Greetings!
It has been a while since the last posting. Life has not slowed down at all.
I am all caught up at work and have all the month, quarter, and year end information completed and processed. The CPA has all the info so that he may do the corporate taxes and complete any adjustments that are needed. It was a busy time!!!! especially right after the surgery.
I visited the surgeon again a week or so ago and found out that the pain I am having is caused by the nerves that were connected to the kidney are just shooting their nerve things out with nothing attached to them. If I had belly fat the pain would not be as bad or there at all as the fat absorbs these nerve things. I will have to live with the pain until the nerves decide to quit shooting at a blank spot or ?????. The incision pain is finally starting to ease. I am still taped together and will be for a while yet but it is easier to move and lot less painful.
The home front has been just as busy and crazy as work. Kayla came down with some kind of a bug that turned into a severe sinus infection and double ear infection. John started getting that same bug but drank a lot of herbal tea and took mega doses of vitamin C and never really got sick (he finally listened to my advise). Brianna is just too stubborn to get sick....she has a live after all. I am staying away from all of them to stay healthy. The girls are back into the school thing and having a riot doing homework, working, coaching volleyball and dating. Brianna decided that dating 7 guys at one time was too much so she has settled for just 3. A set of twin brothers and one of their best friends. Oh to be young and single again. The dogs have been going crazy with all the comings and goings. One good thing about all these kids coming and going is that they love the dogs and keep them entertained. One of the friends even gave both dogs a haircut, he did a great job at it!!! He should become a groomer. He just said down with the dogs on the kitchen floor, grabbed a pair of scissors and went to down with them. Both dogs just sat there for him not moving and loving the one on one attention. We would try that and be minus a finger or two.
Between the house work, taking work home from work, the dogs, the girls and doing our taxes (yes they are done and filed already!!!!..we always get a refund so they are done right away) we should be slowing down just a bit. We all are so looking forward to spring and summer. Although that will mean that football is over....can't wait for the Superbowl...and hockey will be coming to an end BUT baseball will be starting up. I just want to be able to get out the bike go for a ride and go for a walk without freezing to death. No running until the end of June, then I can start training for races again. I will be speed walking before then but not running. I figure I should be ready for a 5K by the middle of August. Then it will be a marathon next spring. Not going to be an easy thing to do...give up the running...but if I want to heal properly and be able to run in the future then I am going to listen to the Dr.
Thank you again for all your prayers and keep praying for Rich and myself as we complete this journey.
Blessings to all
Ingrid
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Hi, everyone. Wow, I think we may be past the worst of it now. We have had a few up's and a few downs.
The biggest "up's" are that Rich is now able to drive, so I don't have to take him to his clinicals, and the fact that last week was the final week that he needed to have 2 clinicals a week. Each clinical is about 4 hours, so even though Rich can drive into Grand Rapids himself, I still have to leave the office, drive downtown to St Mary's for the clinical, (it is essential that I am at the clinicals) and then drive back to work. He is still having two labs a week. The down was that when we went in last Friday, we found out that his creatinine had gone up again. Our hearts sank thinking, "Another hospital stay."
Fortunately they did not put him back in the hospital, but decided to see what his levels were for his Monday labs. We have so much to be grateful for as they did go down slightly by Monday, so no more hospital talk for now! !
This is the the first week that either of us have felt that we have had any time to breath. Rich is starting to have a little more energy again, and I know it did his heart and sanity good to be able to go to church on Sunday. He was pretty tired after church and went right home to go to sleep! He felt much better when he woke up.
I truly believe that things will start to get better now! We have been holding at 21 different prescriptions for almost two weeks now, so it is getting a little easier to set up Rich's daily meds.
Also, our very dear friend, Shirley, printed off a cookbook for us that tells all the different quantities of potassium, phosphorous, sodium, carbs, protiens, calories and fats for each recipe.
I have spent the last month trying to calculate all of this from 5 different charts~! Meds and meals have felt like a full time job. Plus working 40 hours~! No grumbling involved, but I have felt bad that I have not had time to post anything on the blog.
So all the positive things?
Rich can drive.
Creatinine levels are evening out.
Less clinicals.
Meds are holding.
Meals without hours of calculating.
More energy. (For both of us)
Our faith which has gotten us through all of this~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And Ingrid, who has made such a sacrifice, based on her faith.
Our love to everyone!
