Bob has healed nicely. So we decided to do something and take a short trip. We drove north and went to Sedona. We actually drove through Sedona to Cottonwood. We visited some all native American ruins. Very interesting. I tried to upload some pictures, but had a hard time doing so. You will just have to take my word for the fact that they were really interesting. We spent the night in Cottonwood and then took a train ride through the canyons behind Sedona. Very enjoyable. We went first class. So we had really comfortable seats. We got champagne for a toast as we started. We had appetizers to snack on that were yummy. We had our own naturalist to tell us what we were seeing. The ride took four hours. Had a great time and got some good pictures.
We left there and went into Sedona. We got a hotel room at a resort that backed right up to the most gorgeous view. (Again I tried to attach some pictures but was unsuccessful.) We had now been almost 48 hours at an elevation of about 4000 feet. It was too much for Bob. We were really close walking distance to a couple of good restaurants. But he could not do it. So we drove to a nice Thai restaurant. That night we sat and watched the State of the Union. Then Biggest Loser. that is the most TV we have watched since we have been in Arizona.
We had thought that we would spend the next day walking through Sedona, but the altitude make it too hard for Bob. So we took a couple of fascinating driving tours, and then headed down the mountain. We spent the night at a casino. We gambled for a few hours that evening and the next morning. We lost a total of $5 and had a great time.
We got home in time to pick up our new cushions for the dining area. We did not get one of them because they had made a mistake and had to order more fabric. But the others are in place and look really nice. They did a good job. (We are keeping the old ones so that we have some to put in when Alex visits next week. Then I want get nervous about him spilling on the news ones.)
Bob has had a hard time recovering from three days of a lesser amount of oxygen. Finally tonight he is starting to feel better.
I am proud that even though we ate out all of our meals I did not put on any weight. I am working hard at getting back down to my ideal weight. Five more pounds to go.
Sigh.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Stressful
Well it has been a stressful few days. On Wednesday Bob and I went to the upholstery shop to get new cushions made for the dining table. On the way back Bob was complaining that his new shoes hurt. We came back and took them off and there was a small pebble in the left shoe. But he still kept complaining. By late afternoon, you could see that the foot was starting to get swollen. He was getting horrible shooting pain in his foot. We couldn't think what to do so we put a lidocaine patch on it to see if that would stop the pain. It didn't. By evening he was feeling really bad.
Even though I reminded him to take off the patch before he went to bed, he forgot. So the patch was on too long and you could see that it had irritated the skin - there was a red area right where the patch had been. And by the way, the foot was swollen even more and the pain was still coming. Bob, in his usual way, did not want to go to the ER. I was very very worried. I finally convinced him to email our doc in Portland, tell him what was happening, and ask his advice. Our doc thought it might be gout and suggested that he go to Urgent Care. Bob was very hesitant, but, after much pushing on my part, agreed to go to Urgent Care.
We were seen by a Physician's Assistant, who thought that it was cellulitis, but could not find any break in the skin for the infection to have started. She gave us a prescription for an antibiotic, and sent us to have an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. And she suggested that we return in 48 hours. We drove to the testing place. The result was not blood clots. Got the prescription filled. We were also told that the antibiotic could affect bleeding time, so we emailed the Portland doc and he wanted to have the clotting time checked on Monday.
By the next morning it was not much better. It was still swollen and red. But the pains had stopped. We sat all day and I just kept worrying, but I couldn't figure out what to worry about. That evening, Bob iced the foot (using frozen peas). Still not much better that night. But the next morning (Saturday) it was a little better. Back to Urgent Care in the afternoon. Saw a different PA. This one was also concerned that he could see no way for the infection to start. We told him that our doc in Portland had mentioned the possibility of gout. Although it did not look like gout, Bob got tested to gout and arthritis.
Last night, still taking the antibiotics, still only a little bit better. He iced it again. (We ate the peas for dinner so next time it will have to be corn). Then, this morning, relief - It actually looks pretty good. Only a little bit swollen. No pain. Sigh of relief. Can't figure out what is going on. Just glad it is better. So we can get back to enjoying the amazing Phoenix weather.
Even though I reminded him to take off the patch before he went to bed, he forgot. So the patch was on too long and you could see that it had irritated the skin - there was a red area right where the patch had been. And by the way, the foot was swollen even more and the pain was still coming. Bob, in his usual way, did not want to go to the ER. I was very very worried. I finally convinced him to email our doc in Portland, tell him what was happening, and ask his advice. Our doc thought it might be gout and suggested that he go to Urgent Care. Bob was very hesitant, but, after much pushing on my part, agreed to go to Urgent Care.
