August Update

Today was supposed to be the day our concrete work got started after delaying the original date of Monday the 27th. We weren’t too impressed when nobody showed up or called until Phil left voice mail after ten this morning. Now the concrete work has been delayed until next Tuesday September 4. I can understand not wanting to start tomorrow and then leaving us with three days of lack of access to one of our exits. I just wish they’d called to let us know. The owner of the company did call and apologized which helped.

I haven’t written much here, because there just hasn’t been much beyond the norm of doing laundry during the week and busy weekends at church and the Malt Shop. My depression continues to plague me, and friends are noticing that I’m quieter than usual. I don’t laugh as readily and always seem to be tired.

We’re holding our breath and hope to make it through August without a hospitalization for Phil.. It will be the first since March with no hospitalizations. When Phil is hospitalized everything stops as I manage both dogs or look for someone to watch Blake while Lancer and I go do our work. Then there’s the stress of worrying about Phil and his care. Hospital doctors don’t always listen to him, and that has meant over-hydration and subsequent puffiness and weight gain. The fluids overwhelm the kidney.

Phil is having an angiogram on the 12th of October. There’s always a bit of risk to the kidney with this procedure, but doctors feel they can manage it OK

I’ve found myself receiving a lot of e-mail I just don’t need anymore. Almost every day for the last two weeks, I’ve unsubscribed from some list or other. I have no idea how I got on some of these lists, but I definitely want less e-mail in my life — particularly from lists.

The dogs are doing fine. Blake and Phil are riding with a friend to and from work, until Phil feels ready to walk the five blocks to the bus. At least hes able to do most things around the house now without being on his knees and wearing knee pads. For the first week home from his last hospitalization, knee pads were the norm. This is because the right prosthetic didn’t fit do to swelling.

Phil is taking some much deserved vacation, which he was hoping to use for being here for concrete work. He has had to take a lot of sick time the last few months so hasn’t felt taking vacation was worth getting even more behind at work. He maxes out on vacation often, but the sick time has been a lot between all of the hospitalizations and time home afterward.

The dogs are starting to sing their chorus which means it’s time to feed and relieve them. I’d better go take care of it.