Can you believe that April is almost over! 

We've spent the week getting ready to head to Mayo this week-end. Most of the details have been taken care of. I need to finish packing today and I want to load the car with everything except the essential things we will still need before we leave, and of course, anything worth anything. You never know what will happen in our neighborhood.
 
Bill is doing pretty well, he's been more self-sufficient and even helping a little around the house. He still can't do much, but clearing up after eating and emptying smaller trash cans into the larger one is a big help.

We're leaving in the morning and will be back Friday sometime. We have a free day on Tuesday before any appointments start so I don't know what we'll do. We may just rest, although I do want to go to the pet store, not that we're getting a new pet. Heaven forbid, 2 indoor cats and however many feral cats show up to eat are enough. But, I want to look for a couple of things for the indoor cats.

I forgot to include last week, that I finally applied for my Social Security. It will start arriving in June. I had to take a copy of our marriage license to the local office and then got a form in the mail wanting information on Bill's ex-wife. So we sent that back in. Once that is processed, the amount I get may change since right now it's based on my earnings and I think the spousal benefit is larger. But, I'll take whatever they send. And then of course Medicare will start in August.

I've been battling internet problems for most of the week...and this just after getting a letter from AT&T saying they were upgrading our internet at no cost since we also had DirecTv. It is worse since getting the letter so maybe the upgrade is what is causing the problems. But, it it's still doing what it's doing when we get back, I'm switching to the only other provider in town. There slowest speed, for the same amount of money, is the fastest offered by AT&T.

I will update this, probably Thursday evening. We have all the tests on Wednesday and then see Stephanie and Dr. Patel on Thursday morning to get the results, so we won't know anything until then. Unless, of course, something major happens before then. So, until then, I'd better get this posted before the internet goes down...again.

Good Morning! It's still dark out, but the cats don't know that 4:30 is not the time to get up on a Saturday morning, or any morning for that matter. But, here we are. They (the inside ones) have been fed and Kitty is back asleep. Mouse has been wandering around chirping like he's really unsettled about something. And since he is dark gray with black stripes and I'm sitting here with only a lamp on across the room, looking at a computer screen, I can't see where he is. He was at my feet with a catnip pillow, but he's gone off somewhere. He can't get in the bedroom, the door is shut, so he's probably either in the dining room on top of the stereo or in the computer room in my chair.

We've had a decent week and reached another milestone. Bill has now been discharged from Home Health nursing! So we are not tied down as much as we were since we don't have to wait to know when they are coming. Ricky said his lungs sound good so the coughing he's doing must all be from sinus drainage and is coming from up high. I'm anxious now to see just what his labs will show when we go to Mayo next week-end.

 We did have a mixup this week with his insulin. I requested refills from the dr. last Sunday night and I know they got the request. Emily checked on Monday afternoon with the nurse and she said she had seen it. So, since they don't call when it is sent, I waited to check with the pharmacy and when I went by Wednesday, there was nothing. So, I called them and Emily said she reminded Amy again and said they had to be done by Thursday because their office and the pharmacy were going to be closed yesterday for Good Friday. When I went to the pharmacy, it was a different insulin and only 1 of the 2 he takes. So I called them back and asked and they said to bring it back, that even though it was the same as the one he was taking, they would exchange it for the other one so that it was consistent. I also took all of the vials for all of them and we went over how long to keep them. No one had ever told us what the shelf life was and some of the information with them contradicts itself. Then, another phone call to Amy for the other one and then back to the pharmacy. She actually wasn't aware he was on regular insulin since Connie called it in on a week-end from home but didn't enter it into his record when she got to the office. So, the order that Amy sent was to fill ALL insulins. But that also included the Lantus that he was taken off of since it was taking his sugar too low. I think we finally have it all straightened out and I should be able to switch them to home delivery and save a little money in a few days when it all gets through the system to ExpressScripts. So, now having to keep track of when the vials are opened and figuring the end date...just another thing to keep track of.

Bill has been a little more self-sufficient this week, getting his own coffee and breakfast and taking the trash from the smaller trash cans to the kitchen to put in the larger can. He still can't take the trash out (tubing won't go that far and he doesn't need to take the O2 off to do it) but that little bit helps. He's a little more winded the last couple of days, but I think that's just all from the sinus drainage. So, I've been giving him some extra sinus medicine to help with that. We are both ready to go to Florida to breathe some of that good sea air.
 
