A DISAPPOINTING DAY

At 10:06 a.m. I sent this email to Kelly...."I got the Subaru in the driveway configured for travel.  Front seat forward, backseat armrest/coffee holder down, doggy towels on the front seat and center glove box, and your black winter coat with hood on board".  Minutes later she sent this email back...."Talked to one doctor,  he is consulting with the gastrointestinal team. Probably 99 percent chance of being discharged but not until later.  Another round of antibiotics IV first. He's coming back in a few minutes.  He's actually out in the hall talking to another Doc". 

 THIS WAS POSTED TODAY ON THE CURTAIN BETWEEN KELLY'S BED AND THE LADY BESIDE HERE

 KELLY'S SON BEN BROUGHT THESE FLOWERS FOR HER SUNDAY

I sometimes fall asleep with the TV remote in my hand and last night was one of those times.  Every night I fall asleep with low-volume instrumental soothing music playing and it plays all night.  Occasionally in my sleep or semi-sleep, I might accidentally press one of the buttons on the remote and wake up with a blank screen and no sound.  Now, because we have one of those darn fangled 'smart' TV's that needs two remotes to operate it the TV cannot simply be returned to normal again.  When this happens it takes a mind smarter than the smart TV to get it operational again.  Unfortunately, our 'smartest mind' was in London's University Hospital and this is one of the first emails I sent to our 'Smartest Mind',  "I must have pressed a wrong button on the TV remote in the night and despite trying to get the TV going again by pressing buttons it's just a blank screen now.  If the doctor says this morning that you have to stay another day just tell him you can't because you have to go home to get the TV working for your technically challenged husband".

 LOTS OF DARK-EYED JUNCOS IN OUR YARD TODAY

Kelly and I were in touch by email and phone as the day began to grow longer and longer.  Every time the phone rang I figured it would be Kelly saying....come get me:))  But, as the hours rolled by and we drifted into late afternoon I began to lose hope that Kelly would be coming home today.  And, she didn't.  Update:: Kelly just sent this at 6:30 tonight.....Wonder if they are Worried about the fluid build-up in my abdomen and legs,  they just came and Weighed me at 6:00.

 WITH LOTS OF TIME ON HER HANDS KELLY CONTEMPLATES HER 'LEMON-DROP' SOCKS

 AND SHE DID A LOT OF READING TOO

 KELLY'S SUPPER LOOKS A LOT MORE ENTICING THAN MY PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH SUPPER

I didn't take these last three photos.  They are the three winners of our Park's Christmas Decorations contest. 

I have a bone density check at 8 a.m. in the Clinton Hospital so the day is going to be an early start.  From Clinton, I will head right back home and wait for Kelly's call to come get her and bring her home:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A man in Amsterdam felt that he needed to confess, so he went to his priest.  "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” he said. “During World War II, I hid a refugee in my attic."  "Well," said the priest. "That's not a sin."  "But I made him agree to pay me $20 for every week he stayed," the man explained.  "I admit that wasn't good, but you did it for a good cause," the priest replied.  "Oh, thank you, Father. That eases my mind,” the man said. “I have one more question, though."  "What is that, my son?" the priest inquired.  "Do I have to tell him the war is over?"

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FINGERS CROSSED FOR KELLY COMING HOME MONDAY

 AND YES IT IS EVERY BIT AS COLD AS IT LOOKS

Kelly didn't feel as well today as yesterday.  She didn't have the energy to slip out and down the elevator to Tim Hortons for a coffee so one of the nice nurses did that and brought one back for her.  The doctor told her she had lost a total of 6 pints of blood Thursday.  Her body's bone marrow is now working hard to replace that blood loss.  Kelly's youngest son Ben from Cambridge drove over to see her for a visit today and at Kelly's urging, he brought lots of food with him.  Kelly phoned again tonight and I could tell she was filling better.  Probably had something to do with all the food Ben brought:))  And plans are still on to bring her home Monday so Pheebs and I will be raring to get on over to London and bring her home.

 FOR PATIENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE CELL OR SMARTPHONES THE HOSPITAL HAS THE NEWEST AND  LATEST IN PHONE TECHNOLOGY  

 KELLY'S HOSPITAL LUNCH TODAY WAS A SPINACH FAJITA (I HOPE SHE SAVED THAT TART FOR ME)

 KELLY AND BEN OUT FOR A WALK IN THE HALL

Needing to pick up a prescription, Pheebs and I ventured to Goderich for a stop at the Walmart Pharmacy.  We drove down around the harbor but it was pretty cold and windy down there.  Roads were snowy but plowed.  We got about an inch of snow overnight and it snowed on and off all day.  All the front yard bird feeders were very busy.  Well, at least we are over halfway through December and are slowly but steadily inching our way toward Spring:))

 A FEW BRAVE SOULS OUT FOR A WALK ON THE BOARDWALK

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A police officer pulled this guy over for speeding and told him that his eyes were bloodshot, and asked him if he'd been drinking. The guy said, "Your eyes are glazed, have you been eating donuts?"

