[ Closed ] Strummer Bill (Page 2 of 3)

We're still hanging in there. My son and I swapped "watchman duties". Now he stays the night with his mother and I come home to do chores and sleep.

They changed the meds and tonight at midnight will be the first time she'll take one of them. The doc has to be careful prescribing it for home use, though. We've been getting by on just Medicare, but depending on the cost of the prescription, she may not be able to take it.

Plans are for her to come home tomorrow (Wednesday) if all goes well tonight. A lot of trouble starting a new IV today. Although she's not overweight, Dondra has veins that "roll" when they come in contact with the INT device (INT = Intermittent Needle Therapy), so they have to try, retry and try again. If you've ever gone through it (as I suspect our friend NELA has) you'll know that all that poking and jabbing hurts like hell. My girl is very stoic, however and tells the nurse not to apologize and "just do what you need to do".

It's still just the three of us in this thing, but I feel that this has brought my son and I much closer together. We had been "estranged" for a time and now that he's moved into the little apartment we fixed for him in our basement we're getting to know each other again, so something good is coming out of this, though we both wish it were happening in other ways.

About the "Laws" and "Inlaws": The so-called "family" of mine has worked out a system so that no one actually has to set foot in the hospital to see their sister and aunt. What they do is text either Dondra or Jason asking how things are and then the "appointed one" will relay the news to the others. What is so effing hilarious is the way those texts end: "Be sure to call us if she needs anything".

I want to write, "Yeah, how about a little one on one face time with your sister/aunt/cousin, you assholes?", but as you might surmise, She Who Must Be Obeyed won't let me do that.

Okay, so we're not the Waltons. Whose family is? But we are humane, or so I thought.

I know that each and every one of you would be here if it weren't for the miles separating us, but these people don't have that reason. It's to my wife's credit that she holds firmly to the epithet "two wrongs don't make a right" and is there for them with time and wheels whenever she's needed.

I'm very tired and just needed to blow off some steam.

Thanks, my family.

Bill

Bill and Dondra

When you're all cried out, you've endured just about every pain imaginable to the soul and body, and you feel like all the strength in you has withered away to the point that quitting makes perfect sense......... but for some reason, you don't...............

it is then, that you know that the love you have for each other  is very real, you know that the friends that continue to support you  and offer hope as well as their prayers will always continue, and somehow you will find the courage and the path to overcome your sufferings, and to see the sunrise of another day and enjoy the love and happiness that ensues.

Wishing you and your wife  peace, strength, and love on the way to recovery.

Jim

I'm thinking about you guys every day. Hang in there. Glad to hear about you and son. That's a good thing.

You can drop them on my soundcloud or media server if you want.

Bill, I know exactly what you are talking about with veins that roll. Anytime you are in the hospital they will "stick" you and put in a port for an IV. Over time that "location" will go bad and you will need to be "re-stuck".
Then here comes the "Lab Tech" needing to take a blood sample and they have to "stick yoy in another place - they can't use the IV port. This is an on going process. During my recent hospital "STAY'S" they were not able to get a needle inserted any where in my arms. So here come a different "Lab Tech" who inserted what is called a "PICT LINE". This "needle" is long and flexible. It was inserted on the inside of my right arm amm and ran all the way up to my neck. This "line" was over a foot long and had several "Ports" at the end eliminating my having more needles inserted into other places. This is the 2nd time I have had this proceedure and it is not fun. I feel for you, Dondra, as I've been thru the same thang although maybe not to the same level. Get well, soon.

Nela

We're home. Dondra was discharged today with 7 new meds she has to take, including the one I already told you about (the dangerous one).

It was explained to us that just about all medications have side effects and the USDA (US Dept of Drug Admin) wouldn't have approved that one if the numbers had been greater (more people dying, in other words) than they were. However, I made sure that my reluctance was noted in her chart, just in case.

This caused us to leave under less than friendly circumstances, but we don't care. As medical professionals we feel we have a right to question any medication whether prescribed for us or one of our patients. Y'all too, have that right, my friends. I'm sure our friend NELA checks his meds out VERY well before taking them and with GOOGLE, it's not so difficult at all anymore to find out what medicine will interact unfavorably with one you may be already taking. It takes hardly any time at all, and you may be saving your life and/or a doctor's career in the process.

The good thing about all these new meds is that they will be stopped (or reduced) when she has her ablation. The bad thing is the ablation has now been moved from August 1st to September 1st. During that time we were advised that many people "live with" atrial fib with RVR and we shouldn't be so quick to come to the ER the next time and let it "run its course". This too was written down by me and added to Dondra's chart.

The other bad thing about all the new meds is that they're going to cost us much more than we've been paying, but we can suck it up and tough it out. Right now I'm just very happy to have "She Who Must Be Obeyed" back home in her bed, bossing me around.

I want to thank all of you once again for all the prayers, good thoughts, juju and of course the songs and music you've dedicated  not only to us, but to our friends NELA and his Wife.

I couldn't find a better bunch of friends than all of you here, who I am proud to call my family.

We LOVE Y'all!

Bill and Dondra

Hey Zurf!

Thanks VERY much from both of us for the songs you played for Dondra. She says you have a great and sexy* sounding voice and to tell you she especially liked the Jim Croce tune.  She also liked the fact you spoke to her and created for her a little "concert". It all helped lift her spirits and she'll be on Chordie maybe tomorrow to thank all of you personally for your kindness.

I finally  got those songs downloaded and joined Dropbox at the same time, so thank you too, Dirty Ed!

Almost forgot: "She Who Must Be Obeyed" has a special request. You know that cute little song by The Beat Farmers called "Happy Boy"?
Well, she wants you to play it for her if and when you have time. She says that guy singing sounds just like you!

Here's the YT link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEZtII8rt_Y

Thanks so much once again, Zurf mah Brothah!

Bill

* she never says that sh*t to me!

Bill glad too see you are home and also questioning  the new meds I hope we get some good reports now and also for Nela.

I worked it out with Dropbox, BGD. Thanks for the kind offer, though.

Glad she's home with you Bill. Take care.

She wouldn't say it to me either if she saw me.  LOL.   Here's a picture of me getting up in the morning after sleeping on Topdown's floor at ChordieStock 2013.

Topdown spread the hay around just for me. 

I dropped "Live Forever" into the Dropbox folder.  I haven't got the speed of the picking up to what you hear from Billie Joe Shaver, but maybe it'll be OK.

I'll try and do a couple more for her soon.  Don't tell your tea-toting wife, but the red wine I was sipping had started to kick in by the time I recorded Blue Train.  I've had a hard time getting a handle on that song.  But she said she liked 60s and 70s country, so that one had to be done.

Well, it's very early hours Friday morning here, just about bedtime me thinks. Bill / Dondra I look forward to hearing some more positive news later. G'night from me.