Keeping Life Normal

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A few times I have mentioned the multiple health problems my husband has ... Stage Four Chronic Kidney Disease for the past nine years; a heart attack four years ago, with ongoing AFib and other heart problems; MDS blood cancer with dangerously low blood platelets discovered recently. He will need to start getting transfusions of platelets soon. Above is a photo of the two of us taken almost exactly one year ago in the gardens of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, while he still felt good enough to travel. He doesn't look sick, does he? We know that his time on earth is limited. We have been married for 47 years. I met him when I was just 21, only a few months after graduating from college. It is hard to imagine life without him. If everything goes perfectly and my husband does not get a bad case of the flu or have another heart attack or have another emergency, he could live three or four years. It is likely, however, that the time he has left will be much shorter than that. He could have another massive heart attack, his kidneys could fail, or he could begin to bleed internally because of the blood cancer at any time. Three terrible potential possibilities. We are both very realistic about the situation and we are in acceptance of it. Our healthcare provider has been great with helping him deal with all his challenges. He currently sees eight different specialists, not counting his Primary Care Physician, Dentist and similar doctors. Fortunately, my husband is still in pretty good shape mentally, with only a few memory lapses when he is tired. He continues to work as a successful stock analyst. He has a much smaller client base than in the past, just the clients who have meant the most to him over the years and those he enjoys talking with regularly. We continue to go out to dinner, see friends, watch movies, and enjoy time with our daughters and grandchildren. He fixes pancakes for some of our grandkids on Sundays. We video chat with the others often. He even helps a little with the housework ... doing the dishes, vacuuming once in a while, helping to make the bed. Basically, we are keeping life as normal as possible, considering we make frequent trips to Urgent Care and the Emergency room (including one last night). I plan to continue to respond to my notifications here, as well as read my friends' posts, when I can. But if I am not on MyLot as often as in the past, I want you all to know what is going on. My husband and I are trying to spend as much time together as we can, for as long as we can, while we can. Thanks, everyone, for your kindness and support.