Update on Mildred...

Mom had gotten progressively more hoarse and more short of breath as the days went on.  Finally it was time for Mom's appointment with the pulmonary specialist in Burnet on Tuesday. We are grateful to Jean for taking her.  The specialist determined that the area of Mom's lung that was different on her x-rays and CT scan was fluid, not a collapsed lung.  She recommended that Mom have a test done called a thoracentesis, which was to draw the fluid out of the lung and have it tested.  Mom was scheduled with the radiology department that same afternoon.  The radiologist inserted a cannula into the right lung and drew out over a liter of fluid!  No wonder Mom couldn't breathe!  The fluid was sent to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin to determine what type of fluid it was, which will hopefully tell us what caused it to be there and how to keep it from coming back!   

Since Tuesday, Mom has been feeling better.  Her breathing is much less labored and her hoarseness is almost gone.  She will be very relieved to get the report regarding the fluid, which she will get at her next scheduled appointment next Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, I have some exciting news!  Mom and Dad have bought a garden home in Northwest Austin, 2.5 miles from mine and Ollie's house!  Mom and Dad had looked at this house several weeks ago.  Mom called me one day and said she had been thinking again about that house and couldn't get it off her mind...regretting that she and Dad hadn't bought it.  She asked me to find out if it was still on the market.  Not only was it still on the market, but the seller had dropped the price!  There were two other parties interested in the home, but they were playing cat and mouse with the owner, low-balling him on the price.  That day, Jean was in town and we were at Glenda's so the kids could swim.   Mom and Dad came into town immediately, and we met the realtor at the house that afternoon and left the new house with a signed contract!  It is a very nice 2 bedroom, 2 bath garden home in a gated community on Anderson Mill Rd in Austin.  Like I said, it is very close to my house and I can be there in about 5 minutes!  From his office, Danny can be there in about 35 minutes, versus almost 2 hours.  Glenda is about 30 minutes away and Jean is about the same distance!  Not only are they closer to most of us, but I can take them food or they will have unlimited access to food delivery, and there is a Luby's Cafeteria on the north-bound frontage road of 183, just a few minutes away! Luby's is Mom's favorite place to eat!!  There are so many reasons that this is a good idea!  Of course, it is very sad that they are leaving their place.  They drew up their floor plan and Dad was the general contractor on their home.  However, they both understand and accept the fact that it is vital for them to be closer to their kids. Dad has been so worried about Mom and her lung problem.  He insisted on making this move. 

The closing is set for July 10 and the move is scheduled for July 12.  We will send out change-of-address cards as soon as we get them settled.  I had forgotten how many little details there are in relocating, and we will take care of every single detail so Mom doesn't have to do it.  

Thank you for keeping Mom in your thoughts and prayers.  Again, she is feeling better and we hope to keep it that way!   Please pray with me that their move be seamless and that God gives them strength in this major step in their journey of life!

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.


Amen!

Just saw this on facebook and loved it!

"I love you!"

On Tuesday, June 10, Jean, Jennifer, her kids, Randy, his girlfriend Jade, Bradley, Kelly, Whitney, Austin, and I gathered at Glenda's to celebrate and swim in her reconstructed pool!  We called Mom and Dad and they decided to drive in and join us!  We grilled hot dogs for lunch and had a great day together!  When Whitney took this picture of Austin and his Papaw, Austin spontaneously held up 'I love you' in sign language!  Dad knows how to sign "I love you" also, and he laughs out loud every time he does it!  There is so much love in our family and we have Mom and Dad to thank for that! 

Mildred

Mom and I went back to her doctor in Marble Falls on Wednesday, June 20, anxious to find out the results of the CT scan.  It was so frustrating because the cat scan report sounded almost like a repeat of the chest x-ray reeport.  She either has fluid on her right lung or part of it has collapsed.  Well, we already knew that after the x-ray!  Still nothing was conclusive.  Mom's pain, thankfully, has abated, but she is more short of breath, is coughing a little more and has become quite lethargic. Her doctor did recommend that she see a pulmonary specialist, and she is scheduled with Dr Erica Hughes in Burnet next Wednesday, June 27th.  I pray that she will be able to make some sense of all of this.  I thought it would be a good idea to take those, ahead of time, to the pulmonary specialist's office in hopes that she would have time to go over them before Mom's Wednesday appointment. 

Jean and I have been keeping with our usual routine of spending a full day each with Mom and Dad each wee4k.  However, I am back at their house now.  I called Mom yesterday (Friday) morning, as I always do, and she sounded so tired and so short of breath.  I couldn't bear to have her feeling so badly and not having someone to help her with Dad.  Jerry is out this week and next week.  I packed up my suitcase and came out!  Praise God for blessing me with a self-sufficient and understanding husband! 