We were seen by a Physician's Assistant, who thought that it was cellulitis, but could not find any break in the skin for the infection to have started. She gave us a prescription for an antibiotic, and sent us to have an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. And she suggested that we return in 48 hours. We drove to the testing place. The result was not blood clots. Got the prescription filled. We were also told that the antibiotic could affect bleeding time, so we emailed the Portland doc and he wanted to have the clotting time checked on Monday.
By the next morning it was not much better. It was still swollen and red. But the pains had stopped. We sat all day and I just kept worrying, but I couldn't figure out what to worry about. That evening, Bob iced the foot (using frozen peas). Still not much better that night. But the next morning (Saturday) it was a little better. Back to Urgent Care in the afternoon. Saw a different PA. This one was also concerned that he could see no way for the infection to start. We told him that our doc in Portland had mentioned the possibility of gout. Although it did not look like gout, Bob got tested to gout and arthritis.
Last night, still taking the antibiotics, still only a little bit better. He iced it again. (We ate the peas for dinner so next time it will have to be corn). Then, this morning, relief - It actually looks pretty good. Only a little bit swollen. No pain. Sigh of relief. Can't figure out what is going on. Just glad it is better. So we can get back to enjoying the amazing Phoenix weather.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The weather is getting warmer
It is slowly getting warmer here, day by day. Right now it is 74 degrees, with a high predicted of 78. I actually pulled out our shorts and bathing suits. It is still chilly at night, but I love it that way.
Last week I spilled wine all over one of the dining room cushions. The cushions are already getting dingy and the foam is getting broken down. So Bob and I drove to an upholstery shop and ordered new cushions and new covers. (We will save what we can of the old ones to use when Alex is here so that I don't get panicky that he might spill something.) The fabric will arrive next week. Then we have to bring in the back parts which aren't so broken down and they will get them ready for us in two days. That will be nice.
There are more repairs necessary to be done on Betsy. Bob spent some time caulking some of the joints, but it is clear that the entire vehicle needs to be caulked. There are also some areas that need to be bolted back together. That is what happens with a 7 year old well used motor home. We will probably wait until we get back to Portland to get the work done.
In the meantime, Bob is having some troubles with his left foot. It is all swollen and he has sharp shooting pains in it. It is not as bad today as it was yesterday. I am trying to get him to go to the hospital, but he doesn't want to. He has emailed our doc and we will see what he recommends.
Because bob's foot hurt so bad he sent me to the store to get slippers. I got him some crocs and some slip-on slippers. I have been trying to get him to use slip-ons for over 40 years and he keeps saying that they won't work. But I bought them and he had to try them on. Now guess what? He loves them. He just won't believe that I know what I am talking about.
That is about it from here. Time to get outside in the sun.
Last week I spilled wine all over one of the dining room cushions. The cushions are already getting dingy and the foam is getting broken down. So Bob and I drove to an upholstery shop and ordered new cushions and new covers. (We will save what we can of the old ones to use when Alex is here so that I don't get panicky that he might spill something.) The fabric will arrive next week. Then we have to bring in the back parts which aren't so broken down and they will get them ready for us in two days. That will be nice.
There are more repairs necessary to be done on Betsy. Bob spent some time caulking some of the joints, but it is clear that the entire vehicle needs to be caulked. There are also some areas that need to be bolted back together. That is what happens with a 7 year old well used motor home. We will probably wait until we get back to Portland to get the work done.
In the meantime, Bob is having some troubles with his left foot. It is all swollen and he has sharp shooting pains in it. It is not as bad today as it was yesterday. I am trying to get him to go to the hospital, but he doesn't want to. He has emailed our doc and we will see what he recommends.
Because bob's foot hurt so bad he sent me to the store to get slippers. I got him some crocs and some slip-on slippers. I have been trying to get him to use slip-ons for over 40 years and he keeps saying that they won't work. But I bought them and he had to try them on. Now guess what? He loves them. He just won't believe that I know what I am talking about.
That is about it from here. Time to get outside in the sun.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Life is easy
The last week has been very mellow. The weather has been nice. Bob's health is progressing. He keeps complaining that he is getting tired and then I remind him how far he has gotten in the last three weeks. It is still frustrating for him to be so tired and not able to do what he likes to do.
