Doctors, doctors, and more doctors

Well, it seems like all my time lately has been going to

different doctors.

On October 30th mom had her surgery down in Gainesville.  Since we had to be there so early in the morning we decided to go down the night before and spend the night.  So glad we did - Friday morning there was a dense fog advisory out and the visibility was less that 1/4 of a mile.  I would have been a nervous wreck driving those back roads, before dawn, with that kind of visibility.  We were at the hospital/Women's Center at 6:45 for her 7:00 check-in.  They took her back to pre-op by 7 - did all they had to do - then she went down for a nuclear test on her lymph nodes which took about an hour.  Then it was back to pre-op to wait for her turn.  She went back to surgery right around noon.  It was close to three hours before the surgeon came to me to let me know the surgery went well.  Plan was to release her from recovery to go home - around 5.

Well, at 6 the recovery team came for me and let me know that mom was having an issue with her respiration and would sometimes "forget to take a breath". They said that they would not release her until her respiration was above 85.  At 7:30 her respiration was still low and I told them that I was not comfortable with the idea of my driving two hours home, after dark, by myself with her.  The roads between Gainesville and Dowling Park are deserted and if I had a problem there would be no where to go for help.  The recovery room team called her doctor and he gave permission for her to be admitted for one night.  So, at 10 o'clock she was finally taken to a room and I left the hospital to find a room for the night.

Silly me, I thought that I wouldn't have any issue with finding a room for the night since the University of Florida was playing an away game - WRONG!  There was a music festival going on in town and hotels were booked solid.  After going to three different hotels one young lady at the desk called around and finally was able to locate a room for me (a premium room, but at that point I didn't care) and I made it to my room around midnight.

Back to the hospital by 9 in the morning and had mom in the car and on our way home before 10:30.  She has done amazingly well - no pain medication what so ever (other than Tylenol on Saturday) and she is up and doing things around the house.  I go down and check and empty her drains, make sure she is eating, and visit a few times a day - but she wants to be on her own.  

We have been back down to Gainesville twice to have her drains checked and have some staples removed.  The doctor told us yesterday that he would probably remove one drain next Monday along with half the remaining staples and the the last drain and staples the following Monday.  He gave us information for a shop that sells post mastectomy prosthetics and bras and we will go there after her appointment next week.  She should be ready for a bra by then.

Dan and I both had doctors appointments here in the Village last week - all is well but we have been referred all over the place.  Dan has to see the cardiologist in Lake City the day before Thanksgiving and I see a gynecologist  in Gainesville in December as well as getting a mammo done in December and a bone density test in Lake City in January.  Hopefully, once all that is done we will be through with doctors for a little while at least.

We have jumped through a couple of hoops here with the bank.  Finally have all the paperwork and plans from the contractor turned in to the bank, signed the loan application - have had a quote for the homeowners insurance done, and today we had the initial appraisal done.  We are hoping to close the middle of December and get the renovations started in January.  At least, that is the hope right now.

Other than that - things have been quiet around here.

Things going on!

Once again it has been a month since I posted.  I thought that I would be able to stay on top of things, but I really need to get better at this blogging thing again!

Let's see if I can update you on the last month.

The last time I posted I said that Autumn Fest and the Car Show was that weekend.  We did go down to that - I even volunteered to work the Door Prize table.  That wasn't hard at all and I was near the entertainment stage and was able to listen to some great "oldies" music.  

There were not as many cars here this year as last but there were some pretty ones.

 Dan's favorite

One of my favorites.

(There was a 65 Mustang that I just loved, as that was

my favorite car growing up, but for some reason, I don't have

a picture of it.)

I think a good time was had by all who attended.

The following week we had a surprise - we had the girls for three days.

Melissa had to attend a conference/training in Tallahassee so

she brought the girls up and we were able to keep them.

It was fun and exhausting at the same time.

We had not kept all the toys we had when we were down south

so it was a little more challenging keeping them entertained.

However, we did enjoy it.

I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get all of Mom's records up here, but that was finally accomplished and she had an appointment within the week.  She saw both the oncologist and the surgeon (two different doctors) and the surgeon wants to get the films from down south before any final decision was made.

The next week I drove down to Lake Placid to keep the girls again, as Melissa had to go to a different conference/training down in Miami for four days.

I left on Tuesday and came home on Friday - the girls were sick a couple of days and Justin (dad) picked the girls up from school on Friday and kept them on Saturday before Melissa got home.  Lorelai had a hard time - between strep throat and a stomach bug (which had her throwing up a lot) she did not have fun with Nana.  I was glad that she was feeling better when I talked to Melissa on Sunday.

