Better

Dear Family and Friends,
11:35 again, swore I would be in bed by 10, not even close. We did get Nan to bed about 10 as she can sleep and I can still connect the TPN without her knowing it.
She slept a full night last night and then slept some more after I came down this morning. She was ready for the pumping which we have done several times today. I have been very concerned with the intensity of the vacuum so called Apria and the tech guided me to reduce the vacuum power down to 80 to 100. This still gets the same job done but does it with much less violence than the prior power. This morning Nan watched a animal show she likes about little creatures living in the desert somewhere in Africa. Its a continuing story and is very interesting, little marcats or something like that. I decided to make a real breakfast for a change so friend eggs and had them with whole wheat toast and fruit. Tasted very good. Nan had more frozen Gatorade cubes, some hot tea and ice chips with spring water. She was hurting quite a bit and mid day decided to go upstairs and rest where it would be quiet. We cranked up the little room AC and the room was cool and comfy. She slept for hours without rousing. I headed off for errands and to get my meds at Longs drug that I could not get last night since nan called me home rather abruptly. While there I saw a couple tomato plants with little green fruit already growing so I brought them home and this evening using a sawsall dug and cut out a nice place for each plant in the bale of straw Loree got for us earlier in the spring. I have known for months how much Nan wanted to try tomato plants in the straw bale and tonight its done, drip system is in place and we are set. Nan and I have spent a lot of time together today, doing some talking, some coping with the pain and some pumping out fluids. Still no sign that the blockage has passed.
This afternoon after I got back bringing a coke icee Nan was awake and feeling better, best yet for many days. She sipped the entire icee and talked on the phone in a very normal voice, to Nikki, Sharon, Marilyn and Jason. Gradually nan is getting better, stronger but still suffers from a lot of pain and discouragement over growing tumors and no drug or plan to deal with them.

We are both very excited to have Marilyn arriving tomorrow evening in Sac at around 8 pm. Pam is coming over to visit Nan while I drive up to get Marilyn at the airport. I know she will be tired especially since she is used to a time that is 3 hours ahead.

We have both enjoyed your comments to the blog today. I printed them out and left them by nan's bedside, when she woke she read them and enjoyed the sentiments very much. Hope rain comes soon to the south. We are very thankful that the nausea is past but are uneasy about the solution which is a stop gap at best. What we need is the blockage to dissolve or unkink. That is what we really need. Oh Heaven Father please do what we cannot do, what we do not know, what we do not understand, hold Nan in your arms and heal her if it is your will.

This afternoon Nikki and Keanna came to visit. Their timing was perfect, Nan was feeling good and awake, Keanna visited with her upstairs and then joined me on the back deck where we fed geese, played with tomatoes, watered plants, blew bubbles, read stories and enjoyed getting sunburned. Finally they had to leave since it was getting close to bedtime for both Nikki and Keanna. Their visit was a bit of magic and we both loved it very much. Nikki picked up her orchid she bought in Santa Cruz and we brought home in the sink of the motorhome, plants travel really well in the sink. Sylvia placed it on the stove so Nan could enjoy it when she was awake but we knew sooner or later Nikki would claim it.

Weather wise this is a great time of year, cool at night every night, warm but not hot during the day (unless you are stuck in a black car) and breezes almost all the time. Takes me back to the way I lived as a boy in Washington State. Never had to water anything, it rained, never had to have AC, it was not hot. Everything always stayed green year around. Sometimes I miss the green never really buying into "Golden California". Golden means dead or close to it around here. I had to turn up the sprinklers today in my front yard, the good grass had gone golden and the bad grass was taking over.

Its now midnight and really time for an old duffer like me to be in bed. We do seek your prayers for Nan's blockage and tumor growth situation. Both need a solution and so far no one has any idea of what to do next. We need God's intervention in her behalf.

We are thankful for a better day with more life and less groaning in pain, more wake time, more walking and sitting up, stronger voice and clear thinking.

love

tim and nan