Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Wishes to Buddy!!

Born in 1950----you can do the math.


Princess Flower, Dragonfly, Butterfly and Ladybug called this morning and sang happy birthday to their Papa Buddy. He loved it. Then I told them I was going to give him his birthday whipping....they listened and counted along with me laughing the whole time. Luckily they couldn't see that I was only clapping my hands together.

This afternoon he also got a call from MoRo and Dabby Do who wanted to sing happy birthday to their Papa Buddy (or as MoRo says, "Potty Buddy"). We hope to visit with them on Saturday if we have enough gas and Buddy feels like riding up for the day. He'll get his birthday whipping from them personally. But not on the left side!!


He's gotten cards and phone calls from friends and family too. It's been a good day and he even was able to walk down the stairs to the office. Hope I can get him back up the stairs.

Next is our anniversary...coming up in just over a month. Can you remember how many years??

Recovery-Day 10

Hi everyone,
Today the physical therapist took the staples out of Buddy's hip. It looks good....still a little like our granddaughter, Princess Flower, said when she saw the picture of his incision. "It looks like Papa Buddy was bit by a shark." There are steri-strips across the incision just to give it a little support.

He also was given the go ahead to use a cane inside the house. That's going well and he seems steady when using it. But the incision and hip is still sore. Tonight we've got the ice pack back on.

We also went to the grocery store together this afternoon. He enjoyed driving the electric cart around the store. I needed to be sure that there are easy to fix food available since my time off to stay home with him is almost over. I go back to work on Wednesday. My team teacher was great to work for me so I could be off these days. Now I'm going to make up the time for her and she's going to go visit her son and his family. Working part time together has been wonderful.

Also, I only have to give him Lovenox shots in the stomach two more times for blood clots. We both dread them although it's easy enough to give the shots. I had to do that for my Mom also.

So, things are looking good. Sorry, no pictures this time.

Recovery News-One Week

Well, we've passed the one week mark post surgery. Buddy continues to improve daily although he sometimes doesn't feel like it's fast enough. We're amazed at how the body heals. Some parts of recovery are the same as when he had his mitral valve heart surgery just over 3 years ago. He still takes at least 2 naps each day, sometimes three. When he naps, he's in a deep sleep and typically feels much better when he wakes up. When he's hungry, he's really hungry and needs to eat quickly, although it doesn't take as much to fill him up. He is also drinking a lot of water. He takes about 3 pain pills a day. He's allowed to take up to 8 of them. Physical therapy is coming 3 times a week. Today, he's going to walk outside with the therapist. Of course, that isn't anything new for Buddy. We've been walking to the mailbox since the day after we got home. He's also doing better getting in and out of the car. Getting to go for a ride has boosted both of our spirits....even if it's just going to try and find a gas station that has gas.
Tomorrow our goal is to make it to Church. We sure have a lot to be thankful for.

Hip Replacement Update

Don't want to gross anyone out but I just had to show you his incision. The Physical Therapist took the bandages off today and said to leave the covering off except to shower. I think there's about 26 staples total. Everything looks good and the staples should come out on Monday. Buddy said just having the bandage off is a big improvement. He's doing better each day. The old pain is gone and now it's just a matter of working through the incision pain. I'm thinking that's going to take a little time.

Surgery-Recovery Day 2

Here is Buddy on his way down the driveway this evening. He's amazed at how he can stand up straight and how the "old" pain is gone. Now, we've just got to work through the "new" surgery pain.
Our Sunday School teacher had micro knee surgery on Friday also. He's doing great and using a cane to get around. He and his wife (former cruise buddies and camping club friends also) came over after supper to visit.While they were at our house, the visiting nurse came by to check both patients. Buddy is demonstrating his breathing ability while R.W. gets a shot.

Today was our first full day at home and the second after surgery. We had a fair first night at home. Sleeping in a different bed downstairs and going from a king to a double didn't make things any easier. We were up and down several times and tried to prop up his leg so he could rest on his right side but he couldn't relax enough for that to be comfortable either.

This morning he walked from the house the length of the driveway and back and did it again tonight. We rearranged furniture and brought in a small recliner instead of the living room wingchair we thought at first would be best. The recliner seems to be the best thing yet. He can relax in the den and enjoyed an afternoon of football....between naps.

