So tired of being Sick

Being sick is never fun at the best of times. I can honestly say I don't think I have ever been this sick in my life. Off work for 3 weeks, what started out as the flue went straight to Bronchitis. Even my taste buds went on strike. I couldn't taste a thing which was fine when I was able to take Buckley's cough medicine, didn't have endure the horrible taste. I am still raspy and coughing but getting better each day.

I was the only on in my house to get it this bad....my husband had it for 4 days.....AHHHHHH. Even the girls didn't get sick like I did, my son however was close but I still was hit the hardest.

Well here's to getting better and taking each day as it is as it could be far worse than Bronchitis and I am thankful that it isn't worse.

Anyways I hope you don't get this darn flue as it isn't a fun ride.

Changes

As we grow times change. As kids we are concerned about being outside playing with friends and have a good time. As we grow up our concerns to start to change, we start thinking about our first boyfriend or girlfriend and how nobody can know about our secret crush except for nearest and dearest friend. We see our teenage years approaching and start planning for high school, going out on Friday nights and getting our drivers licence. Before we know it we need to start thinking seriously about our future and what we want to do.

I remember as growing up at times it felt as if time stood still for others and I only aged or that time stood still for me and everyone around me aged.

Now I am faced with a new stage in my life and this is the care of an elderly parent and what my life will be like as I get older, as it is getting here faster than I would like. We like to think of our parents as indispensable but really they are not, no one is.

When my dad suffered a TIA (mini stroke) at the beginning of December I was so happy when he came home and was recovering well. Then a trip to the heart specialist and some more prescriptions we went on our way home to celebrate my son's 22nd birthday. Things seemed to be doing really well until for my dad sometime on Sunday. This is when the reaction he was having to a medication took a full hold on him and mimicked a stroke.

As it was my dad was weakened by the TIA and now is even weaker. The doctors are still optimistic that he will recover from everything but will take longer this time. The waiting for him regain his strength is the hardest part and trying not to take over is extremely hard, you just want to help but you have to let them still do things on their own so they can regain their strength. Watching a man that was completely independent and didn't like to rely on anyone for anything to have to rely on others is really hard. I am so proud that my dad is letting us help but it isn't easy as in his mind he still is capable but his body needs time to regain his strength.

For those that never have to watch their parents lives change so quickly and feel so helpless you are lucky as there are many of us that have to be there for our parents and take our turn to care for them like they did for us from birth all the way up into adulthood.

I took care of my father in law when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I helped my dad with his late wife Elsie when she had terminal cancer and now I am helping my dad. Many tell me that I have a Golden Halo waiting for me in Heaven, but I am not doing it for the halo but because of love and because of family for with out my family I wouldn't know love the way I do.

It is a scary thought when the day comes that you wonder if your parent will be able to return home or not. My dad is lucky he is able to come home not everyone is so fortunate.

It has been a while since I was able to write anything on my blog. It seems I have a hard time to connect to my blog site from home, I can log on but can't get to the posting page.

Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye. Ours was quiet and very enjoyable to spend time with family. This year we had a farm raised turkey. That was the best tasting turkey we have had for Christmas Dinner since I was a child. The taste was awesome. Definitely was worth the extra $$$.

I was sent an email with the following resolution. I found it very inspiring and wanted to share it with everyone. Along with Best Wishes to you and your family from me and my family for a wonderful year in 2008!

A Wonderful Resolution for the New Year!
What amazing gifts the new year brings! An entire year's worth of wonderful opportunities, given to us one sunrise at a time. Many of the moments ahead will be marvelously disguised as ordinary days, but each one of us has the chance to make something extraordinary out of them.

Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life.The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can. Have pages on understanding and tales of overcoming hardships. Fill your story with enthusiasm, adventure, learning, and laughter. And make each chapter reflect time doing these things:

Follow your dreams. Work hard. Be kind. Do what you can to make the door open on a day that is filled with inspiration in some special way. Remember: Goodness will be rewarded. Smiles will pay you back. Have fun.Find strength. Be truthful. Have faith. Don't focus on anything you lack.

Realize that people are the treasures in life, and happiness is the real wealth. Have a diary that describes how you're doing your best, and... the rest will take care of itself.

