Pawpaw is HOME!!!

Good Morning! Pawpaw finally made it home late yesterday afternoon. It was a long day for him but he sure was glad to be home. Wally, Scooter and I was really glad to get him home, we had really missed him.

Sister Dearest had a long day too!! She picked Mamaw Patterson up and took her to eye doctor in Little Rock. Then they went to Searcy and picked Daddy up. He had already called me around 3:30 and said that Sister wasn't there yet!! But, she did get there and got him all loaded up, she said he was still in a pretty good mood!!! In the mean time he called me and told me to meet him at Biscoe so that I could bring him on home. He just wanted to get home!!! Then in the mix of things Tonya called and told me that she would go to Biscoe and get him and bring him on the Forrest City for me so that I wouldn't have to drive to Biscoe. So I told her that sounded fine. So when Daddy finally got to Biscoe, there was Tonya and not me!!!! :-) He wanted to know what she was doing there. Anyway, Tonya loaded him up to bring him home. Well, he decided he wanted to go by and see Donna Sue on his way. So they did. Then he decided that she could just go to WalMart and call me and I would pick him up, I think he thought Tonya was going to take him shopping with her!!! Tonya finally got him home and he was soooooo very glad. It took all three of us to get him home!! But he was fine when he got home. He ate pizza and watched the football game until the half, by that time Wally was sleeping in the chair, I was almost asleep on the couch. He finally decided he would go to bed.

We had a little heated discussion about his meds!!! He wanted to take them like he had been taking them, but his papers said different!!! WOW!! Couldn't understand why they wanted to change them, so after about 15 min of not wanting to change them I finally reminded him that he had just had a light stroke, a pace maker put in and I thought it would be a good idea to take the meds like they were prescibed!! That was that, no more problem!! He goes back to Dr. on Thursday, he is planning on driving over to Sisters and she is going to take him.

He loves his women in his life!!! :-)

Thanks again for all the prayers, phone calls and visits!! He loves all of his family and friends!!

Monday 9-29-08

Trish is bringing Daddy home today from the hospital. I will try and keep you posted on his progress at home. We are soooooo glad he is coming home!!

Justine Soccer Sept 08

Memaw gave me her password a few months ago. I thought I would look it up and give you all a peak of Justine in action. Hopefully I can figure out how to get the photo's up.



I want to thank everyone for having Papaw in your prayers over the last few weeks.



Art

FRIDAY 9/26/08

I talked with Trish at noon today, she was in Searcy checking on Daddy. He was doing good. Dr. Blue says he has some blockage in his neck but that he wasn't going to worry about that now, that we could wait until Dr. Henderson gets back. They are just watching and monitoring his heart and pace maker and trying to get his blood thinner and to get him ready to come home, maybe over the weekend.

Wally & I are planning on going to Searcy Saturday and maybe bring him home, or I will go back on Sunday to check on him.

Hope everyone has a safe and great weekend. Thanks again for all the family and friends that we have.

NOTE: Art called and he has moved to Surprise, AZ, just down the street from Suzie and Justine. He says that Justine can ride her bike to his house and that he can see her school from his house. Help him pray that this will work out better for Justine, now that she is in the first grade. It will mean that she will not have to travel so much during the week. Art has had lots of family support during the past 4 years, but we still need to keep them in our prayers.

WED & THUR 9/24,25/08

I got to Searcy around 11:30 Wed morning. The doctors had first said the surgery would be at 2:00, then they changed it to 4:00 so he got to eat breakfast and lunch before he was taken down. The nurse that came after him was amazed at "The FAmily". He said he didn't know if the waiting room was big enough. Daddy told him that this wasn't near all of us!!! :-) The surgery actually lasted about 45 min. then they took him back to his room. They brought him his dinner but the nurses was still checking and monitoring him and he had to lay flat for 4 hours before he was suppose to move!!! WOW!! Now that was really a hard thing for him, but he did good. Actually Trish & I have been very proud of him, he is trying to do everything that they tell him to do without too many "COMMENTS". I stayed with him Wednesday night and all day Thursday, then came home. Trish went home Wednesday afternoon late to go and start preparing for the Patterson Runion that they are having at Little Hill this weekend.

