Couples family member needs your prayers..Hugs

[Lovjamaica]

WOW!

Coloradojuli, I cannot believe all you have been through - I just found this thread. While you were in my thoughts all week it was SSB (how awesome it is) kind of thoughts. I will now shift my thoughts to prayers for your continued healing and recovery.

We met Deanne of Bobanddeanne - you and she could be sisters so hopefully you two will meet at a Couples resort some day. She had mentioned she was looking forward to meeting you before your dates changed.

Take care of yourself - I have to shovel snow today - how's that for a return to reality? It's not suppose to snow in the South is it?

[Bkhiattky]

Juli - I am SO happy to hear (read ) that you are on the mend!! I got a chuckle out of your statement about cardiologists and it being for old people!!! It seems every year I go to the Dr. I get a new pill, I remember watching my grandma fill her little pill container for the week and thinking WOW that is a lot of medicine...I am up to 6 pills a day now !!!!! Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

[louieandsusie]

We hope your health is progressing in a very positive way and you are able to check out REAL soon.

[Coloradojuli]

FINALLY at home! Feels so good to be here. Buttercup (cat) kept getting up on the bed and checking on me last night. I think she wanted to make sure that I am still at home. She is currently curled up right beside me on the bed and happy as can be. She missed her momma.

We have set me up a 'nest' in the bedroom. Being on a walker and having been in the hospital for 12 days my energy gets zapped quickly and getting to the restroom in time can be a challenge. So we decided it would be better if I was in the bedroom. Hopefully I will soon be able to move out to the living room.

Walking is still a challenge. Most of the leg feels really good, except the inner thigh gets to hurting when I 'walk' too far and my ankle hurts all the time. I'm trying hard to put weight on the foot, but it really hurts!

I am set up with a home health care nurse to come out and do my blood draws for the next two weeks. Since I am on blood thinner medication we have to make sure that my INR number stays between 2 & 3. Lower than 2 and there is a possibility of more clotting and over 3 there is a possibility of me bleeding out. So I understand keeping the numbers good can be a bit of a 'dance'.

I'm enjoying some JaBlum this morning. The coffee in the hospital was the nastiest stuff I have EVER tasted! Needless to say in 12 days I never completed one cup of coffee and I usually have 3. It is so wonderful to be home and enjoying coffee with my hubby and kitty at my side.

My son comes home on Thursday and I'm hoping by then that I will be out in the living room so that we don't have to spend Christmas in the bedroom. That would be a sight with us all gathered around the bed opening Christmas presents.

Being stuck in the bedroom I am missing out on Christmas decorations. So I think that next year I will also decorate the bedroom. Will have to go buy some new decorations, but I'll suffer through shopping.

Lovjamaica ~ The crazy thing is that if we had not switched our dates we would have been in Jamaica when the clot happened. I'm so glad we were in the states.

Kristen ~ You make me feel better. I'm only up to 5 medications, but we aren't counting my emergency inhaler. But each day I take 5 medications. So how old are you? I'm 44. Do you have me beat?

If you all can't tell in spirit I am doing much better. Body isn't working quite as good as I'd like it to be, but that will come with time. I just need to be patient. (or be a patient LOL)

Thank you all for your many thoughts and prayers. Neither of us realized what a dangerous situation I was in to possibly lose my leg or even my life. I almost think it was good that we didn't realize the severity of the situation. But I am grateful to my Couples family for their love, faithfulness, and prayers. I'll keep you up to date as things progress. Hopefully this thread will quickly drop to the bottom as I will be back to 'normal' quickly.

[Bkhiattky]

Juli - Had to laugh at your cardiologist remark!! I can remember looking as my grandmother filled her weekly pill holder, thinking, "Good Lord, that is a lot of medicine" HELLO....I am up to six pills

[Coloradojuli]

Well...I'm down to using one crutch. Still a bit shaky and probably should be on two, but I'm sick of directing the family in how to help me because I can't carry a thing!

Managed to sit on the ground for a couple of hours the past 2 days and do wrapping for us and a friend that I do each year.

Having trouble sleeping, but think that might be because of all the drugs that were pumped through my system and they just need time to work themselves out of my system.

Scott's workmate has invited us over for Christmas Dinner. I am so touched as they know because of my health we are stranded without family. They have family coming in from 3 States so I think it might be the crazy dinner that I always enjoy. I'm hoping I can make it and since I'm gaining strength daily I think we can head over there for a few hours.

I did end up with the home health nurse to come do my blood draws until the end of the year. That's nice. My INR level has been very consistent which is a very good thing, although I forgot to take my medicine yesterday. This new regime is a bit to get used to.

Hopefully this will get posted before Christmas, but I'd like to wish my Couples Family Merry Christmas and let you all know what a blessing you have been in my life over the past year. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this very rough time in our lives.

[Bkhiattky]

LOL Juli, I am 43!!! BUT one of mine is a vitamin, so I think we will call it a tie Hope your holidays were wonderful even though you were unable to go home

[cosmet]

Juli have a wonderful new years and all the good in 2010
mike and Diane

[Tommywommy]

Princess Juli...Peggy and I are very happy you are making wonderful progress...We hope to be able to see you while we are in Steamboat for three months.
Love you girl.

Hugs

[Coloradojuli]

TW ~ You have my contact information. We would love to see you. Perhaps we could even come up for a weekend.

I'm doing a lot better. Actually went to Kohl's yesterday to spend some Kohl's cash that I had. (Got a free chef's knife and sweater! ). The leg got very tired, but it feels much better than I thought it would this morning.

My INR level is doing well and pretty much staying at the same number. I'm hoping I can go down to one blood draw a week.

I'm doing well. My gate is a bit awkward, but at least I can walk and am much more stable and my ankle isn't so stiff in the morning.

I'm progressing much faster than I thought I would and am very excited about that. The only real challenge I have right now is swelling in the leg and foot if I keep my leg down too long. Other than that I am doing well.

Still not sure when I will return to work as work has requested that I not return until I am 100%. I'm thinking that will be a couple more weeks especially with the swelling. So I'm staying home right now, but helping Scott with his barter business so I am being productive which is nice.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers.

[Mel g]

Oh Juli! I am rarely on the MB anymore but certainly didn't want to come and find this news and the pain you have had to
endure! I am so glad that it looks like things have turned around and you are heeling. Please keep us updated and I wish the best for you and your family. Sounds lime you have a great hubby to take care of you. Take care of yourself.

[Coloradojuli]

Well...I am doing better except I am having a problem with blood pooling in my foot. It appears that my veins were damaged from the clot. Consequently, because of the pooling there is no way that I can return to work yet because I need to keep my leg up so much of the time. I have a Drs appointment next week and my mom (who is a nurse) is thinking that he might send me to a vascular surgeon to see if he could do anything to repair the problem. So in the meantime even though I am dying to get up and do things, I'm still stuck on the couch with my foot up in the air.

I have had a successful week in that I have been able to take showers without using the shower bench. Yea me! I actually made some spaghetti sauce on New Year's Eve and partially cleaned up the kitchen. So I am getting around better, I just pay the price for it by the blood pooling in my foot and causing my leg to swell.

[bconn]

Juli I am glad to hear that you are getting better. You have to learn to pace yourself and not do too much. There is nothing that is so important that you should take a chance with your health. We're all praying for you.