Rich and Rita
The biggest "up's" are that Rich is now able to drive, so I don't have to take him to his clinicals, and the fact that last week was the final week that he needed to have 2 clinicals a week. Each clinical is about 4 hours, so even though Rich can drive into Grand Rapids himself, I still have to leave the office, drive downtown to St Mary's for the clinical, (it is essential that I am at the clinicals) and then drive back to work. He is still having two labs a week. The down was that when we went in last Friday, we found out that his creatinine had gone up again. Our hearts sank thinking, "Another hospital stay."
Fortunately they did not put him back in the hospital, but decided to see what his levels were for his Monday labs. We have so much to be grateful for as they did go down slightly by Monday, so no more hospital talk for now! !
This is the the first week that either of us have felt that we have had any time to breath. Rich is starting to have a little more energy again, and I know it did his heart and sanity good to be able to go to church on Sunday. He was pretty tired after church and went right home to go to sleep! He felt much better when he woke up.
I truly believe that things will start to get better now! We have been holding at 21 different prescriptions for almost two weeks now, so it is getting a little easier to set up Rich's daily meds.
Also, our very dear friend, Shirley, printed off a cookbook for us that tells all the different quantities of potassium, phosphorous, sodium, carbs, protiens, calories and fats for each recipe.
I have spent the last month trying to calculate all of this from 5 different charts~! Meds and meals have felt like a full time job. Plus working 40 hours~! No grumbling involved, but I have felt bad that I have not had time to post anything on the blog.
So all the positive things?
Rich can drive.
Creatinine levels are evening out.
Less clinicals.
Meds are holding.
Meals without hours of calculating.
More energy. (For both of us)
Our faith which has gotten us through all of this~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And Ingrid, who has made such a sacrifice, based on her faith.
Our love to everyone!
Rich and Rita
Sunday, January 11, 2009
January 12, 2009
Greetings to all,
It has been a while since the last posting, I apologize for that as life has been real busy for us all.
As it is Sunday night and John and I have football on...we are huge sport fans as you may have guessed....both of us on our laptops as we are multi-tasking.
Work has been extremely busy with month-end, quarter-end and year-end all happening at this time. I have the month and quarter end done but am working on all the year end stuff...accounting, inventory, warranty and all the rest. But I have till the end of January to get it all done and will have it done by then.
I "split open" on the inside and sprung a small leak on the outside since the last posting. That is why the pain level was so high. Had to laugh at Shirley this morning when she started talking about the pain level charts in the hospital....boy am I familiar with those charts. So after an ultra sound and another consult with Dr. B I am taped back together again and feeling much better. The pain is under control and I am back on the "don't lift anything heavier than 5 pounds" restriction until the first part of Feb. when I have to go back and visit Dr. B again.
Rich was in church this morning, looking great and is feeling tons better. It was so great to see him there and hearing his cell phone go off during the end of the sermon. It is great to have him back and on the road to full recovery. Of course, he still has the 2 times a week labs and possible clinicals but they will become fewer and farther apart as the healing process continues.
Please keep praying as we both continue on the journey to full recovery.
Love you all,
Ingrid and Fam.
It has been a while since the last posting, I apologize for that as life has been real busy for us all.
As it is Sunday night and John and I have football on...we are huge sport fans as you may have guessed....both of us on our laptops as we are multi-tasking.
Work has been extremely busy with month-end, quarter-end and year-end all happening at this time. I have the month and quarter end done but am working on all the year end stuff...accounting, inventory, warranty and all the rest. But I have till the end of January to get it all done and will have it done by then.
I "split open" on the inside and sprung a small leak on the outside since the last posting. That is why the pain level was so high. Had to laugh at Shirley this morning when she started talking about the pain level charts in the hospital....boy am I familiar with those charts. So after an ultra sound and another consult with Dr. B I am taped back together again and feeling much better. The pain is under control and I am back on the "don't lift anything heavier than 5 pounds" restriction until the first part of Feb. when I have to go back and visit Dr. B again.
Rich was in church this morning, looking great and is feeling tons better. It was so great to see him there and hearing his cell phone go off during the end of the sermon. It is great to have him back and on the road to full recovery. Of course, he still has the 2 times a week labs and possible clinicals but they will become fewer and farther apart as the healing process continues.
Please keep praying as we both continue on the journey to full recovery.
