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Thanks for the tip, Captain! My engine's been leaking a bit. 200k on it. Panels are starting to rust. Gotta hang on to it for a while though. Hope she keeps going for me.
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Alot of car repair places will drive you home and pick you up if you ask? I know they do here, hubs used to do it all the time at the dealership where he worked.
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What is going on out in the Universe? Is it a full moon or what?! I lost my car keys at Costco with my mom. We had to be towed home. Luckily I had an extra ignition key, but I need a different key for the doors and trunk and have to wait a week while it's being made. The last two nights one of my mom's dogs has been so restless, pacing all over, just not acting like himself. I had to take him to the vet only to be told that it's probably just old age. Apparently, dogs can get dementia as well! The back sink is leaking hot water and do-nothing brother won't get it fixed even though he is the only one who uses it. So, the plumber comes tomorrow. Someone took my mom's wheelchair from her room when she was at the hospital, so I had no wheelchair for her at latest Dr.'s appointment. UGGGHHHH Major Whine!!!! Good news is, the hospital found the wheelchair, but now I have to find the time to drive back over there to get it!
Good news is mom is much better now. Still no show siblings, however. SIGH....
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Oh Sally, major bummers! Really hope things settle down for you. One time my mom was admitted to the hospital and later the same day I realized her wheelchair wasn't in her room. Had the nurse call the ER to try to find it. I then remembered i had called the ambulance to take mom to the ER and her wheelchair was at home. Duhr. I felt so dumb. My memory really stinks this past year. It scares me sometimes.
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Yes our beloved pets can also get dementia. One of my cats lived to be 21 [since had passed on a few years ago] and she developed dementia when she was 17 years old. She use to get *lost* in the main hallway and loudly meow none stop while there. Currently I have one who is doing the same identical thing in the same hallway. The other cats I have had never had that issue.
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dee1963, same here with my own memory... one doctor told me it was stress related. Doesn't matter, it still scares me :(

Worst time is when I am typing on the forums here. My mind will be dictating to my hands but my hands tend to have a mind of their own. Yikes, I see words I wasn't even thinking about. I have to proof-read many times over :P
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Poor kitties. My sweet persian passed at 19 yrs. She was the sweetest little girl and i loved her to pieces. Had her since she was a little bitty kitty. I still miss her so much.
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Worst feeling when you can't remember simple things, even words. It is so frustrating and infuriating and it really freaks me out. Can't imagine what my mom goes through. Scary stuff.
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I lost a very precious mutt years ago, named Scooter. Mixed bred and very smart. I too am having trouble with saying the word in my mind. Some times I forget the simplest words. As I am a writer, this really bothers me. Plus arteries in my hand doesn't help my typing either. I am still able to give myself an insulin shot everyday. Take all. I am shutting the down for the night.
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PS That should me "Take care" See what I mean!!
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FF, I'm with you on the sundowning cats. Once she got to about 16, my lamented Sweeney used to howl exactly six times every night at lights out. It was almost like listening to a weird clock and counting off the hours.

My exSO (not a cat lover, but never unkind to animals) fought a long-running battle with her about where she was to spend the night, because if she had the run of the house she used to wake him at five in the morning demanding breakfast. Whenever he managed to trick her into being shut in the (warm) utility room he'd give a cry of triumph: he'd successfully outwitted a geriatric demented cat. My congratulations.
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I extended the olive branch, one more time, today.

Once upon a time I thought the world revolved around them, they are 8 - 10 years older than I am and we all the love the same things. OUTDOORS. It's different for men to go out trucking through the woods than it is for a woman which is one of the main reasons I rescued a pebble. Thank God I did. I still do it though. Me and my big pib go fishing, exploring and have did some gold panning. I love this stuff. We anxiously await our 3 hours, 3 days a week to get the h*ll out of this house.

