We (Charlie, myself and three dogs) are anxiously watching Vera for signs of dizziness .... she's a little put off by our stares ..... she says "just wait and see".
She had her (second opinion) Neurologist appt. this morning for the vertigo. He reconfirmed the diagnosis and gave her a treatment ..... and so far .... no more dizziness. She had been having multiple episodes a day. We are ..... waiting and watching. But he said if it's not gone, to come back in one week for another session (and it might even require a third). This sounds so much more positive than anything we've heard before!
Second, she got a new, smaller CPAP mask this morning ..... seems so much better. I am hoping for great results.... I can already see an increase in her energy level; and she will be so much better oxygenated for the surgery.
We we will head for San Antonio in the morning for a week in the Hill Country.
Got our front windshield nite shade installed ..... so we have privacy at nite; but the sun shade portion doesn't work properly .... we will deal with it when we return.
Later, Marilyn
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
wi-fi rules
It is hard to believe, but for the past 5 days we have been out of wi-fi range (on the upper end of Lake Livingston in a campground in the 'deep' pine forests). Hard to believe in this technological world. So it is a relief to be back 'in touch'.
We are back in Houston (Pearland actually) today, for 3 doctor's appointments tomorrow .... then off to the Hill Country for a week.
Tonight we drove to Galveston to pick up our front windshield shades .... which were shipped to a friend in Galveston because we weren't sure where we'd be when they came. We have someone (mobile RV repair) coming tomorrow nite to install them. We've been without the shades, or any kind of privacy curtain, on our front window for I think about 2 months. I call it living in a fishbowl, because anyone outside in front of the coach can see us inside .... at least up to where the first set of sliding doors closes off the bath and bedroom areas. We try not to use the large overhead lights much, just the table lamps and one over-the-sink small lite. That way it is not so glaringly bright in here. But we've learned not to come up front in our jammies, etc. It will be good to be back in our little cocoon.
More tomorrow after doctors visits.
Marilyn
We are back in Houston (Pearland actually) today, for 3 doctor's appointments tomorrow .... then off to the Hill Country for a week.
Tonight we drove to Galveston to pick up our front windshield shades .... which were shipped to a friend in Galveston because we weren't sure where we'd be when they came. We have someone (mobile RV repair) coming tomorrow nite to install them. We've been without the shades, or any kind of privacy curtain, on our front window for I think about 2 months. I call it living in a fishbowl, because anyone outside in front of the coach can see us inside .... at least up to where the first set of sliding doors closes off the bath and bedroom areas. We try not to use the large overhead lights much, just the table lamps and one over-the-sink small lite. That way it is not so glaringly bright in here. But we've learned not to come up front in our jammies, etc. It will be good to be back in our little cocoon.
More tomorrow after doctors visits.
Marilyn
Thursday, March 22, 2012
rain - wait for it
whew! rain, rain .... we stopped at a campground in Lake Charles and just waited for the weather system to pass. Charlie is visiting her friends (we left her with the car); Vera and I came on over into Louisiana a ways. We will meet Charlie on Friday up near Jasper, hook up the car and proceed west toward Trinity on Lake Livingston. Yes, it is good to be back on the road (even for short trips/ distances). This feeling of freedom is awesome; it is a real blessing to be able to do this kind of traveling.
Later, Marilyn
Later, Marilyn
Monday, March 19, 2012
the big Beaumont
We are camped in a nice rv place just off I-10 at the western edge of Beaumont. It has a small lake in the middle and a wooded hiking trail .... very nice. We are in this particular place because it is only several hundred yards down the road from a Freightliner truck place .... which is where we take the coach for any kind of "chassis" work. Tomorrow at the incredibly early hour of 7am we plan to check in at the service desk for oil change/ engine service, and to find a slow leak in one of our rear tires. I suspect it is the valve stem extender, .... or the tire pressure monitoring thingy.
The reason we chose to have our service done in Beaumont instead of Houston is another 'story'. When we first purchased our coach, our very first experience to a truck repair place was to go to the Freightliner shop off I-10 east on the east side of Houston (Hardy Rd) ...... and I mean it was "truck alley". We were so intimidated .... we were only one of about 3 coaches in a parking lot of at least 300 trucks ..... and the ONLY women at the service desk. They actually did call us "honey" ...... !!!
