This has seemed like the longest week in the history of the world! By Wednesday I thought it would never end! And I wasn't the only one thinking that. But, we finally made it to the week-end. And I don't know why that seemed so important, but it did.

We've had a decent week. Bill's appointment went well. She said he sounded good, although his magnesium was a little low. But I have some mag here at home so just added that to his daily regimen. His prograf level came back lower than it had been, but still not where I think it should be. Stephanie was out of the office this week, so can't talk to her until Monday and we've decided not to play with the prograf, just leave it like it is until I hear from her.

We got confused Sunday night. We got a phone call, actually Emily got the call and relayed it to me, from someone named Mario from the nursing home about Bill's therapy. So I called him back and told him that Kindred was doing the therapy and that his therapist was Corey. He said that he was also with Kindred and that Corey was taking the day off Monday and he was covering. When he got here, it was Mario from the nursing home who had worked with Bill before. He had Bill go through his exercises and then had him walk the circuit of the house WITHOUT his oxygen! It is 163 feet from Bill's chair through the living room, dining room, kitchen, up the hallway, through the foyer, around the back of the couch and back to his chair. He did it twice with a little break in between. The 2nd time he was pretty winded and his O2 had dropped into the 70s but as soon as he put his oxygen on it started coming back up.

Corey came on Wednesday and took Bill outside to see how he did on steps. He said that we definitely needed the handrail (it should be installed today). He said he did fine going down, but coming up was harder for him and he would need the extra help of the rail. He did walk him again, but only with oxygen. He also came back on Thursday and they didn't do as much as Bill's sinuses are really giving him fits now, even with a new nasal spray.

When Ricky came yesterday he said he heard a different sound in his upper lungs. He said it wasn't in the upper airway like it had been, but a little lower. And it wasn't a wheeze, or a crackle, or a rale. And since I don't know the difference, it doesn't matter. He said it was just kind of a weird whoosh. I talked to Connie about it and all she said was if he gets too short of breath, go to the ER.

Bill's sinuses have been plaguing him all week and since we have a high pollen count and then rain and then high pollen count it's not surprising, even though he's barely been out of the house. He's been doing a lot of coughing and when I ask if it's all in this throat or coming from deep in his chest, he says it's from his throat. I'm still inclined to think it's just sinus drainage, but there's still a lot of pneumonias around. Last night he got a breathing treatment and will get 2 more today. He slept better last night (I didn't) so maybe all that has helped. He did get very short of breath when he was going from the bathroom to the bedroom to get ready for bed, but Mouse wouldn't get out of his way and was attacking his tubing. He also got angry when I tried to check his sats, but he had been a little beligerent all evening. And then wanted to know what was bothering me! 

He's still eating well. At the dr. he weighted 134 but that was with his jacket and heavy tennis shoes on. I weighted him yesterday and he weighed 134, with clothes and shoes. The one thing that worries me with what he's eating is chocolate. I got him some sugar free candy and I've noticed that he's losing a lot of it from the sides of his mouth. He'll have a chocolate slobber line down his chin. So, it makes me wonder if he's not aspirating a little of it, yet at the same time I think that if it's coming out the sides, it's not going down his throat. But, in light of the new sound Ricky heard, who knows. And the chocolate is one thing that set him off last night. I had asked him to go in and wash his face several times and he just wouldn't move so I went in and got a warm cloth and washed his face and he pushed me away and told me to leave him alone. So, especially after his outburst about his oxygen last night and then him wanting to know what was bothering him, we'll have to talk about it today.

He's trying to get into the old habit of not moving once he's up. He's still eating most things at the table and it he's not at the table, he's sitting up straight. And, we've tried some normal foods. We had pizza one night and he did fine and last night I fixed a little pork tenderloin and he did fine eating that. He ate more of the cheesy hash browns than meat, but that was fine with me.

Ryan is supposed to come and do the handrail today. Monday evening he called after he had left here from doing the light and the hedges, and planting a rosebush that we got from Bill's sister (I hope I don't kill it), and said that he got a job! He had worked on a car for his landlord and knew that he had a few other odd jobs needing done, but he hired him full time for the different companies he owns. Not only do they have 70 rental houses, he also has some kind of ice company, and a scrap metal company, and Ryan will work in all 3 of them. It's not a whole lot of money, but it's more money than he was making. Of course if another job opens with more money and benefits (he doesn't think this one offers insurance) he'll take it probably. So, Mom's little jobs are getting pushed back to the week-ends, but that's OK. Except for the handrail, they aren't anything major. And I can probably get Mistie's husband to do the others as he's out of work again.

I've noticed that I'm not sleeping as well as I had been. I guess it's because I'm back to listening for Bill through the night again. Not that I'm worried that I can't care for him, just that while he was hospitalized, I didn't have to worry that he wasn't being cared for, plus I was always so tired that I went right to sleep most of the time. I'm still usually going right to sleep, but I'm not staying asleep like I was. But, the cats are letting me sleep until between 5 and 5:30 instead of 4:30 now, so that helps.

So, a busy week and usually busy weeks make them seem to go faster, but not this one. Hopefully next week will be better as far as that goes. He will have therapy Monday, Wednesday and Friday with nursing coming Tuesday and Thursday. We have not appointments that I'm aware of. The weather is supposed to be nice for the most part with only a little rain maybe tomorrow night into Monday morning.

All for this week, see you Saturday!