As I write this blog the weather is cooling down and daylight hours are getting shorter. In our part of the world the harvest is almost in and homeowners are getting ready for winter. I do not like to see winter coming, but it has to come and we must do our best to prepare for it.
My health is improving and I am glad for that. A matter of fact I am amazed and truly thankful. The CPAP machine is doing wonders. I would never have believed that air blowing in ones face could enable one to sleep and get the rest needed to cope on a daily basis. The more I explaine to people why I am better, they tell me they have the machine or a family member has to use one. One lady in our church said all her family members have to use a CPAP machine.
I am using a loaner machine to get all the bugs worked out. At first the face mask was too big and so I received one that did fit. Then the air was too cold and I was getting brain freeze. So the therapist sent me a heated tube and that has done wonders. As long as arthritis in my back does not act up, I get a good night's sleep.
Since I have been using this machine during the month of September, my voice has come back strong again, I have energy I haven't had for a long time. As time goes on it will only improve. But the machine will be a part of my life for a long time. If I go away over night or on vaction I will need to take it with me. I will be getting my own machine some time this month. The machines are quite expensive.
I visited the doctor yesterday and we talked about my health and he went over my reports and medical history of late. He told me I was a lucky fellow, as my health otherwise is very good and if I drop some pounds I will do a lot better. He is only a young fellow just starting his practice, but wants to work with me and get me where I should be health wise. I look at this, as another chance to live a good productive life in my senior years. I am going to do what he suggest.
When I look around and see others my age, or younger, and see what they are going through, I am certainly thankful for what I have been given. I have a younger person working with me at the church and has been working two weeks a month while I have been ill and I do the other two weeks. Yesterday he entered the hospital with eternal bleeding and his kidney's shutting down. Hopefully he will pull through, but he is seriously ill. So it looks like I may be working every week for awhile. I pray and thank God every day for what I have been given.
Later this month as family and friends, we will get together and help my mother celebrate her Ninetieth birthday. She will be 90 on October 25th but the celebration will take place on Sunday October 26th at the Kentville Fire Department. Best wishes only. It will be nice for all our family to come together again,
This coming week will be a busy one as I am taking a course on Church Renewal. It is a university course, but I am only auditing it. I don't need to take it for credit as I am not taking anymore degrees. It cost enough just to audit it. The course runs from Monday through Friday, 9 am through 4:30 pm each day. I hope I will get something from it to help build the church for the future.
Valerie is doing great and helps to keep me going in the right direction. I don't know what I would have done without her during the last 10 months or so. Again I am a very fortunate man.
I must sign off for now. I am looking forward to seeing my sister and her husband from Pittsburgh PA. later this month. Hope everything is going well with them. You, my readers are in my prayers. May God bless you all!
Friday, October 3, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER
In my last post I stated how I was enjoying summer. Now as I sit down to write this update to my blog. I realize summer is almost over. The days seem to travel by so quickly.
We had a good time in Winnipeg. We left Tania and family on Saturday August 02nd. The travelling was not too bad until on Monday August 04th we went on to highway 400 down to Toronto from northern Ontario. When planning my trip back to Michael's I knew it was a holiday Monday, but did not think of people heading back into the city from their cottages. Highway 400 was crowded and slow.
That wasn't enough, when we got through Toronto and headed on the QE 427, the clouds burst and it rained so hard. We crept along and had to stop for long periods on time. The road was flooding but we managed to get through and thought we were through all the ordeals.
As we left the ramp to go into Burlington where Michael and Annie are temporarly living we came to an intersection. We waited a long time at the intersection and when it was clear we thought it was safe to go as the traffic lights were not working. A car came out of no where and hit us on the driver side back corner spinning us around and we hit a small car going through the intersection. No one was injured but the three vehicles received damage. The police were not laying charges as the accident was the result of faulty traffic lights. There was another accident at the same intersection as we waited for the tow truck to arrive.
