My "whine moment today." What's yours?

Jude, I would have died laughing at your Mom's choice of words. That's just hilarious. She and my dad were similar - Dad was always screwing something down, screwing something to the wall (shelves were never just "hung" in our house, but fastened so damned tight to the wall you'd never get them off there without ripping a hole in the wall) - and he didn't just screw things down, he put glue or something IN THE HOLE to hold the screw even tighter.

Hope, I'm hoping you're ok! My lovely big monsterdog has flipped me off my feet more than once in his lifetime. Once, before I learned about using a headcollar on him to control him, he bolted after two loose dogs in the neighborhood while I was walking him. He yanked me right off my feet and face down on the ground and DRAGGED ME about 30 feet on my stomach before I was able to stop him. And I'm not a small person, but he was determined to get to those dogs. Another time, some loose dogs (seeing a pattern here?) came into our yard while my dog was out on his lead. I was outside with him at the time, and the dogs came right into the yard and challenged him - he bolted right at them, wrapping the lead around my legs and jerking me off my feet and slamming into the side of the van. I need a fenced yard - badly. Once I was able to get back up, I had to try and reel him back in because the other dogs were attacking him. I still have to call the cops on those same dogs at least once or twice a summer, because their owners don't bother fixing their kennel to make sure they can't get out of it.

Been kind of in the dumps the past couple of days, busy with work and feeling like I was just spinning my wheels in terms of the housework and such. Finally got out of that today and started putting things away. Feels good to get things done. Going to try to put the new grill together tonight and get that outside. I put up the new patio umbrella on our patio table and continued treating the weeds and unwanted grass with the vinegar solution - it's working! Everything I sprayed so far has started dying off. Ordered a water and salt delivery (drinking water and salt for our softener). Starting to make progress on posting things for sale on the FB yard sale group - need to get rid of the excess junk. I have SO much stuff in my storage unit that I need to make a decision on - sell, donate or keep. Time to start shedding the excess stuff that I can't use now.

Had a long discussion today with the home nurse about how badly the Medicare system and the system of assistance provided to our elders is broken. Not that it made any difference, but it felt good to talk to someone who totally understands how bad things are.

Veronica, I did that once, hired an off-duty cop to provide security for an event which had been plagued with ugly drunks the prior year. Best ever use of $100, as I didn't even know there'd been an "incident" at the gate until I went out at the end of the evening to pay the officer.

Veronica if people start to drink I'll just take that as my cue to leave. I'm not a prude by any means but there are certain people in my immediate family that don't handle their liquor well. (understatement)

I completely understand. I feed my grandfather three meals a day, limit fast food. He has a bathroom in his room and has been secretly flushing my dinner down the toilet almost every other night because he rather have waffles or pbj sandwiches. Im so tired of cooking. It makes me feel so unappreciated.

Poor Mama. ..weve gone from being impacted to mt st helens...i am so tired. ..it is exhausting every time and i mean every time and even harder to do it one handed. ..i can deal with it most of the time and have been fir several days but i am so tired tonight. Got her settled though so I'm ready fir some snoozing....to be honest i am somewhat cassel there is another issue going on with her and i have mentioned to her doctor but there is no way we are doing anything invasive at this point and even if detected, any treatment i think could be cruel as the disease. ..we talked a long time ago on this topic and i know what her wishes seers. are. ...ihope im wrong..but is this normal to have pee much constant running diarhea...Daddy had colon cancer and near the end that reminds me of this. ..

Hang in there Hope!!

Can you give her some OTC medicine to help with the diarrhea.
If it's this bad she is dehydrated as well?

A bit dazed.

There has been a massacre. We've lived here for six years, kept chickens for five years, and in all that time I've never seen a trace of a fox. But this morning, my beautiful ladies… I can't bear to describe it. No sign of Hamish the rooster, except a few feathers. He either fought to the end and was carried off in triumph or fled and is in hiding. I sort of hope he went down bravely.

Meanwhile, doctor daughter is on her way home for a brief visit. I wanted to tell her not to come because she's going to be upset about the chickens but I couldn't find the right way to put it. She has been on duty all night and rang in tears because they lost a four month old baby during her shift. So she'll get home tired and distraught and what kind of welcome have I got to offer her?

I think I'll just put one foot in front of the other for the rest of today and take the rest as it comes.

CM I am just so sorry to hear of your loss. Your poor ladies!

CM, oh gosh. It must have been a shock to find. You are going to have a very long day. Find even just a few minutes for you.

I often wonder how the medical pros deal emotionally with deaths, particularily of the young children. It must be very hard.

CM, to have all your chickens missing must be such a shock. I remember for a while, you were using a photo of one of them as your avatar. Just as others used their pet dogs and cats, you used your chicken. That's how I realized how much those chicken mean to you. So sorry. Maybe you can delay telling daughter the bad news until the morning? {{hugs}}

CM, I am so sorry. Your sweet chickens did not deserve this. Life can be so unfair.

Oooo CM, i am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your chickens. You are right, one moment at a time. It will be a difficult day. .prayers for you and your daughter, and also for your chickens.

