Thursday, May 30, 2013

KELLY IS ‘SPARED’ THE NEEDLE IN THE BACK PROCEDURE THIS MORNING

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A BIG FRIENDLY FROGGY SMILE AS WE PASS BY THE GOOSE POND THIS MORNING

Now that it has warmed up again it is nice to sit quietly in the early morning hours with windows & doors open listening to the morning songbirds waking up. Last night we were serenaded to sleep once again by our front yard pond frogs. Now if only we could see the big Moon traveling across the star studded sky most nights it would kind of complete that magic nocturnal summer cycle. Sure do miss those big Arizona night skies with twinkling stars from mountain top to mountain top. With a whole bunch of luck this summer I'm hoping we'll be standing under those starry skies again in another 4 or 5 months. Anxious to get rolling again. We've been home long enough now. I'm hoping this is the year we can do our Colorado 4 corners trip & head to Arizona with a round trip through southern Utah & Arizona's Monument Valley.
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EASY TO SEE OUR WELL WORN PATH THROUGH THIS YEAR’S LONG GRASS ALONGSIDE THE GOOSE POND…WE HAVE BEEN WALKING THIS TRAIL FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW & EVEN TRUDGED IT THROUGH HEAVY SNOW THE FIRST 4 WINTERS WE WERE HERE…WE ARE THE ONLY ONE’S WHO GENERALLY EVER GO THIS WAY……………………………
Aside from night sweats Kelly had a good night. She still feels she might be running a low grade fever though & cannot sleep on her left or right side. She's down about 10 pounds as well but of course she doesn't mind that part of it. We were on the road headed for the Stratford General Hospital by 8 a.m. this morning. Again, just a nice pleasant drive through the countryside. And not one single traffic light between our house & the hospital. Now how nice is that...........

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STRATFORD GENERAL HOSPITAL’S EMERGENCY ENTRANCE

We were at the Emergency entrance on the early side & they took Kelly right in. Think it's the first time either one of us has ever been to an Emergency department without a waiting room full or half full of people. We were the only one's there. Guess it was too early for a lot of folks to have figured out how they were feeling about their day yet.

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KELLY CHECKS INTO EMERGE

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I AM ALWAYS AWARE OF ‘LIGHTING’ WHEREVER I GO & I LIKED THE LOW LEVEL LIGHTING IN THE EMERGENCY AREA…I HAVE A FEELING IT MAY PURPOSELY BE DESIGNED THAT WAY FOR A CALMING EFFECT ON STRESSED PEOPLE…THIS NEW WING OF THE HOSPITAL IS ONLY ABOUT 3 OR 4 YEARS OLD

A preliminary Ultra-Sound showed there was not enough fluid left around Kelly's lungs to safely draw out a sample with a needle so she was spared that procedure. THORACENTESIS  But she was not spared a slightly painful blood work procedure.  Not your ordinary small few vials of blood this time. These were specialized tests & I watched Kelly grimace a few times as 4 large containers already filled with various levels of fluid were used. Two large containers from one arm & then two large containers from the other arm plus some smaller vials.  Both Doctor's Haffner & Saffie came into the room & talked to us explaining what they are doing & how they are going about trying to find the cause of Kelly's health problems. They are convinced something is amiss somewhere but have just not been able to pin point it yet. Another Echocardiogram & Ultra sound are being scheduled as well as further blood & urology tests. We were back out of the hospital shortly after 11 & headed home, well almost. A stop at the Goderich Hospital's emergency department first.  And just a few words to say how nice most medical personal have been over these past few weeks.  Very helpful, professional, & genuinely concerned.

