Update on my health

It's been quite a "ride". Today marks 3 weeks since I found out I have Bell's palsy. I had gone to see Dr. Michel a week later re: my sinuses and he thought 50mg of prednisone for 10 days straight with no decreasing was a better way to go to stop the Bell's. PTL, I think the high dose of prednisone really did a number on the inflammation and the paralysis is going away. I can close my eye tight now, but it doesn't always stay and it still doesn't just blink, but it is way improved. Dr. Mervitz, the eye doctor, is really amazed at how well it is doing. I did have a scratch on my cornea, so he has been seeing me quite regularly. He is a really good ophthamologist and I like him a lot. Today, I saw him again and he said I have the beginning of a cataract on my right eye. Has nothing to do with the Bell's, but - it figures. They take a long time to develop, so I guess they'll be watching it. My vision is blurred in my right eye. Dr. Mervitz says that is because that eye is very, very dry and we are trying different drops to help it along. He said the scratch is healing fine. I see him again next Weds. morning and then he is going away for awhile, so will see what he has to say. To say the least, it is wonderful not to have to wear the patch anymore and to be able to eat and talk better. I still use a straw in my drinks, as my lips don't seal real well yet, but it is coming as well. I am finding my hearing quite disturbed on the right side. Loud sounds are louder and more echoing and it hurts, so I try to cover or put a plug in if I know the noise level will be higher. I am still fighting this sinus infection and 2 weeks of antibiotics are doing nothing. I may have to go back and see what other antibiotic might work. I can finally blow through my nose, so that does help. It's a strange thing to be so paralyzed and it's made me realize how many things we take for granted. My smile isn't quite as big on that side yet and Erin looks at me funny, but she is happy she can see both my eyes and I don't scare Evan as much. So, I am doing better. Thanks so much for all your prayers. I especially want to thank my care group for their love and support and prayers. I love you ladies very much and cherish our friendship!!

51 years ago - yesterday March 21st

Ok, all you "oldsters" - wonder how many remember the old evangelistic meetings we Baptists used to have. They usually lasted at least a week - every evening and twice on Sunday. A travelling evangelist would be the main speaker and sometimes he brought special music or something special for the kids or whatever. I remember one young evangelist we had - I believe his name was Lance Ross (no relation) and he was so cute and so sweet. His wife played the marimba and was she ever good!!! She could play with four sticks and really go fast!! Anyway, at the end of the week, he kissed me on the cheek and I swear I didn't wash that spot for a long time. I think I was about 7 or 8. Anyway, back to 51 years ago. On March 21, 1958 we were having an evangelistic meetings week with Rev. Clifford Lewis. He was a very dynamic preacher and I really don't remember much about the meetings except his preaching. I was 6 years old and remember sitting in the front row with my friends listening to his sermons. I'm not sure what night it was - it could have been a Sunday night and maybe the last one. Anyway, his sermon was on heaven and hell and which one were we going to? Well, as I sat there listening, I realized my mom and dad and brother were going to heaven when they died, but I wasn't. My little child heart was crushed and I remember during the invitation thinking I should go forward and ask Jesus into my heart. But I was pretty shy back then and little afraid. After the final prayer, I went over to my dad and told him I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. My dad was a deacon in the church - who better to go ask? He took me to Rev. Lewis and they both took me back to a room behind the stage. I remember vividly the coolness of the room, the very cold metal folding chairs we sat on and the cold tile floor where we knelt. After Rev. Lewis explained salvation, asking Jesus to forgive our sins and live in our hearts and asked me if that was what I wanted to do, I said yes. He knelt on one side of me and Daddy on the other and I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. I remember it all so clearly. Rev. Lewis told me I had to go tell someone, so I went out and found my mom sitting and waiting and I told her. The church was made up of a lot of my relatives and I imagine my mom had spread the word, as I got hugs and kisses from aunts and uncles and of course, my dear grandma. I have always loved the fact that my brother, sister and I were privileged to grow up in a church with close friends and relatives and to have the wonderful Christian heritage we had. Those memories are dear to me. So, Happy Birthday to me - 51 years ago!!

Aaarghh!!!