Thanks again for all the family & friends that are making him feel better every day. He loves talking and visiting!!!

I should have had a register for everyone to sign in his room, it is just hard to believe that so many people know him and keep up with him. Keep the prayers coming, and the calls & visits, he loves it!!!

Tuesday 9/23/08

I had board meeting and Trish stayed with Daddy. He is ready to come home but doctors say no. Dr. Blue (heart doctor) has him scheduled for pace maker on Wednesday afternoon. His heart rate has been dropping down between 30-40 at times and they are concerned about that. His right hand is doing lots better, he can grip and eat with it now. They are giving him therapy every day, they are amazed at what he can do at his age. I think the therapy is even helping his knee that gives him so much trouble. All in all things are going pretty good. Daddy has had lots of company, phone calls, and prayers coming his way. Thanks to all his friends and family!!! He is a very blessed man to have so many people that care.

Monday - 9/22/08

Monday (4th Day), Trish called and said that Dr. Fincher wanted him to stay another night, that didn't go over very good!! He wanted a heart doctor to look at him. He is talking about needing a pace maker. But, we haven't decided anything yet, will wait and hear what the heart doctor says.

Trish called and said that he had gotten up and took a shower and shaved with the (electric shaver that he threw such a fit about) and he was ready to come home.

Trish hasn't seen the heart doctor yet, so keep him in your prayers that he will just get to come on home and be ok!!!

Thanks to all his family and friends for the calls and visits. He loves each and everyone of you.

Sunday 9/21/08

Sunday morning (3rd Day) he decided he was ready to go home!! He was going to tell that doctor that he was ready to go home today!! The doctor came and informed him that he needed to stay and have some more therapy and to keep monitoring his heart rate. He was concerned over the heart rate.

He had visitors and phone calls on and off all day. He likes that of course, he talked just about all day. I sent Tonya to WalMart to get extra PJ's, and an electric razor!! Oh my GOD!!! Not an electric razor, he was not going to use that thing, just take it back now!!! I ended up just telling him that Wally would use it and I put it in the closet. He kinda had a come apart but we got him settled back down, or a ballgame came on that he was wanting to watch.

Trish brought her clothes and I packed mine up, I needed to go home and help Wally get ready to take his HS Golf Team to Conference Tournament on Monday Morning, and I also have Board Meeting on Tuesday. So when I got ready to leave I kissed Daddy by and left , Trish stopped me at the door (knowing he would have a fit) and said, now Beck be sure and tell him to be good to me while you are gone!!! Oh my gosh, she could have said anything but that!!! :-) You have to laugh at him!! He told me that he was going to come home tomorrow, but he was afraid Trish would take him home with her, I assured him that she was going to bring him home to his bed and to see Scooter!! He is so spoiled!!

Saturday 9/20/08

Second day in hospital. Had lots of company and phone calls and we watched the Razorbacks!! Pooh!!Pooh!! He was most disgusted with them. I told him that he really went to extreme measurers to find a place to watch the ballgame, he knew we wouldn't be able to get it at home and he was worried about where he was going to watch it. That got a laugh out of him!!!

He had therapy Saturday afternoon, of course he told everyone not to bother this lady because she was strong as an ox. He told every nurse that came in not to mess with that nurse because she would whip their butts!!! He is so bad!! But, at least he was trying to make the best out of a bad situation. His hand was still getting stronger all the time. I kept making him squeeze my hand everything I went passed him.

Saturday night his heart monitor went off, the nurse came in and said his heart rate dropped down to 40, had been running like 70. But, then he we slept for about an hour and the nurse would come in every hour on the hour to check on him. He was getting a little upset because they kept waking him up, and I was too!!! But, I couldn't get upset because I didn't want him to just blow up at one of them.

