The doctor came in right before they took him down - she always cheers him up. So he's gone and now I'm freezing in the waiting room. :mad: it shouldn't take too long.

Glad I was able to help keep you company with Draw Something. Praying everything goes great for Gary.

Woke up this morning with more storms. Lots of thunder and lightning and heavey rain. I wanted so badly to stay in bed...I love being in bed during morning storms, but duty called and I had to go out in it to pick up my lovely children...lol. ONLY 13 SCHOOLS DAYS LEFT!!!!!! I am counting down the days.

After the route I had to do my normal Monday morning routine and head to town. Did my banking, paid insurance and then went to Wal Mart. Got a few groceries and came home...still raining. It finally quit right before noon and then it got hot and muggy...yuk.

Gayle, I'm anxious to hear about Gary. What tests are they doing today? Heart cath? It's so unfair that only the patients get the good drugs, lol!

Gary is finished with his first heart test. The findings werent too bad, they could have been a lot worse. His heart is not relaxing between beats like it should. This is probably from having to take him off some of his heart meds during the winter due to his asthma. Heart meds are really bad about making asthma worse.

So they are going to try him on some new heart meds to see if they help. They may try to start him back on a lower dose of one of the meds they stopped in the winter, but they will wait to see how the new med does. It won't bother the asthma, but they aren't surebit will help his heart.

They are going to do a chemical stress test tomorrow, no treadmill, but they give him a drug to simulate exercise. I have to go to school for a couple of hours tomorrow, and his doctor told him she would take care of him. Awwww, wasn't that sweet.

Gayle, I'm waiting to hear how Gary's doing. I hope everything's going alright.

Glen's taken Daya and Elijah fishing the last couple of days......setting lines in the river. They caught a few Sunday morning so we had some friends over last night and fried fish.....Yummm.......!!!

It's been rainy here too so today I haven't felt like doing anything. I finally got the dishes done from last night!!

Saturday was Jaci's 20th birthday!! It's so hard to believe that she's 20 already!! She has always had the sweetest personality and has been such a joy to have. I hear so many compliments from customers from where she works!!

Dean got a little bicycle with training wheels over the weekend! He's so cute riding it around.......but starts screaming as soon as he's stuck. I've been making him get off and figure out for himself how to get it unstuck!! He's got a little temper in him!! I'll be glad when the bike goes outside FOR GOOD!!!

Diana, you and I must have posted at the same time, see the post above yours. Garybis doing OK, getting cranky, ready to get out of bed, he has 5 more minutes of bed rest. They won't let him up a minute early!

He just got up, he's so happy!

I'm glad to hear that he's up and around. I was worried that you hadn't posted. I'm sure that his medicine is a tricky thing to get just right but it sounds like he has a great doctor!!! Too bad there aren't more like her!!

Gary's doctor sounds wonderful, Gayle! Now to find the right meds....which they will! My prayers are with you both. My mom had an amazing doctor like that. I can understand how reassuring that can be.

Today is Annie's 4th birthday! She will always be my little baby though. Right now she is sitting on my lap so that Sophie leaves her alone. It is her birthday, after all! Later, she will have a special dinner. I did sing "Happy Birthday" to her, but I doubt that she had any clue what that was about.

Poor little Sophie curled up and is taking a nap. Nobody wants to play with her today. She is such an active little puppy!!! She is really cute, but she growls. Two of my daughter's Chins do that. I'm not crazy about it! I'm used to sweet little yorkies. I growl back at her.

I have been busy in the house. Summer is near, and I will be at the pool and with my friends, so I am getting things done before. I listed a lot of stuff on Ebay yesterday. So far, I sold one dress. I also packed up a big bag to take to the thrift shop. My pants and dresses are cleaned out. Next, I have to do shoes and tops. The drawers can wait. I realized that if I do a little bit at a time, it works better for me.

Jessie has not been feeling well for a while now. I wrote a long post about it last week, but it got deleted, and I didn't want to rewrite it. Her neck hurts, she has a weird rash, and just does not feel good. She also has a blockage in the carotid artery, which they told her not to worry about last year, unless it got worse. Her doctor sent her for another test. Her bp is very high also.

