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Hope, you can't adjust the wing mirrors? If there's no mechanism to do it, could your friendly neighbourhood garage come up with a solution?
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Katie, you'd like Eno Philips' attitude - he said "my computer always beat me at chess - but it was no match for me at kick-boxing."
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lol....I know, right??
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Hope, I had to laugh at that car story you Mom likes to tell.... my gosh, your Mom has unbelievably strong arms :)
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It is not funny but it got to where whenever Mama would drive she would have to share her story of the time she was making a left turn coming home from the grocery store and someone almost ran into her, soooo she had to cut it sharp and when she did the car turned onto it's two left tires and went up into the air and she had to put her arm on the road to keep the car from turning over...."I mean you should have seen it, it was amazing" she would say...yeah, I bet it was Mama.... how sad.. :( and yet now it kinda cracks me up....
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Disposable diapers and pads.....arghhhhhh.....when my last "company" came...she was the one who just refused to take a bath, sat on her hiney all day while I ran myself nuts not only caring for my totally bedfast Mama but also her vacationing self and finally I told her, hey just give me your clothes and I'll launder them as long as I'm washing clothes...( I thought that'd make her get a bath)..she refused...over and over...finally I gave up and went ahead and did the laundry...just about the time the washer was done....THEN she decides to get a bath and puts her DIRTY CLOTHES into the washer that was almost through and then I discovered she had also put in a pee soaked pair of diapers....and I let her know it...used to I would have just handled it but it really hacked me off that I had tried and tried to get her to comply and then she decided she would on her own terms and created even more work for me..needless to say the diaper was in a million pieces of that gel type crapola and it took me forever to clean that mess up and then of course I had to do a quick wash and then a total wash to make sure all the pee was gone....good lord woman...who in their right mind does that.....
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Oh wow...all the talk about elderly folks driving....bad memories for sure...once Mama got to where I KNEW she didn't need to be not only driving, but going anywhere by herself period...and she got pretty good about not doing it, but then her battery would go dead and my BROTHER would recharge it for her....(she would pay him $50 a pop) and then she'd go somewhere else after that....he would complain about her driving...so one day ..I told him...hey....why the H### do you keep recharging it...??? she won't be able to go if you don't keep doing that...so he stopped...duh.......then she gave him her car and he sold it and made several thousand dollars and put it in his pocket....hey thanks!!!! :)
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Katie222, same with my parents and their car, and Dad recharging the battery on a weekly basis using one of those portable plug in battery chargers. You are so right regarding how cars symbolize their independence.

If my parents wanted a car, even though they both stopped driving years ago, I wish they would purchase something more user friendly. Dad wanted the battery powered Volt but Mom didn't.

I use their car whenever my Mom has a doctor appointment because she can no longer climb up into my Jeep.... how I dread driving their car.... I feel like I am trying to guide a cruise ship down the highway... plus the car was made for someone who is 6 foot tall because one can only see out to the side view mirrors if the seat is pulled all the way back.... thus when I pull out into traffic I hop into the lane I will be turning left miles down the road because I can't use those side view mirrors when I have the seat pulled all the way forward :P

Are we having fun yet?
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Hope22 - MIL thinks she can drive but hasn't in years and FIL has all sorts of issues that indicate he shouldn't get behind the wheel of a car. Last year after he almost crashed at 80 mph on the highway I refused to get in the car if he was driving. But NYS in all its wisdom renewed his license WITHOUT EVEN TESTING HIM! It really isn't any wonder that elders become so difficult for families to deal with. If the "government" deems they okay to drive well then everybody best get out of their way. Freqflyer - I so feel your pain.
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My dad stuffs tissues under his shirt. I hate it when I find broken up tissues in the washer. Worse when sis does the laundry and doesn't clean up the tissue lints.

