An Eventful November

I hardly know where to begin! Looking back, it was a good month even though we had a couple bumps in the road. Early in the month Ron developed a more persistant cough, and Dr. Mag ordered a sputum culture which showed that Ron had two strains of pseudomonas in his lungs. We opted to try a course of a new antibiotic at home rather than a hospitalization. Ron has frequently had atypical outcomes. Levoquin caused him to develop an itchy rash and achilles pain, so after 6 days, the antibiotic was changed again...same family. His lung congestion did improve, and the rash resolved. A week before our planned departure for Virginia, both of Ron's legs had swelling, and after an ultrasound, bloodclots were discovered in both, so he is back on the "belly shots". (Blood thinner) As we worked through the process of finding the right dosage, our trip shortened, but a week remained for a good time! And we had a great trip! We spent two nights in Gettysburg, and our sightseeing day was 70 degrees. (Two days later when we were at Ft. Belvoir with Matt, it snowed!)We now have a wheelchair which we used when it was necessary to walk a distance. It also comes in handy for Ron to push with our stuff on the seat. Then we spent 3 days and nights at Matt's, including Thanksgiving day when Niccole, Mike, and Cole joined the celebration. Two families of friends also came, so there were 10 adults and 9 children. Matt's family also ran the turkey trot in DC on Thursday. The trip was a whirlwind and required packing a lot of medical supplies and way too many clothes, of course. We returned to Gilead Lake for the weekend. So very glad that we were able to make the trip.
Christmas preparations are underway now; I put lights on two bushes in the dark last night. Our early cold temps and snow seem to have put everyone in the holiday spirit early. Enjoy your family, friends, and holiday traditions in the coming weeks. Take time to reflect on your blessings of 2014. Our blessings were kicked off on January 1 when Granddaughter Lily was born.
Love to all, Ron & Jan