear stress test with my cardiologist then I packed up for the trip.  I took two days for the 1,000 mile drive, stopping in Slidell, LA for the overnight rest.

I arrived at Huntsville Hospital on Thursday in time for the 4:30 visitation in the ICU and was thrilled to see how much better Sally looked!  Her swelling had begun to subside and she was able to talk with us.

Note:  For those of you who might not care for all of the medical details of Sally’s condition, just skip to the end.  I want to document this for any family members and friends who might not know what’s going on.

First, Sally has been diabetic for some time and has not been the most compliant with her diabetic diet.

Sally’s doctor informed the family Friday morning of her conditions and was very helpful in helping all of us to understand.  She said that Sally had suffered a mild (she said tiny) heart attack and they will do a heart catheterization (angiogram) next week to see what’s happening with her heart. Their immediate concerns are two-fold:  Pulmonary (lung functioning) and the infection in her kidneys. They have been draining the infection  from her kidneys for about five days and the fluid is not yet clear.  That will continue.  Her lung functioning is of concern.  She is on 100% oxygen and her lungs will need to be functioning before they can do any further procedures.  Pneumonia is always a danger when there is any fluid in the lungs so they are doing all they can to prevent this. She also explained that Sally has “congestive heart failure” and her heart is functioning at about 50% efficiency (her score of 30% versus a normal efficiency score of 55-60%)  Next week’s angiogram will help in determining what’s happening here.

So, what we’re expecting is that Sally will hopefully be able to breathe without oxygen assist next week so the heart catheterization may be done to check out the heart.  Then, further treatment can be planned and they can determine how to manage the kidney stone(s) and other kidney issues.

On Saturday morning, I am grateful for Sally’s progress.  I’m grateful to be part of a family that includes my brother Conrad, his wife Rita and my sister Sharon who have all been here since they heard about our sister.  I’m grateful for Sally’s daughters Karen and Lisa and the support of their families.

I’ll keep y’all up to date.

By the way, they’re predicting the coldest day of the year here in North Alabama with a remote chance of snow flurries.  Brrr.....

Another month has passed...

I’m trying to figure out the process and practices of keeping a blog.  It’s encouraging to have friends ask me about Peggy’s health when I see them .  I wasn’t really sure that anyone was reading.  Thanks and I apologize for waiting so long to bring you all up to date on our wanderings.

Peggy has had no serious episodes since our last entry.  We saw Dr. Perry (Thank you, God!) last week and he reassured us that she is doing everything medically that she should be doing to manage her Meniere’s Syndrome.  He says she hasn’t had as much hearing loss as we had originally thought.  He said we might expect a reoccurrence of the symptoms, but we can minimize the chances by adhering strictly to a low-low-salt diet and taking the diuretic medicine to prevent excessive fluid build-up in the inner ear.  It’s nice to know that you’re under the care of a caring specialist who knows his stuff!

Clayton’s off to a good start in school.  He really loves being in third grade!  After over three weeks, he’s still excited to wake up every morning and get to go to school.  Will wonders never cease!  

Hurricane Ike hit our state this past weekend with a wallop!  Our grandson Steven lives with his other grandmother just outside Houston.  They are still without power five days later but physically they are OK.  The manufactured home that they live in was hit by a falling tree and suffered some serious damage.  They’re not sure how tough it will be to repair until the dust settles and emergency personnel assists them with estimates.  Peggy talked with them today and they are all right.  Food is available and they have an appointment with FEMA.

I had an opportunity to volunteer at our local Disaster relief Evacuation Center yesterday and talked with a number of folks who had to leave their homes in the coastal Texas areas between Galveston and Port Arthur.  I was gratified to see that there were more than a sufficient number of volunteers to minister to the evacuees.  I was really  proud that my long-time employer, San Antonio Federal Credit Union provided two ATMs for the evacuees that they could use without any charge from the credit union.  This type of humanitarian effort is not new to SACU.  This is a financial institution with a big heart, unlike some of these that you may be seeing in today’s news and headlines.

