I'm home and thank you! (LONG)
Words cannot express the kindness and thoughtfulness that is this board. I can't thank you all enough for your good thoughts and prayers during this really tough time. You all are gems!
Well, the funeral was beautiful. the preacher read excerpts from grandpa's memoirs that he and my aunt wrote down last year and gave as christmas presents to all of us. MANY tears were shed and I'm still not over it. I can still hear the weeping of my grandmother in my head and I can't get it out and it just tears me apart. We are a very close knit family. i spent much of my childhood with them and with me being the firstborn grandson, I was kinda their favorite until my uncle and his wife and kids moved next door. However they always had a place for me when I would come to town. The day after the funeral, my cousin and her husband kidnapped grandma and took her back to Nashville, TN to get her mind off things instead of letting her be in an empty house. This also gave my aunt and uncle time to rearrange the livingroom, put things away and clean up and put away grandpa's spit cups (yeah he chewed tobacco).
it had been 23 years since i had seen many of the people that were at the funeral because the last time I saw them, it was my great grandmother's funeral (my grandfather's mother). After the funeral, i leaned over to my grandma and told her that it had been 23 years since i've been to that cemetery and it had better be 23 more before I have to come back! LOL She laughed and said she was gonna try!
of course no one knew who I was....I had to be introduced to everyone even though i already knew them, I had changed so much that they thought i was some sort of stranger standing next to my mom and dad. The big shocker was my sister showing up. She and my grandparents had been estranged for many many years and she decided it was time to bury the hatchet and come together with all of us and mourn a great man.
anyway, I know grandpa is in such a better place now and in no pain and I am so grateful that God answered my prayer that if it was his time to go, make it quick and painless. During his pneumonia, his lungs collapsed, his brain stopped functioning and his body was just shutting down.....they had him on a bi-PAP and basically the family decided (between my dad, grandma, and the middle uncle and his wife) to take the bi-PAP off and see if he can breathe on his own. He was breathing for an hour and then he died. When they had the family come in at the funeral home to look at grandpa, I couldn't go to the casket......I got out of line. I couldn't stop shaking.....I could only look at him from afar.
oh well....i don't wanna rehash all of this.....I'm sure y'all have your ways of dealing with death and I'm a big baby LOL
now in the leg department, my doctor called me on Thursday this week and he decided not to give me any more anti-biotics since I had been on them for almost 3 weeks. what has really helped me through all of this is keeping my leg washed and scrubbing the dead layers of skin off and keeping it moisturized with Eucerin lotion and putting compression stockings on. After the second day of wearing the stockings, I finally woke up with little to no pain at all and no swelling! it was a miracle!!!!! however, he did say that if the redness comes back or I get fevered to call him immediately. i think i'm going to go to my first therapist appointment and tell her that the compression stockings are helping me enough and I don't need her massages to drain the lymph nodes in my leg since she's really dragging her feet on all this.
Anyway, that about it. it's been a rough month and I am glad to say that i had barely strayed off my diet. i haven't weighed myself but i do know that I can now wear size 38 pants and size large button down shirts.
It killed me that I couldn't go to Hershey but I hope you all understand.
I hope you all are doing ok! And thanks again!
Well, the funeral was beautiful. the preacher read excerpts from grandpa's memoirs that he and my aunt wrote down last year and gave as christmas presents to all of us. MANY tears were shed and I'm still not over it. I can still hear the weeping of my grandmother in my head and I can't get it out and it just tears me apart. We are a very close knit family. i spent much of my childhood with them and with me being the firstborn grandson, I was kinda their favorite until my uncle and his wife and kids moved next door. However they always had a place for me when I would come to town. The day after the funeral, my cousin and her husband kidnapped grandma and took her back to Nashville, TN to get her mind off things instead of letting her be in an empty house. This also gave my aunt and uncle time to rearrange the livingroom, put things away and clean up and put away grandpa's spit cups (yeah he chewed tobacco).
it had been 23 years since i had seen many of the people that were at the funeral because the last time I saw them, it was my great grandmother's funeral (my grandfather's mother). After the funeral, i leaned over to my grandma and told her that it had been 23 years since i've been to that cemetery and it had better be 23 more before I have to come back! LOL She laughed and said she was gonna try!
of course no one knew who I was....I had to be introduced to everyone even though i already knew them, I had changed so much that they thought i was some sort of stranger standing next to my mom and dad. The big shocker was my sister showing up. She and my grandparents had been estranged for many many years and she decided it was time to bury the hatchet and come together with all of us and mourn a great man.