Bill has been asking about getting the PEG tube removed since we aren't using it, just flushing it. He said it doesn't bother him or get in the way, it's just something else to deal with, especially getting dressed or using the bathroom. I told him that if it's removed and he needs another one, they will put it in his nose (which they will do initially) and he wasn't too keen on that idea. I kind of like having the backup there in case he needs the extra nutrition. His weight has stabilized at 140 which is still low, so Mayo may want him to have some supplements. So, he agreed...for now...that the PEG will stay.

I got my shoes ordered and they've come in. And while they aren't super comfortable because of the arch supports, they are tolerable (at 2 of the 3 pair). They are all Skechers with Memory Foam insoles. They are a little tight and I'm hoping they will stretch some. 

I actually have to keep the ones I wanted to return, since the return address they gave me is India and it would cost more to send them back than what I paid for them. But, I put the insoles in from the dr. and tried wearing them. They weren't bad that way, but my legs went to sleep, both of them, from my toes to mid-thigh. So that won't do. But, after wearing the Skechers for the past 2 days, and switching between the different styles, my heel does feel better. So, they are doing some good, now if they will just stretch some.

I have all of our reservations made for Florida and we leave a week from tomorrow. We'll get there Monday afternoon and have all day Tuesday free. Bill decided that he didn't want to go on to his sister's house this time, so after his visit with Dr. Patel on Thursday morning, we're going to go ahead and head home and should be home Friday afternoon. I know that sounds like pushing it, and it is, but I think with where I've planned our stops we'll be OK. I think we have enough oxygen to get us through, if not I'll arrange for some replacements.

I think that's it for this Easter week-end. The big egg hunt at Emily's church is today and it's cold right now and wet but supposed to warm up. Maybe when the sun gets up it will warm up fast. The church is near us and it will be difficult to get out of the neighborhood during that time with all the cars. But, there are other ways to go, even if it's a little out of the way. And I can always time any errands for before or after.

Happy Easter!

 

This has been a milestone week, at least to us! It's also been a nice boring week. Sometimes boring is good!

Bill graduated from physical therapy! When Corey was here Wednesday he said he thought he could be discharged and not extended. Bill's gotten much stronger as far as walking goes and his endurance has increased to his little exercise machine. His last time with that was pedaling for 8 minutes. Corey did tell him that if I said it was time to do his exercises, to do them and not tell me later. He stressed that he has to keep moving to help his lungs. I asked when he could start using his treadmill again and he said he thought that as long as I was with him he could go ahead and use it, keeping it at the lowest setting. Bill was ready to start back walking for his hour but I told him he would be lucky to make it 10 minutes the first time. But, that will be a start!

He's still been a little snotty, but the weather has been awful. Cool, rainy, air full of pollen, hot, air full of pollen, windy blowing pollen all over...well, you get the picture. But, an additional sinus pill usually helps. And he's usually only really snotty and coughing with nasal drainage in the mornings.

Another milestone that was reached isn't really a milestone. If you remember back to when he was still in ICU, we were told that our Medicare Part A benefits were running out. We had to use most, if not all, of the lifetime reserve days while he was in restorative care and skilled nursing. The only way for the Part A benefits to kick in again is to stay out of the hospital for 60 days. Well, as of today, he is halfway there. Today is 1 month since he was discharged from the nursing home! Now to just keep him out for another month and we'll be all set should he have to be hospitalized again.

He also went to Walmart with me yesterday. He stayed in the car while I rushed through (hobbled through is more like it), but he wanted to get out of the house. We had thought about doing some shopping in either Jonesboro or Memphis, but I changed my mind on that. And more about that in a bit. And he's doing a little more around the house, not that he's doing any cleaning or anything, but he's getting his own "stuff" from the kitchen and he did carry our small trash can to the kitchen to be put in the larger can. So, he's not just sitting and watching TV, although he does his share of that too. 

His weight has stabilized at 140 for the time being. He should be about 155 so he has a bit to go, but 11 pounds in 30 days isn't too bad. There are some days he eats constantly and other days he doesn't eat as much, but as long as I feel like he's eating enough he's good.We haven't had to use the feeding tube at all, just keeping it flushed.