The park here is really not very full. there are about 200 spots and about 100 of them are filled. The odd thing is where. The park is divided in three sections. Two of the sections are pretty full. One is almost empty. That is the section that we are in. The good part of that is that we have lots of room to spread out and we don't have to worry about being bothered by neighbors. The bad part is that there are few neighbors to talk with. The folks in the other part of the park are very cliquish (?sp) So I probably would not want much to do with them any way. But I miss having sociable neighbors.
Today the park had a bus that went to a casino about an hour away. We went. There were about 40 people on the bus. The 20 in the back of the bus brought their booze for the ride. by the time we got to the casino they were pretty drunk. They drank on the way home also, but then fell asleep. So those are 20 folks that I have little in common with. The good news is that we did meet another couple on our side of the park that we like. The trip to the casino came with a free lunch. We were sitting in the buffet area and I saw one of the couples from the park that I did not know. I invited them to join us. They were really nice and are located on our side of the park. Nice and enjoyable conversation.
After we got back to the park Bob set himself in front of the tv to watch the football game. I did not want to watch it. I saw our new friends sitting outside their rig and went to talk with them. Really enjoyed it. I hope we get to see them more often.
My exercise is still going well. I did have an issue on Thursday. I don't know why, but I started feeling really bad about 10 minutes into the class. It felt like my blood pressure was plummeting. I tried to stick it out, but then got to thinking that I had no way to get home if things got bad. So I left the class and came home. I felt pretty lousy the rest of the day. But by Friday I was fine. I will never understand this.
I do miss my life back in Portland, but this is pretty good and is great for Bob's health. So we will keep healing.
The park here is really not very full. there are about 200 spots and about 100 of them are filled. The odd thing is where. The park is divided in three sections. Two of the sections are pretty full. One is almost empty. That is the section that we are in. The good part of that is that we have lots of room to spread out and we don't have to worry about being bothered by neighbors. The bad part is that there are few neighbors to talk with. The folks in the other part of the park are very cliquish (?sp) So I probably would not want much to do with them any way. But I miss having sociable neighbors.
Today the park had a bus that went to a casino about an hour away. We went. There were about 40 people on the bus. The 20 in the back of the bus brought their booze for the ride. by the time we got to the casino they were pretty drunk. They drank on the way home also, but then fell asleep. So those are 20 folks that I have little in common with. The good news is that we did meet another couple on our side of the park that we like. The trip to the casino came with a free lunch. We were sitting in the buffet area and I saw one of the couples from the park that I did not know. I invited them to join us. They were really nice and are located on our side of the park. Nice and enjoyable conversation.
After we got back to the park Bob set himself in front of the tv to watch the football game. I did not want to watch it. I saw our new friends sitting outside their rig and went to talk with them. Really enjoyed it. I hope we get to see them more often.
My exercise is still going well. I did have an issue on Thursday. I don't know why, but I started feeling really bad about 10 minutes into the class. It felt like my blood pressure was plummeting. I tried to stick it out, but then got to thinking that I had no way to get home if things got bad. So I left the class and came home. I felt pretty lousy the rest of the day. But by Friday I was fine. I will never understand this.
I do miss my life back in Portland, but this is pretty good and is great for Bob's health. So we will keep healing.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Happy New Year
Well, we had a different New Year celebration this year. there was a get together here in the park. we had a few drinks with our next door neighbor and his girlfriend before the get together. They were very nice. We all agreed later that we would have had a better time if the four of us had just stayed together. but we went to the get together. I must admit that I had very little in common with anyone that I talked to there. Bob called them red necks, but I am not sure that is what the problem was. Anyway, I stayed a while and tried to talk to the couple sitting next to me. Bob couldn't take it any more and he left. I am not sure why, but whatever they said, I could not think of anything to add. So, after finishing my glass of wine and eating lots more food than I should have, I went back to the RV.
On New Year's day, We had thought that we would go spend the day with my nephew, but it turns out that Cathie was sick. So we decided to take a drive. We drove about 200 miles west and north to Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River. It is very much a resort community. the lake itself was pretty ordinary for a man made lake. There were lots of rv parks and resorts. The scenery along the way was so stark that it was beautiful. We lunched in Parker, Arizona, in a very small casino. Then we drove to the London Bridge. Apparently someone tore down the actual London Bridge, brick by brick and put it up exactly in a shopping mall at Lake Havasu. It was interesting. Most of the shops in the immediate area had an English flavor, but they were mostly closed. I did buy a new wind chime to hang on the rv, but that was about it.
