Saturday, December 21, 2019

Merry Christmas To All....

  This is what it look like after the two snow days we got . But the past three days it's been melting.
  Ted doesn't shovel snow and I was not suppose to. .. So Ted clear a little path on the porch and I did a path to the mailbox.  This snow will be gone in a couple more days, as the temperatures are going into the high 40's  and low 50's.    The weathergirl said 88 more days till Spring. Hooray.
  This is the top of my oldest daughter's tree. Her dad and I bought this angel when Angie was three weeks old. So I have given it to her.  She cherishes it.
  Ted is doing  better as the weeks go by. He has a couple appointments this coming week. Then will have maintenance chemo at the end of the month.  It still takes his energy a few weeks to come back after the chemo.
  I went to the chiropractor after I took those inflammation meds for 10 days. He popped my spine back into line. Told me to not carry wood , shovel snow , or dance the twist.  Well I won't be doing any of that for awhile. :) Slowly feeling better and the pain has eased enough that one extra strength tylenol takes care of it.  Thanks for all your prayers and kind wishes.  You have helped us so much.
  Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas.  A blessed New Year of good health and happiness. XO

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Lots To Do..

 There's a ton of things to do....but I am not able to do one..not one at this time.  My back's been out for three weeks now. I thank our Lord that Ted is better and able to help me. Although , last night it took both of us to warm up a can of soup. I started it , had it on the stove and Ted had to take over.  Sad. :)
   Ted is driving himself to his chemo in Noblesville this week. So thankful it is closer to home.  He had help early this week from his brother who took him to Carmel for his heart scan. He will be hearing the results next week when he goes back to his heart doctor.  I , myself have had three chiropractor visits and one late night E.R. trip. When in E.R. I got a morphine  shot and a pain pill to take home. Which proceeded to make me very sick to my stomach. After three days of no sleep, severe pain and taking tylenols and praying for help, I went to our G.P. He ordered an nsaid for inflammation and I now am feeling a bit better . I still can not walk far, lift anything ,or be more than a lump on the sofa, but I am praying I get better. Ted and I can still laugh, that helps us both. We are not ready for the land of misfits yet.  LOL
 Not sure when I will be back. I will try to visit all of you. I miss my blog pals. I am thinking of all of you and do want to wish you a beautiful Christmas.  XO

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Cold Days.....

  The wind and cold have really taken the leaves from the trees. I have raked about an acre of leaves into piles. Ted helped me haul them to the woods. I would rake them onto a tarp and he helped me pull them on the trailer and he drove the lawnmower to pull the trailer. Of course he wore his special mask.
 The cold has moved in and seems to be hanging on. Record breaking temperatures...low ones that is.
  Thank goodness there's been glorious sunsets.
Yesterday was Ted's doctor appointment at the bone marrow clinic.  He had good lab numbers. The dr was happy with his progress. He has a week of every other day of one med, then it will be done.Otherwise his meds stayed the same. The dr said he would call the dr that treated Ted with the big chemo , so Ted can get his maintenance chemo at that hospital...it will be closer, Less than half the distance to where we are going now. That will be a blessing in bad weather.
   Oh my goodness, I tried my best to get Ted to reschedule his appointment.  We had icy roads in our county, scary too. But south of us they had less snow and their roads were so much better.
   Thank you to all , for the good wishes, thoughts and prayers. This month it has been a year since Ted 's cancer diagnosis. Almost 7 months since his bone marrow transplant. With the good doctors, nurses and everyone's  kindnesses ,we have made it this far.  Bless you. XO



Thursday, October 31, 2019

Good News and Cold Winds....


 You can see a bit of snow on the railing of the porch.  High wind warnings are out for our state today. Possibly 30 to 40 miles an hour or higher. Brr. There is snow in that wind also. I am cold, not ready for this kind of weather.
 You can see the frost on the porch floor from the other morning.  Just hoping it kills off all the bugs. LOL
  Ted and I went to the bone marrow clinic on Tuesday. The  nurse took lots of blood for labs. One will be the "Who's who" that is to see what percentage  of Ted's bone marrow is donor now.  It was 100% in July, then 98 % in August, then 96% in Sept. It needs  to be 100%..
    Ted's hemoglobin is now 13.5 , that is the best it's been since before last November . When he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, it was 5.5 then.  His white cells are good, his platelets need to be better. But all in all , Dr. Tandra of the bone marrow clinic says Ted is coming along nicely. Getting better with his energy and breathing. He also changed Ted's meds . Lowered the steroid he is taking. It will take about a month to get it lowered and done with, so Ted can get his baby shots.
 I want to thank all of you out there for the prayers and well wishes. You are helping us in so many ways. We are truly grateful. Bless you. XO

Friday, October 25, 2019

Changes Happening....

