Stay in One Place

Windshield. Suddenly I see my car has a long crack on the passenger side. I didn’t hear anything hit but there it is and later when I inspect, I see a tiny chip at the edge of the glass. A nuisance but not a big deal, right? Wrong. Traveling maybe a quarter million miles over the years, we’ve had cracks, chips, repairs and replacements. My biggest concern on a replacement was that they transfer our registration window sticker to the new windshield and turns out that wasn’t a problem.

So I call Safelite and have a couple appointment options in my mind. Like, why not get it replaced while David is getting his chemo. I’m feeling modern and go to the computer to schedule on-line. First problem, it won’t accept 2019 model year. Their on-line chat says oh just put in 2018 and at some point, I’m to tell them it’s a 2019. I do some more investigating and finally call a place in Yuma, talk to a person. Well, nobody does mobile replacements because the new windshields with all the safety features have to be recalibrated! What! I guess it’s not the windshield itself, but cameras etc. And that also seems to mean no generic windshields either, must be factory ordered.

It goes on from here until the insurance company calls me but I don’t need to rehash it all. It probably didn’t help that at what I thought was the end of the conversation I cut it short because we had to get to chemo. It is now several days later and the crack is almost all the way across the windshield. Monday morning, I’ll begin calling again (so much for modern on-line). Hopefully Yuma glass did go ahead and order the new, correct 2019 model windshield.

And now this is a recording of events for me to lash out at someone later. Phone calls today. Seems Express has tried to order and then got told it was the wrong price, so need to get it reapproved! And now the only glass is in Texas which takes 3-4 days to get here. We have to leave next Tuesday. My stress level rises. More phone calls, oh, now the windshield is in Washington.

Friday 4/26/2019: follow up, it’ll be 3 weeks. What! Everyone keeps assuring me that the windshield will not fall out and I can drive it until the new one is installed. Oh and if you get stopped for driving with a cracked windshield, just tell them its on order, no problem. Really? I don’t feel safe driving it; it is now about ¾ or 2/3 of the way across and is right at eye level. It gives you a slightly distorted view, unless I sit up or scrunch down a bit to look over or under the crack.

Prepaid funeral/cremation services. This is another complex complicated issue. True, it’s mainly because of our location (or lack of location). We stump everyone with our questions. Talking to places locally and in Texas and waiting for call backs. Reading information on the internet and getting more questions than answers. I’m about to wash my hands and check this item off my list even though it isn’t done. These are the things I want help with but it’s really difficult for anyone else to field these personal issues. And this is about planning for everyone, a topic no one likes to talk about but it really is necessary. Here’s my challenge for you today, talk with your loved ones about important hard issues. Like organ donation, where are your important papers, do you have life insurance, any special requests. Our special request, legacy really, is PanCAN for David and University of Northwestern St Paul for me (my great grandfather founder). The list goes on and even I, Miss Organized, don’t have but about half done. That reminds me, I have a new computer and new password sign on, better notify my designated peeps on the change.

Hey, a whole posting with no medical issues! Thought you’d all want a change of pace, now go out and enjoy the day.

Chemo back on and more

The evening of the Liver biopsy, we are relaxing, glad that ordeal is over and mentally preparing for chemo the next day. Suddenly, I remembered that David hadn’t done his blood draw, it must be done 24 hours (or so) before chemo. It’s 8pm and the only lab open and that does STAT is Zion. We had planned to do this before we left from Zion after the biopsy and we totally forgot. So, off we go. I am beginning to get good at rushing off in the car from one crisis to another. LOL. We got there about 15 minutes before they close, it’s a whole different atmosphere at that time of night. At least there wasn’t any wait.

Lab results are posted and available for viewing almost immediately. Oh oh, they don’t look good. I may not be a doctor but I know a couple red flags when I see them. To make a long story short, Liver and bilirubin numbers were high, this is not good.

First thing Friday morning David calls oncology to verify that chemo is on. After a bit of phone tag and follow up, chemo has been canceled. And no surprise, more blood needs to be drawn Monday to confirm it was just the liver biopsy that threw off the numbers and not infection or something else. The bilirubin was a concern because “they” said that wasn’t from the biopsy – guess what, google says it very likely was. Monday blood seems to confirm google as all numbers are in line. (not be taken as any kind of judgement, I appreciate the concern and follow up the doctors and nurses do, this is more to be humorous on using google, which I do Not recommend for medical advice).

Doctor does not want to delay chemo and they have squeezed David in on Thursday, April 18. This will throw off the schedule that was set up. The original schedule worked out well for a potential trip we had planned. But it’s far enough off that we’ll just wait and see how it all will fall together – or apart.

Meanwhile David has not been idle. He’s re-landscaping the front yard of the family home and adding a car cover awing in Yuma (no tall motorhome to park there anymore). Not to worry, the heaviest thing he has lifted is a phone to schedule them and a pen to write checks. There’s a story about writing checks by someone out of practice but not to cause embarrassment, I’ll leave it at that.

Last night we were in the kitchen together. Several years ago we took a diabetes class and were taught to eat 6 small meals a day, the last one protein and carbs as a night time snack. We’ve continued that practice. I jokingly told David that since he felt pretty good and would soon be doing chemo and not able to do much of anything or feel like eating that he ought to assist with the night snacks. So there we were, he preparing our peanut butter and cheese crackers and I was making coffee for in the morning. It was so pleasant the two of us in the kitchen together. I was enjoying the moment, the months of fear, worry and concern melted away. All was well with my world – cherish the moments.

Another day, another hospital

When we talk about travels and seeing different places, this is not exactly what I had in mind. We left Yuma regional medical centre in time to arrive at Zion hospital for David's liver biopsy.
I wondered if the recent hospital stay with infection, sepsis again, would delay this procedure and the chemo treatment following tomorrow. Nope, it's all a go
What almost caused a problem - having oatmeal this morning. According to the paperwork David could have food until 6:30 am. Wrong! I'm glad we brought the piece of paper so we could show them. They were not real happy and said it was wrong. We did wonder, based on prior procedures it was off but what do we know. It was too late last night to contact anyone and I don't know that I would have. Our plates have been pretty full and I am almost on empty and not of a mind to question "official"paperwork. BTW, our plates are full, David solution, we need bigger plates!
The procedure is going forward, they will not give David this one relaxing medication because it could then cause his stomach to aspirate into his lungs. He will get a different pain medication.

Procedure should be over soon, results in 3 to 5 days.
Stayed tuned! More will be revealed...

April 2019

Sunday night I took David to Yuma emergency room as indicated with a high fever while on active chemo. He was admitted to the hospital. While here they have him on strong antibiotics and did a liver ultrasound. No conclusion yet. After multiple blood tests, some of his numbers are showing improvements. I believe he will be released tomorrow, Wednesday, April 10.
This is just a short report to get the word out.
Not sure if the scheduled liver biopsy and next chemo will happened as planned.
I wrote more details and some really fun facts but don't know how to transfer from one computer to the web site so you get this!
Technology has won this round!