We have been to several other smaller Freightliner places for chassis maintenance items .... and they have all been very pleasant. I guess East Houston is just known to the truckers .... but now it is also known by The Three Travelers !
Later, Marilyn
The reason we chose to have our service done in Beaumont instead of Houston is another 'story'. When we first purchased our coach, our very first experience to a truck repair place was to go to the Freightliner shop off I-10 east on the east side of Houston (Hardy Rd) ...... and I mean it was "truck alley". We were so intimidated .... we were only one of about 3 coaches in a parking lot of at least 300 trucks ..... and the ONLY women at the service desk. They actually did call us "honey" ...... !!!
We have been to several other smaller Freightliner places for chassis maintenance items .... and they have all been very pleasant. I guess East Houston is just known to the truckers .... but now it is also known by The Three Travelers !
Later, Marilyn
Sunday, March 18, 2012
short trip/ Vera update
Hello friends !
Vera is still hanging in there with sporadic dizziness ..... comes and goes .... depending on her activity level. She almost constantly has some form of dizziness, from almost negligible to not being able to walk in a straight line. Since that treatment she had on Monday, she says there is a difference in the problem: she now has an off balance feeling "inside her head" versus the room spinning around her. This is "better" because it has not caused any nausea.
She will continue to do the exercises given her ... maybe eventually those little crystals in the ear tubes that are being so troublesome will find the place where they belong. She has an appointment with a Neurologist on the 29th.
In the meantime we are leaving in the Morning for some Texas touring: Beaumont to visit Charlie's friends, camping on Lake Livingston for a week or so; ..... <back by here for the 29th appointment> .... then to Fredericksburg to see some wildflowers, San Antonio to see a Mission ..... and points in between.
We accomplished a "ladder project" this afternoon ..... took 3 of us and several neighbors ..... to get our 6 ft. step ladder secured to the permanent roof access ladder on the back of the motorhome.
You may remember Vera's concern when we started our journeys: that she didn't want to look like the Beverly Hillbillys ...... well, we have an aluminum ladder "bungeed" to the back of our motorhome ... upside down (the ladder).
I know, you are wondering why we "need" to have a ladder on the back. Well, its too difficult and inconvenient to put in the compartments below .... but I may need to reconsider because this looks really kinda "tacky".
The rest of the story: we previously had a very expensive, fancy, multi-folding ladder that would extend up to 20 ft. and had several configurations you could use it in. But, it was very heavy and very hard to get in and out of the storage compartment below; so we never used it .... so we sold it and got this simple lightweight aluminum step ladder which we now have no place to store, except on the top of the car or on the back of the motorhome. Neither looks very appealing.
On the positive side we sold the washer/ dryer so now we have another storage cabinet. Vera claims it as overflow pantry/ linen closet.
Later, Marilyn
Vera is still hanging in there with sporadic dizziness ..... comes and goes .... depending on her activity level. She almost constantly has some form of dizziness, from almost negligible to not being able to walk in a straight line. Since that treatment she had on Monday, she says there is a difference in the problem: she now has an off balance feeling "inside her head" versus the room spinning around her. This is "better" because it has not caused any nausea.
She will continue to do the exercises given her ... maybe eventually those little crystals in the ear tubes that are being so troublesome will find the place where they belong. She has an appointment with a Neurologist on the 29th.
In the meantime we are leaving in the Morning for some Texas touring: Beaumont to visit Charlie's friends, camping on Lake Livingston for a week or so; ..... <back by here for the 29th appointment> .... then to Fredericksburg to see some wildflowers, San Antonio to see a Mission ..... and points in between.
We accomplished a "ladder project" this afternoon ..... took 3 of us and several neighbors ..... to get our 6 ft. step ladder secured to the permanent roof access ladder on the back of the motorhome.
You may remember Vera's concern when we started our journeys: that she didn't want to look like the Beverly Hillbillys ...... well, we have an aluminum ladder "bungeed" to the back of our motorhome ... upside down (the ladder).
I know, you are wondering why we "need" to have a ladder on the back. Well, its too difficult and inconvenient to put in the compartments below .... but I may need to reconsider because this looks really kinda "tacky".
The rest of the story: we previously had a very expensive, fancy, multi-folding ladder that would extend up to 20 ft. and had several configurations you could use it in. But, it was very heavy and very hard to get in and out of the storage compartment below; so we never used it .... so we sold it and got this simple lightweight aluminum step ladder which we now have no place to store, except on the top of the car or on the back of the motorhome. Neither looks very appealing.
