Should I go or should I stay?

I have been battling with a decision for the last month. Earlier this year I talked with my sister and discussed me driving up for a visit when Gerry was on vacation. (so he could stay home and take care of the dogs) The weekend is quickly approaching, Memorial Day weekend. I seem to be finding lots of excuses not to go. The one excuse that tops the list is, I am afraid to drive that far by myself. Seven hours without stopping, so for someone my age it would be more like 9 hours. Time to stop to eat, and numerous stops for potty breaks. Hey, when your old the coffee goes right through ya! I know my sister is waiting for an answer. I need some feed back friends. Anyone have any ideas how to get over a fear? I also planned on staying at a hotel to save work for my sister and also to give all of us some private space, but after seeing the price of hotels and considering the cost of high test gas, what I save at a hotel could go in my gas tank. So Barb, you will have to wash the sheets when I leave. :)

Nine hours one way, to be repeated three days later....I shiver at the thought. How come I would have done this 10 years ago without blinking an eye???

Anyone have any ideas other then calming drugs that would put me to sleep while driving? :)

A NEW DAY

My niece Tammi had a fun and interesting link on her blog site where you can test yourself to discover your Personal DNA. I did the challenge and the results said I was an Encouraging Realist. I think that fits me pretty well. Give it a try yourself and let me know what your test results are.
Update on Dad living with us. Well tomorrow is Monday and we are moving Dad back to his house. This last month has definitely had it's ups and down. When they say a child can't move back home also fits with a parent moving into a child's home. Different ideas of life, timetables running at separate times, political views that will never mesh, and stubbornness on every ones part that just wont give an inch can make for frustration, anger and words spoken in haste. I always thought I was a patient person but I found out I am not as patient as I thought. Course I always knew my Dad was stubborn beyond believe and he admits to that and agrees everything has to be his way or no way. So...last weekend when my dad got so mad at me that he was trying to find someone to come pick him up and take him home we had a father and daughter sit down discussion. This week when I talked with the visiting nurse and the in home therapist they both agreed that Dad could very well go home and with a couple of things in place to help and protect him he will be returning to his home tomorrow. It is hard to admit but we are all breathing a sigh of relief that this month is almost over.

Growing old is a horrible thing. The things our bodies and minds do to us is degrading and embarrassing. Having someone around to point out our faults just makes things worse. Dad is quick to tell me that I am doing something wrong as if I was 12 instead of 56, and I am quick to tell him he stopped up the toilet yet again. I know when we both have our own space again and are in the comfort of our own privacy once again we will be much happier. Gerry has been a saint through all this but he agrees with me that Monday is not coming fast enough. ;)

So Dad, God bless you and watch over you and when the time comes that you can not continue to live alone we will deal with what we must do then. I wonder if Dad would like living in Michigan or Georgia, or Illinois? (My sister and her kids ) :)

Life has changed here.

When we built this house 5 years ago we put in a suite for my dad should he want to live with us. We really planned out a very nice area, 1000 sq. ft of room, living room, hall, bedroom, bath, kitchenette. Direct TV hookup. What more could anyone want. Well, Dad wasn't ready to move in so Gerry and I have had a very comfortable and happy private life. That is till Friday. A week ago Dad was taken to the hospital for a combination of ailments that together sounded like flu symptoms. After the doctors ran tests for 4 days they proclaimed him clear to go home. They could not find anything wrong other then the typical aches, pains and complaints of a man almost 90 years old. The doctors didn't want him to return to his home so an ambulet delivered dad to our door. Whether he wants to be here or not...he is here.

Now the world is turned upside down for all three of us. One thing Dad likes about being here is the food I am cooking for him. I'm hoping after a few weeks he will find other things he likes about the place. :)

So please keep us in your prayers that this all works out without any blood being spilled. Hopefull I will find some funny things to write about in the coming days. Wanna hear about the clogged toilet? ;)

Dee....a reluctant nurse. :)

And The Snows Came

I could not have picked a better time to be recuperating from surgery. The weather here in Ohio turned arctic last weekend. On Friday the icy rain came coating everything. The trees and bushes looked beautiful but the roads were terrifying. On Saturday the snows came...piling on top of all that ice we got hit with anywhere from 6 - 20 inches of snow. Depending on how the winds blew. Being our house sits upon a hill we had drifts 3 feet deep. Ever try walking through snow higher then your knees? My neighbor came over to visit and always called 911 half way there. She thought she might need the help of a helicopter to pull her out of the drift.

