Draft 2021

Earlier this week Zachary began experiencing symptoms of c. difficile infection. After a blood test and stool samples, the doctor could prescribe an antibiotic, so we caught the infection at the start this time. Thank goodness. Zach has been on anitbiotics now since Tuesday and he's beginning to feel a little better and is now able to eat a bit. He's still exhausted, but hopes to go to work a half day on Monday. I can't explain the level of dread he and I both experienced on Tuesday, heading back to the hospital for tests while he felt more and more ill. It took perseverance on our part, though, to get the antibiotics as soon as we did. I had requested that his doctor, who was doing a hospital rotation that day, call us in the evening. The receptionist assured me he would. Well, along about 9:30, I began to suspect that he never got the message. When Michael got back in town at 10 p.m., he agreed we should call the answering service. We were just so afraid of waitin

I aint got no "stick-to-it-iveness. In other words, I have difficulty with long-term planning. When I decide to make a change, whether it be rearranging the furniture, landscaping the yard, or getting rid of our debt, I want it to happen now. Or preferably 5 minutes ago. We've been working hard on our consumer debt, having paid off $21,000 since January. I've had a few splurges here and there, so we're actually about $1,000 behind where I wanted to be, but the goal of being out of consumer debt in two years is still within reach. I've been driving myself crazy for the last 6 months cruising money and debt blogs, couponing, and plugging our numbers into debt calculators. Over and over and over again. Repeatedly. Our success so far is really quite remarkable, but it's that remaining balance that nags at me. Last week I decided to start accumulating all the "found" money - insurance reimbursements, rebates, etc., and put them toward our debt. We had t

Whew. I think I'm still recovering from the emotional stresses this summer has bestowed on me. First, there are Sarah's headaches, now diagnosed officially as migraines. I should probably say "headache," as she hasn't been completely without it since mid-May. Fortunately, the preventive medicine she's taking has helped, and hopefully will continue to do so, as it builds up to its full strength over the next couple of weeks. She's trying a new medicine to deal with the lingering pain - a "rescue" med rather than preventive. So far it, too, has helped, but nothing seems to zap the headache for good. Not yet anyway. Multiple trips to the doctor, the pharmacy, the hospital for EKG and MRI, neurologist appointment, and frustration with our insurance company, calls to the neurologist, but worst of all, Sarah suffering with horrible pain. All summer long. On a side note, as I explained to the neurologist our family history, I included the headaches I

I'm still here, my son is recuperating, my daughter's headaches are slowly improving, the dog is still crazy, the house is still furry, the garden is going like gangbusters, and summer weather has finally found us. I hope to start posting regularly again... soon.