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Well, I must have GROSSED EVERYONE OUT! There have been no posts since mine earlier today. I hope none of ya'll are hugging the toilet! If you are, I'm sorry.... Love and Hugs Stormyyyyyyyy
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Well, dad is taking a nap so i thought i would write to ya'll. He has coughed up 3 mucus plugs. For ya'll that do not know what that is: well for one thing it is GROSS and the other thing it is dried mucus balls that are grey looking that resembles little brains. That's what i call them sometimes i will call up sis and tell well dad coughed up a little brain today. One time he had one that looked like bats wing and he says that he coughed up a a$$hole. Fun stuff!!!!!!! But not much going on here just the same old stuff different day. The doctor gave him cipro for his bacterial infection. Still don't know what kind it is. But it is a 10 day supply 2 a day and he is on his 3rd day of it. He still has been complaining with his neck feeling irratated but not as much as before and it does look better so maybe something is helping and we have been putting anti fungal cream around his neck. Oh and another thing to gross ya'll out is that we have been putting antifungal cream on his toenails and his big toenails look like they are about to fall off they are coming away from the nail bed. Yuck! And now i have got to go check them out and see what they are doing so i will talk to ya'll later. Love and hugs stormyyyy
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Jo: you are correct in observing for triggers. I had seizures at the age of 32 or 34 and the neurologist said it was from a "virus". I think they just said that because they didn't find anything and I had not been sick HOWEVER I told them that my blood pressure goes up like crazy when I consume any caffeine but they didn't believe me even when I showed them. Since then (many eons later) I do watch my coffee consumption and monitor my heart rate. I was told at the time that flashing lights may affect me. We can't avoid those though ~ flourescent lights cause flickering unconsciousness and we can't control that. I have those lights in every classroom!
I don't have HBP but one never knows when it will jump up and bite you in the butt later on in life.
The "mama" instinct is good to listen to.
I, too am losing posts and that's frustrating.
Full day ahead of mom care and studying...catch you all later
SDPeg
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ladee -sorry -started a post to you, lost it, still flaky from needing sleep, sdpeg said it well -hope that your son is waking up the the realities of his life and dewaling with the epilepsy. IIs he aware of any triggers? a friend had one seizure and was told she had to avoid fatigue, low blood sugar and flashing lights and she never had another one - I know not all are so fortunate and in some cases there may be no obvious triggers - that "mama" instinct - yup - definitely there -

hugs dear friend -glad that things with marie are better - more later
jo
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Ladee: I think you posed a good thought about your son. Maybe THIS time, this experience, will help him value his life more and he will follow doc's guidelines, recommendations, and take rx. I think that's the frustration of this group sometimes in regard to: hearing aids, glasses, lift chairs, wheel chairs, taking meds, eating, socializing ... I have come to accept that one can lead a horse to water but not make them drink. It saddens the rest of us, as you are with your son, that WE cannot make THEM see what WE see. Hopefully this has been a wake up call for your son; if not, we can pray that he will come to realize, along with all these other people that cause us stress by not seeing what we see, that his life is of value and he should (along with everyone else) be taking care of himself. To me that's the bottom line: do we value our lives enough to know that doctors, family, friends, caregivers etc care enough about us to care for us in ways they are equipped to do. I cannot make my mom want to live anymore than you can make your son value his life any more than others can incite a riot in our people to see their true value.
I am sorry you were scared as a mom, I can relate to that.
SDPeg
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ur pics -i mean - the old ones
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go for it - my BIG moments arent embarrassing so much a harassing - but I would read and enjoy - maya are u on facebook -I would love to see ur oics better
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Maybe we should start a thread on most embarrassing moments in caregiving, unless there's already one going.
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good luck and not at all - drove back home and got in at midnight -G is still at the farm - will post more later - need a nap!
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And now it's off to the surgeon's office to see what can be done to get this incision back to healing properly.

If my stories are getting on anyone's last nerve, just tell me. I'll set them aside.
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And now, before I have to get up from here, go back to reality and drive trash to the dump, I thought I'd give you all a giggle or two at my expense.

My mom's best friend lived about three hours away from us before we moved here. She offered to take my mom for a week so that I could get some deep cleaning done. So, I packed my mother up and all the CPAP and oxygen and mobility devices. I'd gotten almost everything loaded into the car and all I had left was her step.

