I'm back--is anyone still out there?

It was only supposed to be a little break--but it's been almost 10 months since I've posted. And I'm still not sure I have anything worth blogging about!  Not to mention I have to dust off the camera and get busy with pics.

We've all had some health issues. My diabetic meds weren't controlling my sugars last fall, so I was dragging my way through the days and not realizing what was going on, because I'd quit checking my sugars. Bad girl. They had been stable so long, I just took it for granted they'd stay that way, even though I know diabetes is a progressive disease.

So my doc added Actos in early Dec., which controlled my sugars very well. Problem was, the side effects were awful--chest pain, shortness of breath, weight gain, blurred vision, back pain, and-- overwhelming fatigue. I was right back where I started. March we stopped that and tried going with only the Januvia again, but that still wasn't enough. Then we tried the Januvia with Metformin, even though I historically couldn't tolerate those side effects either. Nothing's changed there--still can't tolerate Metformin. Now we're trying only Glipizide. If that doesn't work, we go to Victoza, which is an injectable non-insulin medication. My doc says starting insulin on a type II diabetic is a slippery slope and we're trying to avoid that. So far, so good.

J-Man is doing okay--has a biopsy scheduled for Tues., so we will know more in a week or so. It's a guy thing.

Tandi--my little furbaby--finally healed from her second knee surgery and rehab and all was well for 5 months. Then she began getting very lethargic, feverish, and wasn't eating. And when she doesn't eat, she's really sick. Thought it might be dental-related, but it wasn't that, and during the cleaning, she really bled. Her platelets were pretty low. A week on antibiotics didn't change that, and didn't stop the fever, and her platelets dropped more. Her vet had me take her to the veterinary hospital in Greenville, SC, about an hour away, where they kept her for 6 nights over Memorial Day weekend. Turns out she has an autoimmune disease that kills off her platelets, and she could have bled out. The platelets should have been around 200,000, but they dropped to 2,000 at one point.

But they managed to turn her around, and now she's on Cyclosporin ( at $100.00/ 30 pills) and Prednisone. A cocker spaniel on Prednisone? Can you say "voracious" appetite? Poor little thing wants to eat constantly. I had to take the toilet paper off the roll and put it up on the counter, because she was unraveling that to eat it. Two weeks ago I bought a big basket of peaches at the local farmer's market to put up for freezing, and the little foodie managed to get 3 of them out and eat them before I caught her! She gets green beans in her food at suppertime, because the fiber makes her feel fuller, and I go through a huge bag of carrots about every two weeks, because we give her those for snacks during the day. And apples. I've never had a teenage boy, but I'll bet it's not much different!

 

I'm still loving Hospice nursing--can't imagine going back to hospital nursing. I'd retire first. The plan was to stay at the inpatient unit for a while, then go to home hospice, but I'm so happy where I am, I'm planning to stay for now. Plus, I think I like the structure. My job can be difficult at times--the families, especially, break my heart--but it's so rewarding. I feel blessed to be a part of their lives at this critical time, and sometimes I can make a difference. And that's what we all want, isn't it? To make a difference in this world?

(Taken from our facility last Dec.)

In other news, the countdown to Hallowe'en is on. I'd almost decided not to do it this year, as it gets harder every year to come up with something different, and get it all set up and taken down by myself. Plus, I was scheduled to work. But a couple of months ago, a young mother was pushing a stroller down my street, with another small son, maybe 4 years old, trailing behind. I was out working in the yard (before the Great Monsoon of  '13) and she waved and called "Just want you to know how much we enjoy your yard every year at Hallowe'en!" I thanked her and asked the little guy what he was dressed as last year. He said he was a character from "Cars"  (I don't remember who) and he's going to be Darth Vader this year. I was suckered in. The show must go on. I requested off and got it, and the planning and search for props are in full swing. More later.

 

I was doing pretty well at reading your blogs until Google  discontinued its Reader (though they still let you post--where's the sense in that?). Took me a while to find bloglovin', so now I can find out what you've all been up to this summer.  8^)

Anyway, if you're still out there, thanks for hanging with me. I'll try not to let you down again.