This was Kiwanis Pancake Day. Bob and I had bought tickets. He got up this morning and began to think about going to church. I had to remind him it was Saturday and he had those tickets. He got dressed and I helped him put his compression sleeve on and we went up to the First Baptist Church where it was held. We got there about eight o'clock. We were the first ones there. After awhile others we knew started trinkling in. Jack and Marilyn and Barbara soon came in and sat with us. We had a nice visit.
We came home and let Slinky back in the kitchen. He had spent an hour or so in the garage. He was real good about going in there this time though. I just called "come" and he came. I took his bed and water dish in there too and he immediately lay down on the cushion.
Later, if it warms up so Slinky can go outside, we will go to Bartlesville. I am to make my peanut clusters for the Chocolate Fantasy next Friday and I have not been able to find any raw peanuts in town or in Independence. Bartlesville may have them. If not, there will not be any.
If we go to Bartlesville we will eat at Garfield's while we are there. I will get fish and chips since I like their fish and chips. Bob will get their raspberry walnut salad and share my fish. That works for us.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Busy Day
It was a busy day yesterday and unfortunately I forgot to pick up some fliers at the First Christian Church. I went out to church early yesterday morning first thing to make copies of the minutes for January and the agenda for the February ministerial alliance meeting at noon. It was snowing hard. I didn't know whether I would be able to get out there later on. I made the copies and got back fine. The snow was melting just about as fast as it was falling.
Before I left, I put Bob's body wrap and compression sleeve on him. I don't know how this is going to work out. He's supposed to do his light exercise of encouraging the flow of his lymph fluid every morning while he's still nude. I don't think he did them. He's supposed to do them in the evening before bedtime too. I know he didn't do that. Also, about half way though the afternoon he took off the body wrap. It was hurting him. Then he took off the sleeve. There's really nothing I can do about it. He's a grown man and he knows what he's supposed to do. I can't force him.
We picked up Marilyn for ministerial alliance. Her husband drives an Avalon and she's afraid to drive it since it's a Toyota. She gave her little Volkswagen bug to a foreign student over to the University of Arkansas. So, they too are a one car family.
Anyhow, after I got home the printer called and said the congregational directories were ready so we went up and picked them up.
I made the alliance's bank deposit while I was out. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the minutes for the meeting and getting them sent out.
Bob wanted to run up to the market so we did that. And we got back just in time for me to start dinner.
Anyhow, I was supposed to pick up those fliers at the Christian Church and I forgot. I'll have to pick them up this morning and mail them out.
Cyndi is supposed to pick me up later on this morning for a luncheon and medical lecture at the hospital today too. That's all I have on the agenda today. Next week is extra busy. I will clean on Monday. I have the MC3 board meeting on Tuesday and the Independence Ministerial Association meeting on Wednesday. Thursday morning at 11:30 I have a dental appointment for my annual cleaning and check up. Friday evening is Leslie's Tupperware Party. And that Saturday night is our congregation's Valentine Dinner at the Railroad Inn.
Before I left, I put Bob's body wrap and compression sleeve on him. I don't know how this is going to work out. He's supposed to do his light exercise of encouraging the flow of his lymph fluid every morning while he's still nude. I don't think he did them. He's supposed to do them in the evening before bedtime too. I know he didn't do that. Also, about half way though the afternoon he took off the body wrap. It was hurting him. Then he took off the sleeve. There's really nothing I can do about it. He's a grown man and he knows what he's supposed to do. I can't force him.
We picked up Marilyn for ministerial alliance. Her husband drives an Avalon and she's afraid to drive it since it's a Toyota. She gave her little Volkswagen bug to a foreign student over to the University of Arkansas. So, they too are a one car family.
Anyhow, after I got home the printer called and said the congregational directories were ready so we went up and picked them up.
I made the alliance's bank deposit while I was out. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the minutes for the meeting and getting them sent out.
Bob wanted to run up to the market so we did that. And we got back just in time for me to start dinner.
Anyhow, I was supposed to pick up those fliers at the Christian Church and I forgot. I'll have to pick them up this morning and mail them out.