Hill Country Getaway

After doctor appointments and other obligations, Peggy, Clayton and I hooked up the old Airstream and headed to the Texas Hill Country for a few days before Clayton’s school starts on the 25th.  We checked in to Kerrville-Schreiner Park in Kerrville, Texas.  This 500+ acre park is nestled on the Guadalupe River and is full of deer.  We had several families of deer with very young fawns come right up to our campsite.  After the first night, we were one of only two trailers in the 20-campsite area called “Deer Field Loop”.  The weather was cooler than San Antonio and we were treated to summer showers off and on each day.  We forgot to pack any reading material so Peggy and I both ended up reading One Soldier’s Story, former Senator Bob Dole’s memoir of his World War II years and his life-threatening injuries.  We sure tend to forget that real sacrifice that this “greatest generation” made for our freedom.

 We thought that Peggy’s Meniere Syndrome was finally under control as she’d gone several days without any of the severe symptoms of vertigo and nausea.  But, Tuesday morning the dizziness returned, followed by the nausea and vomiting.  It seems that being able to sleep it off is required to completely rid her of the symptoms.  As I write this on Tuesday afternoon, that’s what she’s trying to do.  Thankfully, Clayton responds fairly well and doesn’t demand an extraordinary amount of attention when he knows that his mom is really sick.

There's Good News Tonight!

We got good news today from Peggy's MRI. The ENT's office called to say that the MRI showed no indication of a tumor! This means that she does have Meniere's Syndrome, a manageable condition. I have had this for about 9 years and it is managed pretty well with a diuretic and very low sodium diet. The low sodium diet is also good for high blood pressure. All of these ailments that are associated with ageing seem to be inter-mingled.

Anyway, we're tickled with this outcome. As soon as we get a few more doctor appointments out of the way, we plan to slip off to Kerrville with the Airstream for a few more days downtime before school starts on the 25th. Our son John will be joining us for this trip.

The weather is still hot and DRY in South Texas. The two tropical storms that threatened us so far this summer did not bring much rain to San Antonio.

Hanging out at the pool

Clayton is enjoying being back home and getting in some swimming lessons at our neighborhood pool. He's doing well.... Peggy has seen her primary doctor who referred her to an ENT. She's now seen the ear doctor and he wants an MRI to rule out a possible tumor. His diagnosis at this time is leaning towards Meniere's Syndrome, a malfunction of fluid in the inner ear. I have that so we know that's treatable and manageable. We'll be grateful if that's all this is. The MRI is the 6th so we'll report after that.

On a sad note, a colleague, Rick from SACU (from whom I retired) was killed in an auto accident yesterday. Just a sudden loss of a friend who was a couple of years away from retirement and who was really looking forward to it. I went by work today and visited with a lot of my work friends. Something about a tragedy like this makes you want to re-connect with your "family".

I have to say that this is one of the unexpected impacts of retirement. Leaving people behind with whom you've worked and spent so many years is harder than I thought. I'm not sure there's a solution for it...

Back Home again in San Antonio

Tuesday found us unpacking the truck and trailer and getting Peggy to her doctor. She's referring her to an ENT for her vertigo and tinnitus. We're glad she's getting this attention. We are also thinking that, when she feels better, we might take a trip close by for a few days. I'll fill you in later.

Final Catch Up of Adventure

Saturday, Peggy awoke with the vertigo and nausea again.  We’re now getting quite concerned and are about to terminate our trip and head back home for medical diagnosis and treatment.  We hate to cut the trip short, but we need to find out what’s wrong with Peggy. 

Saturday, Peggy’s sister Ann, her husband Jerry and their sons Jonathan and Joseph joined us for lunch and a good visit.  Then we packed and loaded ready for an early departure Sunday morning.

Sunday was a good travel day.  We made it all the way to Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles, Louisiana, almost in Texas.  The park is nice and I got some good RV parking tips from my next-door neighbor.  Tip #1:  Adjust your right mirror down so you can see your trailer/RV wheels and it makes backing so much easier!  Louisiana definitely wins an award for the number and quality of their state parks.  We passed at least 5 state parks just along I-10/I-12.  With good fortune, we should be back in San Antonio tomorrow night.  No internet access here so we’ll have to post this tomorrow.

