FINALLY, KELLY FINDS RELIEF FROM HER ABDOMINAL PAINS

 PHEEBS REALLY ENJOYED THE SUMMER BREEZE THIS MORNING

Hearing Kelly's voice on the phone about 1 p.m. this afternoon I knew she was in difficulty.  She had just come back from an electrocardiogram and with pain increasing in her abdomen it was not easy for her to talk.  She had notified a nurse who made an immediate call to her liver doctor.  (Dr. Hudson)  In the meantime, Kelly's son Ben was on the way to see her.  Our phone call was short and Kelly said she would call me as soon as she knew anything more.  

 FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY, THEY DRAINED KELLY'S ABDOMEN THIS AFTERNOON
It was 4 p.m. when she called again and it was a much relieved, stronger, and happier voice I heard, and that voice had a story to tell.  Dr. Hudson's assistant (a doctor in training) had quickly arrived in Kelly's room with an Ultrasound device and as luck would have it, Ben and his friend Lelia were already there.  Little did they know they would soon be assisting Dr. Hudson's assistant with a medical procedure.  I have met this lady assistant who is very nice but I can't remember her name.  It's close to Aliasg or something so that is what I shall call her.  With the Ultrasound machine, Aliasg soon found a build-up of fluid in Kelly's stomach that immediately needed to be drained.  Rather than send Ben and Lelia away Aliasg explained the 'draining' procedure to them and enlisted their help as she pierced Kelly's abdomen with a drain tube.  She had them gently press on Kelly's abdomen before she was called away to another case.  Ben and Lelia continued this as 3 liters of fluid began filling a plastic bag located on the floor.  Eventually, the 4-liter bag was full.  Kelly said it was 9 pounds of fluid she had been carrying around.  And here's the best part.....Kelly's abdomen pain was 'finally' gone.  Oh Gee, d'ya think!!!!!  Why oh why oh why wasn't this done two and a half weeks ago when Kelly, with her swollen abdomen, was taken by emergency ambulance from Clinton to London in critical condition!!!!!  Anyway, the best thing right now is that she is finally feeling much better .  But, because of her failing liver, this fluid build-up will happen again. Tomorrow, she thinks another cat scan might be done.  And, this time, there has been no talk of quickly sending her home like before.

 DOCTOR HUDSON'S ASSISTANT INSERTS A DRAIN TUBE

 THE DRAINING PROCESS BEGINS

 BEN AND HIS FRIEND LELIA HELPING BY GENTLY PRESSING ON KELLY'S ABDOMEN

 THE BAG CONTINUES TO FILL

Another hot muggy day with Pheebs and I heading to Goderich earlier this morning.  I had hoped to get some dog food but with it being a long week-end most stores were closed.  Except for Walmart of course, so after a drive down around the harbor we picked up a few things at Wallyworld and headed towards home.  Along the way we stopped in at Richard and Gayle's place.  Between all the medical stuff between we two couples, it had been about 3 weeks since Richard and I had last been out for one of our country road coffee runs.  We quickly figured out today was a good day so grabbed it.  Richard followed Pheebs and I home whereupon I put Pheebs in the house and quickly put a few groceries away before hopping into Richard's van.  Minutes later with coffee and muffins in hand, we were off out into the countryside dusting up half a dozen gravel roads.     

 SPOTTED THE ALGOMA BUFFALO THROUGH THE TREES TAKING ON A LOAD OF SALT AT THE GODERICH SALT MINE

BEACH GOERS AT ROTARY COVE ENJOYING A QUIET MONDAY MORNING

 I THINK THIS LITTLE BEACHGOER IS TOTALLY POOPED

 SETTING UP FOR A PICNIC AT THE BEACH

 DOG WALKING ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON

 ENJOYING A FINE MORNING ALONG THE BOARDWALK

Al's Music Box:)) Moments To Remember is a 1955 popular song about nostalgia recorded by Canadian quartet The Four Lads The song was originally written by Robert Allen and al Stillman for Perry Como but was turned down by Como's management.  The Four Lads recorded it in June 1955 for Columbia Records as the B side to the single "Dream On, My Love."  Bernie Toorish of the Four Lads credited the enthusiastic endorsement of Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle for increasing radio airtime play and popularizing the recording.  It eventually reached number 2 on Billboard magazine. Top 100 hit list (an early version of the Hot 100), sold 4 million copies and became the group's first gold record.  Besides the voices of the male quartet, the song also contains two uncredited female parts. According to the Four Lads' Frank Busseri, the introductory verse, ("January through December/We'll have moments to remember"), as well as the repeat of the Bridge section in harmony, ("When summer turns to winter",) were sung by Lois Winters of the Ray Charles Singers and the poetic spoken words in mid-song: ("A drive-in movie/Where we'd go/And somehow never watched the show/") were recited by Pat Kirby who at that time was a singer on Steve Allen's television show Tonight.....(this is one of my all-time favorite songs because it takes me right back to my boyhood public school days in Tavistock, Ontario Canada reminding me of some of the older high school teenagers in town...Barry Ekstein comes to mind.

