Happy Birthday to Mary's favorite!!

Happy 50th Tom.. Your Mom and Dad are smiling down on you.. I so wish your Mom was here to see you on this day.. Up at the cabin.. listening to Martin Zellar...We were all so looking forward to it!!  I love you!!

Rainbow

Good morning.

As we've been preparing for the next two days, we would like to request that celebratory colors are worn.  If you're comfortable, throw on your favorite fashion as Mom was all about bright colors and she would want her send off to look like a rainbow!  A bit unconventional, but we just thought it might be something she would love!

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
 I am not there.  I do not sleep
  I am a thousand winds that blow
   I am the diamond glints on snow
    I am the gentle autumn rain
  When you awaken in the morning's rush
 I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds of circling flight
I am the soft star that shines at night.
  Do not stand at my grave and cry.
      I am not there
           I did not die!
                 -Mary Elizabeth Frye

You Are My Sunshine

Mary ordered up an absolutely beautiful day for us!  The sun is bright and we feel the warmth of her love upon us!  It's still hard to believe that yesterday happened.

I want you all to know that things happened very rapidly yesterday and we were all shocked at how quickly things deteriorated.  She was still relatively alert when we brought her into the ER.  Once her pain was managed she said she felt so much better.  Her friend Roger McCullough came and read Psalm 23 and prayed with Mary.  It was powerful and Mom was so pleased.  It was a very significant moment and really put her at peace.  She was not alert to any degree after he left.  Thank you Roger for providing such a gift.  Words can never express how grateful  we are for the comfort you gave her.

Mary passed with family, and grandchildren at her side.  We were all paying over her and during the Lords Prayer Mom took her last breath.  Thank you God for your mercy in acting so swiftly.

Wake 4pm-9pm
Sunday, March 10th
7pm-Prayer service
Washburn-McReavy
1827 Coon Rapids Blvd
Coon Rapids
763-757-1000

Funeral
Monday, March 11
St Timothy's Catholic Church
707 NE 89th Street
Blaine
9am viewing
10am service
Luncheon immediately following

Burial to follow luncheon
Morningside Cemetery
11800 University Ave North
Coon Rapids

Celebration

For those of you that would like to come celebrate Mary's life and legacy we will be at Mary's place tonight.  You're welcome to come by anytime after 6:00pm

We will post wake and funeral arrangements as they fall into place!

KK

Rest in Peace

Mary passed peacefully at 2:54 pm.

The Lord is My Shepherd

Mary's earthly journey is nearing a close.  Her condition has worsened while at Mercy and we have moved fully into hospice care.  She has been resting and is not alert, but we know she feels our presence.

Even though I walk
 through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
 for you are with me
Psalm 23:4

Decisions

Mary is settled in the ER.  They've administered pain medication and an IV.  She is resting now, in relative comfort.

We are at the painful point of making some very difficult decisions with regard to Mary's care.  The Doctor explained that his #1 priority is to make Mom comfortable.  Beyond that we will be having to discuss a plan for Hospice care.  We will know more and I will update when I can.

KK

Mercy

After a much better day yesterday Mary took a turn and requested her family. She is in a tremendous amount of pain. We are on our way back to Mercy

Circus

I'm speechless.  Today has been a crazy day.  Mary went to Mercy hospital, but by 7pm she was being discharged as they didn't have room for her!  She is honestly in no condition to be moved but the hospital did so anyway. Given the severe dehydration she has been a bit confused and delusional.  Not really making a whole lot of sense.  We hope that will change as she gets food and fluids.   She is now back at Camilla Rose, and our hope is that they'll give her IV fluids there so we don't have this issue again.  Bill, Annie and Jimbo are going to meet with the nurses in the morning to discuss IV's and plans going forward.  I'm actually going to drive up in the a.m to help out and spend some time with Mom, so this will be my final update until tomorrow evening.

KK
(Tom's Wife)

ps..I know many of you have inquired about visiting.  Please do so.  We're not sure how much longer she'll be at Camilla Rose, but she is there for now.  Her phone # is 763-489-3633 if you would like to call in advance.  She loves having people there in the room with her.  Although she may not be chatty, she has commented numerous times that she always feels better when people are there with her.

Quick Report

Not a ton to report!  Mary is at Mercy Hospital for now being treated for severe dehydration.  She is hooked to an IV and her blood work all came back good.  Had they waited to take her to the hospital things would've been very dire.  In order to go back to Camilla Rose she needs to be able to eat and drink, on her own.  To that end they are working to find solutions.  They gave her some medication called "magic mouthwash" which will help her esophagus.  She may have a fungal infection which could be the cause of all the discomfort.   She did order some jello so we'll see how she manages that and go from there...

KK

Transport

This word has so many meanings to me.  Right now I just want someone to transport my whole family to Minnesota so we can be by Mary's side.  I also wish someone would just transport me to an easier time when this darn cancer didn't ravage those I love!

Literally, as I write, Mary is waiting for transport to Mercy hospital.  She is severely dehydrated and has not eaten in multiple days.  They will be putting her on an IV and although not thrilled to be going back to the hospital she said she'll go anywhere if it will make her feel better.  She sounded weak when we spoke as she has thrown up twice.  I pray that the transport comes soon so they can start fluids.

I will update the blog again as soon as she is at the hospital and I get word of how she is doing!

Where ever you are and whatever you're doing please stop and take a moment to say some prayers.

KK

Cross Roads

Up until today I always thought of a cross-road as a fork in the road.  An opportunity to choose what road to travel when they intersect.  To stay on the path that is familiar or to turn off and go in a different direction.  Mary is at a cross-road but it is of a very different kind.  It's not the kind we typically think of.

The Oncologist appointment today was relatively routine.  The protocol is to continue pain management.  They're going to try a medication that will help the discomfort when she swallows.  She is having such issues that eating has become extremely difficult.  The Doctor re-iterated that she needs to make monumental progress in her mobility in order to resume chemo.  She is starting to develop pressure sores, so movement is so important.  We don't want the sores to cause even more discomfort and complications.  We have set another appointment for April 3.  If there hasn't been marked improvement our choices are limited.  At this point, it's all about making Mary comfortable and to continue with PT and pray this new med can aid in her ability to eat.

In my heart whichever road Mary is traveling, it is a CROSS-road.  She was sealed with the sign of the cross through Holy Baptism, and she is a child of GOD.  There are not choices, or decisions on what paths to choose.  She is blessed and God is well pleased!

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

KK

Anxiety

I'm anxious about tomorrows Oncologist visit.  Mary isn't really eating anything unless friends or family are there to encourage her.  She tells the nurses she's not hungry and they say "ok".  ARRRRGHHH.. I find this so incredibly frustrating.  She did have a Shamrock Shake today.  Gotta love that.  Hopefully the luck of the Irish will be with her tomorrow!  After tomorrows Doctors visit, we hope to get a rotation of friends to join in the "Feed Mary" effort.  No one likes to eat alone so perhaps if some friends can come share a meal with her she may be more inclined to eat a bit more!  I'll keep you posted!

So tonight, as you lay down to sleep a simple prayer would be greatly appreciated!

KK

Challenges

I lost my mojo... I'm not sure where the heck I put it, but I've tried to post for the last day or so, and every time I've sat down words wouldn't come.  Perhaps it's finding the right way to convey tough information.  Or maybe the emotional journey is catching up with all of us!  I'm not sure.  I know you all rely on these post for information so I apologize for the silent keyboard.

Mary is faced with so many challenges.  She has very little strength.  In order to gain some, she needs to eat and move. Unfortunately, when she eats, she doesn't feel well.  She tends to avoid eating only taking a bite or so of whatever is placed in front of her.  So in order to continue making progress, she needs to have the energy and to have the energy she needs to eat.  It is such a conflict and there doesn't seem to be a resolution.