Pawpaw-Light Stroke-Right Hand-9/19/08

Not good news today!! Daddy got up Friday morning and he didn't have full use of his right hand. He said he noticed it when he couldn't get the toliet paper off, then he went upstairs and tried to eat his Cheerios!! He couldn't grip the spoon. He called me at work and said that he couldn't eat his cereal, he couldn't hold the spoon. The first thing I thought of was a stroke. I went home and immediately gave him an asprin and made him sit down. After a few minutes his hand got a little better, he could grip his walking cane a little. Wally stayed with him while I ran back to work to clean my desk off and then I went back home and called his doctor in Searcy. Dr. Henderson (heart doctor) was out of town all week, but Dr. Fincher was seeing some of his patients so I talked with his nurse and she told me to have him there at 3:00. So I got him dressed and we left for Searcy, went by and picked up Sister Dearest!! We got him checked in at the White County Medical Center and the doctor did test on him. His blood had gotten thicker than normal, and CAT scan showed an older stroke but nothing new. But, all the symptons was showing stroke.

He and I stayed the night and he was making progress with his hand. They had a heart monitor on him and his irregular heart beat was really getting low at times. But he rested pretty good all night.

Thursday 9/18/08

Pawpaw is doing good. He went to Brinkley, Des Arc (to visit with Russell), Searcy (to doctor), Cotton Plant (to visit Aunt Gladys and Stewmons), and then to McCrory to play cards (Langley clan) (all today), didn't get home until 11:00 PM. I left Wally up to wait for him!!! :-) Pawpaw has gotten so good that he doesn't wake up Wally or Scooter!! I guess we are all getting use to each others hours.

Trish is much better, got a good report from her doctor. She told me she had been to Little Hill cleaning up for the reunion, she only pushed the wheel barrel while Tonya and Aunt Patricia picked up limbs. I don't know what we are going to do with her either, she has a lot of Pawpaw in her.

Been really busy at work getting ready for board meeting next week!! Uck!!! I'm ready for a vacation!! After being off for 2 1/2 months this summer it has been hard for me to make a full week!! :-) TWO MORE YEARS!!! RETIREMENT HERE I COME!!!

TUESDAY 9/16/08

Daddy stayed home and rested and helped Altha clean house!! :-) I don't think she got everything done this week!! But he likes to visit with her.

The girls at work had a night out last night. Had a good time, just went to eat.

Daddy went to Sawmill and ate frog legs, so he is better!!!

Monday - 9/15/08

Yes, I went to work. Daddy rested all day, by night he was ready to wath football game on TV with me!!

Wally has been out of the loop lately. He is really busy with his golf team, I will be glad when the season is over!!

I went to the eye doctor today, he asked me why I was there - I told him I couldn't see!!! :-) So cousins the next time you see me I will have my new glasses!! Can't believe it. He said he couldn't believe that I hadn't been sooner. I told him I was waiting until my 60th BD so I could blame it on my age!!! I had so many pair of WalMart specials I could have already bought the darn glasses, or not!! He told me that I had expensive taste!! I told him that I knew that, but I had to look good in glasses too!!! :-)

Sister dearest is doing good. She went on her horse show outing all weekend, but she made it fine. Everyone made it back home safely with lots of trophies!!!

Emergency Room Trip

I just can't seem to catch up!! I will try and do better!! Didn't realize so many people were reading my blog!!

