Just a quick update.

Ken had his surgery.  Thank you all so very much for your prayers.

The surgery turned out a little different than expected.

The TURP part of the surgery was as expected. 

But the hydrocele turned out to be a little more than that.

The surgeon found a spermatocele.  Normally they are relatively small.  Ken's was the size of a large orange or small grapefruit.  Actually, I am not sure if there really was a hydrocele at all.  The following is from either Web MD or Mayo---can't remember which:

A spermatocele is a cyst that develops in the epididymis — the small, coiled tube situated in the upper testicle that collects and transports sperm. Generally painless and noncancerous, a spermatocele usually is filled with milky or clear fluid that may contain sperm.

Spermatoceles are small, usually less than a half-inch (less than 1 centimeter) in diameter, although some may be larger. Most of the volume of the cyst is fluid.

Spermatoceles are common, affecting as many as three in 10 American men. They typically don't impair fertility or require treatment. If a spermatocele grows large enough to cause discomfort, your doctor may suggest surgery.

As you can see, Ken's was a "little" bigger than the 1/2" they normally are.

Tomorrow I have my cardiac rehab in the same hospital, so will go from exercises up to his room.  He PROBABLY will be coming home tomorrow--Wednesday.

I am going to bed early tonight.  

I'm tired.! 

I hope all you Moms out there had a wonderful Mothers Day!!

Ours was fairly quiet.  Jeff had called on Friday.

Greg and family came over for a visit in the afternoon, and brought my favorite pie----lemon meringue!  Yum-yum.  Thank you!  We all enjoyed a piece of it.

Two of the grands called---the oldest in each family.  Lydia was studying for finals this week.  Then she will be home here for the summer.  Jacob called from San Jose.  Talked to him twice in two weeks!!  Wow!  He will be coming back to LaCrosse in August, I believe, and we will try to get over there then.  Will get to see Jeff and family then, too, since they will be in LaCrosse for the summer.

I had rehab again this morning.  They have me up to 35 minutes on two machines.  Not much tension or resistance on the machines yet.  That is OK with me.  Today my knees felt a little wobbly when I was done.  That is good, though!!  Shows it is working.

A couple of you asked about the sugar-free Twizzlers.  I got them from Walgreens, the strawberry flavor was the only kind there.  And they show "sugar alcohols" as the sugar substitute.  I think if I hadn't eaten more than a serving  I would have been OK.  But, once I start eating Twizzlers I have a hard time stopping!!  Certainly learned my lesson.

The two singing granddaughters, "Katrina Rose" now have a My Space page, with two songs on it.  The first, which starts playing right away is the one I had up here before---"On Her Own".  You can click on the second one to hear the other original song.  Jeff says he wrote the second one.  The first verse certainly sounds like he wrote it!  If any of you are interested in listening to them, they are here: (Click on their name)

Katrina Rose

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Ken goes in for his TURP and hydrocele surgeries tomorrow.  He is getting a little nervous, as we all do just before surgery.  Please keep him in your prayers tomorrow.  They are very much appreciated!!

Will let you know how it went whenever I get home.  The surgery isn't scheduled until 1 p.m. our time.

Currently Reading The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1) By James Patterson see related

Boy, did this last week go by quickly.

Went to my rehab classes on Monday and Wednesday.

Last evening I discovered sugar free Twizzlers.

This morning I discovered a nasty side effect from sugar free candy.

Diarrhea!!

I had seen on the label that the sugar substitute COULD cause a laxative effect.

Boy, did it!!

It started at 5:30 this morning, and even though I got ready to go to the exercise class, I finally called and said I could not make it. 

J.  said she understood----her dad had the same thing happen to him.

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Our tulips and daffys alongside the house are finally in full bloom.  But only a few daffys out around the fountain, and no tulips blooming there yet.

This is next to the house:

Some of the trees are barely budding out now.  Temps are still cool.  It is all of 56 degrees here right now.

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Started this about 1 1/2 hrs. ago, but received a phone call from son, Jeff, (the travelers) right in the middle of this.

