Just Chillin' with Maizie

I'm watching a show on tv about divers diving in the Atlantic Ocean for treasure. And it makes me wonder what treasures I have left behind for others to find. I'm afraid it's not much to brag about.

I've always tried to live a good, holy, and productive life. I worked as a nurse for over 20 years, so I could care for others in need. I've painted pictures and written lots of stories, essays and blog posts. But are they treasures? I've tried to bring my family up as Christians, preferably Catholics, but mostly believing in Jesus Christ and living lives that He would approve of. We instilled in our children a good work ethic, and we are very proud of them. But is all that enough?  Only time will tell.

Every day with Dennis has become a treasure for me. With his cancer diagnosis, we don't know how much time he has left. His cancer has been rather aggressive, metastasizing from his prostate to his bladder and back again. His back pain worries me. I"m  afraid the cancer could have gotten into his spine and bones. I don't tell him about my fears, because I don't want to add to his stress. 

I have fought depression since 1999, when we lost our beloved Teresa, leaving her daughter Regan without a mother. Her dad tried to raise her, but Teresa's adolescence was too much for him. 

He left her with his mom, and she and Teresa clashed often during her teen years. After her graduation, Teresa and Regan moved into a house in Clyde.

 She attended classes to become a nurse while working as a CNA in the Clifton nursing home. She completed her LPN training and took her state exam.

 One week later she was dead, the victim of a house fire. The hole in our hearts left from her loss will never be filled. Part of us died along with her in that fire.

Regan struggled all through her childhood and early adulthood. She rebelled against all authority. She graduated from high school, and started her nursing studies at KU in Lawrence. Unfortunately, too much independence was bad for her. Parties, piercings, tattoos, and just doing what comes naturally were more important to her than studying and starting a career. 

Regan loved shocking us. Not with her achievements, but by doing anything she could to disappoint and hurt us. It was painful to watch her trying to rebel against anything good. She rebelled against faith, against people in authority, against social mores. She ended up pregnant, living with a young man in his parents' house. She had the baby and declared she would raise her child in her own way. It was all heartbreaking.

But gradually, she is now turning back around and is becoming the beautiful young lady we always knew was inside of her.  She lost the dreads and the weird hair colorings. She got a job and worked her way through the classes to become an LPN like her mom. She is sharing custody of Maliyah with Tim, her father, who has remarried and has another daughter with his new wife. We are hopeful that she will have a good life.

Maliya Marie is the firstborn of our great grandchildren. Nash, Ivy, Tate, Willadean, and Adelaide and a new baby due in November make our hearts sing. Each one of them is so precious to us. All of them are being raised as Christian, and at least one is being raised Catholic. 

The gap in our hearts from our loss of Teresa will never heal, but each of these sweet babies that are coming from the births of more babies have softened our hearts immensely. 

It's as close to healing and true happiness we can find.

I'm back!

It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted.

I did make it to art club on the 20th. We set the dates for our workshop. We'll meet at the Clyde Christian Church on June 17, 18, and 19 to paint, paint, paint! At  least that was the plan.

Dennis went to Manhattan on the 23rd to see his neurologist. They won't do anything with his back until he is done with his cancer. And who knows how long that will be! So he is scheduled for another consult in a couple of months, I think. 

For the next few weeks, I will be the patient. I saw Dr. Kueker in Concordia on the 27th, and he wants me to see a retinologist in Salina soon.

Dennis went to Topeka on the 28th to see his VA dentist and eye doctor. He ordered some Transitions glasses (extra dark). 

Becky has been hounding me like a bulldog to get the results of my skin cancer lesion on my face. I tried multiple times to call Heartland Dermatology in Manhattan,and kept playing phone tag and getting the run around. I even tried going through my "Patient Portal" and got nowhere. So I told Becky, if she was worried about it, she should get on the horn herself.  Well, Becky took me at my word and within a few minutes, I had a consult with Dr. Purdom yesterday at 4 p.m. This was at 1:30 p.m., so we freshened up a bit and off to Manha. ttan we went.

I was delighted with the speed of that appointment. I did a pre-appointment check-in on my phone, so when we got there, I was almost done and ready to be seen. Within ten minutes I was in the exam room and about 5 minutes later, Dr. Purdom was in there. He looked at my sore, and asked a couple of questions, then said he wanted to take it off on June 16 at the Manhattan Surgical Center under general anesthesia. Was Becky glad to hear that!

Today, we just took it easy. Jason got home from trucking and spent the day lazing around.

Tomorrow I have an appointment in Clay Center with Holly Brannon for my heart. That shouldn't take too long.

Friday I have to go to Salina to see another doctor. I cant' even remember who or what the doctor is. It gets really confusing with all the appointments with specialists and different diagnoses to deal with.

Becky and Rusty are leaving for Costa Rica on Saturday morning and will be gone until the next weekend. Dennis has doggy chores.

On the 11th, Dennis sees his urologist. They'll do another cystoscope and hopefully will know if his cancer is done or just take on another tangent of treatments.

We have some birthdays this month too. We'll celebrate most of them on Saturday, the 14th. Becky is reserving the Village Green downtown for a BBQ and games. I think Becky is wanting to give up the parties at home. Too much work. I completely understand and think she should have done it long ago.

Well, hopefully, everything will go ok for the rest of the month. all though the workshop in the middle of the month already going to be messed up with my surgery.