Here is some history. Ten years ago tonight when the world was worried about Y2K problems, Jeri and I were out in the desert at Quartsite Arizona. We watched the moon come up over the East mountains and had the satellite dish connected and we were watching all of the 'goings on' around the world. Much to our delight it was a wonderful warm night and not many people where we were so we drove through the town and it was really placid, there were no cars on the road and it seemed to me that most people were cooped up afraid of the great catastrophe. I had the generator running and had the computer turned on and lo and behold things went along just as they had and we had great night in the Arizona desert.
Now back to current events. Jeri had a fairly good therapy session today; she told a pharmacist that she thought that they were giving her to much blood pressure medicine so they decided that she would refuse the pill before she goes to bed and it seemed to work pretty well. Jeri is not one to just lie in bed and not be aware of what she is taking and why.
Most of the day was spent strolling around the facility saying Happy New Year to all of the people she knows and she knows a grundle.
This morning there was no new snow, well maybe a flake or two, but not enough to count. I kind of took my time getting to the facility because I knew today is shower day and got there just as her helpers opened the door, now I think that is good timing.
My wish is that all of you who read this don't do anything foolish tonight and that you have a wonderful year during 2010.

When I went out to get into my vehicle this morning there were 4 or 5 inches of snow on the ground and it was cold on my feet, as some of you know I wear sandals because of the callous on my left foot and my feet did get wet and that meant that some coldness got on my feet but that was OK with me because it my socks are wet all day then it softens the callous so it is easier to trim.
Jeri had an episode this morning like she did yesterday and that was when she tried to get up she gets dizzy and blacks out, when she got back to he room they took her blood pressure and it was 98 over 80, which is not a good thing. Some one said maybe it is the pacer not working but Jeri said I think I may be taking too much blood pressure medication, while this was going on a pharmacist came to the nurses station and the nurse was talking to him and he thought Jeri might have the answer, and he made the comment that Thalidomide also has a propensity to lower the blood pressure. He suggested that he talk to the doctor and see if it was OK to lower the dose of blood pressure meds.
When this conversation was over the transportation people came to pick her up and take her to dialysis and she had a fairly good session; it seems to me that the personnel at Liberty, that is the dialysis place, has got the hang of what needs to be done so she doesn't have the problems she used to have, which is a good thing.
It has snowed off and on, mostly on all day today and it was snowing rather profusely when I was coming home. I think that there is at least seven inches on the lawns. I hope this is over really soon.
Oh, I got a call from the repair shop, the name is Center Collision Repair, and informed me my pickup will be ready to pickup:) tomorrow. All Y'all have a really good night.

Jeri had a great session with the therapists this morning, she walked around the block, no I don't mean a city block I mean the block that is by the therapy room, which is more than she has walked in a very long time. Jeri can even tell that she is getting stronger.
Lee picked us up about eleven and took us out to Mountain Medical where Jeri had an Ultra Sound on her arms so 'they' could tell which arm is the better on to install a Fistula, which are ports for dialysis treatment. After the Ultra Sound was finished she met with a PA and then with Dr. Whitten. Dr. Whitten told her why it is better to have a fistula than the kind of hook-up that she is now using and that it will keep the infections down and it makes a better port for the dialysis machine. She is going to have it done on January 8th at the Saint Marks Hospital; I got the idea he didn't like IMC at all. Starting today she can not have in shot or other thing punched into her left arm; that is the one that the fistula will be embedded in. The Doctor gave her a prescription and some instructions to give to the crew at SDCH, which she did.
It snowed almost all day long but the freeway was not icy but we saw a couple of wrecks as we went to 5300 South and then returned to Bountiful. After we got back to the facility Lee helped Jeri get into her room and onto her bed; the trek took at least two hours and maybe more. I don't know what we would do with Lee to take us and Jayci letting us use her car, which is excellent for Jeri and the wheelchair, we will be forever grateful for the help our family has, and will, give us while our sojourn her on this earth.
It took me several minutes to get the car warm enough to melt the ice on the windows and the wipers so they could wipe the moisture off the windows and I just kind of moysed home because the road were not with out some snow and most of the drivers are not very concerned about how fast or slow they drive; 'they' are saying we are going to get a bigger storm tomorrow. I hope they are as wrong on the forecast as the one that come today was supposed to be her tonight and tomorrow.

It was really cold this morning and there was frost on the windshield that took several minutes do melt, and the forecast is for snow on Wednesday but then you already know this stuff if you watch or listen to the news.
Jeri had a really good morning, she walked over 400 feet once again with only a couple of very short rests and then she finished off over an hour doing other things for her therapy.
However, she didn't have a good day at dialysis, they tried to take more fluid than she could tolerate and she got cramps in her legs, which has an effect that lasts several hours. It is my hope that she will be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow morning.
Last week I got a call from Center Collision Repaire telling me that my pickup would be finished on the 28th, which is today so I drive out to their place and I am told by a snippy young woman that just because they say it will be done in a week doen't mean a certain day, and I informed her with some sarcasm that they didn't say a week they said on the 28th. When things were all said and done the facts are that it might be done this coming Thursday but I shouldn't come to get it unless I call and they tell me it is ready. Up to this point I had a great regard for Gieco but am not some impressed now.

Just as I was ready to leave tonight, Jeri's Visiting Teacher and her husband came calling and she brought Jeri a bowl of pudding; so I stayed until they left and that was almost seven o'clock. The husband said that when she is ready to come home the men in the neighborhood would build a ramp if she needed it; that would be very helpful
Jeri had a marvelous day; she walked over 400 feet with just three short stops to rest and she did it rather quickly considering how long it has been since she walked that long and she felt good at the end of the walk. After the walk she rested for awhile and then we strolled around the facility and when I say strolled I mean we do it rather slowly so we can see who is doing what and where, and no it is not being a Peeping Tom, however, there is a lot of things going on.
When Jeri got her noon meal I moysed on down to the cafeteria and purchased a really excellent meal and it only cost be $3.25; you can't eat at home that cheap.
I don't know when she will be able to come home but if she continues to improve like she has the last few week I think she may be able to come home by the end of January, now that is just me but the therapist said he can see a very strong improvement in her strength, which is a good sign also but time will tell.
So once again I ask for those prayers to keep coming.

Today was a very different Saturday than most Saturdays in our lives. Jeri told me that Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday were shower days. Thursday I arrived at the hospital shortly after eight and I had to walk the halls for what seemed a long time while she and the nurses aid finished the job, so today I just kind of fooled around and got to the facility shortly after eight-thirty and Jeri was all through with her shower many minutes ago; it appears to me that I just can't get that right. :)
She ate her breakfast and I read the paper and then she reposed on the bed for awhile and then we got her ready for a session on the dialysis, she didn't go yesterday because it was Christmas, I threw that in for you that have a very short memory. We had to be there by 10:45 am and we were there in plenty of time. She didn't use the facility's bus for transport so I took her in our rental and when got there Lee and Cliff were there to share the time with us. She was hooked up to the machine and then she just sits back and let the blood get it self rid of the liquid in her body as well as clean the blood from other things, and I don't really know what that is but then I don't need to know.
Lee and Cliff stayed and visited with her and I went to KFC and had a meal and then came back and we talked some more and the the Higbees' left, and shortly after that Mike came to visit for a while and then she was disconnected from the machine and we went back to the facility but we stopped at KFC and bought Jeri a meal because she had missed lunch because of being away at that time, and besides that she likes outside food better than the food 'they' feed her.
When we got back she had a hard time getting warm so I got some hot blankets and swaddled her so she would be warm and it worked, and she asked an aid to fetched her a heater and he did, and she felt much warmer. We took a stroll around the first floor to see what had happened while we were gone but it did seem that there was much going on.
I stayed until the brought Jeri her dinner and then I fetched for her and got her settled and then I kissed her good night and told her I loved her and I came home and ate dinner.

I asked Jeri this morning how she was feeling and her response was, "I had a really good night and I am feeling great this morning." We talked and I read the paper and we watched a little and I do mean a little TV this morning and then about eleven-thirty we started getting ready to leave the facility for the Higbees' and arrived there shortly after twelve and some of the younger guys got Jeri out of the car, by the way we used the rental we have, and then into the house and settled her into the premier chair of the room and then we waited for everyone else to arrive. They all arrived by the appointed time and then we started to get down to the main reason we were together; that was to get caught-up on what was going on each others' lives.
Sometime during mid afternoon the gifts were presented and there were more than enough, well that is my thought but I think some might not agree. :) Josh and Katie left early because they were headed for Las Vegas for the night and then on to California to visits Katie's family for a week or so.
Some time around five Jeri and I decided it was time to go home so we started to do our thing and then the young helped us to take our stash to the car and then Jeri got in the car and we were on our way home. Jeri said she had a really good day and I could see, from the look on her face, that she really did have a good day and my day was excellent and I enjoyed visiting with my offspring, and I have a grundle of offspring but not all of them live close enough for all of them to be with us.
When we got back to the hospital Jeri was ready to lie on the bed and rest from her labors; it is really good for her to be up and about, it is almost as good as the therapy she does everyday, however, there was no therapy today becouse of the holiday.
I hope all of you had as good a day as we did! I hope ya'all have a really good New Year and you got everything you wanted today that would be good for you. I know I did!!

