There was a fall breeze yesterday. The trees are losing their leaves and piling up in corners. The signs of fall are increasing and the mornings are cooler.
I thank God every morning for the country mornings, space to breathe, and friends who are willing to help. We have no family here, just we three, but sometimes friends are closer than family.
Peace
Monday...........Cardiologist 45 minute drive! This was for rash. He did not check incision.
Tuesday...........Home care for leg wound/physical therapy. (She checked Jack incision.)
Primary care physican for follow on procedure, he checked incision.
Wednesday.......Home care RN who also checked the incision.
Thursday.........Home care wound care/physical therapist checked incision.
Friday am...........considerable bleeding in the night, we are at the primary care doctor's office at 8:15, he called cardiologist and together they decided to removed a stitch that did not absorb and was holding the incision open. Hope blood stops now!
They really put a scare into me about excessive bleeding and rushing him to emergency, etc, etc, etc, etc, and I didn't know if this bleeding was the start of something more serious!
Oh well, just another day! LOL
No one said they had seen a reaction to Plavix, of course Jack has to have one! Doctor said you can't stop taking Plavix soooooooooooo take Benadryl!
I had a feeling that this would be the reaction I would get in an emergency room! We have sick people here, take Benadryl!
So we see primary care doctor tomorrow and see what he says, right now he is taking the 6 day methylprednisolone unit.........and still scratching!
Still trying to get Mother on more health care and more days. She didn't dress today, or comb her hair. I wasn't here and she didn't do it on her own. The lady we hired to stay with her didn't suggest to her to dress and look nice, so she didn't! This isn't like my dressy mother.
When can I leave on my vacation?
Jack was a little uneasy the first few days home. Because of sliding to the floor in the hospital twice and having to use a lift to get him into a chair, he was afraid this would happen at home.
The nurses had already confronted me with what will you do if this happens at home and I had an answer ready for them........the facility one block from me has big men, the fire department has been men, I can get help. BUT BOTH SITUATIONS could have been avoided if the nurses had listened to Jack and myself. He asked for a chair incase he needed to sit between the bed and the place he was headed, I got the chair and they moved it saying oh you are doing fine...... The other was the case of a slippery robe that gave him no seat on the chair.
Anyway, we were very cautious and didn't do the first bathroom and shower trips till Wednesday or Thursday. The hospital didn't warn us about the dye he was given, the cement effects it could cause and the rash reaction.
So of course on Friday evening he developed a rash that kept him from sleeping and by Saturday was alarming me......I had reached the panic stage. My daughter in California was giving me good advice but I was a bit handicapped with lack of knowledge, help, and support here at home.
One of those neighbors who checked on Mother came by and gave me the hospital emergency hot line with a nurse on the other end........her advice, go to the emergency room. I called the hospital where Jack had been and they paged a pharmacy who gave me little or no assistance except see a doctor. So I called the hospital back and they paged a cardiologist on duty.....Wow, he was so nice and supportive and gave me a prescription for the rash and said be at the cardiologist's office at 8 oclock on Monday morning!
I gave him the number of the only pharmacy that I knew would be open on Saturday afternoon in this country. I decided to make the 35 mile run, it would take well over an hour and Jack and Mother would be alone. So I got to the car, the previous neighbor came back to check on what was happening and said his dad was at that pharmacy picking up a prescription today...........he called and the friend said he would bring the prescription and did I need anything else?
The friend brought the prescription and dinner from the hot deli of that store (Walmart) and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Well, it is almost 7 on Monday and we are on our way to Lawton, at least 45 minutes away to see if we can catch the cardiologist.... according to the one I talked to on Saturday.....be there before 8 and catch him...so be it!
Peace
That last entry met with a bit of strange finger work or foot work by the cat.........who can say
Jack came home Monday, his home health nurse and therapist were pretty experienced in how he should be reacting and how the incision should look, so I feel pretty confident I can handle this too!
Anyway please disregard the last entry !
Peace at Marigold Country Home!
Got to bring Jack home and we were here by noon.
A friend came and stayed with Mom until we came.
The friend's husband brought us Pizza at 4 this afternoon.
