Texas Size Surprise

I've had to remain pretty evasive about Kristine's plans to visit her family in Texas in the last few posts. Kristine and her three sisters have been planning to surprise their father, Jim, for his 65th birthday for some time(their mother Connie was, of course, in on it as well). They succeeded this past week when on Wednesday Colette and Stephanie caught him by surprise by showing up unannounced. Then again this past Friday, Kristine and Gretchen where waiting for him when he came home. He was floored and truly had no idea. It isn't often that the whole Becker family is together in one place. Especially under the current circumstances with Kristine in her current condition and Colette due with her first child soon. They are visiting all this week, a week likely filled with card games and lots of laughter. Although, as I understand it, the girls took over the living room and main television to watch the Oscars, relegating Jim to the bedroom for the evening.

Kristine will remain in Texas for the next few weeks. It's a great chance for her to relax in some warmer weather and focus on her alternative natural treatments. For me it is a much needed respite and a chance to regain energy before we begin our schedule all over again. Although a have to admit that I am already a bit bored all by myself. I'm getting a little taste of what her family and friends must go through being on the outside with only periodic updates wondering if she is OK. To an extent I think the discipline of a routine helps bring a feeling of control to an otherwise intractable situation.

Before Kristine left for Texas her cough, which previously was nagging but never serious, got much worse. In the week leading up to her trip her cough began yielding some fluid, a sign that she had likely contracted some kind of infection. Kristine went to our primary care doctor to get checked out. He was initially concerned that she might have pneumonia. However, subsequent x-rays proved otherwise. She was given an antibiotic to kill whatever was causing her illness and she has since noted that her cough has improved significantly.