Our Latest Splurge

Todd and I purchased a new home entertainment wall today. It'll be a month or so before we receive it, but we are really looking forward to it!

Here she is:

Right now we are using an old dresser-type piece of furniture which is beginning to sag slightly from the weight its holding. (Well, so am I for that matter!)

You can see the TV & in its current state in the distance of this photo. I'm too lazy to crop it right now.



I'll definitely take some before and after photos next month. As I watch TV tonight, I am envisioning how it will look. I can promise it will look SO much better!

Scrooged!

As you may remember, my Dad recently performed as Scrooge in "A Christmast Carol". They made some changes to the play this year, so it was different than in years past. Dad - as always - did a fantastic job!

Below is Scrooge with his off-stage family. His makeup is ick and even ickier is Dad's nappy hair sticking out and disgusting, scratchy beard. Yes, the night after his last performance involved a haircut and big time shave.


Me, Dad, Marilynn (my stepmom), Kilee (niece), Cindy (sister), & Todd (husband)

While we're looking forward to Dad playing Scrooge again in the future, we are never looking forward to that scraggly hair and beard. Oh well . . . the things people do for fame! :)

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

Rick is being released from the crazy house hospital today! His Dad and sister are here, and they have been a huge help to my mom. Thank you for all the prayers, good thoughts, calls, notes, & emails. They are MUCH appreciated! It's amazing how one day everything can change.

I.C.U. leaving the ICU!

Rick was released from the ICU yesterday and moved to the IMC (Intermediate Care) unit. :)

Here's the latest from Tuesday/Wednesday:
- Since being admitted to the ICU late Friday night, 19 liters of fluid have been pulled from Rick's body. And he is still experiencing edema (swelling).
- Kidney biopsy results are back. Luckily it is not Wegener's Disease, although the symptoms sure did look like it. Results showed it is GN Nephritis, which basically means a secondary infection (which they believe to be strep) caused the kidney infection, which in turn caused the kidneys and heart to fail due to infection and excessive edema. You know, kinda like the leg bone is connected to the foot bone!
- Rick has had opportunites to be on room air vs. oxygen, his bp is still good (on meds), etc. He is feeling more comfortable, and hoping to feel human very soon.

Our focus in now turning Sick Rick back to Well Rick. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Rick thinks they all started "kicking in around late Monday." We ask that you continue to pray for his strength and healing. Please pray for my mom as well. She's not feeling too great this week, and I know she's running herself into the ground. At least she scheduled her next echocardiogram for Wednesday.

Update on Sick Rick

Disclaimer: I'm too tired to reread and edit this, so please just deal with any & don't judge!

Sick Rick is still in the ICU. Nurses got him out of bed & into a chair yesterday, but he began to swell again. He's still on Lasix (to pull fluid from the body), bp meds, oxygen (at a lesser concentration), antibiotics, etc. His bp and O-sat is better but only because of the meds.

Today Sick Rick is looking & feeling better (cracking his awful jokes again), but doctors want everything stabilized before they move him to the IMC - Intermediate Care Unit - which is a stepdown unit from the ICU. Doctors performed a kidney biopsy today and hope to get results to trickle in starting tomorrow. They are thinking there is a possibility that Sick Rick had strep and it grew into a staph infection. That would explain the fluid build up that caused the heart & kidney failure. We'll see, I guess. Thanks for the prayers for Sick Rick - keep 'em coming!

Please also keep my mom in your prayers. She's running between floors while working & checking on Rick (he's on the 3rd floor, her unit is on the 2nd), spending time at the hospital after work, and even went home late last night to decorate some for Christmas. Of course, she changed the air filters while she was up in the attic at midnight. ("Well, I figured I might as well change the while I was up there.") She had an echocardiogram scheduled for today & she cancelled. Nurse Kristin called to tell her that the echo WILL be done before the end of the week.

I'm tired of our family supporting the local hospital systems.

Update

Rick is improving. So far, so good. He is still in ICU and will remain in the hospital through Tuesday or so. Mom was able to get several hours of sleep last night and is planning to work tomorrow. Thanks for the prayers - keep 'em coming!

And now . . . a moment of Steve. He's been in a very playful mood the past couple of days - bringing me toys, balls, ropes, etc. This video is of us playing ball, or you could say me trying to keep his tennis ball. :)

Prayers for Rick, please

Please keep my mom's husband, Rick, in your prayers, good thoughts, etc.

Rick wasn't feeling good Thanksgiving, & we just thought he was being a whiny male. Yesterday he finally went to the doctor & the doc called my mom saying Rick needed to go to the ER. The doctor personally drove Rick to the ER. His bp was up to 240/140, O2 sats were only 80, lung xrays looked awful, and his hands & feet were very swollen. He was admitted into ICU (one room away from mom's room from 13 weeks ago). My mom was up there all night in her scrubs since she went straight upstairs from work yesterday. (Rick's at her hospital.)

They are continuing today to bring Rick's bp down, he's on oxygen, and he'll have some testing of his heart and kidneys done today. He's obviously very sick and experiencing congestive heart and renal failure. Hopefully the medications he is on will help pull fluid out of his body, keep him comfortable and let his organs heal. If not, Rick will be scheduled for a kidney biopsy to see what should be done next.

I will try to keep updates on here, but until you hear otherwise, your prayers are appreciated.