Weekend in ICU

I have mentioned already that it has been getting more difficult lately to update you all on my Sweetie's hospital stay. He has been lying in a hospital bed for 3 1/2 weeks now, getting worse instead of better. His is a very complicated case, and the Internal Medicine doctors are certainly earning their salaries.  After returning to his room on Connell 10 at noon after four hours of dialysis, his blood pressure tanked to 58 over 33. They administered more albumin through his IV and medicine to raise his blood pressure. They have changed some of his antibiotics and added a few more. The decision was wisely made to move him to ICU so he would be more closely monitored.  This week has been particularly scary with lots of ups and downs. Tonight, though exhausted and feeling pretty beat up,  he still has his sense of humour.

There is nothing to do but wait and see and hope and pray. You have already expressed your kindnesses and concerns to me. You have offered up prayers and best wishes for healing. There is nothing more to say, so I will make it easier on you by disabling the comments field on my blog temporarily. It might make it easier on me as well. I will send another update tomorrow night.

Winter's Return

My Sweetie called me at 7:30 this morning waking me from a sound sleep. He told me they were taking him down for Dialysis this morning and wouldn't be back to his room until afternoon. I didn't look out the window yet, so I didn't know what the weather was like. When I went to open the back door to take the dog out, this is what I found.

A wall of ice on the glass of the exterior door. 

 

Yesterday  also started out with freezing rain, but it had quickly melted off the roads. After I scraped the car windows off, I was ready to leave for the hospital about 10 o'clock. My husband had another bad day yesterday, and when I came home I had a good cry. So this morning, when the freezing rain turned to snow that has fallen now all day, I decided I couldn't go in to see him today. My emotions are riding a roller coaster from day to day, and it is all I can think about or talk about. I think my husband could also appreciate a day without me hovering over him. I think he tries very hard to keep my spirits up, all the while I am trying to bolster his spirits. So my blog today will not have any more news from the hospital.

Ice on  branches

...followed by ice pellets, then snow.

 I put some veggie peelings from the freezer into the crock pot with water. After I remove the peelings, I will add a chicken carcass to the pot and leave it overnight. I should be left with another good veggie and chicken broth to make soup this week. I also peeled a bag of Cortland apples, cored and sliced them. Half went into the freezer. The other half was baked into an apple crumble. I had to throw away 1 1/2 apples that I could not save. 

Apple Crumble

I spent a lot of time on the phone today talking with family members and friends. Some people fill their anxiety with work. I wish that was me; but alas, it is not. When I am anxious, I tend to become paralyzed with inaction. I don't want to do anything. I wish I was the opposite. My house would be spic and span. Ha. I can sometimes putter in the kitchen. But mostly I tend to craft. So this afternoon I worked on some more of my valentines for the kids.

The Week-end

I did go in Friday, but the results of the kidney biopsy will not be known until Monday. In the meantime, they had moved him again. This has been the 6th move since he was admitted through Emergency almost 3 weeks ago. Then on Saturday morning, my daughter arrived here from Bradford. Her husband took the kids to Collingwood for a skiing weekend, so she was on her own. We spent most of the day visiting at the hospital. Though my Sweetie was genuinely pleased and surprised by our daughter's visit, he kept dozing off. Part of that I'm sure was the result of the pain killers he has been on. We were both there in the hospital room when the Internal Medicine doctor came around, and then the Nephrologist on call. They explained to us the need to keep sending my husband for dialysis every other day to clean the toxins from his blood (but not removing any fluids). They hope by lowering the levels of uremia, his nausea will disappear and his appetite will return. He is also going to be moving his feet, ankles and legs while in bed to move the leg muscles and move the fluid gradually from the tissues, into the bloodstream and eventually into the kidney. As it is, he cannot get out of bed without assistance. So I spent two days massaging his feet and lower legs, and bent his knees to get the legs moving. Eventually his leg muscles will regain memory and begin to work on their own. The doctors explained that even the action of trying to move his legs is enough to move fluid. This is giving us new hope. We will talk to physio early this week to see what pieces of equipment we will need to get my husband home. Meanwhile, the results of the biopsy should be ready tomorrow, which will help them determine how to next proceed.