- by Douglas Pagels

Christmas Time

It's starting to feel like Christmas again for me. After my dad had his stoke and was able to come home and live independently the excitement of Christmas seemed to have passed for me. I think it is because I feel that I received the best present ever.....my dad's health and watching him recover from something that I was sure was going to change our lives forever. Yes our lives are changed but not in the way I first thought they would be.

I still have some baking to do. This weekend I will be baking pies, tarts and cheese cake. I hope to get to the shortbread before the weekend. For me you can't have Christmas with out Shortbread. I use a recipe that reminds me of my Auntie Gladys' shortbread. She made the best shortbread cookies around. She passed away suddenly in 1980 and I never did get to ask her for her recipe. I felt like I was in heaven one day when I was with my grandparents at her house cleaning up after she passed away when I found her stash of shortbread she had been baking for Christmas that year. I savored those last few cookies that my grandma gave me. I can still taste them. It was many years before I ever came close to finding a recipe that tasted as good as my Auntie Gladys' shortbread.

Yesterday I went to WalMart to pick up a couple of gifts that I was looking for. I know your probably asking yourself if I was crazy to go into WalMart at 5:30pm a week before Christmas. I found a good parking spot....bonus....found exactly what I was looking for and a few other things that I have to go back for tomorrow....stood in line at the till for only a couple of minutes...that's right only a couple of minutes. I was surprised that I was in and out of WalMart as fast as I was.

The menu is planned for Christmas Dinner and Boxing Day Dinner. My daughter Brittany has been invited to her boyfriends' grandparents place for Christmas Supper. She is looking forward to going to their place and spending time with Jordan and his family. Boxing Day

Jordan is coming to our house to spend the day with us. It will seem a bit strange for Christmas Supper that Brittany won't be home with us but that time comes when they spend holidays with others.

Next week this time Christmas will be over for another year, we'll be feasting on left overs till we don't want to look at another piece of turkey for a year. Where does the time go?

When you love someone......Tell them

My dad will have returned to his own home a week this Thursday. All my fears and worries have disappeared. The first night was the hardest to get through. The home care nurse called me on Saturday, telling me of her visit with my dad on Friday. She reassured me that my dad is doing really well and recovering with each day that passes. He is so fortunate to be back home and on his own after a stroke, this happens to few people.

My dad still calls me every day...I find myself looking forward his calls more than I did before. I think before I took those calls for granted as he had called me every day for the last 17 years since I moved back from Flin Flon. It wasn't until I was faced with the possibility that I may never receive another phone call from him that it scared me. Scared me more than I ever thought it would.

Now the challenge is to help my dad find a hobby to do so that he doesn't feel so bored. He said he wouldn't mind painting or carving. I am a bit nervous about the carving with him being on blood thinners but have to trust that he will do alright with it as well. He even said he would like to try putting together a model or two. He was looking at the model that my son has been working on. Will be looking for something along these lines for an extra Christmas present for my dad.

We take so many things in our life for granted and don't realize it until we either loose it or come close to loosing it. Family has always been important to me but now I realize that more than ever. My grandmother used to always tell me she loved me each night when I went to bed.....I asked her one time why? She told me that she wanted me to know how important I was to her and how much she loved me. She said I should always take the time to let people know how I feel about them before the day comes when I can't do that. She was so right about that. I have carried that tradition on with my children, my husband and my dad.....I tell them every day I love them and I am thankful for them in my life.

Letting Go!

Letting go of our children as they grow is hard especially when they take that final step to Independence and move out on their own. I also found that letting go of my dad is hard to do. My dad spent a week with us after being discharged from the hospital after his stroke. The entire time at our place he spoke of how much he wanted to return to his own home in Northside. We agreed that if the doctor said he was strong enough to return home on his own I wouldn't stand in his way.

My dad received the green light he was looking for yesterday morning. I also received some reassurance that it would be fine for my dad to return home as well. The doctor told that the medications my dad is on will prevent him from having any more TIA's. For everyday that passes that he doesn't have a TIA his risk of having another TIA/Stroke decreases. The doctor recommended that I call the Homecare Nurse to stop in and check on my dad as well so that his blood pressure and heart can be monitored. This was the reassurance I needed that it will be alright for my dad to return home.

