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Ladee, meant to say I have had trouble with my back nearly all my life. About seven years ago I herniated a couple of discs in my lower back. That was absolutely excruciating pain. The only thing that helped me was time and twice a week visits to the chiropractor. Hope you feel better. I'll be thinking of you when I eat my bedtime bon bon.
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DH13, my husband has moderate to severe COPD. When his breathing has been really bad the doctor puts him on a regimen (10 days tapering dose) of prednisone. It does have a positive impact on his breathing, his activity level and his mood that disappears soon after he's off it. When his oxygen levels drop his feet and hands also become purple from lack of sufficient oxygen. He now has difficulty walking from weakness in his legs. It's all part of the disease. If your Dad is enjoying himself thanks to the morphine and prednisone...Bless him!
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LadeeM from a childhood accident I've had a number of hip surgeries and have a wonky back as a result. I've slept with a pillow between my knees for years and it does seem to help.
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Glad, now I have bon bon envy on top of a hurting back !!! that's just wrong... lol
Ya, think I will start using the pillow more often....feels more like 'normal' hurting today, not 'I can't set' hurting.... why do we just not take care of our self??? oh well, the daughter can get her panties out of knot, I'll go to work tonight.... wish we had a puking emoticon !!!! Love and hugs and thanks for the feedback.....
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LadeeM take it easy tonight, NO lifting people off the floor!

DH. Hospice is giving you all the right advice. Give him all the morphine he needs and don't worry about the whisky What is the worse that can happen? As long as he is comfortable and free of anxiety that is all that matters. At this stage he probably will need the Prednisone for the duration the only problem with tat is it gives viscious indigestion. You are in a good place and hospice nurse is on the ball. Dad's happy you can't ask for anything more. Doing things that are "good" for him stopped a long time ago. Blessings
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Don't worry Ms.V, the only thing I am going to do is set in the chair with my phone in my hand... if someone falls, 911 will be called...I went and got some 'heat wraps'..... they work good and am really feeling better today....but will lay down on the floor if it starts hurting at work...so, on the hiway to h*ll later this evening.... I'll let ya'll know if I had to hurt the daughter.... lol..... love and hugs
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LadeeM .. my back is now to the point where sleeping in a bed is not an option, if I want to walk the next day. My solution is a $45 reclining lounge chair (from WalMart). I can sleep in it, because it relieves the pressure in all the right places, keeping my back and legs at the correct angles to each other. The only thing I have to be careful of is keeping my feet elevated enough. Enter helpful pillow under the calves. It's my saving grace. Hope you feel better soon!! *hugs*

The other
LadeeC
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LadeeM I do the same as LadeeC and sleep in a recliner.
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No room in the Grapes of Wrath wagon for a recliner, but that does sound like a great sleeping arrangement.....
Good to see you Ladee C ! I missed ya !!

Didn't have to hurt anyone last night... but after the daughter sucked all the air out of the room telling me how Cujo hasn't slept in three night.... and on and on that I wasn't listening to..... oh, and she was so solicitous to my poor aching back while she had an audience.... I didn't realize I was holding my breath until she left and let out a deep sigh.... woman makes my head hurt....
Cujo slept fine..... she did get up at 4:30 needing to make plans for Thanksgiving.....!!! finally told her maybe she could just say a prayer of Thanksgiving since it was so early in the morning, and she could make her plans later..... she did say a prayer..... a long one....but went back to bed and was still asleep when I left this morning....
Daughter did tell me to call her if someone fell, and to not pick up anyone..... I just blinked at her really slowly.... ya know, because I am sooo Tooopid !!!

Are some of you thinking how grateful you are that I am not YOUR paid caregiver !!!!!! LOL