For those who remember from a few years ago.... I struggled with taking my mother back to FL with me. FL is where I had lived for the past 18 years... my son lives there and most of the best friends I have ever known., plus the job I held for 13 years ( my former boss says it's still there) Yet, I stayed here so she could be around her sons whom she (used) to know and love so much, yet they hardly visit her so she's forgot them..

Really, I wish I could just get so pissed off at them - for some reason I can't. I keep hoping they understand my plight as well as their mother's. Plus, I hate to take such drastic measures but these days.... drastic measures are needed or else mom will outlive me. Not only have I developed high blood pressure but I'm 97 % sure I'm now diabetic. My entire body has morphed from a year ago... every day I wake up saying I will do something different, but every day is the same. If it wasn't for my pib and her unending desire to be outside running around, I'd probably not go. Sleep? They say we are to have at least 8 hours uninterrupted a day... really?.... it's been more than a year that I've slept that long in a consecutive uninterrupted row.

Tomorrow I will do things different, those that I can be in control of. Those I can't control, I will probably try to control anyway ') Least I'm going to try. I am only 51 years old and feel like I'm a few steps away from my grave. I understand why my father was so tired and just wanted to sleep... in peace. Me... I NEED to change so many things here.

All is fine. I'm just in a huge pondering mode... plus tired and lonely and tired and hey, might as well throw in some overwhelmed to boot.
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jeanette,
" holy smokes man you need booze " .
thats what dr nick on the simpsons said once as he tossed a hobo a few dollars .
humorous because it was a medical dx from a doc ..
sorry to hear your hanging by a thread but if its any consolation -- i think everyone on earth only hangs by a thin thread . ( mentally ) .
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Captain...help!!! That is exactly what they found today when they changed the oil...the oil was not very old either...the head gasket had blown about year and a half ago and that was all changed out..now it is the lower part of the motor...they drained about a quart of the new oil and put in something that they hope will help it until I get it figured out how to get it to the shop for whatever I have to do...so my question to you is this...I also saw the tiny metallic shavings...so is my engine a goner? what if anything can be done or do I just need to go ahead and plan on a reman. engine..
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Ahhh, the furtots...most all of my babies live to be very old. One of my kitties was very very old but he was one cool cat....I found him as an adult and he had been severely injured..I tried to save his leg but they ended up having to amputate, which I was hesitant to do and questioned whether he would be better off euth...but they assured me that animals adapt well and so I tried...That sweet old baby lived another 20 plus years with me and he was awesome...He was over 23 when he passed at least...I still miss him...one time, one of the neighbors brought their Rottie out for a walk and the dog was not meaning to lunge at me, I think he was playing but he made a move towards me and my sweet kitty came flying around the corner on those three legs and that Rottie took off.....scared me to death because I would never put my cat or the dog in a situation of pitting one against the other but I didn't know the kitty was around the back...but he was a super protective awesome little old man..I still miss him..as I do all my furtots...
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woooo hooooo...baby it's cold outside....We are going to get hit with this cold blast over the next few days and I am trying to make little nests outside for my possums, and any ferals we may have. I haven't really seen any feral kitties but just in case. I know one of the neighbors has a cat whom I do not believe is ever allowed indoors so I am going to make sure there is bedding around for him just in case...he knows where the food is and he also can get in our basement if push comes to shove....
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no, no... not hanging by a thread Bob, far from it. Just realizing how far I have let things pass me by. That's all. Mentally, caregiving has turned me into such a wimpy girl :/ and I do not particularly like that. At all.

Just trying to psych myself up and out of this. I know how to do it, it's just the "doing it" part that keeps me sedate. Some dear lady posted a week or so ago about being paralyzed... it IS at times like being paralyzed.

If I was drinking booze... haha, I wouldn't be pondering this shit so much. Not sure if it's a good thing or not. However, I do not want to die from a heart attack or stroke... no one would take care of mom like I do and NO ONE would love my dogs like I do. Speaking of mummy dearest... she's been pacing for a few hours now... full belly and all. Sigh. Decided to just let her walk it out for a few more hours... maybe we both can get those much need 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Swear... I could smack the sleep out of those people who promote sleep. What do they know!
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I hope your night gets better, Jeanette and Mom settles down for the night.