Cyndi is supposed to pick me up later on this morning for a luncheon and medical lecture at the hospital today too. That's all I have on the agenda today. Next week is extra busy. I will clean on Monday. I have the MC3 board meeting on Tuesday and the Independence Ministerial Association meeting on Wednesday. Thursday morning at 11:30 I have a dental appointment for my annual cleaning and check up. Friday evening is Leslie's Tupperware Party. And that Saturday night is our congregation's Valentine Dinner at the Railroad Inn.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Physical Therapist
We went to see the physical therapist at the hospital today. Since they have decided that Bob has lymph-edema, they measured his arm for a compression sleeve. Then they gave him one and also a wrap for his upper body. They also gave him some exercises that he is to do morning and evening. He will wear the body wrap the rest of his life and also the compression sleeve. The only time he will take them off is for the night time. They say you never recover from lymph-edema. You have it the rest of your life. The lymph nodes close and the fluid backs up into the arm, hand and chest (or sometimes the leg) and it has to be encouraged by massage and these exercises to move through the body.
So, we have our work cut out for us. He will have to do the exercises and massage and I will be doing the wrap and pulling the sleeve on his arm.
So, we have our work cut out for us. He will have to do the exercises and massage and I will be doing the wrap and pulling the sleeve on his arm.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Seeing the Surgeon
This is the day we go see the surgeon. Bob's appointment is this afternoon at 3:00. It will be interesting to see what he thinks about Bob's arm and hand. John, our son-in-law, has his own theory. He says the arm swelled after Bob started taking thyroid. Bob, on the other hand thinks it may be connected with his H1N1 shot.
He has been using the vibrator every so often and also using zinc ointment on it. It is not as large as it was last week. At least it wasn't last night. Bob says the swelling goes up and then comes down. Depending on what the surgeon says, he will see the physical therapist tomorrow at the hospital to be fitted for that compression sleeve.
I will go to my sister's this morning while my brother-in-law goes to breakfast with his friends. I leave at 6:45 and generally get back home by 9:00. He called last night to say I don't need to get out in the snow if I don't want to. He has a cell phone and if my sister should have a problem, she can always call him. I decided to go on. It's very difficult to carry on a conversation with someone with Alzheimer's Disease but she is my only sister and I feel I should go anyhow.
Slinky did not wake me up at all last night. I got up at 4:45 because I could no longer sleep but he was still sleeping at that time. Missy, on the other hand, had been scratching on the bed skirt for fifteen minutes. Animals!
I noticed after Slinky ate his breakfast, he lay down on the hard floor. I thought that was odd since he has his cushion in the utility area. I went to check it out and sure enough, Missy was lying on his bed. I moved her off but while he was outside doing his thing, she got back on it. I picked her up to move her again and she hissed at me. That cat is the most hostile animal I've ever owned. Yesterday, I moved her off the step stool where I sit at the bar in the mornings with my laptop. She hissed and scratched me trying to get down. So I am wearing two round band aids on my right hand now. Cats!
I will get back to this post with the doctor's opinion after we come home from the doctor's office this afternoon.
4:00 Later...
We saw Dr. Lin, the surgeon, this afternoon. He had seen the CT scan, the x-ray and the sonogram and said there was an enlarged lymph node that showed up but he could not feel it. It is about two inches in diameter. It is very deep in the armpit. He said if he went to biopsy it, it would require him to dig very deep into the armpit and he would do a lot of damage to the tissue to get to it. He does not think it is anything but some kind of clog in the lymph system. The sonogram showed it was not a blood clot.
He says the lymph nodes act as a kind of "oil filter" and filter out impurities from the body. He says it may take months to go down or it may never go down. He wants Bob to get measured tomorrow for the compression sleeve and he says that will help it to go down and at least treat the symptoms. Then we will watch it in the months to come.
He called it lymphedemia. That's water (or lymph fluid) under the skin in the lymph system.
He has been using the vibrator every so often and also using zinc ointment on it. It is not as large as it was last week. At least it wasn't last night. Bob says the swelling goes up and then comes down. Depending on what the surgeon says, he will see the physical therapist tomorrow at the hospital to be fitted for that compression sleeve.
