Dh woke feeling much better! So we went to church. It's a long walk from the parking lot (even from disabled parking isn't real close) into the very large family room and into the sanctuary, I was going to have our son drive and drop us off but dh insisted he wanted to drive that he needed to walk. He has always been into exercise so sitting is just not like him. He did fine, he was just a little sob. After the service we went for prayer and the prayers seemed to really help him. He was very tired when we got home after all the walking though and went right to bed for a few minutes, but our oldest son went out for pizza and he got up and ate a slice. He lost another pound so is now down to 145, I think that's 10 or 11#loss now. It's not the weight loss that is unexpected though...it's the loss of appetite, and it's been happening slowly over the last few years. I've told our primary care doc about all these things...loss of appetite, fatigue, sob...and he just seemed to think it's his age, although he did give him something for his thyroid which was a tiny bit low in case it was causing the fatigue. It was not at the level they usually treat though and I don't think it had anything to do with his thyroid and it didn't help. Something someone else mentioned today and I hadn't thought of is that the mass could be some kind of benign tumor...it could just be causing trouble now (the fluid) because it is getting larger. So another more positive possibility to consider at least. I think they would remove it if that's the case.

Its been great having the older gc here. Two are very quiet but the older girl is chatty and it's been fun. They all went to church with us. Our older son got pizza for lunch. Our younger son and his fam decided to go out to eat.

Carole Sue - The surgery is tomorrow. We check in at 5:30 am and probably the surgery is 7:30. I plan to stay with him and will pack a bag, he will be there at least 3 or 4 days. We've been going to bed much earlier than we usually do, around 10 and tonight we are planning on 9.

Love2Garden - Hope all is well with you.

A funny and sweet thing I wanted to share: Opened up my pantry today and what did I find in a pan...a bunch of Spider Man toys! It is fun having small children around!

I'm praying for you and the hubby, Mary.....

Mary, I agree with the doctor who said the loss of appetite and weight loss could be caused by his age. That happened with my mother-in-law when she reached her 80's. I've heard that some older people just forget to eat. I guess I'm not old enough for that to happen yet. LOL

I'm glad DH had a good Sunday. I will be praying for him today, that things go well for him.

Mary, prayers still coming your way for both of you. Enjoyed hearing about your day with family. So good you all could go to Church! Does give us a lift, doesn't it.

Carol Sue, My mom also cut back on food in her 80's but now DH is 80 he certainly doesn't seem to be cutting back, but is eating healthier, thank goodness.

DeeLou, trade you weather. Sunshine seems to be hiding from us here.

Lovetogarden, my step-daughter thinks I'm nuts because I tell her I hate the sun. The past couple years my eyes have become more sensitive to the sun to the point that I hate to be outside when the sun is shining. I'm OK if I'm in the house and looking outside on a sunny day. And riding in the car on a sunny day is just murder! I'm way overdo for an eye exam.

I could never live somewhere like Az where the sun shines all the time.

Carol Sue, do get an eye exam and OUCH what a rough problem.

I do enjoy the change of weather we have here in eastern USA and the changes of season, too.

MARY,

Praying that your husband is doing OK and you are able to cope.

Happy New Year to one and all! Going to try very hard to stay awake to welcome the New Year!

Mary, I have been thinking about you the past few days, hoping that things are going well with Joe. He is in my prayers, daily.

Neither DH or I stayed awake to welcome 2015, but it came anyway! LOL

Mary, prayers continue for you and your husband and family.

I agree with Carol Sue, 2015 will be the year of change in my life, too.

We finally came home from the hospital yesterday early evening. The doctor was in surgery all day (he had a big one and he is only one in area who performed the type per the nurse) and we had begun to think he had forgotten us, but he didn't. We got home about 5 pm. Dh caught my cold (actually he had a tickle in his throat (which was my first symptom) a couple days before he went in for sugery but it went away) and now he's got a loose cough. Otherwise says he's ok. The main lung incision is already uncovered..and the chest tube site dressing is to be removed today so he can shower. He's looking forward to that. Then all it needs is a bandaid. I'm gong out soon to pick up pain meds for him. His abdominal incision is still not healed and I'm going to take him in for that to be checked again asap. They are out of the office this week. The nurses never changed it, at first because they didn't have an order, but they let me change it. Then the lung surgeon changed and said the other surgeon needs to see it, gave an order for the nurses to change it, but no one did so I did it.

I have had a miserable cold all week and have been wearing a mask around dh. I feel better now that I'm home. I think the air was too dry there as my lips and mouth were so dry. That disappeared soon as I got home. Still alternately runny/stuffed nose and some cough but think I'm nearing the end of it now.

The kids did a pretty good job at keeping up the house while we were gone. Better than I expected honestly. considering they celebrated New Years Eve and there were 2 couples and 5 children here. I will take my time to get back into my routine and also am starting back to take care of myself hopefully. Starting my diet today and hope to start my walking video (gift from son) today too.

New Years Eve we were in bed early (in hospital) and never watched the ball fall. First time for dh in many years. But as Love2 said, the new year came anyway! Hoping it's a good year for all of us!! Told dh no more sickness, no more surgeries, no more hospitals for any reason allowed!

You all have a great day!

Oh just realized I never told you what they found...well there was no definity finding of the cause but doc said any/all of what they found could have his symptoms. They found a blood clot (the "mass), several smaller "masses" which were plaque and fatty substances, the pleural wall was much thicker than normal with much calcium deposits and what the doctor thought was asbestos plaque, however the lab just called it plaque buildup. There was also a lot of scarring. We do not know what caused that or the blood clot. He does not remember any accident to his chest. Possibly the pneumonia he had in the 80s might have caused it but we really can't know. The pleura was so thick it was attached to the chest wall in some places and the doctor could hardly get in. He cut it down as much as he could. Several tissues were sent to the lab and all are benign. So we are very thankful to God and for all the prayers. A lot of people where praying for him all over the world.

Thankful and still praying for you both, Mary...

MARY, what wonderful news that he is home, the mass is gone and was not the dreaded "C" disease.

Please take care of yourself as much as you can. What a rough time the two of you have had.

All calm here. DH cooked great soup. DD finishing up end of the year stuff for her business that she operates from our home. I'm resting from some good cleaning work in TV room. Glad we are all well and weather is wet but not very cold, yet.

Reread my posts and realized all the typos! Sorry about that, too much on my mind to do today I guess. I forgot to say that when the doctor got in, there was NO fluid in the pleura space! I think that is why he was feeling better the last four days, his body must have just absorbed it. That in itself was an answer to our prayers. Another person suggested to me before the surgery that the fact that his symptoms came and went was perhaps more indicative of a blood clot rather than a tumor, made sense and gave me hope. And I think that was probably it...and they were able to remove the clot, thank God. He is still sob esp when walking and has pain but doctor said that should resolve in about a month or so. If not I'm not sure what they will do, the surgeon said if it doesn't resolve itself, to go back to the pulmonary doctor. Dh is getting cabin fever despite his pain and sob and wants to go out. Was going to walk today but it was raining, so walked around the house instead. With the new year, we got new health insurance and can now use our gym for free, so that will make it even better when we get back to it.