Busy times, bad back, medical issues

This was a busy weekend. On Friday the lumber was delivered for the apartment, it rained (which complicated everything) and Mama, Victoria and I went a Sunday School Party at the church. Friday at work I had my last interview for the position I am trying to fill and as I was moving a table out of the conference room I must have lifted wrong because my back started to feel tense.


On Saturday I got out of bed and could tell I was going to ache but I started working on the apartment anyway. As I build the bathroom walls, I was starting to limber up but when I tried to do an overhead portion of the wall in the living room, I could tell I should quit for the day. It was when I got out of bed Sunday morning that I knew I was in trouble. It was a struggle just to get to the bathroom.

I went to church and enjoyed the services and by the end of the day I was in a little better shape. Today I am better but not good. Between the problems Mama is having with her left knee and the problems I am having with my back we make a real pair. I am less apt to let the pain keep me from continuing to work on the projects I know are in need of my attention, but it will slow me down and require that I get help rather than working alone.

I was hurting as we went to the Sunday School party but we had a good time anyway. I did not participate in the Chinese Christmas portion of the party but Mama and Victoria had a great time. It was only because Victoria got off early that she was able to make the party, but Mama and I were both glad to have her there.

For those of you who are wondering, the gift giving portion of a Chinese Christmas is handled by number. Everyone who brought a gift is given a number. One by one the gifts are opened. However, as each number is called, if the person taking their turn has their eye on a gift someone already has, they can take that gift and let the person losing their gift take another turn. That person can steal a gift from someone else or open a new gift. A gift can only be taken twice. The person who possesses it for the third time gets to keep it. I think everyone was happy with what they got. Mama and Victoria both stole the gifts they took home.

Mama went Saturday and settled up with the vet. It was a little over $150. We were given clear directives for the continued treatment and we have followed through but now Grandpa is worried that we are overmedicating the calves. I am willing to trust his judgment but I am struggling with getting professional help if we are not going to follow the suggested regimen. Eventually it will all work out, but the work continues trying to get all the little ones well.

Mama and Grandma are worried about Rosie. Since Saturday afternoon she has been immobile. She will not eat or drink and has thrown up several times. Not a good combination of actions. Our guess is that she has something stuck in her intestines. We have seen the symptoms before and the prognosis is not good. She actually got up and had me let her into Victoria’s room before I left this morning. I am not sure if that is a good sign or not. I will get the rest of the story later today.

Today Mama and Victoria are going to a doctor in Denton. The visit is for Victoria and a cyst she is having some trouble with. Based on the recommendations of some of the ladies at church they scheduled the visit with a particular group of doctors who office near the hospital there. The exam is probably long overdue and none of us are sure what the prognosis will be, but it is almost always better to know than to wonder.

The problem is, with Victoria, all we can do is wonder.