Making Memories

As most of you know, we spent a week in Punta Cana at Memories Splash with our children and grandchildren. What a terrific time we had!  The weather was wonderful, the scenery beautiful and the food delicious.  Best of all we enjoyed being with each other and letting the cousins get to know each other.  Jim was able to keep up with most of the activities although his pace was a bit slow and he needed regular rest.  He was relieved to know that he can still play golf.  The guys went out for an afternoon and he can still swing a club.  He also discovered that a deep tissue massage goes a long way to relieving the pain he gets in his lower back. He hopes to make that a regular part of his routine.
His balance is a bit off and walking in the waves did not go so well.  But sitting in a lounge chair at the beach or by the pool works great.
We are wonderfully blessed with a caring family and concerned friends.  Your prayers and comments are much appreciated.
What's next?  In April we will see a naturopath and find out if there's anything we can do to slow down the progress of this disease.  We will continue to praise God for His sustaining power and trust Him for all the days He gives us.

Brief update.

       Today Jim went to see a respirologist.  (I am learning that there are many more jobs that I'd never heard of or thought of before.)  A while ago he had completed a breathing test (standard procedure) and the results were poor.  Part of that, we felt, was due to his being unable to get a tight seal around the breathing tube because of his weak lip following lip cancer surgery a few years ago.  The respirologist did the test again and the results were somewhat better but not great.  He has only partial use of his lungs - the muscles are waning.  This has not affected his normal functioning - he can still do stairs without being short of breath.  However, a fast walk tires him quicker than it used to. He will get an appointment soon to teach him how to breath better.  I hope to go with him for that.  The respirologist did say that the oxygen levels in his blood are normal and that is good.
         Most of the time it is easy to go on and put the disease out of mind.  However, each little set back makes me realize that the future is not so rosy.  Jim has a remarkable sense of well being and makes a point of enjoying lots of little things.  He makes plans for the summer and looks forward to spending time with family and friends.  I try to stay positive too, not only for his sake, but for me too.  I am learning that God has a plan through all of this and will try to take only one day at a time.