Last Friday was the last day of his job in Corpus Christi, and even though he had only been there for a month, they had a big going-away BBQ party at lunch for him.  Lunch lasted about 3 hrs!   The head boss said that they really hoped that Jeff would decide to come back there in the future, because the whole place ran so much smoother, and jobs were done quicker, and everyone was happier with Jeff around!  Great praise!!

After leaving Corpus Christi, they drove to Texas City, outside of Houston, to take the bus to the Baptist church it originally came from.  Not many people at the service they went to, and only a couple people recognized the bus.  Guess the church is in the process of selling the property.

From Texas City, they went to Houston, and saw the San Jacinto monument, which is the tallest monument in the world  ( I think Jeff said it is 8' taller than the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.)

 and the  battleship, the U.S.S. Texas, which was in both world wars.  It was the last ship of the dreadnought class built.

 The 2 grandkids are learning their history first-hand!!

They came back up through Arkansas and Missouri, instead of up through Texas.

The travelers are now in Des Moines.  He will be starting on the PGA tournament sign job on Tuesday, and that job will last until the beginning of June.  After that job is done, they will come up to LaCrosse for most (or all) of the summer.  As of now,  granddaughters Hannah and Mindy definitely plan on moving to Nashville, but probably not until after Jeff and Judy's baby is born.

That is about it.

Oh, I did hear from grandson, Jacob, who is in San Jose---studying to be a chiropractor.  He called from Sacramento.  He and classmates were there as lobbyists to see a state senator or representative.  Don't know the details, but it had to do with chiropractic.  Jacob is keeping so very busy that he has only had two free weekends since he arrived in San Jose at Christmas.  He attends lots of seminars, has become active in church, and has been doing job-shadowing on his own.  Busy, busy, busy!!

Now, that IS it!!

Have a great weekend!

Just a quick entry.

So many of you asked about the outdoor fireplace. 

I went through Ken's old pictures, and found this:

He built the fireplace for his folks when he was still living at home----4 yrs. before he came to Arizona and met me.

He said he thought this was around 1956, when he first started doing masonry work.

He did very well!  It has stood through our Wisconsin winters for 52 yrs!!

The hearth is cracked and deteriorated.  Ken may break the old one off and put a new one on either this year or next.

Ken gets a fire going and sits out there quite often during the spring and summer when there isn't much wind, but I can't.

Plugs up my sinuses terrifically, and the smoke is not good for my asthma!!

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Day two of rehab done.  Went easily and quickly.

On Monday I have to be there a half-hour early---by 8:30---for a class on high blood pressure.

I just am not used to so much "busyness"!

Tues. I had to go to get blood drawn.  The gal was new, and couldn't get a vein on the first try, so she asked another gal who got it right away.  Yippee.

Then ran errands.

Yesterday was back to the hospital for a spirometry (breathing) test, and right after that an appointment with the pulmonologist.

I had a different technician for the spirometry this time than the previous two times.  She was VERY good, and showed me the graphs and explained everything to me.

One interesting thing she said is that she is amazed at the amount of asthma in this area.  When she worked in Minneapolis she hardly saw any.

They do the test twice, the second time after using Albuterol--a broncho dilator.  Even after the Albuterol many of my numbers were not anywhere near where they should be.  Thank you asthma.

The pulmonologist gave me suggestions for when it gets so hot and humid here.  He was pleased that my weight is going down, and that I am starting to exercise.  Don't have to see him for a year.

Got home, and daughter-in-law  called asking us to babysit for a few hours.

We hadn't babysat Linden for a long time, and he and Papa had a lot of fun.  I went outside with them a little bit, but I got too cold.

Here are some pictures I took when I did go out for a while.

I'll ride my bike for a while

Somebody play ball with me!

Picking up pinecones and fallen twigs and putting them in the fireplace.

Now, let's rest and enjoy the fire.

Notice how Linden now wears a red knit hat just like Papa.

I couldn't sit out there---smoke doesn't agree with me.  They spent a lot of time out there.  Linden loved stirring up the fire.

Today I had dentist appointment, and tomorrow is rehab again.  So, there has been something every day this week.  For someone who hasn't been doing anything for so long, this is a lot!!!

Well, at least nobody can complain that I am not doing enough!  lol