I'm tired of cooking/preparing 3 meals a day. It's just the two of us but boy oh boy can that woman eat!! She stays slimish, I get fattish. It's bad enough I do everything here much less start making her one thing and me the other. At times I feel guilty when I buy her fast food cuz of the nutritional value....not to mention I eat it too.
golden: Thank you.
PB: I am over 75 years old. Unwell to read your comments today.
I had a UTI at 18yo, and that was the only time I can recall explicitly having one. Now, I've had two since January. I've had some talks with different med pros who say this can be a new normal for women as they age and that repeat infection every few months is the reality for some. My PCP said, "You can do everything right and still get recurring UTIs." Please say it isn't true...! So I learned some things about how to avoid them.
To deal with possible repeats, I bought Azo Urinary Tract Defense to keep on hand. It contains methenamine which is an antibiotic. I'd never heard of it, but it's sold OTC online in different animal antibiotics. It prevents UTIs from worsening while giving you time to get to a doctor. And I started taking a D-mannose supplement, the stuff in cranberries that helps UTI symptoms. It works by flushing out bad stuff; bacteria can't stick to the plumbing. My coworker swore by hibiscus tea -- and I learned it's long been used in other countries to treat UTIs -- so I have that on hand, too.
Just sharing. I've had a crash course in UTIs this year.
Interestingly, my grandmother had one but had no pain or blood in her urine. I remember thinking her urine was cloudy, but that was it. I believe caregivers know this happens -- asymptomatic UTIs -- but just mentioning it again.
The only other advice docs had for me was to empty my bladder as much as possible. I started carrying a big water bottle with me everywhere.
I feel like I could give a TedTalk on managing UTIs after what I've learned this year! lol I hope no one gets them regularly, but apparently, many women do—my sympathies.
Just passing through this thread after being awake since 3:30 a.m..
May I offer an AgingCare article about the symptoms of UTI in the general population vs. the symptoms in the elderly?
"UTI in the Elderly: Signs, Symptoms and Treatments"
Enter that into your search icon above in the teal-colored navigation bar, looks like a magnifying glass.
Typical Symptoms of UTI:
Urine that appears cloudy
Dark bloody urine
Strong or foul smelling urine
Frequent or urgent need to urinate
Pain or burning during urination
Feelings of pressure in the lower abdomen
Low-grade fever
Night sweats
Shaking or chills
Lesser-Known UTI Symptoms in Elderly Individuals:
Older adults may not exhibit any of the hallmark signs of UTI listed above because their immune systems are unable to mount a significant response to the infection. On top of the lack of noticeable symptoms, many seniors do not or cannot express their discomfort to their caregivers.
Since elders’ bodies respond differently to infection, it is important to look for atypical signs and symptoms.
A marked change in mental state - but it is often mistaken for the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Indicators of infection in seniors include the following symptoms, especially if their onset is sudden:
Confusion or delirium
Unusual behavioral changes
Poor motor skills
Loss of coordination
Dizziness
Falling
The pattern: His demanding elderly Mother and controlling sibling consumes his mind. After he spends the day with his Mother (takes her to her appointments, shopping, gets whatever she is “craving” that day….he’s mentally and physically EXHAUSTED! Then when he get’s home his sibling contacts him either by text or phone often both and asks for a play by play of what he did with mother! How was the appointment? Where did they go? How’s Mother today? Can you send pictures? So he relives his exhausting day play by play in detail to his sibling. It annoys him though he says nothing to sibling. It’s EXHAUSTING for me to observe…no wonder he sleeps the next day away! It’s been this way for years. I wait and wait…clean house, do errands, take care of critters, work out…basically do life with a sleeping beauty Husband. I have discussed this with him. We have talked about it in therapy. We have talked about it with his doctors. They all say the same thing…priorities, boundaries, your health first. Nothing changes. I thought it would change after he retired. Nope. I am tired of waiting for him to get up! Will it change after Mother passes? My gut says no…
My whine is having had no water for over 5 weeks I now have too much. I had two basement floods in 24 hrs and a little seeping since then. The workers repairing the sewer didn't put the downspout extension back on properly and I didn't catch that. We are having lots of rain right now and obviously some came in. The downspout extension in back on properly now and so far so good though I am concerned about the water table rising high enough to cause flooding. Placed rolled towels along that wall and checking regularly.
Listening to Johnny Cash "How High's the Water, Mama" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqszIxEa9PY
Every time I plan on calling the real estate agent something happens to prevent it!
Golden, May be clear your cookies?
Yes, there were 3D artists.
glad - zooming out doesn't bring it back. Re sod - Some edges were yellow when it came. They levelled and added some topsoil before laying the sod. I have watered regularly. Like I said. It was not a good batch of sod. It will recover. I have seen photos of tats on women without reconstruction. They looked great!
cw - one of my laptops shows the icon, the other doesn't but I think it did a little while ago. Go figure!
Beautiful fresh sunshiny Alberta summer day today - 17C (67F) going up to 25C (78F). That's about my ideal range. 😎
I saw the results from an areola with a nipple tattooed and it looked amazing.
I think that women that don't do reconstruction just typically don't pursue any aesthetics, historically. Maybe that is changing.
I watched a zoom presentation tonight from p.ink a group that awards grants for mastectomy tattoos. There are very beautiful tatts out there if you reconstruct. And there are parlors out there that participate each year. I asked why the websites of those parlors are so dedicated to reconstruction and nothing if a woman decides to go flat! I was brushed off, no response from any of the artists on the zoom.
Wow, FF. I changed to b&w an so much easier to read. The turquoise was almost blinding, too bright, contrast.
They need a traveling icon.!😉😉 The icon disappears when I am zoomed in
Golden, my guess with the sod is that it dried out too much before it was installed. May have even gotten it free as a leftover from another job. Did they do any soil prep? Primarily leveling the ground by saturating it with water? Add any organics to help it along?
It will probably be fine. Patience.
ff - I hear you. I've lost that icon/symbol. Anyone have any ideas how to get it back?
Feels like I am going backwards with prepping the house for sale. I'm not but sometimes it feels like it. I have such a limited energy budget many days that things can start piling up again and anything extra is too much. Now I am having to nurse the new sod on the back lawn. It was not a good batch and looks like a patchwork quilt in greens and yellows. Mainly greens thankfully. And I don't have the energy to bitch at the project manager.
Bravo, I was able to change the turquoise titles to black, now I can read them so much better :)
2 months ago, I told myself to stop whining - for some days. I failed, then miraculously succeeded, but the only reason I succeeded was because my mother's well now, so there's nothing for me to whine about.
1 month ago, I challenged myself to: not postpone. Get it done now (whatever's on my 1-mile long to-do-list). Well, I'm giving myself a Z- (in other words, way below F).
Off I go and try again.
Good luck to all!