Hump Day!

Good Morning Ladies!

Just wanted to drop in real quick to say hello & hope everyone is doing okay.

Did not hear from Vickie yesterday so am praying extra hard...

Connie, hope you continue to feel a little better everyday!

Mary, read about your dr. visit w/Jim. Glad they are taking an aggressive approach. My x had a liver transplant due to hep C & probably all the hard drinking & drugs he did for a number of years. My understanding is he did very well for over 10 years...he just passed this past January from a stroke. So if he can get a transplant that would be the best possible outcome...if not at least they will be 'draining him' on a regular basis. If he gets to feeling better his whole demeanor may improve...good news for you!

Trish, praying for you & your mom & a safe trip.

I am hopping off to do some grocery shopping a haircut.

Will ck in later!

Good morning Kathy....so nice to see you start the thread today!!

Kathy...Vickie didn't post here but she does post pictures and things on Facebook so we know she is okay! I think some days it is just to much for her to post about Butch and the situation. I am sure she is just too tired out sometimes. It also tells me that nothing has changed.

Thanks for thinking of me. You know how sometimes you take one step forward and two back....that is me....depression is an awful thing. It doesn't like to let go. Pain is raging...damn storms. I am going to crawl back under my rock. I will check in later.

Praying for Vickie and Butch. Hoping their day is a restful one. I love you Vickie ....and Butch and family!!

Prayers for Trish as she travels today to be with her  mother.

Prayers for Judy as we both struggle through this darn depression. Also prayers for her sister Bonnie.

Prayers for our sweet OFF Family and their family.

Have a good day!! Remember to pay it forward if you can.

Much love and bunches of hugs....connie d

Hello sweet sistas,

I only have a minute to post because I'm expecting Butch's brother and his wife here any minute.  But I wanted to let y'all know what is happening.  Butch was unresponsive most of yesterday.  I did get one very sweet smile yesterday morning and he told me I was beautiful.  After that not another word all day and last night until 4:45 a.m.  I was preparing for him to be gone all day and night.  But then he woke up this morning, and although he was confused on some things, he did know me and his sister Lisa.  Around 6 a.m. he became determined to get out of bed and they had to give him a sedative.  So he is sleeping again today.  I just don't know what to think and neither do the doctor or nurses.  We checked in here on June 5th and it is now July 1st.  But he didn't drink more than just a sip of water yesterday and none at all so far today, so the doctor says his blood pressure will begin to fall off rather quickly now.  There is only one outcome, and we all know that.  His family is being so very sweet and supportive.  They don't want me to be alone right now and they are taking turns driving hours and hours to be here with me.  Some are more welcome (and helpful) than others, but I am just trying to be very understanding and accommodating to them all.  It is what Butch would want me to do.

I can't imagine it will be much longer and I already talked to the funeral home about things since it is a holiday weekend approaching, but they have assured me that they don't take holidays.  

Today I sent the obituary and a photo for the paper in advance.  The funeral director will take care of filling in the actual dates and submit it to the paper for me.  I have selected about 40 of the 50 photos for the slide show.  Some photos I want to include are only on my computer at home, so that will have to wait until I can go home again.  I selected Willie Nelson's "Precious Memories" to be played during the slide show.  It is very appropriate both in lyrics and in the fact that Butch was a life long Willie Nelson fan.

So, I've done everything I can think of to be ready.  We are just waiting on God's timing now.  It is hard for me to understand WHY, but then we are not supposed to know why everything happens the way it does.  I just know that God has a purpose and a reason for things to play out this way.  I will be as strong as I need to be until this is over.  I will not leave my husband's side until he leaves this place.  

So, some days I post more than others.  Connie is right.  Some days it's just too much.  I do send out a family update every morning, but for some reason it is very difficult to cut and paste text to this OH website.  I don't know why we can't have copy and paste functions here like the rest of the cyber world.  If we did, I could update here more easily.  