  The weather is certainly changing. It's cold in the mornings and some nights. The trees are changing colors. Looking so pretty. Sunsets that make me smile.
  Farmers are harvesting like mad...rain due tomorrow.  This Cragill's has trucks lined up at times. Not in this photos, but trust me the farmers are there.
  Our water town south of town.
 Getting those long shadows on the shop in the late afternoons.  I feel winter is near but not looking forward to it at all.
  Ted is doing much better. He did receive a call from the Heart Center , that he will be getting tested to see if his heart has been scarred from the chemo. They are booked till December.  But Ted sees the bone marrow drs. next week. I think they will schedule maintenance chemo again and a breathing treatment.  I am so thankful to all of you who have sent us good wishes and offered prayers for us.  It is working,  thank so much, beautiful people.
   I would like for you to pray for our neighbor please. Gary is the man that has been mowing for us, since Ted is not allowed to mow this year. Too many molds  and fungi.  Gary loves to cut wood and stack it for his fireplace. He was cutting wood today and tripped and broke his hip. He was taken to our local hospital, then transferred to Indianapolis , and they will do a surgery on his hip. Please  pray for him, he is a good man , has been so kind to all. Thank you. XO

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Cool & Colorful....

 Our Japanese maple is a pretty little tree . It's red and yet when it's autumn it gets a different shade of red. The setting sun lights it up.
 There's some pretty changes going on in our area.  Not yet peak season for fall color, but getting there.
 Bright and firey skies late in the day.  We have had beautiful clear skies and some cloudy one also. The air is much chillier. Frost in the mornings.
 This is an up date on Ted's doctor visits. We when to the bone marrow dr this week. He lower one of Ted's meds. Took the picc line out, so glad about that. Ted's blood work showed his counts are up again. We do not go back there for two weeks, unless something should change.
  We also went to see Ted's heart doctor. The one that put a stint in Ted's heart almost 20 years ago. He went over Ted's med sheet and cancer/bone marrow records. Thoroughly examined Ted  and set up a Doppler of Ted's heart at the hospital two blocks away. We go get the Doppler and the nurse says it looks very good, and tells us we can leave now.
  We go have some lunch then come home. Once we get home the heart dr's office calls and says we need to go back they did not do the other test the doctor wanted done. Ted tell them I'll come back tomorrow , set it up. then  the heart doctor's office calls and says that another exam will be set up at a totally different Heart Center near Indianapolis, in Carmel.  So we are waiting for that test to be scheduled and then we go from there. The Doppler showed that Ted's heart squeeze is back to where it was before all the chemo  and that is good news. The heart doctor wants the extra tests done to see if there has been any scarring of  Ted's heart muscles. Wish we could get a break from all the doctors and tests .
 Thank you dear blog family and friends for all your kind words and prayers. XO

Friday, October 11, 2019

Autumn Colors......

  The corn across the road is a golden brown now. The farmers are harvesting corn and soybeans. Combines are running up and downs the roads. Wagons pulled by tractors and trucks, even semis hauling the grain to Cargills, the co-op and storage silos.
  Mums  and asters  are bloomed and showing pretty colors.
  Still some flying things around the sedum. This is a hardy plant.
 Catching some wonderful sunsets. Since I still need help with my computer ,plus some schooling for me would surely help, I am posting some old photos....but year after year some of the flowers and the crops never change. :)
  This is an up date on Ted. We left at 8 on Tuesday and got back home at 3:45 , drove directly to CVS.  When we arrived at the hospital,Ted had a pulmonary test in the heart clinic part of Franciscan Hosp. , then we drove to the bone marrow corner of the hospital, Franciscan is a huge medical complex.  Then Ted was checked out by the N.P. , the nurses and  Dr. Akard.  He had vitals taken, lab work, and then had the breathing treatment.
 The doctor ordered new meds and we go back to the clinic next week. The newer meds seem to be helping Ted . He seems to have more pep. ...alertness, I guess. He has no energy to do more than walk or drive.  But then what can he do till he is finished with a few more months of  breathing treatments and chemo maintenance.  It's exhausting, all of it. Thank you all once again for your kind prayers and words. We both appreciate you so much. XO

Friday, October 4, 2019

Bits Of Fall....

