VANESSA GRADUATES FROM A&M

Friday Nancy and I went to the graduation services for Vanessa Wilcox from the Nursing School. This was the fourth class of nurses to graduate. Only about 34 graduates. The ceremony was in the Presidential Center at the George Bush Library at A&M. Most of her family was there plus a lot of friends. After the ceremony we went to C&L BBQ in Bryan where Keith had a large room that filled up, mostly with friends of Vanessa from Tomball. She listed her home town as Tomball although she hasn't lived there for 8 years. Sue and her daughter, Diana, came in to celebrate. Her brother Jim couldn't make it, but Mandi came in unexpectedly with Faith and Brent. Faith was the hit of the show as she retrieved loose balloons from the ceiling.

Saturday we went by Vanessa's apartment where Keith and Jon-Marc were loading all of her furniture into two pickups to take to San Antonio. Ness will live with her sister Val while she applies to hospitals in San Antonio and Seton Hospital in Austin. Ness gave me a certificate like the one she gave her mother, thanking us for support during her education.

We then drove up 36 that I had driven on for the last 60 years. They finally finished the highway in Temple so that you can drive straight through to the loop. We stopped for lunch at the steakhouse in Gatesville and got home by 3 in time for a short nap. I only had time to look at my Sunday School lesson that I taught this morning. This afternoon after a nap I wrote my Livestock Weekly column so I am caught up with the week.

It rained a little with the storm and hail going by north of us. We got some pea size hail but just a few stones. Only got less than .2" of rain. Looked like they got a lot north of us.

EATING CHINESE

For the last two Fridays we have eaten at China Cafe in Granbury, a great buffet of Chinese cuisine. Last Friday our friends Bobbe (pronounced Bob, his mother spelled Bob as Bobbe) and Yvonne Hightower treated us as a wedding gift. Bobbe came in telling about having a tooth pulled after the wedding and the problems with driving with a toothache and finding a dentist that took care of him when he got back to Granbury. Sure enough Nancy had a tooth break off during the meal. It left a gap in her teeth and she refused to appear in public for the weekend in Cross Plains. She made an appointment with a dentist Tuesday afternoon so as soon as Kiwanis was over we headed back to Granbury. She took an antibiotic an hour before the dentist prepared a short replacement tooth that she couldn't bite with until the permanent replacement is ready later. She has switched to my insurance and it is working for her.

Today we met her grandson, Clifferd, to eat again at the restaurant and to give him a rocking chair for his new house. To thank him for his work during the wedding with the food, Nancy gave him a coupon to help with the cost of gasoline for the trip.

Today I called the doctor's office to get my report on the blood tests. My chlosteral and triglicerides were down. I don't have the results from the tests the neurologist wanted, but they haven't called with any dire results. Yet.

Phyically I am back to completely normal except for the neuropothy in my feet, and it doesn't bother me. Just an agravation I will have to learn to live with. Another problem of aging.

Tomorrow we go back to CP for SS, church, Kiwanis and the Admin Council meeting Wednesday. Then back to Granbury Thursday for some routine doctor tests for Nancy and looking forward to the Nursing School graduation in College Station Fridayfor Vanessa who has earned her RN degree and as soon as she passes the certification tests will become a full-fledged Registered Nurse. Right now the prediction is for more rain that weekend.

We have had good rains in Granbury and I got a report of 2" south of Cross Plains. Don't know about the rain on Halsell Hill yet. Find our tomorrow when I get to my other home.

IDIOPATHIC NEUROPATHY

I love this name for my new disease. I didn't want the disease but this is the name for the odd feeling in my feet that feel like they are bound in duct tape. I had a complete analysis of my leg nerves today. An EMG was new to me. They start with small voltages running between electrodes attached to your leg and toes. The voltage is increased and although it is millivolts at the high end of the test it feels like medival torture. But it doesn't last long. A technician ran tests on both legs to test the conduction of the nerves. Then the neurologist came in and used needles to test the muscles in both legs. I am really pleased with this neurologist. He is very thorough. He had looked at the MRI of my brain and said he found nothing abnormal. The Radiology Associates had to find something to justify the scan and the ventricles were a little large but normal again for my age. He explained that the brain shrinks with age. And I am getting older. There are several around who thing my mind is shrinking, but they don't believe the Bible and believe in evolution.

Everything came out normal except the neruopathy in my feet. He said it was normally a result of diabetes or alcohol. Since I don't have those conditions he said when they didn't know they labelled it idiopathic. That sounded good to me. The part I didn't like is that it doesn't go away. I will have to live with it. My other problems have been going away every day and today I was almost completely normal in my gait and walking problems. After a year of testing I am normal and for my age I guess that is surprisingly good.

God is good. I prayed today for the lab technicians and the doctor and my prayer was answered.

NEW NEUROLOGIST

I found a new neurologist in Granbury. Fortunately he was able to move my appointment up from late in May to April 28. I was extremely pleased with him. He used a hammer to check all my reflexes, a needle to see where I felt it and every check of my reflexes. He had me walk down the hall, walk on my toes and heels, looked at the report of my MRI record and told me that I didn't show any of the characteristics of the disease that the cisternogram would be needed forand would suggent I cancel. I agreed with him. He said that he would look at the actual MRI before recommending cancellation and the MRI of my lumbar region to see if he can find the problems with my leg nerves. He also scheduled an EMG to evaluate my lower leg nerves. That was what I went to him for in the first place. He had talked to Dr. Kuban and originally agreed with the MRI report about the ventricles in my brain and Kuban's recommendation for a cisternogram. I am glad he reevaluated my situation. I wasn't looking forward to three days in Fort Worth taking tests.

Today we went to church in the rain. We went to the FUMC in Granbury and saw Chuck and Pat Herndon. Don't think Chuck recognized us. The service was fascinating with someone acting like Peter giving the sermon by walking down the aisle in costume with a staff and telling his life story with Christ. The Children's sermon and the Bible verse was the time Christ asked Peter if he loved him three times, telling him to Feed my sheep. An interesting performance and service. Looking at the report, their church is having the same problem as my church with cash flow. More going out than coming in. I have to give that report to my treasurer.