Monday, August 21, 2006

Thursday, August 17, 2006

not so bleak

Happy Birthday W!!!!
I rescheduled my rheumatologist & pulmonologist appointments from yesterday to August 31st. K wanted to be there but had to fly all day yesterday. We were sort of confused about why they wanted me to have the appointments in the first place... I think I need to set up another echocardiogram (or maybe a right heart cath?) between now and the 31st, so the docs and I will have something to talk about.
I've been kinda flaky with my medicine. I also still go without the tube up my nose once in awhile. I could probably eat healthier food... but at least I got a start on the exercise idea. I bought a jogging stroller to walk R around our neighborhood loop, which is a dirt road not compatible with the mini-stroller I use everywhere else. Our friend offered me her jogging stroller, so I took the other one back to the store. Now I just need to replace the inner tube on the friend's stroller. Maybe someday soon my thigh and butt muscles will make a reappearance.
This past week I got onto a web-board for people with pulmonary hypertension. http://www.phcentral.org Some of the people there have been surviving for 5 or more years since diagnosis! So that gives me some hope- especially with the newer medications that are coming out, Tracleer and Thelin.
We've been gearing up for school and for birthday parties. I still haven't enrolled LittleK anywhere, but her old school has her on their roster. We may keep her there, but I just don't know if I want to be that involved anymore. I did get the girls signed up for soccer. It'll be LittleK's first year and T's third I think.
That's about all of the really fascinating stuff going on around here.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Tooth!

R has a tooth! It's his lower left front tooth, and it cut through either yesterday or the day before. Three months of unbelievable drooliness has finally resulted in something!
He's also finding out how to pull himself around the floor while on his tummy, but he's had a few head-vs-floor incidents so he's a little nervous about going from sitting to combat-crawling on the hardwood. His chicken pox scabs have mostly gone away - there are a few spots on his chest that might scar but at least we got through the whole ordeal without much pain.
I actually had some energy and motivation to take care of some annoying little things around the house yesterday (after playgroup, lunch, swimming, bill-paying, etc.). I weeded the little rock-pile next to the driveway, scrubbed R's high chair, helped the girls put their clothes away, and dusted a bit.
Today I'll be taking old clothes and shoes to the Salvation Army (finally!) and I might even start on the playroom... or I might not. What I'd like to do is somehow pull out the dead tree stumps in the front yard, along with all the metal tree-stakes. Work has stalled on the backyard. K said he doesn't know what he's going to do with it next. I'd be happy with just seeding part of it and putting down a few flagstones. And a swingset!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Summer days


Sorry for the long blog-break.
Towards the end of July, K bought two kayaks and we took them out a couple of times. We had a blast!

Other happenings: K took the girls camping, I took the kids to Cheyenne Frontier Days (parade, carnival rides), T got her loooooong hair cut and donated it to Locks of Love, R got chicken pox, a heat wave came and went, and K's baseball season ended.

Today we're going to see another kid movie at the Wyo theater, then check out the county fair Family Fun Night. I hear they'll have free admission, free food, and pig-wrestling. K's flying until 9 tonight so he'll be sorry he missed the pig-wrestling I'm sure.


No news health-wise... my face is a little less huge, and I've been cheating with the oxygen, leaving it off a few hours now & then. I feel fine. My next appointments in Cheyenne were rescheduled from August 1st to the 16th. I emailed ANMC in Anchorage, asking about their pulmonology department. They replied that they do have a pulmonologist on staff, and they coordinate/refer lung transplants through the University of Washington hospital in Seattle. Good to know.