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Wife: 'What are you doing?'
Husband: Nothing.
Wife: 'Nothing...? You've been reading our marriage certificate for an hour.'
Husband: 'I was looking for the expiration date.

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Two friends, Jim and Paul are in a bank, when, suddenly, armed robbers burst in.  While several of the robbers take the money from the tellers, others line the customers up against a wall and proceed to take their wallets, watches, etc.  While this is going on, Jim slips something into Paul's hand. Without looking down, Paul whispers, "What is this?"  Jim replies, "It's that $50 I owe you."

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THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

 A SHORT JEEP RIDE AROUND THE BLOCK THIS MORNING

I talked to Kelly this morning and she is in good spirits except for being told she wasn't coming home today.  They are keeping her until Monday.  She talked to the doctor this morning and he explained to her what they did in the endoscopy procedure Friday afternoon.  They located the spot where she was bleeding and said it was the same spot as last March.  He said the cause of the bleeding is her diseased liver.  Here is a description I found online of what happens... 'Esophageal varices develop when normal blood flow to the liver is blocked by a clot or scar tissue in the liver. To go around the blockages, blood flows into smaller blood vessels that aren't designed to carry large volumes of blood. The vessels can leak blood or even rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding'.   If the pressure bursts it can be fatal, but if it oozes like in Kelly's case the blood vessel can be repaired by banding it.  They did this last March and they re-did it Friday afternoon.  She has 4 IV drips going on at the moment with antibiotics etc. and that is a 72-hour procedure that will end Monday.  And, she will be on low blood pressure pills for the rest of her life also because normal blood pressure is too much for her weaker 'back pressure' blood vessels.  Barring any complications, Pheebs and I will hopefully be bringing her home sometime Monday.  

MY NAVIGATOR WASN'T TOO ENTHUSED ABOUT THE WEATHER EITHER

For anybody who knows Kelly well, they will understand the following.......Not having any solid food since Thursday's supper she unhooked her IV drips this morning and made her way down to the hospital cafeteria whereupon she got herself a large cup of coffee and a donut.  She did this several times last March when she was in there too and that time she took her IV poll with her to the elevator and slipped down a few floors to the cafeteria.  This morning she didn't bother taking the pole and simply unplugged the IV lines and headed out carrying the floppy lines with her.  Kelly is a very special person with a very special determination.  If she is told she can't do something she will just simply figure out a way to do it anyway and there is no way to keep her down.  Even in her sickest moments she keeps her spirits up and never complains or feels sorry for herself.  She fully understands her illness and faces it head-on.  I think successfully raising five children and having had great parents, and a proper upbringing it has made her the very special strong-willed and loving person she really is.  And with a sense of humor and wit, I might add.  While on the phone earlier today a nurse came in and Kelly asked her something about a 'door-dash' lunch.  I heard the nurse laughing.  And I don't even know what door-dash means:((

 KELLY WASN'T HAVING ANY PART OF THIS BREAKFAST NONSENSE THIS MORNING

Here are a few updates from Kelly today starting first thing this morning...... Not much sleep.  One lady moaning, one crying, and one talking on her cell phone. I have 4 IV bags going in with 2 in each arm, so basically I can hardly move around. Try getting to the bathroom in a hurry.  Supper was a cup of green Jello. My throat and insides are sore from the scope. Hemoglobin is 87 (still acceptable) hopefully. The doctor will get here early for rounds and I can find out what the scope turned up. I SURE hope I am not here another night......Lots of nice encouraging comments on the blog......Wonder if I will get breakfast?......It's 8:30, Not coming home til Monday:(...... Took the IVS out and took myself from 8th floor to 3rd floor for coffee.  Got a little lost but made it back with the help of a cleaning lady.

KELLY DIDN'T CARE MUCH FOR THIS TOMATO-BASED STUFF AND KNOWING HER SHE MIGHT HAVE CHUCKED IT OUT HER WINDOW OR HID IT UNDER HER BED OR......SOLD IT TO THE LADY BESIDE HER FOR $1.49

 SHE IS ALREADY CHECKING OUT TOMORROWS GOURMET LUNCH MENU

Snowing here this morning so it was only a short Jeep ride for Pheebs and I out into the countryside and back.  Hadn't started Scooter up for a few weeks so figured I had better do that and let it run for twenty minutes.  So I did that, but forgot it was running until later when I walked into the living room and saw Scoot's lights on.  Yesireeee, all 8 cylinders of that big  3500 chevy purring along out there for just under 3 hours.  Gas?  What gas??  Well, at least is wasn't as long as the first time I did that years ago with our first big Class A gas Motorhome.  Started it up one fine summer day, then half an hour later decided to take my motorcycle for a spin.  Five hours later I was home again.....and the Motorhome was still sitting there quietly purring away.  I remember the late Rod Ivers (fellow RV Blogger and friend) got quite a kick out of the post I wrote about my folly that day.