Monday, we had another good travel day and made it home about 4 PM.  In Houston, we dropped by that Channelview Supply again and stocked up on a few supplies for the Airstream.

Catching Y'all Up 2

Thursday we’re off to Childersburg to visit my mother’s sister, Aunt Elizabeth who’s 91 years young.  We had a great visit and some of her famous potato salad.  Returning to Birmingham, we visited my mother’s grave and I showed Peggy and Clayton where I spent many of my pre-teen years on Valleydale Road, in the house behind Bryan Memorial Presbyterian Church that was built sixty years ago for a young 35 year-old widow and her 4 youngsters.  That evening, Peggy had another bout with vertigo and nausea.

Friday was a good day, with a visit from Mary Ann and Donald and their 7 year-old grandson, Kevin.  Kevin and Clayton spent a lot of time in the pool where Kevin demonstrated his skill in jumping off the high board for his grandpa.    (See above)   We were treated to a BBQ lunch at the famous Top Hat BBQ Café in Blount Springs.  In the evening, Peggy’s sister Ann and her family treated us to supper at Cracker Barrel, We picked up a piece of strawberry pie and dropped it off to Aunt Pauline at the nursing home.  (She loves anything with strawberries!)

Catching Y'all Up 1

Tuesday was a workday.  My sister Sally allowed me to plane down one of her doors that wouldn’t close properly.  I figured I owed her that chore for all of the mischief that I had caused her when we were children.  Those of you who have older sisters will know how boys love to harass them and reject their instructions.  I’m afraid to tell about all of my misdeeds as there may be no statute of limitations on some of the acts.  Handymen will be pleased to know that it took me 3 trips to the home improvement store and two trips to Wal-Mart to finally finish the task.  The following day, my lower back spoke to me all day long about the stretching that I had done all day on the ladder.  Yes, I know I should have removed the door, but I was taking the “short cut”.

 

Wednesday, we drove back to Rickwood and as we arrived at the trailer, Peggy discovered that she had left her purse at Sally’s.  That provided me the opportunity to turn around and drive the 50 miles back to Arab to retrieve the purse.  It was a nice drive, all three times.  In the evening, we had a great visit with Donald and Mary Ann in Gardendale.

Ten Days on the road

Yesterday, we had a good day at my sister Sally's.  We don't get a chance to visit very often.  Her daughter Karen with her daughter Andrea and her daughter Addison came for dinner and we enjoyed meeting Addison for the first time.

North Alabama is beautiful.  Lush and green.  We could sure have used some of the rain during our South Texas drought this year.

Today we head back down to Birmingham for a little more R & R.  We're beginning to adjust to this mobile lifestyle.

Catching up for a few days

We’re required to write off-line for a few days, as we don’t have wi-fi access.  We’ll post these when we can.

Saturday Peggy and Clayton worked on Clayton’s schoolwork and we enjoyed the park during the day.  In the evening, we had dinner with Marty and Chantal and had a terrific visit.  Their apartment is lovely and is located in the Garden District.  The meal was gourmet and the company was delightful!  Marty gave Clayton a large metal airplane that is yellow, Clayton’s favorite color.

Sunday, we launched from New Orleans on one of the longer legs of the trip.  371 miles to Birmingham.  The trip was uneventful, with clear and sunny weather until we approached Birmingham.  There, the bottom fell out!  Rained so hard that, if I could have safely done so, I would have pulled over and waited it out.  We arrived at Rickwood Caverns State Park around 5 PM to greet another rain shower.  The park, located just north of Birmingham, is nice with only 13 campsites but a large swimming pool and many hiking trails.

Monday, we enjoyed the park.  Clayton went swimming and got his schoolwork done.  Then we went down to Birmingham and visited Peggy’s Aunt Pauline, 91 years old.  She’s doing quite well, having fallen a number of times with no resulting broken bones.  Peggy’s sister Ann and her husband Jerry met us there so we had a chance to visit with them.  We drove to Arab to spend a couple of days with my sister.