I finally went to the foot doctor this week for my heel pain. I don't have Plantar Fascaitis or however it's spelled. The Facsia nerve is inflamed, as is the tendon in the foot that connects to the Achilles tendon. She said that I had probably injured the Achilles at some point and didn't realize it. But, that's not the worst of it. She had me stand barefoot to check my arches and the left arch totally disappears when I stand. And because of that my foot and entire leg falls to the inside. She said if it's not corrected it will start to affect my leg and lower back. And sometimes it does already. I don't remember injuring it, like stepping on something or stepping oddly, but who knows with all the walking at the hospitals and all the driving, it could just be the way I was holding it in the car or sitting or whatever. So, I came home with some orthopedic insoles and was told not to buy shoes at Walmart anymore, the shoes need to be higher and more rigid in the heel, not bend in the middle, but bend easily at the toes.I can wear the left insert, but the right one feels like I'm walking on a can or bottle of pills or something, very uncomfortable, so took them out. Right now the cheap shoes I bought from Walmart are the most comfortable. That's why we were going shopping, to get me some good shoes.

I ordered some shoes that came this week that are supposed to alleviate heel and leg pain and I had them on my feet 5 minutes and took them off. There is absolutely no support to them at all. I've already requested return information and they don't want them returned. They said if it was a sizing issue to tell them a new size and they would get them sent right out and I could keep the others to give to someone. When I declined that and told them the product was not as advertised, they offered to send, free of charge, insoles for them. I have also declined that and told them if they didn't want the shoes returned that was fine, but I did want a refund and if they continued to refuse I would have my credit card company reverse payment for them. I haven't had a response from that email yet, but I'll keep you posted. I've done well with Skechers or New Balance shoes so will probably order some of those. I've got to get it done so that I will have them before we go to Mayo, or we will both be in wheelchairs!

Two, and possibly all 3 of the pregnant feral cats have had their litters and I'm afraid they may not have survived. We heard a terrible commotion under the house the other night and the 2 cats inside went ballistic. Kitty was trying to get through the air vent in the dining room where the noise was the loudest and Mouse was trying to climb to the top of a window in the computer room to get out. Some dogs had gotten under the house. There's been a pack of wandering ones in the neighborhood. The last time they were in the yard there were 4 of them. I chase them off with the broom and usually that works. I got some of them gone.and I saw 2 of the mama cats run out from under the house. I hadn't seen the other pregnant one for a few days and all of the male cats were gone (I think they were banished when the house became a maternity ward), but I'm afraid the dogs may have killed the kits. One of the dogs either got stuck under the house or just couldn't find his way out, and of course he was right under our bedroom. I tried to coax him out when he started whimpering by shining the flashlight through the opening hoping it would show him the way..."Come to the light". The others came back and tried to get him out, we could tell that the barking would get farther away and then closer but finally about 3 it all got quiet for good. I waiting until daylight to go out and Mama and Floozy were back so the dog must have been gone. I still haven't seen Lizzie so she may have gone off to have her kittens and the only other one I've seen is Unsub. But all the males are still gone. I don't know what sex Unsub is, hence the name for Unknown Subject. And we won't know if the kittens survived until they are old enough for Mama to bring them out. I also didn't see Floozy yesterday, but if there are any kits, she may have been with them. They may be taking turns staying with them some now.

Our weather got hot enough to turn the air on this week, but we ended up going back to heat yesterday for a bit. Today is supposed to be rainy and then stormy this evening. The worst of it is supposed to be between 7 and midnight. They are also telling churches to have someone monitoring the weather during services tomorrow morning in some areas as there could be tornadoes. But I think it's all supposed to be gone from here by then. So, a cool rainy day today. I'm glad I've got some chili in the freezer, it will be a good day for it.

A cousin passed away this week from liver failure. I hadn't seen him in years. The oldest of his younger sisters was flower girl at my first wedding. So, that's the 2nd death in the family in as many weeks. My sister and I were talking this week and while both of the men who died were younger than us, we are now at the age when our peers will start to die. That time seemed so far away when we were younger, but I would think about it since it was my parents generation that was losing people. Now it's our turn.

OK, enough of that. I've rambled enough and Mouse is wanting some attention. I need to take my blood pressure and feed the outside cats and get some more coffee and check facebook and make some hotel reservations and order shoes. Looks like I've got a but morning planned, without planning on anything! Have a good week-end and stay safe wherever you are!

This week finally went at a normal speed, whatever that is. But, I didn't feel like it was dragging too much.