Hope, here's hoping your car troubles are over soon!

This week has been insanely busy with one of my clients, the other is also ramping up with more work, and I have the funeral for my uncle to attend tomorrow, so I'm trying to do tomorrow morning's work, clean the house, do the laundry and get ahead of things for tomorrow here at the house. To top it all off, Mom started feeling light-headed and "woozy", as she called it, today. She was also pretty tired all day. She says she's better tonight, not sure what that was about.

I have a Barbershop Quartet coming in to sing a valentine for Mom tomorrow. I think she'll love it. She's going to cry too...Dad was a Barbershopper for many years, and these guys are from the Barbershop chorus he was a part of. I'll be getting a video of it on my phone.
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Thanks Dee, I hope so too! I think things will settle back down again. They always seem to. It's weird....things sometimes get crazy, everyday is a challenge and then things calm a little. It seems to go in some kind of cycle. Jeannette, I hope that you feel better too. I have high bp too. I don't think it's from caregiving (although I wouldn't be surprised!) but it seems to be hereditary for us. My whole family has it. I never dreamed that caring for my mom would be this difficult. My heart goes out to everyone here that is going through this. I am worried about the dog. My mom has two and loves them both so much. I love them too and it's so sad to see them getting old right along with her. My wish for us all is to have a great night's sleep tonight!!! Peace and Love and thanks to you all. It helps me to read all of your posts to know that I am not alone. Good night!!!
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ohhhh, that is so sweet Susan!! Please let us know how awesome it turned out and darn it, I'd love to see the video!!!

hope baby... wooo hooo and YIKES, I saw YOUR weather report... LOL, another "Cold Spell" is zapping you. After last weeks wind/rain storm it's been pretty decent here, several hours of sunshine and short sleeve 60 degree weather! OH ... OH OH... all of my daffodils sprouted! Plus some of the other bulbs I forget the name of them (oh dear God) have also sprouted up nicely. Last year this time we had 20 plus inches of snow and it never snows in the valley.

Sally, I don't think anyone was quite prepared for just what all this task entailed. Truly hope your pups are all doing good. My oldest pup is 18 plus... next one is 14 and my newest rescue, my pibble is a youngster at 4 years. 80 lbs of life... keeps me going she does! Good night to you as well Sally!
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My crocus are coming up and blooming so pretty! Is that what you have too Jeanette? I love crocus. We have one little batch right beside the porch that pop up just about the time when you are ready to scream from all the blah winter weather...then one day, there they are...peeping their yellow noggins out from all the blah and brightening the landscape...we used to have the white with purple stripes and also the deep purple ones but the squirrels love bulbs too and I think they have made off with a lot of them.. But our faithful litte cluster is still right there, right beside the porch..it always makes me happy to see them..

I hope everyone has a good night. I have been going through tomorrow's plan in my head how to coordinate all the stuff I have to do. For one, must get the truck to the shop and since the battery died, have to call a tow truck but since I was there today, I talked to them already and they told me I don't need to come til it's ready for pickup just call em and tell em it's coming...so that won't be as trying as today I don't think..I will have to find someone to take me to pick it up but I have the whole day to figure that out....Just as I was ready to hit the hay two of my kids got out and so now I must wait for them to come back in...it's way too cold for them to be out...also I don't rest if I know they are out....I hope everyone has a good nights sleep...I am watching Rambo III right now...kind of reminds me of our normal days in caregiving....
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No, not crocus...Dahlia's. So far the Tulips, Dahlia's and Daffodil's have all sprouted up? It's a bit early... sure hope they make it. Hmm, I wonder if we can grow croci here? They are sure lovely! Wow... this means spring is almost here and I've yet to lose my 579 lbs of winter fat. Sigh. My kitty came in a few hours ago cuz she knows when the lights go out, mama isn't getting up to let her in! I would... maybe ;/

Oh... hey, I just realized tomorrow is Friday the 13th. Nice.