Slept as long as I could... need to get ready to go make the big bucks...
Love, hugs, prayers and chocolate to all of you !!!!
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I agree a recliner is the way to go. I had a bad back since I was 12 years old Iam 69.
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I should clarify: my 'recliner' is of the lawn chair variety, so takes up very little room
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LadeeM...used to live in a small mobile home so realize the space restrictions...could you put something under your regular mattress to raise the head of the bed and also something under the knee area to form a shaped surface to sleep on? The new bed we bought when we moved back into the house is adjustable...mattress on top is basic...the thing that adjusts it is underneath...would suggest you have someone help you set it up if you decide to try it because lifting a mattress around with a bad back would only make things worse...mom had a wedge shaped pillow for years...said it was the only thing she could sleep on...maybe something like that with a pillow under your knees...
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Yeee gads! So, I'm at work, doing a bunch of things for my boss, and while I'm waiting for my documents to print out, I check my personal email. There's an alert, SUPPOSEDLY from my mother's credit card company, saying that there has been unauthorized attempts to log on, etc., and I needed to change my profile immediately, or else, blah blah blah. There were no spelling errors or awkward English -- it looked legit enough to make me panic. I logged on to the credit card site w/no problem, everything is fine, and after re-reading the email a few times, it was obvious that it was a phishing thing. Sigh of relief that nothing bad happened, and doubly relieved that my mother is no longer using the internet! It's hard enough when you haven't lost all your marbles to not get conned, but when you're mentally frail, it's just terrible how vulnerable you are.
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Loo,
There should be a way to report it as a phishing scam through your e-mail provider.
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Glad, I did mark it as 'spam', so that couldn't hurt.
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You still need to call your credit card company if you clicked on the link in the e-mail. Explain what happened and let them decide to leave things as is or issue you a new card. If it is phishing, they now have your sign in and password. I'd immediately change your password.
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Bookluvr, thank goodness, I didn't click on anything.
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{{{chuckling}}} Your smart. I wasn't. I had ordered someing in Amazon. I got an email from Amazon a few days later saying that there was a problem with my payment. I clicked on the link, it opened to the Amazon FOP page. I typed in my name and mailing info and then the credit card info. Hit submit. It wouldn't finalize my payment. I tried several times. FInally in frustration, thinkin there was something wrong my card, I called the them. Boy, did the friendly man's voice became sharp and a bit rude. He lectured me. By the time he was done, I felt soooo stupid. Someone out there has all my info...
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Red, I need a new mattress period... but can try that in the mean time... will get my neighbor to come help me.... good idea, and nope LadeeC , don't even have room for a lawn chair...I have my computer chair which sets at the end of the little table.... kills my back to set on the cushions to the table... when I say a tiny living space.... it really is....

It used to be a dream of mine to have something I could travel around in, go visit some of you and help out, give ya some respite.... didn't know my own caregiving would suck the life and spontaneity right out of me....

Was thinking about this this morning.... how old I feel... the constant negative environment, the stress,the resentment over such low wages..... and here I set, doing nothing to change my situation..... and the truth be known.... my loyalty is all one sided..... only two families do I still stay in contact with... one of the daughters I am very close to.....so am going to have to really take a good look at this.... what? I am still going to be bitching about this a year from now, because I have fear of finanacilly being able to live.....staying in a miserable comfort zone.... what the hell is wrong with me..... it is up to ME to change this..... what am I waiting for???? I make myself so tired....back and forth, back and forth...... something has happened to my faith in all of this... my brain is so clouded with fatigue and depression. I used to live my life on taking risks, what I called, " letting go of the rope'.... and knowing I would land on my feet.... where did all this fear come in???? Need to get committed to finding my answers, I am wasting precious time.....ahhh, pay not attention to me, just searching for my own answers.... love and hugs to all of you...
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well had my follow up visit with the eye doc and my vision changed 5 steps last month 4 steps so he dilated the eye and the cataract was visible. he said I am basically seeing out of my right eye. So I have a referral to an eye surgeon just checking to see if he is in our insurance network and will make the call for a consult. Doc surprised that I don't have double vision as the difference in the eyes is quite dramatic. Said some mild headaches. I haven't really had any ambition to do really anything the past month but hid this quite well considering I moved dad to AL last week. But this does bring up a question about telling my dad or not as with his dementia I do not know how he would process the information.
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Hi everyone, I have not been on for a while because of so much going on. The closing of the house was today. There were problems with the money. But everything has been worked out though. It is not done done but on the way. We will hopefully get the rest of the money in November. Brother keeps harping about the job hunting. This time he did it in front of the buyer and the real estate agent . So nice huh!! I was so embarrassed. Like thank you so much to make me feel like sh.. Jeez!! He did take me out to eat though. It was a expensive restaurant. I know because he had to show me how much the bill was. Really? Why, I do not know. Anyway I will be living in a extended stay place for two weeks. After that I do not know. I will be okay though. I have to be. I am so relieved that this is behind me. I will try and come back on later after I read everyone's posts.. Please take care all.
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It felt so good to read your comments - like a breath of fresh air! Today is a better day than the last several -- I'm glad God allows me 1 good day with all the bad! I care for my mom who is 96 and wheelchair bound. She has mild dementia but is pretty healthy otherwise. I am a servant waiting on the Queen and all that that entails. I get jealous when my 2 brothers that live out of town tell me all the places they are going and the fun things they are doing. My mom has only been here for 2 years but like another person said -- it feels like ten. I find I don't know how to talk coherently to people anymore. My thoughts are a jumble and because I care give 24/7 I don't have anything interesting to talk about. I do get to leave about an hour a day but its just not enough time to get to a store, try on a blouse, wait in loooooong lines to pay for it and then back home. I don't even want to wear the dumb blouse after all that!!! Other times it is OK and I mellow out in reading mysteries that take my mind far away. Thanks all of you for listening -- you help me so much with your wisdom, laughter and understanding
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Joy - I am glad that you are having a better day today. I totally understand about your brothers. Is there any other way that you can help caring for your mother. I let my stress get really bad that I was about to have a breakdown. A person that came to see my mother told me to get some help. My physical and mental health were deteriorating. I went and got help and things got better. And thanks to this site I was on the road to understanding and coping. Please take care of yourself.
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I've been getting dizzy spells this evening. Don't know if it's connected with taking the Lipitor. Maybe all in my head. Like thinking I'm allergic to exercise just because I itch on my upper legs when walking too long. Anyway, Dad asked me for some water. I got up quickly, and just as I reached the table, dizziness struck. I swayed so hard but was able to maneuver my body to stay up.