SOME GREENERY GROWING OUT OF THE BOULDERS AT ROTARY COVE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Mike's sitting on the couch. From the kitchen he hears, "Babe.... can you help me?"  He goes to the kitchen. "What are you doing?"  She says, "I'm trying to do this jigsaw puzzle."  "What's it supposed to be?" he asks.  She picks up the box. "A Rooster."  "Honey," he says. "Let's put the cornflakes back in the box....."

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During a terrible storm, all the highway signs were covered with snow. The following spring, the state decided to raise all the signs twelve inches at a cost of six million dollars. “That’s an outrageous price!” said a local farmer, “but I guess we’re lucky the state handled it instead of the federal government.” “Why’s that?”
“Because knowing the federal government, they’d decided to lower the highways.”

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Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, "I bet you don't know what day this is."  "Of course I do," he indignantly answered, getting up from the table and going out the door to the office.  At 10am, the doorbell rang. When the woman opened the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1pm, a foil-wrapped, two-pound box of her favorite chocolates arrived. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress.  The woman couldn't wait for her husband to come home. When he did, she exclaimed, "First the flowers, then the chocolates and then the dress! I've never had a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my whole life!"

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THEY JUST NEED THE RIGHT LIVER TO HURRY UP AND BECOME AVAILABLE

Another fine sunny Sunday morning as we continue to plod our way towards Autumn's much-anticipated cooler and less humid bug-free air.  A month from now we will be standing on the doorstep of my favorite time of year.  

It was probably the shortest morning car ride Pheebs and I have ever taken.  Rolled out of our driveway around 9 a.m. but only a couple of miles down the road I didn't feel like going any farther.  Turned around and came home.  Spent the rest of the day inside out of the muggy air.

Kelly called around 9 Saturday night saying she had just been brought back from X-ray.  She is still having pain in her swollen abdomen and with that pain not lessening they decided to do more X-rays.  I wished they would hurry up and find out why Kelly's abdomen is so bloated......Dr. Hudson, her liver doctor popped in to see her this morning and again affirmed that she is very, very, high on the liver transplant list right now.  They just need the right liver to become available.  How great this would be if it happened when she was right there in the hospital.

All and all it was an up-and-down day for Kelly.  Saturday afternoon she was able to get up and do some walking in the hall but this morning she had both back and rib pain.  She has not been able to eat much and again is feeling weak and tired.  Thankfully, the loud aggressive guy in her room was released this morning.  One of the other men was released also and the third guy was away for the day.  Kelly had the whole room to herself.  Her company,  Sabra, Rebecca, Ricardo, and Ella arrived late in the day.  It had been about a year since seeing Rebecca, Ella, and Ricardo.  She said 'little' Ella is now taller than her Mother.  They had a great visit with a lot of catching up to do.        

 KELLY, ELLA, REBECCA, SABRA

Al's Music Box:))  Shepherd Moons is the third studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 4 November 1991. After the unexpected critical and commercial success of her previous album 'Watermark' (1988), Enya embarked on a worldwide promotional tour to support it. At its conclusion, she wrote and rehearsed new material for her next album with her long time recording partners, manager, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album was recorded in Ireland and London and continued to display Enya's sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new-age music.   In 1993, the album won Enya a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, the first of four she has won in her career. It was reissued in 1992 and 2009.  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Three guys go in for a job interview, all at the same office. The first one goes in for his interview and the interviewer says, "What's the first thing you see when you look at me?"  The guy says, "That's not too hard, you've got no ears."  The now angry interviewer says, "Get out, you'll never be seen around here again."  The second man takes his turn and is asked the same question. The applicant replies, "Uh, you've got no ears." The interviewer throws the guy out, cursing and yelling that he'll never get a job with his company.  As he is leaving, the second guy warns the third guy, "Listen man, whatever you do, don't say he hasn't got any ears. He's so touchy with the ear thing."  "Okay," said man #3 on his way into the office.  Once inside he is told, "Name the first thing you notice when you look at me."  The guy answers, "That's easy, you wear contacts."  The interviewer was impressed, "How on earth did you know that, son?"  Well, you certainly can't wear glasses  because you've got no ears!"

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- I finally watched a documentary on clocks.  It was about time!!

- The Doctor said I had high nitrates so I'm switching to day rates.