 A SLIGHTLY SNOWY MORNING

Some may wonder why I would take, and then put in the blog a picture of Kelly when she was not looking her best in the emergency room at Goderich's hospital.  Well, that's who we are,  what we do, and how we roll.  Kelly was fine with having that photo posted.  In fact, she took a photo that I didn't post in Friday's blog.  She sent that photo to all her kids to let them know she was in the hospital.  As sick as she was Thursday night she got one of the paramedics to pose for a picture she took with her smartphone.  It's the paramedic guy holding a transparent plastic bag with all the blood Kelly threw up.  Those bags are marked and designed for that to show exactly how much a person has brought up. If your squeamish, don't look at the picture below.

 YEP, THIS IS THE PICTURE SHE TOOK TO SEND TO HER KIDS TO LET THEM KNOW SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL

And a great big huge thank you to everyone for all your cares, concerns, emails, phone calls, and comments regarding Kelly's condition and hospitalization.  We both read and appreciate every one of them.

SHE EVEN TOOK A PICTURE OF HER IV POLE....GEEEZZZZ, SHE'S GETTING AS WORSE AS ME

Ellen's Groove:)) In this short video, Ellen sings and plays, Frosty The Snowman.  And 13 years ago today I was 'Hanging On To The Donkeys'

 THIS IS PRETTY MUCH HOW OUR WHOLE DAY LOOKED

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man received two sweaters for Hanukkah from his mother. The next time he visited her, he made sure to wear one of the two sweaters.  As he entered her home, instead of the expected smile, she said, "What's the matter? You didn't like the other one?"

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There is an old story about the data center of the future.  This data center runs 24/7 with only a man and a dog.  The man's job is to feed the dog.
The dog's job is to make sure the man does not touch the computer.

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Me: "I just burned 2000 calories in 20 minutes."
Friend: "How?"
Me: "I forgot to take my brownies out of the oven."

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KELLY WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

 AMBULANCE LIGHTS AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY ON A COLD AND RAINY MID-DECEMBER NIGHT

Kelly hadn't been feeling the best on Wednesday and Thursday things didn't get any better.  She became progressively worse Thursday evening and I called an ambulance.  She was taken to Goderich Hospital where she brought up a huge amount of blood twenty minutes after arriving there.  They kept her in for the night.  She phoned several times this morning to say she was feeling better but she wouldn't be coming home.  She had 3 IVs in her arm and said she was feeling weak.  No coffee and no food but her spirits were good.  She called again saying it had been decided to send her to London's University Hospital as soon as possible.  Pheebs and I slipped up to the hospital to see her.  Of course, Pheebs had to wait in the Jeep.  Kelly is a trooper and she is not one to complain about her situation or condition.  She is always positive and optimistic.   She was tired and had not slept well so I didn't stay long.  Pheebs and I were only home a couple minutes when the phone rang and it was Kelly.  We talked for about a minute before she had to go because the ambulance paramedics had come into her room to load her up and take her to University Hospital in London.  A nurse will accompany the paramedics to monitor her IV drips and condition.  Later this afternoon Kelly sent this from her smartphone in London....2:30-Eighth Floor, 4 people in the room !!! Surgical Wing. Endoscopy tomorrow.  UPDATE:: Kelly called around 6:30 tonight saying she had her endoscopy late this afternoon.  She is hoping they will let her come home tomorrow.........   

 THURSDAY NIGHT

GODERICH'S HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ENTRANCE TODAY

 KELLY INSISTED SHE FELT BETTER THAN SHE LOOKED

 KELLY'S VIEW FROM HER ROOM AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

GROANER'S CORNER:((  It’s been raining for days now and my husband seems very depressed by it.  He keeps standing by the window, staring. If it continues, I’m going to have to let him in.  

