I was scheduled for a pulmonary function test Friday. After driving over two hours to get there, they told me they couldn’t do the test because I was only 2 1/2 weeks out from COVID and I had to wait at least a month. I had specifically asked the person I made the appointment with about Covid-related time constraints but obviously, she didn’t know the scoop.
I did request that they listen to my lungs while I was there since I am getting short of breath more easily. Decreased airflow was noted in one lung but nothing worrisome. The nurse said it could conceivably take as long as a year to fully get back to what my normal function was before COVID. Not the most encouraging news since my function was already low.
And also, my new inhaler which was doing great for me suddenly jumped from $100 a month to $400 a month. Another frustration but Dr. Lobo is trying his best to find something else that will work–maybe not quite as well but at least something that’s affordable.
About a month ago, the heater in the car stopped working. We took it into the shop three times and each time we got it back, it still didn’t work. They were trying the least invasive and least expensive fixes but it wasn’t doing the trick.
The fourth time we took it in they found out that the heater core itself was bad. That meant they had to keep it for ten days, remove the entire dashboard, the steering wheel, and seats all of which cost $1400. We finally got it back and the heat works fabulously but the fix caused some other things to be unfixed so it’s going back into the garage tomorrow.
Can you imagine understanding all this? Mechanics amaze me!
I know that many of you have heard of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. I had an article about Sarah in their cancer book many years ago. Well, as it turns out, their humor book coming out in April will include not just one of my entries, but two! That’s quite an honor because they get thousands of submissions for each new book.
I’ll let you know the exact publishing date as it gets a little closer.
This Thursday and Friday I will be in Chapel Hill for a lovely repeat of my “nose job.” Uncomfortable and unfun are just two of the words to describe it but if we can confirm some answers, it will be worth it.
I just looked at my appointment notes and this is the official version of what’s being done. I think “nose job” is catchier.
ESOPHAGEAL FUNCTION TEST, GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX TEST W/ NASAL CATHETER INTRALUMINAL IMPEDANCE ELECTRODE(S) PLACEMENT, RECORDING, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION; PROLONGED with GI PROCEDURE
Last week our vet told us that Summer has a collapsed trachea. The reason we even took her in was that a couple of times a day, she would kind of gag/cough/wheeze for a minute or so and it got to be concerning.
The first med the vet gave us overly sedated Summer and made her totally drunk; she couldn’t walk in a straight line and her legs kept going out from under her. But worse than that, her gagging/choking spells increased from two a day to a couple dozen a day. In fact, one time, I actually thought she was dying while I held her because she choked and gasped so badly she couldn’t seem to get a breath.
We tried the second medication and haven’t heard her choke in thirty-six hours so we’re hopeful that this will keep her going for a while longer. We want to keep our dainty gal with us as long as we can.
Do you see this chair?
I have sat in this chair for almost a quarter of a century. We bought two of these chairs back when we were on the road and living in an RV and we wanted to put in a few pieces of real house furniture. I have rocked Sarah as a toddler in this chair, read stories to Nathan, composed songs for albums in the middle of the night, and written many hundreds of blog posts in it. (Nathan and Meagan have the matching chair and have rocked all four babies in theirs)
Sadly, the mechanisms underneath have gotten torqued and, while I can still sit in it, it kinds of throws me off to the side and makes terrible squeaking sounds when I move even the least little bit.
I am beyond sad. I know it’s weird to fall in love with an inanimate object, but that is what I have done. It’s been my faithful friend, my comfort spot, my writing spot, my snuggling with Snowy and Summer spot.
And now? Now I am checking Facebook Marketplace for an affordable, worthy successor.
A moment of silence, please.
If you’ve known me for any amount of time at all, you will hear me use the phrase prime real estate when it comes to organizing rooms, cupboards, or closets. Prime real estate basically refers to any storage place that is readily and easily accessible. In other words, it means storing your rarely used turkey roaster on the shelf above the fridge rather than in an easy-to-reach cupboard.
Last week I spent some time purging my closet.
In the process, I opened the two bottom drawers of this stack and realized they were jam-packed with Steve’s carefully curated collection of work clothes.