I had on drawstring pants that day. I'd forgotten to tuck the drawstrings into my waistband, so when I picked up her step, guess what happened? Yep, you've got it. The knot at the end caught in a joint in the step. I didn't notice it until the bow pulled out and my pants dropped to the ground in the parking lot where we lived. And when I say to the ground, that's exactly what I mean. It was nice and sunny and about mid-afternoon when they dropped. My mother asked me what in the world I was doing when I tried desperately to get the car door around me so that I could regain my dignity. At that point, it really wasn't funny to me.

The next day, when I got back, I sent my best friend an e-mail and he thought it was hilarious. He told me that he'd have been torn between helping me get covered back up and laughing. Like he said, at least it was good underwear that showed, even if it was light and rosy.

Sometime I'll tell you about the evening my cell phone went lost. If this gives you a smile, that one will crack you up.
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I was gone for a while yesterday. I drove across the state line to get gas --- thirty-odd cents difference, so it's worth it when the state line is only about five minutes away. I'd gone to a cousin's to pick up some apples that they got for my mother and she went with me to get gas. On the way, she had little side errands to run, so we did those. Then, when I got gas, she told me that the gas was bad there because it had ethanol in it. I hated to be the one to tell her, but ALL gas has ethanol in it. And then, just as I think I'm going to get back, there was traffic gridlock on all the secondary roads around here because of a wreck on the interstate that shut down part of it for fifteen hours. Needless to say, I didn't get back before my mother awakened and about as fast as I got her breakfast to her, the cousin looked at the time and told me that she had to get home. The round trip took over an hour and a half, a trip that normally would take a half hour.