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THIS IS ONE OF THE 4 LARGE PRE-MIXED BLOOD CONTAINERS AND YOU CAN SEE SMALLER VIALS READY TO BE FILLED AS WELL

There was some equipment to be picked up for one of Kelly's future tests & Stratford suggested we pick up that stuff at the Goderich hospital because it would be more convenient to return the results to Goderich in the 24 hour turn around time. We were sure glad we had decided to take the Santa Fe today instead of the Jeep. The Santa Fe has A/C & by the time we reached home around 1 p.m. the humidity had begun to become a problem. Kelly headed for her bed to rest & I headed for my recliner to watch my favorite sitcom at 2:30, CORNER GAS.  Although the series wrapped up in 2008 I still love watching the re-runs & that gang of bumbling small town Saskatchewanites still puts a smile on my face every time:))

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A FINAL STOP AT THE GODERICH HOSPITAL BEFORE HEADING HOME

In a nutshell……Kelly is feeling much better than a week ago at this time.  She knows she has a ways to go before the Doctor’s can get to the root cause of her problem which may end up being some kind of a hidden infection somewhere in her body or an auto immune problem.  The next round of tests & test results should narrow it down.  She will be back to the Goderich Hospital Tuesday for more blood work plus another Echocardiogram of her heart & an Ultra-Sound of her stomach.  In 2 weeks we will be back to the Stratford Hospital to meet with her Doctors to see what they have come up with.  Hopefully we will have some more answers soon.  It’s turning out to be a bit of a stressful medical issue summer for both of us.  But we’re doing Okay:))     

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GRAND BEND ONTARIO

GROANER'S CORNER:(( From a jet pilot we hear, "Yay though I fly through the Valley of Death I shall fear no evil for I am at 80,000 feet and climbing." From that same pilot we may also hear, "When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, I always have enough power left to get me to the scene of the crash." If that same pilot were to make it back to base after his harrowing flight he might also say, "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

20 comments:

  1. Glad to hear Kelly was spared the thoracentesis today! Sure wish they could find the root of her problems!

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  2. Sorry for not posting earlier, been a whirlwind around here lately. Sending a TON of hugs to you both as you get all your medical issues resolved and get back to living life. Miss you both!

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  3. Hopefully they will find Kelly's problem soon so you can take a positive course of action,. Been there done thst with all the test, nice to know what you dont have but all you want to know is what do I have. Godd thoughts and feelings sending your way.
    Donna W

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  4. My thoughts are with you. The "not knowing" is very stressful. Hope the doctor's figure it out soon.

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  5. Glad to hear Kelly was spared the thoracentesis needle. Hope they find the cause soon. BTW what is that pole on the left in the last photo? The groaner's corner was spectacular today too.

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  6. nice to hear that Kelly didn't have to have the thoracentesis..sure hope they figure out what is going on with her soon for both your sakes!
    those large containers of blood?..blood cultures is what they are for..hope the test results come back with some good news!

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  7. Hi, there. Long time reader, first time to comment. I just watched a story about valley fever. Arizona has the most cases with California second. Seems to be contracted by dust. Possibly worth mentioning to Drs? Always enjoy reading your blog, best wishes, Peggy

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  8. Sure hoping they get Kelly's problem figured out in good time. This getting old sucks, seems like all I do is go from one doc to the next and then head back to the phone to schedule the next round of check-ups. Time is flying by so fast that by the time I get one annual physical out of the way it is time to schedule the next.

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  9. Goodness. that last picture of the lighthouse and setting sun is wonderful!!! Sorry for all the medical issues, but glad Kelly is feeling better!!

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  10. Valley fever is the initial form of coccidioidomycosis infection. This initial, acute illness can develop into more serious disease, including chronic and disseminated coccidioidomycosis.

    Acute coccidioidomycosis (valley fever)
    The initial, or acute, form of coccidioidomycosis is often mild, with few, if any, symptoms. When signs and symptoms do occur, they appear one to three weeks after exposure. They tend to resemble those of the flu, and can range from minor to severe:

    Fever
    Cough
    Chest pain — varying from a mild feeling of constriction to intense pressure resembling a heart attack
    Chills
    Night sweats
    Headache
    Fatigue
    Joint aches
    Red, spotty rash
    The rash that sometimes accompanies valley fever is made up of painful red bumps that may later turn brown. The rash mainly appears on your lower legs, but sometimes on your chest, arms and back. Others may have a raised red rash with blisters or eruptions that look like pimples.