- My wife told me to put ketchup on the shopping list.  Now I can't read anything!!

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You might be a redneck if...

Motel 6 turns off the lights when they see you coming.

There are more dishes in your sink than in your cabinets.

You think a turtleneck is a key ingredient in soup.

Your anniversary present was getting the septic tank pumped.

Your local ambulance has a trailer hitch.

You watch cartoons long after your kids get bored.

You think the French Riviera is a foreign car.

You think you are an entrepreneur because of the "Dirt for Sale" sign in the front yard.

You're still scalping tickets after the concert is over.
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JUST ME TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND BACK

Another muggy morning but Pheebs and I made it out to our country road walking spot and nearly got our whole half mile in.  Pheebs led the way and at one point went running past me so fast I thought I was doing a Michael Jackson Moonwalk sideways.  Home again, I dropped her off and told her to hold the fort until I got back.  And, with that, I was on my to London's University Hospital to see Kelly.  Because it was Saturday, traffic was light and how nice when I got there to find oodles of parking spaces in the usually overflowing parking garage.  When I walked through the hospital's lobby I was the only one there.  Not even anyone waiting for an elevator or six dozen people in the elevator when the door opened.  Got myself temporarily lost looking for Kelly's room but I found it with some help from hospital staff.  Kelly was laying on her bed resting.  Well, I guess there really isn't anything else to do while in a hospital bed but rest eh.  She wasn't surprised to see me because she knew I was coming and I had a bag full of stuff she had wanted me to bring.  It's really too bad she is in a crowded room with three other people and all of them men.  The guy on the other side of the curtain is one of those typical loud-aggressive self-centered inconsiderate, me-me-me man jerks playing loud music and noisy techy talks on his phone.  No consideration for anyone else in the room!!!!

 HEY BOSS I BROUGHT EVERYTHING YOU TOLD ME TO BRING

 'OH GEEEZZZ THEY HAVE AMPUTATED YOUR RIGHT ARM!!

 ARM?  WHAT ARM??

Kelly has been too weak to try and get herself down to the third-floor cafeteria this time for a Tim Hortons coffee so a nurse dropped a wheelchair off and unhooked Kelly from her IV tree.  I was able to get her loaded up and away we went.  (Luckily, I have lots of wheelchair pushing experience from my days driving a wheelchair van:)) Down the hall, around a couple corners to the elevator then down five floors to the cafeteria floor whereupon after navigating a few hallways, we snagged a coffee and a couple Tim bits in the cafeteria.  I think it's more of a Food Court than a Cafeteria.  From there, it was back to the empty elevator we went and zoomed (almost like an Amusement Park's 'Tilt-a-whirl' ride for Seniors) up to the eighth floor to a lounge area right across from the elevators.  We sat here talking for a while but Kelly was only able to eat one of her two Tim bits and drink only half her coffee.  Because she was unhooked from her IV tree the nurse wanted her back in her room in half an hour. so, back to the elevator we went, pressed the down button and climbed aboard the empty elevator.  I pressed the eighth floor button and the button light came on and went out.  Oh-Oh!!  I pressed the eighth floor button on the other side of the door and again the light blinked and went out.  Nothing!!  Damn fangled modern technology!!  And then it dawned on both of us at the same time.....we already were on the eighth floor!!!!  With red faces, we quietly exited the elevator and headed down the hall, around the two corners and back to Kelly's room.  We weren't there five minutes when lunch arrived.  Kelly ate very little of it and I brought home most of it......Kelly said Dr. Hudson had been in earlier this morning to talk to her.  They are thinking about putting a feeding tube in her nose.  Basically, right now they are waiting for her to begin bleeding again so that they can right away take her for a cat-scan to find the source of the bleeding.  Kelly said Dr. Hudson admitted they are baffled about the bleeding.  Despite all this, Kelly's fighting spirit is back and she remains positive about the future.  Tomorrow, her daughter Sabra along with her other daughter Rebecca, husband Ricardo, and daughter Ella are coming to see her.  Ricardo, Rebecca, and Ella are back from Spain for a month-long visit before returning home to Spain again.

COFFEE IN THE LOUNGE AREA

EVERYTHING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT TRAY IS NOW AT OUR HOUSE

Here is an interesting article about Kelly's surgeon Dr. Scaro and his team who will be doing Kelly's liver transplant eventually.  New Technique .................. I called Aunt Jean last night and she is doing much better than a couple weeks ago.  Her appetite is slowly returning and she has been taking a few short walks in the hall outside her room.  Her good friend Pat picked her up one day last week and they went back to Pat's for a steak supper.  The main problem she is still having is tiredness.  She's not in her new room yet but it could be any day now.             

