My younger son is back in Missouri safely, so that's one worry off my mind. But as usual, two or three other worries crowded right in. I finally connected with my younger sister, who is very worried about her husband. He's extremely swollen, despite being on diuretics. Both legs are swollen (not just one), and he says it feels like walking on glass when he has to walk. Even his eyelids were swollen over his eyelashes! They are theorizing about his heart. He's having an echocardiogram on Tuesday. My other sister is also having an echocardiogram this week. Both of them are smokers, I'm sad to say. At least Sally is finally being covered for her own health issues through Medicaid.
Sally also told me that her little dachshund Rudy had been dognapped. Someone stole him from her back yard. She and her daughter have cried themselves sick--literally, since Amber threw up twice--and have put up fliers all around the area and put an ad on the local radio station. I hope some horrid person hasn't taken that dog to sell for medical research. Someone has offered to give Amber a new dachshund puppy around Christmas time, but it isn't the same.
It took me forever to go to sleep last night because my shoulder and arm hurt so badly. I have some pills (generic Darvocet) that were prescribed for me this past summer for another condition, but I never took them. Given the history of addiction in my family, I stay away from anything addictive if at all possible. Far too many people suffer from pain and start taking pills for it, only to find themselves with a worse problem--an inability to wean themselves from the addictive pill!
Update on Simon: he's doing very well. He spends much of his time in my home office, in my big wing chair, where he can keep an eye on any coming and going up and down the hall and the stairs. He's not nuts about the antibiotic we have to give him once a day, but it's needed until his gums are healed. We are quite efficient at dosing him. My husband cuddles him close, while I slide the pill pusher into the side of his mouth, over his tongue, toward the back of his throat. Then I gently hold his mouth closed and stroke his throat so he'll swallow.
It snowed quite a bit yesterday and last night, but appears to be ending today. More is due this week, including some lake effect. Lake effect snow is remarkable and fear-inspiring. The sun can be shining as snow falls. And within a matter of hours, an area can get half a foot of snow from lake effect. It can cause white-out and blizzard conditions. I've decided to delay driving north to Big Rapids until tomorrow morning, simply because the roads are quite a mess today. Also, if I'm here, I can help give Simon his pill. We haven't quite figured out how to dose Simon with just one of us doing it.
A house in Rockford (north of Grand Rapids) is being sold through people buying lottery tickets for $50 each. It's a perfect house for us, so my husband bought one ticket. I doubt, first of all, that they'll sell enough tickets to make it work, but even more, I doubt we'll "win" the house. (It's across the street from a small lake and is a ranch with a daylight basement.) Even more, should we be lucky enough to win, what would we do with our current home? Be careful what you wish for?
On the news at present, President-Elect Obama has just announced a number of cabinet appointments, including Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. He's made a number of admirable selections thus far. I watched the half-time show for the annual Bayou Classic Battle of the Bands between Grambling and Southern University (two historically black universities) on Saturday. Both bands spelled out O*B*A*M*A on the field, and Southern's band spelled out JANUARY 20. I am filled with pride to be living during these historic times. It's exciting and thrilling, and at long last, I am again proud of my country.
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