Several friends from our Church Sunday School came by after Church and others from our class brought enough food to keep me from having to cook for several days. Thank you all so much for your kindness. I feel like we've had Thanksgiving Dinner today!!

It's been a good day with calls from our kids, some of the grandkids, visits from friends, coffee and coconut pie with friends, quiet time to rest and a nice hot shower. Tomorrow starts rehab. Wonder how that is going to be?

Surgery on Friday, Home on Saturday

Here he is waiting for surgery on Friday morning...about 6am.
This picture was yesterday evening back in his room.

This is Buddy walking today....sorry I missed getting pictures of him in his hospital gown, but I was busy following along with the IV pole. These pictures are after all tubes and drains were removed and we're getting a final OK from the PT lady. How do you like the thigh high hose....well, on Buddy there a lot longer than just thigh high. And he's got to wear them for a month.


He also had to practice on the stairs going up and down. Up with the good foot and down with the bad.

The ride home was pretty rough. We couldn't get the seat positioned where the pressure was off the incision. It was a LONG ride home and he felt every bump. Our good friend met us at the house to help get him in and settled and moved a chair from the living room to the den.

It's kind of hard to believe that just yesterday morning we were leaving for the hospital for Buddy's hip replacement and now at 5pm on Saturday we've been home over an hour and he's tucked into bed and eating a snack.

Surgery went well although it was not without challenges that we were of course not expecting. Due to the length of time that Buddy's hip has had this condition, the muscles and hip socket were so tight that what was originally to be a typical hip replacement turned into "Plan B".

His surgeon had to make a longer incision...not the 3 1/2 inches we'd hoped for but more like 8 or 9. In fact, his incision looks more like the one my father had with his first hip replacement about 30 years ago. It's stapled closed. Ouch!! He even had to cut a tendon in order to be able to pull those stiff muscles aside and later reattached it. The amount of femur that had to be cut off including the head was more than was typical due to the deformed shape and when the prosteses was driven into the femur, the cut off end of the femur began to split so the Dr. had to put a band around the top to stablize it. Because of the excessive stress to the muscles and hip in general, his Dr. was afraid that there was a chance that a medical condition....I can't remember the name of it, would occur where the body begins to make too much bone to "fix" everything. In order to stop that from happening, Buddy was taken to the oncology/radiology part of the hospital, had a CAT scan, marked for radiation and was given one dose of radiation to prevent bone from growing in the areas where it shouldn't grow. In other words, the bone could possibly grow up in the socket rather than just around it and potentially "freeze" the joint.

After all of that, he got up and walked around the nurses station last night and is home today.

Thank you God for your wonderful healing powers. Please continue to pray for us in the days ahead.

Surgery

My husband's hip replacement surgery is almost here...we leave for the hospital at 5 dark thirty AM Friday. Surgery is supposed to start at 7:30am. Just one more day at home to finish up the last of the preparations. Do we have the walker...downstairs bedroom ready with clean sheets...favorite foods and snacks....are we sure we have the right chair for him to sit in? Lots of instructions and regulations to follow. I guess I'm a little nervous but he's going to do great. Lots of friends and family are lifting us up in prayer. Thanks, it means a lot to us!

When Buddy was a little boy not quite 6 years old, he began to limp and have pain above his right knee. A trip to the doctor landed him in the hospital for more testing and a diagnosis eventually of Legg, Calve, Pertheses Disease. He missed all of first grade and spent second grade in a wheelchair. He was not allowed to put weight on his right leg and wore a strap around his shoulder attached to a buckle on his right shoe to keep weight from being put on the hip. When his left leg also developed the problem, which was unusual, he spent a year in a wheelchair. Eventually the right ball of the femor reginerated and he was back on crutches with the left leg suspended by shoulder strap to his left shoe. Unfortunately, the ball of his left femor healed back in a more mushroom shape. More months were spent wearing a brace similar to a polio brace fitting into the pelvis where the leg hung with no weight on it. From age 6 till around 11, Buddy was either on crutches, in a wheelchair, back on crutches or wearing this brace. He climbed trees, played with his friends and pretty much did everything possible to keep up with them. One good thing that came out of him being inside more than most boys was learning to cook. His Mother spent lots of time with him teaching him to bake...my favorite is a sour cream poundcake. He is the official baker of our family.
Over the years though, this leg has given him a lot of pain. Of course, most of you would never know it....Buddy hardly ever lets on that his leg hurts. But lately it's come to the point that he knew that it was time to get it fixed. Some nights it even keeps him from sleeping.

