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.
Jessie - I got to the last line and was expecting something totally different haha! That made me laugh out loud. Thanks for sharing it!
I think they told me you can take a respite period every 90 days. There is one lady, though I have no idea who she is of course, but they said that she knows exactly when hers is due her and she has it marked on her calendar and on THE DAY, she calls and gets it rolling..
The receptionist said we could come in on Monday, 3/9 at 9:00 a.m. and to bring a CD of this Saturday's MRI with us. Ok, then! I don't know what to make of the weeks of mounting frustration, followed by an occasional spash of efficiency! But I'll take it.
So, "vacation" day has been requested, and I am bracing myself for the first face-to-face contact I've had with my mother since we had to take her car away last July. Gulp....
hope, warms my heart knowing your mother is doing better. Amazing how damaging a UTI can be. It just sucks what little life is left right out of em! I know mom has one and we were able to get a urine sample yesterday. Just waiting on them to call me back with results and a scrip for antibiotics. Sad it takes so long for the process ...
I am going to go visit this Hospice House today. I just can't let them pick her up and take her somewhere I've not even seen!! Funny... I was trying to figure out how I was going to her mom there and the phone rang, it was the Social Worker, well bless their heart, they transport her! I KNEW this since hope had already mentioned it in regards to her mother, information overload has almost blanked my thoughts right out!!
Weird how you go from your phone hardly ever ringing, no visitors to people overload within 2 days. haha, not complaining just noting how quickly things change.
Katie, I hope things get a bit more peaceful in your life. As soon as this awfully long winter ends things should start perking up a bit. We need sunshine... I get so Vitamin D deficient during the long winter months I can barely hold my head up. The thick foam mattress on the bed plus her electric blanket made it too hot for her, once I turned her blanket off, cooled her down a bit she slept pretty good.
hehe, I still can't believe it snowed in Alabama!! Yikes!!
When we get older we think differently? This letter was sent to the Principal's office after the school had sponsored a luncheon for the elderly. An elderly lady received a new radio at the lunch as a door prize and was writing to say thank you. This story is a credit to all humankind .........especially if you are familiar with the Elderly.
Dear Kean Elementary,
God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens luncheon. I am 84 years old and live at the Springer Home for the Aged. All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady. My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio, but before I received one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day her radio fell off the night stand and broke into a lot of pieces. It was awful and she was in tears. Her distress over the broken radio touched me and I knew this was God's way of answering my prayers. She asked if she could listen to mine, and I told her to kiss my ass.
Thank you for that opportunity.
Sincerely,
Agnes
I think our huge snow (we got around 9 that is NINE inches of snow here....wooo hoooo...I have been so happy all yesterday and today, especially since Mama has been returning to me...I am so glad I convinvced the nurse to try something for a UTI...Mama gets a look about her that almost tells me she has one..and when she does they can really wreak havoc quickly..The cipro is doing wonders and I am happy happy happy to inform that this morning when we were having a chat, I told her I loved her so much as I always do, but THIS time, she told me she loved me too!!!!! I have not heard those words in months almost four in fact...I am so happy to have been given this time with her. She has been smiling and laughing and my heart is so full...and happy...
And yes, I DID build a snowman. I was trying to make a cat snowman...it looks pretty good, and then my hands got so cold I had to stop for a spell, but it has been the soft and fluffy kind of snow that is so pretty..and so very rare for Alabama...I love it ...I am going to miss it when it goes..it all just fell into place this time...and I am so happy and so thankful....have fun Jeanette!!!!! you've earned it...
All remains in a limbo here with Mom and with my husband. Just take the meds and stay the course. Will this Winter and these cold temperatures ever end for some of us??!! It has been a late but brutal Winter. In some ways it helps create a cozy, hibernating atmosphere I guess....
Good night!
She's not liking her new bed. Not that it isn't comfortable, it's just different. I even put her favorite happy polka dot sheets on it. It may a challenging night tonight but... I have hope. Ha! She can always go sleep in my bed and I will sleep in hers.
Oh... poor Daphne had to squish her butt in ma's new bed. Before anyone says anything about that, Daph has been beside mom for well over a year... the dog is familiar to her. Both are old and incontinent. They bond very well together.
It might be a long night....
happy happy joy joy
The moon and stars are obviously in alignment and I couldn't be happier. I HATE discourse in family, but... I'm also just as stubborn as the rest.
