Christmas pictures...finally!

The tree is loaded with presents

Jacye is waiting for the kids to arrive

Norman reads the Christmas story from the BibleCamryn begins passing out the presents

Andrea and Charles wait on their gifts

Andrea and CharlesAndrea, Camryn and Charles

Alison and John

Norman, Alicia and Jacye

Our whole family
We enjoyed a great time with the kids. We opened presents, ate our Christmas dinner (which was actually a Thanksgiving dinner that I didn't get to prepare in November) and then played the game, Battle of the Sexes....and the girls came from way behind to emerge as the WINNERS!

Oh yeah! Girls rule!

Seriously, it was a lot of fun to be together as a family as we enjoyed a day of food, fun and fellowship!

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope all of you are enjoying a very Merry Christmas with your families. We will be gathering here around noon for our family Christmas. I will post pictures after we get through opening presents and eating our Christmas dinner!
Until then.....have a great day!

How quickly things can change...

My last post was expressing the Great News that Mother got to go home. However, she was only there for a day and a half. Early Sunday morning (2:30 to be exact) Mother ask Shelia to take her back to the hospital. She just didn't feel right. She had not slept more than about 45 minutes since she had been home. She was feeling cold one minute and hot the next and said she felt all jittery inside and nauseated. So, Shelia took her to the ER. Her blood pressure was pretty high by the time they got there so they admitted her and sent her back to CVICU. They did some more tests and basically felt that she was having panic attacks which was causing the fluctuation in her temp and blook pressure. They did give her a light sleeping pill so she could rest which she did and even remarked that she was feeling better this morning than she had in a week. However, that condition quickly changed. This afternoon, just 6 hours after I had called to check on her, they had to take her down, stick a needle into her lung so they could draw the fluid off her right lung (1200cc). Her nurse said she had been through quite a bit today and was worn out from the procedure. She has been sleeping the whole day since that was done and was not even aware that Daddy and Shelia were in the room with her. According to her nurse she will most likely would be in CVICU for several more days and maybe through Christmas. Prayers are needed once again for her recovery...for her to get the rest she needs so she can regain her strength...for the doctors to be able to control the fluid build up in her lung and for the panic attacks to subside.

GREAT NEWS!

Mother is home and feeling great! Shelia said that she had done about 180 degree turn in how she was feeling and in her mental attitude since she got home around noon! Praise the Lord and thanks to all of you who have shared in praying for her recovery! God is truly good!

Two steps forward...three steps back...

I just got a call from Shelia letting me know that they had to move Mother back into CVICU last night because her heart rate went down too low. When she got to step-down yesterday she had the hiccups and had been dealing with them most of the day. One of the doctors had prescribed some meds (Thorazine) which was to help her relax and sleep. Evidently this caused her heart rate to drop too low. She was getting some great sleep but it seems she must also have a bit of sleep apnea which caused her heart rate to drop. So back to CVICU she went in the night. Shelia did call and talk with her nurse this morning and he said she was doing great...sitting up in a chair and talking about what she was going to eat for breakfast. I will send more info as I get it.

Better news on Mother

As I said in earlier posts, things can change in a matter of minutes or hours where a heart surgery patient is concerned. Shelia called to tell me that Mother had eaten some Insure pudding this morning as well as a saltine cracker. She is not nauseated which is definitely an answer to prayer. She has been sitting in her chair and had even walked down the hall pushing a wheelchair this morning! Praise the Lord! Maybe things today are going to be better! Once again, I want to say thanks for your prayers, notes and calls!

Mother's condition changed...

If there is one thing I have learned through all this, it is that a person's medical condition can change in a matter of minutes or hours. We thought Mother would be in step-down by now and well on her way to heading out the door and home. However, Friday night her body began to retain fluid, especially around her lungs, so she had to stay in CVICU. Saturday she was a little confused although pretty alert. However, today was not a good day for her. She experienced nausea all day long and could not make herself eat anything for fear of throwing up. Also, yesterday around 7 PM her heart went back into A Fib and has not converted back to sinus rhythm as of this post. We are all praying that tomorrow will be a better day for her and that the nausea and heart rhythm with correct themselves.

Praises and more Praises!!!

7:15 AM

Good morning to all of you and Praise the Lord!
I just called to check on Mother from Sherwood (I am back at work) and she is doing very well this morning. They said she was alert, talking, her vital signs are good, her kidneys are working and she is back in sinus rhythm! What an answer to prayer! I think she has turned the corner and will soon be moved to step-down and then home. Thanks so much for all your prayers and notes!
Have a great day!



AND the lastest Praise!

11:00 AM

Shelia called me around 10:20 to say that Mother was sitting up in the recliner in her room and had eaten a good breakfast!!! Woo Hoo! They plan to get her up and walk her around a little later today. AND they plan to move her to step-down tomorrow! Praise the Lord for this answer to prayer!
I love and appreciate each and everyone of you!

God is truly an awesome God who loves and cares about each of His children no matter how young or old.

Update on Mother

I just wanted to let all of you know that read my blog, Mother made it through surgery very well. We all got to go in to see her and she is of course very swollen but the doctor said all went well and he was please with how she did. They expect her to wake up later tonight. I appreciate all your prayers for her. More to come as news becomes available.