Twin, Mama is drinking a lot of water and still drinking her ensures, but she has this issue a lot. ..i was told it is because she is on a liquid diet but this seems much worse than usual. They don't want me to give her anti diarrhea meds yet because of the potential for causing an even worse issue. .cdiff or something. .my mind is so numb i can't remember what they told me. .maybe i dreamed that. ..i don't even know right now.

No sign of my sweet and now it's been a week. I will remain with some hope in my heart but also begin to face reality. I just pray if he met with a coyote that it was very quick and he never saw it coming. I normally would never have left him or overnight but that night i could not get him in and my head was about to explode from the non stop chatter of my cousins noon understandable dialogue so i am feeling a lot of guilt. I always remember that God sees all His creation and not a sparrow falls that He is not mindful of. .that includes your chickens CM, and my kitty. .....here comes another day

Oh CM...I'm so sorry about your chickens! My sister has lost several to coyotes, and when I lived in the south, my in-laws lost them almost every week to bears, coyotes, wildcats and even owls. It seemed it was almost futile to keep them. I hope you can break it to your daughter.

Hope, I hope you can get Mama back to rights again. That's got to be so hard to keep up with.

Best wishes to all for a great day and weekend!

My brother's family has little silkies. They have to stay in a covered pen down here in Alabama, because the hawks will get them. Someone has to be with them if they even let them out for a while, since the hawks are watching from the ridge and will be swift to pluck them off. Life is not easy for our feathered friends.

God might be bloody mindful of every living creature but youd think he would give caregivers a break now and then wouldnt you. Has to be a he - a woman would have cared (hang on let me fetch me umbralla before the men shout at me - sorry guys xx)

Hope and CM oyu can never replace the individual but hopefully you can bring a new creature to your hearts before too long xxxx

Jude, youre a hoot....here in the south that's a good thing. .

Our care has gone so i am about to get out hereand do what i can in the yard before the hast runs me in. It's actually already got enough to me. Love the south..hate the heat. .this kind of heat at least.

I have to say I'm so thankful for the folks we get from our hospice provider. I don't know if i could make it without them. I feel like they are more family to me than my family. I know it's their job, but they don't make me feel that way.

Heat

Mum has now been prescribed tramadol you might know it as ConZip, Rybix ODT, Ryzolt, Ultram. She has severe headaches and codydramol alone dont cut it so we now add this into the mix. Of course its not better and of course I dont know what pain is (I have to say that having done half the job of giving birth to my daughter whilst naturally asleep she is probably right - either that or I have a high pain threshhold - need it with my mother!!! oops who said that)

So tramadol will make her sleepy - does it hell as like you would think I had given her a sweety - no sign of sleepiness yet (fingers still crossed though!!)

Oh Nooooo - not the chickens!! I am so sorry, we know how you loved your ladies :( I know it was a mess too... when my little hen got drug off by a coon it left an exact trail of feathers, like it plucked it all the way through the yard under the fence and into the storm drain. Big Chicken was crowing/screaming up a storm underneath my bedroom window ( he knew which window is mine) I'd loved to have thought he was the big brave rooster - sigh, he was nothing but a big chicken and ran away to hide. Several months later my mother inadvertently (uh yeah) opened the back door and I had just got my big pibble, so out runs Sydney and here comes brave chicken.... that lasted all of 3 seconds and alas, I am chickenless. I really am sorry, we do get attached to those feathery peckers. They are much smarter than people realize.

Jude, tramadol is a very mild pain med and I don't think it would make an ant sleepy. Actually, they gave my pibble tramadol when she was bit last week...didn't do a thing for her.

Hope, sorry about your mama, heck, sorrier for you as I know how difficult it is to keep her clean n fresh. Do you ever juice up veggies or food to add to her ensure? So many goodies you can blend up and supplement her ensure. It's like drinking a shake plus you can make it as tin as you like for easier swallowing. My Ninja blender really helped mom keep up her nutrition. Sigh

I wonder how long should I keep all of mom's paperwork around? I'd really love to toss it all. Everything but the taxes, those I know I should keep.

Random thought here... both mom and dad where basically the last of their family. All of mom's family is gone, well, her brother is here but just about gone and can't make it tomorrow. All of dads is gone. All of their friends in AZ where they used to winter are either gone, too frail and too far away. I have no aunt n uncles left, a few cousins scattered here n there and they are quite a bit older that I am. Tomorrow it will just be a few people celebrating mom since everyone else is gone. 3 of her children, 1 DIL, her hospice nurse, Paige, her carer, Lisa and of course my Oregon adopted son AKA pool boy, Chris. I will never forget that sunny day last summer when all 3 of us got into a big ole squirt gun fight. Oh yeah, even mom played. Chris used to call her "fancy pants" LOL, why? Well, she would put her pants on inside out or backwards and Chris never said a bad word, just complemented her on her "fancy pants". Oh how I miss that lady... sniff. Sheesh, I just made myself realize just how alone I really am.

