Follow-up Camry Accident

The car saga has continued and here is the story to date.

Nationwide denied Jackie's insurance claim as there was a conflict in the stories between Jackie and the other driver. Nationwide is backing their insured.  The other lady totally changed her story and said she was in a different lane than she was.  The damage to Jackie's car does not substantiate that story. But this information was all taken over the phone. Nationwide did not have an adjuster come out to see the damage or wanted the photos of the damage.  I would bet they deny most cases on the first call and hope no one appeals the decision.

Lesson Learned: ALWAYS CALL THE COPS, so they can settle the dispute.  Nationwide says an appeal cannot be started unless there is an eyewitness or a police report.

Then things got more interesting; the Nationwide insured party opened a counter-claim with our insurance company -Farmers Insurance, to get the damage to her SUV covered.  Farmers denied her claim and found her at fault for the accident. So since we only carry liability coverage on Jackie's car, we have to pay to get it repaired.  The driver's door is unable to be opened and she has to crawl over the console to the driver's seat from the passenger door. A feat that usually involves honking the horn squeezing in to the seat.

Friday, Jackie got estimates from Maaco & Service King Collision Repair.

The estimate from Maaco was $1500 and the one from Service King was almost $2500. 
So guess where we are getting it fixed?

COMING SOON - Photos of the repaired and painted Camry!

                       

Camry Accident

This afternoon, I received a call from Jackie on her way home from work.

She was in the outside lane of a double turn lane and the lady in the inside line
crossed over into her lane ~ colliding with Jackie's Camry.

 Note the lady who caused the damage taking photos as well.

Damage consists of both doors and the driver's side mirror.

At least the person has insurance (Nationwide).

Jackie has already filed a claim and has to wait for the claim adjuster
to call her to begin the repair process.

Better Late than Never!

Here is a LINK to view our photos from our vacation in

Napa Valley, Oakland & San Francisco.

This is a photo of us in the Barrel Room at the Robert Mondavi Winery.

ALS Walk - October 29, 2011

On October 29th, Doug and I are again participating in the Dallas - Walk to Defeat ALS.

Team KLM "Kuklenzs' Love Maarten"

This is our photo from last year ~ Notice the logo is for the KLM airlines,

which is the carrier that travels to the Netherlands where Maarten was born and raised.

This year, our friend Maarten will not be joining us as he recently lost
his seven year fight with this disease.

Please support us by making a donation at this link.  DONATE HERE!

Thank you for your support!

Lyla - Fonda Rehab Center

My mother-in-law, Lyla Kuklenz, was discharged from the hospital on Monday. She is now at the Fonda Nursing & Rehab Center for 3 weeks of physical therapy.

Please send cards/letters to:
Fonda Nursing & Rehab Center
c/o Lyla Kuklenz - Room #4
607 Queen Street
Fonda, IA 50540

In Loving Memory - Maarten Jans

Martinus Atonius Jans  (1964 - 2011)

God saw you getting tired,

And a cure was not to be.
So He put his arms around you

And whispered, "Come with Me."
With tearful eyes

We watched you slowly fade away.

Although we loved you dearly,

We would not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Your hard-working hands put to rest,

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

Martinus Antonius Jans

Born: September 14, 1964 - Netherlands
Died: October 6, 2011 - Flower Mound, TX
We will miss the hugs and kisses from our friend Maarten.
He battled A.L.S. for 7 years and never gave up hope.
Doug was with him when he passed.
The funeral was Monday (October 10th) at 11am
Flower Mound Funeral Home Chapel.

Doug, I, Jill and Josh are shown above at last years ALS Walk with Maarten.
I will lovingly remember racing him up the final hill of the walk.
He was very competitive and loved having fun.
He was known to most as "MixMasterJans" as he had a great love of music
and loved to create specialty CDs for everyone. He could not speak anymore,
but when we last saw him. He communicated very well - typing on the laptop,
sharing his infectious smile and pulling you in for those special hugs.
We'll miss him very much!!

Baby Elliott Baby Shower

Saturday, October 8th was Jill's first baby shower.

This is the cake Jackie ordered from "The Cake Shoppe" in Conroe, TX.

This is a photo of the mother to be and all three grandmothers and 2 of the great-grandmothers.

This is a photo of Jill and "Baby Andrew" after the wedding shower.

