Cayla sent a text and said they are sending her home, the doc had her prepare for 3 days, so I am assuming he is very pleased. I guess she is getting ready as she hasn't said anything else. It is a 3 hour drive for her, I dread it for her.
We know drugs is a horrible, horrible thing in our country. I am sure that Vanderbilt will take care of that nurse. That is the first problem she has ever had there.
Happy 4th Of July
Sandra hope Cayla made it home safely and without too much pain! That is a LONG ride after surgery!
This message was edited Aug 24, 2015 6:41 AM
They took her for an MRI and it put her in so much pain, she told them she could t go, they agreed. The incision is almost to her neck.
My goodness that's a long incision!!
Happy birthday, Charlotte!!!
Thank you Jeri!
Yes, Happy Birthday, Charlotte! I hope today is a great day.
I just realized it's nearly the end of August and we are still working off July's thread! We are lazy or busy or both. We miss Marilyn starting off a new thread for us. Oh well, might as well wait until September now.
Sandra, I hope Cayla is doing ok.
Happy Birthday Charlotte
Thank you all for the Birthday wishes!!! It's a beautiful day here. Overcast but in the 80's. I could actually feel a cool breeze - sorta like fall weather.
I hadn't realized we were still on the same thread. I don't guess it's that important that we change every month unless it just gets too long. What ever works! That's sorta my motto lately! LOL
I talked to Jeff yesterday and Justin's apartment is not furnished but it seems they have a unique tradition on campus that makes it pretty easy. When someone moves out any furniture they don't want to take with them they just put outside and everyone knows it's free to anyone that wants it. Doesn't sound like anyone is buying anything! They have some free stuff they picked up and one of Kristi's friends remodeled her guest bedroom and gave Justin an extra long twin mattress and box springs. He's already taken it down. I'm sure he will just put it on the floor. He took a chest from his bedroom and I imagine that's the extent of his furnishing!
A group of them have rented a two story duplex. Six boys in the bottom unit and 6 girls in the top unit. Each unit has 3 bedrooms, living room and kitchen/dining. I'm like Jeff, it would be nice to own it and get the rental income. You also have guarantee tenants and always a waiting list! They each pay 650.00 a month for a total of $7,800 a month. Also the owner requires that one person collect all the money each month and issue him a check for the total amount. Jeff told Justin he sure didn't want him being the person that was responsible for collecting because if you don't collect the whole amount you have to personally cover the deficit!
Clint has a private room because of his job as floor coordinator (not the right name for it). Another one of Kristi's friends decided to replace her couch and gave Kristi her old one which Jeff said has nothing wrong with it. His room has two beds in it so he's taking out one bed and using the couch to make a sitting area in his room. Jeff was not too thrilled about having to take a big couch down to him and less thrilled about what he was going to do with it at the end of the year!
Still enjoying cooler weather here!!
LOL that sounds familiar Charlotte. They do the same thing at OBU and possibly every college campus - they put some furniture out on the curb and people pick it up. But, they also throw away a tremendous amount of stuff. The kids in the apartments are much more likely to put good items out on the curb, a lot of the kids in the dorms just throw it in the dumpster! The storage ottoman that we just recovered for Jessica was one Alex got off the curb that was like new - but so many of the kids just have cars and have a limited amount of space to haul things home. If they live very far, only what fits in the car goes. I was appalled by the waste when I picked Alex up at the end of his freshman year. I said Goodwill or Salvation Army should take a truck to every college campus at the end of the year and let them load it up instead of hauling all that stuff to the landfills.
Wow - 7800 a month income on a duplex! I would say that is really good money - of course, I am sure their property is a lot more expensive there. Everybody thought property was about to go way up here but Lockheed didn't get selected for the big contract they were bidding on - so that won't be happening anytime soon. Lockheed has spent a LOT of money on a building here and surrounding areas where they had planned to produce the vehicle. For the first time in the first past 28 years, there was actually some new construction going on and "hope" in the city that hasn't been here in a really long time, but the contract went to Oshcosh, Wisconsin. The rumor was that they had other plans for the facility even if they didn't get that contract, but I don't know how much truth there is in that. We sure need something in this area!
It is a wonderful morning here with temps in the low 60s but going to 88 today. I wish I was home working in my yard - but instead, break is over and I am back to work here! :) Ya'll have a great day!
Sandra, I haven't seen an update on Cayla - I sure hope all is going well!
Genna
I've also been wondering how Cayla is doing!!!
