We got a Wii!

For those of you who don't know I have pretty much been a Nintendo addict since the early age of seven.  Before that I have early memories of playing Atari... but not with as much passion... haha.  When the very first Nintendo Entertainment System came out I was immediately hooked on it. Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt etc.   Needless to say I have been happy with my Gamecube the last several years, but have wanted a Wii for a little while now.  They seem a little more active physically than anything I am used to playing,  so I didn't know if I would like that or not.   Seth surprised me this week by randomly saying we were going to get one!  I was so excited!  I had been sick for so long, and we had been house bound with no excitement- so getting a Wii was such a nice change.  The day we bought it I was actually too weak to really play it, but I made our "Mii" characters.  I think they look just like us!  Finally, as I have been feeling better now I have been playing it, and like it a lot. Levi and Seth have been playing too.  Levi is best at tennis.  Yesterday Seth worked up a sweat playing boxing, and both him and I are a little sore from it.  I like it too because it has been so rainy and this helps us to not get cabin fever from being cooped up.  My Gamecube games still work in the Wii, and since the Wii uses wi-fi I can play some games with other friends far away and buy past Nintendo games from past systems right from my T.V.  So what an unexpected blessing.  Beware though because if you come over to my house I'll probably try to get you to make a "Mii" of yourself....

Taking A Break

I have so many things to post, but I have been really busy and not only that- really sick.  I feel miserable, chills and feverish and spent all day on the couch... so stay tuned, I will post again someday!

Stinky Stink

Hooked Up

Just a quick update.... I'm home as of last night.  I'm hooked up to home I.V.'s.  I am feeling very happy, and exhausted at the same time.  I am pretty sure my lungs are not any better.  Even though my antibiotics have been switched, I am not too nauseous.  I am on two meds for nausea, one of which is oral zofran.  I am hooked up to a pump, so I am getting a decent amount of sleep.  The plan is to continue for another week, and go up to Stanford next week for a follow up appointment. That's the latest.  It really does feel good to be home.

17 days in.

I'm still not doing any better!  I am scheduled to be discharged on Monday after three weeks, no matter what my PFTs are.  If the are still bad I will do home I.V.'s.  If they are 40% or up FEV1 I get to go home on just oral antibiotics.  I started steroids, and my blood sugars are outta whack, like 246 after just a sandwich, so I may have to start insulin tomorrow.  Seth and I climbed the stairs a lot today for exercise.  I'll post any progress that I might make, hopefully.  As for the future, hospitalizations don't seem to be very effective at all for my lungs anymore, and I feel as if the meds are not touching me.  I think in the future I will do home I.V.'s more instead of the hospital.  They both don't seem to be that effective, but I'd much rather be home than here!  I still have 3 days to make a u-turn while I am here and I pray that that happens!  I pray this is not my "new baseline", and I pray I don't get too stressed out!  Levi is stoked I come home in four days, along with myself, and I think some quality cuddling with him will do me some good!  Until next time....

Stanford Hospital Blues

So, yes, I am back in the slammer.  I have finally mustered the mental energy to post a blog.  I came here into the hospital last Monday, eight days ago.  It has been a decent visit so far, although I caught a cold when I first got in which wiped me out for awhile.  I'm on Tobramycin, Zyvox, Meropenium, Zithromax & inhaled Colistin as far as antibiotics go.... and so I have no nausea on those.  Yippy.  Those plus all of my other millions of usual medicine..... and I hardly notice a difference yet. In fact, there is no difference yet.  P.F.T.s were today, and I got 37% (0.99 L).  So, no change yet.  I felt good coming in though, so at least I don't feel bad!

I am also very sick of hospital politics, but what's new there?  So keep praying for me, those of you who are.  I appreciate it.  It is a roller coaster here.  Sometimes I feel very happy, sometimes very 'blah' and depressed.  Pray also that I am a good witness to people because in this situation it is sometimes difficult for me to be nice to people.  I don't know if I will update again while in here because I haven't really been in the mood to.  Stay tuned for after though.

Merry Christmas!

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Frog Friendship

So we have had two frogs for the last four years.  We started out with three, but the third died years ago.  We have always been amazed that our two little frogs had lasted so very long.  We got them when Levi was a tiny baby...  I always said that when one died the other one would die soon after.  I think they kept each other going.  Frogs from Wal-Mart are just not supposed to live as long as these little guys did.  Earlier this week Seth found one of them belly up .... he had died.  A couple days later, just as we had thought the second one did too.  Seth and I were thinking that is pretty amazing even tiny creatures such as frogs have such a powerful effect on each other. What makes Wal-Mart frogs live four years and then die with a few days of each other?  We fed it like usual, and it was in the same water as usual....  God's creation is so complex... even in tiny frogs.

Santa Claus

We told Levi that Santa Claus is not real right off the bat, and that he is just pretend like Elmo or Thomas the Tank Engine.....   He was very excited to meet him nonetheless.......

(He asked him for a new red rocket and "trains with no faces" on them)

Quick Update

Busy, Busy, Busy.....!

I am so busy, and behind on so many things!  I keep wanting to post on here, but have no time! Thanksgiving came and went.  We took a quick trip to Southern California on a spur of the moment, and had a great time.  Rebecca has gone in and out of the hospital.  I have had a doctors appointment, my PFTs are down, so I started some new meds, and there might perhaps be a hospital visit for me in the future if they don't work. I have been asked to speak yet again at Calvary Chapel San Joses' Purity Seminar, and still have to put my testimony together.  I went to a Womans Christmas party this week, and was blessed by that.  I also went to an "ugly sweater" Christmas party the night before.  I am also keeping busy Christmas shopping, wrapping,  decorating the house and tree and figuring out Christmas cards too. Today I participated in an opinion research study up in San Fransisco.  They interviewed me for 45 minutes about my experience with different nubulizers.  I gave them input on the best types of design, and what kind of things I would like in a nebulizer, and they gave me a nice chunk of change for my time.  Seth is busy, busy with work too.  He is also scheduled to teach on a Thursday night in January.  So between all of that, and our usual chores we are livin la vida loca right now.  Besides being swamped we are doing well, and looking forward to Christmas!!!!