Been awhile

OK, let's see if I can catch this blog up:

July was touch-and-go, when Mom developed digestive issues around her fishing trip up north.  CT scan in WI, as well as various tests/fluids at the ER locally, got her to realize that a few Ritz and sips of water don't count as sustenance for 10 days.  She's adjusted her diet to a plan that works better, and has gained at least a pound back.

Raj was able to receive speech/swallow therapy, where he was taught a breathing technique to help keep him conscious during coughing spells.  It appears to be successful, in that he hasn't fallen since the hospital trip in June.

Julie's hamster died 2 weeks ago, so having the dog now eases some of that sorrow.  I've learned that it's not a good idea to walk the dog in slippers; Tripped on the sidewalk & fell 9/23, scraping my left elbow/knee, while taking most of the impact on my right wrist.  I got my turn with an ER visit, where X-rays found nothing broken, but I'm finding it REALLY hard to have my activities limited while healing.

One of the biggest challenges lately has been financial.  When I moved Raj to a lower-cost assisted living facility to offset the additional health insurance premiums, I was making ends meet.  Then both tax installments on the land (approximately $10,000, including the annual property insurance) and the infamous "donut hole" for Medicare prescription drugs hit.  Add to that the seemingly endless payments to Rush University Medical Center for Raj's March stay, Ruth needing her wisdom teeth out, and the unexpected medical expenses for me - uterine and breast biopsies over the summer, before my unfortunate "fall" - and I'm just not able to keep up.  Our savings have been used up, I'm carrying balances on credit cards (for the first time since 1995!), and I can't sell our possessions fast enough!

My kids are thriving, and God always provides, but recent healthcare reform has made my daily life exponentially more difficult.