On the up side, Mary remains in good spirits.  Although she is battling nausea and pain, she is talkative and determined.  She continues with PT and she actually was sitting up in a wheelchair twice this week. She also sat on her bed for 15 min as she got her hair cut.  Needless to say she is ready for visitors.  

I believe radiation is done for now.  Mary seems to think that it's helped a bit.  Again, it will take 3 weeks to see how effective it was.  She goes to her Oncologist on Monday.  We pray that she is healthy enough to stay on at Camilla Rose and resume Chemo and not have to go back into the hospital.  So please lift her up in your prayers.  This is a really important Doctor visit!

KK

Present

I love viewing the world through my children's eyes.  Their enthusiasm and innocence is a something I want to cling to.  They're able to simplify a situation and add surprising clarity to situations we complicate with all our adult, worldly experiences.  My daughter said something to me the other day that really made me stop in my tracks: live in the present because it really is a gift! I was taken back by her wisdom.  She couldn't take credit for this brilliant perspective of course, as it was on one of her programs but I appreciate the message just the same!  I know Mary lives her life with this philosophy and its a great reminder for me!  Today is a gift!!

It had been a tough morning for Mary. Her stomach was very upset to the point where she threw up.  She did feel much better afterwards and did end up eating a little bit.  Her PT has already had her sitting up at 3 different times and is working on stretching that right leg.  Pain level is still around a 3' as long as she isn't moving a round.  All other vitals are good.  Her spirits are high and that is probably due to the fact that all her kids are in town.  Tom drove up early this morning and they'll all be together tonight.  That is definitely something to smile about.

Kk

Grace

Grace.  A verb, noun, a prayer. In our daily lives we see grace in all these forms and grace is ever present in Mary's life.

It was a busy day today for Mary. She had a care meeting with her team of theapists and care givers. They all laid out their goals and expectations.  I didn't get specifics but everyone is clear on what needs to happen for Mary to continue treatment.  She had radiation and PT and although painful she gracefully completed each task as best she could.  Movement in general provides a great amount of effort and challenge. She did, however, sit up for a solid 10 minutes today, so she's gaining a small amount of strength each day. We pray it continues.   Tomorrow she is going to get her hair washed and cut which I'm sure will do wonders!

At numerous points during her day she faced surprises.  She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers that now grace her room. It really brightens the place up and she so appreciates the thoughtfulness.  She also has received lots of cards and notes of love and support.  Friends of old have stopped in and even when tired her display of grace is remarkable!

Grace: The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God!  This is probably my favorite definition and it is without question that Mary has an abundance of grace in her life.


KK

Paitence

We have become such a society of convenience.  Fast food, cell phones, convenient stores and fast lanes all feed our need to get there, have that, get in touch immediately.  I for one, will admit, that I enjoy all of these things as patience is not something I excel with.  In speaking with Mary today, it occurred to me, that she is facing each day with a tremendous amount of patience and I'm amazed at how she's able to tackle one obstacle after the next.  They are small obstacles.  Today it was sitting on the edge of the bed for 7 minutes.  This was 6 minutes longer than the day prior.  How hard it must be to curve your mind not to want to just get up and walk.  Patience.  Today she did not have radiation as the ambulance transport is ridiculously expensive so it was delayed till tomorrow. Patience.  Her stomach continues to give her fits but she knows they'll find the cause of the trouble.  She has decided to stay away from the tropical fruits to see if that helps.  Patience.  She is constantly tested.  She is constantly challenged to remain patient.  During our Lenten journey, I'm reminded that Jesus was tested too, in patience. Isn't our faith all about patience? Patience is often rewarded.. we just have to be.. well.. patient!

Mary had a wonderful visit from the Priest at St. Tim's.  This was the highlight of her day.  They sat and prayed and chatted for a good 1/2 hour.  She also had many other visitors and we can't thank you enough for taking the time to stop in and brighten her day.  Her PT is giving her small goals each session and Mary is doing her best. She's continues to be rather weak as she doesn't have a ton of food in her system to fuel this amount of activity.  Chemo is on hold for now as she's not strong enough for the Doctors liking.

I read the Blog comments to her so please know all your thoughts and prayers are getting to her and it is a true blessing!!

That's all to report for now.  I for one, am going to try and do a better job at relishing the moment, slowing down and being patient.  Mary never stops being a Mom and continues to teach all of us "kids" the lessons in life!

KK

Courage

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
Mark 6:49

I couldn't believe that today's church sermon focused on this verse! It was a great reminder that we are never alone. That although the waters may be rough and we struggle for control and understanding, GOD is always in the boat. We are never alone.  I couldn't help but have Mary in my heart/mind as the scripture was read.

Had a great conversation with Mary yesterday. She sounded strong and happy. She's relieved to be out of the hospital and closer to home.  The staff at Camilla Rose has been absolutely incredible.  Her PT and OT seemed to have been hand picked specifically for her.  I believe it was her PT's husband who is from Fairfax and what a wonderful coincidence! I'm sure Gene sent this angel to watch over Mary.  Radiation has continued but there hasn't been any improvement in her mobility.  It may take a couple weeks for the benefits to take effect so we remain hopeful.  Her pain level lingers at around a 3 but she is very uncomfortable anytime she sits up.  This makes it difficult to shower but the nursing and therapy team are solution driven and are determined to find a way to get her all shiny!! Since her transfer her appetite seems to have improved and she actually has been hungry. That has not been the case for ages.

Again, please feel free to call and drop in for a visit.  We hope to get the mealtrain calendar up so we can arrange for a stream of visitors throughout the days she there.  Short 15/20 min visits are great. No pressure to stay all day. The more visitors the merrier!

KK

With a Little Help from My Friends

It has been quite a week.  Kathleen and Gary were here and a definite bright spot to Mary's days. They left today and you can imagine how hard it was for Mary to see them go! Friends and family can do so much to lift her spirits!!

Mary went off her pain drip on Tuesday and was given the green light to be moved to the rehab center.  She arrived at Camilla Rose late this afternoon.  Her phone number is tel:763-489-3633.  She is room #106 and visiting hours are 9 to 9.  Needless to say, if you want to visit please do!! It is super important to her to see family and friends.

Otherwise,  there is not much new to report. Her pain level is still troubling and she has not "walked" or had PT since Monday.  She has continued with  radiation though. Her Chemo Doctor did tell her that if she is not in "optimal" shape they would not resume chemo.  She is rather weak as she still hasn't had much to eat and her stomach is still a bit sour.  Grandson Matthew even proclaim that she looked skinnier.  He had just been with her less than a week ago.  We continue to pray that Mary gains some momentum in the right direction. It's all about small attainable goals!!

Rejoice in hope,
Be patient in tribulation
Be constant in prayer
Romans 12:12

Good night to all! Blessings.
Kk

Sorry

My apologies for not posting an update yesterday. I'm traveling and I wasn't able to connect to get all the latest! Plan on getting information today and will update immediately!!!

Kk

Small Steps

Not only did Mary go to radiation yesterday she also had PT this morning. She got out of bed and walked 5 or 6 steps. She still isn't able to put much pressure on her right leg. She has a ways to go with that. Really important to get her moving as much as possible. She is still on her pain drip and the doctors are working to get her to a pill form of  pain management. She is very anxious to get out of the hospital. Still doesn't have an appetite but she did eat tiny bit this a.m.  Her blood pressure is stil elevated, but not horribly so and that darn potassium is still low.  Not being as nauseous will hopefully get her eating to aid those potassium levels. As I update I believe Kathleen has arrived.  I know Mary is really looking forward to that.

That's all I have to report for now!!

Kk

Onward!

