DATE SET FOR EYE-LID SURGERY AND NEW TREATMENT FOR MY ARTHRITIC KNEES TO START SOON AND WORK UNDERWAY ON MY BATHROOM REMODELING

April 25, 2013



By Olivene Godfrey

Tam drove me to my primary care doctor's clinic, where I had a mini check up.  My doctor arranged for me to have a new treatment for my arthritic knees, which cause me to have almost constant pain.  I'll have an injection in my knees once a week for three weeks.  I look forward to trying this treatment and pray I'll have some relief from the pain.

The following day Tam drove us during a down pour of rain to the eye doctor's clinic in Dalton.  A date was set for my eyelid surgery in early June.  We met with the nice surgical coordinator who explained the procedure in detail.  Someone will need to be with me for 48 hours following the surgery.  Tam will be with me during the daytime and Barry will be with me at night.

The contract workers are hard at work on remodeling my bathroom.  Just as we expected, we had mold under and on the back of the bathtub.  So, we'll have to have a new floor constructed.  The house is a big mess.  Tam tells us not to worry about it as she will help us get it back in order.  She has been helping me a lot, bless her.

Barry and I are not happy sharing his bathroom.  But, soon, I'll have my pretty new bathroom, and things will get back to normal, I hope.

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)

IN MEMORY OF DIANNE

April 22, 2013



By Olivene Godfrey

My kid sister, Dianne, passed away a few days ago.  I was 21 years old when she was born.  When she was little she called me Ah-com, as she couldn't pronounce my name.

Dianne had MS and later, cancer, yet I never thought I would out live her.  When I was given the news of her death, my emotions took over and I wept for her.

Then, I remembered the day she was born.  My twin sisters, Joan and Jeanette, who were 17 years old at the time, rushed into the apartment I shared with my late husband.  They told me we had a little sister.  She was an adorable little girl.

Meanwhile, the twins were married and had small children, and the entire family visited our parents on Sunday afternoon.  Since my son, Barry hadn't been born yet, I enjoyed watching the small children play.  Dianne seemed to be the one to choose the game they would play.  A favorite of the little kids was to run with gusto in the house.

Looking back, I remembered that Dianne was a troubled woman.  I pray she has found peace.

She is survived by five children and several grandchildren.

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)

PLANS UNDERWAY FOR "NEW" BATHROOM AND THOUGHTS ON THE PAST WEEK

April 15, 2013



By Olivene Godfrey

Son Barry and I had been discussing for some time having my bathroom remodeled.  My recent fall and near fall prompted Barry to remodel as soon as possible.  In a few days, Barry will have an estimate for the remodeling from a contractor.  We know it will be expensive but its important that the bathroom will be safe for me.

In my last blog, I wrote that I enjoy life and want to live as long as possible.  I had a comment from my long time friend, Jeanette Greeson in which she said that she, too, loves life and that life is good despite aches and pains of aging.  Her words reminded me of author, Edna Ferber who wrote that everything that had ever happened to her had been "sheer velvet."  For years, I couldn't understand her words.  But as I look back over the past decades of my life, I understand now.  And I thank God for my 85 years and the time I have left to live.

We have a new washing machine that has a computer in it.  And, Barry and Tam enjoy doing laundry now.  At first, Barry did all the laundry as he was "experimenting" how the machine worked.  Finally, he said Tam could use it.  Afterward, Tam said she was jealous and wanted one like it.  They are keeping all the laundry done each day.  I hope the novelty lasts.

I will be given a date for my eye-lid surgery shortly, and will let you know soon.

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)

WOE IS ME! I FELL IN THE SHOWER LAST SUNDAY MORNING, AND, LOST MY BALANCE THE NEXT DAY AND NEARLY FELL AGAIN.