A good friend had me stop off at her place yesterday on the way home from hospital so she could give me a chicken dinner....not just chicken dinner with gravy, but all the fixin's as well. There is enough for a few days of meals. So we had a lovely supper when we got home. My daughter stayed overnight, came with me to hospital again today, then left for home mid afternoon. It was so lovely to have her home with me, even if just for a short visit. 

Thursday update

Most of my family and friends do not go to my blog. They get my posts sent directly to their in-box, so they do not see any of the comments that are made. As I did not post anything yesterday because my Sweeties' day continued until 10 PM, I will copy and paste the comment I made to Nathalie this morning.

Still here

It is getting harder and harder to write these updates, because at times it feels like nobody has any idea of what they are going to do. I am watching my husband get worse and worse, and some days have gone by with nothing being done at all. I will write this update in point form.

• On Monday night, my Sweetie was moved out of the private room and back into a semi-private. The test results for a hospital borne illness came back negative. 
• On Tuesday morning I called patient locating to find out which room he was moved into. His phone was disconnected so there was no way to talk to him. I had that problem sorted out by calling the nurses' station to inform them.
• I drove to the hospital early this afternoon after the freezing drizzle stopped. I asked at the nurses' station if they would send the doctor to the hospital room to speak to me. The nurse came in to talk with me first. She said that my Sweetie was having a very bad day. He was taking pain medication every four hours and he wasn't eating or drinking . Of course, that wasn't new. He hasn't been eating or drinking for two weeks now. She also said that my husband had been given too much Lasix. They could no longer get a working IV  in his arm because his veins were collapsing because there wasn't enough fluid in his veins. It is all interstitial.
• A nephrologist came in to talk with us and announced that he was going to put more IV fluid into him because of the lack of fluid in his veins, and he was going to put a hold on the Lasix. Their plan consisted of putting in even more fluid and then do another biopsy of the kidney this Friday. My husband and I "hit the roof" so to speak. He already has 22 extra pounds in his legs that was put in by IV the first week. That doctor left to confer with the head of Nephrology.
• The nurse came in to try putting in another IV line in my husband's arm to start up the Lasix treatment that he had not yet received today. This order had just been given to her by Internal Medicine. I refused the treatment until both parties (Internal Medicine and Nephrology) got together to discuss a new treatment plan. 
• Within 5 minutes, we had three doctors in the room. I explained that within the first half hour of my arriving to see my husband, he had been prescribed two diametrically opposed courses of treatment. We needed to resolve the issue of not being able to insert an IV port, so it was decided to send him to Radiology to have a PIC line put in his arm so nurses could take blood and give medicine. We also suggested that a dialysis line be put in through the neck like they did back in October to give him dialysis if it was finally decided that that was the only course of action. But Nephrology wouldn't go for that. They want to save the kidney, but my husband has been through enough. 
• I spoke with my Sweetie Pie an hour ago. He said they put the PIC line in his arm after 5 o'clock tonight; and while he was there, the radiologist told him that Nephrology had finally given the go-ahead for the line to be put in his neck tomorrow. I am guessing that dialysis is not completely out of the question. 
• I will end this post with a valentine that I finished this morning. 

 

Daybook: Monday, January 16/17

Outside my window.......it is very gray and overcast at 4 PM. This morning started sunny and bright, but an ice storm is moving into the area for tomorrow, and it is highly unlikely that I will go into Kingston.

I am thinking.......that we had a lovely day at the hospital today. My Sweetie is still in the large private room but he is no longer under isolation. The lab results came back negative. My brother and SIL from Smith Falls came to visit us in  hospital. As we were supposed to spend Christmas Day with them, but didn't, we still had Christmas presents to exchange. It is also our wedding anniversary today, so the atmosphere was very festive.