So, please keep up the prayers and watch for some pictures....of Buddy walking soon after surgery....and without pain. Maybe a little surgery pain but for once without that bone on bone pain he's been living with for so long.

Tugwell Property--Farm Gate is up!

Well, I guess it doesn't look like much but we had a farm gate put up across the driveway on our property. Slowly but surely we're heading toward starting the construction of our outbuilding. It will have a garage, workshop, RV storage, and living quarters upstairs. We can stay either in the living quarters or RV while the house is being built. The economy decline has slowed down our plans but we hope that won't be for too much longer. It's getting harder and harder to wait...or to come back to the city after visiting our hometown to be.

One Little Granddaughter

First she practiced driving our boat...now the grocery cart car. What's next? Get ready Dad. She's going to be ready for her own car soon.

Yes, some stranger offered to make our picture together.....no, I didn't tell him our complete life story.

I think she's going to love books as much as her Granny T.We got several books and a couple of Dora DVD's on our visit to the library.

In fact, a lady was walking into the library and was smiling at Abbey and how cute she was sitting there on the bench outside and she stepped off the sidewalk and fell down. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt.....but it scared me to death.

Dabby Do working on her computer skills....actually, she was watching a Kid's DVD...Elmo Uses the Potty. She's really proud of Elmo but doesn't seem to think it's something she might like to do yet. Rearranging the chairs in our classroom. I think maybe it's a train!!

The last stop of the day was dinner at Chik-fil-a. Dabby Do wasn't quite tall enough to climb up to the top. It didn't stop Tadpole, our friend's grandson, who joined us. He's about 5 months older.Tadpole was quite a climber and loved the slide.
Ready for another story before bed.

Something very unusual is happening this weekend. We have only one little granddaughter with us. It's Dabby Do and I don't think we've ever had the pleasure of keeping just her.

Way back in early August ...or was it late July?? ..her Mommy called and asked if we could keep her for them on Friday, Sept. 12th because their babysitter was planning to out of town. Well, it just took a second to say YES!!

Papa Buddy and I met them at a Cracker Barrel for dinner late yesterday after Buddy's Pre-Op appointment at the hospital. The "keeping her on Friday" has stretched into, "we don't think we'll be able to return her until Sunday afternoon". What a deal. Today we visited the school where I teach and she played while I caught up on some planning. Next we visited the local library where we picked out some books and a couple of videos. After that we went to the grocery store to stock up on some of her favorite things....I think the last crew visiting emptied out our stock of snacks. And tonight we met with friends and their two year old grandson, Tadpole.

A quick shower and we've read a couple of the books and she's asleep.

Oh, I've got to share this story. After we got home last night, Papa and I were sitting in the den talking while Dabby Do played behind the sofa with some toys. Suddenly she began screaming at the top of her lungs...we jumped up to rescue her from something horrible to find a single dark dress sock belonging to Papa on the floor....but someone (Princess Flower, I know it must have been you!) had made white paper eyes and taped them onto the partially rolled up sock...along with a paper mouth. Dabby Do was terrified and keep sobbing and saying, "it scares me, it scares me". Nothing could convince her that it was a sock so I had to let her see me pull off his "eyes" and throw them in the trash and then throw the sock into the washer. Finally she calmed down and let me hold her until she fell asleep.

My nerves were shot!

Check back with us to see what happens on Saturday.

Labor Day- The big kids had fun too.

My favorite picture of the night....

JHC and Buddy's nephew's wife...serious about cards??
She looks like the cat that swallowed the canary.

More ice cream please.
Let's play poker...who ever heard of Phase 10?

Trainman and CBC....man, I've got to come up with some blog names for everybody.

Adult kids...you'd better think up something.
Aunt KK gets to come over often since her college is about 30 minutes from the lake.

The adults at our family gatherings eventually get in some fun time too. This was late one evening when the kids were finally in bed...or at least watching a movie upstairs in the "dorm" as we call the big bedroom upstairs. It's got 5 twin beds, a set of bunks and a double futon....and a tv with a DVD player. Great way to calm the troops down after a full day on the lake.