    If you don't become ill from valley fever, you may learn that you've been infected only when you later have a positive skin or blood test or when small areas of residual infection (nodules) in the lungs show up on a routine chest X-ray. Although the nodules typically don't cause problems, they can look like cancer on X-ray.

    If you do develop symptoms, especially severe ones, the course of the disease is highly variable. It can take months to fully recover, and fatigue and joint aches can last even longer. The severity of the disease depends on several factors, including your overall health and the number of fungus spores you inhale.

    Chronic coccidioidomycosis
    If the initial coccidioidomycosis infection doesn't completely resolve, it may progress to a chronic form of pneumonia. This complication is most common in people with weakened immune systems. You're likely to have periods of worsening symptoms alternating with periods of recovery. Signs and symptoms include:

    Low-grade fever
    Weight loss
    Cough
    Chest pain
    Blood-tinged sputum (matter discharged during coughing)
    Nodules in the lungs
    Disseminated coccidioidomycosis
    The most serious form of the disease, disseminated coccidioidomycosis, occurs when the infection spreads (disseminates) beyond the lungs to other parts of the body. Most often these parts include the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart, and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord (meninges).

    The signs and symptoms of disseminated disease depend on which parts of your body are affected and may include:

    Nodules, ulcers and skin lesions that are more serious than the rash that sometimes occurs with other forms of the disease
    Painful lesions in the skull, spine or other bones
    Painful, swollen joints, especially in the knees or ankles
    Meningitis — an infection of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord and the most deadly complication of valley fever
    When to see a doctor
    Valley fever, even when it's symptomatic, often clears on its own. Yet for older adults and others at high risk, recovery can be slow, and the risk of developing severe disease is high.

    Seek medical care if you are in a high-risk group and develop the signs and symptoms of valley fever, especially if you:

    Live in or have recently traveled to an area where this disease is common
    Have symptoms that aren't improving
    Be sure to tell your doctor if you've traveled to a place where valley fever is endemic and you have symptoms. More and more, people who spend a few days golfing or hiking in Arizona return home with valley fever but are never tested for the disease.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57586977/whats-contributing-to-the-spread-of-valley-fever/

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  11. Our prayers continue to go with both Kelly and you, Al. I am still so thankful that you "took the bull by the horns" and was able to start the road to an answer and recovery.

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  12. Glad to hear Kelly is feeling some better and that the doctors are doing everything they can to find the source of her problem. Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

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  13. It was a long comment, but I am glad that the Wessingers posted the details about Valley Fever. It has been a really big problem with some soil scientists working in the Central Valley of California and can be really hard to diagnose. I have never quite understood the order in which doctors seem to rule out stuff, often looking to rule out things that are the lowest percentage of possibility before the obvious ones. I hope you can trust these doctors, it sounds like you do, so that is encouraging. Lately it seems, though, that many people I know are in the crazy place of vague illnesses that the doctors can't seem to figure out without much time and testing. Thinking of you, Kelly, and wishing you well.

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  14. When we were in Arizona, Valley Fever was the topic of conversation many times at Palm Creek RV Resort in Casa Grande. Several people we met were battling it. Not an easy infection to get rid of, and very debilitating. That was a great explanation by the Wessingers! Keep getting better, Kelly! We're all pulling for a diagnosis to clarify what's ailing you so they can fix it!

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  15. Great to hear that Kelly is felling a bit better and things are happening in her diagnoses.
    Now if they just you fixed up too all will be good.

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  16. They just had a story on our news last night..about Valley Fever..Sounds like a possibility, but I do not have a Dr. before my name...Hoping for a finality to this and knowing what you are dealing with.Not knowing is the WORST!

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  17. So nice to read that Kelly id feeling a little better each day. Sure hope these tests find what is going on. Thinking of the two of you.

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. Hello, Al. I've been following along, but for some reason I can't comment unless I get in from the web. I guess I haven't scrolled down far enough to find that you are allowing comments, again.

    You and Kelly are in one more person's thoughts. Hoping they get to the bottom of whatever this problem is and FIX it!

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