Well, guess I will start some of the clean up process. sigh. I'm trying my best to not get depressed but it sure is a difficult thing when everything you've been doing just *ends* and your finally able to do whatever it is you want, yet you're still in the CG mode and see your mother everywhere you go. I might have to figure out how I can spend a few months in FL this winter or else I may not make it. I have several places to stay and they are receptive to my big girl coming with me so that's not a problem. If I know myself, I know this winter is going to be very rough on me. It was rough with mom but now... gads I dread it already and it's only June!!!!

Susan, glad you're out of the gloomies! Did you get your grill put together? I hear ya on spinning the wheels. Feels like I work so hard getting everything in shape but once I finish one project something else is a mess...or the laundry has piled up. GGRRRR

Oh yeah Jeanette, you know I'm the smoothie queen. ..i add apples, al kinds of baby food (not meats though..blech), berries, peanut butter, even sweet potatos, pumpkin with cinnamon so she thinks she's eating a pumpkin pie. Id be lost without my blender for sure. She was a little better this morning and is still drinking loss of water so maybe she'll be better soon.

Jeanette, feathered peckers......... :)

Sorry the heat is getting to me. .have been out in the yard and now the sun is scorching so came in to rehydrate and then go back and finish. I may not cut grass this week because it is not that bad. .i raked it well so it looks great and in the extreme heat it is better to not cut it as much. .daddy taught me that and i have to say that in extreme heat or grass usually stays pretty and free while all the close clippers have browning or yellowish grass...sure makes me appreciate a safe comfortable home coming in from that heat. ..back to work. ....

No grill put together yet, Jeanette - I ran out of steam last night about midnight and finally fell into bed.

This morning it's been like there was a revolving door on the house. I ran to the pharmacy to get yet another script for Mom - her blood thinner dosage got changed again. Then it was the water/softener salt delivery guy, the lawn guy, and PT, plus phone calls from the home nurse and then one from the social worker for home care, who said the home nurse called her and told her how desperately I needed some help, and they are going to call in Medicaid Waiver and try to get Mom on that program on the basis of her memory issues. I explained to them that just because I'm here 24/7 doesn't mean I don't need help! And that if I *wasn't* here, Mom wouldn't be either, because she doesn't remember to keep herself clean, to eat, to take her meds, or even to breathe deep enough to keep her lungs functioning properly - I even have to remind her to do deep breathing exercises now. So if I wasn't here, Mom would either be in a nursing home or would have already passed away, because some of the actions I've had to take on her behalf have actually kept her alive and healthy. I think they're finally listening. I'll know more next week. Medicaid Waiver agreed to accept a referral from home care, so that's a good first step, at least. There's a 4 month waiting period, so we'll see what happens.

Oh great, Hope, thanks a lot....now I'm going to have to ask my sister how her feathered peckers are doing, just to see the look on her face when I do....lol

Jude, my Mom has been on Tramadol for years now due to her arthritis and joint pain - I wouldn't count on it making your mom sleepy. It doesn't make my mom sleepy unless she takes the full 4 pills per day that she's allowed, which she almost never does. She takes one in the morning and one at night.

Hope, just a few things about the diarrhea. I can't remember if your mom is eating any solids or just on a liquid diet. If you are giving her fiber foods right now, slow it down until she is more regular. Is she on regular Ensure or the Glucerna? The one that is for diabetics has sucralose (splenda) which can cause diarrhea in large quantities. It may not have normally effected her but with a laxative could contribute to the problem. If there is a chance she could have c-diff then giving her medicine to stop the diarrhea could be harmful. If she can eat foods try coconut or pumpkin foods to control the diarrhea. Coconut macaroon cookies, pumpkin (pudding or pie), sweet potatoes are all good sources to control diarrhea.

hehe, well, chickens are known for pecking everything so, feathered peckers :)

The rooster I had would chase you around the back yard pecking at me or the dogs. I had to go outside carrying my broom to swat him away. I'm kind of KIND OF okay with Sydney protecting us from monster feather pecker!!

Tramadol and me - I can't take the damned stuff at all you owuld think I was on some some of sleeping tablet - they knock me out stone cold for about 6 hours - as for mum the headache is somewhere else in her head (I personally think it is ALL in her head if you get my drift), She won't even lay down for a rest in the afternoon - courtesy of the Donepezil keeping her awake.

I did mention to increased risk of seizures but the doctor wasn't worried so I assume we all get to a point where it is OK which one do you want us top treat?

Shilo, she is on the regular ensure. ..and that's why i didn't give her anything for diarrhea because i knew if there was a bacterial thing going on it would get worse. ..ok..thanks for that. .i was starting to think i dreamed that. ..and not a great feeling to know my dreams have gone from cool valleys and meadows in the mountains to diarrhea. ...but i do add pumpkin and sweet potatoes to her ensure and blend them. I will definitely back of the apple and such with the fiber for now. .maybe that is what is making it worse. I don't know that it's bothering her. .it sure is wearing me out fast.....

Susan..you're welcome, it's all Jeanette's fault. .lol

My Mom suffers from diarrhea because of radiation treatment she received years ago....I find that white sticky rice and bananas help, but the information about pumpkin, coconut and sweet potatoes is good to know too. Anything that helps this condition is worth a try!

Jeanette I feel for you. Everyday there are so many little reminders. At the most unexpected times. I know what you are going through.

CM sorry about your chickens!