Dear Old Dusty Blog

Life is GOOD

Days are so full of a good life. After four months I have finished the physical therapy on this right shoulder of mine. Now both shoulders are finished. They each had the labium torn from arm pit to tip of shoulder to the front. The bone was abraded and then screws set and the labium sewn to the screws. Amazingly to all involved I now have a good 95% function in booth arms. Not yet able to tie an apron so asking for help is a good skill I have gained.

Both of my sweet kids finished the school year on honor roll. Dash got the Presidential Academic Excellency award for all A's all year long. Dove got all A's but the one B. So they are set for summer.
Summer is full of time here at home together. We have sleep overs almost every night. Mostly here. So days have extra children who's parents are at work.

We have set to some wonderful new nightly rituals. My Darlin' Daddy Man and I meditate and still our minds in the evening. It is for me a time to stop and tell my loving God how much I love him. We are also learning to use the time to still our minds. It can be more challenging than you might think. It is a wonderful thing to share as man and wife.

Our Lab has had Valley Fever this last month and was VERY ill for a while. He is improving to a good show this week. The coughing and gagging has stopped. You have heard nothing until you hear a 95pound dog cough it is just gut wrenching. It was all day all night for a few weeks. I think he is making a complete recovery.

The IVIG is doing VERY well. My numbers are staying right at target. Labs for gamma counts can now only have to be done every three months. I have stayed consistently well. Antibiotics only twice in the last few months. Except for the surgery on my shoulder. No infections with the surgery either. Lifting my arm is still hard until I move it a while. I am told that if I keep up my home program it will still gain use and range of motion.

I became pretty overwhelmed there for a while. Three major surgeries in a 22 month time was just a bit too much. I guess God had confidence in me. It felt pretty close to the line of too much. It was just 12 months before the knee surgery that I began the ivig. With the monthly infusions becoming more common place that helps. Most IVIG sessions are 6-8 hours now. We have fun almost every month. We go to get our hands and feet done often.

At the salon we go to get our feet done I am now showing my jewelry. If I sell I will use it to cover the cost of pedicure. Pedicure is for me a medical necessity to keep cracked heals from becoming infected heals. I have learned to take better care of my feet and how very important it is. So selling jewelry there is a hope of cost deferred.

This last few months the education of becoming a life coach has captured my interest. Right now though is a time of rest and healing coming to a completion.

Be creative and make the life you long for. It might take a lot to patience and hard work. It is so worth it. My hopes to be able to garden this fall are a little bit of a seed of hope. My strength is low perhaps to return. It may not as much as I hope for the CVID is a critter stealing strength. Got to respect that critter too. Fatigue is a constant for a woman who was once a hamster on a wheel. Some days getting on the wheel is a challenge. I keep trying and never to give up.