Dad just woke up. The first thing he said, "Is it okay if I bring my girlfriend?"
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Oh yes, and tissues too!
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Arrrgh! The depends in the washer and then went into the dryer! What a nightmare!
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Those disposable underpads make a mess when you shake them...I learned the hard way too...instant snow! Mom has this habit of putting extra kleenex in her sleeve too so she has one handy and those make a real mess in the washer if I don't look out for them.
As for parents keeping a car they don't drive, my Dad kept his nice car in the garage for ages after he quit driving. Would have to be recharged with a battery charger periodically. I know another person 90 years old that has three cars and can drive none of them won't sell even one. I think the cars symbolize their independence and getting rid of them finalizes that loss of independence in their minds.
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OMG, I missed a diaper and it made it into the washer. What a disaster! BIG lesson learned!
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NYDaughter, sounds like my parents when it comes to money. Mom will ask me to return something to the grocery store because she was overcharged 25 cents but will spend mega bucks on a post office box that they don't need because they have a perfectly nice mailbox at the end of their driveway like everyone else in our subdivision... [sigh].... they are afraid the mailman might read their mail, that's why they have a PO box ... ah, who do they think sorts the mail at the post office.... HELLO.
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Jeanette...lol....yes..I learned that the hard way....pee pad fight!!!!! and don't get them mixed in with you laundry...those or the underpants....talk about a mess....!!!
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Wow, NY Daughter...so sad they wouldn't rather have that money in an account for them or using it to do things they actually could enjoy....I take it they are not able to drive themselves? I don't know, sometimes I think someone losing their car is just one of those things that is the final step in admitting you cannot be independent any longer. I'm going through that with a cousin, I am not her caregiver but she does not really need to be driving..everyone is telling her so, but she just flat out refuses to let it go...I dno't know, her doctor told her she was ok to drive...but every time she gets a new car she wrecks it within a short time...and it appears she does have declines in her health now that would seem to indicate she does not need to be driving..nonetheless, she simply will NOT let that car go...
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My whine moment today is the amount of money my inlaws waste while so many people on this forum have elders who are dirt poor. They keep a car that costs them over $1200 a month because of the high insurance and, get this, it hasn't been driven in months. It just sits in the garage gathering dust. When we asked them if they wanted to sell it so they could have some money to prepay expenses and stuff, they said no because they don't want to rely on family and friends to drive them places. Well guess what? They already rely on everybody to drive them places. So by the time Christmas comes they'll have paid $12,000 to keep a car in the garage. And yet they'll worry over a $36 meal. It's crazy! Maybe it's just that time of the month where my own hormones are all over the place but I really just want to tell them off about how wasteful they're being.
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My whine for the day is sometimes I feel so alone in this process-even though my family is supportive,lets face it its me cooking meals (moms the opposite-barely eats),changing/washing soiled linens,giving her the meds,showers etc....and worse of all having to witness the slow,sad decline of my angel (94!)
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wait, I did have a whine. Those blue pads. Never Ever Shake them to fluff them out.... you'll have a kathousand little bits of fluff everywhere
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Love, good thoughts and prayers being sent Jeanette. Try to get some rest.
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Hey girls/guy ! Ya'll have been busy chatting, sorry if I haven't caught up ... I will, eventually.

I have been trying to put all angst aside, all hostility, all blame and just about everything. It's about mom now. My 2 oldest brothers showed up yesterday, unannounced, ok... least they showed up. Apparently they called 3rd in line brother and told him mom was placed on hospice. I'd already sent him/his wife a text. Oldest bro told me he'd already spoke to 3rd ass. Seems like it was said that mom's already gone so no need to come. Ok. I called him an hour ago.... was told that he felt mom's gone, she wouldn't know if he was there or not, thanked me for telling him, told me to have a nice day. Click. One day... ONE DAY I will just tell the world why I detest his sanctimonious a**.

Mom is between bed bound and unsteady when I transfer her, which makes is so much more difficult, especially on my back. She will pee during the night in her depends but during the day, she has to use the toilet.

So far I love her "bather". Cute li'l stocky girl. This house is overflowing with pee pads, depends, bedside commodes, butt cream... gloves... gads.

Me personally, I am exhausted... in every way you can imagine. Tired. Tired.

