Dot`sThoughts

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Still Praying for better days.

Went to the hospital this morning to check on my sister Ginny (Virginia). The ambulance took her to the Hospital yesterday because she was having trouble breathing, so we thought it was her emphysema causing the problem. Turned out besides having emphysema, she had also had a Heart attack, plus she has shingles. She must also be feeling that it never rains but it pours. Dr told us her Heart was weak, but they were starting her on some meds that hopefully will strengthen her Heart. The shot they gave her last night had disolved one of the blockages and after putting her through the over 4 hour Heart test in the OR, they felt the other one wasn`t bad enough to require a stent now. Dr said she now has about a 30 % blockage in one vein. The other vein was about 75 % blocked before the blood clot dissolved.
So, I am worrying about my brother who is 4 years older than I am, and also worrying about a sister who is 4 years younger than I am.
While at the hospital, my other younger sister told me she goes into the hospital on Thursday for a fallen bladder operation. I guess we are all learning that we are getting older and that we should be expecting problems. But, that doesn`t make it any easier to handle.

My Granddaughter also called me last evening to tell me that her Dr has scheduled her to have the op on my Birthday. So, unless the little baby decides to come early, I will have this great granddaughter born on my Birthday. My granddaughter is so excited about it.

I am waiting for help to bring my new cupboard from my shop and into my kitchen. I wouldn`t be able to get it up the porch steps by myself. Once this is done, I will need to find another project to work on. I find it easier to handle hard times by keeping busy.

Guess I better stop for now as the thunderstorm sound like it is getting closer. I don`t use the computer, TV , or my electrical tools during thunderstorms. In face I unplug the phone line to my computer for added safety for my computer.

I am back. Thunderstorm seems to have moved out of the area now. Seems like all is does is rain. Going through the third straight week with only one day without rain.
Thursday is supposed to be a nice day if the weatherman is right. I didn`t have time before dark to go out and take care of my garden boxes. I`ll have to remember to do it in the morning before i go check on my 2 sisters who will both be in the Hospital tomorrow. Wouldn`t surprise me if they both end up being discharged on the same day. Neither of them will be able to do much when they first do go home. But they both have kids that will help them. Our family is so fortunate to have kids who are there for us when we need them. I thank my parents for the way they raised us so we knew how to raise our kids. We were taught that all the money in the world can`t buy the kind of happiness that Love can give to us. Oh, How true they were. I had one nephew whose father was a self made millionaire tell me once that he would give all the money his family had , for the kind of love he saw in my family. That father was the brother I just lost in June, but money never changed my brother, it did change his wife and she did her best to teach her children her value of money. Some did take after her, but a couple of their kids stayed like their wonderful Dad. One of these nephews was the one who spoke to me.

I am having problems with this brothers wife. She is one of those who will hug and kiss you when she sees you and run you down behind your back. I have learned to ignore her because I loved my brother so much and she never said mean things about our family where he could hear her. So, I doubt he would have believed she was like that when she was so sweet when he was around. I often wonder how long the family will put up with her meanness now that they don`t feel they have to for my brothers sake. Me, I could care less what she thinks. I have let it go in one ear and out the other for so long, I just never waste time worrying about it. I know my other brother and one sister had a spat with her last week. I heard after they finished telling her how cruel she was, she said she was sorry and even went so far as to tell them that if she ever stepped out of line again they were to tell her to shut up. Now, I wait to see how that works. If she doesn`t want to feel more alone, then she better start treating the family better. I hope for her sake she starts thinking before she speaks from now on. She will soon find out that her money doesn`t hold any value with us. I am the only family member who would never take a penny from them. Walt and I made it on our own and were always proud of it. The rest of the family has taken money, so that gave her a feeling she could control them. I know she will soon lose her power since she put one of her son`s in charge to handle everything for her and he isn`t the type to just toss money around like my brother could. He will closer watch where the money goes to be sure his mother has what she needs for the rest of her life. Some of the family feels he will watch even closer knowing if anything happens to their mother what is left will go to him and his brothers and sister. But, I think he might see a little dementia in his mom and thats why he is being more careful for her sake.

Well, I didn`t intend on telling so many problems. I am one who seldom tells others my problems. In fact, my sister who just had the Heart attack told me she learned that I was at the hospital a couple weeks ago for kidney stones. She also said I never told her I had the biopsy done earlier this summer, or that I was at the hospital for other problems last winter. Guess one of my kids had told her. I told her everything was benign- no cancer either time, so I was the lucky one. And why tell the family and have them worrying needlessly, that is how I felt. Our family has always had enough to worry about without adding mine, which were not serious. The worst that happened was when one minni stroke left me with double vision. Now that has been a big pain, but with the prisms in my glasses I do fine. I only need glasses because I need the prisms. The family knows about the sleep apnea and the C-Flex and full mask that I sleep with every night because I had to take the machine with me when I went to the older sisters son`s wedding a few years ago and they know about the arthritis because you can`t hide that when your hands look like mine. But, as long as I can still use them, I will manage that also. God has been good to me.I pray things get better for my brother and sister. They are much worse off than I am as far as I feel.

Well, time to stop thinking of bad things and start looking on the brighter side. As they say, tomorrow is another day and things often look brighter in the morning. It is 20 minutes after 11 PM, so if I plan on going to the hospital again tomorrow, guess I should try and get some sleep.