I awoke really early this morning so I got to the hospital about eight but I had to wait for about 20 minutes because it was a shower day and Jeri is more comfortable when I am not in her room while the CNA is in there when this is going on, so from now on I will wait a half hour on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Jeri said she had a good night and awakened refreshed and ready for another busy day.
After she was through with her breakfast we strolled down to therapy and she had a great day walking, I believe she walked further than she has in many weeks, and she had a great therapy session on all of the other things they like her to do. When that was over she had short rest and then had lunch, after lunch Mike, Patrice, Chris and Leslie came to see her and stayed awhile; these kinds of things keeps her spirits up. We strolled around the facility for awhile looking into some of the rooms to see how everyone on the first floor was doing, she was especially concerned about Joan, one of her dialysis buddies but she was still at the hospital getting some blood.
Sometime between four and five o'clock, I think, Lee, Cliff and Josh came and picked us up and we went to Chili's in Centerville for the annual Christmas Eve that Cliff and Scott started several years ago, but of course Scott left and Cliff has kept it up. It was a wonderful evening and I thank Cliff and Lee for the treat. We came back to the hospital and I got Jeri settled into her bed and did all of the things I can do to get her ready for the night then I came home and discovered my ingress to my parking place was covered with vehicles so I am parked on the street and will have to go out later and move it off the street; cars can not be parked on the street between midnight and six AM during the winter because of snow removal.
It was a really good day for me and Jeri said she had a great time today, and she was pleased with the walking.

Another really cold day today but that is what brings winter and that brings snow to the mountains and that brings groceries to our table so I say bring on the cold.
When I awoke this morning I could hear the neighbors shoveling snow off their walks and driveway; that's why I awoke at six A.M. I wondered what would happen if they waited until seven or eight but it is their sidewalk and driveway and I guess they can clean it when ever they want. If it was me I would want to do it after the sun came up and was ready to help me.
Jeri had a great walk today, I believe it was the strongest walk she has had for a long time. Because of the holidays there is several people not working until after Christmas so she had a person that hasn't worked with her before and the new guy gave her a lot of confidence and encouragement, after the walk she did some more exercisers and the she had a slight rest and then we were on our way to dialysis for the next three hours plus. She had a good day on the machine but it takes a lot of energy out of her along with three liters of liquid. While she was on the machine the facility had a Christmas bingo card game and Jeri won the first one, which give her a really nice fuzzy blanket for her to snuggle into at night.
While she was at Liberty Dialysis (I am going to just use the name Liberty from now on) it started snowing and it drizzled for the next five hours, in fact it was still drizzling snow when I came home but I like a drizzle better than blizzard!!
Once again I thank you for your prayers and good wishes, please keep them coming.

Two hours ago Jeri kicked me out of the hospital and told me to go home; she had looked out of the window and saw snow kissing the ground and she was worried about the roads so she wanted me to go home, so to alleviate her concern I came home.
When I got home I looked at my habitat and decided that I would use up some time cleaning all of the stuff I never use and putting it in bags and then carried it to the recycling bin and in the garbage bin and I am pleased to say it does look much better. The reason I noticed the mess Jeri told me not to neglect keeping the rooms clean so I did what she asked.
She had a very good day during the therapy session, I believe that she walked further and stronger than she has done in a long time and then she worked with the OT for a long time. We then went back to her room and she rested for awhile and then we moysed on down to the cafeteria and got lunch; Jeri can decided to eat at the cafeteria instead of the meal they send into her room. She had a great meal and so did I and we didn't eat the menu.
Oh, by the way, the roads were clear of snow and no ice to be seen while I was on my way home, so I have come to the conclusion that she just wanted me gone. lol

I think this was a good day for Jeri. When I got to the hospital she was up and waiting for breakfast and then it didn't come so they had to call the kitchen for her breakfast, when it got there I wondered if it was worth it; there was a bunch of scrambled eggs and a half a slice of toast, however, she ate it and then away we went to therapy and she had a great walk, almost 200 feet and then a session with the OT. Then she had a rest for awhile and then they were there to take her away to dialysis; they took 3 liters of liquid out of her body and did it with out any bad side effects. Lee came to be with us while Jeri was doing the dialysis thing.
Lee brought some fudge and pinnoche and cut it up in pieces so Jeri could share it with her helpers, and I stole a piece of each, and by the way I am not sure that pinnoche is the right way to spell it but you get the message.
I wonder what we would do if we didn't have children and grandchildren; they keep us up on the latest things that we can do to save money and time and they are always there to help us if we need, or want, anything.
It was a cold day today; I don't think it got above 30 degrees any time today, I hope it will warm up but it is supposed to rain tonight and turn to snow in the morning. I wish we could have winter without snow and cold temperatures. :)

It was rather cold this morning and I had to go through the heating of the car so I could get the frost off the windshield but I started early enough to have the car warm and still be to the hospital on time.
We attended Church at the facility and it was OK but I think the leadership aught to know who they are talking to and not go where angels wouldn't tread.
After church Jeri did some OT and then she had a great session with Bob, who put some caps on the rear legs of the walker, which made it much easier to slide the walker down the hall, and she walked about 160 feet, which is getting her where she wants to be. I don't think she will be home this month but I am hope full that she may be home in January.
Jayci came to see us and left some stuff for Lee to give to Santa so he will have enough for the kids of Rose Park Eighth Ward, and then latter Lee and Cliff came to see Jeri and of course they had to see and talk to me as well, which was a chore for them I am sure. LOL

Well, there is not much to write about tonight and in some ways that is a good thing. Jeri had a very good walk in the halls of SDCH, and had an OT work her for a half-hour or so; I think she is getting stronger every day but it is not a giant steps just baby steps. And then she and I did what we like to do. Jeri really likes to stroll down the halls and see what is going on in her habitat and she has some special places she likes to go to look out of the windows to look at the view of the mountains and across the lake.
The temps were rather chilly this morning and there was ice on the windshield and of course I left my ice scarpers in the pickup so I had to let the car warm up and melt the snow on the windshield, but that was a bad thing because it warmed up the inside of the car. :)

Jeri had another good day of therapy and dialysis was really good except the last 5 minutes when she started getting leg cramps because of some reason I am not sure of, however, it was a pretty good day for her.
And I had a good day today, I took my pickup to Geico and they started the repair. The young lady at the counter told me that they would inform me when when it was ready, and I told her I didn't care how long they had it as long as I had the rental car, which is a KIA and I like it a lot. It is not the little version but it big enough for me and I think Jeri may be able to get in and out of it but we will decided that in a day or two. They informed me that it should be finished by Dec. 28th but of course I don't care when it is fixed. I was with Jeri while she was getting water taken from her she asked me if I had got all of the stuff out of the pickup and of course the answer was no, so back I go to the repair shop and gather all of our stuff and there was a lot but will not bore you with the inventory.
Jeri and I are looking forward to the weekend; we don't have any place to go and we have nothing planned except some therapy and then what we want to do.

HEADLINE, DECEMBER 17 2009.
Great news today!
Jeri had a great session at therapy but the Great News is; the Myeloma is in remission! Jeri had an appointment with Dr. Litton today to see how things were going and after Dr. Litton looked at all of the numbers he said "it can be said that the cancer is in remission but she will have to continue on the Thalidomide for another year", which was music to our ears! He also said that the numbness in her legs is because of the Val Cade that she received last fall, which, I think means, is it may take some time before that goes away. On the way home there were some tears shed, but of course they were tears of joy from the three of us that were there, which would be Lee, Jeri and me. I think I might sleep better tonight than I have in a long time.
I can't think of anything that needs to be said at this time so I will thank all of you for your prayers and good wishes; it is wonderful what happens when we believe and ask in faith.
I hope you have a great night, I know I will!

Today was a rather good day for Jeri. She was up before I got to the hospital and was ready to eat her breakfast and she had that done just about at nine. After she had waited long enough for the food to find her stomach we were off to therapy and she had another good walk, and other things to make her body strong. I think she is getting stronger every day. After therapy was over she had another rather short rest and then we were on our way to dialysis; she was in the bus and I was in the pickup taking the walker, blankets and other paraphernalia in the pickup and I have all of the stuff in the facility before she arrives. As usual she had a good day at dialysis; they have it down so they know just what to do to take the water out of her body and not mess with her blood pressure so she always feels good after the session. I didn't think a month ago I would ever make that statement.
After we got back to the hospital she had a wee nap and then we watched 'Cash Cab', it is on Discovery Channel and I think it is a rather good show. After that was over it was almost dinner time and Jeri kicked me out so I came home.
Oh, by the way, I got a call this morning from Gieco telling me I have an appointment on Friday at 12:20 pm at a garage to have the pickup repaired and that it would be under warranty as long as I own the vehicle, and that there would be a rental car ready for me and that they would pay the repair facility directly as well as the car rental place. I have found that Geico is a good company to work with, and they are not even my insurance company, however, my company was the one that got Geico to pay all of the bills.

