March 14, 2012 b

For the last couple of weeks Rick and I both have been struggling to just breathe! 
Coughing and congested ... the CRUD!!! 

OMW!!! This has literally kicked our butts!!! We haven't been this sick in a LONG time!!! 

Upper respiratory CRUD ... lungs clear, bronchial virus ... 
Rick took a round of antibiotics but couldn't tell it made a difference at all. 

Delsym morning and night just to get a little relief from the coughing. 
Lifesavers to help keep the throat moist. 
Throat isn't sore - more raw from all the coughing. 
Sinus drainage that makes us feel like we are choking all the time. 
Tried Mucinex-D - but since that targets the congestion in the lungs ... and the lungs are clear - well ... couldn't tell we took it.  Maybe it helped ??? 

Rick is taking Coricidin - day and night time ... that seems to be helping him more than anything else he has found. 
Drinking as much water as we can to help stay hydrated, and keep all the "junk" thin. 
Not much of an appetite - soup is better tolerated than most anything else. 
Drinking some juice to help with the Vitamin C ... eating fruit and veggies as much as possible. 
Breathing in ... breathing out ... 
Praying for healing!!! 

***
Rick had his first Iron IV yesterday - Feraheme ... He tolerated it very well. No side effects. Praise God!!! 
He has another IV next Tuesday. 
Then, more blood work the following week - to check all his numbers. Dr. Cochran said that he would go over all the test results and call us to discuss the next step. 
If the Iron IV works (and we pray it does!) - then the usual course is to begin the shots to help rebuild Rick's red blood cells. 
...
Rick has another appointment next month with the kidney  specialist ... and one with Dr. Arneke. 
Check-ups/follow-ups. 

***
Still working to get his blood pressure down and more stable - Please help us PRAY for wisdom and for direction. Not only for diet and exercise wisdom - but for lifestyle changes wisdom, for medication wisdom. 

His blood sugar is doing better. He is learning what to eat and not to eat, as well as when and how much. Some things (such as saltine  crackers) he can eat - but has to eat earlier in the day, not after about 4 p.m. 

***
Please continue to pray for HEALING. 
For wisdom. 
And for God to find the way to use us for His honor and glory thru all this.