I am thankful for.....46 wonderful years with my Sweetie.

From the kitchen.....I am cooking some sausage and pasta for dinner. I have warmed up one of the marinara sauces I made a few weeks ago and froze.

I am wearing.....blue jeans, a gray knit sweater and socks. My hair is in a pony tail.

I created.....a white on white wedding anniversary card for my husband. I forgot to take a picture. *sigh*

I am going.....to look after the dog, make my dinner, and then veg in front of the TV tonight.

I am hoping.....that the doctors can heal my husband quickly.

I am hearing.....the blower on the furnace, the "ping" of new email arriving in my in-box, and the sound of traffic on the highway from cars going home after work.

Around the house......housework is waiting for me, but it can wait a little longer for me.

One of my favourite things.....is a warm cup of tea on a cold afternoon.

Some plans for the rest of the week......will centre around visits to the hospital. I would like to get started on valentines for the kids, but I will see how the days progress.

Here is a photo I am sharing.....

Brand new craft supplies received this week. I cannot wait to dive in. 

 

 

I bought the 110 lb. card stock at Staples with a gift card, so I only had to pay the tax out of pocket. I bought 3 rolls of 2-sided tape at the Dollar Tree. The 4 mini ink pads were bought and paid for before Christmas at Amazon, but didn't arrive until this week (MIA), and the pad of 12x12 printed card stock was part of a Christmas gift I received this week.

Beautiful sunny weekend

It is 3 o'clock on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I just got back from spending time with my Sweetie in the hospital. They moved him yesterday afternoon into a large private room with a pent house view of the lake.

They did that as a precaution to keep him in isolation on the off-chance that he has picked up a "hospital borne illness". They ran 140 mg of Lasix into him yesterday by IV, in hopes of stimulating the kidney. Up until yesterday, they were giving him 40 mg of the diuretic. It managed to produce about 1/2 a liter of urine overnight which sounds promising. Since entering the hospital two weeks ago this coming Tuesday, they have given him 10 kg or 22 pounds of fluid (maybe more because he has not been eating). His creatinine, potassium and urea numbers are creeping back up. His nurse told us today that she overheard the doctors in conversation with the Transplant Team in Toronto. I am sure that is only to get some further ideas to try before they give him dialysis. Dialysis sounds like a last resort. They don't think the kidney would survive another one. They think it would totally fail if they did that, so they are desperate to try all other avenues first. We are keeping our fingers crossed. When I left this afternoon, they were giving him another IV. If it produces results, they will keep pushing on that. He was able to eat 4 bites of an egg salad sandwich and a quarter cup of ice-cream at lunch, and keep it down.

I have been unable to respond to emails or make comments on blogs for two days. My keyboard quit on me quite suddenly, and I had no time to deal with it, So on Friday night after supper and before I went to bed, I cleaned the keyboard. I had toothpicks, Q-tips, my vacuum cleaner and rubbing alcohol and proceeded to take off the keys to get underneath. There was so much cat hair, I don't know how I was able to press down on the keys. But I cleaned it up, rebooted the computer, and voila. My keyboard is functioning again, but I have been dragging again with fatigue, so I still haven't responded on-line. Instead I have been talking on the phone an awful lot. Slowly, but surely, I should get back to everyone.

Wild and Wacky Weather

You might remember that Tuesday was a blustery day. There was lots of blowing snow which was followed by freezing rain which was followed by rain. On Tuesday night, I was outside in the freezing rain, shoveling slush out of my driveway. There was a massive amount of it and I was afraid that if it froze over, I would be trapped in the house until Spring. *laugh*  But yesterday morning I realized that I really didn't have too much to worry about;  because during the night, when the freezing rain was replaced by rain and the temperature warmed up, most of that snow was pretty much gone. I left the house at 10:30 AM to run some errands on my way to the hsopital. First I went to the Post Office. A package that I had put a trace on from Amazon, had finally arrive and was waiting for me. Yay! It was a package of Tim Holtz mini ink pads that I ordered before Christmas. The first package had arrived two weeks ago, but the second one that was ordered the same day, was still in transit.