It is very late for me to be doing this blog but there is a really good reason why, which I shall tell you in due time.
When I arrived at the hospital this morning Jeri had already had her shower, which is out of the ordinary. So we visited until she was through with her breakfast, which doesn't take lone to eat some kind of egg thing and drink a small glass of juice.
When she was through eating and at nine we went to the therapy room and she worked out for over two hours but of course she does her walking first and she did very well and the rest of the therapy regimen went well. When she was through with this she had a wee rest and then Lee came and picked us up and the way we went to IMC so Jeri could make another blood deposit for testing for Dr. Litton so he will know how she is doing when she goes to see him this coming Thursday. And she had another wee nap and then watched some TV.
At five p.m. Mike and Patrice came and picked up Jeri and I and they took us to Hirer's (I am not sure that is the way it is spelled) for a hamburger and and a root beer and then we went to Thanksgiving Point down south of the Point of the Mountain to see the display of Christmas scenes and lights; it was marvelous and a delight to the eye; it took us a long time to slowly drive though the display and it was worth every second. We didn't get back to the hospital until almost eight-thirty and of course we used Jayci's car, she is really generous letting us use it, because it is the only one in the family that Jeri can easily get into.
Oh, I almost forgot to say that I got a phone call from Gieco telling me they are going to pay to have the pickup fixed.
Today was a really good day for Jeri, and of course for me.

When I looked out of my bedroom window this morning I saw streets that didn't have any snow on them or the sidewalks, so I relaxed and took my time getting ready for the day.
I fetched the newspaper and then put myself into my vehicle and went to the hospital and Jeri was waiting for her breakfast, which is never a surprise; it is always eggs, toast some kind of juice and maybe sometimes some fruit but not often, however, this morning was not that bad if you like eggs every day.
At nine we went to the therapy room and Jeri did some walking, I think she is getting stronger every day, after that regime was complete she had a very short rest and off we went to dialysis, I arrived shortly after I left but Jeri arrived at least an hour later; she shares the bus with two other women and they are never ready to go when it is time. The session was good and they did that thing that they do and then after three hours we were on our way back to the hospital and I had to really hurry because the driver took Jeri 'home' first and then went back for the other two, which made Jeri wait for about ten minutes until I could help her back on the bed, even though she gets a lot of benefit from the dialysis it takes her a few hours to recuperate.
I stayed until it was dark and then she kicked me out and told me to go home so here I am writing this tome.
Oh, by the way, it was rather warm today and really melted a lot of snow off the ground, however, we are getting a good amount in the mountains.

There was about five inches of new snow on the ground this morning. On my way to the hospital I went to the church and did our tithing settlement for the year, when I came out of the church it was still snowing and it snowed until about two p.m., at which time Jeri insisted that I go home while it wasn't snowing. She is not only cautious for her self but she is apprehensive about most things and people.
She did most of her therapy time during the week so she could only do 15 minutes today and she had a good walk; it appears to me that she is getting better and she credits it to how well they are doing the dialysis.
We went to church this morning and it is really good to listen to the music and partake of the sacrament, and of course listen to the speakers.
Mike says he is going to pick her up Tuesday evening and take her around Bountiful and see all of the BIG houses and their lights, and if the weather is good he wants to take her to Thanksgiving Point for their displays. We will see how that unfolds doing Monday and Tuesday.

There was another inch or so on the ground this morning; I am tired of looking at fresh snow every morning!
Jeri had a good day today; therapy went well and of course there was no dialysis today, however, she doesn't feel about dialysis like she used to. She thinks they finally have her figured out so they can get the liquid off her body and not cause any blood pressure problem.
Today she canceled her lunch from the kitchen and we went to the cafeteria. She had some very good food and was rather happy to get some food that she could order her self. We strolled through the facility, it was way too cold to go outside. She had a good nap and I read the newspaper. She said it was a really good day for her.

It has really been cold the last several days; I don't think it was above freezing at any time today.
This morning was a ordinary morning for Jeri and then she went to dialysis and it took an hour to go a couple of miles, it seems that there were several, at least three, that needed to go to dialysis and Jeri wasn't the first one dropped off. While she was doing the dialysis thing they give her another pill to be taken, which is not very cheap, however, it appears that SDCH will supply them after the first month is over if she is still there, frankly, I hope she is home so we can pay for them. After three hours she was unhooked from the machine and then we went back to the hospital. They removed three liters of water from her body, which is a very good thing. She had a good evening up to the time I left to come home about six.

Jeri had a good therapy session, it lasted two hours at least but it did wear her down some. It seems that her feet and legs are better now that they have the dialysis under control. We went for a stroll around the facility but we didn't venture out into the cold.
Lee came a calling about lunch time so I went ti KFC and bought her and I a twister wrap and bought Jeri a chicken pot pie for her meal tonight. I hope she likes it.
There was no new snow today but the temps were trying to dig there way down to water; they did cause the water in my water bottles to solidify.
It was a good day to be inside but it would have been better if it was as warm on the first floor as it is on the second floor.

A new skiff of snow on the ground this morning, but it was really cold at 2 degrees above zero but it was almost 15 degrees below zero in Delta last night, now I remember why I like the city, however it is not going to warm up for a few days.
Jeri had an average type of day today; this morning wasn't all that great but they have the dialysis thing figured-out now so it is really good for her. They take over 3 liters of water out of her body every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which really good for her. After she was through with the dialysis she rested for a short time and then is ready to be up and about.
Christian got his mission call today; he is going to Bangkok Thailand and it appears that he is really excited about the destination. He will be a great missionary!! And yes he gave me permission to put this info on my blog.

When I got up this morning there were five or six inches of snow on the ground and it was really cold so I bundled myself up with a winter coat, knit cap, and gloves, and made my way to the pickup, started the engine and then cleaned the snow off all the windows so I could see where I was going and of course I didn't want a ticket to the police dance. Now, picture this, I was walking around in several inches of snow in my sandals and my feet were getting really cold but it just tool a few minutes for the snow to melt and my feet got them selves warm.
Jeri had a great day today; she walked at least 200 feet and then had a really good session with the OT people. After she was through with the therapy people she had a rest and then it was time to eat lunch, which was a chunk of dried up chicken thigh, which she was unable to eat so I suggested that we go to the cafeteria and get her something she liked so we strolled to the cafeteria and she ordered what she wanted and it was really good, and she can eat there for free because she is a patient, but I had to pay a couple of dollars for a plate of spaghetti smothered with chili beans, which doesn't sound so good but it was delicious. I think Jeri may eat lunch every day at the cafeteria.
I think it was the best day she has had in a long time.
I was somewhat concerned that I might have trouble getting the pickup out of the spot where I parked, but after I walked in all that snow one more time cleaning the ice off the windshield I backed up and got on the road and came home.
When Jeri has a good day Jay has a good day!!

When I awoke and got myself out of bed I discovered it had snowed during the night and the air was really cold. I got my self ready for the day and headed for SDCH but I stopped at Dick's and bought a bar of Dove soap for Jeri's delicate skin. When I walked into her room she asked why I was there so early and I told her it was my job to be there and help her. She didn't feel really good this morning, and I don't know why, so she didn't do and therapy; she rested until they came and got her for the dialysis session and the way we went, she rode in the bus and I went in the pickup. She had a pretty good session and Lee and Temaire were there with me and we spent the next three hours talking and it seemed the Jeri was having a good day.
This evening she was feeling better than she had all day so I am looking forward to a good day tomorrow, however, she still doesn't like the food they fix for her, as I was leaving the facility she was asking for someone to call the kitchen and order her a bowl of soup, for some reason she really likes soup.
I am praying for a super day tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, it snowed a lot in Southern Utah today and it is headed toward the Heart of Zion and should be here sometime in the night or early tomorrow morning. I know we have to have snow but that doesn't mean that I like driving and walking in it, particularly when I have to wear sandals; for you who don't know why I shall tell you. Three years ago when we were in Florida with Scott I got a callus on my left foot and it has been there ever since. It looks like I will have to have it cut out of my foot but I am going to wait until Jeri feels better.

I just got home from the hospital; we, meaning the Warner families had our clam chowder party at Jayci's place, we have been having this party for over 25 years. We started in our home and invited all of the off spring and other relatives that we thought might have an interest in coming but no one but our family came, having it on Christmas Eve probably had something to do with who wanted to come on that day of the year so we changed it because every one wanted to be home on Christmas Eve and when we went to South Carolina on our mission other members of the family hosted the party and then it kind of rested on Jayci, and she does a really great party.
Jeri had a good day of therapy today; she had some OT and then during the PT session she walked over 200 feet, which is the most she has done in a day for a very long time. May she continue to improve every day!
When I awoke this morning I looked out of the blinds and could see snow on the road and the lawn and I wasn't too happy about that, however, sometime around 5:00 am I heard the snowplows going up and down the street. It turned out to be that they were putting salt and the roads because it wasn't deep enough to plow; it was just a skiff on the lawns and roads, which is just great for me and of course it was really cold and stayed that way all day.

Another day of Winter and I think it is way too early for all this cold weather and it snowed an inch or so, which means I didn't measure it.
Jeri had a good day except she sent me on an errand and of course I got everything wrong; I can't remember all of the things she tells me, even if she gives me a list, which she did but I shall get it right the next time.
She missed therapy today because they give her a really good sandwich for lunch that had a great sauce to put on it, and it was really 'rich' and it made Jeri a trifle sick for awhile and she missed her walking but Bob will make her make-it-up tomorrow. We went for a jaunt around the facility but Jeri wouldn't have anything to do with going outside, which was OK with me.
Tomorrow is our clam chowder party, which I started many years ago but I haven't done it for a long time and other people in the family has done it; Jayci does it now and she does a really good party. Oh, by the way this was the day that all of the Higbee girls go shopping, it is such a big deal that most of them have lost all of their willpower. I am not sure of that last statement because they never let me go.