When I arrived, Mom and Dad were in their chairs watching television.  Mom hadn't slept well Thursday night and looked like she needed a good nap and Dad was asleep in  his chair.  Mom was definitely more short of breath than when I was with her on Wednesday. She said that she just coudln't get comfortable during the night and that she was really tired.  I told her that I was going to run to Burnet and that she should nap while I was gone.  Dad was awake by now so I asked him if he'd like to ride with me to Burnet.  He grinned real big and said he would!  He went to the restroom, I got his shoes on him and we left.  Meanwhile, Mom turned off the TV, pulled up the foot rest on her recliner and got in nap-mode.  I was so glad that Dad wanted to go with me so Mom could have the house to herself and have a good nap!

On Wednesday, I had asked the doctor's office to give Mom a CD of the chest x-ray and the CT scan and copies of those reports.  Before I left my house to go to Mom and Dad's, I called the pulmonary specialist's office and asked if it would be beneficial for me to bring by the CD's and the reports prior to Mom's appointment (in hopes that might allow for more to be accomplished on the first appointment).  The staff member I spoke to said it was possible that the doctor might have time to look over them, but there was no guarantee.  I decided it was worth trying.  So the errand I wanted to run in Burnet was to take the CD's and reports by Dr Hughes' office.  I left the A/C running and Dad in the car while I ran those in.  I also picked up the paperwork that Mom would have to fill out as a new patient.  I can fill those out for her (with her input, of course) and then all she has to do is sign them and take them with her on Wednesday!  Otherwise, it would have taken her at least 30 minutes to complete those forms in the doctor's recetion room.  After our trip to Burnet, I asked Dad if he minded going to the grocery store in Marble Falls with me.  He pointed that direction and waved for me to go.  I had brought some venison fajita meat and planned on making them supper, but I needed avocados and sour cream!  Can't have naked fajitas!  Again, Dad waited in the car and I set a record getting in and out of the grocery store!!  

When we got back to the house, Mom was awake and said she had rested well in her chair!  She was a LOT perkier and seemed to be breathing easier.  I cooked the fajitas while we watched Wheel of Fortune, one of their favorite shows!  Both Mom and Dad ate well, she and I cleaned up the kitchen and then we watched western movies until 11:00!  Jenny, one of the night-time caretakers arrived at 11:00, so she and Mom took Dad back to the bedroom, prepped him for bed, and then it was lights out for all of us!  

I had planned to stay only one night, but Mom mentioned that her cousins, Jonell and Verlin Callahan, had invited her and Dad to their 50th wedding celebration.  I offered to take them and she took me up on my offer.  The party is from 5:00 tp 9:00 tonight, so I'll go with them and stay one more night.  I am thrilled that they want to go and I don't want Mom driving when she doesn't feel well, especially since it will be dark by the time they would head home.  Besides, as you all know, I love a good family party!!!  

Wednesday is my birthday and Ollie, Whitney and Austin had planned to take me to lunch, so Jean is taking Mom to her appointment with Dr Hughes, the pulmonary specialist.  Jean and I feel so blessed that our schedules allow us the flexibility of going with Mom to her apointments and spending time with Mom and Dad each week.  Danny and Glenda are so envious of that, and see Mom and Dad as often as they possibly can.  I just can't imagine what we would all do without each other and I pray for and feel so sad for families who do not have the kind of love that we share. 

I will report back to you after Mom's Wednesday appointment!  Thank you for keeping Mom and Dad in your prayers! 

Precious Lord, thank you for Mildred and Harvey Smith.  They are two of the most wonderful people we know, and they are in their senioir years.  We can see their health declining and their needs increasing.  Please give us the wisdom, strength and patience to lovingly ensure that their every day needs are being met.  Lord, when decisions are being made regarding their health or what their future holds, please be ever-present with us.  We know that through You, all things are possible, and You are our refuge.  Grant Mildred and Harvey peace and comfort,  Amen.

I'm back!

I apologize for my lapse in posting on the blog! Since June 2nd, Ollie and I have attended three family reunions and driven over 1500 miles - to St. Louis Missouri and back!  We were very blessed to have had safe and happy travels!  We shopped numerous antique shops and malls all the way home and found several interesting items for our business!  Plus, we had lots of fun!
 

On June 2nd, we gathered at Jean and Jimmie's ranch for a reunion of the relatives and descendants of my Grandma, Mabel Pauly.  How blessed we were to have Mom and Dad healthy enough to join us!!  It's so amazing to think that we thought we were going to lose Dad just a few weeks ago!  Praise the Lord for helping Dad to recover and be with us!

We had a beautiful day with a pleasant breeze that kept it from being too hot.  About 40 of us enjoyed a great lunch with a conglomeration of tasty foods provided by each family and lots of visiting!  Jean had a book that she had purchased in 2002 from Clarence Siegeler with a lot of family history and pictures in it.  Everyone enjoyed looking through it and updating it with family additions and changes. ( I have emailed and left a phone message for Clarence to find out how we may buy more copies. Once I have that information, I will contact the heads of each family and see if we can get an order together).  Mom and Dad spent the whole day there visiting and enjoying everyone. Dad had a great nap in Jimmie's chaise lounge! 