Both local brothers showed up around 11:30!! What? 2nd bro in line hasn't spoke to me in months even if he's standing right here, and he kept that up for awhile. They were here when mom's new bed was delivered, plus they helped the guy out.... gotta keep up the pretense right?... their both watching mom, and I can see the look on their faces... outta sight out of mind caught up quickly today. 2nd bro even suggested I leave mom at the Hospice House... no can do. When the other Hospice Nurse showed up to take mom's vitals and basically do a thorough once over on her, both of them were so quiet.... her feet were purple and cold, she couldn't get a good pulse from that finger thing they use cuz her fingers were cold. IT IS HOT IN HERE. Mom's heart rate is slowing down causing this.... she hates her feet raised and those many long pacing nights have taken their toll.
Hospice Nurse then proceeded to tell THEM that I needed a break, me.... that what I have been doing so long alone was taking a toll on me. Me. I even let them listen to our conversation about BM and that I had crossed my bottom line... I don't know quite how I feel right now, but... relieved is on the top 2.
I have made a decision on where/what I am going to do during my 5 days.. Renting a deluxe cabin directly on the river. It's beautiful. Being winter it's not that expensive either and... I get a 3rd night FREE! 2nd oldest will watch my beloved Daphne. She's 14 and a larger dog with a touch of arthritis, Ken loves her and probably missed her sleepovers!.. I will take my 18 year old and of course my pibble. Also going is several fishing poles, my pontoon, plus another floatie raft, my laptop (yay we have internet) a bottle of nyquil Z.... lots of worms... and me.
Mom has been in 7th heaven today with all this attention. Go girl. She earned it! I do love the bed though... sheesh, If I get back before I pick her up I think I might just sleep in it.
I wish we were closer, I'd gladly come help you with that bed! I hope things get better for you soon. Hopefully the help from Hospice will provide a much-needed (and deserved!) break for you. ((Hugs))
looloo, mine don't undermine or cause problems either. That's just it, how can they if they are never around, don't call or stop by? It's all good. I was in a sad mood the other night and sent the oldest a text. "Brothers Dearest, I get all of the dysfunction we've had in this family, I do not get your dislike/indifference towards mom though, and you might have dislike towards me, I get that too, but this is your one and only mother. She calls out Ken's name as well as yours... look, I love both of you and just can't lose mom without you guys with me, Please". *crickets* Sent another text last night telling him mom was put on hospice and please, I need help with moving her bed. *crickets* Like dee mentioned,, guess I will just start enjoying crickets as back ground music.
I did manage to get her bed apart and cleared out, however, it is now blocking the entrance to the kitchen, the mattress is blocking the hallway into the 2 back bedrooms.... gads, now I have to go clear space in the garage and drag it in there.
No, hospice doesn't always mean our loved one is near death, simply means we have help, people who are loving/kind/caring... who will actually be there if we need them. They will help get us respite. Kind of like having loving helpful siblings without the dysfunction. Oh... the Nurse told us yesterday that basically every patient she's taken on with regards to caregivers, their siblings have disappeared, arguments ensued and they don't pop their heads up until the parent has passed. Hmm, wonder why?
hope, something must be in the air today as my mother is better than ever!! LOL ate a decent meal, kind of chatty, yeah almost lucid?
I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted, even if it's just for a little while, I will take it. For some reason I don't feel as tired and worn out as I normally do. haha, I better get moving before this feeling passes!!!
Mama is responding great to the cipro and I have been able to talk and laugh with her today...now I am wondering how long that has been going on..she is almost as lucid as she was when she first started getting bedfast....she even said she is excited about the snow ..I am too ...now :)
I have wondered for a while if there is a system for delaying care as long as possible for elders on Medicare. I feel a six month wait for a specialist appointment is too long to wait but that has been my recent experience. A neurologist told me that although I had abnormal tests results his job was to identify the usual and dangerous conditions and for the rest he could be forgiven.
As far as your mom is concerned it is of course very easy to write a script. In fact they don't even write the nurse types it in and with the approval of the Dr it is electronically sent to the pharmacy. But all that is totally useless unless they culcure the urine to make sure they use an antibiotic the bugs are sensitive to. No problem getting a specimum from a patient with a catheter.
Why not treat the yeast infection? Maybe he thinks that a urologist will be more knowlegeable and set up an antibiotic regime for Mom. Make sure any investigations the urologist recomends are useful.not unpleasant or damaging for Mom depending on her overall health does she need an MRI, CT scan or cystoscopy? Thes all carry hefty co-pays unless she has Medicaid. be sure you totally understand everything and what it entails and depending on what they may find would you do further treatment. don't agree in the office go home and research and ask questions before you agree to anything. For example i certainly would not agree to a colonoscopy for a 90 year old "because she has never had one and early detection saves lives"
Get off my high horse now but I have been experiencing the old age treatment recently.