Stuff that should be addressed

Forgive me for being so tardy in posts lately. I can say that it was well deserved as I was just trying to get organized as a lot has happened to me, but it there also has been a tremendous amount of issues that have occurred outside my four walls, that while not very timely, I feel we need to talk about.

Last night for example, my mother and Jim were up for a return visit from Massachusetts.  We had watched "Taking Chance" which raises an important massages that really are not top of mind for most veterans and they should be.

It's a great film, and it should get more attention then it does, so I figure I should share some of the ideas, and hopefully we can all agree that there are a few holes to raise, and less ignorance on the whole.

OK Building the new Table

With Mike's help we got a substantial bit of building the new table done.  I had expected that the new table wouldn't actually arrive until Monday, or the latest would be Wednesday the 1st.

Here was the initial set up at the hospice bed so we didn't mount all the cabling and you see it's a bit of a rat's nest.  Later, Mike and I were able to do better with the table that did arrive home a week before expected, and we're trying to reduce the connections between the table and the desktop so it should snap together in about five minutes.

Carlos Johnson and his wife was able to visit yesterday and today from Massachusetts, and this is the very first post I've been able to make from the bed inside my home bedroom.  The ergonomics are still not quite correct, as they are still leaving my back slightly twisted - and this will have to be corrected before I do too much work, or I will have a lot of back pain. It holds a lot of promise though, and already I can easily type a good ten times faster than on an iPhone, and I can see my typographical errors so much more easily.

Julie also arrived this morning and surprised me by just walking in with a glass of milk for my initial breakfast.  There are still a few things to do like get me on a hard wired network rather than the WiFi, but still, this is a very great improvement over the iPhone.

Laura and I were even able to get some bills out like the medical premium.  We'll wait until Monday to get the other stuff out with the co-operation of Michael and start working on ownership transfers and getting the money directly to Laura in the future. Again, I'm still worried to be this close to getting the essentials done, while also being at risk of on food while in bed and not having it all done.

Also, Michael was able to get his leave extended to April 6th, so we have to work fast to get the house transfer all squared away.

However, I also don't think God would have brought us this close without actually getting it all done either. It's all going to work out nicely, and as I've said before, having these small challenges are entertaining in themselves.

We're Trying to get Out - and pack like a Rock Show

We're Trying to get Out - and Pack Like a Rock Show

After getting most of the internet working here at the Hospice House here  in Monroe, we're ready to pack it all  up again to get back hoping that it can easily be packed in two  cars and easily set up in the new destination. weather that be home or the Hospice House.  Hopefully we can get it down to two - three boxes of dedicated luggage  so that all components have a specific place and nothing gets missed.

Along with that we need to develop a list of how to get the network up.

To connect to the Hostpice - there are 3 Wifi Networks  that expose them selves,  networks Here at the Host The CHSGuest should be connected. Success seems to come by opening Chrome first .

This should open a browser where you assent for Guest Credentials.   Once that's up, all  other networks and ports seem to work well including EVE online. and Amazon Prime. I assume I can get to Net-flicks and YouTube pretty easily.

It seems that also CCP has made some recent changes to the EVE Online launcher and there's some 7 GB of files for the new launcher to down but I will defer those until I am at home and have a network I better understand.

I will then produce a better home coming connection guide for when I'm home.

I'm looking forward to making my home coming instruction set, when I get the new over the bed table dedicated to the desktop table.  This table will get drilling and special mounting hardware so that the break down and build up process is as seamless as possible.

I will try to see if we can build a dual monitor support on the next table, but each monitor weighs 10.4 pounds, and I have to be concerned about the advantages of a leftward anchored table vs a rightward anchored table given the weakness of the left arm.

The left arm is stronger, but it might not be the case.  Some experimentation is in order, because I still need to adjust what will later become the dinner table and miscellaneous stuff like urine bottles, and stuff.  I also have to be sure that I don't produce something that will be in the way of health care workers who will see unfamiliar equipment that may get into their way on first glance.

Closer to the End

Two days ago, the neuropathy hit me again in the legs.  I can't feel them from the waist down.

It's no longer safe for me to get out of bed at this time.  I'm guessing that the nerve damage has increased in my spine, and without treatment, there's no real hope things will improve. I can still get to my feet, and with some help get to the toilet to void my colon, or my hospice nurse will get me to the shower, but there's little more I can do.

I can hear my joints progressively creak, and I wonder how long my arms will still serve me.