I will go to my sister's this morning while my brother-in-law goes to breakfast with his friends. I leave at 6:45 and generally get back home by 9:00. He called last night to say I don't need to get out in the snow if I don't want to. He has a cell phone and if my sister should have a problem, she can always call him. I decided to go on. It's very difficult to carry on a conversation with someone with Alzheimer's Disease but she is my only sister and I feel I should go anyhow.
Slinky did not wake me up at all last night. I got up at 4:45 because I could no longer sleep but he was still sleeping at that time. Missy, on the other hand, had been scratching on the bed skirt for fifteen minutes. Animals!
I noticed after Slinky ate his breakfast, he lay down on the hard floor. I thought that was odd since he has his cushion in the utility area. I went to check it out and sure enough, Missy was lying on his bed. I moved her off but while he was outside doing his thing, she got back on it. I picked her up to move her again and she hissed at me. That cat is the most hostile animal I've ever owned. Yesterday, I moved her off the step stool where I sit at the bar in the mornings with my laptop. She hissed and scratched me trying to get down. So I am wearing two round band aids on my right hand now. Cats!
I will get back to this post with the doctor's opinion after we come home from the doctor's office this afternoon.
4:00 Later...
We saw Dr. Lin, the surgeon, this afternoon. He had seen the CT scan, the x-ray and the sonogram and said there was an enlarged lymph node that showed up but he could not feel it. It is about two inches in diameter. It is very deep in the armpit. He said if he went to biopsy it, it would require him to dig very deep into the armpit and he would do a lot of damage to the tissue to get to it. He does not think it is anything but some kind of clog in the lymph system. The sonogram showed it was not a blood clot.
He says the lymph nodes act as a kind of "oil filter" and filter out impurities from the body. He says it may take months to go down or it may never go down. He wants Bob to get measured tomorrow for the compression sleeve and he says that will help it to go down and at least treat the symptoms. Then we will watch it in the months to come.
He called it lymphedemia. That's water (or lymph fluid) under the skin in the lymph system.
Monday, February 1, 2010
What is a Progressive Christian?
What is a Progressive Christian? Here are eight identifying principles:
1. Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.
3. Understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all peoples.
4. Invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including, but not limited to) believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identies, those of all races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope.
5. Know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe.
6. Find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty - more value in questioning than in absolutes.
7. Form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do; striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God's creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his brothers and sisters; and
8. Recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
1. Have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.
3. Understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus' name to be a representation of an ancient vision of God's feast for all peoples.
4. Invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including, but not limited to) believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identies, those of all races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope.
5. Know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe.
6. Find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty - more value in questioning than in absolutes.
7. Form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do; striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God's creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his brothers and sisters; and
8. Recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
From the Daily Koz
Sarah Palin has been using her political action committee to buy up thousands of copies of her book, "Going Rogue," in order to mail copies of the memoir to her donors, newly filed campaign records show.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate had her political organization spend more than $63,000 on what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment." The payments went to Harper Collins, her publisher, and in some instances to HSP Direct, a Virginia-based direct mail fundraising firm that serves a number of well-known conservative politicians and pundits.
Sarah PAC spent another $8,000 on colorful bookmarks designed by a Nashville-based event branding firm. And her committee paid her publisher $20,000 for what appears to have been the cost of sending her personal photographer and another aide along on her book tour. Those expenses are listed by the PAC as travel repayment to Harper Collins.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate had her political organization spend more than $63,000 on what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment." The payments went to Harper Collins, her publisher, and in some instances to HSP Direct, a Virginia-based direct mail fundraising firm that serves a number of well-known conservative politicians and pundits.
Sarah PAC spent another $8,000 on colorful bookmarks designed by a Nashville-based event branding firm. And her committee paid her publisher $20,000 for what appears to have been the cost of sending her personal photographer and another aide along on her book tour. Those expenses are listed by the PAC as travel repayment to Harper Collins.
