Thinking back on 2006 and being Thankful
Well, here it is almost Christmas Eve. We are so very thankful to our Lord and Savior for His gift of salvation. The Babe in the manger 2000 years ago was Emmanuel, God With Us. And He has been with us throughout this year. It is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength to carry on.
Much has happened in 2006. Tamara and I started going to an Alzheimer's Support Group every Friday at noon. This has been a good release for Tamara and me. We have been able to talk with others going through the same situations and learn from their experiences. Tamara had to stop attending in August when she started teaching in public high school full time.
We celebrated Rick's 60th birthday in February. We had a nice turnout of his friends to wish him happy birthday, and his sister, Bev, was able to come down from Vermont. That was especially nice. It is hard to believe that we are in the sixth decade of our lives. I sure don't feel that old.
Also, in February, Rick was approved for VA benefits. That means that the Senior Center services are paid for in full for 5 days a week. Rick is able to go during the day and they have activities to keep him involved all day. This is good, since he would just sleep most of the day if he were at home. Praise the Lord for His supply!
I have remained busy with my job as Beta Field Nurse for the company that makes Betaseron, a subcutaneous injection for Multiple Sclerosis. I have had to travel to Texas 3 times and locally very frequently. Next year my job will change and I will be a Beta Phone Nurse. I will be working out of my home answering the calls of patients asking for help. I will not have to do the local travel anymore, and will only have to go to Texas once. This will be a good break for me. I will be home more in the evenings for Rick and the rest of my family. At first the change was hard, but now I can see God in it and it being a good thing for me. I am so glad that He is in control and not me.
When I had my physical this year, my EKG was abnormal and my doctor referred me to a cardiologist. He did a stress test and said he thought I probably had coronary artery disease. This was not something I wanted to hear. I have always thought of myself as a healthy person. I was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization and it only showed a slight narrowing of one artery. I was given a heart monitor to wear for 30 days to see if there was anything that showed up that way. When I went in for my follow up visit, the doctor gave me a clean bill of health - no cardiac disease! Praise the Lord!!!
In July we put Rick's name on the list for an assisted living facility here in Kernersville. We were feeling that his disease was progressing to the point that maybe this would be a necessity. After a few months a bed became available but after much consideration and prayer, we turned it down. The money wasn't available and Rick's condition seemed to be somewhat improved after stopping some of his medications and starting another. But to help me out in the evenings when I still needed to work some, we have been able to get one of the ladies in our church to come from 6-9 to keep him busy. This has been a real blessing! Another provision from the Lord!
Rick has remained stable the last several months. I don't see any progression of the disease. We still have not seen any real improvements from the patches, but no progression is a good thing. He is just now starting the third month of treatment and the program called for 5 months initially. So there is still time to see improvement.
We were able to make a short trip to Myrtle Beach over Memorial Day weekend. Erin went with us and it was nice to be able to soak up some rays.
Rick and I have been able to make several trips to Vermont this year. Cheryl, Emma, Tamara, Mara, Erin and Rick and I drove to Vermont in June for a week. It was a great time and Rick did very well. He remembered so much of the sights and people up there. I did have to take him into the ladies bathroom with me much of the time while traveling.
Then Rick and I flew up in September for a few days. Rick did well with flying as long as I was with him. We were able to work out the bathroom thing pretty well.
In November, Rick flew up to Vermont by himself for about 10 days. We found a non-stop flight from Raleigh to Boston. I was able to walk him onto the plane and buckle him in and talk to the flight attendant, and Bev was right at the gate to pick him up. And vise versa coming home. As far as we know he did fine on the flights. This happened because Erin and I went on a cruise during this time. My sister and her husband, Cindy and Darrell, paid my way for a respite for me. Thank you, Cindy and Darrell! It was a very relaxing trip that I needed very much.
The first week in December, Rick's step father, Hugh Hawkins, passed away. My sister, Beth, who works for Comair, gave us some buddy passes and Tamara, Rick and I flew up to Vermont for a very quick trip. We went up on Wednesday and came back on Friday. But it was good to get up there. We did get to see a good number of family members. When I told Rick that Hugh had passed away, he took a few minutes to process the information and then said, "He was such a good man." I am sure he knew who we were talking about. Through out the morning of getting him ready to go to the center, he had tears in his eyes. At the funeral he was ready to offer his comfort and support to those he knew there.