I have tried to stay close because Jack is naurally weak and he doesn't get around very well. He was on the floor twice at the hospital and a 300 pound man is not someone you give a hand to and he hops right up. The asked what I would do if the ended on the floor at home and I said I would call for some big security guards at the juvie facility a block away, and/ or the city guys who are fairly big bruts, and another choice would be the fire department and tell them we had a big guy on the floor. I have done this before and know how to get him right up.
They had so much trouble at the hospital the first time he was on the floor, I said lets call the fire department and they said WE DON'T CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!..Guess that would really scare people ! LOL They had a great lift and all the staff got OJT twice around.
Jack glad to be home, and so am I maybe I will sleep a little better tonight. Peace!
The procedure went well, stint was put in where was a small amount of blockage. Dr. said we were there and had the idea to fix if we saw anything to fix, so they did!
The after heart pictures showed great blood flow! Hopefully we can bring him home tomorrow!
Need sleep! Mom went to bed last night about 6 and got up at 10, dressed, made her bed, and woke me up with all the lights on.........................it took me till 1 am to get her to decide to sit in the living room so I could turn out the lights and go back to bed.
At 2:30 I received a call from the hospital that Jack had had a bad nightmare and was confused about where he was and why and would they please call his wife because he thought that talking to me would help........I got him so spoiled!
At 2:40 I received a call from the same hospital to bring another catheter that Jack wears because the one he had was torn and needed to be replaced....I had to get Mother awake again and explain what was happening and what she could have easily for breakfast.......I have her spoiled to her pancake every morning! smiles
I got to the hospital at 4 am, procedure was to be done at 9 and it was 12 before they got to him, emergencies always happen....I got home tonight at 8.....so good night all. Peace
Another wrinkle in time............Jack went to emergency yesterday vie ambulance......he was transferred to another city because of the heart condition.......after many tests and hooooing and hummming the doctor finally say he had had a heart attack and they would do a proceedure to check damage and blockage.
Well, an infection brought this on and today the doctor finally said we had to put this proceedure off a day because of an infection........dud, I had said at least 40 times that he had a infection, the fever, and chills, and then the heart pain!........but then they never listen when they ask a question.........WHAT BROUGHT THIS ON....WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
Anyway good neighbors are checking on Mom from time to time and she has really done well with me 45 miles away at the hospital. I hope I can bring him home tomorrow...........
Peace
Going to Walmart might not sound like a great outting to you but we had not been there since before June. We shopped till I was ready to drop and then bought take out and had part of it in the shade of some trees.
I am a cheap date! But it was fun and different from our usual days. We had to hire someone to stay with Mother. Doctor said he would get her a "lifeline" emergency bracelet, and we are working on increasing her aide time. I need it! Mother needs it!
Mother spent lots of time laughing this morning. I am so glad that she found joy in some silly things we did. I think it would be wonderful to record moments everyday that promise to be special memories or just special pauses in the course of a day.
1). The warm purring of a kitten as it snuggles against your hand.
2). The sunrise as it throws it color across the sky as a ball tossed in a game.
3). The sound of a truck grumbling past the house.
4). The giggle of my mother talking about her upcoming 90th birthday.
And each day has so much to offer! Peace!
Our pastor mentioned that she wanted her hair to look nice because she was having a "date night" with her husband!
Jack and I had date night last night about 8:30, an almost empty bag of ginger snaps and some diet coke! I think my hair was combed.
This struck me as " light headed".......Jack and I have dates all the time, it might be to go to Sonic for icecream, or a drive out to the lake to see the sunrise, or ginger snaps and coke. But "date night" PPPPLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEE!
Some days really turn out nice, even when you expect gray skies!
Rain has been predicted all day..............because we have had such a crop of grass this year.........everyone was rushing about mowing their lawns before the rain so it would not be so high. Well, this week I got all of the yard mowed, even some twice. It does not need rain with the heavy dews in the morning. But I mowed and mowed and had a wonderful time, all alone and nothing to disturb me except running out of gas in the mower. Of course I had to replace three screws in the cord rotary housing. I was surprised the whole thing didn't come off sooner..........I pulled the cord to start the mower and the whole top came off of the area that has the cord spool.....wonder what would have happened ...................????????????????