I next went to a Service Station and put $50 gas in the van. I went to No Frills to pick up a few items that I was running low on, but decided in the end that I should pick up the specials on sale because the new sales flyer starts today. I got to the hospital room just before noon. I was there when the doctors from Internal medicine discussed with us how they wanted to put my husband on an antibiotic for his infection, Warfarin to thin the blood, and a diuretic to lose the fluid. I sincerely believe the infection is the same one that put him in hospital in October, that they never got rid of. So I am glad they are dealing with that. The problem with the diuretic is that the body is still not flushing out the fluid because the kidney is stopped. Increasing the diuretic is not going to force out the fluid if the body has no way to release it. Why not dialyse him? The creatinine levels are apparently on their way up again. As far as putting him on blood thinners, neither my husband nor I are keen on that for ALL kinds of reasons, but they think he has a blood clot. So we may be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Anyways, I don't want to dwell on this now. My Sweetie had a very rough night and he actually asked that I not come in today. I am fine with that, as he needs his rest now. Today is very dark and has been raining all day after yesterday being so sunny and warm. I didn't get home until after 5 o'clock last night.  A friend of ours came in to see us at the hospital and I drove her home afterwards.

Dairy cost $9.91

 Becel margarine was on sale for $1.88 for a one pound tub; but better than that, they had Vegan brand which isn't always easy to find. Four liters of 2% was $4.27, normal price, but I was completely out.

Pantry items cost $25.79

 Kraft peanut butter was only $2.88 for a 1 Kg jar, so I jumped all over that price and stockpiled six jars. Red Rose tea was on sale for $5.97 for 216 tea bags (I was totally out) and the 2 tins of sliced mushrooms were a total impulse buy.

Proteins cost $15.22

 I needed eggs at $1.97 /doz. and I bought 2 pkgs of Schneiders Oktoberfest sausage and 4 pkgs of steakettes because they were on for only $1.88 each. I cooked up 1 package of 4 steakettes last night. That made 2 hamburgers for last night's dinner and two for tonight.

Breads cost $1.88 because they were reduced by 50% for quick sale.

I spent $52.80 on food.  I spent another $31.30 on non-food items.

Dog food, washing soda, TP, and Colgate (88 cents). Missing from the photo is a jug of winter windshield washer fluid which I left in the van. I finally found the washing soda I have been looking for to make my homemade cleaners.

My total household expenditures this month so far is $88.28 with taxes. I was kind of surprised how little of that was actually food, but I will continue to break down these expenses for several months.

A Blustery Day

Snowy and blowy today

I made up my mind early today, after checking the weather forecast, not to risk driving into Kingston to see my husband in hospital. Although I know he would love having me there, he also doesn't need the worry of knowing I am on the snowy roadways while there is a weather advisory for our area. I had lots at home to keep me busy, and because I was fully rested after yesterday's nap and sleeping well overnight, I did manage to get some things accomplished that made me feel good.

My unfinished To-Do list from last week:

Clean off dining room table and chairs     In process

Put away tree and indoor Christmas decorations      Done. I still have to put garlands in the basement.

Replace Christmas decorations with my paintings and regular decor      Not done yet. 

Put away Christmas wrapping paper, bags and boxes in the Craft room to recycle next year    Done

Vacuum downstairs     I have done 3 rooms

Wash furniture covers, throws, blankets from the living room      Done

Wash scatter rugs      Done   Washed half of them and lay them over the drying racks

Organized and washed 1/4 of my huge buffet.          Done   This section contained all my covered plastic food containers and all of my picnic and BBQ supplies like serviettes, utensils, plastic and paper cups, plates, serving dishes and the like. I am sure I could lose a whole lot more from this section, but for now I will just better organize what I have.