Who can say at this point.  Before I elected hospice care, Dr. Burgess predicted that I would not make it to Christmas, and he also said death may come in the Sping. I do feel things are degrading, and it's coming sooner than later.

St Ann's is sending me the sacraments at least weekly, so much of what I need, I am getting, and so very grateful to have Our Lord visit me as He has.

We still have legal affairs to accomplish, such as deeding the house to Mike, transferring my Disabilty income to Laura, and also my car needs to change hands.

Hopefully we can get most of these done this week.

I'm also hoping that Kim and Mike can build me a better bedside table so that I can get to my full sized computer, and get some memoirs done.  Other than that, I think "My Rides Here" and I'm as ready as anyone could be.

Last Night's Adventure in Pain

To begin, last night was very painful because I was taking less medication than I was authorized.  So a lot of this pain, I created for myself.

However, since this is the first time that I have died, the process is still a little new to me and I have more to learn.  With hospice care, I actually have access to a nurse for 24x7.  All I need do is call.  For the past couple of nights, the nurse on the phone would review my current medication plan and simply tell me to take more.

But here's a couple of tips to pass onto anyone who's doing this same sort of thing.

First, keep a good log of all the medicine you do take as you take it for example,  my log looks something like this :

8/16 02:30 30mg Oxy - PL 8
8/15 23:35 30mg Oxy - PL 4

and so on - this I keep as a little note that I keep on my iPhone.  But where it's useful is when I have that phone call with the on call nurse, instead of reading it over the phone, I email it directly to the nurse, and she can see exactly what I am doing.

Instantly, she can read it for an accurate judgement of what I should do next.

Last night, the pain was so bad, that they actually sent a nurse to the house at 02:00, and my wife greeted her at the door.

I didn't know that this is what the service actually can do.  Sure I get regular visits to monitor other things, but all it took was a single phone call to get help.

Well the nurse examined my legs for bruises and other problems and concluded that a large source of trouble was just how the airmatress was working, and because of my height, I was sliding into the foot of the bed, producing a lot of pressure pains.

With a little work on pillows, we fixed it, and circulation was restored as it should be.

Problem solved, and I can rest.

Therefore I say to you, be not solicitus for your life...

From the Gospel according to Saint Matthew chapter 6, which I have long reguarded as my favorite passage of the whole Bible, I've tried to keep myself from anxiety.

Our Blessed Lord has always kept His promise to me, and today I weep with joy for all these good graces He has given to me, why should I dare to think that His limitless mercy should end with my life?

With a very encouraging talk I had with Katherine before she returned to Arkansas, she showed me that regardless of my failure to provide a financial legacy strong enough to keep my wife and kids sustained in this wonderful property we now enjoy, the children will draw to each other and the family will keep close to itself.

There are strong bonds of love that will continue to bind them to each other despite what little fortune I may leave behind for them. I really should just be ready at any time with full peace that God and his  saints will keep them safe and well cared for as they have always done for me.

It's when I think of the great generation of the Friguletti's, that had held my mother's aunts and uncles together, that I can have great confidence that this generation of Woolhisers should do at least as well if not better. My children are at a better starting place than the Friguletti's at the time of their parents' deaths.

Oh I should tell more of that story here once I can edit from a better UI than this iPhone.  I haven't heard as much about it as I should.

M children should know it's a part of who they are and how close they are to repeating the good parts of that story in thier own lives!  As it is, they didn't even know the name of that set of ancestors, and I am remiss at telling those stories.  It really needs to be passed down about our first generations to enter the country.

It's Getting to be a Lot Like Christmas Each Day

With all these wonderful visits from children and old friends from Massachusetts, and Florida, I currently  find myself awake at these hours waiting for the next days events.

Yet, we all need the time for rest and sleep.

Can you imagine what heaven may be like without the phyisical needs of the body, and considering the long and distinguished guest list, appart from our own Blessed Lord and Lady!

I have dozens of favorite movies that I love to share, imagine actually going to those moments in time, hidden from natural view, but actually witnessing the Passion and Crucifixion of Our Blessed Lord.  To see the Sorrows of Our Lady, as her lifeless Son is layed so tenderly in her arms!

I'm no poet, so I can't express my poor imagination for such things.  However, for these natural moments I get to share with Gerry Benitz, Paul Farynaz, my wife, my children, my parents and nephew, it is Christmas to me to lie here in bed at four in the morning waiting for an early breakfast - id est, waiting for Saint Nicholas to come.

Soon my old friend Carlos Johnson plans to also visit.

