When My Lung Collapsed

I was at lunch complaining  that I was having a heart attack on the wrong side.  Pains were running up and down my right arm but I  went back to work for the rest of the day.

Late that evening my aunts told my sister Karen....go ahead and take her to the ER just get it checked out.  Those pains did not go away.

The ER doctor said my lung had collapsed and it was nothing to do with the MS.  I said, can they inflate it so I can go home?

Oh No, you have to stay in the hospital, hooked up to a lung machine for a week.  

I was miserable but had bunches of visitors, flowers, etc.

I realized when older that they were very worried about me.

After it collapsed three times later, they did surgery to fix it, permanently.  It was a tough surgery, back in the early 80's.  Similar to open heart surgery and was in intensive care for one night.

Thanks to God....I have had no lung problems since.   It still is not connected to the MS...

This is where I started to learn, Things could be worse.  Be happy you are not in a hospital or worse....

Changes In Life

This is called a post about nothing.  Daughter is still having a great time in Europe.   So happy she can enjoy this part of life.

Life is changing as husband is being laid off his teaching job.  One way so happy that he will be home more.   Another problem is, he might be home too much....

I hope he gets a better job, sad to say, he is so tired of teaching kids. Who do not want to be taught!

Things will get better, looking as past predicts the future, we have been taken very good care of! So Far!

Eventful Weekend

We took our daughter to airport (she is leaving for Europe for study abroad). 

We went to our niece Katie's graduation.  Her Mom had a nice meal after for us.


The weekend ended with the death of a 48 year old friend. (After a battle with cancer).

We got to see old friends but  it was with mixed feelings since it was a funeral.

I guess we should take our days thankfully!
original post 5/24/10

Our Daughter is Flying Away.....

Easter Photo


Such a sad great day for my daughter, She is going to study abroad with her school.  They are leaving for Europe, a short trip.

I so worry but  try to be happy for her.  When your child leaves the country, it is an anxious time.

I know it will be over too fast for her.   I am proud of her, with a tense feeling.

I now know how my Mom felt, when I left for adventures of life.  What goes around, comes around again.

Peace In The Storm

When the storms of life are overhead,

filling you with a sense of dread,

like ocean waves that across you roll,

feeling like you have lost control,

hopelessness can overwhelm you

with uncertainty about what to do.

Remember the One wind and sea obey

can drive your doubt and fear away.

When facing problems in your life,

look beyond the pain and strife,

lift your eyes up from the storm

to find a place so safe and warm,

set your mind on things above

to discover peace and love.

Remember that Jesus calmed the sea,

this peace He offers to you and me.

© Connie Arnold, 2009

I know many personally, that are in storms of life.   We do not understand it.  This poem was relevant to me.  

I will read this poem, when facing different storms of life!

Spring Cleaning

This is just a day doing what all women do, that try to have a clean house, from a wheelchair view.

Un-plug my chair everyday, a nice pink power chair.  I drag get myself out of bed, dress, drink coffee.  I need to get over my daily hangover bad feeling. 

I do things in stages, very slowly at times.   I unload the dishwasher, which I am thankful to have. 

I drive around the house (which is built accessible), zooming around to pick up stuff off the floor daily.

I cleaned the shower, by driving in the nice roll-in type.  I find brushes that aid me to scrub easier.   Thankfully I can stand to get the shower head down to rinse it, after I cannot scrub the grime anymore.

I washed and dried the sheets off the bed, got them ready for husband to put back on.  I cannot make our bed, the mattress is too heavy.  He will loves to make it, with me.

A boring day in an ordinary life, a few ask me to write about.  I am thankful for what I can clean, it is therapy for me!

I have a blessed life, just challenges, like everyone has in different degrees.

A Lazy Dog!

Life as a lazy dog, easy laying around.  Do not we wish we sometimes we had this life?

Just looking through pictures and found this lazy dog, behind the flowers.  We love this horse big dog.  He is lazy!

Maybe we take too much, care of our pets.  We should remember needy people need care also.

A Trip To Town....

Some asked me to share this daily life.  I drive my chair out to van, let out the lift, climb into the drivers seat.  Make necessary adjustments, then drive off with hand controls, thankful I have them.


Unload at the store, put the lift back up.  I ride too fast into store.  Get too many items, I need more than planned.  I ask someone to get me the high items down, thank them.  Check out with nice cashier helping. 

Uh oh!  dropped my shoe, cannot reach it, lap so full of stuff items.  I sit there until a nice lady offers to pick up my shoe.  She was so kind, she put it back on my foot. 

Continue to get out of store, let lift out of van, load up.  Climb back into drivers seat, now tiring with heat.

I drive home, get mail, unload from van with items that are frozen, take them into house, put up lift again.  I learned to have patience.

Now what a boring story, for such a small trip to the store.   The small things in life,  can be a challenge.  Now I need to clean again.

I am thankful I can be independent with help from kind people.  It was another story when I had small kids to take with me.

A Lucky Chicken!

This is a pet chicken, of my sisters, in the Mountains.  The chicken is such a pet that it stays in the house on his box, some.

She will not let him spend the night in the house, she is not that Hillbilly!  I love my mountain people.

He runs through the weeds field to the car, hops on the back of car.  He wants to go in his house with his people.  He weighs 1.2 pounds.  One loved chicken!

Now let us remember to love everyone, as much as this chicken is.

Joys of Motherhood....

I won this at Church, they gave a few Mothers this designed bracelet.  Donated by UDesign jewelry

They gave the ladies at the Assisted Living Home, these also.

It is nice when your children get to be young adults.  They grilled me a steak lunch.   

Jacob grilled the steaks while Leah did the rest!  Moms hang in there, they become wonderful adults.

The Risk of Motherhood

I want to say Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers.   I feel this is a picture of one of the best things I did with my life.

Years ago, the Doctors, did not encourage me to have children because of the MS.  I did not listen!

They did not know much 23 years ago.  Would I get worse? Would it be hereditary? Would it kill me? 

Some days I did think motherhood would kill me!

I had a good life with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), so the unknown was worth the outcome to me. 

Now looking back, I am so happy I took the risk.  I know Mothers would agree with me.

Thou, Oh Lord - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

This video helps me, when going through tough times. 

I seem to observe all have different but similar challenges.

Feeding the Homeless...Memories

We went to Atlanta about 10 years ago to work with the homeless.  One of the best memories of my life.  I started to understand, why some become missionaries.

We went once a week, ten of us.  The guys would carry me in my wheelchair, up the three stairs.  They took such good care of all of us. 

The guys would help us unload the food and the few trusted ones would help serve the large group.  I did the drink table, with help. 

We would have a service with them.  They sang the most beautiful music, I had ever heard. 

Some changed their lives forever, got off the streets, went home.  Another story for another post.

Do not judge the homeless, many have reasons for their situation in life.   But for the Grace of God, there go I.

Floods Again....

We have started looking for Noah's Ark!  It flooded Tennessee and Georgia, in many places, again. 

I am learning that lesson, be careful what you say.  I said during the drought, "I will never complain about the rain again". 

I am still not complaining but thinking, I do see how Noah's kind of flood could have happened.  If this kind of rain kept going for 40 days....it would be epic flooding

We have to survive the storms of life, even if it is difficult!
original post 5/4/10