Where on the Royal Slope Are You?

We have noticed many changes in our little part of the world. I apologize to those who haven't been to the Royal Slope. This blog is my own little guessing game. I've numbered each picture. As you look at them, consider that the clue may be not what you're seeing as much as what you're not seeing. All are somewhere on the Slope.

#1

#2

#3

#4 #5

Have fun guessing. I'll put the answers on my next blog or you can send me an e-mail with your guesses. Or you can put your guesses in the Comments.

We're in a holding pattern here until Monday when Dad goes back to the cardiologist. I'm working on Christmas gifts and Dad's been feeling quite good and has been a busy little beaver. He's now working on the upstairs bedroom closet. He's going to put in more doors like the Christmas closet. He wants to paint them a color. Any suggestions?

A Week without Doctors

Well, hopefully, we have a week without any scheduled visits to doctors or the hospital. Garth's been doing much better since we went last Tuesday and had the water removed which was preventing his lung from expanding properly. The cardiologist suggested it on Monday. When he told Garth that he wanted it done in the hospital in Wenatchee (our old stomping grounds!), he nearly came unglued. The doctor suggested it would take four hours and alerted us to some possible scenarios "in case of the worst". Apprehensively, we entered the doors of Wenatchee hospital (to whom we owe, presently, every possession we own) and we waited longer for the lab results than the procedure. Since then he's breathing easier and every day feels a little stronger. This morning I mentioned that he didn't seem in much of a hurry to get going and he said, "You forget. I'm convalescing." I think he has in mind me helping him with leaves and lawn mowing today. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Not much else is happening in our part of the planet. In fact, the favorite pastime lately is:

DANGEROUS READING

My sister calls them bathroom books--books which you leave in the bathroom and read only when you have lengthy business on the "throne". She keeps a well-stocked magazine rack in her bathroom. I just finished this mystery which took me several months because it was my bathroom book in the upstairs bathroom. The upstairs bathroom has a separate "throne" room (don't ask me why) which has no light so you can only read during the day; thus, a bathroom book can take weeks to read. Anyway. My DH (dear husband) is a "throne" reader from way back and rarely goes into the bathroom without a book or magazine. We've been known to have gun magazines, the Reader's Digest and the Ensign in our bathroom for purusal. I, for some reason, don't read very often in the downstairs bathroom any more since I had a discussion with our Relief Society president about her husband's "throne" reading. Paul reads literally for hours on the throne and it has led to a high incidence and much, much pain from hemorrhoids, but he continues the practice. Please tell me wise readers--does "throne" reading cause hemorrhoids? PS: I don't have hemorrhoids but someone I know and love well does.

IF YOU WERE A CATHOLIC. . .

This is a running joke between us and our cardiologist, Dr. Gorham. At first he mentioned that he'd never known of anyone who voluntarily came in to have a treadmill test done. We patiently explained the process for serving a mission. He keeps assuring us that he will be able to "get us ready" for our mission. One visit, his nurse made the statement that if we were Catholic we wouldn't be going through all of this so it's become a running joke. He mentions it every visit. I told him that if Garth were Catholic, he'd probably be dead.

We've had another week from hell! Tuesday we spent the morning at the coumadin clinic and doctor's office on what we thought was a routine visit. Dr. Hourigan did a "heart trace" and we went home. We had a great day. On Wednesday morning, Garth felt really great and we were just making plans for our day and our future when the phone rang. Dr. Hourigan wanted Garth in Wenatchee as soon as we could get there because he needed to immediately have a pacemaker implanted because the nerve which receives the signal from his natural pacemaker had been compromised because of the surgery and was in danger of severing. It was very, very scary. With great fear and trepidation, we gathered up our things, Julirae and Dawniella, and hurried to Wenatchee. Jeff met us there and everyone was on pins and needles again. Because heart attack victims were filling up the emergency room, the device wasn't implanted until the next day.




Garth has responded very well to it and is doing just fine. Having a pacemaker installed, apparently, is nothing compared to what he'd already been through.

It's certainly been an adjustment--all of this. It's rather interesting to face your own mortality every time you go to the doctor. We're finding some interesting results of all this. One is that, for both of us, our internal thermometers have changed. Or maybe we've just synchronized. We've become much, much closer and we are always asking if the other's all right. I'm still having blood pressure problems, but we're making adjustments in my medication. We have become very aware of our health! Please, please look after yours as well.

MINI MIRACLES

Today was a red letter day for me! After nearly four weeks of non-stop worrying, the cardiologist gave me a clean bill of health. After getting the horrendous report on the first treadmill, he changed one of my medicines and that, apparently, has done the trick now that I've had 2 treadmills, an electrocaridogram, and an angiogram. Don't even mention how much this is all going to cost! Hopefully, Medicare and our insurances will stem the tide. He gave me a lecture on my blood pressure (which, apparently, skyrockets during doctor visits and medical procedures) and a strong warning to change my lifestyle. I'm working on it.

Garth is doing better each day. He really gets exasperated that he's not healing faster and wants to be well now! We also learned that Ty and Jennie's little girl Marcie who will be four on Monday was the recipient of a mini miracle as well. She's struggled with her hearing for some time now and an astute physician (actually a pre-med student) found a small piece of metal in her ear which has caused her hearing problems. So life is progressing again. As soon as Garth gets his clearance from all these doctors, we'll have the bishop send our papers in.

Just in case you need some ideas for Halloween--let your child put on his/her own makeup!