   
Once the day was over, I realized that I had taken very few pictures and forgotten to take one of Dad (Harvey) Aunt Mary and Aunt Dorene, the three surviving children of Mabel.  Please remind me to do a better job next year!  


June 3rd found us in Rockne for the reunion of the Goertz family, the descendants of Mom's grandparents, Michael and Ottilia Goertz.  My Grandma Clara Goertz Grohman, Mom's mother, had eight brothers and sisters, so this reunion was really large...that day 195 people attended, and that's not nearly all of the family!  Pretty mind-boggling, isn't it?!  Mom and Dad attended this reunion as well as Dad's the previous day!  So many people took the time to visit with them and let them know how special it was to have them there!


"In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future." -Alex Haley


By Monday, Mom and Dad were ready to spend some time in their chairs!!  It took them a few days to recuperate!


Since then, Mom started having pain in her right side, in the lower part of her rib cage, that would move from the back to the front.  She was also a little short of breath, so she decided to go visit her gp. He sent her for chest x-rays to rule out pneumonia and they did a blood test. A cat scan was also scheduled. Mom went to this visit alone, so I had a lot of questions that she couldn't answer, like why were they wanting to do a cat scan, why they did a blood test, what would the cat scan show that the x-rays wouldn't, etc.  While Ollie and I were on the road home from St Louis, I asked Mom to please make a doctor's appointment for Wednesday afternoon so that I could go back to the doctor with her and we could ask more questions.  She wanted to know more also and was happy to make the appointment. 


I was a little sneaky in asking Mom to schedule on Wednesday afternoon!  I don't care for her usual gp and he is out on Wednesday afternoons!  The doctor who works on Wednesday afternoons is older, doesn't rush in and out but takes a lot of time with Mom and me answering our questions, explaining things and even showing us pictures in books, if necessary.  This time was no different.  At our request, he showed us the x-rays and spent an hour answering our questions and explaining what he could see so far. The lower third of Mom's right lung is either full of fluid or has collapsed, hence the pain. There is no clear explanation, only speculation at this point, as to why this occurred.  The cat scan will confirm whether what is on the x-ray is fluid or a collapsed lung and further tests will be done, once they know what they are needing to treat.  Ibuprofen helps her pain, fortunately.  The cat scan was done Thursday morning and the results should be in the doctor's office Monday.  I had Mom schedule another visit with Dr Cravey, the man we like, for next Wednesday, so he can go over the results with us and we can find out what is the next step to getting her healthy!  She tires easily, so we are all encouraging her to take it easy and have Jerry, the daytime caretaker, come more often.  They do still have caretakers for Dad at night, so that is a comfort.  I also reminded Mom to wear her emergency response button and put Dad's on him.  That way, if she was to have an issue, all Dad has to do is push the button and 911 is alerted.  I love that technology!

Mom also has a problem with her retina.  It may not have totally healed from her cataract surgery, or she has done something like lift something too heavy or applied some extreme pressure that caused the retina to start to detach.  Again, we have all requested that she allow Jerry to come more often, even daily, but she hasn't conceded yet!   She knows all of the things to avoid so that the retina heals.  She also has this problem with her right index finger...a cyst was removed from the nail bed, but another cyst has grown back in its place.  She has an appointment next week to see her old dermatologist in Austin and get his opinion on how to treat this.  Bless her heart!  When it rains, it pours. Through it all, though, to look at her and talk to her you'd think she is the epitome of health, for an 86 year old woman, that is!  Her attitude is always positive and upbeat!  She is a phenomenal Godly woman!  She is the best example I know of a strong, uncomplaining, unselfish and compassionate woman. I pray to for God to make help me to be like her.


The only way I can sleep at night is in knowing that Mom and Dad are being watched over by our sweet Lord!  It's so hard for me to leave their house because I want to watch over them and do more for them.  I know, though, that I have to have my own life and do as much for them as I can.

You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:32

 
I will be honest and tell you that I discussed with Mom and Dad the subject of moving them into an independent living facility so that Mom won't have so much to take care of.  I fantasize about them sitting together in their chairs enjoying each other, rather than Mom working all day every day.  As always, the toughest thing for Mom is figuring out what to cook for her and Dad, so consequently, in my opinion, they don't have a very balanced or healthy diet.  I also fantasize about them being able to go down the hall for a nice hot meal that someone else prepares for them! Actually, Mom said that she and Dad had been talking about moving again, even before I brought it up.  When I sat down with Dad, he adamantly shook his head 'yes', that he does want me to start looking at some places to show him and Mom.  That is my project for next week, other than going to the doctor with Mom on Wednesday.  I will keep you posted on all accounts!

Please continue to keep Mom and Dad in your prayers!  


Lord, watch over my Mom and Dad, Mildred and Harvey Smith. Keep them as healthy and active as possible. Should they have distress or weakness, assure them of Your faithfulness. Please do not allow them to suffer.  Comfort them with the knowledge that their lives were well spent. Enable them to serve You well through their remaining time on earth. Jesus, we commit them to Your care.
Amen