Doing Great!!

Grammy is doing great! She came out to Utah last weekend for a short visit. She still has to take it easy, but she is really doing well! This weekend she is heading on a ball trip with Grandpa. Unless there is anything BIG to post...this may be it for a while :)!

GREAT NEWS!!

Today the Dr. pulled Grammy off of her antibiotic pills. She is excited & a little scared. I think the antibiotics are kind of a security blanket for her. She was feeling pretty good today.

Grammy & Grandpa just celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary (or re-versry if you are Grammy). Grandpa took her shopping for a new outfit to wear & then they went away for Sunday night. Grammy wasn't feeling 100%, but they still had fun. The desk clerk upgraded their room to a suite because it was their anniversary.

Last week she went over to visit Steve, Wendy, & the kids. She said that when there were a lot of conversations happening...she noticed that she had a hard time hearing. She told me that her right ear is clearing & she can hear better out of it.

I am so proud of Grammy & her progress. Grammy is having a hard time being patient & giving her body time to recover. She wants to be back to normal NOW!

A new update...

Grammy went to the Ear Dr. today. She has permanent ear damage in both ears. The Doctor wants her to get hearing aids, but she wants to wait because her hearing is improving everyday.

She gets to go swimming on Friday & she is excited. Grandpa said that she will love it because it is like bathtub water.

If there is anymore news...I will update again!

Good News!!

Today Grammy gets her pick line taken out today!! She is so excited!! The daily trips to the hospital are OVER!!!! She still has to go in a couple of times a week to get her blood thinner checked.

Her main Dr. released her yesterday & told her that she only has to go back if she feels there is anything wrong. Grammy got all dolled up to go into the Dr. because he had seen her at her worst & she wanted him to see the real Grammy. She did her hair & painted her nails. She told him that "this is the real Betty!" Grammy asked the Dr. when she will get feeling & he just kept saying "You were VERY sick."

Grammy went to get her hair cut & done on Tuesday. She had to put earplug in her ears so that water didn't get in her ears. She loves her new hair do.

We are so happy about Grammy's progression. Her voice is getting stronger. When I would talk to her before...it was a whisper, but now she sounds so strong. While I was talking to her my microwave timer went off in the other room & Grammy heard it. I was really surprised!

She goes into the Ear Dr. some time next week...so we'll see what he has to say about her progress.

Grandpa took Grammy to her first restaurant since she got sick. She was tired, but did well.

June 29, 2009

I am going to try to make this a weekly update for now...because Grammy is doing so well. I talked to her for a while tonight. She started physical therapy & sounds really excited about it. She really likes her physical therapist. They told her that she may only have to do it for about 2 weeks. Grammy said that she is getting around pretty well with her walker & they are going to change her to a cane. Then hopefully she will not need to use anything. Grandpa is going to stop by & get her a cane tomorrow.

She still sounds tired, but I think that she is doing really well. She isn't very patient & is frustrated with her progress at times. We are so proud of Grammy!!!

June 21, 2009

I just talked to Grammy today. She sounds like she is stronger. Grammy has to go to the hospital everyday to get antibiotics for the next 15 days. She started at 19 days. On the weekends, they have to go in at 7:30 in the morning. On the weekdays it is later in the day. On Monday she has to start going in to get Coumadin (to keep her from getting clots) & she has to be on it until the end of the year. She isn't sure how often she has to do that. She is taking it easy. She runs on errands with Grandpa, but stays in the car. Grammy loves to hear all of your comments & really appreciates everyone's prayers.

June 17, 2009

The other day they took Grammy off of the Oxygen. Yesterday, she was determined to walk around the hallway...all of the way. As she was doing it, they made her stop over & over to check her oxygen & she was doing great! Now...to the BEST news of all...Grammy is going HOME TODAY!!!! Home...not a care center, but HOME!!! The Dr. has told her that they will order in home rehab so that she will be able to go home. Grandpa is SO excited!!!

June 15, 2009

Sorry about the lack of updates. We were driving home all day yesterday. I talked to Grammy for a minute today, but didn't get too much info from her because her nurse came into to introduce himself. I will get together with my mom (Cindy) to get an update & will post it tomorrow! Thanks for your patience with us getting settled back at home!