In November we had a new addition to our family. Cheryl and Jeremy presented us with our first grandson, Jacob Reese Fisher, born November 15, 2006. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. He is a beautiful baby and has a special place in our hearts. Our first boy! Cheryl gave birth to him at home with the family around her. It was a great experience.
Erin, our youngest, who has been living with us for the last several months, who has been taking Rick to the senior center every morning and picking him up every evening, is moving to Columbia, SC. She has already started her job there and plans to move her belongings down on New Year's Day. She as been offered the position of Praise and Worship Leader at a new church there that Bryan and Paula Davis, her former youth leader and mentor, are starting. She, along with Bryan and Paula, are very excited about this new venture and are looking for the Lord to do great things. I will surely miss her!
We want to say thank you to our family and all of our special friends who have given of themselves to help us out. Our church family is so supportive. George Dull, Robert Whiteman, and Pastor Byerly have taken Rick out with them for a period of time during the day. Rick so loves to be with people and he has enjoyed these occasions. Debra Riley, who comes evenings to be with Rick, has been a big blessing. Thank you!
Howard and Bonnie Spink, long time friends from NY, have made several trips down here to help me with estate planning and just being our friends.
Augie and Shirley Lupino, friends from Waynesboro, VA, made a special trip to see Rick along with their daughter, Toni, and her husband, Kris, and their girls. It was a great time of renewing fellowship.
Our daughters, Cheryl, Tamara, and Erin, have been so very supportive. I am so proud of them and thankful that they are near by to be my help and support. I don't know what I would do without them.
My sisters and brother, Dean, Beth, and Cindy, and my Dad and step mother, are always there to talk to and pray with as needed. Again, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Rick's sister, Bev, and her children, Wendy, Randy and Rob, have been such a great support. Bev has given of her time to help me care for Rick. She has also helped me with ideas and suggestions of how to do things better. Thanks to each of you!
Then to all of you who have lifted us up in your prayers, and/or emailed us, sent us cards and notes, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know that this has brought us strength and courage to continue on.
We love each of you and thank God for you.
We wish for you a Blessed Christmas and New Year!
Much has happened in 2006. Tamara and I started going to an Alzheimer's Support Group every Friday at noon. This has been a good release for Tamara and me. We have been able to talk with others going through the same situations and learn from their experiences. Tamara had to stop attending in August when she started teaching in public high school full time.
We celebrated Rick's 60th birthday in February. We had a nice turnout of his friends to wish him happy birthday, and his sister, Bev, was able to come down from Vermont. That was especially nice. It is hard to believe that we are in the sixth decade of our lives. I sure don't feel that old.
Also, in February, Rick was approved for VA benefits. That means that the Senior Center services are paid for in full for 5 days a week. Rick is able to go during the day and they have activities to keep him involved all day. This is good, since he would just sleep most of the day if he were at home. Praise the Lord for His supply!
I have remained busy with my job as Beta Field Nurse for the company that makes Betaseron, a subcutaneous injection for Multiple Sclerosis. I have had to travel to Texas 3 times and locally very frequently. Next year my job will change and I will be a Beta Phone Nurse. I will be working out of my home answering the calls of patients asking for help. I will not have to do the local travel anymore, and will only have to go to Texas once. This will be a good break for me. I will be home more in the evenings for Rick and the rest of my family. At first the change was hard, but now I can see God in it and it being a good thing for me. I am so glad that He is in control and not me.
When I had my physical this year, my EKG was abnormal and my doctor referred me to a cardiologist. He did a stress test and said he thought I probably had coronary artery disease. This was not something I wanted to hear. I have always thought of myself as a healthy person. I was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization and it only showed a slight narrowing of one artery. I was given a heart monitor to wear for 30 days to see if there was anything that showed up that way. When I went in for my follow up visit, the doctor gave me a clean bill of health - no cardiac disease! Praise the Lord!!!