We have our itinerary for Mayo. All of the testing, and it is minimal, is being done on May 1 and then he sees Stephanie and Dr. Patel on the 2nd and then we're done. I started making reservations for us last night and may need to change my thinking some. We are going on Sunday and then we'll have all day Tuesday to do nothing but rest. Bill, I think, has decided that he just wants to come on home when he's done, but we haven't decided if we're going to leave after his appointment with Dr. Patel (we'll be finished by 10), or wait and leave the next morning. Part of me wants to wait and leave the next morning, but another part wants to go ahead and leave on Thursday. And part of the reasoning is the cost of hotels. All of the hotels have raised their rates and to get a good rate it is non-refundable and I don't like doing that. So, maybe we'll leave after his appointment and stay in between where we alternate staying. I'll just have to work on that today.

Bill has had a good week for the most part. He's done well in therapy and is moving around a little more, doing more for himself. It's hard for me to stop waiting on him as much as I have. The other night as I was just sitting down from doing something he looked in his coffee cup and said that it was almost empty. I told him to go fill it himself!. Corey has also told him to move more to get his own drink/snack. It's a hard habit to break after so long, but I'm working on it.

He did start coughing some Thursday night and yesterday when Ruby was here he had a slight temperature. But, he said he felt well and he ate well. She didn't hear anything so we think it is more just the weather. The pollen is high, like it is most places, and it rained Thursday and was still damp and cool yesterday. I've also been stuffy/sniffly so I'm concerned, but not overly concerned, just a little more vigilant.

I finally made an appointment with a podiatrist about my heel. And wouln't you know it, it is not hurting as much since I made the call. I'm still going to go to the appointment, although I should cancel it, but not for that reason. They don't take my insurance (Tricare, the military insurance). Now, it's not a problem to pay it all out of pocket, we have the money, it's the principle of it. They are located in a town with a lot of military retirees, that had an active base for many years, and they don't take the military insurance that Bill earned over his 27 year career. OK, off my high horse. I can file the claim myself and should get reimbursed for all but what the co-pay should have been. I've also been told that someone else went to that Dr. and they wouldn't let her use her debit card, cash only and the receptionist would meet her back in the parking lot after she went to the bank so she wouldn't have to come back in to the office. Sounds a little suspicious to me. So, we'll see. They will accept a credit card or they can bill me and I'll send them a check, but I'm not going to hand over cash in the parking lot!

We got some sad news this week. My youngest step-brother had a massive heart attack and passed away at age 60. His family of course is devastated. He had 3 girls and 5 grandkids. We weren't close as we were adults when our parents married, but he took care of Mom's needs after his dad passed away and before she remarried. But, we're still all saddened by this. He was a man who would do anything for anyone and he will be missed by everyone who knew him. Emily sent the girls a message about what helped her get through losing her dad last year. I hope it helped them.

I read the other day that April is not only Donate Life Month, it's also Stress Awareness Month. As if I need an official month to know that I'm stressed, or have been stressed. I have noticed something this past week to 10 days. I have all the symptoms of a hives outbreak except for the actual rash. All of the itching everywhere and I've come to the conclusion that my body doesn't know what to do now that I'm not living with all the adrenaline rush. I'm not having to get up and out and then cram everything into an evening before falling into bed to do it all over again. So, it got used to that and now is having a hard time slowing down. The upside is that the cocktail for the hives is helping my heel some. I'm sure it's the Prednisone and not the Benadryl or Zantac. But, if it helps so that I can walk with less pain, it's worth it.

So, that's about our week. We've been watching the ballgames, if you can call them games. But, it's baseball and that's what matters. Now if they would just win another game or three!

All for now. Enjoy spring!

This may be interesting, I'm trying to do this on my phone. The computer is acting up today for some reason and I'm not inclined to spend a lot of time trying to fix it this morning. 

This week wasn't quite as long as last week but it was a close second. I talked to Stephanie Monday and she was going to request all of Bill's records from Memphis, and then a couple of days later Katie called and gave us some tentative dates for his annual checkup. We still don't have any appointments set but it looks like it well be May 1st and 2nd. And for those of you wondering if the trip will be too hard on either of us, I don't think it will. Bill is much stronger than he was, he's doing well in therapy and we may just take 3 days to get there so I'm not so tired. He would like to go on down to see his sister but I think we're going to play that by ear. 