Make a birthday card for oldest grand daughter        Done and mailed out yesterday.

Purge 5 items      Done     I actually purged 8 items. Hopefully I will be able to catch up to my goal of  25 items a week as I organize the rest of my buffet.

3 packages of baby shower paper plates (8 in each), a water bottle, chocolate mold, footed glass bowl, plastic dessert tray and a snowman decoration.

I  did 3 loads of laundry today in cold water with a vinegar rinse. 

I weighed myself and found I had neither lost nor gained any weight this past week. 

I counted the change in my "found change" container from 2016. There was only $7.75 in pennies, nickels and dimes. I know that I had quarters in there earlier in the year, but I had been dipping into the jar for parking money. So now the jar is empty and ready to receive found money for 2017. 

There is really nothing new to report on my husband's treatment today. There has been discussion of an X-ray, another echo cardiogram, a course of antibiotics, and how to get rid of the excess fluid in his legs which are now swollen up to his hips. As of 6:30 tonight when I last spoke with him, nothing had been started.  

I've lost my Mojo

 I started a Daybook Monday. I was going to write a Goals Update. I ended up doing neither. But it is the end of the evening, so I will need to do another short update to let everyone know that things are okay. I am just tired and feeling sorry for myself.

I took another day off from going in to see my Sweetie in hospital. I thought I would use the day constructively to catch up on all those things that need doing. I started with emptying the dishwasher and then I went straight to my Craft Room to make and write a birthday card for my grand daughter, using a background mat I constructed with scraps of papers (as was one of my goals for using up craft materials that I already possess). I phoned the Heart Failure Clinic to cancel my husband's appointment for tomorrow afternoon. I wrote out a cheque for a bill that came in the mail (not a monthly expenditure). I made a chicken veggie soup for lunch and read some emails and blog posts. I walked to the post office to mail the cheque and the card. It had pretty much snowed here all morning, and now the wind had picked up and it was very blustery and the roads were nasty. I was glad I had decided not to drive into town today. My son and his GF took both cats to the apartment last night, leaving the dog and myself quite alone.

Meanwhile at the hospital, the levels of Advagraf in my husband's system are coming down. (I thought it had reached a maximum of 12 but in actual fact, it reached upwards of 19) They want his level at 2. I don't know at what level it is presently, but they are re-introducing the anti-rejection drug again this evening. The urine sample they took last Tuesday when he entered Emergency is now growing a culture (???), and Internal medicine has found "something" on his heart valve. They are going to do yet another echo cardiogram. So I lay down on the couch this afternoon and slept ALL afternoon. The wind has temporarily left my sails. I don't feel like doing anything right now, so I will probably go to bed early and sleep some more. Tomorrow will be a brand new day.

Saturday update

This is just a short note to let you know the results of the biopsy came in. The Advagraf (an anti-rejection drug) built up in his system to dangerous levels which caused platelets to "band together" to stop the flow of blood from the renal artery into the kidney. They stopped the Advagraf immediately and hooked up a slow  IV to flush out his system. They have to be careful that the fluid does not gather in his lungs or too much in his legs. The creatinine levels are coming down. They are still higher than the levels that sent him to hospital, but they are coming down. The biopsy has basically confirmed that they are on the right course of action. He will remain in hospital for a few days.

TGIF

There is no particular reason why I am happy Friday is here. It's not because I worked too hard and deserve the time off. I am still no further ahead knowing how long my Sweetie is going to be in the hospital or even if the doctors have set up a treatment plan. I am just glad there is some type of closure to the week I have had.