Well, I did it again. I made a mistake last night when I said that Paul was with the Manis family. When I started typing my mind said Sean and my fingers wrote Paul; if you had trouble working through this it means that Sean was here and Paul was in Leeds.
Jeri had an OK session at therapy and then she had a rest and at eleven they took her away to dialysis. She was there three hours and 'by George I think they have got it.' They removed well over three liters of fluid and they did it without causing any problems with Jeri's blood pressure or causing any cramps in her legs. Lee and Temaire' came to see Jeri this afternoon; Temaire' is here for a Higbee girls shopping trip tomorrow, I hope they have a very good time spending their husband's hard earned money. :)
The temperature was in the high teens as I came home tonight; I am sick of winter already, you would think that I got used to winter while I was in my youth; if you don't know what I'm talking about you should read by journal about the winters I had to suffer through when I lived in Deseret.
I think it was a rather good day for me.

Another really cold day today; the temps were in the teens when I went to see Jeri this morning and it is going to be colder tomorrow morning.
Jeri had a great day today, she walked very well and I can see her getting better every day, however, I am not prognosticating when she will be ready to come home.
The Manis', including Hollie and Paul, came to see Jeri and I just happened to be there so I got to talk to them also. :) They didn't stay very long because they had to get back to Hinckley before it got too late. It was really good to see and talk to them, it has been a long time since we have seen them; I think it was last winter but then I could be wrong.
Jeri had her hair cut at the hospital and it was someone from our ward, it seems that Jeri knew she was from our ward but I didn't until she came to get Jeri for the trim.
I talked to the bishop a day or two ago and he said they were going to have tithing settlement tonight at seven but when I went to the church nobody from the bishopric was there so I came home where it is warm and I will try again latter.
I talked to Scott this evening via email and he said he has had the flu the last few days, I hope he continues to improve every day.

Today was a really cold day; I think the high temperature was in the mid thirties, which is too cold for this time of the year, however, it didn't snow to day but tomorrow is supposed to be colder than today.
Jeri had a really good therapy session this morning and then she rested from her labors and at eleven she was transported to dialysis, she had a pretty good session while she was on the machine but it takes a lot of energy from her so she wasn't feeling all that swell this evening.
I left the facility about six and she was eating her dinner, which is never much to her liking but she eats enough so she isn't hungry.
I know she will take a Thalidomide pill and it will make it so she will sleep well tonight and I am hoping she will feel better tomorrow morning and the only thing she has to do is her therapy and then I suspect we will take a stroll around the hospital; they have a lot of Christmas decorations all over the facility and it 'looks a lot like Christmas'.

Another very chilly day in Zion. They are saying we may have a little snow tomorrow; I hope it is just a little.
Jeri had a really good day today. She sailed through her therapy and then we went back to her room and she rested for awhile and then I took her for a walk around the facility and it included a jaunt outside; while we were outside she asked me to park her facing the sun so I did and then I went into the lobby and took a seat and watched for a signal that she was ready to come inside and about ten minutes later she whistled, which I couldn't hear but I could tell she was trying to get me to come outside so I sauntered out to see if she was ready to come in where it was warm and she was so in we went and not any to soon for me.
She wore the rest of the day away having a shower and a nap and watching TV and talking to me, which was the best part of the day for her. :)
I love it when she has a really good day!!!

Another really cold day in Zion, I think it did not get out of the low 40s but then I didn't have an thermometer with me.
Even with feet that felt like bricks Jeri had a good therapy session and when she was through with that she had a short 'lay me down to sleep' session and then she was whisked away to dialysis for a three hour session, which was a good one and Lee was there to visit with her mom. They took 2.5 liters off her body and did it without causing any stress to the blood pressure and she was somewhat refreshed. When that was over we went back to the hospital and Lee brought in a box or two and decorated Jeri's room so it looked like Christmas; it is very festive and does bring the Christmas spirit into our lives. I think it took Lee an hour or more to do all of the things she wanted to do and I bet that every one in the facility is envious. :)
At six o'clock they finally brought Jeri her dinner so I carried it to her and made sure she was ready for the night and I kissed her good night and brought my self home.
Oh, how I miss her!

In my excitement of the BYU and Utah basketball game last night I got the score wrong but then every one is entitled to make one mistake; the score was 26 to 23, I forgot that pesky field goal. :)
This morning at ten we went to Sacrament Meeting at the hospital and enjoyed the music and we had two full time missionaries talk to us; one was from the South and the other was from deep Arizona, in fact his home town is next to the Mexican Border south of Tucson and they both give good talks.
Today was another good day; after church Jeri walked about 150 feet and then did some muscle building in her legs and also did some OT, which also is a important part of the therapy.
This afternoon Lee and Cliff came to see Jeri and while they were there Lee gave Jeri a pedicure, which puts her next to heaven. They came right after they spoke in the Sixth Ward.
It was colder than a Mother-in-laws kiss this morning, it seems that winter is trying to get an early start but then we need the moisture in the mountains for next summer, so my attitude is 'let it come'.

GO BYU; THEY JUST BEAT UTAH 26 TO 20, IF UTAH HAD BEEN PLAYING ANYONE ELSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR UTAH!
Today was another good day for Jeri; she had a good therapy session and it seems to me that she is getting stronger every day. Jeri said her feet and hands were numb today but she did all of the things she was scheduled to do. Even though she is getting stronger I am not suggesting she will be home in a week but it is my hope that it won't be too long. I am not suggesting when it will be but we both are praying for a rapid recovery. It seems that the wasted dialysis session didn't do her any harm. I believe that her outing on Thursday was a great blessing to her in many ways!
It was really cold this morning and there was ice on the rood where it was shaded but that soon melted and the sun come out but it didn't get warm.
Once again we thank all of you for your prayers, cards and other things you do for us; especially our family members, I don't know what we would do with out you!

My day started with a bang, well not a bang, but with a ring tone. It rang once and then it become a missed call and this was at 5:00 am. When I looked to see who had called me this early and then hung up on me I discovered it was Terry, so being the kind of father I am I decided to wait until he had time to wake up and be coherent so I called him about eight and I told him the next time he calls at five he needs to talk to me; his excuse was he was the driver for Black Friday in Missoula and had to see that five women were where they wanted to be when they wanted to be there, so I forgave him and gave him my condolences.
When I got to the hospital about 8:00 am Jeri said she had another great night and was feeling really good, which is a great thing for her and me. She had a super therapy session and walked well over 100', and then she had a great therapy session doing the other things she does every day. After that was over we got her ready for dialysis and she left the facility about eleven and was doing the dialysis thing shortly before noon. When I saw how much fluid they were going to pull off Jeri I was concerned but I know I am not supposed to make comments so I just rolled my eyes in amazement, and in the end, her session was, in her and my opinion, was a waste of three hours and we are hopeful that has no side affects over the week-end.
On the way back to the facility Jeri's bus broke down and had to be fixed so she was really late, and my journey ended in a bang; as I was wending my way through the parking lot a young woman backed out of a parking spot and slammed into the right side of my pickup so of course I stopped and said we needed to call for a policeman, which I did and he came and gave each of us a form to fill out and then he gave each of us a copy of the other form so we could give it to our insurance company. There were no tickets and lecture; I think the insurance people will have us get a quote on how much it will cost to fix our vehicle and then they will tell us to get it fixed and my insurance will pay for my repairs and hers for her repairs. I got back to the facility just minutes after Jeri did. She was bright eyed and was waiting for food when I left about five-thirty.
I can see a difference every day on how much better her legs are and I am not sure what the lower dose of Thalidomide has to do with it but I won't be surprised to discover it has an impact.

I HOPE Y'ALL HAD A REALLY GOOD THANKSGIVING!!!
Jeri called me rather early this morning, in fact, while I was in the bathroom getting myself cleaned up for the festivities she called three times and on the third time I was by the phone and answered it. Her message was; "I had a great night and I am having a great morning and I think this the best day I have had in a very long time!" My response was "that is wonderful and the day is only going to get better." When I arrived at the hospital she was ready to get herself ready for the day ahead of us. She changed out of her PJ's and but on some clothes that she would be comfortable in and then we fiddled away the morning until 15 minutes to noon then Jayci showed up to take Jeri to the church in Rose Park where we have our annual Thanksgiving party. A gaggle of grandsons' were waiting there to get her out of the car and into the church but they had to wait for me to get there with the wheelchair and walker, which was just a few minutes after she got there, and very soon she was settled down in a soft chair and was ready for the day. We, Jeri and I, watched the family associate with each other and some of them haven't seen each other for at least six months. Malissia and her kids, except for Eric, who is still in the South doing what he is doing for the Army, Lee and Cliff, Kevin and Becky, Jayci and Dann and Dann's brother, Chris and Karen, Josh and Katie, Maren and Andrew, Judd and Jessie and Riley and of course Mike and Patrice who puts this thing together every year; I have wondered when our kids will decide that they are too old to do this every year; it is a lot of work and effort.
Shortly after we had finished our meal, which was very Delicious, Jeri said she was ready to go back to the hospital; by the time she was settled in in her own Little room again she had be out and about five hours, which is the longest stint in many months, which is a good sign. After she was settled in bed I kissed her good night and wished her pleasant dreams and then came home to regenerate my energy and make this post.
My wish is that all of my family that was not with us had a great day! So with a glad heart that my sweetheart had a really good day I bid you a fond farewell for a few hours.