Monday of this week I took Mom back down to Gainesville for her pre-op stuff - blood work, X-rays, and EKG.  Her surgery is scheduled for Friday morning.  We have to be there by 7 AM and since we live about two hours away she and I are going down Thursday night and spending the night.  She has to shower the night before and the morning of surgery with a special soap and she didn't want to have to be up by 4:30 in the morning to get all that done and I really didn't want to drive two hours in the dark with all the deer that we have around here.  Anyway, we think it will be better if we just spend the night there and then go to the hospital from the hotel.

Tuesday we went into town and did a little shopping - Dan and I are going to have to go back - didn't have everything on our list - but I think Mom got everything she needed.  Dan and I are going down to her house later today to put a few things up for her and then we'll see what else we need to do.

Tomorrow Dan and I both have blood work here in the village and then have doctor's appointments next week.  Not sure how mom's recovery will be but it will be a learning curve for all of us.

Tonight we are going over to a friend's house for hot dogs and a fire in the fire pit.  Should be fun

I think that has caught you up on everything that has gone on in the last month - oh- one more thing!  We finally got the paperwork from the contractor Monday and delivered it to the bank yesterday!  I really don't think anything will happen around here until after the first of the year what with the holidays,  but at least we are one step closer!

Before I sign off for today - I have some pictures of the girls on their very first day of "school" that I have not shared.  So, I'll leave you with a couple of those.

Adorable Adalyn

Lovely Lorelai

My heart

So sweet

Lorelai in her class

See ya!

My sweet little one.

(Not too sure of all this - but all's good now!)

That's it - talk to you soon!

Back to the "blogging" world

Hello my friends!  It has been a very long time since I have blogged and I have missed letting you know what is going on around here.  I just seemed to be so bogged down in things for the last year and I could never seem to find the time to sit down at the computer - but so much has changed in just the last couple of months.  I think that I am ready to come back.

As some of you know, Dan and I sold the house in Lake Placid and have moved back up to the North Florida area.  We think that this is the best move for us at this time in our lives and we have brought my mom up here too.  She purchased her own home and has been busy the last month getting unpacked. We (or I should really say I) have been in touch with an oncologist and they have requested all of mom's records from Watson Clinic.  As soon as they receive them and a doctor reviews them they will call to set up an appointment for mom and we can go forward with her treatment.  We are not sure, at this point, what the course of treatment will be but we do need to have the problem dealt with.

Dan and I are in a holding pattern right now when it comes to the house here.  We  purchased another foreclosure and we are trying to tie the remodeling money into the mortgage so we are waiting for the contractor to get all the paperwork filled out for the bank.  He had a scope of work completed and then Dan decided to change up some things on the "new" garage and the family room.   I won't take the time today to go into all the details of what we want to do to the house, but lets just say that we will pretty much have a brand new house when we are finished.

The hardest part of this move (for me anyway) is not seeing the babies every day.  I knew I would miss them but it has been a lot harder than even I thought it would be.  The one saving grace has been Skype - I am able to see them at least once a week - but it still isn't the same as being able to hold them and love on them in person.  I can not begin to tell you how my heart swells when I answer the phone and here "Hi NANA!"  - it brings an instant smile to my face!  They are my loves and I miss them!

I really don't have much else to say today - I just wanted to let those of you that still read this blog that I am back - that I will be blogging about what we are doing and I'll have lots to say about the house remodel (when we ever get that started) and will even throw in some other stuff too.  Next weekend is Autumn Fest and the car show - so I'll probably have some pictures then.
Until then - take care and I'll talk to you soon!

Been off for awhile

It has been awhile since I have done a post.

I just find it hard to sit down and post during the

day with the babies here, but

the little one is asleep and the big one is watching

some cartoons.

We have been busy with the "big" girl working on learning

our alphabet and numbers.  I have a subscription on "ABC Mouse.com" and so far it it fantastic.  Lorelai loves the games and songs and I think

she is doing really well with everything.  You just can't sit around and wait for kindergarten anymore - as they expect the kids to know how to read when they enter kindergarten now - so, so different than it was when I taught. Anyway, we are working with her and we shall see how it goes.

I promised that I would add the pictures of the antique car

show that Dan and I went to the first part of the month - so here goes.....

One of my favorites

Our friend Neil

Our friends Carol and Neil

 Carol

My guy standing by his favorite - a truck, of course!

One of my other favorites!

This is just a few of the cars - 

there were over 200 cars at the show - two parking lots full!

It was fun to see all the different cars.

Two weeks ago they had the "pumpkin patch" in the circle

here in Lake Placid.

Not as big and fancy as some, but we got some

cute pictures of the girls.