I called my husband around noon to see if he had heard any results from the kidney biopsy they performed on him yesterday. He hadn't heard anything, so I left immediately to go have a visit with him. I sat for almost three hours just watching him doze off and on and I really hoped I would be there when the doctors finally did their rounds. It didn't happen. Finally, a porter came to take him to his Radiation appointment, so that was my cue to leave. I think he was glad I came to see him, but I got absolutely nothing accomplished at home today. There is no sense even writing down my To-Do list, as it remains the undone items on yesterday's list. I still have my Christmas decorations up and I have not made a birthday card for my grand daughter yet. I spent $3 on parking and $2.55 on a Tim Horton's small double double and an apple fritter for my Sweetie, because he begged me. Otherwise today would also have been a no-spend day. I got home at 4, just in time to feed the dog and take him out for his second constitutional of the day. I made a chicken stir-fry with basmati rice, and there is enough for dinner tomorrow. My son has come home to spend tonight and tomorrow here packing up some of the belongings to go over to the new apartment. Hopefully, there will be more news to share tomorrow.

Thursday update

Some routines are ingrained in us through necessity. Because we own a dog, I have to get up with him in the morning. That is why I get dressed first thing. It doesn't matter how tired or how sick one is, you have to take the dog outside. I bring him in and make sure his food and water bowls are filled, and while he eats, I put on the electric kettle and make myself a cup of coffee. The dog is finished now and needs to go outside again for his first constitutional of the day. That of course deserves a doggie biscuit when we come back inside. I sit at the computer to drink my cup of coffee and check through my emails to see if there is anything pressing that needs my attention, like personal emails. If not, then I go to my favourite blogs and get caught up on those. This morning before I opened my email list, I phoned my Sweetie to wish him good morning. He didn't sound as good as he did last night. They were taking several blood samples and apparently his creatinine levels were on the rise again. I resolved to get a few things done at home and then I would drive in to stay with him this afternoon.

To-Do list:

Feed and water the livestock ( one dog and two cats)    Done

Unload the dishwasher. I turned on the dishwasher before going to bed last night.    Done

At least two loads of laundry      Done     I stripped my bed and washed all the sheets, pillow cases, and the quilted mattress protector and washed in hot water and 1/4 cup bleach. I also did a load of whites in hot  water and a little bleach. I used vinegar in both rinses and I used the dryer after 11 AM  to dry both loads

Scoop both litter boxes     Done     I do the downstairs box while my son does the upstairs, but they haven't been home since New Year's Eve Saturday. Now I know why the cats have been downstairs a whole lot more since the weekend. How disgusting.

Fold yesterday's dryer load of throws and put the fleece blanket cover back on the couch.     Done

Bring down all the trash containers from different rooms in the house and combine with kitchen garbage to take outside to the outdoor trash bin.     Done   but not in time for today's collection.

Sort through all the kitchen recycling and take outside to the outdoor Recycle Bins     Done    but not in time for today's collection.

Nap     Done      I did not go in to see my Sweetie again 2 days in a row.

Make a birthday card for my oldest grand daughter

Take down the decorations from the tree and put it away

Put away garlands, lights and other Christmas decorations.

Swap out Christmas decor for year round paintings and decor

Clean off dining room table and chairs

Vacuum downstairs

wash scatter mats

purge 5 more items     I have not purged ANY items yet, but I will get rid of 25 this week.

While eating lunch and before lying down for a nap, I called my Sweetie again. He told me they were going to take him down for a biopsy of his kidney. There would be no sense going down if he wasn't there in the room. He would not be going for his Radiation therapy today, and he would call me when it was all over. He called shortly after 3:30 and woke me up. He doesn't have results yet and he sounded very tired. He was going to sleep. Hopefully, we will get some kind of news tonight. I have since fed the dog again and taken him out for his second constitutional. Now I will heat up a bowl of yesterday's pea soup and make myself a fried egg sandwich for supper, watch the news and wait for a phone call.  While watching television, I may or may not take the decorations off the tree. While doing the few things I managed this morning, I did work up a sweat. I still have a bit of cough and my head sounds full when I speak to people on the phone. I know I am getting better, but it has been very slow. I am drinking lots and getting a lot of sleep.