Sorry Boni, you know I didn't listen... next week it's on though.
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Well, we dodged a bullet here with the ice I think....got the mind boggling cold ...heading for the teens which for us is cold, but at least no ice in our area..other than the back deck, which i don't plan on going onto.

Pretty good day here, but nothing work wise accomplished...Everything I need to do involves hauling boxes full of stuff to Goodwill and no way was i going in and out of the house today...every time the door opens it feels like it takes forever to warm it up again....

Thursday night and some of the best shows so about to put my feet up now that I have gotten Mama settled and fed...Mama's happy, I'm happy
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if my stomach acts up I use the old fashion remedy ol Baking soda in a small glass of water. It really works!
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Wow Susan! You sound like me! I have such a hard time getting my mom into the shower these days. I bang things around too when I'm mad and I feel like I am in these kinds of bad moods too often lately. Luckily, I don't have to clip her toenails as she goes to the Dr . for that. I think she has more Dr.'s than the Queen.!So here is the latest...One of the dogs has dementia and needs to be on medication. I was awake with him most of the night the other night. He was pacing and wouldn't stop!! He kept going from room to room, up on the bed, down off the bed, into the living room, whimpering, into the closet, back out. And on and on and on until I was ready to scream! I was the only one up with him in this household of three other people. Somehow that figures...(might as well feel sorry for myself , right?!)
Plus, he has decided that I am his new "person" and has been ignoring my mom, who doesn't understand. Since she has dementia too, it's so hard to explain to her what is happening. She thinks if she just closes the door and "locks" him in her room that he will stay and everything will be fine again. Wrong!!! You can't lock him in, he gets more stressed. I had to go all the way across town to get medication for him from the vet. It has helped. At least he is sleeping thru the night now. My mom is another story...she is getting on my nerves lately and I'm trying to remind myself of all the stuff we remind ourselves of when we feel ready to just run for the hills!! She tried to "help" me the other night and put away all the dirty dishes from the dishwasher...UGGGHHH!!! No, no no!! PLEASE do not "help" me anymore!! But I don't want her to feel like she isn't a help so I try to find stuff for her to do. It seems all she wants to do lately is just sit and be moony over the dog! It is beyond annoying!! It is getting harder and harder for me to take care of anything that has to do with me. It's just mom and dogs , dogs and mom 24/7. And once again, I feel guilty and horrible for saying this as one day I will wish I had her here to complain about.
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Zans?
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Veronica, I think all the Advil I used for the arthritis helped make the GERD much more of an issue for me. Going vegan has been a real nuisance at times but it keeps the inflammation down enough without the NSAIDS.
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Grr planting peas - not round here. Even if I could get down to the dirt I doubt I could even dig a hole with a pick axe.
Next priority is to dig a path to the propane tank as we are due for a delivery early next week.
My GERD has been well controled as far as pain with Famotidine but after my last endoscopy I was changed to Protonix - same result higher price!!!!!!!!!! May never use Asprin, Advil or Aleve and stay away from the booze. Oh well just part of getting old I suprose. I had already been warned off those because of the warfarin.
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i dont have a fuss tonight . in fact feeling pretty well .
i went cold turkey on the zans about 5 weeks ago and it isnt as rough as i expected .
i always figured if i only ate them about 2 weeks a month then ran out i couldnt be addicted to them . duh .
fact is id eat them for two weeks then be a bundle of nerves for the rest of the month . in my case a couple of zans would send me straight to the beer store . found out this is a well documented phenomenon . the zans dull your head and make ya crave booze .
i want to smooth out and live a long time . its the only way to spite the people i hate -- which is pretty much everybody ..
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Hope, I find it helps to avoid eating or drinking much before bed. Drinking more water during the day helps. I read that mint and chocolate relax the sphincter muscle in the esophagus and for me, that's true, so I avoid those when I'm having a flare up. Oatmeal sits well, breads, rice. I avoid sodas and..gasp...coffee when I'm having a flare up. Feel better..
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