Wednesday, January 1, 2014

taking a break from blogging

As of January 1, I am taking a break from blogging about things of this beautiful world. Instead I am going to begin a Spiritual Growth Journal. As I reflect back on 2013, God has blessed us tremendously!

1. Bruce's Uncle Leonard Duckworth received a diagnosis of cancer in his brain and lungs. He spent most of his year getting treatment at NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC. He has had both of his rechecks and got good news from both.

2. Bubba was deployed to Afghanistan in January. He returned safely on October 9, 2013.

3. Kelly was pregnant with Piper Lily when he left. She moved to Hickory with her parents during deployment. piper was born on August 19, 2013.

4. We were busy as we traveled with our RV friends, Pete and Jean Crean about 10,000 miles. We saw many sites of this big country. I came away marveling at God's creation. I came away with a greater appreciation for the Native American population. They live where NO ONE else would ever live.

5. In November, Bruce had his annual physical with his new medical MD. Hurriedly, he was scheduled for a cardiac stress test and echo cardiogram. He was again, rapidly scheduled for a cardiac catheterization. This disclosed that he only has moderate blockage in his coronary arteries. Diet and exercise were the treatment prescribed. he has seriously  tried to stick with his 1800 calorie ADA low fat diet and walking as exercise. His headaches have lessened with an increase in one of his medications. His pain in his feet, diabetic neuropathy, has been helped with Neurontin, an old seizure medication seizure that was never good for seizure control but works well for diabetic neuropathy. He has lost 18-20 lbs. already!!!

6.  In October, I had my annual physical. my MD was concerned that my hemoglobin was 11+. I agreed after my GI specialist appointment to have a colonoscopy. It was scheduled first which ended up being for the day prior to Bruce's cath. Having never had one iota of trouble with any colonoscopy, I went ahead with it. I ended up being hospitalized that evening with bleeding. I did not get to go with Bruce for his cath. My hemoglobin was monitored all night and it dropped to 9. BUT, I had stopped bleeding, so they discharged me and I got to be with Bruce during his recovery. I met with my MD afterwards and she agreed wholeheartedly that I should have stopped my aspirin and that I could have had an MI. She also told me that I had lost the equivalent of three units of blood. I did have a recheck on my hemoglobin and it was back up to 11+.

God is good all of the time
All of the time God is good

Blogged closed for now

Destination for the winter complete...Thousand Trails/Orlando

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Bruce and I toasted the end of 2013 about 10 PM last night with Sparkling White Grape juice and called it New Year's!! We traveled 180 miles today and arrived at TT/Orlando about 10 AM. We leased G41 all winter until April 1. Of course, TT being TT had assigned someone on that site until January 3. We were nice about it and took E 43 until then. SO on January 3rd, we moved about 9 AM to our home for the winter.

the TT guard house


the road into the preserve

checking in...raining



our home for the winter





our patio



Blog closed

Maretta Hamrick