Wed. Update

So I woke up and called the ICU, gave my password, and was told that there was not much progress from yesterday. Driving in to the hospital I was hoping that it wouldn't be a meltdown day. I prayed to God loudly in the car, "Please, I am praying big prayers!"

I went into his room, washed my hands, sat down near him, said Hi Ken. Did you see Dr. S? He answered me in a deep, low voice, very distinctly, "NO." It was then that I realized that he had been extubated. He was off life support! I couldn't believe it.I was so very excited that I went to tell the nurse about him speaking. Everyone at the desk was excited.

We had a lot of conversation during the day. His voice does not sound like his real voice- that's from having the respirator tube in his throat. I asked him what his name was. He answered Dave.(We have a friend named Dave). The nurse corrected him and told him his name. She gave me the thumbs up outside the room.

The next time that I asked him his name, he told me that his name was Alison! That was right after his sister Alison left. I told him again who he was. He responded with little conversations as to his comfort -ex. are you cold? yes....are you moving your feet because you are uncomfortable. No. Are you moving them because you are exercising them? Yes.........................

Then when one of his other sisters came, she was in the room alone w/him for a little when he started to cough and dribble out junk. She wiped him w/a towel and ended up dragging out a lot of junk. She remarked about having a lot of crap in there, and he laughed.

The physical therapist came and worked w/him a little. She then told him she was going to have him sit up. I thought to myself,"What!?" I couldn't believe it. He responded to some of the commands. Then she said he was going to stand up. I couldn't believe it. She put this big, thick leather belt around his waist snugly, and pulled him up from the belt, while the assistant steadied him from the side, and me by his shoulder. His head hung limp on his chest. She told him to lift his head. He could only do it twice. She said that he moved more spontaneously, than by command. They want to get patients up as soon as possible, so that there is less chance of a blood clot.

Now that he is off life support, they want him fully awake for a couple of days, then they will talk therapy. That's when he will be moved to rehab.

I pray that he will have no digressions, because he has very far to go. He could not stand being like this for an extended time. He overheard us talking about what he has gone through, and" and all this on top of his cancer", and he looked like he wanted to cry. I think that it was a lucid moment. He is upset and sometimes confused by all the tubes and cords, and wants to yank things out. One arm has a slight restraint, so that he cannot reach too far. He shows more discomfort, and has pain on his right side as he had before.

He was very weak for the month before w/his kidney problems, after he got a bug on top of the chemo nausea, vomiting for over a week. After that he would feel crappy, then vomit while taking a bite of dinner. But, my hubby is an athlete, ...and a very good one. Even with the vomiting he would go to work out for ten minutes here, and there.He did push himself too much, driving to and from work (a distance), teaching lessons, (although he started to get help with the hitting as he directed).

He is already a miracle_ falling, going into seizre,then having multiple seizures, having a stroke, a touch of pneumonis, a blood clot in the lung (one of the worst places to have one), kidney problems, all on top of stage 4 lung cancer. He was diagnosed in 2006. Had brain surgery, whole brain radiation, chemo, chest radiation, clinical trial, then just had 4 more chemo. The last one was too much, and he got a bug on top of it. He has been living with pain since last fall. And he was going to work, although lately couldn't do much.

I am praying for BIG MIRACLES LORD!!!!! His situation is still so very precarious, and his, and our lives, have changed so drastically, so quickly. But, we moved so very quickly when the initial fall occurred. The hospital and workers have been so very good.

And we are blessed with so much love and support from family and friends from around the world. I am just blown away by huge acts of kindness , support, and help.

Thank you all for all your prayers, emails, texts, love, friendship , and support. We love you.God Bless.

Miracle

My daughter was in a car accident this morning. The car flipped over. It wasn't pretty.

She put the car in PARK, undid the seatbelt, got her purse, and climbed out the passenger window.

She called a friend, them me. It is a miracle. Contusion to the back, bruised ribs, and scraped toes. ER was crowded and we weren't home till late afternoon. It happened early am. Have to monitor of course, and I was in shock most of the day.