Our van was not drivable as the impact of the car hitting us broke the rear axle and bent the wheel housing. It ended up both bumpers and wheel axle needed to be replaced. It was going to take 10 -12 days to do it. We had a problem. Where Michael is staying, it is nice but small. From Saturday through Monday he works the night shift and sleeps during the day. They have a big poodle and she barks every time we moved around. So that was not a good thing. Going home seemed like the only thing to do and I was not up to socializing anyway.
I really needed to be home the following week as I had booked a wedding and had worked with the couple since December 2013. In my thinking it would not be fair to back out and leave them looking for someone else. So Valerie and I decided we would fly home and do what needed to be done and fly back to Ontario when the van was finished. The insurance would not pay for flying home, but we did it anyway.
I have been talking with the repair shop in Burlington and they say the van will be ready on Wednesday or Thursday. We have our tickets to fly into Hamilton tomorrow. We will stay Thursday and start the drive home on Friday, arriving home on Sunday.
I consider ourselves very fortunate, because we have been driving to Winnipeg every summer for the last ten years and this is the first accident we have had in all those miles. However, it goes to show that one cannot be careful enough.
Our problems are small and insignificant compared to others who are going through illness and other problems. My heart goes out to them and their families. They are in our prayers.
I am planning to work only two weeks a month starting this fall. I a not sure how it will work out, but I am looking forward to it. Then maybe next spring retire completely. We will see how the winter goes.
This is all that I am writing for now. God be with you all, especially my sister and brother-in-law in Pittsburgh.
We had a good time in Winnipeg. We left Tania and family on Saturday August 02nd. The travelling was not too bad until on Monday August 04th we went on to highway 400 down to Toronto from northern Ontario. When planning my trip back to Michael's I knew it was a holiday Monday, but did not think of people heading back into the city from their cottages. Highway 400 was crowded and slow.
That wasn't enough, when we got through Toronto and headed on the QE 427, the clouds burst and it rained so hard. We crept along and had to stop for long periods on time. The road was flooding but we managed to get through and thought we were through all the ordeals.
As we left the ramp to go into Burlington where Michael and Annie are temporarly living we came to an intersection. We waited a long time at the intersection and when it was clear we thought it was safe to go as the traffic lights were not working. A car came out of no where and hit us on the driver side back corner spinning us around and we hit a small car going through the intersection. No one was injured but the three vehicles received damage. The police were not laying charges as the accident was the result of faulty traffic lights. There was another accident at the same intersection as we waited for the tow truck to arrive.
Our van was not drivable as the impact of the car hitting us broke the rear axle and bent the wheel housing. It ended up both bumpers and wheel axle needed to be replaced. It was going to take 10 -12 days to do it. We had a problem. Where Michael is staying, it is nice but small. From Saturday through Monday he works the night shift and sleeps during the day. They have a big poodle and she barks every time we moved around. So that was not a good thing. Going home seemed like the only thing to do and I was not up to socializing anyway.
I really needed to be home the following week as I had booked a wedding and had worked with the couple since December 2013. In my thinking it would not be fair to back out and leave them looking for someone else. So Valerie and I decided we would fly home and do what needed to be done and fly back to Ontario when the van was finished. The insurance would not pay for flying home, but we did it anyway.
I have been talking with the repair shop in Burlington and they say the van will be ready on Wednesday or Thursday. We have our tickets to fly into Hamilton tomorrow. We will stay Thursday and start the drive home on Friday, arriving home on Sunday.
I consider ourselves very fortunate, because we have been driving to Winnipeg every summer for the last ten years and this is the first accident we have had in all those miles. However, it goes to show that one cannot be careful enough.
Our problems are small and insignificant compared to others who are going through illness and other problems. My heart goes out to them and their families. They are in our prayers.
I am planning to work only two weeks a month starting this fall. I a not sure how it will work out, but I am looking forward to it. Then maybe next spring retire completely. We will see how the winter goes.
