a hodgepodge of stay awake stuff

This has been such a long month, make that nearly 3. Ever since my wife had here double carpal tunnel surgery it has been one thing after another. The cold has made working in the shop impossible, having to do nearly everything for her, my Parkinsons and now the two animals that we may lose due to their age and sickness has just been pushing so hard. I know many many Po eople have it worse I guess I just get to write out my thoughts her.

It has been 3 months since Shelley's surgery, she should be back to full functionality by now. Her physical therapy technician told her today she has about 30% of her use in her hands. She has constant radiation pain syndrome which will only get worse. After 3 months I still need to open water bottles, pet for cans andhelp her dress and undress. She can drive short distances but after a bit the pain gets too much. I have become her hands in many cases.

Nesta on of the two cats we got before we were married is having severe bladder and kidney issues. We may have to put he down very soon. Don't know what that will do to her sister. When we got them from my daughter she didn't want to separate them ñ from birth they have always been together. I'm worried for her.

Carmen our oldest dog has been under the weather, we took her in and they found what appears to be a tumor near her spleen. To find out if it is a tumor will cost 1000.00 just to know  and that includes no treatment.  She is already 12 or 13 years old so all we can do is make her as comfortable as possible.

My Parkinsons seems to be progressing, I have one pretty good day followed by a bad day. The bad days sre mostly fatigue,  stiffness and pain. On the 11th of this month I spent 2 hours in an MRI tube. Nurse called next morning to say they are stable from befor. However there were multiple defects noted.  I tried to ask but she said doctor would discuss everything on fallowup. He's on vacation now. One MRI was a brain scan, we were told then there were no defects noted
 The other was my cervical spine.  That was before my neck surgery for a complete blockage of C3-6 allowing no spinal fluid to circulate,so was that stable. I guess we wait another 12 days to find out.

So things have been a bit down lately but we are fixing up the truck and camper getting ready to travel and try to put this life stuff on the back burner for a whilr. Just how much camping depend. I still have some wood working projects to finish but I think we will be passing on the farmers markets this year. Sounds like my girl's will ne coming at the end of the month with the great granddaughter.  In may we are planning a trip to Sioux Falls and Rapid city South Dakota to see some very dear friends. We may look a little like walking wounded but we do ok, and like I said there are many folks worse off. Lucky me I have a place to whine, in fact I might just have a spot more.

Thinking about the future

The  future is not something we have spent much time thinking of lately not that we felt we didn't have one, but because we were so unsure of what was ahead. We still are unsure but we decided we can't wait for it to decide for us. The time goes by so fast if we wait any longer it will be the past and we will have wasted what time we have to do what we can.

It is time to make a decision do we just wait and wish we had or do we continue on with life. We decided to go our original plan was to sail away but sailing is out of the question, we have a camper, we have a truck, and I see a very big garage sale in the future. We've decided to go land sailing as we call it. My health will only get worse,slowly we hope, but who knows. We need to do this while we can both enjoy it. Shelley has developed CRPS in both wrist, if we wait we just wont be able to do anything.

So as of now we are going to prepare to travel as best and as long as we can. We'll box and store what we want to keep and sell as much as we can. If we can sell enough we'll get a small motor home, if not the truck and camper will do.

Life is to short to look back and say we missed our chance we don't know how much good time we have,but then no one does, so we  need to make the best of what we are given. What we are hoping to do is first head to Nova Scotia cross Canada to B.C. then down through Washington, Oregon, California to the Baja of California.  Then who knows, it's warm there.

I have a few projects to finish and then....
As soon as we can sell this house it will be time to get our asses in gear.