  Love catching the setting sun when I can.
  There's been an abundance of these yellow butterflies this year.  I love them all.
  Here's a few things from the Horton's store in town.  I have to tell you this story. I saw a cat in the backyard a month ago. I thought, "Whose cat is that ?" Then it rose up and flew into the back woods. LOL. It was a great horned owl.  At near twilight it looked like a cat on the ground.  Well I have not seen those rabbits any more either. :)
  Throw nothing away, make pumpkins instead.
 Now these metal ones would be a bit of work. :)   I would like some for the porch., but am happy with my cloth pumpkins in a basket.
   Tuesday Ted and I went to the bone marrow clinic in Indy, at the Franciscan hospital.  Dr. Akard, did not say for sure what had happened to Ted to cause the fever. He did say he wanted Ted to got to the heart clinic, in the same building for a breathing test. Then he will be going back to the bone marrow clinic right afterwards. This will take place next Wednesday.  They have a hold on the maintenance chemo for this month. In the mean time  Dr. ordered an inhaler for Ted and a steroid med.
 I do not see much energy in Ted. He seems to be tiring easier. He really isn't doing anything but a little walking. Ted also has an appointment with his heart doctor later this month. I pray that visit will help Ted. I think he needs to be back on some of his original heart meds.
  Please keep praying for Ted. I am so grateful to all of you. XO



Saturday, September 28, 2019

Things Are Better....



  I love to see the setting sun make shadows on the shop.
 Beautiful skies and some hot days and a couple of low humidity days that were wonderful.
 I have my pumpkins make of old sweaters on the mantle.
 My owls are sitting with them.
A little BOO sign.  That's about all I will have for Halloween.
  Ted got to come home from the hospital Friday afternoon. He was tired. But this morning he is more like himself. A bit of energy and moving around better.  Of course his med list is a bit different. So I will have to watch that I give him the newer meds also.  I am so glad he is back home and no fevers. They pumped him full of antibiotics and had him on oxygen, while in the hospital. Thankfully all that, the nurses/doctors ,and all your prayers have worked for him. I am so very grateful. Thank you so much. XO

Monday, September 23, 2019

Pumpkins / Update....

 Remember this huge pumpkin? I think this picture is 2 years old. In the town of Alexandria, a man grows these big pumpkins .
 He loads them with a block and tackle onto a trailer. I am not sure where they take them. Look at the watermelons too.
 Mums from last year, they are just blooming now.  I have still to get my grandson 's help with my computer, so no new photos.
   This is a bit of an up date about Ted. He is getting better, but still in the hospital. He is on oxygen for a few more days.  He has not had fever for about three days now. Eating well and able to get up to go to the restroom. Still getting antibiotics in his IV. Thank you for all the kind prayers and well wishes. Each one has helped us so much.  XO

Thursday, September 19, 2019

What's Happening....

  Monday Ted went to clinic with his brother Mic. They were gone a long time getting home at about 3:30, The drs. gave Ted two liters of fluids while he was at the clinic and did their assessment. When he came in the house I looked at him and knew he had a fever.  I was not happy. How could they send him home like that ,after laughing at the list I had made of how many times I had taken his temperature. So I just kept ice packs on him and cold drinks and cool cloths. Gave him Tylenol. Check his temps thru the night.
  Tuesday at 3:30 in the morning, his temp was 102. 4...I told him get your shoes on we are going to the hospital. Oh I have not driven after dark for some time...still waiting to get cataract surgery...I got us to to Tipton's I.U.Health. They took Ted vitals. Ordered Tylenol. took blood and urine, and a chest x-ray. The E.R. dr says he has pneumonia.  She orders antibiotics. I tell her you can not give those to him without checking with his bone marrow drs. So she calls them and gets them to  approve.
 I drive us back home , which really was tough, because people were heading to work and their lights were blinding for me. Ted did well for about 3 hours and then he's got the fever again. I call the bone marrow clinic and they say come in on Thursday . I can't seem to get his fever down as fast as before, so I call them back. They tell us to come on Wednesday. In the mean time, I cancel all my own procedures ., that I had scheduled for Wednesday.
  Ted 's golf friend takes him down to clinic in Indy...while I dip all the water out of my washing machine , which seems to have conked out. I truly am about to have myself committed. If you knew all the things that have broken and been replaced since Ted's diagnoses you would understand why.
  When Ted gets to clinic he has a fever, so now they know !!! They admit him to the 4th floor bone marrow unit of the Franciscan hospital. Too doors down from the room Ted received his transplant in. Today they did a test on his bronchial tubes. The dr calls me and says they are keeping him a couple days more to see if any bacteria comes out of his lungs.
  My granddaughter's job took her to Indy today and she went to see papaw Ted. He was doing well. Getting IV's.  I have talked with him on the phone. Told him about the new washer I bought today. Ha.
 I am asking my blog family once again for your prayers. We need them so much at this time. Please. I will forever be grateful. XO











Monday, September 16, 2019

Asking For Prayers....

