Year in Review 2015

Time to wrap up this year.  
Children:
Trica is a Nurse Practitioner in  Northern Minnesota.  She commutes daily and likes her job.   Trica’s husband Richard is in the Radio Business.

Jennifer continues to teach English at a Community College.  She  is the Mayor of their little town.   Jen’s husband Andy teaches Electronic Technology and Automated Systems at a Community College.  He is the Fire Chief in their little town.  Andy is a First Responder.

Grands:
Savannah is going to a Community College for elementary education.

Madison is a Senior this year.  She still loves all animals.  Her Golden Lab Deacon is sometimes called Goose.
 
Paige is a Junior and plays Hockey, she is taking some college courses.

Noah would be technically a Junior in High School, but he is a PSEO Student at a Community College. (Post Secondary Enrollment Options.)  He plays guitar and violin.  He is a Certified Nursing Assistant and wants to be a Doctor someday.

Adam is in eighth grade.  He plays basketball and cello.  He is in Vex Robotics.

The Grands oldest to youngest. November 2015

Pets:
Chance is 11 years old.  He is really slowing down this past year.

Miney, Little Elvis and Chance  May 2015

Miney must be about ten years old and Little Elvis is five years old.

Jade still lives with Trica and Richard.  Deacon /Goose lives there too with Maddie.

14 year old Chaucer the cat with many lives or “The cat that almost died” is still kicking.  The front porch was an intensive care unit where a great struggle was held between life and death after an encounter with a mean old Tom cat. Chaucer technically belongs to Noah but he is more of a family cat.

Chaucer

I cannot keep track of the other cats…Bailey, Luna, Ziggy and Skittles…but they all seem just fine. They come out and hiss at Chance when we visit.

Trigeminal Neuralgia may be in remission temporarily.  We have to wait and see.  Far Guys newest disorder’s protein may be helping with the unbearable pain of the TN.

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.  A Genetic Disorder passed down to Far Guy by both of his parents.  They were both carriers ..one an MZ and one an MS which is which we don’t know at this point in time.  Far Guy is an SZ.  I am an MM.(Normal)  Trica is an MS and Jennifer and MZ.  Savannah, Madison and Paige are MM.  Noah is an MM.  Adam is a MZ.  Far Guy’s sister is an MM that is how we know what type their parents carried.  Far Guy gets weekly infusions through a port at home.  He takes Aralast, it is very expensive.  It runs from a high $82,000 to a low of $56,000 a week.  Yes, that is a WEEK, it is not covered by Medicare.  So it all falls to our secondary insurance.  So far the infusions are helping to keep his lung function at 21%.  ( Yes 79 % of his lungs have been destroyed  by the lack of protein…everytime a Doctor said “Oh it is just a virus and antibiotics won’t help…they were wrong.”)

Biggest Change:   For me: Learning to access a port, mix expensive medications and infuse my husband.  I didn’t know if I could do it…I can.

Biggest Frustration: The medical and medicare system.

Deaths: In May our friend Mary Lou from Iowa died at the age of 87.  My cousin Arthur’s wife who we called Auntie Kathy died in May after cancer invaded her body for 32 days, she was 66 years old.  In May Cousin Nickie’s husband Jim died of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the age of 66. Our friend Chuck in Indiana died in October at the age of 77.  In November our longtime friend, Marilyn who is also the Mother of two of our very special friends died at the age of 89.  In November my Uncle Dennis died after being ill for five days, he was 78  years old.  May they all Rest In Peace.

Births: None in our immediate family.

Happiest Moments: Simple things shared, a new wildflower or a pretty bird in the yard.

We still enjoy woodcarving and spending time outside taking Chance for his daily walks and an almost daily ride in the car.

Indigo Bunting May 2015.