Here it is a new day so here is a new blog.
Jeri had another good day at therapy, it seems to me she is getting stronger every day, and her confidence is getting stronger every day, which is a really good thing; there for a while she thought she was never going to get her strength back. I asked her today if there was any difference in her legs since she has been on the lower dose of Thalidomide and her answer was no, but then I know it has only been a few days so we will see how that goes.
Her dialysis session was much better today than on Monday; they tried to get 2.5 liters of water off her body and it seemed to me that was about what it was and they did it without dropping her blood pressure. The dialysis center was giving their patients a Hepatitis shot and one of the staff asked me if I would like one so I said yes so she took into an unused room and shot me in the arm and it seems that there is one or two more to come, when I asked her what the charge was she said it was free; I think that is because I try to always say thank you when they do some thing for Jeri or me. You who know me well would never have thought of me in that light. :)
Seeing that tomorrow is Thanksgiving I wish all of you a happy Holiday and that is also for Scotter in Malaysia.
I am taking Jeri out of the hospital tomorrow and we are going to the church with the rest of the family, we may not be able to stay as long as every one else but at least we will be with some of the family and we wish that all of our family have a very good time. And while you are saying a blessing on the food please offer a prayer for Jeri, as I know you would even without asking.

As most of you know it has been three days since I made a post; and that is because I had a glitch in the Internet, and Mike and Chris won't take any responsibility so I had to fix it myself.
In the last three days, including today, Jeri has had really good therapy sessions and she is getting stronger every day; she has figured out that she has to do the walking thing before she does any other excesses and that has really helped. She walked 150 feet today, which is really good. And the part I like best is that she wants to get about the work and I believe she has more faith in herself and in those who are helping her. A lot of the people in therapy are old and some of them just wont do much work and they tell the therapists to go away and leave them along, which doesn't do them any good, however, some of them are in thier mid-eighties, the one I am thinking about fell and broke her hip so 'they' had to put in a new joint, and it is hard to be too critical but if they want get back to walking they have to do the work.
Jeri was really 'ticked' yesterday (Monday) at dialysis; One of the personnel decided to pull 3 liters of water and Jeri told her it wouldn't work but she tried any way and sure enough in a short time her blood pressure was way low so they had to shut of the water draw and settled for .7 of a liter instead of the usual 2 liters they usually remove. I bet Jeri doesn't let that happen again.
The temperatures are really freezing cold in the mornings and then warms up to about 4o degrees in the daytime, we have had some snow but very little her in town.
Jeri has asked me to once again to thank all of you who have sent cards and goodies and emails of your support, and I thank you also. It is really great to know we are not fighting this fight by ourselves. So keep those prayers going; I think they are the biggest source of our help!

For the first time since the last few day of July, I missed spending the day with my companion; I went to bed last night in the middle of a shiver episode and even with my room heater running it took quit awhile before I got warm but I finally got that job done, however, it took me awhile to go to sleep and then I had a restless night. I believe I got a cold from those nurses that think they can come to work sick and if they wear a mask they will not spread anything to anyone else but I am here to tell you that they can because Jeri and I each got sick from being at the hospital. Oh, by the way, I should tell everyone that SDCH is not a regular hospital; it is a rehab facility and Jeri is there to get strong in the legs so she can come home.
About ten or eleven this morning I did feel a little better and by noon I was feeling almost as good as normal, it might be that cough stuff I found in the medicine cabinet and after that I found some NyQuil and some DayQuil so took a dose of DayQuil and then I really felt better. I am sure I will be able to go to the hospital tomorrow and then go do dialysis with Jeri. Lee has been sick for the last several days but she just reported to me that is starting to get better. I know that no body appreciates feeling well until they don't feel very good.

Jeri had another good day at therapy; she walked 135 feet, which is really good, and she did other things as well. After therapy we went for a very short stroll outside; it was really cold so we only stayed a few minutes. She has a great attitude and is working hard to get strong so she can come home!
I wish there was more to report but if I did I would have to make it up.

I slept very well last night until 6:30 this morning which was enough to compensate for the lost sleep of last night so I arose and did some cleaning of my abode, which needed it badly.
I got to the hospital about shortly after eight and kissed my sweetheart's honey lips good morning. Today was another good day for Jeri, she told me she had a good nights rest and was ready for the activities of the day. A few minutes after nine we were on our way to the therapy room, when we got there I parked her in the usual spot and then I walked back to the ice machine and filled a cup with ice and Jeri was ready to go to work. She did very well with all of the therapy but what warmed my heart was that she walked farther today than she did yesterday and it appears to me she is getting stronger every day. When she was through with the therapy she was loaded into a bus and delivered to the dialysis center and she was ready for the the three hours of dialysis, which she tolerated very well with out any feelings of fainting and 'they' didn't 'pull' too much water from her to cause in distress. A lady at the center told us that her numbers are really good, however, I have no idea what the numbers are and if I did I wouldn't know what they meant unless someone told me but she sounded like it was a really good thing.
When we got back to the hospital she rested on the bed for about and hour and a half and then she invited me to go home, which was a shock to me. :)
As I am writing this entry the wind is whistling through the trees and making a noise at the windows, which means that the experts may know that it is going to snow tomorrow. It was very cold this morning with some ice on the road, however, very little but it demand a coat to be warm. I still ask you to continue praying for a rapid recovery

I slept about four hours last night, now don't get excited, it was because I had to take care of some business this morning and I got thinking about it and then I focused on it the for the rest of the night except for about four hours; it reminded me of my 'trucking days'. I went to the hospital about seven to give Jeri some things I thought she might need because I knew I wouldn't be back until about 10:00, and I got back at 10:10, just in time to wheel her to therapy, which usually starts at 9:00
With out a question this was the best day for Jeri in, at the least, the last several weeks. She had a great session at therapy, she walked a long way and did all of the things she was asked to do. I told her it did her good to have an outing once in a while. :) I don't think she thought that Tuesday and Wednesday was an outing! I think if she continues to improve like today she will be able to come home in two or three weeks. Oh, by the way, she is getting out of the hospital next Thursday for as long as she has the desire to be eating turkey and pie.
This afternoon I took her for a stroll around the halls of the first floor and when we pasted a room with a lot of windows that face the west she wanted to go outside and sit in the sun so that was what we did for a short time and then the temperature drove us back into the heated building. She does really like to sit in the sun!

I was up rather early and was at IMC to see how my loved one was doing that early in the morning and she was doing very well and had a good night. About mid morning the dialysis person came in and started the removing of water from her body. Shortly thereafter I went to Dr. Child's, he is my Urologist, when he was through he said the only way you could be better you would have to 30, which made my day, and I was there less than a half-hour, which is a miracle in and of its self. On my way back to IMC I got a phone call from SDCH telling me that when Jeri is released from IMC they have to do some paper work so they could get back in the system; I told her I thought there was an 80% chance she would be there today and if not that a 100% chance it would be tomorrow, which would be Thursday.
When I got back to IMC I was told it looked like she would be going back to SDCH today, and that makes me a prognosticator.
While they were doing the dialysis they found some evidence of something may be effecting the dialysis port so they did what needed to be done, and they called the Bountiful facility to tell them them to be sure and take care of it when she goes back, however, they were profuse in their verbiage that there wasn't anything to be concerned about so I leaned back and read some more of the newspaper. As an aside, it is really good that I have a newspaper to take with me every morning so I have something to do while Jeri does all of the work. :)
About two we got the news that they were going to transport Jeri back to Bountiful and then Rob came in the bus and away they went back to Bountiful. I gathered all of the stuff that needed to go with us and I then went down the nine stories to get to the ground level. When I went past the bus Jeri had Rob ask me if I had the Thalidomide and of course I had forgotten so I had to go back up those nine stories and get what I had forgotten, and as I was getting off the elevator when I got back to the first floor I could hear a voice saying "come and get me I am a new flavor of Cookie dough," so I moysed down to the cafeteria and went to the ice cream station and sure enough there it was so I bowed to its enticement and bought a bowl full and it was really good.
When I got back to Bountiful Jeri was in conched in her room and shortly after I got there a PT came in to assess her strength and found that she is some what better than when she left.
I stayed for a short time to make sure she was settled in and then I give her a kiss and hug and bid my adieu. I think it was a good day.