Whatever sounds Ricky had heard last week are totally gone. He was quite surprised at how clear he sounded. All of his numbers are good, he's still eating well, and moving a little more. He's gotten up earlier and gotten his own coffee and walking more without getting winded and I noticed when therapy had him outside Wednesday he did much better coming up the stairs. The handrail didn't work, it was too flimsy so Ryan and Bryan are working on plan B. But Corey said he did much better coming up and as long as I'm holding on to steady him thinks he'll be ok. He still wants us to have the rail but it's not quite as crucial now. 

That's all I can think of right now. It's windy this morning and warm and it's going to rain later today so the running I need to do will need to be timed well. And then this evening we'll hunker down and watch the ballgame, as long as we don't lose the satellite. Remember I've done this on my phone and the computer still hasn't rebooted, so I'm not sure what this will look like. There may be some new words or something that doesn't make sense, so it may get edited later if it's too bad. Otherwise consider it a puzzle to decipher what I'm trying to say if it gets too crazy! See you next week!

Note: this has been edited so you don't have to try to read my mind!

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!

Today is apparently gremlin day in the electronics department. My phone didn't charge in the night, although it was plugged in and the charge light was on. The laptop didn't come on, it again was in an endless loop and the desktop had been unplugged. I suspect the cats had a hand in that one, but the other two, has to be gremlins. So, at least for the laptop, time to do a system restore...again and maybe change a setting or two. But, that was not on my list of things to do today!

We've had a busy couple of days since Bill's been home, and he's doing really well, at least in my opinion. Thursday the home health nurse came and got him re-admitted to them. He told us that they can't just pull up his information from before, so it all had to be redone. But, Ricky is a nice personable guy so we also chatted some during the process. He said that Bill sounds really good compared to before.

Yesterday Ricky was back, just to check up on him and Eric one of the therapists came to evaluate him. Our therapist will be Corey but Eric is the one who will certify him. Right now he will have therapy 3 days a week for 4 weeks and nursing will come 2 days a week for 2 weeks and then once a week for 2 weeks and then he'll be re-evaluated.

We've taken things easy but today, at least I have to get busy and get some things done around here. I also think Ryan is going to come and do some things for us. We've got to get a handrail of some kind up for the steps and the security light on the garage needs changed and we've had so much rain and it's been so warm the hedges are needing the first trim of the year already!

I got a call from the nurse practitioner Thursday that Bill's Prograf level was way too high now so she said to cut it back for 3/2 to 2/1 (which I had already done). I told her that the labs were drawn Monday after he had taken his meds and that could have affected it also. So, Monday since he has an appointment for labs and to see Connie, I'll hold his meds until after his labs.

He's done really well getting around the house with his walker. The part that worries at him is his oxygen tubing. I'm wondering if a couple of big hooks on the side to roll the tubing on and then trail it off and re-roll it would solve the problem. I can't get it completely straight in my mind yet and Bill's engineering mind can't see what I'm talking about. So, may buy the hooks and try it just to see. I'm sure we can find a use for the hooks if it doesn't work out.

His blood pressure is fluctuating some, but since he's still not really active it's staying low. But, not dangerously low, just lower than we would like. And he is taking is blood pressure medicine to raise it.

He's still doing well eating and today is a weight check day, so we'll see how he's done. I really don't expect much change but who knows. 

The cats have done well in the night, except for this morning. They gone to bed with us and settled right in and stayed quiet all night. But at 3 this morning, Mouse decided it was time to attack and of course Cat was laying on Bill's legs and then my legs. So they both got booted from the bedroom and closed out. There was some scratching on the door to start with and a few little "I'm sorry" meows, but then they quieted down. I got up a little after 5 and fed them and right now all is quiet. But, I don't know just where Mouse is. Cat is asleep on Bill's blanket on the loveseat but I can't see Mouse so he might be looking out the back window.

Finally got the picture of the flowers to upload! They are actually much prettier and brighter than the picture shows. The cats sit on the floor in front of the mantle and sniff away! We have to put them on the mantle or Mouse will eat them before we know it.

OK, I think you are caught up now. It's almost time to get Bill up for his meds. That's something we're going to have to work on, not letting him lay in bed in the mornings. By this time at the nursing home he was usually up and in his chair waiting for breakfast. But, maybe once therapy starts and I'm hoping they will mostly come in the morning, he'll have to be up and ready. We've had our pj day so now it's time to get into a "normal" routine and for Bill to stay in his pajamas all day keeps him thinking that he can't do anything. So, clothes it is!
 
Don't know if I'll update after the dr. appointment Monday or wait until Saturday after a week of therapy. Just keep checking back! Have a great week-end!