On the positive side we sold the washer/ dryer so now we have another storage cabinet. Vera claims it as overflow pantry/ linen closet.
Later, Marilyn
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
mixed review
Well ....... we don't know if Vera's dizziness is "fixed" or not. A very dissappointing and frustrating visit to the Vestibular Clinic this afternoon. A few exercises and in about 10 minutes she was pronounced "cured" ... never mind that she couldn't walk in a straight line, and about 30 minutes later the dizziness hit again with a vengence.
I don't know what to think.
I'm really at a loss .....
Later, Marilyn
I don't know what to think.
I'm really at a loss .....
Later, Marilyn
Monday, March 12, 2012
the big day
Back in Houston RV campground for at least a week.
Tomorrow is Vera's "big day" of vertigo treatment.
We have heard that "it" (the treatment) somehow is similar to a carnival ride of the worst sort .... but they are anticipating that it will work. Something about the little crystals in the inner ear loops have gotten misplaced, and thru a series of unknown contortions ... they can be coaxed back into correct location. This is of course a highly untechnical layman's description.
Anyway, we have hope ..... first that it will work, but second that Vera won't be "permanently damaged" by the process.
We have decided to stay around Texas for the next month or so until the hip replacement surgery on April 9th. We will go do some of Texas Tourist things:
San Antonio for a seniors regional badmitton tournament. We have five Galveston friends who are entered - they play {HARD} four days a week for an hour and a half. It's not your grandmother's style - they go for blood.
Then up to the Hill Country for a while; then maybe over to Lake Livingston for a week or so, maybe over to Louisianna for a few days, just relax and bum around.
Our Arizona trip will be AFTER the hip replacement, sometime late spring/ early summer.
Meanwhile we are at our favorite campground .... which has a nice dog park and swimming pool ... which I plan to take advantage of.
Later, Marilyn
Tomorrow is Vera's "big day" of vertigo treatment.
We have heard that "it" (the treatment) somehow is similar to a carnival ride of the worst sort .... but they are anticipating that it will work. Something about the little crystals in the inner ear loops have gotten misplaced, and thru a series of unknown contortions ... they can be coaxed back into correct location. This is of course a highly untechnical layman's description.
Anyway, we have hope ..... first that it will work, but second that Vera won't be "permanently damaged" by the process.
We have decided to stay around Texas for the next month or so until the hip replacement surgery on April 9th. We will go do some of Texas Tourist things:
San Antonio for a seniors regional badmitton tournament. We have five Galveston friends who are entered - they play {HARD} four days a week for an hour and a half. It's not your grandmother's style - they go for blood.
Then up to the Hill Country for a while; then maybe over to Lake Livingston for a week or so, maybe over to Louisianna for a few days, just relax and bum around.
Our Arizona trip will be AFTER the hip replacement, sometime late spring/ early summer.
Meanwhile we are at our favorite campground .... which has a nice dog park and swimming pool ... which I plan to take advantage of.
Later, Marilyn
Monday, March 5, 2012
holding pattern in Galveston
We're still here .... enjoying the sound of the surf ..... and some beautiful weather.
Vera is still having dizziness and nausea from the Vertigo. We just can't seem to get treatment for her .... first it was getting the "balance study" done at the vestibular clinic ... now her dr. is referring her to a neurologist but can't get an appointment till 29th .... meanwhile the balance study results came back today but the dr. hasn't reviewed it ....... just seems like a lot of kicking around - and no action.
We're all pretty bummed out about the lack of progress, let alone results ..... poor Vera is the one having to deal with the symptoms. She has some good days, some 'so-so' and some not so good.
Later, Marilyn
Vera is still having dizziness and nausea from the Vertigo. We just can't seem to get treatment for her .... first it was getting the "balance study" done at the vestibular clinic ... now her dr. is referring her to a neurologist but can't get an appointment till 29th .... meanwhile the balance study results came back today but the dr. hasn't reviewed it ....... just seems like a lot of kicking around - and no action.
We're all pretty bummed out about the lack of progress, let alone results ..... poor Vera is the one having to deal with the symptoms. She has some good days, some 'so-so' and some not so good.
Later, Marilyn
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