And the reason I'm telling all that is to say that I'm sorry I wasn't here to offer y'all support like I should. The one thing I can do when I'm stuck in traffic or running someone else's errands is pray. I do that on the way to the dump. Sometimes I wonder if God minds that it's easier for me to pray in the car than it is here at home, but I do it anyway. It's those times that I'm alone and I don't have to worry about who hears me or what I pray about.
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Sorry Ladeeda I wasn't even on here hardly yesterday and I just got to this morning with everything going on with my niece. I hope your son is okay Ladeeda those are pretty scary my best friend in high school had them really bad and my teachers always made sure she was sitting next to me in school just in case she had one. I knew what to do and get her down on the ground and keep everything away from her so she didn't hit into it. I was in a good mood yesterday as I found out I ended up with five more orders for water bottles from the football cheerleaders. Which is great money in the pocket YAY ME lol then add in that my landlord wants to buy ornaments from me next month which means I DEFINITELY to get them soon lol
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Good morning ya'll, I don't think in the history of this thread were there ever fewer posts than yesterday.... come on ya'll, you are my life line to sanity.... or did I just not get notified???? Is this a conspiracy to leave Ladee out of the loop? I posted about my son having another seizure yesterday and no replies... hmmmm, love ya'll anyway
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Hi all! I just thought I would jot a couple lines before going to sleep.
Brother finally called today to say he was home from his vacation...good that means he is not on my turf anymore and Mom can relax. But tonight I was disturbed by something that happened: Caregiver took mom shopping yesterday and when Mom came home she put her 3 cans of hairspray in her bedroom then forgot where they were. She said they were in the caregiver's car. When I spoke with caregiver last night he said Mom put the cans in her bedroom. Then mom talks to brother this evening, mentions she thinks she left the cans in caregiver's car, brother calls caregiver about the cans of hair spray (caregiver called me tonight to tell me brother called him). This once again is annoying me because it is a problem that is easily resolved with the parties involved HERE not almost two thousand miles away via phone call. Lo and behold, I walked into her room and found the cans just sitting there. My brother's favorite saying is "too many cooks in the kitchen" and I am tired of him being in the every day activity kitchen that I am in. I don't meddle in his financial kitchen (he handles my mom's finances) and therefore I don't want him in mine (well that WAS the agreement a year ago).
Well I am getting more caregivers in to help mom (one man, one female) to be here while I do my thing. I am being more assertive ~ telling her, not asking her~ and if she doesn't like it then she will have to stay home alone while I go out.
Someone mentioned to me that I do too much for my Mom and so I am cutting back a little bit. Although it takes her longer to search for a spoon to stir coffee in the morning, well, she has the time too look for it. I do feel relieved a bit letting go of all the things I was doing while she was ill and my brother was ruffling her feathers during his vacation and also on the other hand I feel sad because I really liked doting on her. I like spoiling anyone but not to the point that I am exhausted.
Speaking of exhausted, the heat today did me in. I came home this afternoon (class was canceled) and slept for over an hour and I don't usually do that in the afternoon. But the heat was next to unbearable. At least I am aware enough to keep drinking water. Not so tired from caring for Mom nor zapped by the heat to NOT take care of me. If I don't take care of me, no one will.
Oh yeah, and I went to Barnes and Noble and started holiday shopping. That felt good!
Good night all...thanks for listening to me vent. I appreciate it.
SDPeg
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Well ya'll I am happy to say this is the second week of everything being ok at work..... I don't know if she was testing me, or it is simply my attitude being different, but Marie has actually been human here lately.......I know I am not all stressed, being pissed off all the time, doesn't matter.... I don't dread going to work and that is all that matters.....Seems the full moon affected Sonny last night... Marie usually hears him if he gets up, but he appartently roamed around for quite awhile last night..... when she woke up this morning, he had his shirt on.... couldn't find his jeans, they were in the bathroom, wet, then he took his belt out of his jeans and put it on over his shirt.....I'm sure she was using 'that tone of voice' with him by now, and all it does is confuse him further.... anyway, by the time I got there he was dressed, and she had to vent I guess, but sure wish she wouldn't do it in front of him.....So I made a joke and asked him if he had already been in trouble this morning... he laughed and crisis averted.....
But she has been friendly, not snapping at me, and even if she starts tomorrow , I know what to do... ignore her... guess if I am not getting upset, she doesn't accomplish what she wants and it's just not fun anymore.......
But Sonny seemed tired today... guess if he was up half the night, he should be tired.....
My son had another seizure.... the ER RN gave him some numbers to contact some agencies that can help him get medical care.... they did finally put him on dilantin (sp)and potassium.... That 'mama thing' I knew something was wrong and went by to see him before I went to work, didn't come to the door... went by after work.... and could tell by the way he sounded he had had another seizure..... so a few prayers for my hard headed son..... I do not know what it is going to take for him to start taking this serious.....
anyway, hope everyone had a day that didn't make them want to go screaming down the street.....
and Shawna, from now on, I will say old ladies, Cmag and Shawna, but sometimes girl you scare me how wise you are beyond your years......Guess you and Stormy are the youngest ones on here..... I can't even remember being 33 !!!!!!!
so, love to everyone... extra hugs and love to Jam this evening, and Seeme, I am missing you......hatm ( hugs across the miles)
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What ladee said is true Story we are here for you use our shoulders if you need I got big enough ones to let you rest your head on and cry. And HEY Ladeeda who you calling old lol I am only 33 lol.. *sorry i had to say that* I am awake cause I went to bed at 11 cause mom was relaxed ate good and wanted to get some rest woke up about 4 now i am wide awake I'll probably go to bed soon. I have to go babysit my niece and nephew tonight but that's okay. OH and Jo I don't sell the water bottles at the party lol my niece E sells them at the cheerleading and football practices and games lol
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Stormy girl, don't cry, just know that there is a thread here full of old ladies, and Cmag, that have walked the path before you.... we do understand.... we all experiance fear of the unknown..... just keep letting us know what is going on, and keep coming here and venting......hugs to you
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Maya, I do not like Sonny's PA either... she is always in a hurry, will not speak loud enough for Marie to hear her, then get an attitude when she has to repeat herself, and the same type of situation happened lately with miscommunication.... Nurse called to set up an appt... was told no, he had an appt. in Austin..... she shows up anyway..... Marie was in one of her 'moods', when she walked in the door Marie says you are not supposed to be here!!! should have seen the defiant look that went across the PA's face, I thought to myself, oh yeah sweetie, go ahead and get stupid with Marie.........make my day !!!! She went ahead and left, I am sure very dissapointed she did not get to defraud medicaide out of some money..... Sonny no more needs a PA than I do....
But am very sorry to hear your mom is not healing like she should.... and in some ways what the nurses did does not surprise me..... I pray I just drop dead and do not have to go thru what I have witnessed or heard about....my best friend is a Hospice RN, we have already talked about all this..... just do not let me suffer for the sake of saying " we did all we could", just get it overwith....
Let us know what is going on and how you mom is.... and thanks for sharing your stories..... I look forward to reading them... hugs to you...
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emjo --- Have you ever read "The Yule Guest"? I sat there and bawled like a baby when I read it. Something about his poetry just touches me like that.

I started buying his books on E-bay and ended up with an amazing collection at an even more amazingly low cost. I bought a first edition of his first book for next to nothing. It appraised for five hundred dollars.