Well, today was a day of much activity, when I arrived at the SDCH Jeri asked me to go back home and get two of her sweatshirts so the way I go. When I pulled up to the curb, at the facility, my phone rang so I answered it and I could hear Jeri yelling "Jay call 911, call 911" so I called 911 and instructed them to room 117 and I then went into the facility and her room where I heard Jeri saying she couldn't breath and there was something wrong with her heart and the nurses arguing about whether she should go to IMC or not; one nurse was saying that it was just an anxiety attack, which really upset Jeri and she said it is not just an anxiety attack. At this time I told the nurse that she was going to IMC because she has always been right when she said something was wrong. By this time the EMT were there and when they heard me say this they put her in the ambulance and the way they went. And I fallowed right behind but they beat me there and had her in the ER and into a room, and the next several hours 'they' were doing a lot of tests on her heart, lungs and other important parts of her body. I did hear the heart word once or twice but I didn't get just what it was all about; that is what happens when your ears are 77 years old and one of those ears is only an eighth of the size it ought to be. They finally said they were going to admit her to the hospital and she was going to go to floor nine, which is the cancer floor. And would be there a day or two, and I don't know what exactly that means; if it were I that said it I would be a couple of days I would know what they said, oh, by the way, they did say it could be a couple of days.
When she arrived on the 9th floor she saw a lot of the staff that was there when she was there and they had a good few minutes saying nice things about each other. :)
When I left she said; "I am going to lick this thing and get back to normal!" She looked better than I have seen her for several days, and that may be because I told her that I talked to Jessica and the the new dosage of the Thalidomide will be here in a few days; she and the doctor thinks this will help get her legs and feet, as well, as her arms and hands back to normal; I pray that it might be so.
Today I saw the frisky and strong person that that I love become somewhat more determined to get back to normal.
Oh, by the way, I had an opportunity to get one of those wonderful Pastrami sandwiches that I used to get when Jeri was there a few months ago. :)

Today we had a blast of winter weather, which I do not like very much; it could wait at least until December!
Jeri had a good night last night and a fairly good therapy session this morning, however, she is still having numbness and weakness in her legs and arms and she thinks it my be due to the Thalidomide, so we called Dr. Litton's office to see if he thought it would be a good thing to cut back on the dosage for awhile to see if the numbness is relieved or goes away. This evening as I was leaving the hospital I got a call from the doctor's office telling me that he was going to cut the dosage in half, which I think is a good thing to try.
Jeri had an usual day at dialysis and she returned to the hospital ready for a nap so she got on the bed and turned on the TV so she could go to sleep but she didn't sleep she watched TV until I left for home.
It is my fondest hope that the change of dosage will help her and she can get her strength back and return home; it is very lonesome in our living area with out her being here.

Well, here it is 7:30 PM and I just got home from the hospital; Lee, Cliff and Jayci were there and I waited until they were ready to leave.
I think Jeri had a good day of therapy and I believe she is getting better every day but she doesn't see the progress that she is making. After the therapy session we went to Sacrament Meeting, which is an interesting thing to see so many people there that have to have help partaking the Sacrament but are willing to do what they have to do to do the things that they they think is important.
After church we returned to her room and visited for a short time and then her lunch was brought to her and it looked really good to me and she verified that I was right. After she had a rest we strolled the facility, however, we didn't go outside but we did go up to the second floor and looked out at the part of the city would could see. We then went back to her room and watched some football and I read some of the newspaper; doesn't sound like much but it was enough for us.
It didn't snow today because it was too cold even for the snowflakes to attempt the trip. I am not sure that the temperature got out of the 30s today and I know it was really cold when I went to the pickup this morning.
In my quest to keep our part of the house clean I took a big bag of magazines and catalogs to the recycling bin, which really cleared a big spot on the floor. :) Well, that is about all that happened to day so I shall say good night to all y'all.

Today was a nasty day, weather wise. When I left to go to the hospital it was snowing and it seemed it kind of snowed most of the day, however, it didn't stick to the road or sidewalks. About noon I headed out to get some lunch and as I was leaving Lee came to see Jeri and shortly after I left Mike and Patrice showed up and all of them were still there when I got back to the hospital, and they stayed and visited for a short time and then they left to do other things on this Saturday. I asked Jeri if the visitors and and all of the talking 'wore her out' and she said "no; it is really good to talk to visitors as long as they are family and I can participate when I want to and don't feel like I have to entertain them."
After they left Jeri and I went for a walk around the facility and when we went past the therapy area Bob (a very good therapist) was there so Jeri decided she wanted to stop and have Bob help her for a while. After a few times getting her up on her legs; it is a wonder to me how these people know what to do to strengthen muscles I didn't know we have. After a few minutes he had her walking down the hall and she walked 120 feet, which doesn't sound like much but it was a great distance for her; I think she feels safe as long as he is by her and has his hand on her gait belt (which is a belt that goes around the waist so someone can help hold her up if she starts to fall), I am hopeful that she will be home in a week or two. I think she is getting stronger every day.
When I got to the hospital this morning I asked her how her night was and she said it was the best she has had in a long time, which warmed the cockles of my heart. When I left last night I thought her spirit's were down and that she was unhappy, which made me unhappy but it seems that I didn't read her mood very well, but then that is not an uncommon thing in our lives.
When I left shortly after five she was looking and acting like she was having a good evening; I pray she has a really good night.

While we were at therapy someone came and talked to Jeri and told her that there was a person that needed respiratory therapy so they needed to be on the second floor so Jeri could share a room with this person or she could go to the first floor and have a private room so Jeri decided on the first floor. After this conversation she had, in my opinion, a good therapy session; I really like what Dom is doing for her. As Jeri was doing some exercise Dom asked me if he could ask me a personal question and of course I said yes. He then asked me what kind of trauma my left ear had suffered so I told him about life with skin cancer; of all of the people I have seen looking at my ear, he is the first one that has ever said anything except Dr. Litton.
At eleven, George placed Jeri in the van, and transported her to dialysis for a three hour session, which really drained vitality from her soul, which is a tough thing to witness happening to your sweetheart. When we got back to the hospital the people who moved Jeri's stuff from the 2nd floor to the 1st hadn't placed things where Jeri wanted them so I stayed for a couple of hours helping get the room like she wanted it; the new room is not as big as the other one but when I left Jeri was getting ready to eat and I think her anxiety was subsiding and she was doing well, however, she doesn't like anyone messing with her stuff, including me. I think we may be looking at a couple of more weeks before she is ready to come home, but then what do I know? It is my prayer that she sleeps soundly and long and is refreshed in the morning.

The morning session of PT wasn't too good for Jeri; she wasn't feeling very well so they didn't push her very much and she did some work but then went back to her room and had a long nap, which seemed to revive her some. At noon I went to KFC for a twister wrap and a root beer, when I got back Lee was there after being in Seattle for a week. While she was there 'they' came again and asked Jeri if she wanted to try therapy again and she said yes so the way we went and she had a great session; Dom (Dominic) worked with her and got her playing some basketball; she sat in her chair and tried to score from there and she had a good workout and then Dom encouraged her get up out of the wheelchair and do some muscle building things in her legs. While he was doing this he noticed that Jeri was favoring her right shoulder so he touched a muscle on the back of her neck and she said it really hurt so he put some heat on it and that made if feel much better, after that she had a good session and was really glad she went. I will put some heat on her shoulder every morning and every afternoon so she can work on her strength. I can see a difference in her strenght every day.

Last night as I left Jeri I said I was glad that I was there to help her and she said she was glad also, which caused me to remember what I said when she was diagnosed with Mylenoma, which was, don't you dare die before I do, and she said why? And my response was because I think it is easier for the first one that dies than it is for the one left. With that said, I repent of my comment and am really blessed to have the opportunity to help her in this fight. I am pleased that I can do things that help her get better and to make things easier for her and encourage her to fight this thing. But most of all I know it is easier to fight when you have some one helping you in that fight and I am pleased that the Lord had me for her when she needed help. I know that I haven't said this very well but you who read this are smart enough to figure out what I mean.

On behalf of Jeri I thank all of you that have sent cards or other things that encourage her, she really appreciate the thoughts and the effort you have gone to.
This morning was another good day of therapy; she is getting her energy back and can stand by herself but of cause she uses a walker. Today she walked well over sixty feet, which is getting better every day. However, it is Wednesday so the dialysis session kind of wipes that away and it takes a few hours to get back to where she was this morning.
I am impressed by the staff at SDCH and at Liberty Dialysis. They are kind, thoughtful, and concerned about what is going on with Jeri. It seems that every dialysis day 'they' take off too much water, which causes her to have cramps in her legs and when that happens they do everything that they can do to alleviate that problem. The therapy people like me involved because I follow with the wheelchair so Jeri can sit when she gets tired; if I am not there they would have to have someone of the staff be doing that work.
The temperature was rather good this morning and the sky was clear but this afternoon the clouds rolled in and it looks like it may rain tonight, and 'they' say it may snow tomorrow evening but I hope 'they' are wrong once again.
It is time to complete this blog and say thanks to all who care what is going on in our lives.

Today was a really good day for Jeri. She was able to get up from the wheelchair and wrap her hands around the walker; she did this several times to build up her leg strength and then she walked for almost 60 feet, and she was grinning that big grin she had when Dr. Litton said the chemicals are working on her Myeloma. I think she has come to the conclusion that she would like to stay, at least through next week at the rehab center, just to make sure she is ready, which I think is a very good thing. Even though it was really chilly today we took a couple of strolls around the area and she acted like she has much more confidence in my ability to push her where she needs to go and can handle the down hill so that she doesn't have a run-a-way wheelchair. She showed more confidence today than she has in many weeks and is pleased with the increase of ability in her legs, which gladdened my heart; I thought it might take more time than this but I will take what I can get.
It was chilly today but no moisture yet but tomorrow it is supposed to rain and the next day 'they' say it might snow here on the valley floor.
Now here is the thing, we can not stop what has made this happen; and that is praying for her!

Today was not a really good day for Jeri; she had some trouble when she tried to stand so she did some other things to strengthen her legs. I think she was disappointed for awhile but the therapist convinced her this was some thing that would help her go up stairs and that seamed to be alright.
She had a good session at dialysis and they are taking a lot of water from her body; she not only has lost water but she has lost at least 50 pounds off her body, which is a really good thing.
It seems that I am getting a lot of exercise because I forget to get every thing from the room when ever we have to go some where, for instance, to dialysis so back I go and retrieve the things I forgot. And then a lot of times I forget to get the same things out of the pickup so I get the exercise of walking back to the pickup but I chalk it up to just trying to get my exercise. :)
Today started being very cool but as the day wore away it warmed up some and was rather nice; that is what happens in November.