In July we put Rick's name on the list for an assisted living facility here in Kernersville. We were feeling that his disease was progressing to the point that maybe this would be a necessity. After a few months a bed became available but after much consideration and prayer, we turned it down. The money wasn't available and Rick's condition seemed to be somewhat improved after stopping some of his medications and starting another. But to help me out in the evenings when I still needed to work some, we have been able to get one of the ladies in our church to come from 6-9 to keep him busy. This has been a real blessing! Another provision from the Lord!
Rick has remained stable the last several months. I don't see any progression of the disease. We still have not seen any real improvements from the patches, but no progression is a good thing. He is just now starting the third month of treatment and the program called for 5 months initially. So there is still time to see improvement.
We were able to make a short trip to Myrtle Beach over Memorial Day weekend. Erin went with us and it was nice to be able to soak up some rays.
Rick and I have been able to make several trips to Vermont this year. Cheryl, Emma, Tamara, Mara, Erin and Rick and I drove to Vermont in June for a week. It was a great time and Rick did very well. He remembered so much of the sights and people up there. I did have to take him into the ladies bathroom with me much of the time while traveling.
Then Rick and I flew up in September for a few days. Rick did well with flying as long as I was with him. We were able to work out the bathroom thing pretty well.
In November, Rick flew up to Vermont by himself for about 10 days. We found a non-stop flight from Raleigh to Boston. I was able to walk him onto the plane and buckle him in and talk to the flight attendant, and Bev was right at the gate to pick him up. And vise versa coming home. As far as we know he did fine on the flights. This happened because Erin and I went on a cruise during this time. My sister and her husband, Cindy and Darrell, paid my way for a respite for me. Thank you, Cindy and Darrell! It was a very relaxing trip that I needed very much.
The first week in December, Rick's step father, Hugh Hawkins, passed away. My sister, Beth, who works for Comair, gave us some buddy passes and Tamara, Rick and I flew up to Vermont for a very quick trip. We went up on Wednesday and came back on Friday. But it was good to get up there. We did get to see a good number of family members. When I told Rick that Hugh had passed away, he took a few minutes to process the information and then said, "He was such a good man." I am sure he knew who we were talking about. Through out the morning of getting him ready to go to the center, he had tears in his eyes. At the funeral he was ready to offer his comfort and support to those he knew there.
In November we had a new addition to our family. Cheryl and Jeremy presented us with our first grandson, Jacob Reese Fisher, born November 15, 2006. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. He is a beautiful baby and has a special place in our hearts. Our first boy! Cheryl gave birth to him at home with the family around her. It was a great experience.
Erin, our youngest, who has been living with us for the last several months, who has been taking Rick to the senior center every morning and picking him up every evening, is moving to Columbia, SC. She has already started her job there and plans to move her belongings down on New Year's Day. She as been offered the position of Praise and Worship Leader at a new church there that Bryan and Paula Davis, her former youth leader and mentor, are starting. She, along with Bryan and Paula, are very excited about this new venture and are looking for the Lord to do great things. I will surely miss her!
We want to say thank you to our family and all of our special friends who have given of themselves to help us out. Our church family is so supportive. George Dull, Robert Whiteman, and Pastor Byerly have taken Rick out with them for a period of time during the day. Rick so loves to be with people and he has enjoyed these occasions. Debra Riley, who comes evenings to be with Rick, has been a big blessing. Thank you!
Howard and Bonnie Spink, long time friends from NY, have made several trips down here to help me with estate planning and just being our friends.
Augie and Shirley Lupino, friends from Waynesboro, VA, made a special trip to see Rick along with their daughter, Toni, and her husband, Kris, and their girls. It was a great time of renewing fellowship.
Our daughters, Cheryl, Tamara, and Erin, have been so very supportive. I am so proud of them and thankful that they are near by to be my help and support. I don't know what I would do without them.
My sisters and brother, Dean, Beth, and Cindy, and my Dad and step mother, are always there to talk to and pray with as needed. Again, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Rick's sister, Bev, and her children, Wendy, Randy and Rob, have been such a great support. Bev has given of her time to help me care for Rick. She has also helped me with ideas and suggestions of how to do things better. Thanks to each of you!
Then to all of you who have lifted us up in your prayers, and/or emailed us, sent us cards and notes, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know that this has brought us strength and courage to continue on.
We love each of you and thank God for you.
We wish for you a Blessed Christmas and New Year!
posted by Unknown at 10:23:00 PM
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