This week has been discouraging, but not as bad as the last 2. At least we are cool!
 
We finally got some rain and some fall like temperatures. Of course it got cool after we got the new air conditioner! But it's going to get hot again this coming week with record temperatures. We also had 2 days of rain and some nice wind. But, you don't come here to read about the weather.

Bill went to the dr. Monday. Had to be there at 9:15 for labs and x-rays and then see the dr at 10, who came in at 10 but didn't start seeing patients (we were the first one) until 11:15. I had to go to the car to get a new oxygen tank! We were just discussing telling the nurses that we would come back when she decided she was going to see patients when she walked in.

His white count has come down a little to 15.1 and she's now decided that 15 is going to be normal for him. I totally disagree with her but again, what do I know I'm just a wife. She said his left lung sounded a little coarse up high, but his right one sounded about as good as it always does. The only thing she did was tell me to give him Tylenol Sinus twice a day since that's the only thing that seems to address his sinus drainage. And she wants labs again in a couple of weeks.

Now, I can tell that he isn't well. He's coughing all the time, or most of the time, although it comes and goes. There have been a couple of times at night that he's gotten me up saying that he's not getting any air. So I check the concentrator and the tubing to see and he usually is, but his nose is so full that he can't feel it.  He usually 2 pillows, or he has 2 pillows, but he's all scrunched up at the bottom of them and not propped up which would help I'm sure.

Yesterday, in addition to all the meds and inhalers, I started breathing treatments again and that helped with the coughing. He also did not cough in the night last night, so we both got a better nights sleep.

I'm calling Dr. Threlkeld, the infectious disease dr. Monday to see if I can get him in there. I think I'm also going to call dr. Burbeck, the pulmonologist again. It just seems like Connie is washing her hands of him now. We've had a couple of other drs. do that and it makes me angry. It's like since they can't figure out what the problem is, they will just say this is how it is. And it may be how it is. It could be that the COPD/emphysema is progressing again, or it could be the weather conditions, or a lot of things, but just don't give up without saying you're giving up. And, there aren't that many drs. left in this town and they are all so busy it would be about the same.

We were supposed to meet 2 of my former brothers-in-law Thursday for dinner with the kids. They were in town for only 1 night. But, we decided that it wouldn't be wise for Bill to be around a lot of people again. As my sister said, it's not fun not being able to go out with friends, and I agree. You do what you have to do to protect yourself, or in this case Bill.  

We did have to go to the DMV to renew the handicap placard for my car. I called them to see if he had to be with me, and he did because they put the number on his drivers license, so he had to get a new one. At least they didn't charge for it. It wasn't busy as I new it would be Monday. All of the windows were full, but no one was waiting exept us. But by the time we were waiting for his license to print it filled up. And when we got home, he fell coming up the front steps. Luckily the shrub broke his fall some. Unluckily, it's an English boxwood and has really sharp leaves. Since his skin is so thin, he had several small places that were bleeding and 2 of them needed a bandage. He has a mark on his forehead but it didn't bleed. I haven't checked his knees yet but he said his legs were OK. He had tried to put his oxygen tank on the next step and he put it too far away from him I think. I had told him to wait until I had the door unlocked but, stubborn person that he is, he didn't. I was able to get him up, and he didn't fall hard which is good since our stoop is brick, but he just doesn't have any strength in his legs to help push up while I lifted. If I had known that Emily and Brianna were on their way we just would have sat on the steps in the lovely wind and waited for them! But, we managed and got bandages where they needed to be. And we were both none the worse for wear during the evening.
 
So, that's our week. Oh yeah, Bill did get his flu shot. It's a little early for it, but since he's relatively well, they decided to give it early. I need to ask Dr. T about another pneumonia shot. He got the Prevnar 13 last year so no one can say for sure if he needs a regular one this year. Some say yes and some say no, so between Dr. T and Dr. B we should be able to get an answer.

If anyone has any suggestions on what to do for this constant sinus drainage he has that is causing his symptoms let me know. He's already on Zyrtek twice a day, Musinex twice a day, 3 different inhalers, breathing treatments, and now the Tylenol Sinus. He has also used Astelin nasal spray and/or Flonase which made no difference, along with plain sea salt nasal spray. Other than the surgery that the ENT wanted to do that was nixed last year, I've run out of solutions.

I hope fall has arrived where you are. Here it looks like fall, leaves are falling like crazy from some of the trees because it's been so dry, but we still have the summer heat. My cursor now wants to travel all over the place, so I'm going to stop before I have to proofread this a letter at a time. It also doesn't help that I have a cat walking all over me! Have a good week!