We were able to get some information from the doctor this morning.  Although extremely unpleasant    Mary did manage to have the GI test.  There is no blockage so the thought is her stomach isn't emptying completely or much at all so they are going to give her a medicine to aid the process.  When she returned from her test she had a room full of visitors.  So happy to see family and friends.

The other development is they are going to put Mary back on Oxy to manage her pain.  It's a going to be a pretty significant amount that she'll take three times a day in addition to a break out pill.  Not sure if they've  taken her off the drip already but that will be a process.  If all goes well Mary will move to transitional care on Wednesday.

I haven't had a chance to get a full download about how Mary is managing everything today but when I do I'll be sure to update.

Kk

EARLY EVENING ANTICS!

It's funny how things evolve.  Just got a note from Annie and Mary called her to let her know that she sat for about 15min as the nurses changed her sheets!  Given the day she's had that is truly a miracle!  She never ceases to amaze!

HE gives strength to the weary
 and increases the power of the weak.
Even the youths grow tired and weary,
 and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
 will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
 they will run and not grow weary
 they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

AMEN!
KK

Challenges

Today has presented itself with numerous challenges.

1. Mary is in a tremendous amount of pain, which is barely managed by pain medication.
2. She has not moved in 24 hrs
3. There is concern that bed sores may arise, which could present a whole bunch of other issues.
4. She continues to be nauseous.
5. She isn't eating more than a bite of food a day
6. She refused physical therapy.
7. Her potassium is low and she doesn't want to take it in liquid form as it bothers her throat. The pill form isn't good    for her either as it's difficult to swallow.
8.  The Doctors would like to do a G.I test, but if it entails her lying flat on her back there is no way she can manage that with the amount of pain she's in.
9. She's extremely weak.

In order for her to be moved to transitional care, she needs to have all her iv's removed.  However, the Doctors can't get a true sense of Mary's pain levels.  As long as she doesn't sit up, her pain level is around a 3, but if she's moved at all the pain increases significantly.  Until they can figure out the amount of pain medication she needs, and are able to administer it in pill form, it sounds like she will remain in the hospital.

I apologize for the blunt nature of this blog.  There were so many obstacles today that I couldn't come up with a way in which to convey all the information.  Sometimes I try and sugar coat to make it more palatable for all of us, but today I just felt it best to lay out all the information as it truly sits on this day!  Both Mary and the Doctors are trying to do all they can but many of the options suggested are just so difficult for Mary to manage given the tremendous amount of pain she's in.

That is all for now.  We continue to ask that you lift Mary up in prayer and know we are reading her all the notes of love.  Please feel free to leave comments!

Karen

Yesterday

Thank you for all the comments and prayers!!!
Mary had a better day yesterday. Not spectacular, but at least the nausea wasn't so severe that she couldn't eat. She did have a little bit of food. In an effort to see if the pain meds were the cause  they did adjust her medication.  She is now on Dilaudid and is taking about 3 times the amount then she is currently prescribed.  She has been in serious discomfort. We're hoping this will be the answer to the stomach issue.  She did not have radiation today but that will resume on Monday unless Mary is still not feeling well. It also sounds like she will be out of the hospital and moved to rehab. There she will get some physical therapy in an effort to gain the use of her leg.  Again this will all be predicated on how she's feeling. I know each day, I wake and pray that today will be the day she feels better!!

The hospital room did get a workout yesterday as Mary had lots of visitors!  Her brother Phillip stopped in along with sister-in-law Rhonda and niece Lynn. The Bill Kiecker family and the Stalboeger clan all hung around too and kept Mary company.  She had the opportunity to receive communion and had a wonderful conversation with the visiting Priest.  She also had lots of phone calls! Thank you family and friends for reaching out to let her feel your love and support.

As for today, Annie is hoping to catch the doctor and touch base, so I may have some more info to share.  Please continue with those prayers!

For I know the plans I have for you," declares The Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray with me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you."
Jeremiah 29:11-14

Karen

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

It has been a very tough day for Mary.   The Valentines Day festivities, as great as they were, had taken a toll.  The biggest issue today has been nausea.  We can only surmise what the cause is.  Given the amount of pain medication being administered, it could be the cause for the upset stomach.  That combined with radiation and she ate more yesterday than she has in a quit some time. All these are very valid causes and we're hoping that its not the cancer invading her stomach.  Bill was there today for her radiation treatment but they ended up not doing it as she just felt horrible.  Mary was quiet and rested as Bill and Judy sat with her.  Big change from yesterday.  We hope tomorrow will be a better day and Kathleen is coming on Monday which is certain to lift her spirits!

Sorry there is not more to report. If we learn anything new, regardless of how small, I'll be sure to update!!  Continue your prayers as you know Mary can feel  them! It provides great comfort!

Karen

The Greatest Gift of All

I apologize for such a late update. As I mentioned in the morning post the Doctor gave Bill, Jimbo and Annie a plan of attack. They hope that radiation therapy will alleviate the pressure on her sciatic nerve. It's not a guarantee that she'll  regain movement in her right leg, but we're glad they're willing to try.  She will have 10 rounds and she'll have it everyday except on the weekends.  She had her first round late this afternoon at the same center where she has chemo.  She had to lay on her stomach, which was not ideal, especially as she was not on her pain drip.  She also was left waiting after her treatment for two hours until an ambulance became available to pick her up. By the time she got back to the hospital she was very uncomfortable and fuming mad!! Not the best of afternoons!

She is back at North Memorial now and will be there for the next couple days for sure.  She is open to visitors and phone calls.  I just got off the phone with Tom (he drove up early this morning) and he reports she's in good spirits!  She has gotten to spend Valentines Day with all her kids!!

North Memorial
3300 Oakdale Ave N
Robbinsdale
763-257-8251

I end this post with a prayer...

Trust in The Lord with all your heart
 And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge him
 And HE will make your path straight
Proverbs 3:5-6

God Bless
Karen

Straight to the Point

Good Morning,

We were hopeful to get some answers after Mary had an MRI.  Unfortunately there was just too much pain to bare and the medication wasn't doing enough to make her comfortable.  They ended up doing a CT scan which gave us some answers.

The bone cancer is no longer stable.  I'm not sure to what degree and rate it is growing.  It is the cancer that is pressing on her sciatic nerve and making her immobile.  The plan of attack is to do direct radiation on the area where the cancer is centrally located.  They hope that this will alleviate the pain and give her some independence.  Given that she can not fully care for herself she will stay in the hospital for a few days and then be moved to a nursing home until she is able to  move around. Her vitals are strong and she won't be having Chemo while they give her radiation.  She is on a pain drip which will give the Doctors a true picture of where she needs to be and they will adjust her meds going forward with the new pain management protocol.

I believe that is all I have to report at this hour.  I will update the blog later this afternoon as we learn more!

Thank you for all the prayers of healing and support!  Happy Valentines Day to all!

Karen

Calling for Prayers

Hello Family and Friends,

Mary has had a tough afternoon.  She woke in quite a bit of pain in her back.  Her sciatica has also made things extremely painful and she is unable to move her right leg.  Given this, she went to see the Doctor thinking a bladder infection was the issue.(Thank you Lloyd for driving her!  You are certainly a living angel) Once at the Doctor he immediately felt she needed to go to the E.R to get an MRI to see what the heck is going on!  She is in a tremendous amount of pain so the nurse has administered pain meds along with Valium so she's able to lay on her back for the MRI, which would be impossible had they not knocked her out!  After the MRI they will do an ultra sound on her leg. We are optimistic that we will know something this evening!  Jimbo and Annie are with her at North Memorial and they are overwhelmed at how the entire staff has handled Mary's care!  They have been incredibly efficient and have managed her every need!  We are so happy to have things moving along so quickly.

Heavenly Father, We lift your child, Mary, up in prayer.  Please, good and gracious Lord, lay your loving hands upon her and comfort her as she is in so much pain! Wrap her in the embrace that only you can provide and give her the strength she needs.