At that point it was too late to drive all the way home. I would have had to drive too much in the dark. So we got a room at the casino. We gambled, had a great dinner at the steak house there. In the morning, breakfast, a little more gambling, and then a leisurely drive home. as Bob noted, one of the problems with traveling here right now is that we have to go back the same way we came. Which we did. What always amazes me is how different things looks when you came at them from the opposite direction. It was an interesting drive.
When we got home, Bob decided to get on the computer and do his year end financial recap. at first it all went well. Then he started having troubles. For some reason the program wouldn't work right. He was getting more and more frustrated. So, instead of fixing dinner, we went out to eat. We ate out so much, that I was not surprised the next morning to find that I had put on 3 pounds in four days. So back on the diet.
I have found some great exercise classes here. The one on Saturday morning is fantastic. the hour goes by so quickly and I get a really good work out. I want to take that instructor back to Portland with me. There is also one on Monday and Thursday who does a weight lifting class which is so good for my core. I wonder why they are better classes than in Portland? Certainly the folks who take the classes are younger than in Portland. I looks around in the class and see very very few people my age.
In the meantime, Bob is still improving. It is harder to describe because the changes are not so dramatic. But he had not had pain medication for two weeks. He can walk around the entire park with just a few stops to rest. He can actually lift a few light things with his left hand. He says that he generally has no more pain. Yeah. One day at a time.
Tomorrow there is a pot luck breakfast here in the park. They have a lot more social activities here than last time we were here. If it is the same folks who were at the New Year's Eve get together, I will just have to sop attending the events. Hopefully we will meet some more interesting people.
We spend more of our time reading and playing games. No television (except for NCIS on Tuesday). We get out news from the internet. It is all we need. a very simple basic existence for now.
On New Year's day, We had thought that we would go spend the day with my nephew, but it turns out that Cathie was sick. So we decided to take a drive. We drove about 200 miles west and north to Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River. It is very much a resort community. the lake itself was pretty ordinary for a man made lake. There were lots of rv parks and resorts. The scenery along the way was so stark that it was beautiful. We lunched in Parker, Arizona, in a very small casino. Then we drove to the London Bridge. Apparently someone tore down the actual London Bridge, brick by brick and put it up exactly in a shopping mall at Lake Havasu. It was interesting. Most of the shops in the immediate area had an English flavor, but they were mostly closed. I did buy a new wind chime to hang on the rv, but that was about it.
At that point it was too late to drive all the way home. I would have had to drive too much in the dark. So we got a room at the casino. We gambled, had a great dinner at the steak house there. In the morning, breakfast, a little more gambling, and then a leisurely drive home. as Bob noted, one of the problems with traveling here right now is that we have to go back the same way we came. Which we did. What always amazes me is how different things looks when you came at them from the opposite direction. It was an interesting drive.
When we got home, Bob decided to get on the computer and do his year end financial recap. at first it all went well. Then he started having troubles. For some reason the program wouldn't work right. He was getting more and more frustrated. So, instead of fixing dinner, we went out to eat. We ate out so much, that I was not surprised the next morning to find that I had put on 3 pounds in four days. So back on the diet.
I have found some great exercise classes here. The one on Saturday morning is fantastic. the hour goes by so quickly and I get a really good work out. I want to take that instructor back to Portland with me. There is also one on Monday and Thursday who does a weight lifting class which is so good for my core. I wonder why they are better classes than in Portland? Certainly the folks who take the classes are younger than in Portland. I looks around in the class and see very very few people my age.
In the meantime, Bob is still improving. It is harder to describe because the changes are not so dramatic. But he had not had pain medication for two weeks. He can walk around the entire park with just a few stops to rest. He can actually lift a few light things with his left hand. He says that he generally has no more pain. Yeah. One day at a time.
Tomorrow there is a pot luck breakfast here in the park. They have a lot more social activities here than last time we were here. If it is the same folks who were at the New Year's Eve get together, I will just have to sop attending the events. Hopefully we will meet some more interesting people.
We spend more of our time reading and playing games. No television (except for NCIS on Tuesday). We get out news from the internet. It is all we need. a very simple basic existence for now.
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