Pawpaw and I had a long, long night Sunday night!! Sunday afternoon he went to Brinkley to eat and found a group of friends eating frog legs so he joined them. Then he was going to visitation for a friend from CP (?). He said everyone was asking him who had been kissing him, he had red stuff on his face (lipstick), but after about 3 people asked he went to bathroom and saw that it was blood, his gums were bleeding. So by the time he got home everything he had on had blood on it. We got his mouth washed out and I put a gauze pad in his mouth and in just seconds it was full. This went on for a while, and he finally went downstairs and I put ice in his mouth and it seemed to be trying to stop. By this time it was about 10:00, it had started bleeding around 7:00. So he said he was ok and he was going to just sit up in recliner and maybe it would stop. I went to bed and phone range about 11:00, he said he was still bleeding so I went down to check on him. By this time he was getting scared and blood was everywhere, and he said he was getting light headed. So I told him we would have to go to the emergency room and so if they could stop it. He didn't fuss much, THEN!!! So off we went!! Wally decided he would take him, but I told Daddy that he didn't want Wally taking him to emergency room, he doesn't do well with Doctors!! UNDERSTATEMENT!!!

We were there for about 15 minutes and he was already in the back in a room, and cussing, and fussing because it was taking so long!! I reminded him that we had only been there 15 min., and it went from there, you all can imagine!! I was very proud of myself, keeping calm, and not getting upset with him. So the doctor came and put meds on a gauze and said that would stop it, and gave me one to take home. He had stuck a small hole in his upper inside left gum and it hit a blood vessel, that is the reason it was bleeding so much. So off we go back home to go to bed!! :-)

Got him all settled in downstairs again and he seemed better. I put the other meds and gauze in his mouth and I went back to bed. My phone range about 4:00 AM, Daddy said he was still bleeding and wanted to go back to hospital. He thought he was better and went to bed but when he woke up he had bleed all over EVERYTHING!!!! So we take off for the emergency room again!! They know us now!! :-) (No, they didn't know anyone in Cotton Plant, No, they didn't know Sheila, No they didn't care!!!) The doctor gave him shots in his gum and cauterized the place and we stayed until it stopped bleeding. I was not going home until it had stopped, we left to early the first time. But it did stop, and we made it home and back to bed - 5:00 AM.

Daddy - Ballgame Schedule

I just had a surprise visit from Daddy at the office. He was on his way to Brinkley, he was going to go to Tonya's, she was going to have room for him to go to the game, he was going early because he wanted to be sure and get to go eat with them too!!! He doesn't like to miss anything!! :-) He showed his catfish pictures to everyone at the office that he had gotten from "BoBo's Bunch". I have no idea!!! He is planning on going to ballgame tomorrow night, somewhere, and then to Melborne? (no idea) over the weekend with Trish and all her family for a horse show. He is just so busy!!!

By the way, I found cleaned squirrels in my frig this morning when I got up. He told me to freeze them and next week he was going to cook him some squirrel and dumplings!! Sounds good to me!!! He told RED (one of my friends at work-of course she has red hair so she got a nickname real quick), that he hoped he didn't gain back his weight that he lost. I told them that he probably would with me doing the cooking!!! Of course he got a big laugh out of that and gave me that look!!! I have cooked more since February than I have ever cooked. But he is a pretty good cooker himself, and he loves to give directions on "HOW TO".

Sister Trish is much better. She was wanting to go to ballgame tonight too, and she was packing for the weekend, so I take it that she has stayed home as long as she can!!! I'm glad I don't have that GOING BUG that they have!!! :-0)

Daddy & Aunt Pearl Fishing Again!

Daddy had lots to do today!! By the way, he got shots in his knee and his back Monday so he is acting like he is 60 again!!! Anyway, he left early this morning going to Brinkley to pick Aunt Pearl up and they were going to go fishing at East Lake. He promised me that they would just fish off the dock!!! :-) Then he said that she had a really big, good boat down there. He called me at noon, he was back in Brinkley, fishing wasn't very good. He was busy getting fruit jars together to take to his lady that is going to make him some pear preserves. He had made several calls the day before and finally found him some pears from someone - or he found a pear tree!!!! You never know about him!! So he took Ms. Gunter the pears and sugar, and a few jars but she sent him back to get more. He called me again around 3:00, he was at Billy Clyde's in Cotton Plant. He thought maybe he had him some squirrels to bring home to cook, thank goodness he didn't!! I'm not sure if he took a nap at Aunt Pearl's, Billy Clyde's or Aunt Gladys house, he didn't say. He was just letting me know that he was going to go and play cards and eat before he came home, "Don't lock me out he said, like I have locked him out before." I would never hear the last of it. Sister Trish is still doing better, I think she has been doing more than she is telling but she does sound better. She is trying to get well so that she can go to ballgame Thursday night and then to horse show over the weekend. She and Daddy do not know how to just relax like Wally and Scooter!!!