Love you all,
Ingrid and Fam.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Years day
Happy New Years to all,
As John and I are sitting here watching the "The Winter Classic" with the Detroit Red
Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks playing hockey outside at Wrigley Field on this cold winter day, we are starting the New Year relaxing together, the dogs (Brody and Triton,~~~labradoodles~~~ have both finally relaxed also). Yes we are big hockey fans but bigger Cub/Wrigley fans. I am thinking about this past year and all the we have been blessed with and all the trials they we faced. Yes!! We were blessed more than trialed in 08 and John and I prayed together last night for the same in 09. We wish all of you and yours the same for this coming year.
Rich was able to leave the "big house" yesterday and spend New Years Eve with Rita at home. (They have never spent a New Years Eve without each other). He is feeling a ton better and has no pain at all. I chatted with them just a bit ago...love that speaker phone option...and they both said that they enjoyed a quiet night watching the ball drop and enjoying each other. Praise God that Rich is feeling better and that his counts are good. The did have to put him on those wondeful??? steroids that have completely mess with his blood sugar levels but hopefully that will be able to be corrected completely real soon. As Rich and Rita spent their New Years at home together John and I spent it with about a dozen other couples from church at the Homestead. Rich and Rita had it quiet while we had a fun NewlyWed Game, watched some comedians on a DVD, played Pictionary and ate ourselves into happiness. What a great time we all had.
I am feeling much better also. A couple of days of no lifting has helped. I have to thank all my guys that I work with for doing all my lifting for me. With this being year-end I have all the 07-08 data to be packed up into banker boxes and placed into storage they have been right there for me. As soon as I had a box packed on of my great guys was right there to take it away. Of course, Tony, who is 6'5" and about 260# and throws around refrigerators with one arm for a hobby, would carry 4 boxes at a time under one arm would come back pick me up and carry to the place he put the boxes to make sure they were in the proper storage place then he would carry me back and place me real carefully in my chair. Got a laugh out of the customers in the store :) Love that Tony!!
Rich, Rita, John and myself and our families can not thank you enough for all the prayers and support you have given to us in 08. We are praying for a continue smooth road of our journey to complete recovery and a new life for Rich in this coming year.
Blessings to all in this New Year!
All our Love,
Ingrid, John, Alicia, Don, Gage and new baby to be born in May, 09, Kayla and Jordan, Brianna and her gang of boyfriends (she currently is dating 7 different guys!)
As John and I are sitting here watching the "The Winter Classic" with the Detroit Red
Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks playing hockey outside at Wrigley Field on this cold winter day, we are starting the New Year relaxing together, the dogs (Brody and Triton,~~~labradoodles~~~ have both finally relaxed also). Yes we are big hockey fans but bigger Cub/Wrigley fans. I am thinking about this past year and all the we have been blessed with and all the trials they we faced. Yes!! We were blessed more than trialed in 08 and John and I prayed together last night for the same in 09. We wish all of you and yours the same for this coming year.
Rich was able to leave the "big house" yesterday and spend New Years Eve with Rita at home. (They have never spent a New Years Eve without each other). He is feeling a ton better and has no pain at all. I chatted with them just a bit ago...love that speaker phone option...and they both said that they enjoyed a quiet night watching the ball drop and enjoying each other. Praise God that Rich is feeling better and that his counts are good. The did have to put him on those wondeful??? steroids that have completely mess with his blood sugar levels but hopefully that will be able to be corrected completely real soon. As Rich and Rita spent their New Years at home together John and I spent it with about a dozen other couples from church at the Homestead. Rich and Rita had it quiet while we had a fun NewlyWed Game, watched some comedians on a DVD, played Pictionary and ate ourselves into happiness. What a great time we all had.
I am feeling much better also. A couple of days of no lifting has helped. I have to thank all my guys that I work with for doing all my lifting for me. With this being year-end I have all the 07-08 data to be packed up into banker boxes and placed into storage they have been right there for me. As soon as I had a box packed on of my great guys was right there to take it away. Of course, Tony, who is 6'5" and about 260# and throws around refrigerators with one arm for a hobby, would carry 4 boxes at a time under one arm would come back pick me up and carry to the place he put the boxes to make sure they were in the proper storage place then he would carry me back and place me real carefully in my chair. Got a laugh out of the customers in the store :) Love that Tony!!
Rich, Rita, John and myself and our families can not thank you enough for all the prayers and support you have given to us in 08. We are praying for a continue smooth road of our journey to complete recovery and a new life for Rich in this coming year.
Blessings to all in this New Year!
All our Love,
Ingrid, John, Alicia, Don, Gage and new baby to be born in May, 09, Kayla and Jordan, Brianna and her gang of boyfriends (she currently is dating 7 different guys!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