My mental alarms went off as I thought of all that prime real estate being wasted. This was not good news for Steve because the only solution to the prime real estate dilemma was for him to spend thirty minutes with me going through his beloved belongings.
Look at this face. This is not a man who is excited about this naggy wife project.
The rattier, the dirtier, and the more dilapidated they were, the more he clung to them. I know that he has had some of the items for at least thirty years. He looks at items like this and says, “But they were just getting broken in!”
A safety pin. Need I say more?
I was inordinately proud of his great courage in parting with about a dozen of his beloved garments. And just so you don’t worry about him, he has also kept about fifteen grungy items so he can still rest peacefully at night knowing that all is well in his work clothes world.
Here’s Sarah in the sound/media room on Sunday morning. She’s been on the schedule to run the screens for probably eight years now and is very faithful and adept at her job. The two young men being trained on sound and lights are the sons of our youth leader. It’s wonderful to see the next generation stepping up so we older folks can take a few steps back.
I thought you would enjoy this brief Bible lesson where Gage was the writer, narrator, actor, and editor. It’s not hard to guess why the kids of our church love him so much.
The video is about four minutes long; if you only have time to watch a little, start around minute 3.
I’ve never seen a kid love a camera as much as Andrew does. He sees it pointing in his direction and immediately turns on his megawatt smile and strikes a pose. The kid kills me! (The last photo is my favorite.)
What about you?
Do you (or your spouse) have trouble getting rid of old clothes or are you the kind of person who changes things out often?
Have you ever been attached to an inanimate object like a recliner?
Do you light up in front of a camera like Andrew or do you dislike having your photo taken?
What do you have going on this week? Good stuff? Stressful stuff? Everyday stuff?
Oh I have not checked in to Smithellaneous in so long. I’ve been thinking of Vernie and wanting to check on her yet know she is not able to talk right now. But I started on this one and I’m so glad I did — Gabe’s filming of Acts 9 was so entertaining and great! I’m actually reading through Acts right now and have never thought about Ananias until this past week — I’m sure he wanted to hide and not meet up with Paul. I know I wouldn’t want to do that! Gabe’s voice is also very good — I think he has a future with films like this!
Karen,
Great to hear from you!
Glad you enjoyed Gage’s video; he definitely talented in that area.
Vernie was moved to rehab yesterday and thinks she’ll be there about a month.
I’m so glad Summer is feeling better! 💜 Little Andrew is such a ham! He reminds me so much of my son when he was little, with his white blonde hair, blue eyes and goofy personality! 💙 I am very attached to a few inanimate objects, although one of them is animated if it has batteries. That would be my Teddy Ruxpin #2. I will never get rid of it no matter how creepy my kids and husband think it is!! It is the replacement of Teddy Ruxpin #1 that was one of the very last gifts I got from my mom when I was 6 years old. (She died when I was 7.) I love TR#1 to literal death. His eyes and mouth were completely broken off and I believe even one of his ears was torn off. I was so distraught when he was finally dead that my Daddy bought me another one that I could keep forever, and I have. #2 didn’t get used nearly as much because I was so afraid to break it. It’s been about 33 years and he still had all his parts! I really need to out some batteries in him to see if he’ll still work! 😁
Lizz,
How wonderful to have gotten a special gift from your mom not too long before she died. I can only imagine how much you treasured TR#1 and am especially thankful that your dad was able to find a TR#2 for you! It’s amazing how items like that can mean to us. Get those batteries going and give TR#2 a chance to shine! I hope seeing him in action brings back special memories of your mom.
Thank you for another fun “Things” post – I always enjoy reading them. I hope your testing Thursday & Friday went well. We spent those days here in Texas “enjoying” (dripping with sarcasm) icy cold weather. Fortunately we never lost power, and the lows stayed above 0. Today was back in the 50’s and most of the ice is gone. Some areas got snow, but I never saw any – and I certainly looked. Also on the bright side, our school district pro-actively cancelled school both days so my car stayed parked in my garage from Wednesday evening until today.