Most of the snow has melted the last few days, especially today while our temperature is in the mid 50s. It still is very pretty out there, in all the bright sunshine and now that the danger of driving in the snow and ice is over we can enjoy the snow in all its glory.

Living in the country has a few quirks. One, we don't have a lot of the modern conveniences....like fast internet connection. Another is we lose power often and for long periods at a time. The more populated areas get quicker attention then a few homes in a 5 mile radius. Also being that our streets are not busy the salt trucks or the snow removal trucks usually pass through on the rare occasion someone remembers where the farmers live. But look at this view!!! No small inconvenience could ever outshine the beauty and the quiet of country living. If you haven't tried it, do!

Keep Warm :)

On The Mend

It has been 11 days since my surgery. Yes, I am glad it's over and yes I am glad to be home but gee....no one told me about the specific uncomfortable moments I was going to have. Because of the type of surgery I had, while I was under anesthesia they put my body into positions that a normal body doesn't get into and especially for extended periods of time. I think 30 seconds would have been long enough, not over an hour. Imagine if you will...riding a horse for a month without ever getting off. The thought of not ever being able to get my legs back together crossed my mind many times. I have had muscle aches from over working them, but sheesh nothing like this. I also came home with a horrid sore throat from having the tube shoved down it. They need to make industrial strength throat spray that numbs everything totally for at least 10 hours between sprays. Someone invent something soon. :)

5 days after surgery I realized the meds I was on and the after effects were stopping up areas that ususally move normally. Orders from the doctor, no driving for three weeks, no sweeping for a couple of months and no straining, ever! When I went back to the doctor for my one week follow-up, she nodded in agrement with my discomfort and said, "Just give it another week and take Milk of Magnesia, I'll see you in a month." It's gonna be a long month......

Upcoming Surgery

In less then two weeks I'm having a surgical repair. I saw the surgeon on Tuesday for a last minute question and answer session. What they describe as a simple fix-it sounds pretty awful to me. You see many many years ago I had a couple of pregnancies. Although neither went full term the effects of the pregnancies have remained with me all these years. I am having a Pelvic organ prolapse repair Where they use a little mesh hammock and tuck everything back into place. Sounds easy enough yes? The worst part for me is the healing period. No driving for 3 - 4 weeks, no lifting anything over 15 lbs for 3 months, I may need to wear a diaper for a week or two and pads for 6 - 8 weeks, no vacuuming for 3 months....well that is not a bad deal. :) I will have to take medications for various bodily functions that cannot be discussed on this blog or anywhere in the civilized world. I keep asking myself, is this really necessary. My doctor says it is. Sigh See this is what happens when you get old and bored, you find things to make your life disgusting ;)

Feb 27th is the date for the surgery, mark your calendars to send me get well e-mails. :) So please everyone keep me in their thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery and to my young nieces out there that are still giving birth.....NEVER STOP KEGELING!!

It has been over a month since I have posted anything on my blog. I have many reasons for the slow posts:

A. We had a big holiday that kept me non-stop and when I did sit down....I fell asleep.

B. Nothing exciting has happened to talk about.

C. I have been fighting a UTI that just makes me feel blah!

D. It's January.

So because I have been feeling guilty about not posting anything....I give to you a few of my favorite pictures of my dogs. Well, the name of this blog is Gone to the Dogs, so here they are.

Best Friends!I'm ready for my close up.
Kelsey snuggled up.

Lookin' out the window.

Bed Time!

Looking at these pictures always makes me smile. I hope they give you a grin too.

The only thing I have happening soon is a surgery scheduled on Feb 27th where they are going to pick my bladder up off the floor and sew it back inside where it belongs. Warning to all those mothers out there....my nieces, bladders tend to drop during pregnancy and when you reach menopause they fall out! So when you hear a mother talk about their child and mention what a pain in the lower extremities they are....this is not a phrase, this is fact! Hopefully this will take care of those UTIs and I can move onto my next old age adventure. :)