Saturday, June 13

Today was a good day for Grammy. When we arrived at the hospital, she was walking down the hall with her walker, all of her iv's, her oxygen, the nurse and my Dad. It looked like a parade. She went further than she has gone ever. She then sat in a chair for over 1 hour. She is so proud of herself today for she graduated to the real potty in the bathroom. She said she went from tubes to bedpans, to a little stool in her room and now to the actual big girl toilet. We all cheered! When she came out of the bathroom she proclaimed....I look like a hussy! I said what? I thought a hussy was a wanton woman...but she meant an ugly old lady. I think she looks absolutely beautiful! Almost 3 weeks ago, we didn't know if we would ever see her blue eyes and her beautiful smile ever again! What a great blessing it is to have her back with us. She is still very weak, and her voice sounds stronger but still has a bit of the Katherine Hepburn effect. Grammy was able to take a shower today, and her hair was really soft and cute. She did talk to a few people on the phone tonight, but it still really wears her out. Tonight I have very mixed feelings, as the time has come for us to head for home. Grammy is doing so well....she may not even have to go to the care center. Tiffany, Kaden, Preston and I will be on the road at approximately 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. Kaden doesn't want to leave Arizona....he wants to move here. This has been a very stressful time, but the company has been great! Thanks again to Steve and Wendy for putting us up for so long.

June 12, 2009

Grammy seemed a little stronger today...both physically and mentally. After a couple of tough days she seemed to be a little more up today. She did some physical therapy....she walked from the bed to the chair, stood in front of the chair and marched in place for almost a minute, then sat in the chair for an hour. She even sat on the side of her bed and ate her lunch today. Her breathing treatments seem to be helping, as she doesn't cough as much as she has in the past couple of weeks. Dr Reitz came in today to see her. He was here the night they brought her in, and then had been on vacation. He said he didn't expect to find her here when he returned, as he really didn't think she was going to make it. He had left instructions on his patients before he left, and his instructions to the doctor taking over for him were very vague for her as he really didn't think she was going to live. At least one doctor each day has said this to her....which is really tough to hear. The ear, nose and throat doctor also came in today, and when he heard what Dr. Reitz said, he advised us the doctors don't make a practice of saying that to patients, as they don't have time for dramatics.....so she really must have been bad. Grammy responded that she knew she was close to death and prayed really hard to live. She also knows that many other prayers were helping her. She is very determined to work hard with her therapy to get her strength back. She is still very, very weak. She has had a couple of phone conversations, but they really wear her out. We (Tiffany and I) were planning on leaving very early in the morning, but I just don't feel good about leaving yet. She still hasn't received the results from her Echo test on her heart that she had yesterday. They did check and found that she doesn't have any blood clots in her legs....which we are grateful for. She continues to receive very high doses of blood thinner to help dissolve the blood clots in her lungs. We will wait until Saturday to see if they get her Echo results. It is very difficult to think of leaving when she is still so sick and in the hospital. We only have one Grammy and one Mom.....and we really will have a hard time when we go home. Steve and Wendy have been great to put up with us for this long. We are very grateful to them for their hospitality. Mike is home with all of the dogs....he is even tending Tiffany's since her husband got deployed and is now in Columbia. Once again, we are very thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming, as Grammy still has a long way to go.

June 11, 2009

The Doctor told Grammy today that she was probably going to be there for another 5 days. He also told her that they would work really hard on the physical therapy & maybe she wouldn't have to go to the care center. They did an EKG today to see if there is any fluid around her heart. They also did an ultrasound from the waist down to make sure that she doesn't have any other blood clots. She is trying to stay up beat, but she will be nervous until she gets her results. Please keep her in your prayers!!!

If you want to leave a comment...

We have had a few people have a hard time posting comments...so I thought I would help you out!! Click on the screen shots to make them bigger if you need to! (Sorry that I didn't call you back last night Kay, we went to visit Grammy & then it was too late to call!)

Under every post there is a place that says "comments". Click on comments.



Then scroll down until you see this screen...



Type your comment in the box provided. Please be sure to leave your name!!!



Click on the post comment button.



Then, you should be finished. I hope this helps! Grammy would love to hear from everyone!

June 10, 2009

Today they decided to do a chest CT scan before moving Grammy to the rehab center. On the CT scan they found that she had bilateral pulmonary embolisms (small blood clots) in her lungs. They decided to move her to another section in the hospital where the nurses have less patients. Grammy is on bed rest until further notice. She is feeling really down because she was enjoying being able to get around a little bit. Her new room is much nicer than the other one. Steve & Dustin came over to give her a blessing which seemed to put her more at ease. They will be doing another CT scan in a couple of days to check on her progress.

