A New Beginning

A good morning to my readers.

As most of you probably already know, Thursday afternoon Doug went on his trek to his new peaceful, heavenly life.  His mother, sister, Beth, and I were all there with him.  We cried and laughed.  His mom brought pictures of Doug through his growing up years.  (The big frizzy hair he had in high school would surely have stopped me from dating him!) 

He was a wonderful son, brother, father, and friend.  But most of all he was a gentle and loving husband with an immeasurable amount of patience.  After all who would live with four cats hogging your bed and not complain?

Services will be Monday, October 26th, at 11:00 at the Church of Christ in Irwin.  We will celebrate his "Damn Near Perfect" life.

I can not begin to thank everyone for all the support we had through this quick ordeal.  All the prayers, calls, texts, cards, food, and unexpected visits sustained us.  I appreciate each and every one of you!


Pr. 23.26-Pay close attention, son, and let my life be your example.  GNB

The Harem Girl and The Shiek

Good Morning to all!

I know this is usually a story.  I also know many, if not all, of you are using this for an update on Doug.  It has been a wild week.  I will keep this to an update and write more when I am home and my internet is working.  I am commandeering Doug's precious computer while he sleeps.  My hope is I can figure out how to charge the battery before he feels the need to turn it on again!

Doug was released from Nebraska Medical Center last Saturday afternoon.  On Sunday I was still concerned about him.  His nails were a pretty shade of blue.  After some sweet talking and threatening Doug and I set out to the ER in Manning, Iowa.  A small hospital closer to our home.

He was admitted again with pneumonia.  Four days and several super antibiotics later he was not better.  His breathing was more labored and he was very weak.  The decision to transfer back to Omaha to the Medical Center was made.

Here at the Medical Center we have a great team of doctors and nurses.  They come and go at all hours of the day and night.  Sleep is some what of a coveted asset.

They have drained the fluid out of his left lung.  This is also the lung where the cancer is living.  It improved his breathing almost right away.  He had also been having pains in his head.  Steroids were started again. 

He was starting to be confused and was getting weaker by the hour.  The steroids have turned him back into his anal self.  They have also given him some strength back.

Mayo Clinic is out of the picture now.  Doug is not strong enough to travel.  Well, everyone thinks that but Doug!  We will be doing the treatments here in Omaha at the Medical Center.  There is not a definate plan yet.  He still has a couple more days of antibodics.  They may put a tube in the lung to keep the fluid drained.  He is starting to sound like a seal again.  I think I will go purchase him a ball!

His main concern now is constipation.  Pain meds can cause this.  And all of you who know Doug realize that he is "full of shit" anyway.  His bowels are in Illias (?).  They think there is a trauma some where in the body and have shut down to put effort into fighting this imaginary trauma.  Steps are being taking to cleanse him.  He is to have nothing by mouth today.  Of course, now the steroids are making hungry-finally!

Once again I have had wonderful support.  My dear friend, Sharon, from San Digo put her life on hold and flew out here to be with me.  Nicole and Candace flew in last night.  I appreciate all the prayers, texts, and messasges.  They mean so much.  Thank you one and all.

Okay one story.  Doug has been going through "manopause."  He gets extremely hot and sweaty.  The nurses have pointed a small fan on his bed.  This has helped some what.  So...I, the harem girl, fan Doug, the sheik while he lounges in bed.  I suppose I should be grateful I am the only harem girls he has!


 “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.”
(Matthew 7:7, AMP)
Not Proverbs, but approrpiate

How to Kidnap Your Husband

Radiation was complete.  It was time to head home for a few days before returning to Mayo Clinic to see the Oncologist.  First we made time to see an old friend of Doug's.

Doug is one of the few people I know who keeps in contact with friends from his school days.  He has visited with a few on our adventure to Florida.  A high school friend/college roommate was coincidentally in town to visit his parents before we departed for home.  We had a nice lunch with him and his parents.  There was lots of laughing and reminiscing.  Including the time we visited his friend and Robby split his tongue like a snake and had to have stitches.

Monday arrived and it was time to head to good ole' Iowa.  It seems airline trips seldom go as planned.  Our plane broke in Jacksonville.  Which caused us to miss our connecting flight in Atlanta.  Our 3:00 a.m. wake up from Doug's mom's house turned into a sixteen hour day instead of an easy eight.  But we made it.  And boy were the cats happy!  Thank you to the Christensen's for taking excellent care of them!

Doug's hair continued to fall out in strands and clumps.  He didn't have spots, but stripes.  He looked like Tony the Tiger.  He's not "damn near perfect."  He's Grrreat!  I encouraged him to go to the hairdresser and get his head shaved.

Not one for convention, Doug insisted I vacuum his head.  Out came the vacuum and project "Sucking Up Hair" commenced.  We did get a good deal of hair in the vacuum.  Doug also has a thick mop on his head.  After a couple of days of nagging, (I'm really good at that.) he was convinced to go into the salon for a scalping.  His appointment was on Thursday afternoon.

Doug had been really tired since we came home.  We chalked it up to a long day in the airport.  Wednesday night was a turning point.  He had difficulty getting comfortable (even in the nice new recliner we bought on Tuesday.)  He was having pain in his lung and he coughed like a seal.  There will be no seals in our house.  The cats won't like that.

I suggested we needed to go the the ER.  Or maybe call the doctor.  The firm reply was "I'm fine.  Nothing hurts."  He's always fine and nothing ever hurts.

Thursday afternoon my patience had evaporated.  (Okay I'm not sure I packed it in my suitcase.)  I secretly called Mayo Clinic.  Yes, he should go to the ER.

I grabbed Doug's wallet and pertinent medical information.  Doug and I went off to get his head shaved.  Or so he thought.  The Kidnapping commenced. 

"Hey, didn't you need to turn at that corner," Doug inquired.

"Nope.  This is a kidnapping.  We are going to Omaha to the ER."

He didn't even try and jump out of the car.  Progress.

Our stop was Nebraska Medical Center.  I have been told they have a good Oncology department.  We were quickly ushered into a room.  A stream of doctors came and went.  My cousin from Council Bluffs dropped her evening plans to provide ER moral support.  Doug was poked, prodded, and bodily fluids were extracted from him.  It was decided with his above average blood pressure and elevated heart rate he would spend the night.

While it was quick and easy to get a room in the ER, it was long and tedious to get a room out of the ER.  Two Thirty in the morning finally found Doug in a room on the 5th floor.  He was put on antibiotics and given breathing treatments.  The general consensus was he had a touch of pneumonia.  The pain in the lung dissipated.  He still sounded like a seal, but felt generally better.  Saturday afternoon someone must have paid his ransom.  He was free to return home.

At this point in time Doug is resting in his new recliner.  The cats have yet to adjust to the new piece of furniture, so no feline is snuggling with him.  Now we wait for Wednesday when we return to Florida.

Pr.18.21-What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.  GNB