Also Wednesday evening when I got home I seen my dad in a different light again. He is getting stronger with each passing day and is very capable of being on his own. I am a phone call away and a 20 minute drive away. Most definitely won't be venturing very far from home for a while.....don't think my nerves could take it. I am a worry wart that is for sure....my husband and kids tell me that I worry far to much about my dad, that he will be fine. Well easier said than done when your dad is the only parent you have left and you are the only child to provide the help he needs.

My dad is already wanting to go to visit my cousins in Tisdale after Christmas. He said to me I can make it. He has his heart set on going for a visit so who am I to tell him NO. I told him that if he feels up to it after Christmas we could go down for a day. One day at a time I told him, don't rush things....well he comes back with "If I don't do things, I won't get stronger" and he is right at that.

Everyday that my dad was with us for that week I could see him getting stronger and stronger. I have spoke with him on the phone a couple of times and can hear it in his voice that he is getting stronger with each passing day. With each passing day I feel better about my dad's recovery. It seems to be taking me just along to get over the scare that I received when I seen my dad take that stroke and not knowing what would come next.

The support that we have received from family and friends has been awesome. No one probably realizes how much they have helped me get through this time and help me let go and watch my dad return to his own home.

We are blessed with a wonderful family and great friends. It is at these times when a person really realizes it. God Bless Everyone!

A Time For Miracles

We always hear that Christmas is a time for miracles. Many of us agree but never see them or at least don't think we see them. Then one day when we least expect it we see them happen to us, our loved ones, friends or complete strangers.

This year my family received our Christmas Miracle. On Sunday December 2, 2007 my dad had a mini stroke also known as a TIA. I was never so afraid of loosing my dad in my life as I was that evening. I thank God that me and my family were visiting at the time that it happened. We had gathered for a Christmas supper with the other tenants of the Northside Lodge along with the board of directors. We had an angel with us there that night in Peggy, she called 911 got the First Responders to my dad's in less than 10 minutes, about 15 minutes not even later the ambulance arrived. We had my dad at the hospital within 1 hr of his stroke. My dad went from not being able to verbally communicate with us to being able to talk within 5 - 10 minutes. I had to stay out of the room as it was upsetting my dad to see me scared and upset.

My wonderful husband rode with my dad in the ambulance to the hospital. What a difference in treatment when you arrive by ambulance than when you drive someone in. They checked for everything right away. Dad received the medications he needed immediately. The doctors and nurses in the ER that night were awesome. They kept me informed of everything. I left that night feeling much better than when I arrived.

Monday wasn't a great day for me, my dad was admitted to the hospital. The nurses didn't read his chart from the ER so they had no idea of what was going on or even why my dad was in the hospital until he told him, you tell me I came in with the ambulance last night. AHHHHHH.....how frustrating that day was. I didn't see a single doctor that day so when I left my dad's room I was in tears by the time I hit the elevator and cried most of the way home.

Tuesday I met with my dad's doctor who had been up to see my dad that morning. He told me that my dad is doing very well. The CT Scan showed no neurological damage from the TIA, thanks GOD. They were waiting to have an Eco cardiogram done of dad's heart to see if the clots were coming from there...again good news no clots there.....but his heart is weak. Working about about 1/2 of a healthy normal heart with no damage, but with the proper medications they believe that my dad's heart with strengthen from 35% to 45 - 50 %, it will never reach the 65% of the blood that a healthy heart pumps out with each beat but will be stronger. This is going to take time.

I was very surprised when the doctor told me that my dad should be able to go home in a few days. It was hard for me to believe the doctor when he told me that my dad would be able to come home I just couldn't see it. My husband told me that I was looking too hard for the negative affects of a stroke, this was clouding me from seeing how well my dad was really doing. It was on Wednesday when I finally believe them, I walked into my dad's room in the hospital and for the first time since Sunday I seen my dad, his color was great, he had sparkle in his eyes, no heart monitor and no oxygen. It was my dad as I know him, not my dad who was sick and in hospital.

Thursday came and I was able to bring my dad home to my house. This is one of the happiest days of my life next to the day I married my wonderful husband and the days that my 3 children were born. Every day I see my dad improving, getting stronger. Tomorrow he goes to the see the doctor and if he says that my dad is strong enough to stay in his own apartment on his own we will take home on Friday. This will be hard for me to do, but my dad needs to be able to do things himself so that he can keep getting stronger and stronger.