Today was somewhat like yesterday. This morning Jeri was involved with PT & OT; she thinks she will be home by the end of this week, which I hope is right but I think it might be at the end of next week. I guess we will have to wait and see who is right; I hope it is she.
The temperatures were rather low today but that didn't keep us from our stroll around the area; I put on my coat and Jeri put on her vest. I thought it was really cold but Jeri said she was comfortable.
Christopher and Karen came to see Jeri this evening and of course they had to visit with me as well. :)
I think Jeri is getting stronger every day.

I asked Jeri a short time ago how she would describe today and she said "it was excellent." And I think that would be my answer as I shared it with her. This morning Mike brought her a container of 'stew', which is really good and I know because I had some the other day. I asked her if she wanted it tonight or if she wanted to wait and her response was "I'll wait and see what they bring me" well, they brought her dinner and she took the lid off and looked and said "I will eat this and save the stew for another day."
She felt good today and had a short PT & OT session today, which is normal for weekends. It is my opinion that she will be another two weeks at the facility to get her strength back in her legs. This afternoon we took a stroll around the complex and it was warm enough that we didn't need any extra to stay warm but then I was doing all of the work. :)
Now don't get complacent with those prayers because they are still needed, and we appreciate every one's concerns for her. I think that fairly sums up today, as far as the saga of Jeri and her travails.

This day is the best day of my life since May of 2009! Jeri had a good session at dialysis but was dreading the ride to IMC to visit with Dr. Litton; for you who might not know he is Jeri's oncologist, however she sucked up some energy within herself and and got herself on the bus and the way she and George, who is the driver, and they way they went to Murry. Mike and Patrice and I were just ahead of the bus. We pulled up to the Cancer Center and wended our way to Dr. Litton's office and then we had to sit for a few minutes and then we were ushered into one of his exam rooms and then we waited for many minutes and Jeri was getting tired and a little depressed and said she wished she hadn't come today.
After 15 or 20 minutes Dr. Litton came to the room and pulled out his paper work and told us of all the numbers of Jeri's work up, which I thought he was rather pleased with and then some one asked what they meant and he said the Thalidomide was doing it's work and the Myeloma is almost in total remission and Jeri had the biggest smile on her face that I have seen in a very long time and it brought tears to my eyes. All of you must know that Myeloma is never cured but it can be kept in remission for a very long time. He knew that Jeri and I didn't get the real impact of what he said so he told us in English that she won't have any other regimen beside the Thalidomide for awhile and now is the time for Jeri to do the work so she will get the strength back into her legs so she will be mobile.
When we got back to the hospital Jeri got on her bed and said she was going to go to sleep and sleep the whole night through.
Now you know why this has been one of the best days of my life; I am sure my sweetheart will be coming home in a couple, remember what couple means in my dictionary, of weeks.
I thank all of you for your prayers and concern, and please be sure to keep those prayers going.

I am delighted to tell you this was a much better day today than yesterday! I arrived at the hospital at eight and she was waiting for breakfast but not with much anticipation; she doesn't think the meals are very good but then neither do I, what ever that counts. At nine we motored on down to the PT facility and Jeri did some exercises that was designed to strengthen her legs but no stair climbing today. I made arrangements with the transportation people to take Jeri to dialysis tomorrow and then bring her back to the hospital so she can change her clothes to go to Dr. Litton for an appointment to see what will be done next. And I am going to pick up a prescription from Dr. Steven's office for Jeri; it is impossible to describe how much we like this man.
This afternoon I took Jeri on a stroll around the facility; I strolled and Jeri rode, which is just the way that ought to be. She really likes the sunshine but she is not very secure in the fact that I can push her up the hills and slow her down on dells but we had a great time; it was warm in the 60s today and 'they' are saying that by the weekend it is going to be in the 70s, which is really good for me.
It is my prayer that she will quickly gets her strength back so she can come home!

It is with great sad heart that I say this was not a very good day for Jeri. At nine o'clock we went to PT, and Kevin and Becky came to see her and we talked to the therapist about her going home Sunday, so the therapist decided it was time to determine if she could walk up stairs, because we have three stairs to climb. Well she walked up the first step and then she tried the second but she couldn't get her right leg to lift her and she fell on her right knee, which caused some more injury; it was a good thing the I and Kevin were close so we could keep her from doing more damage but it took Dom to lift her back in her wheelchair. This was devastated Jeri because she knew it would delay her going home so she was in funk for the rest of the day and carried over to dialysis some, but not very much. I suspect that she will be in the hospital for another two weeks, which is a disappointment for me but it has been hard for her to believe she will ever get home, however, after a long conversation we came up with some ideas that we think will work for us and be good for Jeri.
It was rather cool this morning but it warmed up rather good by noon. I am certain that if we do what we can, the Lord will help us so that things will work to our advantage.

Here it is Tuesday and Jeri had another good day. She had a good day at PT and is doing a good job at walking, which is the crucial thing because it is the thing she needs when she gets home and her OT was just as good but not quite as critical as the PT; It appears that she will be coming home on Sunday. The weather has warmed up some but it will be cooler very soon and if you don't believe me just wait and see.
This is a short message but that can be a very good thing! So I will 'talk' to you tomorrow.

I am happy to report that Jeri had another good day and she tolerated dialysis very well. She is doing well on the walking part of therapy and her legs are getting stronger every day. I bought a device today that she will need when she gets home. She is making noises that she will come home on Sunday and if comes home doing as well as she is now that is great with me. Today was warmer than it has been for many days and that is ok with me because I know that it won't last long. It is the 2nd day of November so I have to get my pickup off the street from midnight until morning so 'they' can keep the snow off the street; so Chris put some sand and paver stones that I bought on the strip of lawn that I park on so I don't make the ruts any deeper than they are now. And the really good news is that I don't get that confounded error banner when I try to make a post, which proves the point that it was the internet's fault and not mine. :)

I have been trying for three days to post this blog but I keep getting an error banner, which won't let me finish the blog or let me post it. However, it seems to be working ok for now so I shall finish rather quickly so I can keep everyone up to date on the sick and afflicted.
Jeri has been doing really well the last several days and is getting stronger every day and she has some excellent PTs & OTs and no one can complain about that. I think she may come home on the ninth of November; it will be great to have her home. she has be away from me for almost three months and that is way too long for me.
This blog will be post as of this date 11/1/09 but covers last Friday and Saturday and today, which is Sunday.
I think I have discovered the problem of not being able to post a new entry on my blog; it seems that we were having trouble with the Internet; technology is wonderful when it is working but can be rather bothersome when things are going to pot.
Today was the first day of regular Mountain Standard Time, and it was rather dark when I came home about five-thirty. It is my prayer that dialysis goes as well tomorrow has it has in the last several days, oh, by the way, there is a woman from the Rose Park area that has treatments the same day as Jeri does but neither of them feel like talking very much, but then Jeri has never been a long talker. I hope this thing continues to work like it should and I shall post again tomorrow. Just keep those prayers coming if you don't mind.

I went to bed last night about ten and awakened this morning shortly after seven, which is early and late for me. When I got to the hospital Jeri was eating her breakfast and shortly thereafter I was wheeling her down to therapy. She did really good this morning even if it wasn't like it was a couple of weeks ago, however, it is obvious to me that she is getting her feet back under her, so to speak.
At eleven the bus was ready to take her to dialysis so the way she went and I left about the same time but I was there many minutes before they finally arrived and shortly thereafter she was hooked up and her blood was being pumped through a machine, and that continued for three hours; they removed 3 litters of water out of her system, which is a really good amount and she had no blood pressure problems. While she was hooked up to the machine I went to Del Taco and bought each of us a soft shell taco and some fries, which was rather cheap, less than three dollars. When I opened the sack I could see why they were so cheap; they were really little but tasted pretty good. I asked Jeri if she was no longer hungry and she indicated she would like one more taco so I went to Taco Bell and bought another cheap taco, which cost a dollar and a half and it was about the same size as the first one but this was enough for Jeri so my shopping for food was finished for today. I have been wondering if there is a taco war here in Bountiful. When Jeri arrived back at the hospital she got on top of the bed and said she was going to have a nap until they brought her dinner so I gathered my stuff together and came home. I think she had a good day today.
When I went to the hospital this morning it was raining with a few snowflakes in the air and it was rather cold, 41 degrees on the porch.

I was up and going rather early this morning; I was showed and dressed by seven. I garbed some food and was on my way to SDCH and was there before eight-thirty. Jeri was eating breakfast and at nine we went to the PT room and she did PT and OT for two hours; it seems to me that her feet and legs are, very slowly, getting better. Sometime around noon I went to Alpine Medical to change the wheelchair that we rented on 9/11 for on that was a couple of inches wider but they didn't have any in but will in a few days; I was told it was on the truck and should be here in two or three day; I think time will tell us just how much they know about transportation. When I returned to the hospital I dropped off the wheelchair and I headed for Dr. Rasmussen's office to have some more cancer removed from my skin that covers my left jaw bone but when I got there he said that after he had looked at the information all he had to do was to burn some more off. He put on his torture suit and began to zap a lot of places on my head and face; I am surely glad that I took a Tylenol 3 before I went. I was glad that he didn't have to cut any more of face off; it is getting so there is not too much left as it is. :) I got back to the SDCH about four-thirty and I whimpered and whined hoping for some sympathy and I got it. About five-thirty when Jeri got her dinner I came home and transferred some more of my blog into my journal.
When I got home it was 43 degrees, it seems that winter is trying to get its foot in the door and I think it is way to early, however, we can use the water next summer. It seemed to me that Jeri is getting a little better every day but then what but the what I know?

