So Here Is the Story

I contemplated to tell or not to tell. I decided since I goaded you I should tell.

About three weeks ago I popped up with an abscess on my nether regions. I have been battling this issue since October and usually a round of antibiotics does the trick. This time has been a bit tougher. I took antibiotics for a week and then started having spots show up on my stomach and legs. I had had MRSA in October too and these spots looked a lot like that. I went to the doc and he put me on two more weeks of antibiotics. Even after seeing the doc I had more spots pop up on my back side. I am about 5 days away from being done with the meds and all the spots have finally come to a head except one that is right on my butt cheek. So it has been agonizing to sit for any length of time. Imagine being at work all day then coming home and sitting. I didn't want to do it and was miserable trying to get comfortable. Then imagine a 4 hours drive home 2 x each weekend. Well get ready for the hard part.

I saw the doc on Monday and the Saturday before I was at my sewing group. On the way home it was raining and I noticed that my rear windshield would not come clean. I made a mental note that I needed to replace the wiper blade. I made a few stops on the way home and after my last stop I noticed a sound that I knew was not good. I went to the garage I like to use and ultimately they discovered that my engine was completely empty of oil. I contacted the dealer and got my car up there via a tow. They thought it was only a hose but would thoroughly check it out. I told them I really needed my car Monday and they delivered! It was ready by 9.

Last Monday the 20th (I usually come home on Sunday) I was driving back to Monroe. I had this little cough and just assumed it was allergies. It turned into a killer of a cold. I was sipping cold medicine trying to keep the cough and sore throat at bay. Coughing hard hurt...see above paragraph. I decided I would just stay in Monroe that following weekend so I could sleep and get some much needed rest and try to get over this cold. Monday night I was talking to dh and he told me he had a bad pain in his stomach. I didn't think too much of it as he has pains from time to time. We spoke the next day and he didn't feel any better and could not get comfortable. I told him it sounded like his gall bladder. He called and made a doc appointment and was seen the next day. I got a call at work from dh that the doc wanted him to admit himself. His belly was full of fluid and they didn't know why. I went and told my boss and went straight to the apartment, packed and grabbed lunch as I headed out of town.

Once I was on the road I called my neighbor and told her what was going on. He couldn't drive because he had some vertigo. He wanted to wait the 4 hours it would take me to drive home. I asked her to take him and she agreed. I called him and told him NOT to wait and to go with her to the ER. I complied. I made calls as I went home to arrange for the kids care until I could get home. I got home and rested for a short time. Took care of the dogs and other little things. Then dd and I headed to the ER to see what the situation was. Without going through all the minutiae he was diagnosed with pancreatitis as a result of passing a gall stone that blocked the ducts for both organs. As an added bonus it super aggravated his liver (he is waiting for a transplant) and caused severe jaundice. I have never seen someone literally yellow like this.
I left the ER and didn't go back until Friday when he thought he was getting out. He ultimately was made to stay another day. As soon as I sat down I fell asleep. Miserable. I repeated the visit the next day after he told me he was ready to get out. He was going to be released the doc that needed to release him just hadn't shown up after being paged 2.5 hours earlier. I fell asleep again. DH took pity on me and just walked out. Some call it self-released.

I have had my gall bladder out and in the process knew to avoid spicy and fatty foods. I told him as much and he ignored my advice. For the next 2 days he ate the fattiest foods and complained of not feeling well.....but I digress.

While dh was in the hospital ds complained of not feeling well and thinking he had caught a cold as well. He missed 2 days of school. We tried to get everything under control and thought we had. I returned to Monroe on Sunday. Monday morning ds calls me short of breath and not feeling well. We ultimately sent him to school as it was TAKS testing (state required tests) and we didn't want him to miss them. We also could use the nurse to help us. She assessed the situation and talked to his doctors. He had to go to the ER. With fighting the cold and diabetes he just couldn't keep the diabetes in control. They worked all day on him and had him to the point where they thought he could go home. Suddenly one of his labs went the wrong way and he spent the night after being admitted. He was released the next day and is fine now.

While all the above is going on my Dad started chemo the same day that my dh went to the ER. I was planning to go see him but will not as long as I am sick. It hurts me that I can't go yet. After 4 months of chemo he will have to have his bladder removed. He found out that he has small cell cancer which is very aggressive. They did a scan before chemo and the scan shows the cancer is still contained in the bladder. That is good news.

Dad's sister was admitted to the hospital with some issues. We are getting very poor news. They feel she has cancer but have not been able to identify where it is. They have drained a lot of fluid and are giving her pain management until they can resolve the issue. My dad is bothered that he isn't getting info and really doesn't need to be in the hospital just having completed chemo. He had a blood test and popped by for a minute but that didn't give him much more information than before.

So...this past Monday while dealing with ds we got the news that dh is now #1 on the liver transplant list. While they were in the process of getting him moved up the list they found something abnormal in a heart test. He will be having a heart cath in the coming weeks to see what the issue is. Once that is done, straight to the top of the list. I have mixed emotions here. Once dh has the transplant he will require 3 months of 24 x 7 care. Not constant nursing but he cannot be left alone. I was trying to figure out what we are going to do about this. My job requires that I be here in Monroe. My boss from the consulting firm showed up on Tuesday. He told me he had gone to my boss at the company I am consulting for and arranged for me to work from home once dh has the transplant. Let me tell you nothing made me teary except them working out this arrangement. I am so relieved and appreciative of them for doing this. They said I had proven myself the times I have had to work from home and they knew they could rely on me.

So my plate has been a little overflowing. I have been miserable. But I feel much better and things are improving in many areas here. Thanks for your ear. I can't wait to be able to sew again!!