Welcome to our family blog to keep you updated on all the happenings around the Walker cottage and "farm". Even though we live in a rural section of the Tennessee Mountains life is far from boring as you will see.

Monday, November 26, 2018

November Walker Newsletter


Hello!

Before the first frost came, I brought all my hanging plants and pots back inside. I even bring in my two window box containers and keep them indoors over the winter in my sunroom. That way I don't have to start from scratch each year and I still have lots of green and booms to tide me over when the snow is blowing outside. I cleared my enclosed garden path around the goldfish pond that each year keeps trying to get overgrown as well as digging up some blackberries that also love to stray from their spot beside the garden. The leaves changed color so quickly this year and now most have fallen to the ground.  With the colder temperatures, I'm busy keeping my wood stoves going, raking out ashes each day, and carrying in wood. I'm so thankful that although I shall turn 60 in a couple of weeks, I'm still able to keep things going. Ever since Dwight had the long internal shoulder/back bleed, I've been hauling- or rather dragging and grunting- 50 lb bags of feed as well each week for the animals. I have turned into quite the farm girl.

Dana's oxygen levels remain low despite oxygen so he is weaker and more unstable. The other week I took Dana to see a new neurologist that we had waited to get in for six months. We would have arrived early as planned, but just before we left when Dana put on the smaller oxygen tank he realized it was almost out. That took him almost ten minutes to get changed out. Then it was raining so I didn't go at top speed, but still would have made it in good time. Lo and behold if the directions I copied off the internet wasn't correct and I turned in the wrong direction. I stopped to ask directions so by the time we finally got to the doctor's office we were running late. And of course it takes Dana five minutes or so just to get in or out of the vehicle while I get his roll-aider out of the back. When we got up to the desk to check in we were informed that the specialist wouldn’t see us because we were ten minutes late!!! Can you imagine? I had gotten up at 6:30 am and drove over an hour to get there. While I explained the circumstances to the lady at the desk- she went back and then said that the doctor had already left- a couple minutes later didn’t we see the specialist himself come in, get keys, and leave? We waited over an hour to see if the next two appointments would show up. They did so we drove back home after the clerk profusely apologized saying she would try and work us in as soon as possible. After three weeks, I took Dana to the local doctor, who couldn’t believe what had happened either and is working to get us another neurologist. Such a crazy time!

            Then I had an episode with a new dentist. I had two bad teeth that needed pulled right beside each other. Going to the dentist always stresses me out big time as I hate getting all those shots to numb you so I only go when things get desperate. When I arrived my blood pressure was real high so I had to wait. Thankfully my blood pressure came down enough the dentist could start. Halfway through pulling one tooth, he stopped and asked if I was on blood thinners, which I’m not. When the dentist finally got the tooth out he said he couldn’t understand why I was bleeding so much. Here I am with the whole side of my face numb and my mouth swelled up trying to tell him not to worry as I bleed more since I was a hemophilia carrier. When the dentist finally understood the word hemophilia he started freaking out. I had put it down, but somehow it never got put on the computer. He stopped and refused to pull my other tooth because he said I had lost too much blood- more than he had ever seen- while I begged him to yank it out while my mouth was already numb dreading the thought of having to make another trip. They really packed my mouth with gauze before I left. By the time I got back home after driving an hour I was feeling quite weak.  I ended up hardly able to get around for about a week or two. Slowly but surely my strength has returned again, although I still get worn out more quickly.  A couple years before when I had a tooth pulled I lost quite a lot of blood and they sewed it shut before I left. So it looks like I may need to get on a clotting pill before getting any more teeth pulled again either due to my blood pressure or my clotting level going wacky. Isn’t life grand? If it’s not one thing you can be sure it will be something else.

            My daughter and family will be coming to my house this year for Thanksgiving. I am so looking forward to having my family all here again for a couple of days. Now if I can just get some house cleaning done between doing up menus and baking- what fun!

            While I count my blessing, I pray you will have a blessed Thanksgiving season on your end as well.
            Till later~
dorcas

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