Rx prices are a big pet peeve of mine. It really chapped me to read that the cost of yours jumped so much. I’ve heard of them being way to expensive to start with, but had never hear of one increasing like that. I hope y’all are able to get your car heater fixed. I can’t even begin to imagine knowing how to work on a vehicle – especially these days. I hope Miss Summer is on the mend. And I wish I were a fraction as photogenic as Andrew. Some people just have “it” and he certainly does.
I’m the pack-rat in our family, and like to hang on to anything that has sentimental value to me, but no single item comes to mind.
I hope to get back on track reading (and responding to) your posts tomorrow. They are always so enjoyable!
Sue Ellen,
Isn’t it great when your car can stay parked in the garage for a couple of days? I love stay-at-home days. Nothing better than puttering around the house.
Happily, my prescription problem got solved in a good way. I’ll be posting about it soon.
Thanks for the encouragement about my posts. I appreciate it!
I am a little late in my repy, but praying your “nose tube thingy” went better this time. So sorry about the mixup on your schedule. How terrible to drive that distance and then they couldn’t do the test. Would think that the scheduler would make a point about checking covid days. Thought that might be the first thing they would check.
Poor little Summer – hoping she gets better soon. Well Gage, what can a person say! Those kids have a great teacher – no doubt about it. I had to chuckle about the “scoll.” And loved the mustache and the other facial “stuff.” Very talented young man. Andrew, you just keep on hamming it up. What a doll.
Well, Steve, I can understand why it would be difficult to choose which ones to keep?? Fortunately, my husband does not have that problem. For a while he had ones with holes in the knees (very fashionable), but he didn’t want to keep them. Huh!
Those young men have a wonderful teacher for the sound room. Way to go Sarah.
Sharyn,
Yes, the “scroll” was quite a creative invention. Who knew that paper towels could have a starring role (or roll?) in a Bible drama for kids? 🙂
Isn’t it funny how the younger folks love the holes in the knees (and other places) and we slightly older folks get rid of those jeans when they develop holes? I’m glad your husband isn’t a work clothes hoarder. 🙂
Blessings to you today!
Oh my. I tend to keep clothes longer than I probably should. Hubby, on the other hand, is more willing to get rid of clothes which kind of drives me crazy because neither one of us has a ton of clothes and neither one of us like to shop so getting new ones is a slower process and the selection in the closet just decreases rather than increases.
I had an old chair once that my mom had bought at a garage sale years ago. It was in pretty bad shape but had ‘good bones’. Then my great aunt reupholstered it and it was in my home for years. Whenever my dad and stepmom would come visit, that chair was the only one that she could comfortably sit in due to her medical issues. After she passed away, we finally got rid of the old thing but it took a few years and was extremely hard to let go of. It had so many great memories attached to it.
Hoping that your ‘nose job’ goes well and provides the answers that you need. Sorry that you had to drive all that way for the PFT for pretty much nothing. How frustrating! And with the price of gas, that’s not a cheap drive. Boo hoo!
Lee Anne,
Old chairs with good bones are treasures. Sounds like yours was well used and well-loved; I can only imagine how difficult it was to get rid of it. Sometimes the fancier, new chairs are not half as comfortable as those old beloved ones we use through the years.
That’s quite a change to have a husband be more willing to get rid of clothes than a wife. You can congratulate him on being a rare bird! 🙂
What a wonderful video, and what creative acting and use of inexpensive props!
BTW, when I say “inexpensive,” I mean that as a compliment! I think it takes more originality to work with what’s at hand than to use the resources that accompany a large ministry budget. (Can you tell I’m a happy veteran of small church children’s ministries?) 🙂
Angela,
Ah yes. Wasn’t the roll of paper towels wonderful as a substitute for a scroll? 🙂 I love that creativity, too. And bless you for working in small church childrens’ ministries. People like you are heroes to a pastor’s family.
Wow! Absolutely enjoyed Gage’s dramatic Bible reading presentation. You all are so blessed to have his gifts and talents for ministry. He has a wonderful Bible reading voice. He should record reading aloud the entire Bible (in multiple versions, including the KJV bc I adore the old English and would totally buy a dvd set of his recording). His voice is equal to or better than Alexander Scourby.