THE SNOW MISSED US

A MEMORY OF SUMMER DAYS GONE BY

We did have freezing rain but the snow went inland and missed us.  Looks like a snowy weekend coming up.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   If you are on Facebook, this might be you::

The 76-year-old woman walked down the hallway of Clearview Addictions Clinic, searching for the right department. She passed signs for the "Heroin Addiction Department (HAD)," the "Smoking Addiction Department (SAD)" and the "Bingo Addiction Department (BAD)." Then she spotted the department she was looking for: "Facebook Addiction Department (FAD)."
It was the busiest department in the clinic, with about three dozen people filling the waiting room, most of them staring blankly into their Blackberries and iPhones. A middle-aged man with unkempt hair was pacing the room, muttering,"I need to milk my cows. I need to milk my cows."
A twenty-something man was prone on the floor, his face buried in his hands, while a curly-haired woman comforted him.
"Don't worry. It'll be all right."
"I just don't understand it. I thought my update was LOL-worthy, but none of my friends even clicked the 'like' button."
"How long has it been?"
"Almost five minutes. That's like five months in the real world."
The 76-year-old woman waited until her name was called, then followed the receptionist into the office of Alfred Zulu, Facebook Addiction Counselor.
"Please have a seat, Edna," he said with a warm smile. "And tell me how it all started."
"Well, it's all my grandson's fault. He sent me an invitation to join Facebook. I had never heard of Facebook before, but I thought it was something for me, because I usually have my face in a book."
"How soon were you hooked?"
"Faster than you can say 'create a profile.' I found myself on Facebook at least eight times each day -- and more times at night. Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night to check it, just in case there was an update from one of my new friends in India . My husband didn't like that. He said that friendship is a precious thing and should never be outsourced."
"What do you like most about Facebook?"
"It makes me feel like I have a life. In the real world, I have only five or six friends, but on Facebook, I have 674. I'm even friends with Juan Carlos Montoya."
"Who's he?"
"I don't know, but he's got 4,000 friends, so he must be famous."
"Facebook has helped you make some connections, I see."
"Oh yes. I've even connected with some of the gals from high school -- I still call them 'gals.' I hadn't heard from some of them in ages, so it was exciting to look at their profiles and figure out who's retired, who's still working, and who's had some work done. I love browsing their photos and reading their updates. I know where they've been on vacation, which movies they've watched, and whether they hang their toilet paper over or under. I've also been playing a game with some of them."
"Let me guess. Farmville?"
"No, Mafia Wars. I'm a Hitman. No one messes with Edna."
"Wouldn't you rather meet some of your friends in person?"
"No, not really. It's so much easier on Facebook. We don't need to gussy ourselves up. We don't need to take baths or wear perfume or use mouthwash. That's the best thing about Facebook -- you can't smell anyone. Everyone is attractive, because everyone has picked a good profile pic. One of the gals is using a profile pic that was taken, I'm pretty certain, during the Eisenhower Administration. "
"What pic are you using?"
"Well, I spent five hours searching for a profile pic, but couldn't find one I really liked. So I decided to visit the local beauty salon."
"To make yourself look prettier?"
"No, to take a pic of one of the young ladies there. That's what I'm using."
"Didn't your friends notice that you look different?"
"Some of them did, but I just told them I've been doing lots of yoga."
"When did you realize that your Facebooking might be a problem?"
"I realized it last Sunday night, when I was on Facebook and saw a message on my wall from my husband: 'I moved out of the house five days ago. Just thought you should know.'"
"What did you do?"
"What else? I unfriended him of course!"

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FREEZING RAIN WARNING

We didn't bother with a Jeep ride this morning and I spent most of the day reading.  We have a storm coming in overnight with freezing rain turning to snow. 

 I SPOTTED 'RALPH' OUR RESIDENT SPIDER HANGING OUT IN OUR SHOWER TODAY

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Told my wife I was going to start smoking pot.  She said if I did she was going to leave me.  I figure that's proof that smoking pot gets rid of aches and pains!

MORNING JEEP RIDE AND AFTERNOON WALK

A slow Jeep ride around a couple country blocks this morning and an afternoon walk around our Park's pond.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The Senility Prayer::

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones that I do like, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

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HER HEARING IS STEADILY IMPROVING

Another cold and cloudy damp day.  A morning Jeep ride into Bayfield for Pheebs and I with a cemetery walk thrown in.  And that was about it for us guys.  Kelly had something to return to the Hudson Bay store so she Subarued herself over to London and back today.  And, since taking Pheebs to the veterinary with that ear problem a couple weeks ago, her hearing has been steadily improving.  

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Reasons Why The English Language Is Hard To Learn

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

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WOKE UP TO A WINTER WONDERLAND

We woke up to a winter wonderland outside our window this morning.  Pheebs and I hopped into the Jeep for a drive around our Park and down the road a bit for a few photos.  Instead of trying to pack all the photos into my post, I created a photo album, which is accessible here at Winter Wonderland.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  When you are young, you want to be the master of your fate and the captain of your soul. When you are older, you will settle for being the master of your weight and the captain of your bowling team.

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