The latest on Mom

Yesterday morning (Tuesday, April 28th) my mother was once again taken to the Gettysburg Hospital emergency room. She was having severe pain over her entire body, upset stomach and diarrhea. After running a few tests and being evaluated, she was then helivaced to York Hospital's Medical Surgery Intensive Care Unit. She has euro-sepsis, again (or is it STILL). This is a serious blood infection developed by a Urinary Tract Infection. She also has c-def (short for clostridium difficile), which is causing the terrible diarrhea. This occurs in people who have been on long term strong doses of an antibiotics. Over time the antibiotics kill the good antibodies in the stomach, allowing the bad antibodies to take over. It is contagious. Mom's kidneys are also failing. They will try correcting that with increased fluids. If that doesn't work they will call a doctor that specializes in kidney problems. My brother Mike drove Dad and I to York last evening to see Mom. She was resting comfortably, no longer in such horrific pain. More tests and procedures are still being done.

These pictures were taken at the Lutheran Home on Monday, the day before her exciting helicopter ride to York!

Mom and Kaden just finished sharing a diet soda and some cream cheese on chive crackers.

My father is handling everything very well. It is just so hard for him to see the love of his life go through all these health problems, one right after another. I know Heavenly Father is with them both!

The wrens that brought tears

On Monday when I went to visit Dad he was busy working out in his yard. He stopped to tell me about the Jenny wrens. On that day, Monday April 27, they came back for the first time this spring. "Mother used to sit out on the porch and sing to them, 'Jenny, Jenny, Jenny!' This year she's not home to sing to them." Dad was crying and I couldn't stop my tears either.Earlier that morning Dad had put up two more bird houses and within two hours the wrens were in them, cleaning out last years "mess".
I took these pictures, later showing them to Mom over at the nursing home.

Dad's outside chore that morning was trimming the oversize pine tree in their backyard.

Kaden just had to climb the ladder too!

Church prom/School play

It has been difficult keeping up with my blog since my parent's illnesses. When I am home and have "free time" there is so much else that needs done, I feel guilty spending time on the computer! I also know the importance of journaling, and since this is just about the only journaling I do, I just need to take the time to do it! (Is journaling a word?)

Last weekend Kassie attending her first church prom. (You must be 16 to attend.) She started her night at a friend's house getting her hair and nails done. (Thanks Ally!)

Another friend, Katy, also met at Ally's house to get gussied up.

Kassie and Katy were each other's date for the night.

Kassie and Holly at the prom.

I let Kassie borrow one of my digital cameras. Almost all the pictures Kassie took were too blurry to keep. When she found out I had deleted most of them, she was not happy with me! Why take up space on the computer with pictures so out of focus you can't tell what it's a picture of? I guess Kassie was thinking, a blurry photograph is better than no photograph at all!

Last night we all went to see Ashton perform in her school play. Ashton is the first of my children to be interested in drama. They did a musical of Alice in Wonderland. Ashton was in the ensemble and also played the role of a mouse.

When it was over Dale and I presented her with a "message bear" and Aunt Bonnie gave her flowers.

Better shot of her mouse head.

I knew if Kaden didn't take a nap in the afternoon he would fall asleep during the play. I tried and tried to get him to nap! Any other day I'm fighting to keep him awake. The one day I needed him to nap, he wouldn't! He did manage to stay awake until the last 15 minutes. At different times Kaden's head was bobbing to the music. At one point he was waving at Ashton, not realizing that she couldn't see him because of the lighting. On the way home we were all discussing our favorite parts of the play. Kaden chimed in with his favorite part too: "I'm late! I'm late!" He loved the white rabbit!

My mother is still in The Lutheran Home undergoing occupational and physical therapy. When I saw her on Friday afternoon the swelling in her hands and arms was down. She was resting in bed after just completing two therapy sessions earlier that day. She was awake and alert, but ready for a nap!

My father is doing so much better with his anxiety and panic attacks. When I arrived at his house Friday late morning he was getting ready to cook off potatoes and onions as part of his lunch. He noticed they were going bad and wanted to use them up before they did. He is keeping very busy around the house. Last week he mowed, changed the oil in both vehicles, patched a hole on the porch roof, mopped, dusted, cleaned the bathroom, the walls, etc.! I only went to Gettysburg three days this past week. Because Dad is doing so well, I feel like I can cut back some, although I still want to go to visit Mom and take Dad food. With spending all this extra time with my father I have learned more about him and our family history. That has been a real blessing!

Earlier today I went to my neighbor Wendy's house for an Uppercase Living open house. I had never heard of this company before. Apparently it originated in Utah. They have some really neat items and ideas! Check out Wendy's website: http://WendyLogue.uppercaseliving.net Tonight Dale is playing music in Lucketts, VA. Brady and Avery went with him. Ashton is at the school getting ready for her second performance of Alice in Wonderland and Kassie is at RAD day (Regional Activity Day) with the church youth in Hagerstown, MD. That leaves me with Bryson, Kenzie and Kaden. Kenzie and Kaden are getting ready to take a bubble bath and Bryson is waiting to play a card game with me. I'm hoping for a peaceful evening!

Here we go again

Mom had been sent back to The Lutheran Home and was there for about one and a half weeks. Today she was sent back to the hospital by way of ambulance, again. She has a urinary track infection and is low on blood. They were getting ready to give her two pints when I left the hospital this afternoon.

My days are still spent with Dad in Gettysburg, running errands, getting meals, visiting Mom and whatever else needs done. I've been getting home each day around 4:45 pm, in time to get supper for my family and then deal with clean up, homework, laundry, etc. All of this has given me a new appreciation for mothers with young children who work outside the home full time. They must be the busiest people on earth and rarely get a minute to themselves. It also makes me realize how blessed I am to be a stay-at-home mom, being able to help my parents during their time of need.