Middle of the first week

So in the hopes of starting the New Year fresh and with enthusiasm, I made a weekly "To-Do" list starting with Monday Jan 2nd.

Write a Daybook post for Monday  Done

Respond to blogs.   Some of them, but I am way behind on others. *Waves to Laura and Alison*

Unplug outdoor Christmas lights.   Done

Make double batch of marinara sauce for the freezer    Done

Post Goals for 2017 on Blog    Done

Wash a super load of dark wash in cold water   Done

Take kitchen compost to the garden compost  Done

Nap     Done  Yes I actually scheduled in a nap into my day. I think that is why I was able to accomplish the few things I wrote down to accomplish.

Then yesterday, Tuesday, I wrote out a longer list. With the goals in the back of my mind, I made my list from my gut much like Nathalie did here. I felt I needed to make a list of jobs that I would like accomplished and needed to be done.

Unload the dishwasher and load up again.    Done, but didn't fill it up until after dinner tonight.

Birthday card to my Oldest grand daughter in Vancouver

Mark my Sweetie's doctors' appointments into my pocket calendar for January/February 2017   Done

Fold yesterday's laundry from the dryer and put away    Done


Throw a load of furniture covers and throw into the washer on cold water      Done and threw them in the dryer last night

Wash kitchen counters, stove top, microwave oven and dog's water and food bowls   Only some of it was done before I was interrupted.

Clean off dining room table and chairs

Take out garbage and recycling

Take down decorations and put away the tree

Gather up Xmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bags and put away for reuse

Vacuum downstairs

wash scatter mats

replace Christmas wall decor with my pictures and regular decor

scoop kitty litter trays      I only got to the downstairs litter box while cleaning the bathroom. 

wash downstairs powder room   I only washed the toilet and sink. I did not get to clean the floor.

Purge at least 5 items   

I made pea soup with ham in the crock pot for dinner tonight.

So you may be wondering right now, what happened to my resolve? my enthusiasm? Well, I keep mentioning that life gets in the way, and here was another example. My Sweetie had his radiation appointment early yesterday morning at 8:30. We left our house before 7:30 to get there in plenty of time. Radiation went well, but my Sweetie did not feel particularly well. He had been having trouble off and on with voiding his bladder and had been attributing the problem to the prostate, as that is one of the symptoms. But on top of that, he was worried about the transplanted kidney. So I suggested we go upstairs to the Transplant Clinic to have blood drawn. There were no transplant clinics going on this week and so no phlebotomy technician was available, but we got a requisition to have it done in the cancer ward. We got home and I did manage to get a few things knocked off my list when the phone rang an hour after we got home. My husband's creatinine levels were indeed up and they wanted us back in the Emergency ward. His kidney was failing. They eventually admitted him, but I didn't get home until after 8:30 last night. 

My "To-Do" list today remains exactly the same. I did nothing on the list but I napped  when I wasn't on the phone. I did not go in today. We had some white-out conditions on the road. The hospital was running many tests and they were now responsible to get him to his radiation appointment. I just rested and worried. But I am happier to report that they now have a reason why the kidney was failing and things have turned around. They suspect that one of his anti-rejection drugs had been building up to dangerous levels in his body, forcing the creatinine levels up. It is because my husband had not been eating and drinking enough. He has had no appetite at all, and the more I tried to get him to eat something, he was stubbornly fighting back. 

So the good news is that he could be home very soon. I will feel better when he's better, and I will eventually get back to working on my list of "To-Do"s. 

Money spent so far this week: Monday was a no-spend day. Yesterday, we put $25 worth of gas in the tank on the way home from radiation and spent only $3 on parking all day. I was fortunate to have parked in the underground Cancer parking when I went back to the Emergency ward and I think the parking attendants are very forgiving when a patient with a pink cancer tag has gone over the allotted time. I paid for two hours, but went over 8 hours. I should have got a ticket, but I was lucky. I would have paid the ticket because I did not want to leave my husband's side. And then today was also a no-spend day. Yippee.