anyway, I know grandpa is in such a better place now and in no pain and I am so grateful that God answered my prayer that if it was his time to go, make it quick and painless. During his pneumonia, his lungs collapsed, his brain stopped functioning and his body was just shutting down.....they had him on a bi-PAP and basically the family decided (between my dad, grandma, and the middle uncle and his wife) to take the bi-PAP off and see if he can breathe on his own. He was breathing for an hour and then he died. When they had the family come in at the funeral home to look at grandpa, I couldn't go to the casket......I got out of line. I couldn't stop shaking.....I could only look at him from afar.
oh well....i don't wanna rehash all of this.....I'm sure y'all have your ways of dealing with death and I'm a big baby LOL
now in the leg department, my doctor called me on Thursday this week and he decided not to give me any more anti-biotics since I had been on them for almost 3 weeks. what has really helped me through all of this is keeping my leg washed and scrubbing the dead layers of skin off and keeping it moisturized with Eucerin lotion and putting compression stockings on. After the second day of wearing the stockings, I finally woke up with little to no pain at all and no swelling! it was a miracle!!!!! however, he did say that if the redness comes back or I get fevered to call him immediately. i think i'm going to go to my first therapist appointment and tell her that the compression stockings are helping me enough and I don't need her massages to drain the lymph nodes in my leg since she's really dragging her feet on all this.
Anyway, that about it. it's been a rough month and I am glad to say that i had barely strayed off my diet. i haven't weighed myself but i do know that I can now wear size 38 pants and size large button down shirts.
It killed me that I couldn't go to Hershey but I hope you all understand.
I hope you all are doing ok! And thanks again!
Oh Aaron - Everyone more than understands about Hershey. You had to attend to much more important things. It sounds like you all had a beautiful and loving farewell for your grandfather. Although difficult, I hope it gives you and your family some peace and you continue to mourn this loss. I am very glad to hear that you are finally experiencing some improvement with your leg. I will keep my fingers crossed that the healing will continue.
I am glad to hear that you are home safe. Congratulations on all of the good eating during this stressful time. I can't say I would have been able to be as good.
Hugs!
Debbie
I am glad to hear that you are home safe. Congratulations on all of the good eating during this stressful time. I can't say I would have been able to be as good.
Hugs!
Debbie
((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))) Aaron, I'm glad you are back safe and sound. Hang in there okay? I know this is super tough for you! Glad you are getting relief from using the stockings. They are a God send for Floyd; that and elevating his legs daily. We missed you at Hershey, but you were there in thought! I got the pleasure of finally meeting Jilly and Ren in person and also ran into Darla, Deb, Kathy and her roommate. Unfortunately it was all on the way out, but we had a wonderful time. My Dad felt good enough to go with us and Mom terrorized the crowd by riding an electric scooter! She had a BALL doing figure 8's! LOL Smooches and WOOHOO on the size 38s! Now if Floyd could get into them...you KNOW what I mean! He wanted to get on Fahrenheit, but did NOT FIT! I love him, but I want to SLAP him! One day it'll click for him; I fear it will be AFTER his first heart attack.
Revised to VSG (6/11/09) weighing 253...
Heather, it was so great to see you all as well. Kylie is getting more gorgeous by the day, and Lacie is obviously following. It was great to meet your parents, and see that all things considered your dad looks terrific! The love of family can do wonders, and your's obviously has a lot of love to go around.
Hugs!
Kathy
Kathy
Welcome home!
Where in WV are you from? I grew up in Han**** County... I love going home, but hate when the said times draw me home. You need to go home more if they didn't recognize you! BUT congrats on having lost enough to be unrecognizable! I can't wait to get to that stage!
Hope your leg continues to improve and you get back to normal physically and emotionally!
Where in WV are you from? I grew up in Han**** County... I love going home, but hate when the said times draw me home. You need to go home more if they didn't recognize you! BUT congrats on having lost enough to be unrecognizable! I can't wait to get to that stage!
Hope your leg continues to improve and you get back to normal physically and emotionally!
Angie
My parents now live in the middle of no where in Tyler County. Parkersburg is the closest "real city" to them!
If you find out how that two way highway works, please let me know! My parents are the only ones from back home who have ever made the trip up to my house - and I have been out of WV for 8 years now...
I can't wait to go back and have lost as much as you!! :) I am hoping to be at least 80lbs lighter when i go home in May - and I have 25 lbs to go!
Angie
Hi Aaron! I haven't been reading lately, so I missed most of your leg trouble, and didn't know your grandfather had passed. I'm so sorry for your loss. But, of course, relieved to hear you're feeling a little better. You were definitely missed today! But, time with your family is the most precious, and I'm glad you got some and then made it home safe and sound.
Hugs!
Kathy
Kathy
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