I didn't go to bed until almost eleven last night so I didn't wake up until seven, which is not enough sleep for a busy fella like me. When I left the house this morning the temperature was 31 degrees, which is right down chilly for October 28. When I arrived at the hospital Jeri was eating breakfast and it looked pretty good to me and she said it was. She also said she had an excellent night. I wheeled her down to therapy shortly after nine and she worked for over an hour and did really well. While we were there the lady from the Business Office to talk to us about Jeri going home and I expressed my opinion that she need the rest of the week and all of next week, however, she said the insurance people say that she doesn't need to be in the hospital after this week. I talked about the numbness in her legs especially her right one and the therapist agreed with me and then the business lady talked to the therapist and the therapist agreed with me, which kind of irritated the business gal a little and she then said she used the therapy records that she was walk hundreds of feet without any difficulty I said that was two weeks ago and her legs are not like they were then; so the lady talked to the therapy people and they said they would send her the newest information. The lady said she would talk to the insurance people and see if they will extend the time with the new information and then she said I will call and tell you if they won't extend; and then I said, "does this mean that if I don't hear from you today that they have extended the time?" And she said yes, and she didn't call so I think Jeri will leave SDCH on the ninth of November.
Jeri had a good session on the dialysis machine and she didn't have any blood pressure issues; it must be the pill that they gave her. When we got back to the hospital Jeri laid on her bed and shortly said;"Jay, you might as well go home because I am going to sleep for awhile so I gathered myself to gather and came home. I pray that tonight will be as good as last night.
When I got home it was 43 degrees, which is much to early for such cold weather.

When I awoke at five-thirty I saw snowflakes in the air and on the lawn but none on the streets, which is a really good thing. When I got to the SDCH Jeri was eating her breakfast and said she had a good night. After she finished with her breakfast she laid on her bed and had a nap and missed the 9:00 am therapy, however, shortly after lunch I wheeled her down to the therapy area and she had a good session of therapy; I think it will take a while to get her strength back, especially in her legs and even more particularly in her right leg.
I think this was her best day in a few weeks, and I hope she continues to improve. I think there is a slight chance that she may came home on Monday, the first of November but then I have been wrong before. If Jeri wants to come home next week that will be just right with me.
When I came home tonight she was feeling good and and was sitting in the wheelchair, oh, by the way I called the place where we rented the wheelchair and asked if we could trade it for a bigger one and of course they said yes, when the weather is better I will do the swap.

Today started about the way I like it. Jeri had a good night and was bright eyed and bushy tailed and was ready for a dialysis treatment. I, and a couple of staff who know how to move people that are having trouble with their leg put Jeri in our pickup and and I transported her to the center and some of their staff helped her into the facility and got her ready for the treatment. They were careful to keep her blood pressure where it needs to be so she had a fairly good session. While they were doing the treatment some one got the idea that maybe she would have a better session if she had a pill that increased her blood pressure for the duration of the dialysis, which sounded good to me. Oh, by the way, we arraigned for the facility to transport her back to SDCH, which was another good idea.
Shortly before three o'clock we put Jeri in Jayci's car and we were on our way to Dr. Litton's office for a chemo session but when Ann, a PA-C, got all of the information about Jeri's legs she talked to Dr. Litton and he decided that maybe it would be better to go to some other regimen that is not as invasive as the one she is on know. And, by the way, it was Jeri's Idea.
And we know she is not coming home until the first of November; I am not going to fight it because I think that is what she wants to do. We did come to the conclusion that she needs a bigger wheelchair so I am going back to the place we got it and see if I can get a bigger one. I believe that she was better today than she has been for a few days.

Well here is a total waste of an hour; I have tried to log on my computer but I couldn't so I am using Jeri's.
Jeri had a really great night until about six thirty; she needed to use the rest room so she called for help and an Aid came to help her and in the process her right leg gave out and she fell to the floor and damaged her right calf. She thought she heard a cracking sound but when they did an exray her bones were all ok, which was a really good thing. And they think she is ready to come home. I arrived about eight thirty and when I heard what had happened I asked what the doctor said and I was told that they don't call a doctor during the night, which didn't set very well with me, but I discovered that hardly anyone cares how I feel about things, however, during the day her leg did get better and she had a better day than I thought she would. I am pretty sure that the problem with her leg is due to the Velcade chemo and the Thelidomide, which both have the side effect of numbness and weakness in the feet and legs. I am hopeful that tomorrow Dr. Litton's people makes some changes. The Bishop and hiswife came and visitged with Jeri for a few minutes and I am sure that she thinks I talk too much and that makes people stay too long.
It was really cold this morning and any water was solid and they say it is going to snow on Tuesday.
Tomorrow Jeri has a dialysis session and then we go to Dr. Litton's for the chemo; I pray that something is done to get this problem fixed.

Well here is a total waste of an hour; I have tried to log on my computer but

Well here is a total waste of an hour; I have tried to log on my computer

I was up before six thirty and was at the hospital before eight thirty. When I asked Jeri how her night went she said she had a good night and had very little pain; I suspect she had a pill or two. The staff have been very thoughtful and do what ever they can to make her life better. Shortly after noon I moysed down the street and bought me a sandwich and a root beer, which was pretty good. When I got back to the hospital Mike and Christian was there visiting with Jeri, it seems that our family is very concerned.
However I think she is much better than yesterday and hopefully she will be better tomorrow. When I left about five-thirty she was listening to the BYU football game and I am sad to say they didn't do very well against TCU. It rained today and we need it so we can get a good snow pack and 'they' are saying we will get snow here on the valley floor this comming Tuesday. I am praying that tomorrow will even be better than today.

I was up and going shortly after six-thirty and was at the hospital before eight-thirty. When I asked Jeri

I was up and doing things about six-thirty and was at the hospital shortly before eight-thirty. Jeri said she ha

Today was a very interesting day; I awoke around six this morning and I was up and going shortly thereafter and was at the hospital shortly before eight-thirty. Jeri was up and eating her breakfast, which looked ok to me.
About nine-thirty a lady from the business office at SDCH came into Jeri's room and said that the insurance company thought she could get the same results if she went home, this coming Monday, and had home care come and help her at home, which I didn't agree with, I suggested that she wasn't in good enough condition to go home just yet but maybe about the first of November. She said she would talk to the insurance people and let me know what they said this afternoon but we didn't see hide nor hair of her.
Jeri had a pretty good day during her dialysis; they decided not to take too much liquid off her body so her blood pressure was good for the three hours she was hooked up to the machine. However, when she was walking out of the dialysis center she had to use the restroom so Lee helped her, after she was in the rest room Lee called for help because Jeri couldn't get off the toilet and fell to the floor and hit her back and head on something hard so I hustled into the restroom and we tried to lift Jeri onto the wheelchair but we pitiful things couldn't get the job done so we had to call for some strong young people that were there. When we got back to SDCH we talked to the staff members and asked if they could help Jeri finish the project she started as she was leaving the center. The staff got some young strong people to help and they worked with Jeri and they helped her walk into the restroom. I told Jeri if that had happened at home I would have called 911 and had her taken to IMC's ER for help; I bet the insurance company wouldn't have thought that was a good decision. The staff that looks after my sweetheart was very kind and helpful toward Jeri, which is exactly what she deserves. By the time I came home she was feeling better but the people that are in charge of things shouldn't be in Ivory Towers making decisions with out listening to those who have some knowledge of what is going on.
Oh, by the way, the Charge Nurse looked up the side effects of Velcade and Thalidomide and both of the time can cause weakness in the feet and legs, so Dr. Litton's crew has to come up with some new stuff to do.
When I left, Jeri seemed to be in good spirits and feeling ok.

I was awake very early this morning; I was showering before five-thirty, I think it might be against the law to be showering at that time. When I was through getting clean I worked on printing my blog. I arrived at the hospital shortly before eight thirty and was settled down to help Jeri do some therapy but her feet and the lower part of her legs were numb so she canceled her therapy, which I thought that the PT thought she was not as bad as she said she was; boy that is a lot of words that start with an s!
Shortly after noon I called Dr. Litton's office and talked to one of his staff and explained about Jeri's feet and legs being numb and that she was having a lot of pain in her left hip and leg and asked her what might be the cause and what could be done to correct the problem. Lee came to the Hospital shortly after noon and shortly after one we were on our way to Intermountian Medical Center so Jeri's heart doctor could check the pace maker to see if it was functioning as it should and sure enough he proceeded to proclaim he had done a really good job, well maybe it was me that said he did a really good job; she has to go back to have it checked again in April, which is a GREAT month.:) Oh, by the way, President Eyring and his wife came into the waiting room while we were waiting; it is great to be in the presence of a Prophet.
On our way back to the hospital Dr. Litton's triage nurse called me and told me that the chemo they are using is probably the thing that is wrecking havoc with Jeri's legs, and then said they would probably make some changes next Monday when they start the two week regimen, which made Jeri rather happy as it did the nurses and PTs that are helping her at SDCH.
When I left SDCH I was glad I had called Dr. Litton's office about Jeri's legs.
I am hopeful that Jeri will come home on November 1st.