Personal goals for 2017

Family:

 I need to try harder to stay in touch with my mom. Ideally, that would mean phoning her at least once a week....perhaps the same day each week, so she will come to expect them. If I do not phone her, then I must make and send her a card.

Continue to send my young nephews and nieces some cards on special holidays and make more "Just because I love you" cards for my grandchildren.

Health:

I would like to lose 20 pounds over the course of this year, and keep it off. I will consume less sugar and starches and eat more soups and vegetables.

I hate exercise, but I will attempt to walk more and work out of doors in the good weather. 

Special projects:

I need to save money just for some special projects I would like to happen this year.

• tear down and rebuild a new deck in the back yard
• outside painting
• new laminate in the Master bedroom
• repair and tile the kitchen floor

Crafts:

I will learn to use my sewing machine to use up some of my fabric stash
I will make mats for my card making from bits of paper scraps that I have been collecting
I will try to learn more complicated knitting patterns, instead of just dishcloths.
I need to make at least 3 scrapbooks this winter.

Purging and Organization:

I will purge at least 5 items a day, or 25 a week, and I will post about it.

Maintenance and Preparedness:

 I will try to learn more skills for myself in  DIY and upcycling and share about it on my blog

Finances:

I need to write down every penny I make, spend on food, spend on sundries, and save for a special project

Accountability:

I will be better at reporting on my weekly and monthly goals.

Daybook: Monday, January 2/17

Outside my window.....the day is really sunny. There is water dripping from the eaves of the verandah from snow melting on the roof. Normally, I would be tempted to bring in my outdoor Christmas decorations, but I am still sick with this cold. Maybe I will just pull out the plugs from the timers so they no longer turn on at dusk.

I am thinking.....that I need to rest still today to try and shake this cold. I also need to gather my thoughts and plan out my goals for the next year. I need to look at my new budget.

I am thankful.....that we get a break today from another round of radiation therapy. We don't have to go anywhere today.

From the kitchen.....my crock pot has been working overtime the last few days. I was given a stewing hen on Wednesday which I cooked overnight in the crock. I made chicken soup with the stock and froze most of the meat off the bird to make a chicken pot pie later on. I cooked down four quart bags of frozen tomatoes (from the garden) with which I will finish today by making marinara sauce for the freezer. Yesterday a friend brought leftovers from the New Year's Eve party that we were unable to attend on Saturday. There was an assortment of salads, meatballs, chicken nuggets, sliced ham, filled mushroom caps and lots and lots of Christmas sweets. My contribution to the potluck was all the fixin's for two punch bowls. Only one was made, so I got my ingredients back, plus the remainder of the first bowl of punch. We have lots of juices and drinks to keep us hydrated now, and enough food to get us through a couple of days. I will likely freeze all the sweets.

I am wearing.....a pair of torn blue jeans. I tore them just before Christmas on the sharp edge of a heater fan (don't ask), and have not repaired them yet. I am wearing a pink and brown striped shirt and slippers.

I am creating.....a new budget and a list of personal goals for 2017.

I am going.....nowhere today. I will go outside to pull the plugs on the Christmas lights.

I am hoping.....that my Sweetie and I can lose these colds. I am worn down and my husband has no immune system to fight off infections. He has spent most of his days in bed.

I am hearing.....just the sound of an occasional car traveling by. It is so quiet.

Around the house......there is so much cleaning up and tidying to do, I can't imagine where to start; but I am not going to start today anyway.

One of my favourite things......today is the sunshine streaming in through the windows.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include four days of radiation treatment starting tomorrow. My sweetie is scheduled for day surgery on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether or not they will do it if he is still suffering with this cold. I cancelled an appointment with my own doctor until these treatments for my husband are over, and I feel okay with that.

Here is a picture I am sharing.....

A composition book which I will use as a daily journal to map out my goals, to do lists, and successes. A planner where I will write down my daily "what did I spend on food and everything else" lists.