I thank God everyday for the blessings he has given us and for the blessing of healing that he as given to my dad and for blessing the doctors with the knowledge of how to treat my dad's condition.

Yes Miracles do happen at Christmas, my dad is living proof of that for me and my family. We received our miracle when things looked the blackest we found a shining star. My dad means the world to me and to my family, we are very close the 6 of us. We all received the best Christmas present 3 weeks early this year, my dad coming home.

Faith in God

It seems that as Christmas approaches we think about those friends and loved ones that have passed on. This year my husband and I said good bye to his Uncle Claire, one of my co-workers Sharon Fitch, my Aunt Faith and now a very dear friend of ours Padre Geoff Hopper.

As sad as it is to say good bye to these people I feel confident in my faith in God that they are all in a much better place. My cousin told me a phrase this summer while were visiting the graves of our Grandma & Grandpa Sharpen and our Uncle Ralph Sharpen -- Absent from the body, Present with the Lord. This phrase has given me much comfort as I have had to say good bye to loved ones. It doesn't make it any easier to say good bye, but it does help in knowing that they have gone on before us to a much better place where they are re-united with loved ones gone on before and that they now feast at the table of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I think of my Grandma & Grandpa Gardner and how much I miss them but I have the comfort in knowing they are with the Lord, watching over me and my family. I know my mom watches over me & my family along with Grandma & Grandpa Sharpen.

My best friend Cheryl, died at 16 years old. She faced her destiny with such bravery and a strong faith in God. I remember her telling me the last time I seen her that she was going home to be with the Lord very soon. She was so looking forward to seeing her loved ones that had gone before her and to meet Jesus and walk and talk with him. She told me I won't be sick any more I will be with my loved ones. When I hugged her for what I knew would be the last time I had tears in my eyes, she told me don't be afraid for me. It will be many years but we will see each other again and I will be there to great you. When I walked out of that hospital room knowing that the next time I seen Cheryl it would be at her funeral I was sad.

Over the years my faith in God & Jesus Christ helped me realize that one day we would see each other again and I would re-united with my loved ones as well.

The Grey Cup Comes Home to SASKATCHEWAN

In our house we started watching the pre-game show at 3pm and we never stopped. It wasn't as intense of a game as I expected. The noise in the Dome sounded much like a bee hive until kick off time.

The beer was cold, the wings hot and the anticipation of the Grey Cup coming home to Saskatchewan - High.

Sunday was also my husband's birthday...so we celebrated in style. I think I surprised my son at one point. He never realized that I was a true Rider Fan. It was the 3rd quarter and the ball is going down the field to Flick, how had butter fingers for most of the first 3 quarters. I jumped off the couch yelling catch the #@*^# ball. Yes I surprised my son. Hey my yelling worked Flick caught the ball and held on to it.

Yes there were some exciting plays during the game.

It took 18 years for the Grey Cup to return to Saskatchewan. In 1989 the last time Saskatchewan won the Grey Cup my middle daughter Brittany was 2 days old in the nursery at the Holy Family Hospital. They had all the babies wrapped in green that day. My room was the only one with the game playing on the TV, nurses kept popping in to find out the score and keep up on the game. Kent Austin was playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders then, now he is back as head coach. First time as a head coach and he takes his team all the way to 1st Place in the West Division after finishing 2nd during the regular season and then bringing the coveted Grey Cup home to Saskatchewan.

Congratulations Saskatchewan Roughriders.....You did it!

We're Going to the Grey Cup!

Rider Nation is celebrating. Yesterday Saskatchewan Rough Riders took 1st Place in the West Division against the BC Lions.

We're going to the Grey Cup Baby!

A long standing rivalry just took on a new twist, with Winnipeg Blue Bombers taking 1st place in the East against the Toronto Argonauts.

Sunday November 25, 2007 the Saskatchewan Rough Riders will face off against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the game of the season......the GREY CUP! I look forward to cold beer, hot wings and a great football game on Sunday.

The unfortunate part in the Winnipeg / Toronto game was when Glenn broke his arm.

This is first time that both prairie teams will face each other in the Grey Cup! This is a game for the books, either way it will be a great game to watch.

My prediction is the Rough Riders with a 10 point spread!

GO RIDERS GO GO RIDERS GO