April 9, 2013

By Olivene Godfrey

Last Sunday morning, things were moving smoothly here.  Son Barry was making plans to buy the weekly groceries early in the day.  I decided to take a shower before he left the house.  I have a bathtub chair in the shower and I sat there and washed myself.  I was thinking about how well everything was going on the beautiful spring day.  I stood up and rinsed off and the next instant I suddenly felt faint and then I felt myself falling backward and landed hard on the bathtub floor.

I had turned on the monitor of the intercom and Barry said he heard me fall before I shouted his name.  He rushed in the bathroom and we checked and I didn't seem to have any broken bones, but I was already feeling aches and pain and Barry said I was hysterical and was having a panic attack.  One reason was because I felt like I had knocked the breath out of me and was feeling like I was about to lose my breath.

Later, when I had calmed down and dressed I felt aches and pains.  So, Barry called the home health nurse.  When she arrived, she examined me and didn't think I needed any x-rays.  While Barry bought groceries and supplies, my good friend and neighbor, Genevelyn stayed with me and we had a nice chat.

On Monday morning I felt sore and was hobbling around.  Tam, my friend and caregiver arrived.  Shortly, I took a shower and tried to be careful but I stood up and it was good that Tam was standing near the tub as I lost my balance again and Tam caught me before I fell again.  I was so scared and it took a while to calm down.  Tam, who I swear, I think can do anything.  She gave me a lotion body massage.  And, her magical fingers helped me to feel better.

Later, Tam sent Barry a text message and told him we needed to look into having a stall shower installed to replace the tub shower.  Barry agreed.

Now, Barry says he is going to completely remodel my bathroom to make it safer.  It will be expensive but we had planned to have it done soon, anyway.  He told me not to shower unless Tam is nearby.  He says I need to take sponge baths on weekends for now.

I am still feeling sore all over.  I have been saying to my friends and family that no matter how careful you are and how you eat and so forth that something will get you in the end.  I was relieved that my time hadn't come to do me end the past 2 days.  As someone said, "It isn't that I'm afraid to die, but I love life and want to stay alive as long as possible".

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)

TAM'S INDIAN HERITAGE AND THOUGHTS ON BEING A "TREE HUGGER" AND "PRINCESS MOON EYES"

April 1, 2013



By Olivene Godfrey

When Tam came into our lives about 2 years ago, Barry and I thought she and her late mother had the appearance of American Indians.  I never mentioned my thoughts until recently and I asked Tam if she had any Indian blood, and she replied that one of her great, great grandmothers was a "full blooded Cherokee Indian."  I couldn't contain my delight at her revelation, and I asked if she minded if I told you about it and she said she didn't mind as she is proud of her Indian heritage.

Tam and I have had a wonderful rapport since we met and I have been delighted that we agree on so many things, even our political views.  And we are both "tree huggers" and believe we need to do more to save our environment.  Indians lived on our land for 10,000 years without harming the environment.  The Cherokee called a tree "brother" and only took the wood from trees that were needed.

Back in the 1900's I wrote a novel titled "Princess Moon Eyes" which was about the life of a young woman whose mother was a Cherokee Indian and her father an English American.  They lived in Northwest Georgia.  The heroine had the dark complexion and high cheekbones and black hair of the Indians and vivid blue eyes of her father.  When the hero meets the heroine, he is reminded of an Indian legend of a group of white people with vivid blue eyes who once lived briefly atop Fort Mountain, and the Indians called these people, "the moon eyed" tribe.  So, the hero mentally calls the heroine "Princess Moon Eyes."

I did a lot of research on the American Cherokee Indian at a time before the internet made research easier.  The novel became a best seller in Europe.  Since I had sold the novel out right for a set fee, I don't get royalties from the sales.

Perhaps, I did get some name recognition.  Tam is working on my novel to be published, hopefully, this year.  I also have three more novels I hope to have published in the future.  Since I am an old lady now, I hope I live long enough to see these novels published, as I spent many hours of hard work writing them.

See you next time.  (As told to Tam)