2015: HELL YEAR

By Bill Craig
Dear Friends and Readers

I wish so much I could describe the year in a different "light", but when I explain my reasons for the above post title, maybe you will understand my pessimistic attitude.

While considering the format of this particular entry, I thought to myself, "You know? Some of this stuff actually happened simultaneously, so how are you going to present it all?  Time-wise? No format at all? In terms of severity? All three?"

As most of you are familiar with my style of writing, why don't we just get started? I promise not to lead you astray and bring you back safe and sound, okay?

You're in good (if shaky and older) hands.

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Pretty much all of 2015 made me wanna yell, "Cut!!!, Time Out!!! Rewrite!!", , but there was no time for that. It seemed there was one calamity after another, and hardly any of them got solved/resolved, because....."....there was no time...".

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I have already written about Dondra's heart problem called "Atrial Fibrillation". Well, this problem came up continually in 2015 resulting in numerous (14 in one month alone) hospitalizations that her cardiac surgeon finally installed a pacemaker to control her rate. Not the atrial fib - that still rears its ugly head several times a week - but the heart rate  and this set at 60 beats a minute.

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A month later.......

During the last month and about a week ago, Dondra fell three times in one night as the result of 3 syncopal episodes. I managed to get her back to bed all but once. At that time I had to call the ambulance and get her to the hospital. Result: The meds again. She either gets too much of one or not enough of the other.

As I write, my wife (who we feared had a broken hip - she doesn't) is now in a rehab hospital and will stay as long as is needed in order to straighten out what's going on. She's been there one week now and her expected date of discharge is 3.17.2016 if  she's well enough by then. The good thing about that is, it costs us nothing - no copay, etc., and I am very relieved that she is there and being well taken care of. We are lucky that the hospital is only a very short distance from the house and it's no problem getting there.

I spend the night with her 6 nights out of the week and during the day I manage the house and take care of our cat Bert, who has now been diagnosed with Diabetes.

I feel very fortunate that except for the dementia I am healthy. I keep a lot of notes and talk to my brother who is there for me if I/we need groceries, etc. He has also "stepped up" and offered advice which is fantastic.

I will end this for now by asking for your thoughts and prayers as I always do in hopes that a solution will be found and Dondra can have as healthy as possible life again.

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Please remember to click and feed our homeless four-legged friends. Nothing to buy and you can do it every day! Many thanks from both of us.


Bill and Dondra



The Animal Rescue Site


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