It's a 6 hour drive from home to Justin's college so he doesn't come home that often during the year and they are not going to haul a bunch of stuff down for him. His girlfriend's parents have a beach home in Southern CA and he went down with the family for a week right after they got possession of the duplex. He and his girl friend took Kristi's van down and he dropped his mattress off. They didn't allow him to have a car at college last year. He has not allowed any of them to take a car to college. It's easy for Jake and Clint to get home on public transportation and they can get anywhere they need to go on public transportation. It's harder for Justin to get home. He has been riding with a couple of older kids from his town that also go to Santa Barbara. One time he needed to come home but at a time they were not coming and he rode a bus/train to somewhere and Jeff picked him up. He had been thinking about possibly letting him take a car back this year but not sure what he decided. I forgot to ask.
Loving this cooler weather!!
Cayla has not had much improvement as of yet. She emailed her doc a couple of days ago and he told her it could be as much as 6 months to a year before she sees all the benefits from the surgery. She was so depressed after getting that e-mail I think it actually set her back. He had told her she would see some immediately and others would take time before the surgery. She said her legs might feel a little stronger, but that is all she has seen so far. She is still in a lot of pain.
As you can see the incision goes almost to her neck and it is very hard for her to find a position she can be comfortable in.
Sandra you said the incision went all most to her neck but until I saw this picture I just couldn't imagine just what you were talking about!! I can understand why the email would cause her to be depressed. After going through all she has gone through and then no real immediate relief from such a surgery. I know it is so hard for you to see all that she is going through. When our kids hurt we hurt!! Hopefully as she heals she will begin to see some improvement.
Bless her Sandra we will keep remembering her.
Cindy, how are you doing?
I was so hopeful that Cayla was gonna at least find relief from her surgery. Lamar's back surgery was a success but he is still in bad pain and told me when we were in Vicksburg that he now understands how someone becomes dependent on drugs when you hurt like him. Breaks my heart!!!
Mary has been just on the verge of given up lately but yesterday they told her the cancer is back and has spread. Without chemo they give her 8-10 months. All of a sudden she hasn't given up and is ready to fight.
Mary just can't seem to totally kick the cancer! Glad to hear she is ready to fight it back! I know she gets so tired of going through chemo.
Oh Jeri, I am so sorry to hear about Mary. Is she still in the house with you?
I too can understand how pain drives you to the drugs. I still have pain with my back on occasion, nothing I can't live with so far. Sometimes my shoulder hurts enough I will take one for that. I have the same bottle I got last Dec, so I don't take them much, but I sure want some on hand in case of a ruptured disk !!! I hope I never have another, but after 3 it stays in the back of my mind.
Speaking of shoulders, the doc is getting things ready (workers comp permission) for Jerry's shoulder surgery. It will be an out patient surgery at the surgery center. He is hoping to have a date in a couple of weeks. The PT has helped him a lot, he doesn't have near as much pain as he did. He even mowed the yard Tues !!
Glad to hear Jerry is finally going to get his shoulder fixed!!!
That is really good news for Jerry!!!
Sandra, that is great news that Jerry has made such great progress. I know he must be getting restless if he is out mowing the yard. Of course if your weather has been like ours, it was too nice to sit in the house. I'm really glad to hear he will be getting his shoulder surgery soon.
I too was hopeful Cayla would have some major relief from her pain. Didn't realize it would take so long for her to have results. Or that she would have such an incision!
Jeri, so sad to hear Mary's cancer has spread. You never know how this news will affect someone. My friend at work (Sharry) has had the last of her chemo and will likely have a couple of radiation treatments as 'insurance', and then a PET scan sometime in mid-to-late September. She is hopeful all this has worked. Hers was (and I speak in past tense because we are so hopeful she's kicked it) Stage 1.
Sandra, Cayla's scar looks a lot larger than I envisioned! I bet she is hurting......
So glad to hear that Jerry's shoulder has improved - and that they are getting close to a date to go in and make needed repairs. How are his hands? Is he getting full motion back in them? I had an accident while helping Jessica with one of her projects and she accidently dropped a large glob of hot glue on the back of my right index finger....... before I even thought, I tried to wipe it off with my left index finger and ended up severely burning it as well. I had about a 1.5" deep burn on the back of the one finger and almost the entire first digit of the left index finger burned.....talk about a mess. EVERYTHING you do almost involves your fingers and you don't even think about it! Thankfully, they are finally better. Tomorrow will be two weeks. I was able to keep both blisters in tact until last Saturday morning I work up with the large one on the back of the finger busted - so then I had to debreed the old skin off - which was NOT fun. I wouldn't let Leigh do it because he isn't good on that type of thing, and Jessica can't stand that type of thing so I had to do it left handed! It is still really sore and I still have to stretch it several times a day, but I think I am finally on the mending side.