And even my father plans to come for a couple of days.

I can't thank God enough for all these great gifts.  I just pray for enough stength not to sleep through too much of it.  I thank you all for makng such a special time for me.

I wish my arms could embrace you all at once.
Hugs and kisses to you all,

I think I can roll over for a bit and wait for breakfast.

Michael and all Sailors Are Home Now

Mike was flown back to Groton, and was able to collect his car and his computer, and bting those comforts to Charlotte.

Also, Laura says that my two good friends, Paul Farynaz snd Gerry Benitz are in town picking up thier rental car and motel, and should be at the house in a couple of hours.  I'm getting a bit short of breath for the first time in months, and it just might be due to s change in oral steriods.  My previously organized bath counter is a mess since return from hospice, and maybe I haven't got my new steroids in the pill sorter like I should have.

I slept in the new bed last night and it's pretty comfortable, but I am waiting for a mattress replacement.  We want an air mattress that will have an air pump to keep me from getting a  decubitus ulcer, which could happen as it's still difficult to roll onto one side or another, despite the good results from Dr. Bobo's treatments.
All seems to be well though.

New Discharge Papers

As we speak, the doctor is setting us up for our ride back to our house just off of 160 to live in my regular bed while we await the refurbished medical bed for the house.

I had a lot of pictures on my phone of Lenore, the dogs and support already waiting for us. once we get there. snd other people and things around the house that helped "sell" the idea that I can move home today, and help feed and clean myself as needed.

Again the timing of all this is perfect for what we want to do over the next few months.

Thank God for providing such a growth experience!

Pax Vobiscum! 

Looking forward to the next few days of adustments.

Great news! Michael Has Surfaced

He won't give specifics, only that he's now above water.
It may be for security reasons , just to obscure where his ship is at this point, but what's important is that he's transmitting and receiving at normal surphace speeds, and we don't have to weight for sub-surphace radio propagation, which can take days

So Yes a Bed is Available

I just got word that one of the twelve beds available in the Monroe, North Carolina facility will be ready for me at16:00 today, and that I should be there for about twelve days while they set up my home care back in Berewick and get the right medicine for me.  Again, we have to wean me from IV Dilaudid and ring up a matching dose of Oxycodone and Metheadone that is legal for home care.
Hopefully it will be close, and ideally there will be some pain left over for a catholic offering for friends, family, and a world in need of reparations for sins it habitually commits against the will of God our great Lady.

I will be posting various intentions needed here, should you want to psrticipate.

I will have Father Reid check over what I believe is a good formula to teach how to pray and offer intentions as I believe are correct, and should get us into life long habits should you wish to offer your prayers.

The Monroe facility has space for one family member or caregiver to stay overnight. There is a protected bird sanctuary, two large sun rooms a family dining area, chapple, labyrinth garden and both indoor and outdoor children's play area for younger visitors. The pamphlet does not explicity mention space for patient's dogs, but we should be able to acomoate our more sedate dogs like Styker, as a one dog at a time accomodation.  It should be enough to try once at least.
he's my first choice to try.

The address is 700 West Rossevelt in Monroe, and should have two of our kids to hustle Stryker if need be, please bring a decent lead. I'm looking forward for this first stay and Styker seemed to have moped about the best and deserved it most.

I will be calling USAA tomorrow to get the ION online so that Kim or Mike will be ready to drive it ASAP when able.  Oh yea, Kim's going to need to get some stick lessons soon!

Anyway, looking forward to it, just wishing it wasn't such a drive from Berewick. The experience will be good though.

This Looks Like the Day We Finally Get Home From the Hospital

We may have to use time at the hospice to get the right drugs legal gor home, but we should be setteled in by the end of the week and have places for the dogs, dirty laundry, food, gardening and just generally getting the next few months right for visits from all our good friends into one house right. Hopefully a good eye towards flexibility of the yet un-finished basement.

Remember, you are my best editors, so if there are errors in my spelling et al, let me know.  Send me comments and concerns so we get it all squared away.

Still no word from Red Cross on Michael's boat, and it's probably not useful to even speculate on his condition, we just have to wait on the Navies' best time to surface Mike, and then return to their missission.

Consider, the USN has not lost a submarine since the USS Scorpion in 1968, there's a pretty good indication of thier safety record, and we just get patient for that.

Truthfully, the safest place for any US Sailor is in the hands of Admiral HG Rickover and his Navy.

May God bless all who sail in harm's way for the for the defense of this nation!