Now, for those of you with kids, that could be a pirate talking or for those of us "oldies" it could be a word of frustration! Both seem to apply to me these days. I know I haven't posted in a long time, but there is a good reason. February was not kind to me and now it seems March isn't helping much. The first part of February was fine. I got to watch my favorite sport, figure skating, for about 4 nights, as the Canadian Championships were on in Saskatoon (tried to go see it live, but no tickets were available. Good thing I didn't - read on). The Canadians are really coming up in the skating world and I think the World Championships in March will be exciting. Well, that Sunday, the 15th, I started aching and having chills and thought, well, I guess I have gotten the flu from Dale. He had it the weekend before and typically for him, it lasted about 3 days and he just ached and his stomach hurt a bit. I took Nyquil like I always do and it helped for about 2 hours and that was it. I should have known something was wrong, but I just ignored the signals my body was giving. I wasn't throwing up much - only when I drank too much liquid. I ended up eating a lot of ice chips and that was all. I only took the really life essential pills (blood pressure medicine) I take every day to lessen the amount of water I drank. For some reason the aching and pain were even worse this time. Jodi kept telling me to go to the dr., as her girls had been sick and it was a bacterial infection of some sort. Well, I find it hard to get in to see my dr., but by Friday I was really, really sick and weak and phoned and begged to get in. She took one look at me and said, go to the ER. Well, I had taken a taxi to her office, so just decided to go back home and have Dale take me when he got off work. We sat in the waiting room for 4 1/2 hours before I got seen! I was so miserable by then I could barely sit. Found out I had a bacterial kidney infection and was severly dehydrated. They hooked me up to an IV and got fluids and a bag of antibiotics in me. Those of you who are Canadian know the horror of our hospital situation and it was no better even though I was so sick. The wonderful doctor explained everything in detail, which I was very grateful for and wanted me to stay in at least 2 days to get hydrated and full of antibiotics. The infection was very bad! I was shuffled from the examing table (so hard) to some horrid recliners in the patient waiting room to a bed in a closed off part of the ER after 10. It was very cold (by a window), but the nice nurse brought a warmed blanket and that helped. I sort of slept after getting some pain medication and was able to keep breakfast down the next morning. After getting my next round of antibiotics, I slept for about an hour and then got shuffled back to the recliners so they could open up those beds again. Ho hum! Dale came by and then was going to go up to see Donna. (more about that later) Meanwhile my dr. came to see me and asked if I wanted to go home. As I was feeling much better I said yes!! Anything was better than those dumb recliners and I didn't think a bed was forthcoming! The nurse said I had to have one more round of antibiotics at 10 p.m. and so I asked if I could come back. That was fine with them, so I found Dale and we went home. They left the iv tubing in and plugged and we went back at 10 and I was hooked up right away and we were home by 11. I was given a prescription for oral antibiotics and told to go see my dr. on Weds. I felt better at home, but was so weak and barely able to do anything. I did see the dr. on Weds. and had more blood and urine tested. It always seems to take me so long to recover from illnesses and maybe because this was so severe, it took even longer. I was just beginning to feel better the first week in March when my tongue felt wierd. It was Weds., the fourth and I thought I had burnt my tongue on my supper. Water tasted really funny. The next day my right sinuses were horribly painful. More so than normal and that's saying a lot. I have chronic sinusitis on that side. Even antihistamines didn't work. I ended up taking strong pain pills and noticed my lip sort of feeling numb - like the freezing was coming out after dental work. Later in the day, I noticed my eyelid not quite closing. Friday morning it was all worse, so I phoned the dr. and someone had cancelled PTL!! I got in and she said it was Bell's palsy. Such a strange thing! Did the sinuses cause it or a viral infection? No one knows. She put me on a decreasing dose of prednisone (steroid) for 10 days. It continued to get worse on Sat and by Sunday the whole right side of my face was paralyzed (I can feel though) and I have to wear an eyepatch, as my eyelid won't close. I tape it shut when around the house. It's annoying to read, watch TV, eat, drink and do just about anything. I can't drive and this is really distressing to me!! I won't be taking Bethie to school anymore, but fortunately, Jodi will be able to as her child care kid became a big brother and she won't have him anymore. I will miss it, as I loved the time with Bethie. So, that's been my month. About Donna. This is Dale's sister. Her husband, Glenn, was on the roof of their house on Valentine's day and fell off sustaining a very bad head injury. He is not doing well, although is more or less awake now and breathing on his own. It's been a rough month for their family, too. In the midst of all this fell my birthday. I had asked the kids to come over on the 21st and help us empty out our spare bedroom and get it organized with my stampin' table and computer and stuff like that. Our living room and bedroom are just too full of stuff. Well, that didn't materialize and neither did my birthday celebration on Sunday the 22nd. So, one of these days we'll do that. Now it has to wait until we get Jen and Craig all moved into their little house. They bought a cute 2 bedroom house about 6 blks from us. Dale and Craig have been busy with Gary's help trying to fix up the bathroom and kitchen and Jen, Jodi, Steve and whoever else will be painting four rooms. Should keep them busy. They hope to move in the 21st. I can't help much because of the dust and paint smell. Well, that's my tale of woe. I am thankful for the continued use of my limbs and one good eye, so the Lord is good! Hope to be on here a bit more often. Til next time...