Mom's meds kicked in... her feet were just too swollen to let her keep the pacing up, so I did as her doc suggested and added an extra risperidone to her apple sauce plus a few melatonin. She's happily snoring which is my cue to get my ass to bed early tonight and hopefully sleep until at least 3:00 before she wakes up and we start all over again. yay.
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You rescued a pebble? I'm hoping this is metaphorical. Sorry, it's late. I couldn't get past that.
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I hope you are able to get a good nights rest Jeanette! goodnight! I see one of mine waiting to come in...hopefully the other one is not far behind.
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Both the kids are in now....yay! so I get to go to bed. Hobbesmom...I didn't see whose post that was, but if it was Jeanette I'm pretty sure she meant pibble... (pittie)
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I don't really have a whine this morning...(yet), but I wanted to share something I saw that really made my heart go out to all people that are caregiving. My neighbor is 89 and also very ill and I saw her young home health aide arrive, braving the sub zero cold and icy sidewalk out front, and carrying a red envelope with bright pink ribbons on it...It reminded me that tomorrow is Valentine's Day and that she was bringing my ill neighbor a Valentine! How sweet is that? Only we as caregivers understand what it truly means to care for someone....all the difficulties, surprises, and dismaying things that spring up, things that many "suddenly invisible siblings" will never know or understand....So, I am going to "by pass" friday the 13th and send all caregivers much understanding and love and good wishes a day early!!!
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hope, your engine is probably toast . the metal is from seriously worn babbit bearings that work around your crankshaft and crankshaft connecting rods . if it does hold up for a while longer it will definately use some motor oil . the worn bearings allow oil to be slung all around inside your engine and the bottom of the pistons are literally swimming in oil .
in the future find a shop that does oil and filter changes cheaply . they can do it cheaper than you can do it yourself because of the great price they get on 55 gallon barrels of motor oil .
no partial repair will save the engine . the metal shavings have been pumped thruout the engine and worn the cam lobes and bearings among other things .
good used engines are reasonable enough but the installation can really be costly and is very seldom done neatly and thoroughly .
if i needed to buy a car id borrow about 10 k from a bank and buy a restored classic . these are usually sporting new engines and sell cheaper than youd think .
these late model electronic nightmares are meant to be disposable -- usually more expensive to diagnose and repair than theyre worth when all that electronic crap starts breaking down .
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a rebuilt ' long ' block engine can be bought from autozone for around 1500.00 but again the labor to have it changed out gets expensive and youll have inexperienced kids working on your automobile ( usually ) .
restored classics are still the best buy imo . most have been rebuilt and babied by auto enthusiasts and are only being sold because the owner ran into more serious obligations -- like buying a home or starting a family . i like old straight 6 cylinder fords and chevy's . they are virtually indestructable
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Katie222, Your comments made me feel so sad, but I enjoyed reading them. I long to be with my husband and grandchildren, but I need to do something to make my Mother happy. Planning on baking some cakes to take to her friends that have been helpful in the past months. Also going to fix her hair, that will be fun as I like to have a "blast from the past" and use pink rollers and "pickies". I as well, wish all caregivers love and thanks for being part of the "club".
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I hope everyone can get their car problems resolved. I agree that the new model cars and even appliances are built to be disposable....they sure want lots of cash for something that isn't going to last. All this computerized stuff in the cars goes haywire. The tire light comes on and gives anxiety that I am going to get stuck somewhere and can't get back to Mom, no matter if there is a nail in the tire...or just needs a couple pounds of air. The restored classic cars look so cool. Back when cars actually had nice colors...not the 3 or 4 drab gray or red that seems to be the norm today. My Dad had a '57 Chevy that was white and turquoise and I wish I had that car today! Very simple under the hood, and I see some of these driving around periodically especially when the car shows start in the Spring and Summer....
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