Answer me when I call to you
O my righteous God
Give me relief from my distress
be merciful to me and hear my prayer
Psalm 4:1

Continue your prayers!  God Bless all of you and your commitment to the constant prayers!

Karen

Another Short One!

I had a good morning working on Valentines, and tied eating every two hours, but I still am not eating that much.  The cookie with the morning meds seems to be working well, However this morning I ran out of my cookies, but to my great surprise, Jan Ranum brought over oatmeal raisin cookies....well they are more then oatmeal and raisins, but very moist and very good.  I've already had one, and look forward to my morning meds so I can eat another one.
The highlight of my day however was doing Qigong with Sheila Judd.  She gave me five things to work on a few minutes every day. She said to contact her again next week, and set up another time.  In the meantime, she will be send me good energy,
Jan called and asked if she could make a cookie run this evening, and I told her only if she didn't look at me, and then ran to the bathroom and wet down my hair so it wasn't standing straight up. Before she left, she told me I looked better than she expected....I left and told her it was only because I worked on it before she came.
Barb Datko also called today, and is bringing over some soup ane visiting for awhile this afternoon (Wed).  I look forward to seeing her,,,haven't for a long time.

Today was also Tom and Karen's 14th Anniversary.  Happy Day!!!  Love you both!
That's it for the day.  Love and prayers, m

Each Day Get's a Little Better

I figured that maybe some of my stomach problems had to do with not taking food with the pills.  So this morning I had a cookie with me 7 a.m. pills and didn't have any burping or stomach problems till later in the afternoon.  So I guess that will be my plan from now on.
When you read this it will be Janet's birthday, but she never reads this, so I guess I'll still have to call and sing happy birthday to her.
I got the stuff for my confirmation student done from now till confirmation.  So Annie is taking them up to church for me on Wednesday.  I also gathered more stuff for valentines, and tomorrow I'll get those for the Chicago Kieckers done, and in the mail.
The Mail Train site is doing well, and I thank all of you who have volunteered, and those who asked to be put on the list,  I'll be adding more dates soon.
Must get to bed....Love and Prayers, m

Lots of Work Day!

For Annie, not for me.  She worked so hard.  I don't know how many loads of wash that she did, plus folded and put away.  Cleaned out the fridge, and a couple of cupboards so she could move food into eye view for me.  Swept the floor, brought a card table up for me, so I can work on Valentines. She also worked on a computer program called the "MealTrain", so people can volunteer to help me out with rides and meals etc. If you would be like to be put on the list of volunteers, just email me at: marykiecker@comcast.net
My strength hasn't seemed to improved, and am so glad I have gotten the walker to get around the house.  I can sure use your prayers,  I thought by now I'd be up and running.
Hope Bonnie and her son John were able to leave for AZ this weekend despite the weather.  Coon Rapids seems to have gotten the most as far as the Twin Cities goes.  4" of wet heavy snow.  Funny one of the towns with large amounts was Murdock out west in Swift County.  That is where my mom was born, and a very small town that most people have never heard of, unless you are from Benson or some other small town. I never heard it named in a weather report before.
Well, time for bed.  Love and Prayers, m

Sunny Day!

Loved the sun this morning, but I don't know where my energy went, but I guess it went down with the sun this afternoon.  Getting dressed and ready for the funeral this afternoon took all the energy out of me.
I took my new walker, and Bill was here to help me get my boots on.  First I had him help me get my right sock on, then tried to put my black dressy boots on, and because my right foot is swallon, we had to go to my Uggs, which meant taking off the socks.  Then he got me to the car and into it....to the funeral home just down the street, and then into the building.  All of this couldn't have been done without his help.  We got in, and other than the grand-kids of Don's, Bill was about the youngest one there.  All the immediate neighbors were in attendance, but it was a small crowd.  I'm used to 250 or more people at funerals.  But Don and Cherie both had small families   Don's son in-law got up and spoke during the ceremony, and he did a really great job.  I had never been to an evening funeral so this was a first for me.  I don't know how much longer the service went on, but after about 40 minutes, my body gave out, and I had Bill get the car and bring it to the door, and I took my walker and quietly left.  Wally had supplied me with a pillow which helped, but even though I took 2 break-out pills at 5 p.m., I planned on taking my 7 p.m. pill when the time came, but in the bottle their wasn't a 40 mg pill.  So I din't get to take it till I got home. I can't figure out what the pills were that were in there, but not what was supposed to be.  I'll have to work on getting that filled correctly.
When I got home I went directly to the couch, Bill covered me up, did some cleaning of my kitchen and emptied my dishwasher and reloaded it. He kissed me goodbye and left.  I woke up at 9:50 and turned the TV on and watched the news and Jay Leno, and then decided I better eat something and get this written.  Now it's time for me to go to bed....but I am feeling a little better. Love and Prayers, m

Cloudy Lazy Day

I didn't get a lot accomplished today....well maybe I did, but nothing anyone could tell.  I went into the computer room and started gathering stuff to make valentines, and then got side tracked and started shredding two years of tax stuff from 2006 and 2007. So then I had to get the hand vacuum and clean up the floor after emptying the shredder.
After dragging out the few things I had found for valentines, I needed to eat and take a nap.  I did that kind of stuff all day, work for a while, eat and take a nap.  So kind of a boring day.  I did talk to Janet for almost an hour this afternoon, and for a much shorter time to Kathleen this evening.  Janet had to call and remind me that her birthday was next week, and she expects me to call and sing her Happy Birthday. I told her I'd think about it....but didn't make any promises.
Well that was my day.  I read that Don's funeral is tomorrow night at 7 p.m. with reviewal 2 hours before hand.  Bill is going to take me. I read his obituary and couldn't believe that it said he was a Hennepin County Sheriff.  I don't know which Don Salisbury that was, but not the one that lived across the street from me. The part about being a stamp collector was true, and the family names etc. but I am pretty sure he was a machinist or something like that.
Other than that I don't have any plans for the day.  Am worried about Bonnie and son John who planned on leaving for Sedona on Sunday.  This storm coming may make them leave a day earlier.  I think I'll call and see tomorrow.
Well that's all for now.  Love and Prayers, m

Operator Error

Yesterday went pretty well, I had to get up and take my pills at 7 a.m., then again at 8 a.m. I had to call Health Partners Pharmacy to get my pills refilled asap, and they said they were already working on it....but when Doug got there, he found out that they didn't have enough of the one I really needed, so they gave me enough for 2 days, and told him to come back this morning and get the complete refill.  (So he did)
Some where in between calling HP and Doug bringing me what they had, I had a knock on the door, and it was Jim from across the street to tell me that Don Salisbury had died the night before at about 2 a.m.  So now I await the info on the funeral arrangements.
I finally got in the shower and got dressed as Bonnie was picking me up at 10:30 to get unplugged. When she got here I was just putting on my lipstick, and walked out to see the snow coming down like mad.  I couldn't believe it, as when I went into the shower it wasn't snowing at all, and I came out to about 1/2 inch already on the ground.  Bonnie drove very slow, and so was everyone else, needless to say I was a few minutes late for the unplug, but no problem there.
When Bonnie and I left HHH in Robinsdale the snow had already stopped...but I don't think they got as much as we did.  We went from there to Baker's Square for lunch (second time in 3 days).  Free pie day, so of course we both brought a piece of pie home with us for later enjoyment. I also brought home enough leftovers of my roast beef pot pie for another couple of meals.
While there, I realized my phone was dead.  When I got home I plugged it in right away, and then a few hours later, I checked to see if it was fully charged and found it still dead....I guess in the plugging in of the phone, I unplugged the cord from the wall. (Therefore operator error!) So I had to replug it in. Sorry to anyone who tried to call.  I also then plugged in my ipad, so I wouldn't have the same problem with it. My laptop pretty much stays plugged in all the time, so I never have that problem.
My pot of bulbs have started to bloom!!!  Yippee! The ppruple crocus was the first, then a pink Hyacinth.  I thought it was going to be the daffodils cause I could see the buds, but the crocus beat them.  I'm so enjoying them all.
I didn't accomplish much more for the day... trying to eat as often as possible and get some weight on these bones.  Bonnie and I also stopped at Walgreens and got some vitamins that my doctor suggested to help my neuropathy.  Wow, expensive!! Let's hope they work.
Well that was my day, I forgot to do this last night, but I will try to do better this evening.  Love and Prayers, m

