Miss Lucy wishes you good turkey!

Lucy is wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving with all the trimmings...get a load of those ears...sigh

Friday BIL Bob & I went out to the laboratory where Roger has worked for 30+ years and met with several people who are helping me with various financial matters regarding Roger's illness and sick leave. Everyone was so nice it was very heartwarming and sweet. People came out of the woodwork to say how much they missed him and his bosses told me that not only was he missed as a person but his outstanding work over the years in bringing contracts to the Lab was sorely missed as well. Roger has made so many friends in the industry that I get e-mails and messages from near and far. Over the course of the years he has brought many millions of dollars to the Lab and they acknowledged how much his absence meant to the whole staff. They were helpful in directing me on how to proceed with long-term plans for that absence and how it would most benefit us. Roger is on family health leave right now and that will last till Feb. After than he will go on long-term health care leave which would allow him to return to work within a years time or remain on long term until Social Security kicks in in his 60s. Roger is only 55 now so that's a long time during which he will get more than 60 percent of his current pay. I can also ask to have a pay out of his vacation days, of which there are a whole lot +they keep accruing even now while he's out. We have often teased about how the Lab is like a country club. It is very much like a University in both setting and manner. It's a beautiful place. Roger always took a walk on fair weather days and since the Lab is federally protected, there are huge flocks of turkeys and deer. We only saw turkeysthis time but I have seen photos of the hundreds of deer.

I was glad to have Bob along with me and thankful that he took some notes on the info-there was so much of it. All of this made things seem a bit less frightening on the income front.

Last night James & I went to visit Roger in the late evening. He was a little bit alert but he tries to talk and with the tube in his throat you really can't understand much at all. It becomes frustrating for him and you can see on the monitors that he is becomeing agitated. We didn't stay long but I could see he was really happy to see James and even smiled at the conversation about the new grand-pup Miss Lucy.

Tomorrow I will head out to the bakery and get a tray of really excellent cookies from the Copenhagen Bakery for the Nurses and Drs. who got stuck with working Thanksgiving. For the valet guys at the hospital who have been so good to me I will get gift cards for Starbucks. They don't even bother parking my car in a lot now. They just back it up a few feet and leave it in front of the hospital. They are really nice young men.

Bob & I are going to our good friends, Joe & Geri for Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to having a nice dinner. We've got the mashed potatoes, desert & wine. I'll go to the hospital in the morning that day. Thanksgiving won't be the same nor will it be easy but I have to get out and have a few hours of conversation and friends. I hope that you have a delcious Thanksgiving and hugs your loved ones extra hard.

This past weekend the newlyweds got a puppy. Lucy is an adorable 9 week old Corgi. She has fur like a little bear and her ears are bigger than almost anything else on her. Short chubby legs- more body than legs. When she moves the front half starts before the back half gets going. Very funny. After a visit to see Lucy and fall in love, we went to Catfish Annie's for lunch. It was the best day I've had in a long while.

If you're too squeamish don't read on.....

Roger still has an infection that is drug resistant so gloves and a gown are still the norm each day. Yesterday, he was operated on to replace a feeding tube that had begun to leak. A new one put in and while they were in there they drained 8 liters of fluid from his abdomen...8 liters. Sorry if it's too much info but that's the kind of thing we are dealing with daily. This morning he has put out another liter. The surgeon has sent off some of this fluid to a lab to be tested in the hopes that they find something that will explain why this massive swelling keeps happening. I was able to see and talk to Roger this morning. He can say a few things in a raspy voice since the trach tube is in his throat. You have to listen carefully and get as close as possible. Mostly he just sleeps or rests with his eyes closed. He is not interested in even having his glasses on and since he is blind as a bat without them, communication is nearly non-existent. I hold his hand and talk to him for a while and then he waves me away. He has a lot of his Dad in him. It's not easy but I can't stop to think about it or I will lose it altogether. Gotta keep on going. I guess if it were me I'd be pretty grumpy too.

Just checking in to say Hi. I've been getting up so early in the morning but it gives me the chance to sit and visit with bloggy friends. Haven't commented too much but I am stopping by now and then. Talk to you soon.