Fluffer Nutters and Polka Dots with Miss A

Look at all of that fluff on her sandwich!

Miss A came over for our Annual Back-to-School/End of Summer Fluffer Nutter Extravaganza. Because of how poorly I've felt over the past year and a half we've had so many fewer visits. I think she grew several inches since the last time I saw her. :) I learned a lot about Harry Potter, her summer at Interlochen and all other things important to a 13 year old. When she told me that even she already finds email overwhelming at age 13, I thought about how we didn't even have email when I was 13!

Yay for Fluffer Nutters!

We purchase a yearly jar of fluff just for our lunch date. I have so many fond memories of growing up eating fluffer nutters in the days before we worried so much about high fructose corn syrup and sugar. I promise Mom and I also made sure Miss A ate fruit and vegetables with her sandwich!

Back to the Fuschia nail polish.

I painted Miss A's nails Back to the Fuschia. I should have asked her if she had even ever heard of the movie Back to the Future.

Our beautiful nails.

Miss A decided that my nails, which were already painted, needed polka dots. I, of course, obliged. Here we are with our pretty nails.


We had a great visit! 


Blessings,


Emily

Miss Erika

I spent yesterday afternoon with Miss Erika--a rare and wonderful treat. It's been about 2 years since we last saw each other. Our visits are too far and few between, but this makes them even more special. 


I'm a bit behind on blogging because of 'computer issues' along with just trying to keep up, but I hope to do a bit of catching up with some short and sweet blogs over the next week. We are both hanging in here and despite being a terribly impatient patient, Mom is recovering slowly but surely. 


Thanks so much for the visit Miss Erika!


Blessings,


Emily

Crashed Out!

We all spent the day here crashed out. Mom in the recliner. Me on the sofa. Asher on the ottoman in between the two of us. Asher was very patient today waiting over 15 hours to go out to the potty (he is not a morning dog anyways), waiting patiently for his meals, and never complaining that he STILL has a birthday present waiting unopened for him. 


Mom pushed a bit too hard on her first couple of days home (was that a load of laundry she was doing on Friday already?) and paid the price today. The recovery from this surgery has been very different than the first one, as she is much more uncomfortable. She feels as if someone used her backside as a punching bag during surgery. :P


In addition to the three of us spending time crashed out, my computer also decided to crash out. Sadly, this means I'm blogging on my little netbook and have no access to photos or other fun stuff. Thankfully, my computer is still under the Apple Care protection plan, I did not lose any data, and a trip to the fix-it shop should do the trick. And getting an external hard drive would be a good idea right about NOW! The timing is a bummer and makes for seriously boring photo-less blogs.


We are both just doing our best to get through the day. By 9:00 tonight, we celebrated the fact that both of us had managed to finally get our teeth brushed! We then settled in for our first-ever episode of The Good Wife and are quite thankful for the distractions of good TV and movies.


We really have no news to report, but I know folks have been wondering how things are going. While neither of us feels so hot, we know this time will pass. We are thankful to all of YOU supporting us as well as providing us with your wonderful acts of service such as rides, errands, food runs, etc.  


I will update if anything changes significantly. Otherwise, we hope that each day will bring gradual improvement and rest for both of us. We will continue to reach out for help as needed! 


Blessings,


Emily

Portrait Session: Asher's 10!

I'd rather lie down than work so hard to sit up while you take my picture!

Well, Asher is officially in the double digits now. I took him outside a couple of days after his birthday  for a short photo session of the handsome guy. He's all dressed up in his bandana and new harness and leash.

Cute.

Sniffing the wonderful summer air.

Handsome.

Are we done yet?

All dressed up.

We can't believe our little guy is 10 already. This past year we've certainly seen him begin to age, which makes us sad. We thank him for making us smile and laugh every day with his antics. And for taking such good care of us.


We love you Asher!


Blessings,
Emily

Asher Takes Care of The Surgery Queen

Mom all settled in for the night. 

As you can see Mom is settled in for the night and Asher is taking excellent care of her. She arrived home from her penthouse suite a little after 8:00 tonight. Mom is moving quite gingerly, so she is sleeping upstairs tonight on one of the big sofas. As I helped her get into bed one of the pillows fell onto the floor next to her. Before I could pick it up, Asher staked a claim on it so he could be as close to Mom as possible. Looks like he will not be keeping me company tonight! Asher was mopey all day today and I think it was because he was missing part of his herd! 