She has slowed down a bit, but not enough. She doesn't want to rest. She wants to take care of her 3 children. I really don't blame her, but at some point, she has to realize that if she gets really sick, she will be useless to the kids. Steve helps, but she doesn't want to turn it all over to him. The kids certainly don't want him to take care of them either! He has become a depressed, negative, cranky person. He needs a shrink badly, and probably some anti-depressants!

When she called me last week to tell me all about her health, I got so stressed out! We just finished with Brandon, and then this came up. Her life is just chaos central!!! I HATE drama! I called my friend Gail, who was sympathetic, but then reminded me that she has spent the last 3 or 4 years tending to her brother, who died of cancer, then his wife died, so now, she watches out for her mentally retarded niece. Allison lives in a group home and is in and out of the hospital for various things. Gail's sister went through breast cancer a couple of years ago, stayed with Gail,and has never gone back to here own house! Then, there is her mom, who is 96, and has dementia and CHD. She is finally in a home, and Gail tells me stories about her mom's antics which have us laughing till tears run down our faces! She is still a worry though for Gail.

So, I realized that nobody's life is calm or easy, and stopped feeling so sorry for myself! I am worried about Jessie, but she is going to all of the doctors she needs to see. This is unlike her, so I am relieved about that.

Judy, you are right, just when we think things are too terrible, something else happens to us or someone else. We just have to keep plugging along.

Gary had his stress test and his doc has been in twice but still doesn't have the results. Soon hopefully. He looks better today! Oh the psychiatrist came in to see him (standard protocol) and Gary is definitely not depressed. He has been on a low dose anti-depressant for several years (also standard protocol for heart failure), and the psychiatrist said to continue that.

So we are just waiting on the results of the stress test which will tell us what comes next. His doc said it would take about a week to tell if the new med was working and after that she may try a second new med. we shall see, but as I mentioned before, he already looks better.

His stress test was normal. I am very grateful as this means they won't have to do the heart cath tomorrow. It also means that his coronary arteries are functioning well and that he has not had a heart attack.

He's a little upset though because they still do not know for sure what is wrong. They think it is that the heart is not relaxing enough between beats and that it is beating too fast, and they think that the new medicine will help, but they won't be sure until the med has a chance to work. He is impatient and wants answers NOW! Lol!

He should get to come home tomorrow or Thurs. YAY!

It sounds good, Gayle! Praying that this medication works, and you two can get back to your day to day life!

I would think that if the heart was beating too fast that would make him tired. (With my MVP my heart beats irregularly once in a great while and it makes it hard to breathe and do much. Thank goodness it doesn't last long or happen often!) I hope the meds help Gary feel much better without a lot of trips to the doctor.

Judy, I'm so sorry to hear that Jessie's not feeling well. I know that that is a real concern for you. She really needs to take care of herself.......her kids are old enought to help her out and not be a big burden on her. Do they realize how sick she is? Or how much she hides it? They should all know what's going on with their Mom.....including Steve!!

Happy birthday to Little Annie!!! Wow.....4 years old!!! I hope she has a very special day!!

Last night Glen and I took Karley, Kiley, Elijah, a friend, and Glen's diving buddy, Logan, to another town for the kids to complete their diving training. While they were doing that I ran to Wal-mart and got a few things then I came back and swam. By the time I got there the kids were finished up with their training and since the water was cool they were getting out but I got in and swam anyway (had to keep moving or it was COLD). Glen and Logan were trying out some different scuba masks (Glen's about to drive me CRAZY with trying to find just the RIGHT mask!!!). Anyway, I was introduced to one of the instructors and he was determined to get me started in diving too. Before long I had a mask on and was breathing out of Glen's tank and was shoved under the water! It was pretty cool!! I may just have to give this scuba diving thing a try!!! The instructor invited us to come to Joplin and do some swimming with the tanks sometime! I may have to do just that!!

I got my new outdoor cushions in yesterday! They are soooo pretty!! They were a little more green than the picture showed but I still love them!! They look so nice on the swing!! Now I'm going to have to paint the swing though!!