  Today is Ted's dr's. appointment. It at least got moved up by one day.
 Ted had a bad week this past week. No energy, some diarrhea and some fevers. We called the clinic and spoke with the dr. He said just keep an eye one it, not to let it get to 101. 5 for four hours or more.
 Well it never lasted that long, because I would put ice packs on Ted and give him cool drinks. The fever would break. That has gone on all week too.
 Ted spoke with the nurse on Thursday and told her about his temperatures. So they moved the day up one. :( Wish it had been about 4 days earlier.
    Saturday was a baby shower for my grandson's baby. Ted's daughter came to be with him while I was gone one and a half hours. I always feel guilty if I leave him.
 While all this is happening, I am trying to prep for a double scoping...yikes.  I wanted to cancel for the 3rd time...but Ted said, no , he would get his brother to go with him today.  So today I have to do my running around and get things ready. I start the process tomorrow....and it sounds yucky.
   So asking everyone to pray for my Teddy .I am so thankful for all of your sweet words, wishes and prayers. Thanks so much. XO

Monday, September 2, 2019

Great Weekend....

  Two weeks ago, I finished up the staining of the deck. It takes me about a whole week to do it. Too old to crawl around on my hand and knees.
 This weekend, I went to Horton's to look around with my daughter and granddaughter. We did get fudge to take back home. All this fudge is make by the Horton family. So many flavors and so tasty. The Fall Market will be on the 21st of Sept. So not that far from now.  I bought a table topper cloth (can be a big dish towel. ) and some paper napkins.  Angie got a garden flag and fudge. :)
  One store in town is stocking up on fall decorations.
Mums are in the garden stores too. I love seeing the colorful assortments.  Angie wants a big yellow one for her front porch steps.
  Ted had a two day fishing trip with his brother and son. He enjoyed just being with them at the camp ground. He said he did catch a big fish but never got it in the boat. :)  It was good for him to have that bit of time , just doing normal things.  That is why I was out with my daughter looking at mums. I certainly enjoyed my time out. Went to lunch and laughed so much. We all needed that. Plus I got to sort a tote of crafting things for my sister-in -law. A bag of old clothing for Goodwill too.  It's a start.
  Today starts Ted's week of maintenance chemo. His brother Mic took him this morning. So that gives me time to do more sorting and laundry.  Ted will get blood work and his IV drip chemo , then Tuesday , Wednesday, and Friday, it's just the IV chemo, Thursday will be the chemo and a breathing treatment. The breathing treatment is to prevent the pneumonia that bone marrow patients can get. He could have taken meds for prevention,  for 6 months, but the drs. thought the treatment would work out better. .They watch all his vitals while he is taking it.
   Hope all of you had a good Labor Day weekend. Praying for everyone in the hurricane's path. Please be safe.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Please Stay Summertime....

 Try as I might I can not stop time. I want our summer to last longer this year, because it was forever before I could start to enjoy it.  This weekend is the "End Of Summer " days in my daughter town of Rossville.  They will have a parade, crafts, foods, and plenty of celebrating there. I used to love to go and see the grandkids on floats. LOL
 I will be putting out  some fall decoration here. The leafy wreath on the door...that I got for one dollar at a yard sale. This little metal sign.
 I do have marigolds that actually came up from where I had planted them last year.  Sweet !!!
 Having wonderful sunsets here. Today is blue skies and puffy white clouds and low humidity ...forecast for the entire weekend. Hooray.
    Ted and I went to Indy for his check up. That two weeks off went way too fast. He had great vitals. Good blood work. His blood work from 3 weeks ago , that was called "Who's who" , where they see how much of Ted bone marrow is the donor's and how much is Ted's old self.  In July it was 100 percent donor, today they had the results of that  blood test from 3 weeks ago...it was 95 percent donor and 5 percent Ted...they want to start watching closer. So Ted gets another check up in two weeks and a maintenance chemo....oh by the way the dr. said he wants it there in Indy, not in Noblesville (which is closer to us). So another week of that crazy traffic.
   Ted played a round of golf this past Tuesday. He said he did not keep score but enjoyed it so much. He was with two of his golf pals.  He was a bit sore the next morning, but by the following day, he was fine. But he did say he will wait for cooler days as the heat was exhausting. He had to wear long pants, sleeves, hat and gloves....so as not to burn in the sun.
   Hope all of you are doing well. Thank you for your sweet prayers and kind wishes. XO love you.