Saturday, November 20, 2021

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from Iowa, our home for the past 25 years.  Blows my mind to even say that! So many years in one place.  The trees are mostly leaf bare as we head into the third week of November.  Snow has not entered the picture yet, and in fact today we will have a high of 48 if the weathermen/women are correct.  

Speaking of warmer weather........it is a great day to get our windows washed.  Well, that is what I told Joel anyway!!  It is one of his least favorite jobs, but alas.....it has to be done.  I have put on some Christmas music to help energize us for the task ahead.  (I say "we" but unfortunately the task is mostly on Joel!) 

This week was yet another week of doctor appointments.  Monday was the eye doctor I see for glaucoma.  That is holding steady...yay.  The changes I see in my right eye (good one?) is the macular...dry...so nothing can be done.  The doctor said once again, "Your vision is still 20/20 and that is really great for the concerns you have".  Thank you Jesus.  Wednesday I saw the medical oncologist and had another good exam.  The surprise here was that the CT showed I did not have just two fractured ribs but "a line of them" from the radiation.  They are still healing which is good news.  Thank you Jesus.    Friday we headed to Mayo again and worked with the PT to figure out what to do for my hand that keeps swelling.  She sent me to a place called "The Limb Lab" where they make artificial limbs.  Strange place to go, but they have a woman there who helps fit you to the right sleeve and glove.  So we are still in the trial and error phase, but grateful for all the people helping to keep my arm working and the fluid manageable.  I must add in here that I am so grateful for Joel as we walk yet one more medical marathon together.  He wraps my arm every night using "fluff", gauze, short stretch bandages and a certain kind of foam placed in areas that have too much firmness.  He's getting pretty darn good at it!

I was thinking I would not get my walking in on Friday but we had to go to the Mayo Medical Store and that was a walk and a half from where we were.  Of course we got a bit lost as we had not been to the store in 2 years.  People are always willing to help direct you, which actually reminds me of when we were in Grand Central Station in NYC!  One of my favorite things at Mayo in the Gonda building is listening to someone play the grand piano in the lobby area.  

Moving on............we decided to watch a Diane Sawyer special last night on the Turbin family out in California.  What those 13 children went through because of their unbelievable evil parents was shocking.  And the realization that they got away with it for over 25 years?  Joel and I were curious about the story, but also felt like the two sisters who shared had a story that needed to be heard.  We noticed that the police officers and investigators involved in the case still were very emotional when talking about what they saw when they rescued the kids.  Officers see some horrible things and I know that when they involve children it is extra hard to absorb.  Just watching the special was difficult enough.

Last Sunday we headed off to church where we are still required to wear masks.  We find that a good thing with our county in an "extremely high transmission" level.  The church was packed which was unusual for the service we attend.  We realized it was Confirmation Sunday so just a few minutes after we sat down we got back up and walked out.  Joel just felt it was too crowded and I was in agreement with him.  We watched Lutheran Church of Hope from home instead.  It is so great we have those options isn't it?!  I can go to Facebook on my phone, get on Lutheran Church of Hope's page and then cast the service from my phone right onto the TV.  I am old enough to think this is amazing!  Ha....

So, you may be thinking, if they are so cautious about Covid what do they do when they travel?  We stop at rest areas, carry our own lunches to eat in our car at a park.  If we go indoors somewhere we are masked and use hand sanitizer.  We carry our own mostly because I react to some of them.  Are we tired of masks and avoiding people and places for the most part?  Of course we are.  BUT for us, it seems necessary for our own protection.  When I read that vaccinated people over the age of 80 still have a 13x higher chance of dying from breakthrough covid we cannot ignore that.  Just saying.......doing what we thing is best for ourselves and those around us.  Not out of fear.........but out of caution.  Not preaching here, just sharing what we do.

We did go to a food Co-op in downtown Rochester.  We picked up a few things and then checked out.  As Joel put away his card in his wallet we started to walk out and the clerk said...."You forgot your bag!"  What?  We both burst out laughing.  Yeah......sometimes we wonder how we get around at all!  Anyone else been there, done that?!?!  This store is a store we went to years ago and when we decided to buy cinnamon in bulk Joel opened the wrong slot on the lid and when he shook the cinnamon into a small bag it went up in the air like a cloud and landed everywhere~!!  The clerk was not impressed when we asked him for help.........and that cinnamon that went everywhere was on Joel's pants and when we went to get in the car he noticed it was all over the top of his boots too!  We have laughed more than once over that fiasco and wondered if they would even let us back in the store!  Ha..

Today I was washing the glass storm door and putting some heavy tape in one area where the wind blows in.  I needed scissors so left the entryway and when I came back a couple of minutes later there was a gift sitting on our porch in front of the door.  How did that get there?  Ans where was it from?  I brought it inside and discovered it was from our old neighbor.  They just moved from our neighborhood.  He is a realtor and he left his card on it.....and she is the nurse anesthetist I have had for several of my surgeries.  Really nice family.  What a nice surprise to find a frozen pumpkin pie on our porch!  

So, on this Saturday in November I am giving thanks for good news from the doctors, all the help I am getting with the Lymphedema, Joel washing windows, Christmas music (already), memories that make us laugh, lunch in the car, rest areas, safe travels, watching church from home, texts, phone calls, pictures that come across our phones, puzzles, a surprise pumpkin pie on our porch, and so much more..............

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