Sleep does a Body Good

After writing the blog at 2 a.m., I went to sleep, and woke to the alarm at 7 a.m. to take my pain pill, and went back to sleep till 11 a.m. When I awoke I was up for the next 5 hours, and it was like I drank that "5 Hour Energy" drink.  I was going till 4 p.m.  I ate, and then went back to work on the taxes, getting lots of exercise running back and forth to the computer room for more info etc.. I finally finished and filed both the State and Federal.  So happy to have that accomplished.  I'm even getting a few bucks back.
Did lot of talking on the phone, Bonnie to set up my unplugging tomorrow.  Need to be read by 10:30 for that.  Then Lois to make sure she had a sub for cards tonight, cause I was supposed to be gone, and she really didn't cause she thought I might come as I didn't leave with Bonnie on our trip.  I said I wasn't up to that, so she went on a hunt for a sub, and in the meantime found out that one of our regular subs was already subbing for Twylla, as she has Shingles.  Ouch!!!  Say some prayers for her. She did finally find a sub.  Then I talked to Jan Ranum, who had surgery last week too.  I sent her flowers or one of those pots of spring bulbs exactly like the one Mary McGraw sent me, and I found out that Mary had sent her one too!  So she has two.  But they are growing at a different pace, so will be blooming at different times too.  How fun.
This evening Annie called to check in on me, and then Karen did the same.  Karen was waiting to get on a plane in NY to come home, and had 45 minutes to spare.  She promised she wouldn't talk for that long, as she knew I was watching "Smash" which I religiously watched in season one, and couldn't wait for the 2 hour premier for this year.  It was very good and the story line for this year looks really interesting.  I let her know she was safe cause a commercial had just started.
I got up gathered my pills to fill my containers for the week, and realized I was out of one that I needed was completely gone after I take my night time pills before I go to bed.  I also needed another but not that badly.  So I went online to HP to order them, and it said they wouldn't be ready till Thursday at 2 p.m., and it gave me a number to call if it was an emergency.  Well a lot of good that number did, the person I talked to was at Riverside, and said I should just call HP Coon Rapids at 8 a.m. when they open, and explain it to them.  So I hope that works.  I have Doug lined up to pick them up at about 8:45 a.m.  If you read this prior to that you can say some prayers for me too. Love and Prayers, m

Just A Few Words

I had to get up at 7 a.m. this morning, and I did.  Then had to get ready for the chemo appointment.  Rita picked me up at 7:45 on schedule, and as I just took my pain medicine at 7 a.m., I was moving very slowly and weakly.  We made it to the car, and I realized I hadn't put my glasses on....Rita says "Oh that's why you don't look right". She ran back inside and found my glasses where I thought they were and then she thought I looked like me.  Traffic was horrid again, I just told Annie traffic hadn't been bad since she drove me once to chemo and it was an early appointment.  So I guess that is the reason....rush hour!
We got there and they took me right in, and didn't see the doctor, went right to chemo.  By 11:45 they were done....oh wait....you were supposed to get that bone building drug you only get once a month.  So because of that, we weren't out of there till about 1 p.m. It all went well.  From there we went to Baker's Square at Northtown. Oh, on our way past Rainbow, I made Rita go get me a dozen Oatmeal Raisen cookies, jum jum!!!  At about 3 p.m. we got me home, and I was exhausted.  I went right to the couch, and slept for 3 hours.  I realized at 7 p.m. my phone had again died....so I plugged it in. Did eat some, and went back to the couch.  Did watch Biggest Loser, and then HGTV, the 10 oclock news and started watching Jay Leno, and fell back asleep.  Watched some of Jimmy Fallon, and then decided I better get this written before I fall back to sleep again.  So that was my day and why I'm short on words a second night in a row.
Oh, and by the way Rita beat me 3 out of 3 games.  Love and Prayers, m

Super Bowl?

The ten o'clock news was claiming it one of the best ever.  I didn't find it that, but the super bowl party at my  house was the best I've had....or attended at my house....it may be the only one too! The kids surprised me yesterday with the news that they were all coming here and bringing all the snacks, so I wouldn't have to go out.  I really had a great time.  They even cleaned up after themselves.
The early part of the day was filled with taxes.  I had to dig out a lot more info, and I thought I had gotten so organized before I started.  Oh well sooner or later I'll be done.
I am feeling better each day, but have to get to bed, as I have to be picked up for chemo in the morning at 7:45 a.m.  Rita Culshaw has volunteered to do that.  So I see cribbage in my future.
Good night, Love and Prayers, m

Dead Phone Hiding Under Pillow

For anyone who tried to call me today, that is my excuse!!  I had company all afternoon....Bonnie came over and we watched "Hugo" and loved it.  Then at 7 p.m. I was wondering why my alarm didn't go off to tell me it was time for my meds....so I went looking for the phone....not on the couch, not next to either computer, nor in the kitchen, not in either bathroom and sure enough there it was under my pillow where I left it this morning.  I then tried to turn it on, and it was completely dead.
So I took it to the living room and plugged it in.  About 10 minutes later the alarm went off....I suppose it was for the 10th time, but the phone was dead!!!  I imagine it's now fully charged, and it's ready to put back under my pillow for a good night's sleep.
I did work on my taxes this afternoon, but only got the income section done, now I have to work on the deductions etc. tomorrow.  That's really the hard part. But it's got to get done, and I have nothing better to do.
I hope to start answering some of your emails, now that I have my laptop up and running. Nothing much more to report for the day.  I am working at eating and getting my strength back, but it's much harder than I thought it would be.
I'm sorry you now have to put up with my entries and not Karen's   She does such a great job, and I really appreciate her doing it for me.  Thank you Karen, Love you.
Love and Prayers, m

Silver Lining

This was a day of decision making.  It didn't start out that way, but a series of conversations propelled Mary to come to the conclusion that she will not travel to see Kathleen and Gary this next week.  Mary is truly heartbroken but every disappointment has a sliver lining.  In the coming weeks she can grow stronger and make sure she can make the trip without any unhealthy repercussions.  She spoke with Kathleen and looked at calendars and she can actually spend more time with her, visiting a bit later in Feb/March.  Bonnie has been wonderful in this whole decision process and can't thank her enough for being so understanding!

Mary had a super productive day in addition to all the phone conversations.  She had a wonderful conversation with Janet.  So much so that she didn't even notice when Doug came in.  He walked by the couch a couple times while Mary was engrossed in her convo before she realized he was there!  That must have been some conversation!  Doug had a long list of "Honey Do's" and he managed them all.  He is a true blessing.  He got Mary all set up in the family room with her computer so she can work on her taxes.  She made great headway at that today.  She also had a long phone conversation with her friend Barb.  About an hour!!!  I'm surprised she doesn't have cauliflower ear!  To end her busy day Annie stopped over with her walker, all put together and ready for use.  This will really help as the neuropathy in her feet makes her pretty unstable.

Overall Mary has had a pretty good day and is feeling ok.  She was pretty stiff yesterday after sleeping in one position for most of the night.  So that was definitely an improvement today.  As she continues to make headway please keep the prayers coming!  She can feel them!