Monday Cleaning Day
I was supposed to have given the invocation at the County Commission meeting in Independence today but we have freezing fog and I did not want to drive 15 miles in it. So I e-mailed a couple of other ministers in Independence and asked one of them to cover for me.
So, after awhile, I will start my Monday house cleaning. I will begin with the rest of the house and leave the kitchen/utility area for last. Slinky is sleeping soundly there on his chaise cushion.
Speaking of the chaise cushion, that was one of my better ideas. He has slept so much better and is not waking me up to go out in the middle of the night. He didn't wake me until 5:15 this morning and I got to sleep in until 5:45.
Our daughter called this morning. Our son-in-law thought he might have come up with the reason for Bob's arm swelling. It began about the time he started taking the thyroid medication. So John thought that might be the reason. We see the surgeon tomorrow and we will run that as well as Bob's H1N1 shot (about the same time) by him and see what he thinks. Since it has not responded to antibiotics, perhaps it's a virus or there is some other reason for the swelling like the shot or the thyroid medicine. He has finished this latest round of antibiotics now. That's the third round...each one more powerful than the last.
We have nothing more on today's calendar.
So, after awhile, I will start my Monday house cleaning. I will begin with the rest of the house and leave the kitchen/utility area for last. Slinky is sleeping soundly there on his chaise cushion.
Speaking of the chaise cushion, that was one of my better ideas. He has slept so much better and is not waking me up to go out in the middle of the night. He didn't wake me until 5:15 this morning and I got to sleep in until 5:45.
Our daughter called this morning. Our son-in-law thought he might have come up with the reason for Bob's arm swelling. It began about the time he started taking the thyroid medication. So John thought that might be the reason. We see the surgeon tomorrow and we will run that as well as Bob's H1N1 shot (about the same time) by him and see what he thinks. Since it has not responded to antibiotics, perhaps it's a virus or there is some other reason for the swelling like the shot or the thyroid medicine. He has finished this latest round of antibiotics now. That's the third round...each one more powerful than the last.
We have nothing more on today's calendar.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Canceled Services
Well, we had to cancel our services today. The parking lot out there in the country was full of snow. The streets in town were clear so we went to a Methodist Church with some friends.
The service was good and the fellowship was really good. We knew a lot of them. Six of them are in our "Living the Questions" group.
After church, the couple we knew the best, Bob and Karan,(they attend our church services too following their early services each Sunday cause she's a member at ours) invited us home with them for chili. It hit the spot. We stayed and visited awhile and then came on home so both Bobs could take a nap.
I worked on my letters and then wrote the sermon for the 14th. I stayed busy all afternoon.
Bob had a brainstorm this afternoon. He said his hand and arm swelled up following his H1N1 shot. We looked on the internet and that is one of the complications of that shot. But that's been a couple of months ago. I e-mailed our doctor to see what she thought. It seems an awfully long time for it to be swelled if that is the case. We see the surgeon on Tuesday so we'll see what he says. In the meantime, Bob has been using a vibrator on the arm. He also spreads zinc oxide ointment on it. Someone suggested to him that it might have some therapeutic value. It sure can't hurt.
The service was good and the fellowship was really good. We knew a lot of them. Six of them are in our "Living the Questions" group.
After church, the couple we knew the best, Bob and Karan,(they attend our church services too following their early services each Sunday cause she's a member at ours) invited us home with them for chili. It hit the spot. We stayed and visited awhile and then came on home so both Bobs could take a nap.
I worked on my letters and then wrote the sermon for the 14th. I stayed busy all afternoon.
Bob had a brainstorm this afternoon. He said his hand and arm swelled up following his H1N1 shot. We looked on the internet and that is one of the complications of that shot. But that's been a couple of months ago. I e-mailed our doctor to see what she thought. It seems an awfully long time for it to be swelled if that is the case. We see the surgeon on Tuesday so we'll see what he says. In the meantime, Bob has been using a vibrator on the arm. He also spreads zinc oxide ointment on it. Someone suggested to him that it might have some therapeutic value. It sure can't hurt.
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