Seeing the Crescent City

Today we re-connected with our dear friends Marty & Chantal, residents of New Orleans.  Chantal and Marty were good friends when we were first married and living in Terre Haute, Indiana over 40 years ago.  Chantal accompanied us to visit the Audubon Insectarium, a brand new museum in downtown New Orleans.  This fantastic  re-use of the Customs House has just opened and in fact will be having its Grand Opening in two days.  What a treat!  Clayton had a ball, even daring to eat a fried insect (Crispy Cricket).  See photo

On to New Orleans

The Dodge and the Airstream travelled well to New Orleans today.  We arrived at Bayou Segnette State Park across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans about 6 PM.  With our National Park Service Golden Age pass, the campsite daily fee is a whopping $9.oo a night.  

Upon leaving Houston, we discovered Channelview Supply, a treasure-chest seller of RV parts and supplies where we found exactly the part we needed to fix our sewage hose problem. This after the Airstream dealer in Houston said our 20-year old trailer might be too old for us to be able to obtain the odd-size part.

The campsite is great!  As we ate supper outside, we were joined by 3 rabbits and an armadillo.

Day Four ... Good health news!

Peggy was feeling good enough this morning to be ambulatory so we got her down to Kingwood, Texas to see Dr. Melissa Young, coincidentally a graduate of the Medical School at University Health Science Center - San Antonio.  Dr. Young and her P.A. diagnosed a sinus infection, administered an injection and sent a better-feeling Peggy on her way with some antibiotics.

Clayton's waiting now for thunderstorms to pass so he can get in another swim before leaving.

We plan to stay in New Caney tonight and head to New Orleans in the morning, only a day behind our original schedule.

Whew, what a relief!  For a while, we were afraid that we might have to return to San Antonio.

Day three ... a little setback

Steven changed his mind last night and really wanted to go home.  So we took him after having a great day with Clayton and Steven enjoying each other.  Then we picked Steven up this morning and brought him back to the RV Park so he and Clayton could swim.  They did and enjoyed the water until the thunder forced them out!

Peggy is really sick today: dizziness, nausea, etc.  She had these symptoms before leaving home last week but attributed them to being over-tired.  So, we may stay in New Caney an extra day and see how she's feeling.  We're a little reluctant to travel further from home until we know what's going on and how she's going to feel.  She's resting now.

Day two... We see Steven

We're settling in to this trailer living.  Makes you appreciate all that room you have back home to bounce around in.  We picked up Steven this morning to spend a night with us.  Clayton and Steven were thrilled to see each other!

The park is on this small lake nestled in the pine trees.

The boys are each enjoying playing with his brother.

Day One! (We're underway!)

We got off a little later than planned this morning but we did get off.  Intermittent rain while we were loading...even that delay was welcomed.  Our dog, Speedy survived her first ever day of travel.  She's our watchdog tonight here in New Caney, just north of Houston.  We're staying at Lone Star Lake RV Park, a quiet location on Highway 59.

Believe it or not, we got all trailer connections  made: water, electric, sewer, etc. and then had sandwiches for supper.  We forgot to turn on the refrigerator for the first two hours, but even that's OK now.  I'm sure we'll get this check list down by the time we tear down and set up the trailer nine more times on this trip.

There's not very much nice to say about Houston's traffic, so I'll let that be.

Clayton's writing a daily journal, too even as I type this.

Almost ready...

Got Clayton from camp yesterday. He had a ball. Those Texas Elks do a great job with these kids.

We've just finished loading the truck and trailer and the sky opened! Welcome rain to San Antonio. We'll leave in the morning. Pamela had to cancel as she is under the weather.

Getting loaded (the trailer)

We're getting packed today. We'll get Clayton from camp this evening. South Texas has had some welcome rain this week... a relief from our record drought this year.

I'm learning the art and mechanics of blogging so please be patient with me.

Happy Birthday, America!

Countdown to Departure

Well, only three more days until Peggy, Clayton and Knox depart for our six-week, first-ever Airstream adventure. We've planned this for a few months and are almost ready. I pick up Clayton tomorrow at Elks camp. Our daughter, Pamela will be joining us on the first leg to Houston to visit with her son, Steven, who is Clayton's biological brother. We're late in life to be taking up trailering and camping but we've had a good role model in my brother Conrad who with his wife Rita have camped for many years.