Maybe he could consider book by book on YouTube? I listen to Bible reading on YouTube as I get ready for work, and would love to hear his rendition.
Praying for you all and enjoy hearing the great news regarding Sarah’s scans (I have been following your blog since 2006 while searching Caring Bridge after my husband was undergoing treatment and currently is a survivor of 17 years, Praise God!).
Becky,
I agree. Gage does have a great, melodious, dramatic voice. That is one of his many gifts!
How great to hear you’ve been following the blog since 2006. That makes you a Special Smithellaneous Old-Timer! And great, great news about your husband’s 17 years old survival. Woohoo!
I always love reading stories about how people have found the blog; thanks for sharing yours.
What a bummer that you drove all that way and weren’t able to have the test done.
I have had a couple Facebook memories pop up from 4 years ago lately. I realized I’m still wearing the same blouses that I was wearing in the memory. I know my mom has some clothes she’s had for years.
The pictures of Andrew are precious!
I am working on sorting pictures this week. Since we’re supposed to get several inches of snow tonight into tomorrow, I figure now’s a good time to work on them. This afternoon I pulled pictures out of photo albums in one large Rubbermaid tote only to discover there’s another one in the closet.
Phyllis,
I love sorting pictures. Sounds like you’ll have plenty to keep you busy during your snow days.
How funny that you recognized a blouse from FB four years ago. You must really enjoy it!
Becky,
So sorry that you were unable to have your one appointment! I know it was frustrating to have asked the right questions and gotten the incorrect answers. I hope the ride was enjoyable anyway! Praying for a good “nose job”! I just don’t think I’d like that at all!
I am the one in our family who has trouble getting rid of clothes. I have tried to do better but I still have way too many things that I do not wear. I have several “inanimate” things that I have trouble letting go of but I’m also getting better at that. I will never let go of the quilts that my grandmothers hand-quilted though. I actually just gave my oldest son his baby quilt that my grandmother made for him so that HIS baby would have it. I hope he treasures it.
I love those pictures of Andrew! I wish I were as animated and photogenic as the Smith clan!
I’ll be taking a mother-daughter trip with my mother at the end of this week. I hope it’s a stress-free adventure 🙂
Enjoy your week!
Suzanne,
Those old quilts are the truest treasures. We have several from Steve’s grandma and they will never be given away. What a great idea to give your son his baby quilt for his own child. I love to see traditions and memories passed down.
A mother-daughter trip sounds like a great time. Enjoy!
I’m so sorry you went through all that drive-time to NOT have an appointment! On one hand everyone is human and make mistakes, on the other it is super frustrating when others’ mistakes cost us time, fuel money, and extra worry!
I am lousy at getting rid of one kind of old clothing — the pieces that I love but that don’t fit me. I’m the process of moving and I’ve made myself a promise: I’ll continue my progress at losing weight and being healthier, but if those clothes don’t fit me by the time I move OUT of here, I won’t drag them to yet another place. I’ll accept that they’re from another time and donate them so that someone else can love (and actually wear!) them.
Aside from clothes, though, I’m attached to all kinds of inanimate objects! A lot of them are family-related, from grandma this or aunt that. Others are treasures from various adventures in my life. I try to be reasonable about them but I don’t relish letting go! Often I find that I need a space of time to acclimate to getting rid of something that’s no longer relevant/useful/practical. The first time I think of giving it up my emotional brain refuses, but if I revisit the subject a while later my practical side takes over and I can be more logical about it.
I’m apathetic about cameras; I don’t mind them but I don’t relish having my picture taken, either. And as for my week ahead… I took the last several days (with weekends, a total of 10! it was great.) off from work in order to focus on the aforementioned move. A whole bunch of unpack, set up, arrange, rearrange, “look around at the chaos and want to run away but then dive back in” time to focus on putting my life back together. I’ve been without a permanent residence for over 3 years so it’s quite the process. Tomorrow, though, it’s back to the grind… my week looks like a lot of slogging through emails and trying to figure out what work fires need to be doused first.
Hope your week is calm and fire-less!