As I grabbed the water jar, Dad asked me, "Are you drunk?"
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Book it may be from stress. Last winter I had a black out ... doing 85 in my truck! It only lasted seconds so no harm done but it was a wake up call from years of stress caused by Mommie Dearest which got even worse when she went into a NH.. I changed my phone number, went low contact and literally hibernated until spring. Never had another episode but always felt light headed. That has gradually faded but it took several months.
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Book -I would say yes. I would go outside or shopping whatever. I would get dizzy and felt and looked like I was drunk. Sometimes I still wake up groggy and feeling weird. I have been doing that lately and I feel like it has to do with everything that is going on. Please go see a doctor NOW. Take care of YOU!!!!
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I agree on getting the dizziness checked out. Could be a number of things- not drinking enough water, low blood sugar, blood pressure problems too.
Scheduled my eye surgery consult and the actual surgeries though not until Sept! However due to my rapidly changing eye conditions if I cannot continue to tolerate I can somehow get in earlier.
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The next installment of the weirdness that is my job..... opened my check this morning..... ya know she can't just HAND it to me... it has to be in a sealed envelope.....and saw that I was paid for my day off..... hmmm....not normal, this... so I text her and tell her she overpayed me.... will give her back the money Sun. when I go to work......
Get an immediate phone call from her.... rattling on and on that it was Mr.M's idea, because after all he had her there and she works for free.... and on and on and on...so I interrupt her, and said I will still bring the money Sun and give it to her...(which I have NO intention of doing!), because this was my cue to tell her how much she sacrifices, blah, blah, blah..... which I did NOT do.....she is an empty pit of neediness and needing to be told how awesome she is..... uh no, I'm the awesome one !!! I put up with HER and take care of her parents....!!!!

And by the way, the daughters will inherit three oil wells.... along with all the rest of it..... so ya think I'm feeling sorry for her???? Uh no......I'm not....and by the way, MrM signs my checks, not her....

And now that the daughter has stopped jacking with Cujo's meds, she is sleeping all night, or if not, she comes in the living room with me and watches tv until she gets sleepy again....

When I went in Mon. night... I was met with a 'word blast' of how Cujo didn't sleep all weekend, got up get dressed..... (deep sigh from me), blah blah blah..... the reason she doesn't get 'dressed' in the middle of the night with me, is because I remove her clothes from the room.... if she doesn't see them, she doesn't put them on.... sounds like a no-brainer to me..... and I've tried telling her this.... but, uh, ya know, you cant talk and listen at the same time.....right?

So guess this little story ends with me laughing all the way to the bank....

Love and hugs to you all, more later.....
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LadeeM - GOOD FOR YOU!!!! OH AWESOME ONE. Take care of YOU!!!!!
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Ladee, great, but this is what would happen in most jobs, you can call in sick a specified number of times and get paid. I think it was a very nice gesture on their part.
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