Wow Diana! Diving! You are a brave woman! How is it down under the water for a long time? It's nice that you and Glen might share a fun adventure!

Jessie tries to keep her illness from the kids. Mackenzie panics because she remembers when her Mom was really sick, in and out of the hospital, and so on. The younger kids are aware, but I don't know if they get it. Mackenzie is a big help to Jessie, and Kass loves to help. Brandon, not so much. Steve helps a lot, I have to say. He doesn't work so what else does he have to do?

It's good to know that everyone is aware that Jessie is sick. I hope she's not hiding how badly she feels at times from them......that's when she needs their help.

I wasn't under the water for long. First I got talked into putting on the mask and going under for a short time.....then I was convinced that I needed to add the air. I didn't put on the tanks I just used Glen's air. I have always floated well in the water......even before I was heavy so Glen and the instructor had to hold me under the water!!! I stayed under for awhile and just breathed. It was so weird to breathe under the water!!!

Well, in the past few days we have learned that Gary's heart function has definitely declined in the past month. The doctor thinks its due to taking him off one of his medicines that was causing his asthma to act up. So she is trying him on another new medicine and will try to put him back on the medicine he really needs. He may have to tolerate some asthma symptoms and use his inhalers and the nebulizer to get through it. They also talked with him about a left ventricular assist device and he's not too keen on that. She's very evasive when he asks about going home, so I think he'll be here for a couple more days.

Poor Gary! What would the ventricular assist involve?

I hope they straighten out his meds very quickly!

One day at a time, Gayle! My prayers are with you.

If you google left ventricular assist device and there are some great websites. It would probably make him feel better, but he would have a tube coming out his side, always have to wear the battery pack, change the batteries every 12 hours and always be near electricity. Since he has experience always being connected to an insulin pump, he's not too keen on being connected to something else.

And, always being near electricity would limit his fishing, hunting, etc.

Can't blame him!

I feel so bad for Gary. What a decision to have to make. Are you going to leave the decision totally up to him? It would probably drive him crazy to not be able to go on fishing trips or hunting.

I already know that if I should ever need kidney dialysis..after seeing what Mom went through...I won't do it. Having to be hooked up everyday or going to a diaylsis center 3-4 times a week, just wouldn't be something I would want to do.

That's not good news about Gary's heart. I'm glad that his doctor is keeping a good eye on him......and you too! I can't blame him for not wanting to be hooked up to another thing......it would really limit his going out to hunt and fish.....unless he had a huge supply of batteries with him. Hopefully at this point he has a choice but I can see in the future he probably won't. Poor Gary.

How are you doing, Gayle? It has to be such a worry for you. You know that I'm just a phone call away anytime you need me.

I have one fustrated little boy this mornng!! He got a new bike with training wheels last week and it doesn't work well on the carpet or in the grass!! And boy does he get mad!!! The pedal has to be in just the right spot for him to get started and it's not always where it should be!! He is amazing driving it around the house......I can't believe the control he has for a two year old!! He's too short to touch the ground so it's all in the pedaling!! He doesn't run into much either......just goes around and around!!

School will be out the end of next week. Dae Lynn will be home except for cleaning at the church a couple of days a week so she'll have to watch the kids. I sure hope that things are better than they've been the last few days!! Dean AND Karlie both do a lot of screaming and yelling at each other whenever Karlie's home......don't know if my nerves can take too much of it!! Hopefully it will get better as they both get used to being around each other more.

I invited my Mom and step-Dad over for lunch on Sunday since it's Mother's Day. My Mom collects little pastel colored figurines and I found one that I'm hoping she doesn't have!! I'm also going to run to town here in a little bit and look at some Miche purse covers and see about getting one for Mom. We both have the purses and love them!! That will make her a good gift. Now I just need to figure out what we're going to eat on Sunday!!!

I feel bad for Gary too. I know that betwen the two of you, you will figure out the best thing to do for him.

Dean sounds so cute on his bike!!! You should take a picture for us Diana!