A Blast From Our Past:)) Reading something Friday night I was reminded of a post I wrote years ago on August 6th of 2012. It was called A Motorcycle Tale.  It's a short story about the day I rode a motorcycle for the very first time.  I was 49 years old, I was in traffic, and I was scared.  Oh, and I was also in a cemetery too...........

Al's Music Box:(( Joy To The World  is a 1971 song by American band Three Dog Night and was taken from their fourth studio album 'Naturally'. It went to number 1 in the United States, South Africa, and Canada.  It was also used in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.  He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep on the couch. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: 'Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'  The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with four children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'

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- Some call it multi-tasking, I call it doing something else while I try to remember what I was doing in the first place. 

- Before we work on Artificial Intelligence why don't we do something about natural stupidity!!

- A man went into a restaurant and asked for crab. When the waiter brought it, the man objected, "Just a minute, that crab only has one claw!"  "Yes, said the waiter, it was in a fight."  "Well," said the man, "Bring me the winner!!"

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HAD THEY FOUND SOMETHING MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE FIXED SOMETHING

My mood today matched the weather.  Overcast.  A half-hearted drive down Bayfield River Road and back home.  Photos are always out there but I wasn't seeing them today so tonight's pics are a few left-overs from this past week.  I'll give it another go tomorrow.

 OUR AREA'S WHEAT HARVEST IS PRETTY MUCH OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

Kelly phoned shortly after 9 a.m. earlier today and said her PICC Line was put into her upper arm first thing this morning.  I had it wrong in Thursday's post thinking it went somewhere in the neck and shoulder area.  That would have been a Port Line.  Kelly thinks they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of putting this PICC line in if they were just going to send her home in a few days.  Something might be up.  

 KELLY'S DOUBLE PICC LINE IN HER UPPER ARM

 KELLY'S CURRENT IV TREE AND I THINK THAT CREAMY-LOOKING BAG MAY BE A VANILLA MILKSHAKE...YA RIGHT!!

We're beginning to think that because of Kelly's rapidly worsening condition, the doctors are now considering having to go a different route to stabilize her before an eventual liver transplant.  Kelly has heard some talk regarding a possible TIPS (Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) procedure.  

Despite the 95% humidity, I headed outside around noon, grabbed my leaf rake, and did a rather slow-motion walk around the back yard raking up pine needles along the way.  Trimmed back some branches around the T-intersection on the east side of our driveway as well.  Following that, I came back inside and threw my old sack of bones into the shower.  Had to get myself spiffed up for my afternoon haircut at the Bayfield Village Clippers.  And, that took place at 3 p.m.  I got it cut short enough this time that I shouldn't need another haircut until maybe around Christmas sometime.

Kelly called again late this afternoon and said the colonoscopy went okay but they did not find anything. Disappointing because if they had found something, maybe they could have fixed something.

 A PEACEFUL EVENING PASTURE

Al's Music Box:))  It Doesn't Matter Anymore is a pop ballad written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The song was issued in January 1959, less than a month before Holly's death. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" reached number 13 as a posthumous hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1959, shortly after Holly was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The single was a two-sided hit, backed with "Raining in My Heart". "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" was Holly's last US Top 20 hit and featured the orchestral backing of Dick Jacobs. It was also successful in the United Kingdom, where it became the country's first posthumous number 1 hit.  The song was recorded in mid-October 1958 in New York City. Paul Anka wrote it specifically for Holly. He donated his royalties from the song to Holly's wife. He said: "'It Doesn't Matter Anymore' has a tragic irony about it now, but at least it will help look after Buddy Holly's family. I'm giving my composer's royalty to his widow - it's the least I can do."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( You might be a redneck if...

- Every electrical outlet in your house is a fire hazard.
- Your kids are going hungry tonight because you just had to have those Yosemite Sam mudflaps.

- You owe the taxidermist more than your annual income.
- You fainted when you met Slim Whitman.
- You have lost at least one tooth opening a beer bottle.
- Jack Daniels makes your list of "most admired people".
- You won't stop at a rest area if you have an empty beer can in the car.
- Your dog can't watch you eat without gagging.
- You have a Hefty bag on the passenger side window of your car.
You have a very special baseball cap, just for formal occasions.
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- Johnathan asked his young son, 'Greg, do you think I’m a bad father?'
'My name is Andrew,' replied his son.

- How many ears does Captain Kirk have?
The correct answer is Three...
The left ear, the right ear, and the final front ear.
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9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
"Help! I was hunting in the woods with my friend, and he suddenly dropped dead for no reason! Oh my God, I'm freaking out!!"
"Calm down, sir, we'll get you through this. The first thing we need to do is make sure that your friend really is dead."  "All right, hold on a second."  BLAM!  "Okay, now what?"
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