And if you read his letters to his last love, you'll see how much of a rascal he really was. She was kind enough to donate them, even though she requested that he destroy hers. Hell hath no fury....
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And that baby in the picture is where my mother got her blue eyes. She has her mother's face, but her eyes are his. I look at her and I get reminded of Granddaddy. To my grandfather, there was no problem, no illness, no setback that a bowl of ice cream couldn't fix. He would always go get ice cream to make any problem better.
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Oh, I forgot to tell you what the complication is. About two inches down inside the incision, there is a ledge and her body is producing skin to cover it with. Only the incision hasn't filled in enough for it to close yet, so they're going to have to use a scalpel to shave it off. So, my mother's about to be flayed, so to speak. I don't know if they'll do it as an office procedure or if they'll admit her. I won't know until Friday.
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My mother's incision has developed a complication. Nurse talked to surgeon's assistant and told her. Next thing I know, the appointment was moved up five days. I don't deal well with the assistant because when the latest abscess started and I called the surgeon's office to see what they wanted me to do, she was rude and basically dismissed it all. Next day, my mother was in emergency surgery for it. Assistant called two days later as I was leaving for the hospital to ask who had ordered home health and asked to speak to my mother. Imagine how funny it was to me that Miss Priss didn't even know that the surgeon had performed surgery on my mother two days before, especially since she had told me three days earlier that she is the only one he responds to. She had to do a mea culpa the next time we took my mother in for an appointment to check the incision. I wish the nurse in the ER who gave my cousin and myself supplies to clean and pack the smaller incision had to do the same. Ever hear of a nurse handing family members of a patient admitted to the hospital supplies to do something like this themselves? It really happened. She gave us packing tape that was too big to fit into the smaller incision, so I went looking for her to get the right size. If you could have seen the look on the ER doctor's face when I told him what was going on...
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maya - blooming myrtle trees and walnuts sounds great - Bliss Carman does have some wonderful descriptions and the Maritimes are absolutely beautiful - keep telling your stories - your have a fascinating family with a penchant for unusual names
cow patties are for anyone who write the post numbered ending in 00 - e.g. 3300 as you did - it is a prize for hanging in with us
ladee - hope u had some quiet time with sonny while marie got her perm
shawna - think it is a good idea to have dolls on your site too - hope u sell lots of water bottles at the party
jam - hope the col is enjoying her chair
vic -glad dad got up a bit today - sounds like he is getting the help he needs
starri -so glad your trip is going well now -see lots more travel ahead for u
stormy - doin' good girl - hope lil red is better - ladee really said it didn't she -sweetie, if ur dads thyroid has been removed he can't have Graves, I don't think - just his meds dose is too high don't worry about why in any case -it just needs to be adjusted - mine goes up and down and my daughters and we have to adjust our meds -or that dr does rather -and nobody - not even the specialists know why
ros - prayers for work for u and rest -I have seen some strange names around here - michelin - after the tires - for one
sdpeg - fear of the unknown -u got that right
everyone else - know we are thinking of you - let us now how you are
late here - having a good break, put a few pics on face book - walked , saw deer, soaked in the hot tub, while Gary baled hay - to morrow we will go to see the park -hope it doesn't rain but think we will go anyway
love, hugs and prayers♥♥♥
jo
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Stormy: I feel your pain. We all feel that fear called "fear of the unknown" and that's the ugly part of life. You and your family are in my prayers tonight. I pray for comfort, peace, strength, courage. I have walked in your shoes and empathetically send you hugs across the miles. With love, SDPeg
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Aww... Ladee you are going to make me cry......... Thank you for understanding it all (all of the above). I just feel like you have gotten me and what all I have been feeling and thinking. It is sooo frustrating not knowing from day to day. It's even more frustrating knowing that the doctors know what is going on with him and them not telling us. I just don't understand "why" they can't tell the families. It's like it's this big secret that they have to keep. I feel like they are waiting around til dad gets worse before they tell us anything or until there is nothing else that can be done. I mean; me and sis and brother know that this is a rare cancer, one that tends to spread especially the older you are dad was 76 when they found it and the size of the tumor was 5 cm size of a lemon. It was invasive into his windpipe. And they took out some of his lymph nodes also. So us sibs know that the cancer has probably spread. ( Especially since he has swollen lymph nodes in the chest,groin, neck and under each arm). But to just be able to hear it from a doctor, would mean a great deal if for nothing else then to stop all this wondering....... Because unless you know for sure there is always that little voice in your head saying "well it could be this or it could be that". Or a infection or something else. And you asked what i think is going on with dad, well i am probably wrong about this but oh well from what i have research i think dad has a autoimmune disease called graves disease. He has some of the symptoms of it and from his tsh level it was low this time and it has been fine for a long while now. Then all of a sudden it's low and it says that having a low tsh level means hyperthyroidism- which in turns you can develop graves disease. It is the most common reason why people have hyperthyroidism. Maybe one day we will find out if he has it. And as for the cancer goes i feel that it has spread to his lymph nodes or his lungs or both. Thank you for understanding it has meant alot to me. Love and (((((((((((((((Big HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))) stormyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