Adalyn and Lorelai

Lorelai and her friend Kenzie

Ada-Bear

Sweet Lorelai

My little pumkin!

The girls with their pumpkins!

Ada with her pumpkin!

Such fun!

Well, I'll close for today.

We are suppose to have some really cool weather here

this weekend - lows in the low 40's and highs only in

the low 70's!  Yippee!!!!!

Dan and I plan on going to a craft fair down in 

Ft Myers so it should be a good day.

Hope you are having great weather

and I'll talk to you soon!

Hugs!!!!

Heartbroken!!!!

I am just heart broken.

Dan and I lost our sweet, beautiful

Samantha Ann a week ago.

It happened so quickly

and we just are

having such a

difficult time

accepting that she is gone

I have never had a

dog that was as

much of a family member

as this sweet baby was.

She was our four legged baby

and you could never ask

for a better puppy.

I can not tell you how much we are going to

miss this sweet girl.

We love you Sammie Ann

and you will live

in our hearts forever.

Everyone has been Sick!!!

Goodness, I don't like being sick!

Everyone around here has had colds - Ada started everyone

off coming down with a cold about three weeks ago.

Then Lorelai got it - followed very closely by

her momma, daddy, and me.

Dan was the last one to come down with it, but it

has hit him the hardest I think.

I went with Melissa last week when she took the girls to the

doctor - Ada also has an ear infection - so she is on

antibiotics.  She should finish them up this week.

We all are on the up swing now - I still have a little bit of a stuffy nose, but Dan still has a horrible cough!  We are getting better - guess it just takes time.

The girls had to go back to the doctor this week for their "wellness check" and poor little Ada had to get four shots while Lorelai had blood drawn and one shot.  Melissa and I were so proud of Lorelai - she didn't cry at all when they drew her blood.  We were both amazed, but she was such a trooper!

They are both growing sooooo fast!

Lorelai is 36" tall and weighs 32.8 pounds!

Talking up a storm and wants to

"do it meself".

(But she will let me "help")

Adalyn is 27" tall and weighs 22.1 pounds.

Not quite walking, but really close.

She is starting to let go of things when she

is "cruising" around on the furniture.

Don't think it will be long before I'll have TWO

walkers!

Oh my goodness!!!!

They are both in overall good health -

(they still had a little bit of their colds and Ada's ear was

not completely well when we went back to

the doctor on Tuesday).

Other than all of us being sick, not much has been

going on.

We are thinking about going up to Dowling Park for the weekend NEXT week - 

but we shall see.  We don't know what we would do with the pups.  We know that our friends that we would stay with wouldn't mind us bring the puppies, but we just feel funny taking them since Neil and Carol don't have any pets.

We would really like to get away for a weekend, but we shall see if we can figure something out.

Well, I don't have anything else to report - just wanted to check in and let you know that we are all doing okay.

Have a great weekend 

(we have 70% chance of rain all weekend).

Looks like a quiet indoor weekend

for us!

No Excuse.

Well, here it is the first part of September

and I haven't posted anything since

July!  I really have no excuse other than I can

not stand my new laptop computer.

I so wish we had not purchased it, it was not a 

well thought out purchase, but I will now have to live with it

as it is too expensive to replace again.

I keep hoping that I will get used to it and I will start

liking it - but I really don't see that happening.

We shall see.

Anyway, other than that I really have no excuse for not posting.

We really have not done much around here - no new

projects going - just too hot (still) to do anything outside

and we don't have anything really planned for the

interior.

I spend the week keeping the little ones - they are both growing so darn fast!

It is hard to believe that Ada is almost 9 months old.  She is crawling everywhere and pulling up.  I think she might be an early walker, but I guess only time will tell for sure.

She does love to climb on everything and

followers her big sister around.

The picture above was taken about a month ago and she has grown

so much since then.

(I really need to be a better Nana and take more pictures of the little one).

Lorelai is growing by leaps and bounds also.

The pictures above were taken last week when we were in the backyard playing with bubbles.

She is talking so much more (and understandable instead of "Chinese").

They are both such sweet little ones but they do

keep us hopping during the week!

Now on to more mundane things -

we are having to replace the golf cart tires - they absolutely have

no tread left on them (the back tire had the belts showing this morning).

Dan has been saying for a couple of months that we were going to have a flat and end up stranded somewhere with the two girls.  Not a good prospect - so he took two down today to have them replaced and then we will do the other two in a couple of months.

We did take a ride out when we had the super moon a couple of 

weeks ago and I was able to get a few shots, even though it

was pretty cloudy.

Don't have much else to report - 

hope you are having a great day!

Take care and I'll

try an talk to you soon!