Prayers for my Mother

My Mother will be having surgery tomorrow to have her aortic valve replaced. She is very calm about the whole process realizing the outcome is all in the Lord's hands. Her faith is strong and she is at peace with whatever the Lord has for her life. We would covet your prayers for her and her surgeon, Dr. Wilson.
Thanks so much!

Christmas has come to the Gillaspie's

Well, in spite of our "non-traditional" happenings for Thanksgiving, one thing did remain traditional...we put up our Christmas decorations on Friday and Saturday. Norman got out and did the outside lights and figures and I got busy on the inside. I usually put on one of my favorite Christmas movies, (either White Christmas or It's a Wonderful Life) to get me in the mood and then I get to work. Fortunately, TV Land had White Christmas playing on Friday night! With Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney singing in the background, my house took on a cozy Christmasy (is that a word) glow. I just love the warm cheery feeling that Christmas decorations give to a room. I finally got all the inside decor completed on Sunday afternoon when I got the tree decorated. There are still a few more spiral lighted trees that I want Norman to add to the outside light display, but other than that everything is finished and ready to enjoy our holiday season.
For those of you who don't get to visit our house during the holiday's I have prepared a vertual tour.

Our tree and window decor...this year I did move away from the traditional decorations on the tree. I bought a few new balls, and ribbon and went with a silver and red color scheme. I like it for a change.

The mantel with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus
The Snowman village on my entertainment center

A closer view The couch area

Left side view

Right side view

And of course the decor would not be complete without a cute little fireside dog... our miniature schnauzer, Jacye, in her red holiday coat.

It was pouring rain last night so I couldn't get out to take pictures of the outside of the house. I will try to do that today and add them to this post tonight.

Hope you enjoyed seeing our home...I didn't get shots of the kitchen, but I will.

Wish all of you could come see us during the holidays but now at least you have an idea of what your missing.

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving this year was quite different from our traditional holiday. Here is why:
On Monday, Nov. 17th around 2 PM I got a call from my sister, Shelia, telling me that my Mother was in the hospital. She had been down with brochitus/a cold for a few days and had gone back to her family doctor for a recheck of her lungs. When she told him that she was having great difficulty breathing and was extremely tired, he sent her immediately to the hospital and order a heart cath to be done on Tuesday. So, I immediately started getting my things ready to head to El Dorado...(covering all my bases in case I had to stay for a while). I arrived at the hospital at 6 PM. Mother was doing better, but still having difficulty breathing. We stayed with her until around 9:30 then Shelia went back for the night. Tuesday she had the heart cath done and they found that her aortic valve had some calcification on it which caused it not to open as it should. We were given the options by the cardiologist of treating it with medicine and adjusting to a very limited lifestyle or having open heart surgery to replace the valve. Mother was not willing to settle for a life of sitting in a chair and having to be waited on hand and foot, so she opted for the surgery. The cardiologist had her meet with the surgeon and her surgery was set for Friday. Then on Thursday Dr. Bhatt said he had been thinking and reviewing all Mother's tests and info and said he was not quite ready to rush into surgery. He wanted to have some other test run and confer with other cardiologist to confirm his findings. So, our emotions went from being "good to go" for the surgery to a "waiting" mode. To make a long story short, Mother had a lung function test and an Echogram on her heart which all confirmed that the surgery was indeed a must. So, they sent her home on Wednesday, Nov. 26th after a 9 day hospital stay with a scheduled surgery for Monday, Dec. 8th. Another week of waiting....
We are very thankful for Mother's cardiologist, Dr. Bhatt, who is a strong believer. He was very open and honest about Mother's health situation and readily admits that they will do all they can to "fix" her heart but ultimately she is in the hands of the Lord. What a comfort to know that your cardiologist has been praying and diligently seeking the Lord's help and wisdom regarding what measures to take in correcting your heart problems. It was truly a blessing to have him treat her.

Now on to Thanksgiving: After staying with Mother in the hospital for a week I had nothing bought with which to make our traditional Thanksgiving menu. So, Norman bought some filet mignon steaks, marinated and grilled them. I had some fresh turnip greens from Daddy's garden patch that I cooked down and we baked a some sweet potatoes. It was not your normal idea of a Thanksgiving dinner and it really felt odd not to get up and cook all day to fix the spread of food we normally have, but it was still good. Since we were not doing the "traditonal" things and because we were not sure of what was going to transpire with Mother, neither of the girls were there either. However, Andrea and Camryn did come over to watch the parade with us but they had made alternate plans for their Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Even though my plans for Thanksgiving were interrupted, I am very grateful for the time I did get to spend with Mother while she was in the hospital. (You see, I took the day shift from about 8:30 am-9:30 pm) and then Shelia came and stayed the night. I think I probably had the best end of the deal because the nurses were forever coming in at night and taking vital signs, weighing Mother or poking pills at her to take, which didn't allow for much sleep. I on the other hand had the pleasure of laughing and talking for hours on end with Mother, making memories I will forever hold dear in my heart. In the years to come when I think back on the Thanksgiving of 2008, although we didn't get to have the traditional time of dining with our family, I will always fondly remember the many hours I did get to spend with my Mother as we made the best of a scary situation.