Jeri, I am so sorry to hear about Mary's latest news! I thought she was doing better......... She looked so good when we were there over Spring break!
Constant pain messes with your mind for sure! We had a co-worker here that committed suicide several years ago because he could never get pain free - he just stayed in constant pain, and had taken so many pills and was on the patches until they didn't do anything. Might as well have been drinking water........... then another co-worker's dad was in the same boat a couple of years ago and also committed suicide. It is so sad - but after two back surgeries myself and knowing how excruciating that type of pain can be, I don't know that I could survive long like that either. Jeri, hopefully if the surgery was successful, his pain will start to ease.
The weather here is gorgeous......... low 60s this morning! Can't believe we are getting this in August - but it sure is nice! My plants are breathing a sigh of relief because that killer heat was doing them in!
Kyle and Maddie are coming for a visit this weekend! It will be really nice to have them home for a couple of days. Don't know if I told ya'll but Kyle has changed jobs - he was working as a scribe just for about 24 hrs a week - and wasn't always getting that many. He has gotten a job as an opthalmologist tech - he got a $ 4.00/hr raise and went to 40 hrs per week! Plus, instead of sitting in a room typing on a computer all day - he is getting to do tests and procedures on patients and has a lot of hands on interaction so he loves it. Since they have a full year, they really needed full time positions.
Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!
We will be getting a new assessment from the therapist on Jerrys hand next week, we go to Birmingham the 3rd, just guessing I think he has about 40% of what he was able to do before the accident. I really don't think it is going to get any better now after so many weeks of therapy.
He can use it some, but he still drops stuff a lot !!
Glad the kids are coming to visit and also about the job
Well I had some excitement this afternoon!! I was gone to the antique mall for a while and as soon as I came in the house I smelled something burning. It was strongest toward the garage. I went in the garage and there was a really strong burning smell but I couldn't find anything causing the problem. Richard doesn't smoke anymore and I have hidden all cigarettes and lighters where he can't possibly find them. I decided I needed to call the fire department. Then I got Richard and the dogs in the back yard. It took them a while to figure out what was going on but they finally found it! I have 6 florescent fixtures in the garage and the ballast on the one by the back door had gone out. The firemen kept saying it smelled like paper burning. The paper label on the fixture was scorched! The light was coming on and off on that fixture and they finally unplugged it and took it apart and discovered the problem. I was so glad they figured out where the smell was coming from before they left.
I have shelves built into a nook just outside the garage door going into the house. They are really deep shelves and crammed full of STUFF. They took everything off a couple of those shelves before they decided it was the air exchange drawing the smell into that area. I needed to go through the shelves - guess they helped me along with it!
Genna I know you are glad Kyle found something with full time hours. Have they ever found an apartment.
This message was edited Aug 28, 2015 4:07 PM
Wow, so glad you got home when you did. Did it upset Richard when the fire trucks came?
No he stayed calm. I took him and the dogs out in the back yard and he just sat in the chair I put him in until I told him he could come back inside. He really didn't see the fire trucks from where he was sitting. He did say he could smell something burning. We had two fire trucks and the small emergency vehicle they always send. We had 3 trucks to begin with but they sent one back when they saw they probably didn't need it. They shut the sirens off at the top of the hill so it didn't sound so scary when they got here.
I sent a group text to some of my neighbors afterward letting them know what had happened. I knew they would be curious. My neighbor across the street said she almost called an ambulance last night. She took her husband to ER because he was having trouble breathing. He is coming home in a little while. They are just waiting for his release now. He is the one with colon cancer. He has really been having a rough time lately.. Fluid keeps building around his lungs.
We also had another really tragic thing happen in the neighborhood a few hours before I called the fire department. A young man was walking down the sidewalk in front of the Shell station on the corner of the main street and the street that goes into our neighborhood. A man in a panel truck cut across the service station to avoid the traffic light at the intersection and hit the man walking and drug him 100 or so feet and just kept going! Never stopped. I believe they found the truck but haven't heard about the man driving it. It's a very busy intersection and lots of witnesses. Can't imagine he thought he could get away with it.
Turns out the young man had seizures and him mom wouldn't let him drive was why he was walking. He had just bought a birthday present for his brother. The ladies husband died about a year ago from cancer. His funeral is going to be in the same church my neighbor across the street goes to. The pastor asked today for donations for funeral cost. I understand the family doesn't have much. So sad!! So unnecessary!!
So sad, I see it all time on FB where people need help for funeral expense.
I started a September thread here..............
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1404644/