She is sitting in the chair at the First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville,
that she sat in eating her Subway sandwich in her wedding dress.

Here is a link for all the photos from the baby shower

Get Well Lyla

My mother-in-law is having knee surgery at St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll (Ortho - 3rd floor) today.

If you'd like to send her a personal GET WELL greeting this afternoon - click here.

Upon her discharge from the hospital, she will have about 3 weeks of therapy at the Fonda Nursing & Rehab Center.

Throat Ulcers / Esophagitis

I have been battling a sore throat. It's not a typical sore throat. It has been very difficult and painful to swallow. It is actually in the esophagus, the tube that carries the food from the throat to the stomach. 

Esophagitis is caused by an infection or irritation in the esophagus. An infection can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or diseases that weaken the immune system. Infections that cause esophagitis include: Candida(yeast infection); Herpes(simplex/zoster - viral infection); or gastric reflux disease (GERD).

Symptoms include: difficult/painful swallowing; a feeling of something being stuck in your throat.

I went back to the ENT doctor this morning. She sprayed some medication in my nose to numb my gag reflex. She inserted a long, flexible tube with a camera into my nose and down my throat. She found visible irritation & throat ulcerations at the top of my esophagus.  She did not immediately refer me to a gastroenterologist, because they would prescribe the same treatment that she was going to. And if there is no improvement in 2 days, she would schedule me to see a gastroenterologist on Thursday.

Treatment includes: Diflucan 100mg tablet once a day for the possible yeast infection; Dexilant 60 mg once a day for possible reflux;  Carafate 10ml 4 times a day for treatment of intestinal ulcers; Viscous Lidocaine - 1 tsp an hour before eating to numb the throat so that I can eat.  Continue with the Levaquin for the ongoing sinus infection and new urinary tract infection.

Oh brother, do I feel like I've been hit by a truck.  Sleeping about three hours per night lately. Everytime I swallow it wakes me up. Hope this round of medicine works and no further testing is required.

A Week of Doctoring

Monday, Doug went to see an endocrinologist for some ongoing issues that he has been having. Dr Sorsby said by his symptoms he was hypoglycemic. But he was tested and that is not the case.  He ordered a bunch of tests. So today Doug is doing an all day urine collection for a 24 HR Free Cortisol test. He will have labs drawn tomorrow morning when he drops off his urine sample. They are doing a metabolic panel, various thyroid tests and a pheachromacyte metanephrines test. More on that to come!

Friday, I went to see Dr Bryan, the ENT doctor. She states I still have a sinus infection and possibly the flu. She gave me a new antibiotic (Bactrim DS...I took Levaquin the last time). Saturday, I had a red spot on my left ankle that eventually was burning and itching. No bug bites! My throat felt like it had a golf ball stuck in my esophagus. Sunday morning, I went to the ER. They state the red rash is an allergic reaction to the sulfa medicine. I was given a SoluMedrol injection, followed by an epinephrine shot 15 minutes later. I left with FIVE(5) prescriptions!!!  So I'm back on the Levaquin for the sinus infection; Difucan for yeast infection; Benadryl for rash/itching; Pepcid for gastric reflux for all the *%#$ medicine. I did not fill the prescription for the EPI pen. I was worried I had shingles...but the doc said shingles would only appear on my torso. I think Diane, would disagree with this doctor!! I'm still hoping it's not shingles...cause I can't expose Jill and the baby. My ankle is still red and itchy...but no blisters....but may need Plan C later this week.

To day, Jackie was sick again after going a week without antiobiotics. She again received 2 shots of antibiotics and a prescription for two oral antibiotics(Cipro for infection and Diflucan for yeast infection). She has been battling this lung infection for about a month now.

My mom has also been back and forth to the doctor...Not feeling well. She did find out her bladder infections are caused by the bacteria klebsielli so they changed her antibiotic from Bactrim DS to Levaquin. 

My mother in law, is having knee surgery this week and we wish her well in the surgery and subsequent recovery.  We will be thinking of her on Thursday!!

Jill is due to go the doctor this week, but at least hers is for a good cause. 2 week baby checks. I can't wait to see her in person for the baby shower next weekend. Hopefully I'll be mended by then!

MY - OH MY..... that is alot of doctoring in a week!!!!

Below is a photo of my ankle.