Love you all so dearly. 

Hello Vickie...I have never heard of anyone hanging on like this. God is just giving you a little extra time together. I know you must be so worn out. Just hang on sweetheart. It really can't be much longer. Butch truly is a HERO and is always in my thoughts and prayers!

I hope Carrie,Christe, your mom, the boys and Mike are hanging in there too. It has been a long time and I know they can't be there all the time. I am sure they want to be. I pray all the time for your sweet family. 

I know it is wonderful that Butch's family is taking turns with Butch and you. I also know you want to just have you and the girls with Butch at the end. I hope everyone respects that.

I love you very much and I think of you so many times a day. I want nothing but the best for you. You are a very precious lady that is for sure!

I think the Willie Nelson song will be perfect for the slide show.

I know how hard you have worked to get everything just the way you and Butch want it. You are so amazing!!  I am so proud of you!!!

Rest and relax as you can. Remember you aren't there to entertain others. Take time for yourself if only a few minutes. 

God Bless you all.

LOADS of LOVE and BUCKETS of HUGS to you...always...connie d

Prayers continue from our family to yours     \

Vic...I do not know where you get your strength to go on like you do...must be from all of us...lol GOD be with you and PRAYERS continue you Butch and YOU and family....

HUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Aloha sweet Vickie.....do you have access to a TV?  I'm guessing you do and that might give you some breaks from the situation you are in. I have never sat with a dying loved one so can only imagine how u r feeling. My mom and dad both went quickly at the end and I didn't make it home in time to say goodbye..  They knew I loved them. 

My my day has been quiet and mainly I'm trying to stay cool.  Nice thing about Ca. That wasn't true in Hawaii, it cools down considerably when the sun goes down. 

Please know that I admire and love this amazing group of women!!!  And Betsy, I DO REMEMBER YOU and am so glad you came back, too!

aloha nui loa!!!!!

From Arlene G

Dearest Vicki,

You are stronger than I will ever think of being. My heart breaks for you every time I read your posts, either here or on Facebook.  You have got to be so exhausted by now.  When it is Butch's time Jesus will come for him. Sending love your way.  God bless.

Vickie, I can't imagine what this is like. He is hanging on for a reason but I don't know what. Hang in there. We are here to give you strength, to vent and to scream to when you need. Imagine this site as a giant hug around you.  We are always here for you. 

Hi Kathy and my OFF family:

I am getting on here late today. I read earlier but then put it aside. I had an MRI scheduled for this morning and had planned to go see a movie in between another errand (going to Verizon to upgrade my phone). I always plan on a lot of time at Verizon, so I figured by the time I got done at Verizon, it would be close enough to the movie. Well, I'm not due for an upgrade til July 24 (rats! I hate my phone!) and then it was only 11:30 and so I thought, well, I don't have anything to do for two hours. So I went to Starbucks to kill time. I already had iced coffee, so I just went there to check email, FB, etc. Sat there til 12:30, thought I don't want to sit here for another hour, my legs hurt being down this long. Plus, my shoulders hurt from being in the MRI tube. So I decided to skip the movie and do my shopping and come home. Nothing big shopping ... just went to CVS and the local grocery store, Schnucks, which had bagged salad and Lean Cuisines on sale. So I stockpiled the freezer and got my greens. Plus I walked for an hour instead of sitting. 

Once I got home, I had another load of laundry to do, so did that, cleaned out more from my closet (another bag load from drawers and closet for thrift shop), had lunch/dinner, took a nap. Still tired. We're supposed to get storms today ... had a little rain earlier. 

Mary, my college roomie has autoimmune hepatitis and is on the transplant list. Her mom had it, too. I don't know exactly what they do for her, but the last time I went to Chicago in January, I was going to stop by and see her, and she had a flare-up and I couldn't see her. Hope Jim will follow through. 

Connie, hope you will feel OK. I know all about pain woes. I felt a little better after my nap. 

Have a good night.