Our town is having it's annual garage sale tomorrow so we've decided to sell a few things again. We didn't even know about it so our name and address is not on the map, but we realized last year that most people aren't on the map! We're going to try to sell whatever didn't sell last year, plus some outside Christmas decor (we've decided to change it up this year!) and my last cell phone, a car navigation unit, and a few other things we've found that we don't need.

I'm also going to try to get rid of our ants!!!!! We are overrun right now. I don't know where they all came from, but our back yard is all patchy and FULL of ant hills now. Last night I used 17 pots of boiling water on them and didn't even cover half. I also spilled some on my leg while I was wearing yoga pants :( I've got a good welt on my thigh from that now. Anyways, hopefully we can figure out something :( We were hoping to seed the lawn this weekend but now that we know there's that many ants causing the patchy grass, there's no point until we get rid of the ants first.

There's some stuff called Terro that I use. They have some outside baits that you place in your yard. It's not an automatic fix.....it takes a few weeks but it does work.

http://www.terro.com/products.php?pr...meter_ant_bait

I'm having quite a time with ants in the house. I've gotten rid of most of them but I must still have some coming in somewhere and I can't figure out where to put the bait!!

Is that safe for pets Diana? Kash things anything on the ground is fair game to play with! We have a tree smack in the middle of the yard and there were a few ants there a couple of years ago and they seem to be radiating from that spot now. I hope they won't kill our tree!

My father used to use chinese chalk in the house in Florida to keep the ants out. I don't know if it's pet safe, or even where he got it. He would draw a line with the chalk and the ants would not go over it.

Take a Dean video Diana!

Good luck with the garage sale Linds! I have some stuff on Ebay right now. I sold 3 things so far. It's fun, and the money does add up.

What a gorgeous day we are having! I went to get my nails done, popped into the tanning machine, and then went over to Walmart for food. They have the best prices around here!

I went into the tanning machine because I have eczema, and that is supposed to halp get rid of it. I have had it on my left arm for almost a year now! The first rash went away, but another came up not long after. I called the dermatologist last month, and my appt. is June 23rd!

I use terro too but only in the house up on the cabinets. I don't know if it's safe for dogs. I have heard about sugar and grits and some of the remedies in the FB thread. You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the mounds. This is the crushed seashells that cuts their legs when they walk through it. It's a powder and won't hurt the dogs, but don't put it down when it's windy and don't breathe in the dust. You can find it at nurseries in the states. I use it for ant and pest control in the yard and garden. I sprinkle on any ant mounds I find and around the perimeter of my yard to keep the ants and fleas from crawling in

Gary feels much better today. He walked up and down the entire hall twice and was much less short of breath. He is still on the IV med that is helping his heart be stronger. The trick will be if they can get him off the med and transferred to an oral med and he still feels OK. I'm a little worried that he will not feel good when they take him off the IV med, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

We've played MANY games of gin rummy, he usually beats me, but I've beat him a few times.

Thank goodness he is feeling better! Do you have any idea when he can go home? I hope he feels as well without the IV meds.

Doc was just in and said they will try to stop the IV med tomorrow, but he will have to stay a few more days to see how the oral meds work. Gary's numbers (oxygen, blood pressure pulse, kidney function, etc) all look much better today, so we are making progress.

That's great news Gayle! So glad things are looking better. Now...just getting him off the IV and onto the meds. You both are in my prayers.

Today...I didn't do anything...lol. I had no ambition whatsoever! Ricky told me he'd like to take me to Buffalo Wild Wings for supper. I had never been and he knew I wanted to try it sometime. Let me tell you....those wings were hot and soooo good and the beer was soooo cold. We also got the sampler tray with onion rings, fried cheese thingys and nachos. I wish I could live there....LOLOLOL

I loved everything about the place. Looking forward to going there again real soon. Probably won't get on the scales tomorrow...I know I blew my diet to smitherines!!! But...back on it again tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be bittersweet for me. Mom won't be here and Ricky has to work. So..planning on going to the cemetary with some flowers and to tell Mom how much I miss her.

Glad you had a good day, Janet. Buffalo wild wings sounds good! I'm glad you all had a good time.

