It sure is nice to breathe again. Dad’s surgery yesterday went really well. The MRI came back clean, so no tumors in his head or neck, and the surgeon says he got the whole tumor that was pressing on dad’s spinal cord. Not only that, but the tumor appears to be benign. We have to wait to hear back from pathology to be sure, but all looks good.
Even better though, dad is now out of ICU and has started physical therapy!
It feels good to be slowly getting back to normal.
Living in an episode of House is really not fun.
They are performing surgery on dad tomorrow, hopefully around noon. They were planning to do another MRI this evening to make sure there aren’t any tumors in his neck or brain, but they canceled that when his heart rate shot through the roof (180) after dinner. Instead they are doing a doppler of his legs and a CT of his heart. They fear there may be blood clots too.
I’m a planner. I’m a fairly organized person. I like to know what is going on, and I generally like to be in charge of the situation. Like I said, I’m a planner.
And right now, I’m in a terrible position. I don’t know anything.
As of Friday, my dad had Spinal Stenosis. They operated on him, and the doctor was very pleased with the surgery. He wanted to have a neurologist check my dad out, just to make sure, but he was pleased.
Saturday we had a new diagnosis. An aneurysm in dad’s spinal column. AMY, AVM, something like that. A garble of letters that were very frightening, but the doctors assured us were non-life threatening. Just the same though, they were going to transfer my dad from the local hospital to a major university medical school 25 miles away.
Today, we have another diagnosis. A tumor. So now he is in Neurological ICU. We don’t know if it is benign or malignant. We don’t know if it is one, or multiple. We don’t know much of anything.
They MAY do another MRI tomorrow. They MAY operate tomorrow. They MAY operate on Tuesday instead. We don’t know.
My in-laws are in town. They arrived yesterday afternoon. They MAY be leaving tomorrow. They MAY stay longer. Again, we don’t know.
I hate not knowing. I don’t know how this week is going to go. I don’t know where I need to be, or when. I don’t know who will be watching my children, and when, because whenever they do surgery, I will be there.
It will all get figured out. Probably at the last minute, but right now, I don’t know.
I hate not knowing.
My dad is in the hospital, and we don’t know for how long, so this weeks meal plan is even more subject to change than normal.
Sunday: Lasagna leftovers, roasted asparagus and red peppers
Monday: Roasted chicken, asparagus, crash hot potatoes
Tuesday: Split Pea soup (pushed again – we will actually eat it this week!)
Wednesday: Halibut baked in foil with lemon and herbs, potato packets, artichokes
Thursday: Steak, artichokes, fried new potatoes
Friday: Challah, Chicken Papirkash, dumplings, vegetable (unless we do Shabbat at my folks house instead)
Saturday: homemade pizza
Dear Flylady,
I’ve never written before, and honestly never thought that I would. Today though, I have to let you know how wonderful you have been for our lives!
I’ve been flying for about 3 years now, with many crashes, but luckily no burns. We have a 2 year old, and a 10 month old.
A few months ago, my father started having difficulty walking, and in the last month it really came to a head. He was falling and could no longer be alone. So, he started coming over here first thing in the morning when my mom went to work, and staying with us all day.
Then a week ago, he could no longer walk at all. Because of house layouts, it was decided he would simply stay with us, as he wouldn’t have to battle stairs.
Obviously, things here have been a little crazed what with a toddler, a baby, and now a non-mobile adult. So yesterday he went in for surgery and today, my in-laws are coming into town to help out.
Well, my goal has always been 10 minutes from company ready, just like you say. And, after the complete insanity of the last few weeks, today we were not only 10 minutes from company ready, but only 1 hour from Mother-in-Law ready! And that includes time to wash the guest room sheets, and remake the bed since my dad left yesterday!
Thank you Flylady!
I’m beginning to think that I should just not make a plan for Saturday night. Somehow, it always seems to get thrown by the wayside. Last night, instead of having the planned tacos, we picked up fried chicken and took it over to my folks house. So, tacos need to get moved to a night this week.
Also complicating this weeks plans, Friday is my mom’s birthday, Shabbat, and my father is having major back surgery that day. How do I make a Shabbat meal, that is birthday celebratory too, and that can be eaten at whatever time my mom and I get back to the house from the hospital? Do I ask my husband – who will be home with the kids that day so I can be at the hospital, to make Challah and the rest of dinner? Ack!
Oh, and my inlaws are coming in this weekend too. I love them and they are coming to help, but it makes meal planning even more “interesting”.
I guess the jist of all this prefacing this week is that the plan for this week will probably get thrown out completely due to all the complications, but here goes anyway.
Sunday: Pizza (probably will just pick one up at Costco today)
Monday: Tacos, beans, and rice
Tuesday: Dinner with my folks, which will probably actually be here, but I don’t know what yet.
Wednesday: Baked halibut, rice, veggies
Thursday: Split pea soup (week 3 split pea soup night wound up being 11 bean soup instead), homemade bread
Friday: Challah, salad, and lasagna
Saturday: Gumbo
Asher has always been a very happy, content, quiet baby. Even in the hospital, he was quiet. So much so that the nurses were worried. He didn’t cry or scream or anything. He “mewed”. They sent him to the NICU, but the pediatrician there said he was just fine. A quiet, content little dude.
So, at 2 o’clock in the morning, when he made his quiet little whimpery “feed me” noises, I heard him, got up out of bed, and went to his room. However, when I picked him up and he started screaming at the top of his lungs, I freaked. He wouldn’t nurse, wouldn’t settle, nothing. He just screamed. At 3 a.m., I actually considered calling 911. I didn’t, but I considered it. He stopped screaming at 5:15. Nursed a little bit, and fell asleep. I got him back down in his crib at 5:45, and crawled back to my own bed.
Of course, Miriam, the 2 year old, woke up at 6 a.m. I growled at my husband that he needed to get up with her, and captain wonderful did. THANK YOU!
Asher made his whimpery “feed me” noises again at 7. I got up to feed him, expecting the worst, but he basically slept through the feeding. I put him back down in his crib, and he slept until 9.
He seems fine today, just a little clingy.
I’m still on edge though.
Sunday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, salad
Monday: Beef stew with Guiness, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and homemade bread (transferred over from Saturday night of week 2)
Tuesday: Dinner with my folks, which means I don’t have to cook! 
Wednesday: Oven fried chicken, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes
Thursday: Split pea soup (DH’s favorite, and I’ve never made it – so if you have a great recipe, send it over. Oh, and I’ll be using a smoked turkey leg instead of a ham bone.)
Friday (Shabbat): Homemade challah, duck confit, salad, dessert, and all I’m responsible for is the Challah because this week Shabbat dinner is at my folks house.
Saturday: tacos, beans, and rice
Before going to bed last night, I made my husband help clean up. We got the living room all clean. The rug was vacuumed, the toys were all put away, floor swept, sofas straightened out, etc. It didn’t look like a spread from Better Homes and Gardens, but it did look reasonable. I was pleased.
90 minutes after the children woke up, this is what I’m looking at.
It’s snowing like crazy and 16 degrees outside, too cold to take my monsters out.
Anyone know if Calgon still answers?
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