So, while there may not be a big flat screen TV as there was in her luxurious hospital room (in fact the TV is not working at all, thanks to Comcast), Asher is waaaayyyy better medicine. :)

We haven't gotten to catch up too much on things so I don't have a lot of information on her restrictions, etc. except that she is supposed to be VERY, VERY, VERY careful over the next three days. 

I did great the first two days she was away, but by today I was having a very hard time. Whew! It also makes me very sad not to be able to do more to help Mom. 

Blessings,

Emily

Thursday: Surgery Queen to Leave Her Penthouse Suite

Purple and Peach Pansies at the Arboretum.

Our Surgery Queen will be leaving her penthouse suite a l'hopital on Thursday! 


She describes her giant single room with a big window and big flat screen TV as 'luxurious'. She's doing well: walking around, sitting up, eating well, and getting good care.


Dr. Neurosurgeon kept her another day just to give her a little more rest time before coming home. He feels very badly about the small nick on her myelin sheath, as it is a mistake that he rarely makes, however we are not at all upset as he did an excellent job on both surgeries.


Fatigue and discomfort at the site of the incision are her biggest complaints, so we plan to be doing a lot of resting over the next several weeks. I am not sure yet of her restrictions, but I assume they will be similar to her last surgery: no lifting more than 5 pounds, no driving for two weeks, taking it easy for 6 weeks, and also no bending or twisting (since this surgery was on her lower spine). Right now it is hard for her to get into a comfortable position.

I'm managing better than expected and am thankful to some med changes that improved how I was feeling just in time for Mom's surgery. Other than having help with Asher (Dad and Abbie letting him out and feeding him in the morning; a neighbor walking him in the evenings), I've been able to be home and manage on my own, thanks to Mom's meticulous planning. Jeannine came over tonight to help me with a couple of things in preparation for Mom's arrival home.

Purple and Peach Pansies at the Arboretum.

Many of you have asked how we manage and what I do when Mom is not here. Before her surgery she did every household chore possible, all of the laundry and stocked the fridge full of everything I could ever need. She also made up individual dinner plates for each night she was away. While I make every effort to never use paper plates or plastic water bottles, I went against what every fiber of my being tells me not to do, and used these items. This has meant that I do not need to have a caregiver come in to help with dishes, filling canteens with water, refilling the water pitcher, cooking, etc. and Mom will not have as big of a mess to come home to. 


I focus my physical energy for the day on getting out my (already prepared) meals and taking care of Asher. Not having a caregiver in and out of the house keeps things more low-key and quiet for me to rest or get other things done. And sometimes, if I'm really tired, things just don't get done! Tonight, that was getting a bath. I promise to destinkify myself tomorrow.


I'm totally exhausted, but this is by far the best I've been able to manage with her away this past year. I think a large part of that was due to taking more short cuts (such as the bottled water and pre-made dinner plates), knowing more of what to expect with the surgery and hospital stay, and having more quiet time home alone with Asher. I truly hate that by creating more independence for me, I am also creating more waste. 


I've had trouble resting well while Mom is away, mostly because I'm wondering how she is doing. She had a great nurse this evening when I called and was doing really well, so I am hopeful tonight will be more restful.


Continued thanks for your good thoughts, calls, emails and offers to help. How wonderful to wake up to so many messages bundled in love each day!


Blessings,
Emily

Update on the Surgery Queen

Pink Petunias in our yard.

Mom's surgery lasted about four hours this afternoon. Everything seemed to go smoothly other than a small nick on the myelin sheath which was easily fixed with one stitch. 


I just got off of the phone with her a few minutes ago and she was enjoying her large single room with a big flat screen TV.  She was listening to the Mostly Mozart Festival on Live from Lincoln Center.  Even doped up on Percocet (and boy, does that stuff make her dopey), she sounds wide awake compared to how she was after the cervical fusion! Mostly she was hoping to get some attention from the nurses to help her get comfortable, get ice chips, etc. 


Jeannine took her to the hospital, spent the day texting me updates, and visiting with Mom once she woke up. After the confusion last time about who exactly Jeannine was, she just pretended she was Mom's daughter and told the nurses that her sister (me) might be calling later to check in on Mom. :)

Pink Petunia.

I am ready to crash out an watch a bit of fluffy TV, but otherwise am feeling relieved that the surgery is over. I hope Mom will get some rest tonight and the nursing care she needs. 


Thank you to all of you for your messages wishing Mom well. Thank you to all of you for lifting Mom up in your prayers and keeping her in your thoughts. I know several of you were praying hard while she was having surgery.


Blessings,
Emily