Last week when the kids were here, Gary had Brooke get me one of those Keurig coffee makers for mothers day. I drink coffee for breakfast when we go out, but don't have a coffee maker at home. His sister had one and I thought it was cool. It makes one cup at a time. I mentioned that I really liked her Keurig. So now I have one. It is the smallest one. You can make hot tea, hot chocolate, decaf, and the like in it too. The coffee, tea, etc is more expensive than a regular coffee maker but since I don't drink that much anyway, it's OK.

Sorry I haven't been on today......I'm cleaning, cooking, and doing yard work to get ready for Mother's day tomorrow.......actually that's what I DID do today!! Right now I'm about to head for bed because I'm beat!!

I wanted to post this. This happened in our county. So sad that all of these young lives were lost.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/stor...pNylQyp6w.cspx

That is so sad, Diana!

I ended up doing things around the house yesterday. It was gorgeous out, and I should have gone someplace, but didn't know if anything was going on around town. I should check during the week. We have a TV channel that lists local events all day long, and it would be a good thing for me to find someplace to go on a sunny day. I don't "hang out" with the girls, unless we have something planned. I end up feeling lonesome once in a while though, like yesterday. I am a loner by nature, although I do love my friends. Sometimes though, I pay a price for my freedom.

I'm going to see Jessie today for a little while. She said something about coming here, but I doubt if Steve will want to. I'll call her soon, and I will call my aunt and my cousin to wish them a Happy Mother's Day.

I'm sorry this will be a sad Mother's Day for you Janet. My first without my Mother was awful since she died the end of April. One day at a time, my friend.

Can you use regular coffee in your new coffee maker or have to use specialty coffee? I've seen those and they are expensive machines.

Oh Diana, what a horrible thing to have happen anytime, but so close to Mother's Day...their poor families, such a tragedy.

Thanks Judy. It was sad, but I kept busy. Since Ricky had to work, Rick and I visited the gravesites of his Mom, Step-Mom, my Mom and my Sister. We put newer flowers on them and basicially just talked about how much we missed them.

Then we went to Wal Mart and bought some flowers and soil. Finally....have a few years of no flowers I have some planted. I also had a tree growing in one of the pots that I keep on the front porch so before I could plant the flowers....I planted the tree... :) The weather couldn't have been better. I miss Mom, but today...there were so many things reminding me of her...including my own voice. For those of you who have Mother's in Heaven... I hope the sadness was light, knowing you're a Mother yourself. It was a good day.

I think that just about sums up my day.

Yesterday was very nice. I went over to Jessie's house. They were gardening, and we sat outside. The girls went inside to make us cards. Mackenzie's were just what you would expect from a 15 year old. Short and sassy! Kassidy's were perfectly written, with hearts and flowers, all sides covered, and a poem (she got online) for Mommy. She also stood up and read them. Little diva!

I never saw Brandon. He was up in his room, so I went inside and yelled up to him. He yelled back down, and that was that. I know he is a boy, but I really don't think they are raising him right! I hate to say it, but I really don't understand what they are doing. I am worried that they are creating a bunch of problems for him when he grows up, or even for now.

I finally got my credit card back from Jessie! Talk about creating problems for yourself! I sure did! I do want her to have some extra spending money for when the kids want something, and right now I can do that, but not to the extent that she was using the card. I got her a prepaid Visa for $500, and told her I will refill it mid September. I can afford $1500 per year. She thought it was so great because I have been telling her not to use the card a lot lately. She was very happy, and so am I.

Today, I am going to a womens' network meeting. I bought stuffed mushrooms that just have to be heated up, so that will be nice and easy. We're having elections and I am running for Secretary again. Since nobody is running against any of us, for any job, we will all be winners!

Judy, your day sounds really nice and relaxing. What a great thing for you do to for Jessie..a prepaid card. I'm going to have to remember that one.

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I ran my route and then came home and sat in the recliner checking FB. I made a comment about wanting people to leave the flowers I put on graves alone. We had some wind last night so while I was in town I ran by the cemetary to make sure the flowers were okay. There were some flowers added which were nice, but the vase was really full and so some of mine are missing. Plus the bow is missing. I can tell Jerry took offense so I explained myself in a private message to him. Learned my lesson....no personal stuff on FB. So sick of having to walk on egg shells around my brothers. Sucks! Wish I could move out of state and be on my own.