Kim will be in soon

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/id/AAL724-1470201972-airline-0011

But for me, there's a delay to get me to an intermediary bed at the hospice facility before they get me on the pain meds legal for home. At which point I get transported to home to a hospital quality bed most likely set up in the sitting room next to the master bed room, and set up for the "Happy Death" room that Fr. Reid predicted I would be granted from the unlimited mercies of God. As ss aleays, I had never expected that I should be grsnted such a grace to die so peacefully, and it brings me to tears to think He has loved me this much to grant me this special grace. I pray that Our Blessed Lord will be able to grant you all this wonderful way to die, with all your pets, and as many as your loved ones to be around to share it.

I have never been at anyone's death bed before, and all I have seen are those wonderful moments dramatized on film such as Saint Bernadette's death bed in "Song of Bernadette" or even execution scenes from holy matyrs such as Saint Thomas More in "a Man for all Seasons" snd even fictional scenes like men dying in "They Were Expendable" or "The Enemy Below". 

I've often hoped for s heroic death like that, but as I look at the wonderful kids that Laura and I have raiscd, We are in no doubt very blessed parents to have got this far, and to declair "BZ - Well Done - Mission Accomplished.  I hope that perhaps at the head stone, someone will think to tie a upside down broom in the tradition of naval victories. in recognition that Laura, myself, our parents and all the siblings have raised a victory for this generstion of Woolhisers. We all have much to be proud of and thankful for.

Mom and I couldn't be happier with you all, and to keep up the good work, and hold onto each other for the successes yet to come.

Update -
Kim is in USA, and her baggage has been misplaced somewhere between LAX and CLT, but are expected soon.

Please send comments in soon. This helps to keep my interests up too!

ET2 Kimberlely Woolhiser Reported Landing at LAX

She got down in LAX, she  depart at 08:35 PDT  and will arrive AAL 742 on an airbus 321 Charlotte, arriving at 16:45 EDT currently flying over Albuquerque, NM.

The real time status is available on Flight Aware , right now. She will be at gate C21.

Schedule Snafu - for Hospice

And I hope I'm getting this right, I'm getting a lot of distractions to process, and the more distractions, the lower my "lucid perception level" goes down with my doctprs and the less the doctors  are going to trust me make the best descions i can.  You must all let me rest and utialize this blog more.  Please comment on the blog more.

So the latest problem is that the hospital must see me manage pain medication for 48 hours without resorting to heavy opiods that I am not permitted to use while at home.  They need to put me into a temporary hospice facility without access to these drugs before letting me home or keep me in hospital and segragate me from such drugs.
How long that will be, I can't say because I didn't actually clock my start time. I have been too busy trying to listening to some three doctors, nine nurses and help from nursing assistants and a bunch of family with limited information gleaned from dozens of friends who have had non-relavent incedental information of their cancer experiences.  I try to be as polite as possible, but your information does not apply to me, and I shouldn't be listening to it.

So let's report things I do know and can share.  Stephen is in Charlotte, we are trying to preoare my master bed room so that it meets with the needs of hospice care, that will tske some time as we meed to have the room de-cluttered of junk, and able to receive the hospice bed which should take one day after I arrive.

Kim is due to arrive in Charlotte on 8/5 16:34 EDT at the airport.

Mike's submarine is still 'dark' to Red Cross. Red Cross can confirm that the sub has heard our messsge, but we do not know when or where he shall surface.
This is important because only Michael has been given Health Card Proxy Attorney. If I go down now with a DNR and Mike's not here to reverse it, I won't legally live. so we have to wait on Michael some.

There's just too much to do and I need Mike available, for this descision.  So how long before I get out of the hospice care? It depends on how soon thst will be, and I don't know my start clock yet.

So please, help me, and read the blog and give me time to write it. You must read it for it to working.

The latest info

I try to keep up with everyone's requests for info, but with 30-50 requests a day and the fact thst circumstsnces will chsnge every 30 minutes or so, I just simply can not keep up.

I try to call or text, but i get so worn out, i might fall asleep in the middle of rrturning you answer.  Please try to read the blog first. It's going to ne the very best way to keep you all up to date.

I can not be answering the same question every 30 minutes and be listening to doctors and be making the best descisions.  I do love to tslk to everyone, but simply can't keep up, keep awake and make some very frightening descidions regarding "Do Not Recsuitate" orders and get them all critically right just to serve your level of convienuence of spoon fedding you information just the way you want.

Please tead the blog and get over it. Trust me, it is safe.