And life goes on ...

October 17, 2013 ... 
Well, I guess by now our car is nothing but a hunk of junk ... sigh. 
We were unable to pay the full cost of impound and towing fees by today @ 5 p.m. - and were told that if we did not pay the full cost, then the car would be crushed. Not sold. Crushed. 

The Kidney Fund check came in - but by the time it got here, the fees + the cost of renting the trailer to go get the car + the fuel to go to McKinney and back = more than we had. And then it was going to be put the car in the shop to even find out what was wrong with it. Just not enough money ... 
Rick called the towing company and asked them to let us pay 1/2 of the tow/impound fees + give them the clear title to the car ... even to let them keep the car until the next payday when we could pay the other 1/2. (2 weeks). They refused to negotiate at all. Said that they were going to crush the car. No arguments. No questions. No other options - pay in full ... or ... 

We had over $4000 in the car. Not an expensive car compared to a lot of ones on the road today. But it was paid for ... and it was a good car. Rode good. Drove well. 
In losing the car, we also lost a nearly new Sirius XM radio ... a nearly new inverter - allowing us to plug anything electric in and use while on the road ... and not remembering whatever else was left in the car, with the thought and assumption that we were going to get it out in just a few days. 
We also lost new tires (still having 2 more payments to make on them) ... lost $8oo worth of work that we still owe 2 payments on ... new so many things that I have lost count ... 

But we also lost our way to doctors and clinics and hospitals. We do have a diesel pickup - that has to go into the shop to have ball joints and u-joints replaced. So while the truck goes into the shop (costing us $500 at least), we also have to rent a car to go to Houston on the 30th of this month - and since it is during the week that we have to travel, of course, the cost of a car is at a premium ... about $60 a day + fuel there. Sigh. 

Rick needs to see a dentist - I called several and because we do not have dental insurance, then we are pushed to the end of the waiting list. Even tho he is in pain to eat or drink anything hot or cold. If we could find one that would take him right away, it would cost us around $200. 

We both need to have eye exams and get new glasses, including frames. Thankfully, we have insurance to cover most of the cost of exams, frames and lenses. But in the midst of everything else? Even the co-pays are hard to come by right now. 
Course, at this point, we don't have much choice. We have super-glued Rick's glasses back together 3 times so far ... and he now has gone to the automotive section at Wal-mart and bought the tubing that you use high heat to shrink to fit wires with. Tomorrow we will try again to make it work. He said he is going to break a toothpick, tape it to the leg, and then fit a tube over all of it, heat it and shrink it. Hopefully it will all hold long enough for another paycheck to come in. 

This is truly stretching our faith. Knowing that God is always God, even if the checkbook is empty, even if the cabinets are bare, even if the health is failing, even if there are storms arising and raging on every front of our lives. No matter what - God is still God. And we are still and always HIS. 

It is also a trial by fire to our marriage. The stress is unbelievable. I hang on to the promise that "a cord of 3 is not quickly broken" ... just believing God to be greater than all this stress. Believing God to sing over us and quiet us together with His love. 

Please, pray for us. Please add us to any prayer chains or prayer lists - personal, thru prayer groups, thru churches. Please PRAY FOR US. 

THANK YOU. 

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We are back in SS now ... we left Joshua and Dessie's on Monday morning ... had an uneventful trip back from Graham - which was good to us! 
Got to the house, truck unloaded, we were exhausted. Visited with Rick's parents a little.
And then ... a wonderful surprise! Our daughter, Angel, came with Elijah and Brooke =)!!! Oh how this momma and grannee's heart rejoiced!!! We laughed, we talked. Of course we hugged and got/gave sugars! =) Felt like it had been much more than 1 month since I had seen them!!! Oh my!!! =) 

Tuesday was spent trying to get everything unpacked and put away. Some semblance of order for these next 10 days. I think that is one of those things I miss the most right now -- order in my "nest" ... with my own things about me. Sigh. One of these days ... one of these days ... Lord, please calm our life. One of these days. 

Wednesday we went to the Dialysis Center with Rick. Nurses and doctor visits. 
**It was also the time for Rick to take in his urine for the last 24 hours, as well as the night before's bags from the dialysis. Kt/V check. And Rick did EXCELLENT once again! =) The doctor and the nurses are amazed that he is doing so well, consistently! This test is done every 3 months. We are told that it is highly unusual for a dialysis patient to bring in ONE urine container. And for every 3 months this last almost year - Rick has brought in not one, but TWO urine containers!!! His numbers are close to 4000!!!!! Dr Greenwell said that is utterly unheard of in the dialysis world!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! 
**Rick's blood count had gone up ... as well as his iron levels and saturations!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
**All of his blood numbers are so much better than they were. His A1C is in the 7's now, down from the 11's!!! PRAISE GOD!!! And that is just with 30 units of insulin morning and night. The night insulin is adjusted daily from 20 - 30 depending on how his sugars were that day. He is running just a little high on phosphorus - but we ran out of his medication, and out of money to get refills, for about 10 days back in September. 
**The swelling in his feet and legs was so much less that the doctor commented several times about how much better they looked than what they did last month. We are adjusting his Lasix every morning and night - depending on how he feels, and how his feet/legs look. He takes 1-3 tablets morning and night, depending. 
**He is still being encouraged to walk. And since the weather is AWESOME right now, it makes it a lot more pleasant to go for a walk. Now, if we can just stay focused and actually WALK. Sigh. It's hard when the pain is there ... but then, we know, too, that after all these months of being so very restricted, it's not going to be EASY ... but it will be BEST. 

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We went to Elijah's football game last night. Sadly, they lost  to Maud, 34 to 18 ... but they played a good game, a hard game. And I enjoyed just going! Seeing my grandson play football - the sport of passion to my heart. LOL ... So, yes, this grannee was one of the loudest in the cheering section. Mandy looked at me like she didn't even know her momma! LOL ... I said, "Hey, I like football!" Her response was, "Obviously!" ROFL!!! 


Mandy has to work tomorrow in Plano, and we get to keep the grandkids for a while. =) 
Alabama plays tomorrow - which is AWESOME in itself ... but Elijah is wanting to watch the game with us, to help him learn the plays and positions. =) Oh I think this Grannee's heart may burst yet! LOL 
(yes, Brooklyn is rolling her eyes ... but that's ok ... LOL)


Rick has put the truck in the shop this morning ... having U-joint replaced along with the ball joints. Sigh. No option tho, not only does it need done, it is now our only vehicle! So it will be babied!!! 


We are leaving Wednesday afternoon, going to Houston. My appointment with Dr Michael is on Thursday next week. After we are finished at MDA, we are going back to Mike & Nina's house to enjoy an evening of fellowship. Mike and Nina are due to leave Friday morning on their vacation, and they have asked us to dog-sit and house-sit. =) So, it will be a vacation for us, too!!! 


Guess I had better get off here and see how much I can get accomplished today ... much paperwork and computer stuff to wade thru ... 


God bless each one of you that reads this ... 


ROLL TIDE tomorrow!!! LOVE THEM 'BAMA BOYS!!! =)

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