Wednesday, February 29, 2012

HAPPINESS IS

Jim being able to drive again. Now we can go those places that have small parking lots (like the grocery store) and I don’t have to worry about whether I can get the truck into a parking spot.

Aunt Happy’s residence has a very small parking lot so the first place we went was to visit her. She’s still recovering from her eye surgery but almost done with doctor visits.  A virus hit their living complex and they were under quarantine for a week. Happy stayed in her room and had her meals brought to her so she escaped being sick. Everybody seems to be feeling okay now.

 IMG_4152

After leaving Happy’s, we went to visit my sister for a few minutes and then out to Old Chicago. Jim had a craving for pizza. And it really did a number on his blood sugar. So no more pizza for several months.

Jim felt really good but very tired when we finally got home. He’s still taking naps every day and Scooter just loves it. We went to Walmart this morning and he was able to walk all through the store and out to the truck without limping and pain. He could not do that before surgery. He and Scooter take walks a couple of times a day and he doesn’t have any pain.

The incision is still sore and uncomfortable, but I figure that feeling will last for six months or more. In fact, I figure it will be a year before he really is back to total recovery. As long as there’s no pain, we don’t care.

Doctor bills are starting to come in and I’ll be curious to see how much Jim’s surgery actually cost us.

IMG_4143

22 comments:

  1. What great news! So, so glad he is doing so well! Glad Aunt Happy is doing well also. I think the kids look like they are enjoying themselves also...hehe
    ~wheresweaver

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good to hear all is gong well and getting back to better then normal with Jim being able to walk without the pain. Beautiful pictures of the fur kids resting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can't believe the furry kids aren't under the blanket instead of on top or, gasp, without one altogether. Glad Jim is feeling better. I'm sure you can handle that truck just fine.

    http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's great about Jim getting around. Now you'll be independent and so will he. Has he started planning his first fishing trip yet?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happiness indeed! So good to hear about multiple types of freedom. And naps. Naps are good. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Being able to drive again is a huge step to recovery. It gives you both more independence, and that's a good thing. Congratulations, Jim!

    ReplyDelete
  7. butterbean carpenterFebruary 29, 2012 at 1:18 PM

    Howdy Sandie & Jim, and girls,
    Sure am glad Jim is recuperating so fast, DON'T OVERDO IT!! Keep doing all of the rehab exercises & the residual pain will be A LONG FORGOTTEN MEMORY!!
    So glad Aunt Happy missed out on the virus!! Now y'all can get out and get going again; all of the way over to North Ranch..

    ReplyDelete
  8. So glad that Jim is doing so well and is now able to drive and get out and about with no pain. Keep working at it and it will continue to improve. Glad Aunt Happy is doing well.

    Kevin and Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sounds like Jim will be doing cartwheels in no time. Nice to see everything is working out well. :c)

    ReplyDelete
  10. good to hear that the recovery process is going well!..one day at a time and soon all this will be but a distant memory!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ah, that makes us happy. Good job Jim (good job surgeons!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great news about Jim, getting out and driving will surely speed up his recovery

    ReplyDelete
  13. After about 8 weeks Jim will improve drastically and after 12 weeks he will be almost able to forget the surgery except its benefits. At least that's how it has worked for me. Best wishes for the best outcome, Rod

    ReplyDelete
  14. So glad Jim is doing so well. To be able to walk around pain free must be such a blessing. It was good to hear that Aunt Happy dodged the virus.

    Tow of the things that spike Russ's blood sugar are pizza and Chinese food. Just too many carbs. Papa Murphy's Take 'n' Bake has a real tasty very thin crust pizza that he can eat.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy to hear that Jim is no longer in pain and improving. Naps are very necessary ;-))

    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  16. So glad that Jim is doing so well! No pain is definitely a good thing:)

    ReplyDelete
  17. "No carbs after 5:00 p.m." was one of the pronouncements from my wife's doctor. She (the doc) seems to know her stuff. Actually, we've found the medical profession in Europe have a better handle on Diabetes over all.
    We find that restaurant food in general just doesn't work. No way of knowing what goes in, with elevated numbers as a result.
    Your mileage may vary.

    ReplyDelete
  18. GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE DOING SO WELL JIM. BILL REPORTED TO ME THE OTHER DAY AFTER HE VISITED WITH YOU ON THE PHONE.
    DID U TWO KNOW A LADY NAMED DONNIE MAE POTTENGER FROM APACHE JUNCTION? SHE & HER HUSBAND WERE FROM HERE IN BILLINGS WITH THE CHRISTMAS STORE AND SOME OTHER BUSINESS AND HAS PASSED AWAY..I NOTICED THAT THEY ARE HAVING A SERVICE FOR HER THERE IN APACHE JUNCTION..I THINK SHE WENT TO THE SAME CHURCH AS U TWO..BUT I'M NOT CERTAIN. THIS BOG THING HAS CHANGED,,,I THINK I USED TO DO THIS DIFFERENTLY, I KNOW U MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE OLD FOREMAT. LUV U GUYS!!! TAKE CARE!! HOW ARE THE TAXES COMING ALONG? WE ARE DONE WITH THEM, BUT QUITE A SURPRISE!!! MORE OF ONE THAN I IMAGINED THERE WOULD BE...OH WELL,CAN'T TAKE IT WITH U.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Won't be long & Jim will be wrestling those fish right out of the water again:))

    ReplyDelete
  20. The road to recovery can be rocky and steep, but it is a happy road even so!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am so glad to hear that Jim is feeling so much better. I can relate to what he was going through.

    Several weeks ago when a routine dental exam/cleaning showed something in my jaw bone. I was referred to a surgeon who sent me for a cat scan. I thought I was going for a consultation, but after looking at the films, he said, "You can't go anywhere, today. You have an infection and you need a bone and flesh graft." I didn't have any pain, but evidently it can affect the heart among other organs. Six hours later. Antibiotics and pain medication up the whazoo. No insurance, of course. Even though it's not concerning teeth, they consider it dental and neither my supplemental or Medicare will pay. That was the deciding factor about the trip west--after running every curse word I knew through my mind, I resigned myself to the fact that the trip west was not meant to be and back treatment would have to wait.

    I went back for a post surgery check, today. They removed the stitches, but said it's too early to tell if the graft is taking. This time they used synthetic material which I understand doesn't have the same success rate, but isn't as bad of a recovery. His words today, "Pray for bone." I've had two bone grafts in the past (one for my neck and one for my jaw)-both times they harvested my own bone.

    I have decided to take a short trip, meet some friends, and then take my daughter to Charleston for five days, move down to Savannah for a few days, and then to St. Augustine. It will help me with my anger. That's not until May, though.

    My little niece is on maintenance and is so happy to be back in school! Makes up for all the bad news. I felt such relief in my sister's voice. I want so badly to take a drive up to NY, but my son who is going through a divorce, needs me to watch his two Weimeraners for two weeks. I'm disappointed, but I started thinking, "What am I going to do in NY every day while my sister works. I don't want her taking more time from work nor do I want her to stay up late at night. I may still go as I have all of April and maybe could just stay a weekend--all that's still up in the air. I may have to see what can be done with my back in April

    Well, I almost wrote a blog! Sorry about that, Sandie!

    Again, I'm happy for Jim just because I'm happy for Jim, but it also gives me hope that surgery will help me at some point, too. "It never rains, it pours."

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a beautiful day.