Sister Dearest Out Patient Day!

Friday - Sept 5: Trish, Billy and I spent the day in Little Rock, Trish had to have a little corrective surgery done. All went well. She was sick at her stomach and had some pain but we got her home.

Saturday she had a bad day, stitch came out and she was still sick at her stomach.
Daddy had gone to camp with BoBo and the Bubba's, he loves playing card with those boys.

Wally and I had a golf tourney the McDonald's Mustang Tradition!!! Was the first of its kind and Wally was so proud. He had just about driven Daddy & I crazy over the preparations for this tournament. We had 12 High School golf teams, around 50 players, the weather was great and everyone enjoyed themselves, EXCEPT WALLY - he only had a little come apart when our Forrest City team didn't do very well!!! He was disappointed, but got over it. He loves to WIN!! He told me that days like today makes him remember why he stopped coaching basketball!!! I'm sure we will have it again next year!!! :-)

Sunday - Sept 7: Daddy decided that Trish wasn't getting much better so it was time he took over with the nursing. He got up bright and early and headed to Biscoe. I felt bad for Trish, not feeling good, and having Daddy over to nurse, so I headed back to Biscoe. Daddy had taken his clothes, he was staying until she got better. Just what she needed. But, she was feeling better, and I spent the day with her and Daddy. He had gone to church with Tony and family and then back to the singing at 5:00 with them. I had left by the time he got back. I called Trish when I got home and she told me that Daddy had gone down to Grandma Patterson's to play cards, she had called for him to come down. Trish later told me that she called him at 9:00 and told him Nite-Nite!!!

Monday - Sept 8: Daddy went to Stuttgart to get shot in his knee and in his back. Then he was off again, buying tomatoes, and trying to find us some pears, for preserves!! He just keeps going like that energized bunny commercial. That is what Wally calls him.

This should have me about caught up, just had too much going and forgot that I was doing a blog!! But thanks to the ones that reminded me!!!

State Horse Show

Saturday-August 30: Daddy and I left bright and early to get to Little Rock to the State Horse Show to see Hayden and Lauren ride. We spent the day with family and friends and had a really good time. Daddy especially enjoyed it because he knew so many people, how does he know that many people??? :-) As soon as we got there Billy wanted me to go with him, he had found Scooter a prize, he told me I just wouldn't be able to resist!! You can see by the picture that Scooter loved his prize!! Wally, Daddy, and I got the biggest laugh out of him after we got home, he is such a funny little dog!!! He and Daddy have become really good buddies. Hayden and Lauren did really good. Hayden is faster than his horse and Lauren's pony didn't want to gallop in front of the judges!! But, all in all we were so proud of them. We also celebrated Lauren's birthday a few days early, she turned six. We had cake and ice cream in the stands and sang Happy Birthday to her. It was a long day but Daddy and I made it home around 9:00 PM, I was exhausted. We lounged all Sunday in our PJ's!!! Of course I was still exhausted Monday (Labor Day) and all I wanted to do was rest and watch movies!! Daddy was up and ready to go early, he had called cousin Pam to see when she was leaving for Little Rock for the day, he was in luck, he went and met her in Brinkley and went back to Little Rock for the day. He thought it was funny because he kept asking me, "Becky Lynn, you aren't ready yet, are you not going back with me??" He knew I wasn't!!! He likes to tease!! He made it back home around 10:30 PM and he had a good time, just a long day. Haley rode and placed in the poles, so they all went out and had dinner and celebrated before they came home. It was a fun filled weekend and lots of good memories made.