Pacemaker Adjustments; Elective Surgery Now Allowed; Peg-leg Glen; Left Foot Surgery

As life goes on in self isolation, I continue to enjoy the WebEx class each Tuesday morning. It has been enlightening hearing others' insights into impressions each of us have felt as we are now reading and discussing each session of general conference.

I signed up for Web Cooking Classes--complete with a worksheet to fill in during the class. This chef believes in cooking methods over following recipes. Don't know if I'll ever get to the point of coming up with my own original recipes and not following recipes, but I did enjoy some of the cooking tips he shared.

I continue to enjoy walking outside as often as I can. The day I decided to walk further up from Bountiful Boulevard made me so happy as I recalled a day many months ago when I was wearing a heart monitor and couldn't even make it halfway up the first big hill. I was gasping so hard for air and had to turn around and go back down. 

This day I was doing great and was feeling so happy about it.

The view from above the golf course is so beautiful.

I stopped to look closely at an artistic chalk-art driveway.

I have been admiring the beautiful flowering trees.

I had a telemed appointment with Dr. Freedman, my cardiologist. That is sure a convenient way to see a doctor! I didn't even have to leave my home for the doctor visit.

He cut my new heart medication in half once again and wanted to adjust my pacemaker back from it kicking in when my heart goes below 60 beats a minute to 50 beats a minute. He is hoping my heart will work more on its own if he makes these adjustments. 

He said I would have to go into his office--which is inside the University of Utah Hospital--to have the adjustment made on my pacemaker. YIKES!! But, he assured me he felt like I had very little chance of getting COVID-19 by going in. That was...comforting...? as we drove up and saw a big medical tent set up...

I donned my mask, left Glen waiting in the car because visitors aren't allowed, and went in for the pacemaker adjustment. 

I have received several compliments on my pink mask. It is so hard for me to breathe with a mask on. I struggle on a good day to fill my lungs. Cover my oxygen supply and it's not good at all. 

I am never quite truthful when I get asked the COVID-19 symptom checker questions when it comes to the question, "Are you having shortness of breath?" 

Well, the answer is always YES!! But I just say no so the medical people don't get all up in arms thinking I have the dreaded disease.

The next two days were rough for me as I was having more difficulty on my walks, both with energy and with breathing. I had a heavy feeling about me. I called the doctor to see if I could get my pacemaker adjusted back. 

Once again we drove back to the hospital, got another adjustment, learned there had been a second adjustment made the previous time and so this time only that setting got adjusted. They kept me at 50 beats per minute. 

By the time I got back to the car, I could feel my lungs had opened up more and I had a much lighter feeling about me. I was so hopeful. 

But, a week later, I still feel like I want to be adjusted more in that direction to see if it will open up my lungs more. I want optimal settings for my particular circumstances.

Enough about me--let's move on to Glen.

We were so happy to hear that elective surgeries are happening once again. Glen has been so tired of having a sore foot and ankle for going on 2 years. He was able to schedule an MRI of his ankle to see what was going on inside there that was causing him so much pain. The doctor said it could be from the bone splinter from a fracture he had gotten a long time ago. 

The MRI also showed the sore spot on top of Glen's foot is not the same spot where he had the previous bone grafting done 13 years ago. It is closer to the big toe area. We felt it was a blessing that he needed an MRI for his ankle because it made the top area of his foot more clear for the doctor to know exactly where to repair.

The day this contraption was delivered to our door step was a great day for Glen...or so he thought... He had ordered an iWalk hands-free crutch--or a peg-leg as Glen so lovingly calls it. He got busy with the assembly process. 

He was (notice I use that word in the past tense) so convinced this apparatus would be so much better than using crutches or a scooter. Perhaps he will eventually decide it is better.

He just needed to figure out how to get it attached to his leg and not topple over in the process.

Hurrah!! He did it!! He's upright and not holding onto anything!!

It was a big work-out for Glen to walk around the house in that contraption. Going up the stairs was fine, but coming down was a whole other story. He was scaring me to death. We both decided it was a very good idea to practice using that thing BEFORE he had foot surgery.

I had to laugh when I walked into the office and saw the spot Glen had chosen to park the peg leg.

Glen was offered the loan of a scooter from Stacey Gilmore in our ward who has now recovered from her foot surgery. Her husband had bought the deluxe model for her. It looks like Glen could go off-roading on that thing!

We pulled the crutches out of storage and he practiced using them as well.

After I sent photos to our children of Glen using all these modes of transportation, Ben commented that he just needs a wheelchair and then he'll have all the bases covered!

The doctor authorized Glen to get a temporary handicap sign to hang from the rear view mirror which he had to go pick up from the DMV.

On Saturday, Glen got busy on a project in the back yard. The sides of the deck needed to be secured better, so he was out there on a ladder working to get bolts into place all around the deck.

When I hadn't heard him making his usual noise out there for a while, I went to check on him. It was a disconcerting feeling to see the ladder toppled over into the trees. 

Pretty soon I could see him. He had taken a break from the deck to go pull vines down from the trees. Those things have invaded the back wooded area of our yard.