This is all that I am writing for now. God be with you all, especially my sister and brother-in-law in Pittsburgh.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
ENJOYING SUMMER
The last time I wrote on the blog I was waiting for summer. Now summer has finally arrived and I am enjoying it. We did get our garden planted before leaving for Winnipeg. Everything we planted has come up and hopefully it will not be too hot or too wet for them to grow nicely. I planted green and yellow beans, peas, squash, cucumbers, onions and carrots, I also set out a few pepper plants to see if they will grow and a dozen tomato plants.
The tomato plants were in blossom when we left. The plants don't look strong enough to bear fruit as of yet. Oh well we will see what happens.
On Monday June 23rd we started out for Winnipeg. We got on the ferry in Digby 8:00 AM and travelled to Saint John and from there to Edmundston, The next day to Arnprior Ontario 45 minutes west of Ottawa. Then on Wednesday night we stayed in a small community called Blind River. Thursday our goal was to go to Thunder Bay, but there was a bridge out past Marathon, so we back tracked and stayed in Terrace Bay over night. On Friday we arrived in Winnipeg around suppertime. The going was slow because on Route 17 there was construction on most of the bridges. The road is rough anyway at the best of times.
We had planned to go to Hamilton first but Michael and Annie are having work done on their home and they have had to move out until the work is finished. We plan to spend a couple of days in Hamilton when we start for home the first part of August.
We are having a good time with the grandchildren. They sure are growing and Jenna starts school this fall. It is difficult for me to believe how fast the time is going.
That is all for the blog at this time. Will bring you upto date on my travels at a later time. May God richly bless you my readers.
The tomato plants were in blossom when we left. The plants don't look strong enough to bear fruit as of yet. Oh well we will see what happens.
On Monday June 23rd we started out for Winnipeg. We got on the ferry in Digby 8:00 AM and travelled to Saint John and from there to Edmundston, The next day to Arnprior Ontario 45 minutes west of Ottawa. Then on Wednesday night we stayed in a small community called Blind River. Thursday our goal was to go to Thunder Bay, but there was a bridge out past Marathon, so we back tracked and stayed in Terrace Bay over night. On Friday we arrived in Winnipeg around suppertime. The going was slow because on Route 17 there was construction on most of the bridges. The road is rough anyway at the best of times.
We had planned to go to Hamilton first but Michael and Annie are having work done on their home and they have had to move out until the work is finished. We plan to spend a couple of days in Hamilton when we start for home the first part of August.
We are having a good time with the grandchildren. They sure are growing and Jenna starts school this fall. It is difficult for me to believe how fast the time is going.
That is all for the blog at this time. Will bring you upto date on my travels at a later time. May God richly bless you my readers.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
SUMMER ALMOST HERE
It is almost two weeks to the official beginning of summer. The weather is slowly warming up and feeling like summer like weather.
I am hoping this week to plant a few things in my garden. I am not sure whether we will have any more frosts or not. It should be safe to plant almost everything I want to plant. I have a dozen tomato plants to set out. I also want to plant squash and cucumbers. I will plant beans and peas a few days before we leave and maybe they will be ready by the time we return home in August.
We are planning to leave on Monday June 23 and head to Ontario for a few days and then off to Winnipeg for the month of July. I do not need to be home until later in August.
Health wise I am not sure what is going on and neither are the health professionals. I saw the Doctor of Internal Medicine and the tests I had did not show anything serious. I do have a few nodules on my lungs but they are not concerned right now and will check them in six months time. The doctor felt that they would dissappear in a few months or not grow any larger.
He cannot explain my lack of breath. He suggested weight loss would help, nasal irrigation and he suggested maybe I should look at some other ways other than medical. I am not sure what he meant, but I told him if he lived in this body I am sure he would feel differently.
I had a stress test and my heart is good. My vitals are always good. Have good blood pressure, and regular blood test are good. This is why they say they can't find anything wrong and don't want to go any further.
I have a sleep test on the 17th and that is it for testing for now.
