Comfortable at Last! YES!!!

Happy New Year!  More changes for the good at our house and I think this photo says it all about Ken!  This was our Christmas photo by Wyn.
Dr. Delahoussaye has done wonders by adjusting Ken's pain meds so that he is on a more even dose all the time.  Within in a few days it was obvious to us this was the trick.  Although he is still down most of the time he is more comfortable than he's been in years.  To the point his smart mouth is alive and well and he's back plotting and scheming on the computer looking forward to the summer in NE Oregon.
What a bad patch that was!!  But onword and upward.  If (when) Humana gets their act together the Dr. will try P Stem to try and get a little more comfort.  P STIM  We'll see.

I have been keeping busy and Debbie has been creating hate and discontent (actually obsession and contentment) by substituting my "craft antibiotic" with pure sugar pills.  So now we are combining what we've learned in Swedish Weaving, beading and Kumihimo into doing Japanese thread balls called "Temari".  So we are neck deep in another craft to the point Deb has created a NEW blog for it!  Balls for Brains  Yep! That's it's name.  Here is a small sample - there is much more on the blog.

 Of course that isn't all we've done.  We decided sewing wasn't in our repertoire this year and found a craft that just uses scissors, rulers and glue.  Refashioning sweatshirts.

Yes that is Deb in the back and she's actually FINISHING and WEARING a project!










I haven't given up on beading Here are a few of the last ones I've done.  

And finally Carmen's is doing well and is now doing specials a couple nights a week.  We, of course, haven't been able to keep the days straight and have a several laughing arguments about when and what.  So I took a picture so I could always prove I was right (errrrr or wrong)!

And I shall leave this post with a picture of retirees working:

......4 Months Later

What a roller coaster ride the last 7 months have been.  From thinking we may have to put Ken into a nursing home/respite care facility to he's up and "supervising"/helping me hang light on the deck in EB is quite a change.  When we got here Ken was still using his walker and the last week he's been forgetting his cane.  From "I'm uncomfortable going outside (I might fall again) to forgetting his cane several times in the past week.

When we got here I didn't realize to get the Class II medications you MUST go to a Pain Management Specialist.  Fortunately Santiago (under duress) sent a couple of scripts down until we found one.  I have to show my drivers license both dropping off and picking up the script and Ken had to sign a contract saying he wouldn't pharmacy hop.  Dr Delahoussaye in Cruces is a good "pain doc".  The first appointment was Nov 7th - having to put down what I have been suspecting is however still an eye opener.  18 pages later he was done with the paperwork (I read it all to him at this apt).  Ken figured out to be 87% disabled - all but bedridden.  Wait - he gets up, gets dressed and spends the rest of the day laying back in his reclining chair...... sounds pretty much like bedridden to me.  At that trip we got a script and came back to TorC to fill it.  They didn't have that strength so bartered with doc and got a double dose pill. Dr. D. then tried ultra sound guided TPI (Trigger Point Injections).  He didn't really hit the right spot although it did a little bit of good.
The second apt with Dr D both he and his PA came in and remarked that Ken looked so much better and neither one of us had the desperate look anymore.  At this visit Dr D told Ken to take one Diladad 4 times a day.  Oh and come back in January and we'll try  P STEM OK Whatever.
Dr Santiago is weaning his off Phenobarbital (he's taking it for 58 years).  Between that and cutting back on the muscle relaxant and the NSAID his brain/thinking is AWESOME!!!!  None of us can believe how good he looks and sounds.  He's even been calling folks on the phone and is back on the computer.  (So for a "good boy" reward we got him a different tower.........:) with Windows 8)
He loves it!! (of course I stripped it of MUCH STUFF!)
He has been voluntarily going outside a smidge (taking over again a couple of things I took from him - gray/black flushing.); actually wanting to go to Carmen's to eat and helped me unload the baskets Saturday.  He cracks jokes; has an opinion (not ALWAY good), is making plans for Oregon, and wants to get outside more.  Although he won't ever be without pain he just wants to be comfortable.
Taking the med spread out is working wonders - he is rather number which we'll take for stiff and lots of pain any day.  This sums it up!

            They aren't perfect by any means (I have to have a taller ladder to go up one more step) and they hang a lot but it's the first lights we've had in years.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Gonna Make It To E.B....

*I started this September 20ish but didn't get it published.
Well Ken is good enough that Whitney and I are ok with us going back to Elephant Butte.  The Dialadud seems to be working on the pain (IF he takes it in the middle of the day) so he is just dealing with the stiffness - fall weather is starting with rain and coolness so we need to get out of here.  He has a walker and although he doesn't leave the MH often (MAYBE once a week he feels more stable using it.)

August 21st was the first day of school and Ethan FINALLY get to go to school!  He was so excited.  Their Nana (Trav's Mom) made them all shirts to wear the first day.

I do believe the littlest laddie is in trouble but still playing with a tiny Lego guy.

One of the daycare Dads locked his keys and kid in the car.

When Dave and Deb visited we went to Buck's (much like Humphrey's in Gillette).  Deb is showing off the tiny menu.

I made some ornaments to see if I wanted to make more of them.  NO I don't!

Don't know how this picture is doint this.  Can't remember what I pushed.  But it was Whit's Birthday and Buck's brought her a complimentary sundae - on a large pizza pan (what they use for plates.)  Ethan finally finished it.

And the final "Halfway to my Birthday Party" for the season complete with pinata.  The big boys finally had to break it (Trav and Dean).

And a family picture.  It was a 2 hour outing for Gdad.   The question was will we go to NM?  Yes we did.

I do miss these guys when we're gone.  Glad I got to spend July-Aug with them just 3 doors down.

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