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Vic, I am glad your father is better... They have freed his lungs and this must be a great relief.
Stormy, your father doesn't feel well, so I think he understand by himself that there is something wrong... You might try to give him a softened version of what is going on.
Starry I am happy to see that your trip is going on beautifully... You are going to have nice weather in California!
Maya, loved your story. In Italy, during the "Dallas" period, many children were named "JR" and "Sue Ellen", which would be good if they weren't followed by an Italian name. JR Maccheroni doesn't sound good. Sue Ellen Cecioni, either. I heard with my ears a mother calling her daughter "Macarena" (in the years of Macarena of course). Some parents have named their children with the names of TV programs!!! At least Snow, Forrest, names like this, are cute.
Ladee I am happy to see you in a good mood...
Jam no hope with the chair. You can explain it 2000 times, it is pointless!
I don't feel like working but I have to.
'Night everybody!
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Stormy sweetheart my heart goes out and I will think of you tonight when I say my prayers. It can not be easy being stuck in the situation where you are not sure what to do. Loves and hugs
Mom is doing okay today ate pizza from yesterday since I couldn't eat it. Got some rest and got some work done then had to go with niece and mom to take little ones to get flu shots. Poor Alena and Nicky were screaming by the end and hiding in my lap. Working on more ornament designs and such. Maya my sister is gonna get the material next month then shes gonna try it if it works I will contact you. Niece has not popped yet and I sold another water bottle. Birthday party sunday and hopefully more orders for water bottles coming in we will see. Unfortunatly I did scare my sis tonight the phone messed up and and I had to deal with mom so she called a couple times and got no answer ... i called her back said sorry and we are okay now.
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Stormy, thanks for sharing with us about dad....yes,it makes it even more difficult if he is not even asking questions...... and if sis is in a certain amount of denial, then it really is a catch 22 isn't it.... in your heart of hearts, what do you feel is going on with him???? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I'll understand, Ok?
It has been a hard road for you two girls, and I guess I just worry about your dad and what all he may be feeling... but ya'll know what is best for him..... the whole thing just makes me so sad...... doing all this running from doctor to doctor, still no answer really, it would make me crazy, so believe it or not, we do understand why you went on the great computer search.... it is human nature to want answers when you are scaired and worried...... and I hope you know we were not fussing at you for worrying about your dad.... we just know that all that research changes nothing in the end.... but we do truly understand why you were doing it.... to get some answers..... but like so many things, we just end up with more questions....
You, sis and your dad are in my prayers Stormy, if for no other reason than to give you strength to continue to do what needs to be done.....my heart hurts for you, but know you are loved... You are appreciated for what you are doing for your dad, and you will have gained so much knowledge and experiance to help others.... at least it will give all this some kind of meaning and purpose.... hugs across the miles to you.....
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Well, Ladee I don't really think dad knows whats going on with his health. He is very hard of hearing. Completely deaf in one ear and where's a hearing aid in the other ear. So i know he probably doesn't hear too much of what is being said at the doctors visits or for that matter understands the medical termonology that they use. I don't know if dad would want to know if he is dying or not. I know sis has said recently that she doesn't know if she would tell him or not because i guess she thinks that would be the end of dad even trying to live or fight the disease. So i guess dad is probably in the dark about it all. He doesn't ask questions about what the doctors say and we don't really say anything about what they have discussed. I guess that sounds terrible that we don't tell him what is going on,but we really don't know how much to say about what could be going on with him. So we are kinda between a rock and a hard place. I just know that if the cancer has spread then i am going to have a time with sis because she is not going to want to call in hospice. I will have to be the one to do that. But she has poa i don't. She will not want to admit that the disease has won and that dad will have to find out because he will know something if hospice falls up there in the house. I will chat more later tonite got to go bathe the rug rat (Connor) love and hugs stormyyyyyyyyyyy
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