We asked the doctor if I had to continue with the puffer and he was waiting to read the breathing test. I asked the person doing the test how I rated and she said I was good. I was at almost 80% and she said I might not need a puffer.. Having not heard back from the doctor I decided to give up the puffer anyway. I could not take feeling miserable and not being able to talk easily. I went off the puffer and I feel better and my voice has improved.
However, the doctor did change my reflux medication and this one does not affect my being able to talk. I was able to preach this morning without sounding like I had larngitis.
Well that is it for now. Wishing all you a God's richest blessings.
I am hoping this week to plant a few things in my garden. I am not sure whether we will have any more frosts or not. It should be safe to plant almost everything I want to plant. I have a dozen tomato plants to set out. I also want to plant squash and cucumbers. I will plant beans and peas a few days before we leave and maybe they will be ready by the time we return home in August.
We are planning to leave on Monday June 23 and head to Ontario for a few days and then off to Winnipeg for the month of July. I do not need to be home until later in August.
Health wise I am not sure what is going on and neither are the health professionals. I saw the Doctor of Internal Medicine and the tests I had did not show anything serious. I do have a few nodules on my lungs but they are not concerned right now and will check them in six months time. The doctor felt that they would dissappear in a few months or not grow any larger.
He cannot explain my lack of breath. He suggested weight loss would help, nasal irrigation and he suggested maybe I should look at some other ways other than medical. I am not sure what he meant, but I told him if he lived in this body I am sure he would feel differently.
I had a stress test and my heart is good. My vitals are always good. Have good blood pressure, and regular blood test are good. This is why they say they can't find anything wrong and don't want to go any further.
I have a sleep test on the 17th and that is it for testing for now.
We asked the doctor if I had to continue with the puffer and he was waiting to read the breathing test. I asked the person doing the test how I rated and she said I was good. I was at almost 80% and she said I might not need a puffer.. Having not heard back from the doctor I decided to give up the puffer anyway. I could not take feeling miserable and not being able to talk easily. I went off the puffer and I feel better and my voice has improved.
However, the doctor did change my reflux medication and this one does not affect my being able to talk. I was able to preach this morning without sounding like I had larngitis.
Well that is it for now. Wishing all you a God's richest blessings.
Monday, May 19, 2014
SUMMER HERE YET?
I noticed from the date of my last posting to my blog that it has been a long time since I have written anything, Not much has gone on in my life, but time has slipped by fairly quickly.
I am patiently waiting (well most times) for the weather to improve so we can do some gardening. It is cool and the black flies are very aggressive. My lawns needed mowing and I had trouble getting my lawnmowers working. I did get the ride-on to start after charging it up and patiently working with it until it started. I am thinking of buying a new rideon as this one was the one my father bought and mom gave it to me. My gas push mower just won't start so I may have to take it to the shop to see what is the problem.
Valerie's brother plowed the land for our garden. So now, I have to decide what to plant. I know there will be green beans, peas, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. What else I am not sure.
I am cutting my working for the church to two weeks a month starting in September. This week after the worship service a ballet will be taken to vote on a person to fill the other two weeks. We will also work together on other things during each month. If the new guy works out, I will do this for awhile and then will retire completely, maybe in the new year.
I am breathing better, but I still have limited amount of breath and energy. Evenings and morning seem to be the most difficult. Valerie and I go for walks most nights and I try to be active as much as I can. I do have bad days when I am not feeling the best and breathing is a problem. Today is one of them. I am on a puffer called FloVent which I am prescribed to use twice a day. I feel this medication has helped me but it is causing me to gain weight. My appetite is not the greatest; as some days I don't care if I eat or not. I have never been a fussy eater, but now I am a bit more choosy on what I want to eat. So the weight shouldn't be happening, except I know I am not as active as I should be.
On May 28th, I am going to see a doctor of internal medicine. He is coming to Digby from Yarmouth and I hope he can answer my questions and see if he can help me breath and feel better.