No other mischief to report.  I will, in closing, give out a word of warning.  So during the night Mary needs her cane to aid her to/from the bathroom.  When she woke up she grabbed her cane and phone and made her way.  As she returned to her bed, she heard a mans voice..."Hellllooooo.....Helllllooooo".  She came to realize that she "pocket" dialed her son Bill's in-laws.  OHHHH MY.....So a word to the wise.  If you see Mary calling late, late at night do pick up the phone but don't panic!  It might just her butt :)

KK

"So thanks for making me a FIGHTER"

This lyric made popular by music artist Christina Aguilera has been playing through my head ever since I got off the phone with Mary late morning.

Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter

Honestly, the song has nothing to do with cancer, but I feel like they apply.  The last couple of weeks have showed Mary once again that she is stronger than this horrible disease.  She sounded STRONGER today.  She had already WORKED HARD, getting her day started (even a bathroom cleaned).  She had spent the majority of her day yesterday with her good friend and frequent travel companion Bonnie.  She ate good solid meals, drank her water and found a reasonable solution to taking her potassium "horse" pills.  She had grown WISER!  She's an incredible FIGHTER!

Not a ton else to report.  Mary is feeling better but still has a way to go.  Although she didn't have the greatest rest last night she had an optimistic outlook to the day.   She was feeling pretty good and her mood was helped by a lovely floral gift sent by Mary and Norm McGraw. What a wonderful and beautiful surprise.  Mary was overjoyed by this gift and we thank you so much for sending some sunshine her way!

So the week continues with a strong focus of building up strength so she's ready for Chemo on Monday.  We thank you for all the prayers, phone calls, and notes.  Mary is relishing in all the outpouring of love!

Karen

Happy Birthday Bill

Mary wanted me to make sure to post happy birthday love and good wishes to Bill!! Turned 48 today and is enjoying a birthday week skiing in Utah!!  Happy birthday!

The Long Way Home

The journey home from Hawaii was an arduous one! The details aren't necessary, but upon Mary's return she was beat beyond reason! Her own bed and rest didn't seem to improve the situation and at weeks end she felt a medical assessment was in order.  You would think this would be an easy issue to manage but after not getting the answers and help she needed from her primary care a trip to the hospital was the only other option! That is how bad she was feeling! They admitted her as her potassium levels were dangerously low and she was dehydrated.  After two nights in the hospital she came home on Sunday and is working on increasing her strength. She was due to have chemo this morning but given her weekend hospital stay her Dr. wants to give her a week of eating, drinking and potassium building! Hopefully chemo can resume next Monday.

Please give renewed vigor to your prayer ritual!  Mary really needs them! I pray that her body gets the nutrients, water and potassium it needs so she can have some independence to continue with that bucket list. Any and all prayers please!!!!!!

Karen
(Tom's wife)

Sorry I Missed Yesterday

For some reasoni I'm having trouble getting on line with this wifi, and I got frustrated last night and gave up. So here ewe go now.
We started out with a massage class at 11 a.m. And the got a snack and went toa Lei making class the little old Hawaian lady was very slow and it took two hours to make a 155 minute Lei. I have to admit that they are beautiful, but...if she was organized it would have been so nice.
We came back to the room, and I took a short nap. When I got up June and Len were off to get her nails done. We were supposed to meet them there, and go to a fancy Hawaiian place for dinner. For some reason she thought it was right by where she was having her nails done...wrong. It was the wrong side of town...the really wrong. Since June had her chair wecouldn't take a cab to the restaurant so we started walking back to find a good place to eat. We found a great five star buffet...like no other. The flat rate was$48 per person. June asked if I could get a discount as I had cancer and could eat very little. So the waiter asked and said they would only chargers for three. I volunteered to pay half with Judy. The food was mostly sea food, never seen before.
got to get going Love and Prayers. mand it was fantastic.i had crab legs and claws, lobste, crab cakes, scalloped., scrimp in several different.. It was sea food like you've

Let's Try This Again

I hope this works this time. I'm really having trouble doing my blog on the new iPad and don't know if it's the iPad or the operator.  I wrote a long post yesterday, and thought I published it, but it's lost in space, and the blogspot keeps giving me error messages.
So here is a short version of yesterday, and then I,ll add today's blog.
I didn't write the night before cause we went to bed early and didn't have time to write. So lets see how far I can remember back. Friday we pretty much did nothing but move from one timeshare to the one we will be in till we leave on the 22nd and arrive home on the 23rd. This is very nice, full kitchen, laundry,, and two bedrooms.  Judy and I each have our own beds, and Len and June have a king with on suite which is huge with a jacuzzi. After the big move, and a nap we went out for dinner to P.F. Changs we each ordered something and had it family style. After dinner we went to the cultural for a free concert with hula dancers and all. Then while walking back home, we came a pond Somme street musicians who were only 12 and 15. They were so talented, we stayed and listened for about a half hour. Fun night. Then yesterday, we went to the international market, shopping and each of us purchased a piece of clothing. Thren wandered to another free concert and sat and listened for over an hour. By then we got hungry and were in the food cout. Judy and I probably found the most expensive food vendor, but everyone said it was the best. We shareda lemon Maui Maui fish served with corn and sticky rice. It was wonderful. It is also where I got the orchid for my photo on Facebook. From there we went to a grocery store to get snacks and some breakfast stuff. We couldn't believe that bread was over $7 a loaf. Oh we'll, that is life in paradise.
Came home had a nap. Judy and I chose to spend the night in while Len and June went out for another free concert at the cultural center.  When they got back we all watched the movie The Trouble WithThe Curve.  They all liked it but didn't cry like me.  We all went to bed early, cause we had to be up at 7am to go on the Pearl Habour Tour.
The tour was very interesting and emotional.  We didn't get back home till 2:30, and all headed to bed for a nap.  I slept the longest, and didn't get up till 4:30. I couldn't believe I was out cold...but the first day I had to use my cane cause June had to use the walker. They wouldn't let her take her motorized cart.  This evening we went to a fancy place on the beach, called the Hula Grill. The dinner was fabulous. Judy and I shared a beet and pear salad, and a mixed grill of scallops, shrimp and the best ribs I've ever had. The sauce was great that they had on it.
On the way home Len went into P.F.Changs to buy a one piece of chocolate cake, which was big enough for six. Yummy.  Now I've been fighting with this blogger and writing this for a couple hours.  I sure hope it works this time.  Love and prayers, m

I'm alive and Well

We arrived late last night, and to make it even longer, there is a four hour time change. The plane rides were long but I was able to sleep a lot. When getting on and off, I always had a wheel chair and great assistance. I never lifted a finger.
After arriving, we visited a short time with June and Len, and went to bed. Karen called at about 5am and I couldn't figure out where I was.  I grumbled that it was the middle of the night, told her I was fine, and I loved her.  We got up several hours later.
We went out to lunch, and came back to the time share waiting to get into the timeshare. We finally got in around 2:30,, and we all took a nap.  Then we tried to decide what tours we wanted to go on. We went to dinner at about five, and then walked to the culture center to watch some free entertainment . We all ended up buying their CD. It was really a fun and entertaining. Then on the way back to the timeshare we came a pond a street performance of three young boys, 15, 12, and 9. They were so good we stayed for quite awhile to watch. We are now back in the gorgeous surroundings. It's one of the nicest units I've ever stayed in.
I took several pictures tonight with my phone and uploaded to Facebook.  I will add a few here if I can make it to work.  Using the new iPad. Sorry that didn't work. Love and prayers, m

