Mystery Solved & Other Updates

Well, we didn't have a visit from the lawn mower fairy after all. When Don went to get the paper today, there was an invoice in our mail box from a lawn service for $50 for mowing and weeding. It was addressed to our neighbor at 616 EAST and we are 616 WEST. Don has left the man a message. We will see what happens. I don't think we should pay for his error but it was also one less thing for us to worry about before our trip... so maybe a compromised payment...



Well, Dad and Marilyn were here for almost a week and it was great having them here. It was wonderful to see dad, even though he has that turbin bandage, he looks so much better than I was prepared for. His spirits were pretty good. Marilyn is a little wobbly... she is having a tough time. She is upbeat with Dad but when he leaves the room, she falters and chokes up. I wish I could be more help to her.



Dad's next surgery is May 13th and then his radiation starts 56 days after that. Then he will start chemo. Sometime between the radiation and the chemo, he will have another PET scan just to be sure that nothing else is showing up.

Gran's memory has taken a serious turn downward the past two weeks. She kept asking Dad, "son, what happened to your head?" At first, they would explain all over again and finally Dad just started saying, "I got hurt, mom". She doesn't remember that I live in Knoxville, she thinks I live "up north". She wants to go see that lady that handles her money and pays her bills so she can get some money to take everyone out for dinner... THAT LADY is me! :( She is finally saying that she thinks she wants to go live in a nursing home because through the week, between work, Katie's school, after school activities, drs. appointments and my night classes... we don't see her much and she says on those days, she is so lonely. She will call me crying because she is so lonely. Jennifer, the gal we pay through the week - is so very kind and she will spend a good deal of time with her in the evenings. Her neighbors check on her - even though she doesn't know their names anymore.

I have conversations with her daily now that are like Groundhog Day... over and over again, around in a circle... she can't remember things from two minutes ago. We took her to Dr. Jackson when Dad was here and Dr. Jackson increased her Namenda (the medicine to slow Alzheimer's progression)... but I haven't seen a benefit - if anything - it's gotten worse.

Don did his first Catholic wedding yesterday. It went great! Great couple and Eli, the guy that is helping Don is just doing great! Everything is GREAT! :)

So, Katie and I went shopping for Gran and then took her out to dinner. Katie was very flustered at how bad Gran's memory is but they still had a great evening together. Yesterday was Katie's 9th birthday!! I can't believe she is 9!! Last year in the single digits!!

It's horrible timing for us to be going to Disney but it's paid for, it's been planned since December and we are going. I have several people lined up - including Uncle Jack - to visit her and check in on her.

Then, when I get back, we will start looking into nursing homes again.

Tomorrow will be a very hectic day. We are essentially packed and that is a good think because Katie goes to school, I go to work, Don will be working, then Katie has a doctor appointment at 3pm, then I have my first portrait class tomorrow night... We leave Tuesday morning at 9am.

I'll be blogging while we are gone... especially since it helps me remember things for journaling in my scrapbooks.

LA :)