I want to go to Manitoba in July for the month. I am hoping I will be able to go and will be able to do things with the grandchildren. Time will tell. Other than that I don't have any other major plans.
I am glad that Valerie's health is fairly good. She has been a great help to me and most times she does the driving for me. Especially on longer drives such as to Kentville and to Yarmouth when I need to go.
Well, that's my life for the moment. Hope you, my readers, are enjoying spring so far and are healthy. May God richly bless you.
I am patiently waiting (well most times) for the weather to improve so we can do some gardening. It is cool and the black flies are very aggressive. My lawns needed mowing and I had trouble getting my lawnmowers working. I did get the ride-on to start after charging it up and patiently working with it until it started. I am thinking of buying a new rideon as this one was the one my father bought and mom gave it to me. My gas push mower just won't start so I may have to take it to the shop to see what is the problem.
Valerie's brother plowed the land for our garden. So now, I have to decide what to plant. I know there will be green beans, peas, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. What else I am not sure.
I am cutting my working for the church to two weeks a month starting in September. This week after the worship service a ballet will be taken to vote on a person to fill the other two weeks. We will also work together on other things during each month. If the new guy works out, I will do this for awhile and then will retire completely, maybe in the new year.
I am breathing better, but I still have limited amount of breath and energy. Evenings and morning seem to be the most difficult. Valerie and I go for walks most nights and I try to be active as much as I can. I do have bad days when I am not feeling the best and breathing is a problem. Today is one of them. I am on a puffer called FloVent which I am prescribed to use twice a day. I feel this medication has helped me but it is causing me to gain weight. My appetite is not the greatest; as some days I don't care if I eat or not. I have never been a fussy eater, but now I am a bit more choosy on what I want to eat. So the weight shouldn't be happening, except I know I am not as active as I should be.
On May 28th, I am going to see a doctor of internal medicine. He is coming to Digby from Yarmouth and I hope he can answer my questions and see if he can help me breath and feel better.
I want to go to Manitoba in July for the month. I am hoping I will be able to go and will be able to do things with the grandchildren. Time will tell. Other than that I don't have any other major plans.
I am glad that Valerie's health is fairly good. She has been a great help to me and most times she does the driving for me. Especially on longer drives such as to Kentville and to Yarmouth when I need to go.
Well, that's my life for the moment. Hope you, my readers, are enjoying spring so far and are healthy. May God richly bless you.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
FIRST DAY OF SPRING 2014
Well today is the first day of Spring. It is windy, raining and not a good day to be outside if you want to stay dry. Some parts of New Brunswick are getting snow. But I am glad that for us it is rain. I am really looking forward to warmer weather and being able to enjoy the outside.
In my last blog post I mentioned that I had to have a chest X-Ray and ECG. Well I had them and wasn't overly pleased with the results. The chest X-Ray report came back that my lungs were like those of a person who had smoked considerably over their lifetime.
That was a shocker for me, I as a teenager tried cigarettes and didn't like them. I loved the smell of a pipe and I tried that for a couple of weeks and didn't like that either.
I have been diagnosed with COPD. How I got it I do not know as it wasn't from smoking and I did not work in an environment with fumes or even second hand smoke. Reading about the disease on the internet, I did find out that it is possible to get COPD from Acid Reflux (GERD) which I also have.
At this point it doesn't matter how I got it, but what can we do to slow it down so I can enjoy life as much as it is possible. I believe I have had it for some time. When I was going to my family doctor before he passed away I kept telling him how short of breath I was. He passed it off as being over weight. I believed him and struggled with it.
On April 14th I go to Yarmouth for a CT Chest Scan and the next day for a breathing test. The breathing test and scan will tell how serious the disease is and what medications I need to take. I also in June will be doing a sleep study.
The medication I am on now has helped my breathing somewhat. But my activity level has fallen sharply. I am finding by night time I am done in. Has anyone come to the point where they are tired of breathing? As of yet I do not have the cough, just difficulty in breathing. I now understand more fully what my mother-in-law went through with her breathing problems.