One day till Hawaii

Today was quit a day. They still don't know if I have a urine infection yet. But they took another sample and gave me the antibiotic just in case. Then when talking with the pharmacist, he realized that I was going on a long flight, and I was in danger of a blood clot, and he went to talk to my doctor and she agreed that I needed a blood thinner. So it happens to be a shot I have to self inject. My favorite nurse Julie gave me instructions.  I gave myself the first one and tomorrow and the next day I will give myself the next two. Then when I return I have to give myself three more. I guess I'll live.
After all that Bonnie and I went to lunch with Lois.  Nice lunch at Bakers Square.  Then Bonnie took me to Walgreens to pick up a few more things for the trip.  Power bars, apricots, and candy.
When I got home I was ready for a nap. So to the couch I went. Got up and tried to print my boarding pass. For some reason I couldn't get the new printer to work, and after several hours messing with it, I gave up and forwarded the email to Annie, and had her print it for me, and Doug will bring them to me in the morning on his way to work. I then finished filling my pill trays, and packing my bags.
I think I'm ready once I finish this blog. Now that I've practiced on my iPad.. I think I did pretty well.
So, I'm off to bed.  Love and prayers, m

Ugly Day, and Happy Day

Yesterday I was so sick, I wasn't up to writing, but today I woke up and everything was better.  I was dehydrated, had protein in my urine, felt like vomiting, stomach was distended, headache, and later in the afternoon when I woke up after chemo my teeth hurt from clenching them. They wouldn't give me the Avastin with my chemo today because of the protein in my urine, and were supposed to do a urine test to see if I had a urinary tract infection. But when I called today to check on it, they said they didn't have enough urine to find out.  So I have to give them more tomorrow when I go to get unplugged.  Then they will check it, and give me a prescription for an antibiotic and fill it there.  So I hope that gets done before I leave for Hawaii on Thursday.  I don't want to be sick over there.
Judy and I did pretty well once they started putting the fluids in me and giving me the chemo, so we played cribbage all morning, and I lost every game.  I couldn't believe my luck....atleast I didn't get skunked even once.  But for some reason at 12:45 when we got in the car to find someplace for lunch, I immediately got sick again, and told Judy to just bring me home.  I got home and she needed to use my computer, so I laid down to nap, and never even heard her leave.  I woke up around 5 p.m. and got up and took my 4 p.m. pills, and then drank an ensure, and went back to the couch to sleep, and then the kids started calling and checking on me, as Annie had alerted them that I wasn't doing well, and Annie asked if she should come and stay with me, and she did stay all night, and went to school from here.  Karen suggested I start drinking water, which Annie assured I did, and I believe that it was the "Water of Life", that and all their prayers gave me new life this morning..
Today was a good day.  I packed my suitcase, and have everything ready for my carry-on except my pills which I will refill tomorrow, and take all my pills with me, as I only have one week pill boxes, and I have one for day and night, and the other one for the 4 p.m. pills.
I plan on buying some ensure, water, and some other personal products once I get there as I can't bring them all on the plane or not enough to last me two weeks.
Napped for awhile this afternoon, then showered and dressed to go to card club this evening, and in between time, Jimbo brought over Jack's Ipad that I purchased from him.  I have most everything sync'd with it except my pictures, and I can't figure out how to do that yet.  My music and a few books are on it, Facebook, my email, and some other things.
Say some prayers for me, so I stay well for my trip, and please pray for my cousin Louie who is having problems with his blood pressure regulating.  It goes high and then low and spikes high again and the doctor hasn't been able to stabilize it.  I'm ready for bed.  Hopefully tomorrow night I will write from my Ipad.  Love and Prayers, m

Happy Day!

Day started out slow, but around noon I got a call from Joe and Chris Sedesky, and they were checking to see if I was home, and they wanted to stop by with some nourishment,  is what they said.  They were at the door soon, with several six packs of Ensure for me along with a couple of cans of soup.  Chris asked what kind I would like, and I picked one, and she started making it, and tried to open the wrong drawer and we called Joe in to fix the drawer that was falling apart   He did get it fixed, and hopefully it will last.  He may come back with a piece of wood to brace the runners.
As Joe was working on the drawer, Annie walked in to both of their surprises, Annie's and Sedesky's.
Annie went right to the basement and through in a load of wash.  She continued to wash clothes and visiting with Joe and Chris.  They left before she was done, but she got three loads of wash done and folded, I told her not to put them away, as a lot of what she washed I needed to take to Hawaii with me.  I worked on the packing after she left, and finding some things I wanted to take with me, but couldn't find. I didn't get it done yet, but Annie brought up the suitcase for me, and I have everything gathered I think.
Jimbo emailed that Jack would bring his ipad over for me to buy, by Tuesday.  He also may be taking me to the airport on Thursday, but won't know till tomorrow.
I have to be at the clinic tomorrow morning at 7:45, so Annie volunteered to take me before she goes to school.  I told her I would be ready by 7 a.m. so she could get to school on time.  Because I have to get up and start moving at 6 a.m., I'm cutting this short tonight, and will go to bed when the news is done.
Please keep your prayers coming for my cousin Louie and for safe travels for Judy, June, Lenard and me.  Love and Prayers, m

Quiet Lazy Day!

Well not exactly lazy.  I did a lot of digging out stuff for the trip, clothes, and other necessities I'll need.  I worked on that for several hours this morning, then worked on the computer. I figured out what rides I needed etc. and other help, and  I sent out an email to the kids with the list.  Haven't heard back from any of them, so I may be sending out a list to my drivers tomorrow afternoon.
I didn't do much this afternoon, and I got a call from Judy around 6 p.m. asking if I wanted company watching the game, and I said yes.  So she drove out from Shakopee to do that.  I made us some dinner (if you can call it that, it was 10 small egg rolls.)
We watched the game while visiting and making plans for our trips.  We are now going to Hawaii on Thursday, and then in May we are going to Holland and Switzerland together.  She brought up the fact that medicare will not cover us when we are out of the country, so we are trying to figure out what we will do for insurance....as all of us are not in the best shape health wise.  Anybody got any ideas?
Talked to Gary to congratulate him after Judy left.  Didn't talk long, as they had moved from the game to Dowton Abby.  I'm moving on to bed.  Love and Prayers, m

Easy Access to HD TV?

Got up and started moving around 9 a.m. like usual, and had a real spurt of energy.  I unpacked about 3 bags of Christmas presents that had been set aside, while I frolicked with the family all last week.  Not only did I unpack them, but I put them all in their rightful place.  Started a pile on the bed in the back room for my trip next week....which is coming faster and faster all the time. I even unloaded the dishwasher and refiled it, after cleaning out the fridge of leftover food that was becoming moldy. It is garbage day tomorrow, so I wanted to get it out before it was picked up.  By noon I was getting tired and slowed down on the couch till the UPS guy dropped a huge box on my door step.  It was about 1 foot deep and 3 feet in length by 3 feet in width. So I couldn't even attempt to get it in the house and I couldn't figure out what it was or who it was from.
Shortly the mailman came, and Jim (from across the street) got my mail and brought it up to the door, and he put the box in the house for me.  I soon figured out it was the small box from Comcast to change my digital converter to a HD converter.  Not more than 2 inches deep and 10 inches long X 8 inches wide....why do they need such a big box?
I started to put it all together, and couldn't get the coaxial cord un-attached. So I call poor Doug.  Like always he appears at my door in minutes.  He get's it all set up, and we log online to activate it, and then the trouble began.  It said it would take 45 minutes and then we got this error message on the screen....this was after about 45 minutes with Doug on the phone pushing buttons and responding with one word like "Yes" and finally was told it would now take another 45 minutes to activate it.  So Doug went back to work (Don't tell Jimbo that he was working for me) and said I should call when it came on.  Well it never came on, so at about 5 p.m. he called me back, and of course came back to call Comcast again.  Again he pushed buttons a lot, got cut off twice, and finally the third try he got through to a real human-being   It than took about 15 or 20 minutes and the guy finally got us a picture....but said it would be another 45 minutes for the stations to activate on the guide.  So we could change the channel, but it wouldn't tell us what station we were watching.  I don't know how long it took, but I now have it fully activated.  Maybe 6 hours or so.
I didn't do much but sleep, cause I didn't even have a TV to watch all afternoon.  Then my brother came to visit, and he stayed for about an hour.  His daughter Theresa or as she is now called Terri, got married this afternoon, at a small intimate ceremony at her home in Coon Rapids.  So since he was in the neighborhood, he stopped in.  It was then time for me to watch the news and Jay Leno, and I figured I better get this blog written before I fall asleep like last night.  It takes me about an hour to complete, cause I'm watching TV at the same time, and get distracted a lot.  But it is time for me to go to bed.  Love and Prayers, m

First Friday Group Rocks!