Got one of those 'miracle' emails yesterday. Thought it would be about a job! I'll take my daughter.

We are down one car - ++ our daughter. I will take my daughter.

Collapsing sounds very good right now.

xo Lydia

ps-Feel it was the flat tire that caused it.

Ask and You Shall Receive:)

This is what is on my 13 year old's dresser right now. Things that were cool  to him that he's collected.Even the little kid's picture is just a vintage picture that he got at a sale... It's all displayed just so, as you can see. (Just click to enlarge).
Life is truly amazing. I often think that it's the little things that can bring me down. Big- I can handle-until all the little things pile up. Then one more little thing can topple me. Well, I'm proud to say that I didn't let it happen. Nope- Not a stitch!

So when my hot water heater went, I didn't go into a tiz-which could happen when you hang by a thread often. I looked up, and asked for help. I asked that it would cost nothing, or very little, and that it would be rectified as soon as possible .How was I to know that with this calm came an instant answer. We are blessed.

I told you in my last post how these wonderful neighbors of mine were so wonderful. Well, I just asked him to be able to check out the heater, to get a different opinion from the ridiculously priced one."You can get the heater for free because it's under 5 years, but it'll cost about $500- to install it. ??? Many people told me that this was just not legitimate.

The builder should have taken care of it day one when we did our walk-through, and at the very least when I complained that it just was never right a gazillion times. Even complained to the Attorney General's Off. about it because it was in the punch list.The Attorney General's Office told me that even though builders were supposed to abide by certain laws, that it was getting harder and harder to make them. Well things have a way of coming around for those who wait.

So our neighbor plumber installed the heater and refused any payment(which I asked to give a few times). My hubby offered tennis lessons for their daughter, or anyone else in the family. They may take us up on that. And I found out that he loves apple pie. Tried to give him a pumpkin pie, but he's an apple pie man. So he doesn't know it yet, but he's getting a great, big, yummy , homemade apple tart out of the Russian tea cake recipe, with a few cherries in the center. And it's oh so good! Only make them a few times a year, and mostly for the holidays.

He moved this with a hand truck, but when the water was stuck in the bottom because of a clog, he jimmied that thing across the basement to the back door,(way over 200 lbs.with the water in it), outside to the drain, unclogged it, and got sprayed all over with the clogged up milky white water(at this point). I am awestruck, and of course told my hubby how we are blessed.(He is also amazed). I like to show him, as I have more faith than him, and want to show the miracles of everyday life. My feeling is that when we are blessed, we have to help others in whatever way that we can. We must not waste this blessing. We must then share what we have.

For those possibly reading this, and not knowing the background---If you only knew what we have been through these last nearly 3 years(and earlier), you'd understand how these little blessings mean so much, and why they help to keep  us going.(Brain surgery and cancer for hubby, Lyme for me,  a horrible  death, other deaths, the kids not letting up being kids, the financial hardships because of the health and 2 college students, a son with acute asthma(who may have now grown out of a life -threatening disease-we almost lost him, but only found  this out years later), and life not letting up being life.(I'm leaving out an awful lot- and I know there are so many others who have gone through so much more, but it's all tough).

 I feel that it's God's way of saying, "Hang on. You'll get through this. I'm here.":) It gives me strength. We have been blessed not once, or twice, but many times over, just when you'd least expect it.In fact, we have always been blessed, but may not have always known it.(Well- I always saw it).

 The tears can come quickly out of a grateful heart. I wake up saying thank you, and I close my eyes saying thank you-no matter what has transpired. The more thankful I am, the more blessings are bestowed. Ok- I'm getting all shmaltzy now. But it's all true. And this body has cried so many fearful tears. They can just drop to my lap in an instant.

Well, I hope that you all have a great weekend. We're having fun filling out FAFSA-YUK!!! I do not like financial paperwork, but we must plow through it. Thank you for FAFSA, thank you, thank you...Goodnite:)