After FB, I went out and watered the tree I planted and all the flowers. Also washed off the front and back porch. Now...I'm back in the recliner...not really feeling the best. Nerves I think...a little on the shaky side and upset stomach.

This site is the only place and you are the only people I can say how I really feel and not be damned for it. Oh well....I'm still a work in progress.

Sounds like a nice day, Judy. I agree about Brandon, something is not quite right there. Getting Jessie a prepaid Visa sounds like a great idea!

They started weaning Gary off the IV heart med this morning. They will wean him all day. I hope he can be OK without it. They will add back some oral heart meds today and then tomorrow when he's off the IV med, they will add back the last heart med, but this last one is one that may cause his asthma to get worse, so I hope all goes well. It's the last one that he really needs the most. He's so tired of the hospital and tired of the food.

When will he get to come home? After the IV ?

Gayle, what a nice gift!! A coffee pot!! I looked at those once and they are really nice!!.........I'm glad to hear that Gary's better.......I'm hoping the oral meds do just as good for him. You've both been in my prayers too.

Judy, You're such a sweet Mom to help Jessie out like you do. I can understand about the credit card use though. I loan mine to Dae Lynn and she's abused the priviledge a couple of times too but it's hard to control because there's times she really needs it. I can see where one with a limit would work really well.

Are Brandon's problems still related to his sickness? They really need to get that straightened out if that's what it is. Easy to say.....hard to do!!

Janet, it sounds like you had a good Mother's Day! How special that Ricky took you out to eat! He's a sweetheart!! I'm sure the flowers look really nice......too bad that people can't leave things alone that aren't theirs!! Your family is really sensitve to anything you say on FB so I can see where you have to be careful. Sorry.

I had a good Mother's Day.....beside being so tired!! I actually fell asleep in church when the pastor said a prayer!!! Mom and Art came over for lunch. I fixed a roast, potatoes, and carrots in the crockpot and a jello salad.....with a pudding type dessert. It was so good and simple. Since it was MY Mother's Day as well I wanted to make things simple. Dae Lynn got me a hanging plant that I wanted.......so pretty!! Jaci painted "Baker" on a rock to sit in the flower bed. She had made one for herself and it was so cute!! Amy gave me a huge hug and told me how much she loved me and appreciated me.......and how much she understands now about her teen age years. She's going through so much now with Kera. It was my most favorite thing for Mother's Day......I just wish that it was written down so I could read it again. She also gave me a Honeysuckle candle.....Ummmmm!!! Then Feyn came over last night with a gift that was a lamp that looks like little flowers from Kirklands. It's so pretty but I'm not sure where I'll put it. I love lights and love to put them on timers so they can be enjoyed.

Mom and Art stayed pretty late in the day but we had a really good visit. They've been pretty lost lately since their best friend passed away. They spent a lot of time at his house rather than drive home on Sundays. I got Mom a little Avon figurine with a mother reading to a little boy and girl and a cover to go on her Mische purse.

I gotta' tell you what Dean said this morning!!! He squated down and let off a little toot.....he looked at me....surprised.......and said "What's that?" and I said "What WAS that?" He said, "Dean" I said "Do it again." So he grunted hard and tooted again!! He thought that was funny and I said "Do it again." but he couldn't . He looked at me and said "Broken!" I died laughing!! I don't usually make much of it when someone toots but this was the first time I'd ever noticed it with him........but to say that his Tooter was broken was just priceless!!!

How cute he is!!! This is a great age, except for all of the energy!

I don't think Brandon's health is the real reason for his being spoiled. It is some, but truthfully, when your father sits at home all day and is negative and moody over everything, what kind of role model is that for a little boy? He is learning how to not cope, how to withdraw, how to take the easy way out, and who knows what else! He is a sweet little boy....what a shame!

As Dr. Phil says, "You live what you learn."

Diana, this is another reason I hope Dae Lynn stays away from Damon. Steve is an alcoholic, although he has been sober. There are certain traits though, that stay with some alcoholics.