Thankful Thursday 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 12:33PM This week has been another blurrrr. . .
Monday and Tuesday were taken up with driving into downtown Chicago for Jake's doctors appointments. Traffic was a bear both days-- both ways-- but we got some answers, thankfully! The electrophysiologist made some major adjustments to his pacemaker threshholds--from a low of 60 bpm as response for the pacemaker to start pacing him to a low of 70 bpm. The original setting allowed him to stay in a heart rate that was just too low for normal energy levels. Their thinking was that his heart would only occasionally need to be paced if they set it that low but it was pacing him nearly all the time anyway, so they kicked it up. Ten points is a huge difference, but he is tolerating it well. Not so tired and sleepy and dizzy. Perhaps some of his symptoms were due to the low pacing instead of his medications. Already he is feeling more alert and energetic, sleeping less during the day and sleeping better at night. They kicked his medication up slightly, too. Increased fluid intake, NO Mountain Dew or caffeine of any kind round out the rest of the adjustments. He is going to have a 24 hour holter placed in two weeks so they can see how he is responding to the new regimen. If he is doing well, they will incrementally increase his medications to a level that helps control his arrythmias without causing the dreadful side effects. All in all, we are encouraged and thankful for the changes made and hopeful that he is on the right path for improvement.
Yesterday morning was spent in making the obligatory phone calls to the insurance company, to his job, to his company, and to the company that is managing his leave of absence; making follow up appointments, getting his blood work done at a local lab, and calling his Grandma's to bring them up to date with his progress. Elliott and Maddie came for their Wednesday afternoon stay at Grandma's and when they left, I had to scurry to get the house picked up and cleaned for prayer meeting that met at our house last night. I'm thankful that we have such good friends who pray with us and for us! I'm also thankful that they are understanding of dust and tiny fingerprints on the tabletops on a day in which there was little time to clean.
Today is the first day this week that I have had time to work at my drawing board. I am so thankful that I can exclaim, "back to the ol' drawing board" and literally mean it! I'm working up some sample envelopes to send to a potential client, finishing up my requested submission to the publisher of a new calligraphy book coming out in 2011, and then beginning work on a commercial job for a friend.
There have been times this week in which I felt like I just wanted to do nothing. Just stay at home and bury my head in a book to get away from the fast paced schedule, but I'm thankful that we got through it, we have some answers, and things appear to be changing for the better for Jake.
I'm thankful for a good rain this morning, cooler weather, open windows, soft breezes.
I am thankful.
Psalm 103 has been running in my mind this week:
103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
So, what are YOU thankful for? Have you blessed the Lord this day?
I'm joining my friend, Kim from the Upward Call, and others in giving thanks to God on Thursdays in 2010. Won't you join us?
Reader Comments (3)
I'm thanking with you that things are beginning to look up for Jake.
Too bad about the Mountain Dew.
(Canadian Mountain Dew, you know, has no caffiene. We have a law about caffiene: no caffiene allowed in pop that's not brown.)
I see I misspelled caffeine every single time. Boo for me.
Neil always gets Mountain Dew if we're in the U.S. because of the caffeine in it! Hope Jake feels 100% soon!