Marianne Nold, decided to host us at her house this evening, instead of going to a restaurant for dinner.  She had a Fondue of meat and cheese along with an apple, craisen, and broccoli salad.  It was great!
It was so much better than going to a restaurant where the noise is loud and you feel like you can't sit and visit as they want the table for more customers. It was a relaxing fun evening.
I had 3 scarves made, and made the 4th while I was there, so I could give them each one.  Helen wasn't able to be there this evening, so I will make one for her and give it to her the next time we get together. They all loved them, and it was fun to see their reaction when I said I was making them for them.

Sorry I fell a sleep at the keyboard last night as I was writing this, so I have to finish now.
Earlier in the afternoon Bonnie and I went to Walgreen's  and spent a bundle.  It was 20% off for seniors, and we were buying things we always use at great prices, along with stuff we wanted to take on our trip the end of the month.  Anyway I went through the line first, and then when Bonnie went through, she asked if she got the senior discount, and the women said no, so she gave it to her before she finished.  So I checked and sure enough I hadn't gotten it either.  So she sent me to another register to get that.  I did, and then the manager was there, and said they had to refund me first and then re ring the whole thing, a shopping cart full.....uggggghhhhh.  But it saved me almost $15.
Other than that that's about all I did.  Doug did go to HP on his way to work and got one of my prescriptions, the other wasn't ready, cause they needed a doctors permission to refill it.  So he has to go again on Monday for that....they did give me enough pills to last the weekend.  Getting everything refilled now will help me get through the two weeks in Hawaii....then I'll have to do it all again before we leave for SLC and Sedona.  Well, that was my day.  Love and Prayers, m

Day of Pain

Because of the long holiday weekend, and I was at the cabin....my Oxycontin was gone. I had to wait till 8 a.m. this morning to call and try to get it refilled.  I couldn't do it online like I can with Health Partners.  Anyway so at 7 a.m. all I had to take was the 5 mg Oxycodone which I took one, cause I didn't know how long it was going to take me to get the 40 mg Oxycontin  So at 8 a.m. I call HHH, and the pharmacy said they would try to find a doctor to sign for it.  Londer wasn't there, and either was Dr. Marowtra that I am changing to.  So at noon, I called them back and asked them to call me when it was filled so Doug could go and pick it up for me....at that point they still hadn't gotten a signature....but shortly after 1 p.m. they called and said it was ready and Doug went and got it.  By 11 a.m. I had taken 2 of the break out pills, and so at 2 when I finally got the drugs, I didn't dare take any till 7 p.m. this evening, so I ended up taking another 2 at 3 p.m. of the 5 mg pills.
I now know that the 40 mg pills really do work, and I need them.  I spent most of the day laying on the couch trying to find a comfortable position.  I did get up a few times and answer some email, but that was about it.
I did call Jim Zimmer and wish him a happy birthday this evening, after the meds took hold.  I'm off to the couch.  Love and Prayers, m

Welcome 2013! Happy New Year!

Hi, I can't tell you what a wonderful week I've had. Must be the best surprise I ever had.  Thank you to my family for making it happen.
Sunday Tom and Karen picked me up at about 2 p.m. to go to the cabin. We got there in plenty time to watch the Viking game, with Jim and Ann, Annie and Doug, and all the grand kids   After the game and the celebration of it....the kids went down to the ice and played on it a lot.  They worked at shoveling off the ice so they could skate on it yesterday.
I made chicken and dumplings after eating a ton of snack food during the game.  It went over well, and it was my contribution to the mounds of food we had.
I played cribbage with Jim and Ann, and first Jimbo skunked both Ann and me, and then Ann skunked Jimbo and me.  That was enough of that for the night.  We headed for bed around 12:30 a.m., and it was a great day.
Yesterday we all got up late, and kind of vegged around most of the morning.  Finally at about 2 p.m. we had lunch, a large batch of sloppy joes Tom made.  The grandma Schoenecker recipe, with baked beans.  Her way of making them go farther....or stretching the recipe.  We ate those all afternoon, along with another bunch of snacks of all kinds.
The kids spent all afternoon on the ice, and the guys built a fire in the grate on the deck....they all came up smelling like smoke.  The kids wrote their names in the snow, and even Happy New Year in the snow on the  ice. Presley said it was the best week she ever had.  I think that was my sentiment too!
Around 6:45 Bill, Kim, Katie and Tom arrived, and we could have supper.  Jimbo was in charge of that, and we had beef stroganoff.  Wow was it good.  I hadn't had that for a long time. We laughed and visited all evening, as well as playng some more cribbage  We continued to eat snacks, a new bunch was supplied by Kim.  I finally beat Bill and then Tom in two handed cribbage and was feeling pretty good.  Then after celebrating the New Year, Jimbo, Tom, Ann and I played a game of criss-cross which is sort-of-a four handed version of cribbage....at least you score it like cribbage.  We played girls against the boys, and Ann and I ended up losing.  Oh Well.

The new year celebration was fun, as usual the whole gang except me, went down to the ice about 10 minutes before midnight, and got the camera's and tripods set up and ready for the ball to drop, using their cell phones to keep track of the time. Here's the picture they took at midnight! Note Jack and I are missing.

When they got back to the cabin, we poured sparkling grape juice for the grandkids, and champagne for all but me and Tom.  I think he was drinking coffee, and I had Killebrew Creme Soda....yum, yum.  The party continued and I think the grandkids went down and watched Pitch Perfect for the 10th time or more in two days.  What great fun.
This morning again we all were slow at getting up, but I had promised to make Grupfins (a Hungarian form of fried bread dough).  So I took out 3 bags of frozen Texas rolls from the fridge and placed them on cookie sheets to raise at about 6:30 a.m., and then went back to bed to wait till 7 a.m. to take my pills, which I over slept for and took at about 7:45 and went back to sleep till 9 a.m. I thought, but ended up being 9:30, when Bill had just gotten up as well.  He put the coffee on, and I started getting things ready for frying the dough.  I also turned the oven on and placed a package of turkey bacon on another cookie sheet to get cooked, and warm up the kitchen. I also poured two bottles of oil into a large frying pan, and had to wait quite a while for it to get hot enough.  Several of the kids, and adults had never had them before, and didn't have the foggiest idea what they were or how they would taste.
They all loved them, and Kennedy and Tommy both came to watch how I did it, and Kennedy even made a couple herself, so she can help Karen make them again tomorrow.  I am so happy we have another of grandma Schoenecker's recipe's being passed down to another generation or two. After breakfast, I had a whole pan of rolls raised and ready to be baked, so we did.  Everyone took some home with them.
We packed and cleaned and left as soon as we could.  Doug, Nicole and Allie left first as the girls had to be back for hockey. Then I think the Bill Kiecker's left as they were having Kim's family over for dinner, and then Tom and family as they had to drive back to Naperville.  Annie, Matthew, Jimbo, Ann and I all left at about the same time. I spent the rest of the day resting! What a wonderful Surprise Week! I couldn't ask for more!  Love and Prayers, m