Back in Arab

I talked to Sally today who's back in Arab, in her own home.  She's glad to be "not visitin'" for a change.

She's tickled that she's been able to discontinue the hydrocodone pain pills that she's been needing for a good night's uninterrupted sleep.  She says that a Tylenol PM works just fine now!  Current plans are a little up in the air, but it's good to hear her feeing so well.

Sally's in Georgia

I haven't actually talked to Sally for several days but she's in Marietta, Georgia with her daughter, Lisa.

Here's hoping they're doing well!

Monday in Arab 5/11/09

I just spoke with Sally after her visit with Dr. Jiminez, her urologist.  He's thrilled at her progress!  More kudos for the Texas-based physical therapists, Kersten and Pam, who got her so strong!  The other news is that Dr. Jiminez told her she needs to stop drinking tea!  She offered that she only drinks de-caf.  He said it's not the caffeine, but that there is an ingredient in tea that is really bad for kidney-stone-growers (which she is).  So, Sally said she'll have to find something else to drink.  He doesn't need to see her for six months.

It's cold in Alabama, in the 60s so she said she's going to bundle up and stay warm.

Sally's "Kind-of" On her Own

I'm sure Sally is enjoying her extended family on this Mother's day back in Arab, Alabama.

Thursday we went down to Odenville and visited with our cousin Dubby's widow and her family.  We had a nice lunch and took some photos of the cars that Shirley is trying to sell follow Dubby's untimely passing last Fall.  On our way back to Arab, we had a great visit with Sally's dear friends, Mona and Howard who live near Oneonta.

I left Friday morning and returned to Texas leaving Sally in the care of her daughters, granddaughters and great-grandchildren.  So, the entries on this blog might be even more sparse than they have been recently.

Yesterday was the six-month anniversary of Sally's 11/9/08 heart attack.  We are all so grateful for her recovery and her renewed strength.  Our hope is that she'll continue with her new dietary habits and continue her strengthening exercises to manage her diabetes.  She has come so far!

Her current plans are to visit her daughter Lisa in Atlanta for a month or so following a couple of doctor appointments this week.  She still has big decisions in front of her about selling her house, where she'll live, etc.  So, I know she'd appreciate your prayers.

Please feel free to contact Sally by e-mail or phone.  I know she'll be glad to hear from her friends and family.

A rainy, stormy day in Arab Alabama!

Sally is really glad to be back home in her house!  I think the prospect of possibly having to move from her home of the last 48 years has made her stop and really appreciate what it means to her.  She’s still thinking about what her next step will be.

Monday’s visit with Dr. Mengesha (neurologist) went very well.  He thinks she’s made tremendous progress since he last saw her in November in Huntsville Hospital.  He checked her balance and strength (exactly the areas that Pam and Kersten the San Antonio physical therapists had been working on) and was pleased with her.  He said she should be especially careful at night to leave some light on.  He said most falls occur in the home at night.  He also said that regarding her neuropathy, we cannot reverse what has already occurred.  We can, however, prevent any further deterioration by keeping the diabetes under control.  He verified that the compression hose are a good idea.  We really like him.  He suggested that she take his card and if she has any problems after I return to Texas, she should call him.  He’ll see her again on 11/2/09.

Tuesday’s visit was with Dr. Johnson, her endocrinologist (diabetes doctor).  He is also very personable.  He reviewed her blood sugar/insulin logs and decided to adjust her insulin downward, just slightly.  He confirmed that she should not be going barefoot and should protect her feet!  He also said that our blood sugar is usually at its lowest about two hours before we wake up in the morning and then it starts to climb.  So, when we have a low blood sugar before breakfast, that means that it has been lower a couple of hours before.  Sally's HbA1C has improved from 8.8% on 10/14/08 to 6.6% on 1/15/09 to a great 5.7% yesterday!  Her goal is an HbA1c less than 6.5% so this is great progress!  A1c, by the way, is average blood glucose coverage over the previous 2-3 months.  He’ll see her again on September 8^th.

After the doctor visit, Sally treated me to lunch at the Blue Plate Café in Huntsville.  This is an infrequent treat since their food is delicious and served in abundance!  We saved half of our lunch and had it for supper.  After lunch, we got her chest x-ray in preparation for next week’s appointment with her pulmonary physician.

We’re continuing to have rain, thunderstorms and tornado warnings in North Alabama.  This is turning into a very wet Spring.  I’m wishing we had some of this moisture back home in South Texas!

Back Home in Arab!

We made it back to Arab yesterday about 4 PM. Sally tolerated the long ride fairly well. We stopped every couple of hours to stretch our legs, eat or re-fuel. His broke up the trip nicely. The weather was superb! Very little rain or rough weather and no big traffic problems to speak of. We spent Thursday night in Slidell, LA so we had less than 400 miles to finish our trip yesterday.

Sally’s glad to be home! Karen had already prepared a good soup for supper as well as a sugar-free pumpkin pie. She came around 6 and we enjoyed supper with her.

This morning, she enjoyed her first tub bath in over two months. We’re going to do a little grocery shopping this afternoon when I will also swing by the local coffee shop to post this blog update. No Internet connection at Sally’s house right now.

Monday and Tuesday we have doctor appointments and we need to get her a chest x-ray this week prior to her appointment with her pulmonary physician. Then, I’ll likely head back to Texas on Saturday or Sunday. Her former daughter-in-law Lisa has agreed to accompany her to her doctor appointments on the 11th and 12th.

Viva Fiesta in San Antonio!

.............In celebration of our sister Sharon's birthday, today, I bring you Fiesta greetings from San Antonio!  Happy Birthday, Sharon!

Last Saturday we took Sally to the riverwalk in downtown San Antonio and went on a boat ride.  She was a little dubious about getting on the boat, but she enjoyed it.  I'm sharing a picture taken while we were waiting in line.  Notice Sally's diabetic "Mary Jane" shoes.  She thinks they're a little clunky, but they fit her well and they are good for her feet!  (We think they're cool!)

She's getting excited about heading home next week.  We're leaving on the 30th and arriving in Arab on the 1st of May.

Sally has made so much progress while in San Antonio that we are all thrilled.  But, she is ready to see her new great-grandson Jackson and all of her little "Munchkins" as she calls them.

Sally has one more physical therapy session with Kersten and Pam at St. Luke's Baptist here in Texas.  She said this morning that these ladies have worked wonders for her legs and her strengthening.  We are so grateful!