I don't want to give up the church, but I may not have a choice. I am waiting to see how I am in month's time and go from there. With the right medication I may be able to stay on for awhile.
Valerie is my chauffeur and I enjoy that. However, I like being independent and I find it hard to allow someone else to do things for me. Any way we will get through this.
Other than that life is fairly quiet. Hopefully in my next post to the blog it will be less about me and about something that is more interesting. May God bless you all!
In my last blog post I mentioned that I had to have a chest X-Ray and ECG. Well I had them and wasn't overly pleased with the results. The chest X-Ray report came back that my lungs were like those of a person who had smoked considerably over their lifetime.
That was a shocker for me, I as a teenager tried cigarettes and didn't like them. I loved the smell of a pipe and I tried that for a couple of weeks and didn't like that either.
I have been diagnosed with COPD. How I got it I do not know as it wasn't from smoking and I did not work in an environment with fumes or even second hand smoke. Reading about the disease on the internet, I did find out that it is possible to get COPD from Acid Reflux (GERD) which I also have.
At this point it doesn't matter how I got it, but what can we do to slow it down so I can enjoy life as much as it is possible. I believe I have had it for some time. When I was going to my family doctor before he passed away I kept telling him how short of breath I was. He passed it off as being over weight. I believed him and struggled with it.
On April 14th I go to Yarmouth for a CT Chest Scan and the next day for a breathing test. The breathing test and scan will tell how serious the disease is and what medications I need to take. I also in June will be doing a sleep study.
The medication I am on now has helped my breathing somewhat. But my activity level has fallen sharply. I am finding by night time I am done in. Has anyone come to the point where they are tired of breathing? As of yet I do not have the cough, just difficulty in breathing. I now understand more fully what my mother-in-law went through with her breathing problems.
I don't want to give up the church, but I may not have a choice. I am waiting to see how I am in month's time and go from there. With the right medication I may be able to stay on for awhile.
Valerie is my chauffeur and I enjoy that. However, I like being independent and I find it hard to allow someone else to do things for me. Any way we will get through this.
Other than that life is fairly quiet. Hopefully in my next post to the blog it will be less about me and about something that is more interesting. May God bless you all!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
FIRST POST FOR 2014
I can't believe three months have passed by since I last posted on this blog. I guess I have been involved in other things and procrastinated writing on here. But here I am.
Tania and her family were home for Christmas and went back on January 5th. We had a great time with them and hated to see them go. It was during the time it was so cold in Ontario and planes were not flying out. They left here in the late afternoon and arrived in Toronto, to spend the night on the plane on the tarmarck. Well, I guess they had changed planes a couple of times. They got to winnipeg the next morning but their luggage didn't arrive until a couple of days later.
My mother is progressing slowly from her fall in November. However, she does not want to be alone and it is costing her a great deal to have someone day with her during the day. I can see that she has failed considerably since her fall and she does not want to do anything. We try to convince her to do a little more for her self and build up some strength but she does not agree with us.
I get up to visit mother when I can. She gets upset when I do not call her or visit. She has two of my other siblings near her. She has been alone the last couple of weeks as the lady who was sitting with her is not able to come. Her male partner is very ill. So I call mother every other day to check on her and help her past the time.
I had got a cold during the middle of January and really did not get over it. Some days you think you are and then the next day it is back worse than before. Now it has settled in my chest and I am having trouble breathing. We do not have a family doctor as of yet, but I was able to get into the consultant clinic for those without a family physician and saw a nurse practitioner. I will go back and see her on March 14th and find the results of an XRay and ECG.
I am still busy with the church and am anxiously waiting for spring and summer to come. It will be nice to get outdoors and do some things outside. I* am tired of winter and snow.
Well, I finallygot back in writing in my blog, so I hope I will not be so long in making another entry next time. I want to wish all my readers God richest blessings and will look forward to writing something again later on.
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