June 9, 2009

Grammy got her catheter removed Tuesday & she is THRILLED!! It is funny what we take for granted...just being able to sit on the toilet by yourself. She feels like all she does is eat & poop. They did an X-ray on her chest. They are still watching her pneumonia. They are talking about moving her to the care center or the "dump zone" if you are talking to Grammy. Grandpa got the dogs groomed so that they will be ready to come & visit Grammy once she gets moved. She is very excited to see them! Her voice is even stronger today, but she gets really tired when she talks. Grammy has been watching "Who wants to be a millionaire" & plays along with the show.

June 8, 2009

Grammy just keeps getting better. Her voice is getting stronger & she was able to talk on the phone for a minute. She ate all of her food & she looks forward to her meals now. She sat up in a chair for over 2 hours & she loved getting out of the bed. The Doctor told her that they will take her catheter out on Tuesday & that she will probably move to the care center in a couple of days. Grandpa massaged her calf muscles, which made her feel good. She is still eager to do her breathing exercises & her leg exercises because she wants to get better as fast as she can. Another Doctor came in & told her that he didn't think that he would ever talk to her & that he didn't think that she was going to make it. We are very grateful for all of your thoughts & prayers for Grammy...they helped her get better!

June 7, 2009

Grammy had her best day yet today. She got more rest. She ate more. She had a lot more energy & overall she felt better. She is eager to do her exercises. Grammy did her breathing exercise better than she has ever done. She had a lot of visitors today & a lot of phone calls. She is still getting antibiotics & she has breathing treatments every 4 hours. Her coughing is getting better & her voice is getting stronger. We hope tomorrow will be even better!!

Thank you for all of your prayers & support. They mean so much! Grammy loves all of the cards & well wishes. They help to brighten her spirits.

June 6, 2009

Cindy & Grandpa went to 4 different care centers on Saturday. They found one that they like & KC checked the state ratings & it was a good one. Grammy refers to her care center as the place that we are going to "dump" her. The place where she will be going allows dogs to come in & visit. She complains that they are feeding her too much. She says that all she does is eat & poop. She walked out into the hallway yesterday. She is still working really hard on her exercises because she wants to get stronger. Miranda & I (Tiffany) went over on Saturday night to paint Grammy's fingernails. She picked a really pretty pink shimmery color. She said that her legs feel strong, but the rest of her feels weak. She gives all of the nurses a hard time, but that is our Grammy!

July 5, 2009

Grammy is doing better everyday. She talked on the phone for the first time & gave Cindy a list of things that she needed. She wanted tooth picks & to have her nails painted. She walked around her bed. She is doing really well on all of her exercises. Grammy is having a hard time sleeping, so they were going to give her a sedative to help her sleep. We are trying to find out how much longer she will be in the hospital & we are going to check out some of the rehab facilities in the next few days.

June 4, 2009 Part 2

In the early afternoon Grammy was moved out of the ICU. She was busy with visitors tonight. Tad, Beau, Kaden & Preston all got to go in & visit with Grammy. They brought her balloons & flowers. She got her first real meal. She ate chicken, potatoes, a roll, salad, & milk. She said that she could have eaten the whole thing, but she didn't want to get sick. Grammy was off of oxygen for a little bit today, but she had to go back on because her blood pressure went way low & they had to put her back on it. She brushed her own hair & teeth & she washed her face with a wash cloth. She is very weak & dizzy, but smiled a lot. It was great to see her smile!

June 4, 2009

When Steve & Cindy arrived at hospital this morning Grammy was sitting in a chair & eating vanilla pudding, peaches & pears, graham crackers, ice chips, & water. Her favorite was the graham cracker..the therapist said that was unusual (because of the hard & gritty texture) & Grammy said "tastes good to me". Grammy asked for a steak dinner & Steve told her that he would take her to Black Angus when she was better. She even walked with a walker from the bed to her chair.

She wanted Cindy to call Grandpa & tell him to put the umbrella down because she has been watching news & it was supposed to be windy. She keeps giving us thumbs up & she even threw in an eye roll today.

She has a swallowing test at 1:30 & then she will be moving out of the ICU today! They have a room ready for her. There is a chance that she will have to go to a rehab facility down the road, so KC is researching facilities. She will be leaving the hospital with an IV because she has to be on a really strong antibiotic for another 6-7 weeks.

June 3, 2009

Today was a great day! Grammy was able to get off of the breathing tube today. She is even talking. She told the nurse that she smelled good. She is working hard on her physical therapy & is doing all of her exercises. She is hungry & she said that all of the commercials for food look good. She has had ice chips & a little bit of water. Grammy still has pneumonia & they are giving her breathing treatments for that. Her coloring is great & it is so great to see her blue eyes!