The daughters in law had made chicken enchiladas and Grammy made brownies and we'd whipped out a churn of homemade vanilla ice cream. The brownies were sort of gooie so just picture those hot, gooie brownies with homemade icecream scooped over them. Out of this world!

We were playing cards....Phase 10 I think. Trainman had returned from visiting his grandparents and Buddy's nephew and his wife had joined us from their house around the next cove. We listened to music, laughed a lot, acted a little silly, and made some more memories.

And then Trainman came down carrying MoRo who was having a croup/asthma attack and the party broke up quickly. We put her in the steam shower and eventually headed to the all night Walgreens in town... way too far it seemed when you need an inhalor refilled in a hurry. But it did the trick and she quickly felt better.

More Labor Day Lake Pictures-

Driving the boat is a very popular adventure for the girls. Princess Flower has had a few years practice so she did a great job.
Relaxing in the sun....I hope the cousins store up some great memories of these together times.

Here's our youngest one...little Dragonfly. She'll be one year old on Saturday. She wanted to drive the boat too. Not bad for a little squirt!

Dabby Do was a little unsure at first...but she'll do most anything for her Papa. Look at that death grip on the wheel.

What?? You want me to drive?? Well, OK!!

They're overboard. Some of the crew got too hot and jumped ship!!
MoRo takes a turn at driving. Wild woman at the wheel!!

The girls are ready for a ride...and so is Tug. He jumped in before we could stop him.

The water level was back up to normal after being so low at the 4th of July.

Getting the boat off the lift and back on wasn't a problem this time.
The weather was so much better this weekend. All the girls are loving being out on the water this year.
Papa Buddy and Butterfly learning to drive. She took it very seriously!

The girls this year were finally able to be out in the paddle boat---without us. How they cherished their newfound independence. Of course, we were right there on the dock watching and they were restricted to stay in front of the dock...but boy did they enjoy it.
Princess Flower and MoRo are our true water babies.
Dabby Do is just checking things out. The outside porch is a good place to be and not miss any of the action.

Hey, I decided that there were way too many cute Labor Day pictures to pass up posting some more.

As a side note, today was our "hip replacement class" for Buddy. Surgery is scheduled for Friday the 19th. Tomorrow will be a fun day of pre-op...at the doctor and hospital. Should be a long afternoon. We're working on getting things together here at the house so recovery will be a time to take it easy and relax. Hopefully, he will only be in overnight. Please add us to your prayer list for peace and healing. For Buddy he has had problems with his hip since he was six years old and developed Legg, Calve, Pertheses disease. He's been in pain with it for a long time although it has gotten progressively worse in the past few years...not that he'd let you know. I'm looking forward to him being pain free for the first time in a long time. Our God certainly has blessed us with his successful heart valve repair three years ago and now being able to have this opportunity to have his hip fixed. Please say a prayer for his Dr. Kress and the hospital staff too.

Wedding Reception

Ladybug checking to be sure her PopPop's hair is just right.
Granddaughter checking on her grandfather.....Ladybug is feeding him small pieces of bread she has carefully torn into little pieces. Can you see the fork in her hand?

These pictures of Ladybug and her PopPop are priceless to me. How lucky she is to have a greatgrandfather....and she adores him as he does her. All weekend she had him twisted around her little finger and it was in his lap she slept away during the wedding ceremony. We were sitting together eating during the reception. Ladybug has brought him a second roll and is pinching it into tiny pieces which she will carefully place into his mouth with a fork. After finishing feeding him, she takes him by the hand and leads him all around the room....and he is her willing slave. These girls have had three great grandmothers and one great grandfather. I was Ladybug's age when the only grandfather I had passed away. I guess that's why I found it so touching that she has had this chance to know her greatgrandfather.

Princess Flower dancing with her little sister Ladybug.

Dreaming of the day she'll be the bride.

Our son and his wife....aren't they a beautiful couple!!
The Father of the bride giving a toast.
The happy Mother of the bride....she was everywhere visiting and totally enjoying her daughter's wedding.

The wedding reception was held at a winery nearby. It was a beautiful rustic log building set in rolling hills with the vineyards surrounding it. A wonderful setting to begin the celebration of the union of two in love.

I don't have too many pictures of it...I was busy enjoying myself talking with old friends and meeting new ones.