When we opened the garage door later that day, we saw grandchildren artwork all over the driveway. It brought a smile to our faces knowing they had been sneaky enough to come at a time when we wouldn't see them doing it.

We were on our way to Smokin Bones Barbeque for take-out. It was on a whim we decided to order from there as we had never eaten there nor had we ever heard anything about it. 

Glen had been looking on Google for restaurants near us and when that one came up, we gave it a try.

We have both missed the delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs from Carlsbad Coyote Grill in California.

Well just take a look at these bones. The meat just fell off them and the barbeque sauce tasted so good. We looked at each other with our thoughts screaming, "WE HAVE FOUND A NEW RIBS RESTAURANT!!!!" Oh happy day!!!

Sunday rolled around again. After our home sacrament meeting, we got busy cooking Sunday dinner. We were expecting guests. WHAT?!?!!??

I know. Unheard of these days.

That weekend the restrictions in our city were lifted a bit. We really wanted Glen to get a blessing before his surgery, so he invited the Goldens and Ben's family over for dinner. Rebecca felt like they have been isolated for so long that this is probably the most healthy their family has been in a long time.

It was so nice to hug our family members once again. It feels like we have been so estranged from them--even though both families live within 15 minutes of us.

Brooke prides herself on her selfie-taking ability and her confidence that she could get us all in the photo. She was right! 

After dinner and the two blessings that were requested, we convened to the kitchen where Glen started making his favorite snack. Kade joined him and enjoyed Glen's rendition of the "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" song.

 

 

Then it was game time! Can't have a gathering with Ben and Haley without playing a game or two or more. 

Glen likes to mow the lawn on Mondays. He got his last mow in of the season. From here on out we will rely on Ben or Dallas to get that job done.

Glen had one more base to cover before he could have surgery and that was getting a COVID-19 test done. He got swabbed three days before surgery and was told to isolate after that until surgery.

I was very surprised to see the two people working doing the testing were not wearing full protective gear.

After doing the paperwork, out came the swab. I was so hoping it was the big, deep nose swab that I have experienced several times in the past so Glen could have that experience. YUCKY!!

Nope! He got off easy with a mere gagging swab of the back of his throat.

This meant only three more days until surgery. All the anticipation of it was coming to a head. The thoughts of going through surgery and then the many months of recovery were looming over us.

We know some people who are very much looking forward to the months ahead--the homeschoolers in the family. School is out for most of them!!!! The children are excited to be done with school work for a while. Yay for all the homeschool moms!!

The big day for surgery had arrived. The surgery center is in Bountiful in the same building where Glen goes for his doctor visits.

The anesthesiologist did the first part of his work. He gave Glen some medication in his IV to relax him. He turned him over on his side and got this huge, fat syringe full of medication which he put very slowly into the back of his lower leg. It was a block to numb up his whole lower extremity.

He then got whisked off to surgery and I left the building. Surgery was going to be over 3 hours long and I did not want to sit in that waiting room wearing a required mask for that long. I went to pick up Glen's prescriptions and went home to wait for the call that he was finished.

When I walked into the recovery room, Glen was awake...mostly...? He started talking to me in Spanish. It was weird.

I kept telling him to stop and speak English, but he kept the Espanol going. Finally, I could see something click with him and he snapped out of it and was finally speaking English.

Again I will say--it was weird.

I was there a while before they released him. He was complaining of his right side really hurting. The nurse noticed blood on the outside of the bandage and got concerned about that. She put an extra pad and wrap on it and said to watch it. 

I had forgotten to get something for Glen at the pharmacy, so I asked if Rebecca and Brooke could pick it up for us. I knew they were out getting Brooke's braces put on. We got to see the newly-braced Brooke before anyone else.

Rebecca and Brooke helped get Glen into the house where we visited together for a few minutes while Glen ate some Popscicles that he had been looking forward to because his throat was so dry.

It was comforting to have them there as Glen made his way down to the basement. Stairs are so scary for a wobbly man on drugs who has only one usable leg. 

That evening my ministering sisters came bearing gifts of food and a bound book of all the general conference talks with room on the side of each page to make notes. She is our WebEx leader and I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

These sisters insisted on bringing dinner to us even when I assured them I am very capable of fixing meals. Glen loved Carol's steak and potatoes.

I loved Tiffany's carrot sticks, orange jello and chocolate-covered strawberries. She so thoughtfully included paper products to make for an easy clean-up.

Glen didn't get home until the afternoon, so this is just half a day's worth of running up and down the stairs to help him.

Ice on for 30 minutes. Ice off for 30 minutes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I wondered how many flights I would get on a full day of nursing my post-op husband.

Here's the perky patient the next morning. On his BIRTHDAY!!!! All was well as the deadening hadn't worn off. 

Here's the patient in the afternoon. He was starting to feel the pain as the deadening was beginning to wear off. 

In honor of Glen's birthday, I am going to share the birthday card Mom sent to him a few days ago. He laughed and laughed when he read it.

Good one, Mom! Thanks for the chuckle for me and the full belly laugh for Glen.