After our trip

It has been a wild past few weeks and the next couple weeks will continue on the same schedule. But for right now, I am relaxing in the office with my laptop on my lap (that's why it is called a laptop!), watching Rachel Ray and writing this blog. I have never gotten 'into' Ms Rachel, but today she just seems to fit right in.  She might just have to become a part of my life. I also love 'The Talk'.  Those ladies are so sweet and wonderful.  I feel like I am having coffee right with them; but hence, I only am able to watch them a couple times a month due to my schedule (sleep or helping Gary).
We came back last week from a vacation in N Myrtle Beach, SC.  It was wonderful!  We rented a two-bedroom condo right on the ocean, where I commenced to sleep, eat and 'watch the waves' my way through my much needed time off!  Yes, I did only eat, sleep and watch the surf for the first 2 days.  After that, I had energy only in the afternoons for us to go sight-seeing. I do have all my photos in an album now, so I could meet any of my readers for lunch/supper and share the trip with you!  Call me for an 'appointment'.....5152387162. 

Yes, this was the view from our 'patio'!

Lance spent 3 weeks with Bergan & Carrie while we were gone.  We had a week without him while I packed (it was like Gary & I were honeymooning!) and then our trip without him.  He did survive without us as he had  the kids, grandkids, the granddoggies and kitties to play with.  Actually he played with everyone except the kitties.  He harrassed them.  They had to be kept upstairs with the childgate at the bottom of the stairway so they could have the upstairs and Lance could have the downstairs.  Bergan tells me his did let Lance up there once just to see what would happen, hoping the kitties would take a good 'swipe' at him and teach him a lesson.  But instead, they ran and hid very well where Lance couldn't reach them. When they returned him, Cojak (one of their doggies) didn't want to leave Lance here, but Bergan coaxed him to go home.  Then Lance pouted at the door wanting to go with them after they left. Awwwww....   Lance did readjust; well, sort of.  He has never left my side since and follows me all over the house.  He had been snuggled up to me in bed everytime I sleep and is now chewing his bone at my feet while I write this.  Ouch! He just hit my foot with his bone! 

Well, I must go.  Ms Rachel is over and I have 'tasks' to do here.  Brad put an icemaker in our freezer last night so now I must clean up after his job (it was 1am when he left and I was asleep by then), put the food back in the freezer, do a load of laundry, label my photos from our trip, get Gary his shower and still take Lance for his walk (it was raining this morning and he played 'chicken' by sticking his nose in the rain and running back into the house!). My big brave doggie!

The latest on Gary

Bergan & Carrie have taken Lance for 2 weeks to give us a break.  Though I do miss my hound (hugging him, kissing him, cuddling with him on the couch and in bed), it is very nice to have only Gary to think of and care for.  I kind of feel like we're honeymooning.

These past couple weeks, I have been addressing Gary's swelling legs.  He has always had the swelling in his legs and feet due to being immobile in the wheelchair; but these past 4-6 weeks, the skin condition in his feet have been affected also.  The skin has gotten thick and scaly (sp?).  He has a couples sores on his legs that aren't healing and a black spot on a callous on the bottom of his foot appeared.  All this progression in such a short time alarmed me.  I took him into the doctor, who did some lab work:  his blood sugar is fine (no diabetes--this is checked at least once a year and has always been fine), his kidneys are also very good.  So he referred us onto the vein center.  The vein center did an ultrasound on the veins in his legs and they showed up clear and he has a decent pulse in his feet.  He quickly passed us onto a physical therapist for working with his lymphatic system in his legs and feet. 

We have been to Janet (our PT) twice now.  Gary is massaging his lymph glands daily (with a little help from me) and I just learned how to massage his legs and feet yesterday.  Today I will do it on my own here at home.  I learned how the lymphatic system works and how to break up the 'bad' protein deposits in his legs and feet (they are really bad in his feet which are actually hard from it).  I also learned that the diabetic socks we have been using for the past year, are the best things for his legs & feet at this time!  So nice to have some affirmation of my caregiving.  So many people have told us to use compression socks, which we quickly negated.  Our PT agreed with us that they would have actually did more harm than good in Gary's situation. The hardness in his feet is actually protein buildup that is outside of the lymphatic system and is lodged in his feet.  We have to get it broken up so it can re-enter the lymph system and be eliminated from his body; AND we have to get his lymphatic system moving again. The 'bad stuff' is eliminated from the body through the urine ('peeing'), bowel movements ('shitting'), and the lungs in breathing.  We will be watching the lungs since he has has trouble with bronchitis in the past few years; but his kidneys are in great condition, which will be our ally!

Our treatment right now?   I do the massage on his legs and feet daily, alternating the legs (one leg one day, the other leg the next day). Vaseline on his legs and feet daily (yes, vaseline--she said its the best for dry, scaling skin), Vicks Vaporub for the toenail fungus (put a little Vicks on his blackened toenails daily-the healing properties of Vicks breaks up and heals the infection of the fungus--really!--that is what Janet recommends). Then she gave us a sock wrap to put on each leg under his regular sock. And we continue with putting the wedge foam under his feet in the recliner at night and he is to lay back enough that his feet are above his heart, which he has been doing for that past 2 weeks.  Currently he is in his recliner more than in his wheelchair. Janet affirmed that is the best thing for him right now.  In a month, she will introduce a pump for his legs and feet; but we are to keep doing this therapy for now. 

I am so glad I took him in and I wish I had done that when we first got married.  But I didn't know what I know now.  And Gary also believed his leg problem was just due to being in the wheelchair all day.{As I am writing this, I keep expecting Lance to come around the corner begging me for a walk}

My own PT has now ended, at least at the rehab center; the tendinitis in my right arm is basically healed, but it now has flared up in my left arm. Thankfully, I know how to take care of it and am doing so at home. As long as I am caring for Gary, I will always have to be aware of my own arm and back muscles and do my own strength building workouts so I can continue to help him.