Kristina,
I’m right there with you on clothes that don’t fit. I have more clothes than I want to admit moldering in an extra closet and dresser because I love them and I am always quite sure I’ll get back into them. But I’m like you–there has to be some sort of a cutoff line or I’ll be dragging those clothes with me to the rest home. 🙂
Adventure treasures and grandma gifts. Yep. Two difficult categories to sort through because it ALL seems priceless and irreplaceable. I like your idea of revisiting the subject and letting a little time pass before making final decisions.
And congrats on having a permanent residence set up. That is a huge deal!
Thank you! I enjoyed my wander-about years, but it’s time to get back to building a life!
Oh Summer, I hope she feels better soon. And Andrew…he is going to keep his parents on their toes.
I only like having my picture taken if I have a grandchild in my arms 🙂
As far as inanimate objects go, does a sweatshirt count? Oh wait, we are spilling into the old clothes question, haha. So OK, I will answer 2 questions at once. I have a black oversized sweatshirt of my mom’s that I wear when I have to do health related testing or spend time in cold hospitals with my daughter. Mom passed away over 20 years ago and it gives me comfort. Because I don’t feel the need to hang onto any old clothes or shoes, the sweatshirt is an exception.
This week is quiet (as a nurse we are never supposed to say the word ‘quiet’ because once you do, all heck breaks loose). So I am now knocking on wood. No appointments, no need to leave the house other that my daily walk. Its supposed to get up to 60 on Thursday so I’m starting to think about spring and what I should plant this year in the yard. I dont have a green thumb so its always interesting 🙂 Blue morning glories and sunflowers are coming to mind.
Lesley,
Oh, I can only imagine the comfort that sweatshirt gives you. That’s something I know you will hold on to forever. Physical and emotional warmth, all wrapped into one garment.
Sixty degrees? That sounds wondrous. I admire you for continuing to plant in the (seeming) absence of a green thumb. I gave up growing things many years ago but admire anyone who can accomplish that amazing task on any level.
Hope your week stays (shhhhh) quiet.
Gosh – I can only imagine the disappointment when you got to that appointment (looky at those two words working together! ha). I hope you found some positive picture taking moments along the ride and took in some “Smithical” kind of sights.
You have quite the animated group and I always look forward to the videos your share and the pictures. You capture it so well. My hubby Randy is so much like Steve – mention clean out the closet and he about has heart problems. We will continue to pray for you along your journey – God knows all plans he has for us – just have to keep our lenses clear.
Many blessings to you and the Smith-Long clan!
Beth
Beth,
Good job on finding the connection between appointment and disappointment. I would never have picked that up! And I love Smithical, too. 🙂
Yeah, what is it about men and the way they get so attached to their old clothes? I guess they think of all the lawns they mowed in a particular pair of shorts and just can’t get over the sentimentality of it all.
Thanks for the continued journey prayers.
I hope your 2 hour drive included some good sights. Rotten to drive so far and not get the test done. Prayers your nasal tube goes well and give good results.
I do tend to hang on to some clothes, but usually not the worn ones. I do have a pair of Van’s tennis shoes that I have had for 54 years. I only wear them for costumes in a play on rare occasions, but don’t want to part with them. My husband keeps a lot of worn clothes for “work” also, but I doubt he would notice if I got rid of some.
When you enjoy an inanimate object, it is hard to part with it. I have a recliner I inherited from my husbands late wife. It is a smaller one and fits me perfectly. I recovered it a few years ago and it needs it again, but that is a job I will not do again. I tend to hold on to “memory” items and that explains why I am still using a quilt my mom made over 50 years ago. It has been redone a few time and it still works.
I am not crazy about having photos taken, but will stand and pose if someone wants a photo. I know that I like photos of others so try to do the same for them.
Nothing special going on this week. Just staying home and sewing probably. My favorite thing to do. We are expecting rain Tues and snow Wed and Thurs so good time to stay put.
Patti,
Yeah, if I’d had a pair of Vans for 54 years I wouldn’t get rid of them, either. That’s getting into classics territory right there!
What a sweet thought for you to love the recliner so much of your husband’s late wife. I know it must give him joy to see you sit in it. And aquilt over 50 years old? That’s another special hanger-on thing.
Enjoy your cozy sewing. Sounds lovely.