John went to his Saginaw cardiologist on Tuesday and was told that he has a great heart.

I could have told them that!

We were worried that he may be doing damage to it by “doing too much.” The doctor said his heart can take anything he dishes out.

A year or so ago, he was told by a different doctor that he won’t die of heart problems. It’ll be his lungs that kill him. Sadly we both realize that his lungs are deteriorating. Hopefully we can keep him breathing for many years, but it’s getting tougher.

I think my digestive system is finally “settling down.” I have a good day and then a bad day, but the bad days aren’t as pronounced. I am gradually feeling better. Unfortunately I have no zip or energy. Wonder what is ailing me?

John has had it too. His also comes and goes. Since we both had it, I tend to think it’s a bug.

Right now it’s raining but weather reports say that it’ll break up early this afternoon.

Neither John nor I have felt good this week. We both had stomach/digestive problems.

Hopefully I’m feeling better and maybe I can get busy and clean up some of the clutter around here. The utility room is my target today.

(John’s thinking about getting a cat. If we get one, her litter will go in the utility room so I need to clean it out.)

After my mother, who had alzheimers died, Kelly (my daughter) told me I’d showed her how to act as a daughter. (I hope she never has to care for me that way, but it was good to see that she learned that lesson.)

Maybe my role now is to show all my wonderful friends how to be a wife to a husband who has a terminal illness.

I hope they realize that love evolves. When your partner has a serious or terminal health condition, you adapt.

John has always been a strong, viral man. It’s hurt him deeply to be reduced to breathing through a machine and waiting for me to get a handicapped assist cart before we try to go into a grocery store.

We can’t dance any more. He even has problems getting enough breath to talk, but I love him as much now as when he was healthy.

I know he needs me (although sometimes it’s hard for him to acknowledge that). I understand that I’m now providing the physical strength he no longer possesses. I am no youngster. I’m 75. I am weaker than I would have been a few years ago, but I am trying to do what is required of me.

I wonder if Shelly realizes that she might someday need to support Richard, or Linda realizes that Ron might someday need her help in every way. Sherry and Bob are perfect together, but does she understand that she may someday have to try to lift him, if he can’t stand up? Dave and Sharon are younger so the problems are less likely, but do they realize that life isn’t always as easy as what they’re experiencing now?

Maybe that’s our role in life to show others the strength they will need when life changes. Maybe, like in my situation when my mother developed alzheimers, it’ll be your mother who needs your help, or maybe your partner won’t be as as healthy as they once were. You just step up and do it.

I want those who will follow to watch me, because I plan to be a “good example.”

In less than four months we should be back in Florida. I can’t say that I’m enjoying 2017 in Michigan, but maybe it’ll improve once we finish the flood clean-up. (We’re getting close.)

I can see so many things that we need to do here. The deck toward the lake is an absolute mess. The yard looks horrid, and the house isn’t as clean as I wish it was. Oh, well….

In our family, we try not to discuss politics.

John’s a fierce supporter of President Trump and I am exactly the reverse. It could drive a wedge between us, but we both try to avoid any political discussion.

Sometimes we’ll share funny jokes, but rarely are they brutal.

Since our arrival back in Michigan on May 15th, three weeks ago, we have been working to clean up our flood mess.

We did take a break on May 26th for walleye at the Moose Lodge. We also joined John’s siblings on the 31st for a nice family dinner in Owosso. We’ve been to the dentist and John’s been to his pulmonologist’s office and he’s had blood work done twice. I had my hair cut and colored today. That’s it! That’s our fun.

Quite a change from Florida! I checked our calendar and just for the months of April and May we went to at least two parties a week (even though John was in the hospital from April 20th until the 25th.) We also went to tai chi and Sit and Get Fit once or twice a week each. Wherever we were, we saw people we knew. We had folks stop over. We made an effort to go to Country Couples evenings on Thursday nights, and lots of other parties. We were social.

In Florida, I became addicted to hugs. I miss our Florida friends.

I thought we’d be able to park a vehicle in the garage by now but it’ll be another couple of weeks. For one thing, we don’t want to just move trash. We want to get rid of it and getting rid of it means breaking it down, or bagging it up and that takes time.

Only a few items have been saved. I was surprised that my “professional” floor model steamer came through nicely. Lots of photos were spared because they were stored in a tall plastic bin. John rescued a Kirby vacuum, but I’d love to see it tossed (it’s incredibly noisy). Afghans and washable rugs were laundered and piled up. (I wish I had a place to store them, but right now they are stacked on the bed in the guest room. I salvaged a couple bins of yarn. I assume my sewing machine is ok because it was high enough but I haven’t been able to try it out so don’t know if the food pedal works. (I haven’t tried to get to my sewing machine yet because it’s behind some items the clean up crew moved to the back of the main basement room.)