A Slow Transition from One Year to the Next

The Old Year Ended Not with a Bang, but with a Whimper

My last post explains where we found ourselves two weeks before 2017 ended. It should help you understand why this post has been so long in coming. We've been surviving. First there was my husband's accident. Then we both got the flu.

There were numerous doctor appointments for my husband the last week of December, and some days a friend drove him because I was too sick to drive. I thank God for my Covenant Presbyterian Church family who fed us Thanksgiving dinner when I was too sick to cook, helped with my housework, and got my husband to medical appointments when I couldn't. 

By December 28 we had learned that besides the flu and his injured rotator cuff, my husband was also fighting a prostate infection and will need a biopsy when he finishes his course of antibiotics. My friend who took him to the urologist took good notes. Now we are waiting that out.

I'd been unable to take him because I had almost passed out that morning. I've been fighting heart palpitations and dizziness, as well as the flu. I have to take one day at a time. On days when I was able I had made a crock pot of turkey soup and another crockpot of pot roast with lots of vegetables. That is the only cooking I managed to do, but neither of us had much appetite.

As the year ended, we were both still weak. Between New Year's Eve and January 4 I had lost five pounds. I do not recommend flu as a weight loss technique. My younger nephew, whom I'd not seen since Christmas 2016, was scheduled to visit on January 2. There were still preparations to be made.  Again, my church helped prepare the way for his visit. We really wanted to see him, but had to give him a realistic idea of what to expect. He chose to come anyway, and I'm glad he did.

My Nephew at Sunset January 4, 2018

The New Year Arrived Quietly to our Home Hospital, and So Did Joey

I was scheduled to pick up my nephew Joey at the Paso Robles Train Station Tuesday afternoon. All morning I was exhausted. We had about giving up on seeing the plumber who hadn't showed up to fix the shower in the guest bathroom during the over two weeks we had waited for him. He decided to come just when my friend was scheduled to come clean. We worked around him.

By the time Rebekah and I (mostly Rebekah) were through doing what we could to make Joey's visit more comfortable, I had only about 90 minutes to rest before it was time to go to the station.  I'm thankful God gave me enough energy to pick him up and get him here. His visit was a blessing to all of us. He stayed until yesterday afternoon.

Joey Peeling a Hard-boiled Egg I Had Prepared Ahead

Joey was fortunately an easy guest to have. He was willing to eat leftovers and the fresh fruits and veggies I had around. He played chess with my husband, who was starting to feel almost human again, though he was and is still weak. We looked at family pictures, told family stories, and had honest conversations that lasted far into the night. Time seemed to fly by. We even did a brief photo shoot Thursday afternoon to capture the sky. He is naturally photogenic and could probably be a model should he choose to.

Saying Goodbye to Joey

When I took Joey to the train station Friday afternoon, I really did hate to say goodbye. We got a few more photos there to document his getting on the train.

Joey Getting Ready to Board Amtrak Coast Starlight Going South

Then I hung around the station after he left to photograph some of the oak trees and vehicles coming and going around Velta Circle. You will be seeing more of those in future posts. I'm hoping to be ready by Monday to start getting back to a normal life as the new rounds of medical appointments start. I'll be posting here as I find time.