24 July 2012

2012 July 24

I've a bit of catching up to do.

July 18th started with Ella saying that she thought she'd go to the doctor's.  She had been vomiting in the night and said that her back hurt.  The doctor's office opened at 7 and I had to be at work at 8 so she took the truck and went by herself.
About 8:30 she called me to say that they were sending her to the hospital for a CT scan for possible appendicitis.  She ended up waiting quite a while for clearance from the insurance company.  Finally the doctor just told her to go in through the emergency room.
She left the doctors and came back home to ask Sue, one of our neighbors, to drive her to the hospital.
Around 11 she called to say that they had her pumped full of fluids and she was waiting for the scan.
About 12:45 she called to say that they were taking her in for surgery and that is was her appendix.
It was close to 2:15 when she got into surgery and about 3:10 when I got word that she was out and that everything was okay.
I was due off work at 4:30 but as soon as my replacement arrived and I could get away I left (about 4)
When I arrived at the hospital her daughter, son, daughter-in-law and grandsons and great grandson were there as well as Sue who had stayed with her the whole time.
She was in a small recovery room and only a few were allowed in at a time.  When my turn came, I was told that they were releasing her as soon as they were sure enough of the drugs were out of her system so she could walk.
We were home by about 6:30.  After she was settled, I went to have her prescriptions filled.

It will be a week tomorrow since the surgery and she has been up and active since the second day.  She was taking a pain pill every three hours for several days and is now taking some ibuprofen off and on.  She says that she is ready to go back to work except for swinging a mop.  She hasn't been released by the doctor as of yet.

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Day after day after day of over 100 degree temperatures.  We've been fighting with  the air conditioning in the Excel fifth wheel.  It would run for a while and then trip the circuit breaker in the RV's panel (not the one on the post outside).  After the first time, we started keeping a fan blowing on the panel (which is located in the bathroom/stool room).  This, in conjunction with setting the temperature switch at the highest possible setting, worked to keep it running off and on.  Two days ago it just wouldn't reset.  As soon as the breaker was reset and the a/c turned on again, it would trip the breaker again.
We went the other route and opened every window and all of the ceiling vents.  We ran two box fans in windows to move as much air as possible. This made me send many prayers for those who are in this heat and don't even have the luxury of a fan.  We are so blessed. And sometimes we take the blessings for granted.
Last night while I was at work our grandson, Nathan, came out and climbed onto the roof and hosed out the a/c unit.  It was very dirty.  We hadn't cleaned it after we brought the Excel home in the spring.  And it appears that it hadn't been cleaned for quite a while before we bought it.
After cleaning if has run just like it is supposed to run.  Thank God (and Nathan).
Last night was the first cool night of sleep we've had in a long time.

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Today Nathan, Beth, Charlotte, Lorelia and William came out to go swimming.  Here are some pictures.