Anyway I found some screws and fixed it at least temporary. And I happily mowed, trimmed rose bushes, trees and anything else in my way!
Tonight I am a physical tired which is so different from an emotional fatigue.
Peace and good coffee at Marigold Country Home.
Yesterday was so funny when it wasn't being frustrating..........................Mother could not be convienced that there were not more scorpions in her bathroom where she had been stung. This really was a tramatic event.
I told her I would clean her bathroom, take everything out and be sure there were no bugs of any kind! I started but the water had been turned off. But mother said there is water in the corner......I wondered which corner........she meant outside and she indicated the outside hydrant. Hee hee......when the water if off it is off EVERYWHERE! This has become a standard joke......if you can't find something it probably is in the corner~Realize that laughing takes the place of crying much better. And almost anything can become a standing joke!
Today I did turn out the bathroom and did not even find a silverfish! Hope she is convienced!
Peace can be found anywhere..........even in corners!
Jack and I were getting things together to go to Lawton to Pain Management Doctor...........and we had visitors. This was the man who mangages mother's land or least most of it. He had had a water well dug and a new pump put in and needed a check for the services rendered by the well construction company.
While he was here he mentioned his wife was really down, her daugher moved out into her new house, and her daughter-in-law next door moved out into their new home and she was feeling really lonesome. I had asked Mother what she was going to do......go with us and wait around or stay home where she would be comfortable........I asked if Cindy might come stay with Mother while we were gone.......called---and she would----and she did---- and we had a great stress free afternoon. Not only that she said she would come back any time we needed to get away................a great help! I really can't leave her very long at a time and we were gone 4 hours, an hour drive to.......see doctor.......shop at Sam's Club and an hours drive home.
Hey I said we live on the last frontier!
I gave Cindy a little check and she was happy, we were happy and relaxed and Mother had a great afternoon chatting,etc.
Peace at Marigold Country Home!
Monday morning...........why would we make appointments on Labor Day? Why would any self-respecting doctor have appointments on Labor Day? Because he would be out of town on Wednesday!
See primary doctor on Tuesday morning........home care therapist in afternoon............Wednesday home care nurse..........cleaning neighbor............mother's home care aide...........Thursday home care therapist.
There are the bills, bills, bills, bills, and since we are now on a fixed income these don't come easy! I pay about 75 dollars for acqua cell for Jack's wounds, one of the nurses used almost a whole sheet the other day! The sheets are about 5 inches by 5 inches! I am sure she had no idea! Perhaps home care will have ordered some by Tuesday. Our prescription insurance has passed the limit sometime back and we are now paying full price. The limit was $2500 I think.....yes we pay a lot for prescriptions. I take no prescription drugs, seldom anything for pain, and a lot of vitamins usually (when I remember!)
But this is the beginning of a new day.....PEACE!
This was an unusually cool morning, lots of dew on the grass, a lovely fall morning. I noticed a few leaves falling and hadn't realized the changing of seasons.
I think there is something about fall in the country that is just different. I know our country scene is so different from the New England country side but it has its good things. Tall grasses that are changing colors, wild flowers still blooming, cows lowing in the fields, and baby kittens learning to climb trees!
Peace!
I am tired of taking mother to an emergency room with an emergency and having to wait and wait and wait. Today I took her to the emergency and said." If there is a long wait I will take her to another town." We saw the doctor, had shot,etc and was home in an hour.........this is a record for us.
I had to pick up a prescription at a pharmacy next door and they said it would be a hour......... I said give me back the prescription, my mother is 90 and she is in pain, I will take it to another town!
It was filled immediately!.............Mother was bitten this morning by a scorpion. Not a small one......I took it with me to emergency in a bottle, since I knew they would say..........."Are you sure it was a scorpion?" They pronounced the insect as IMPRESSIVE!
Well, she has done well, considering she said it was very painful, as well as the shot they gave her was painful!
My husband is a very wise man........ I mentioned to him that she needed a bath ..and not really able anymore by herself. Jack said to her, "You know the thing I always did when I came home from the hospital was take a good hot shower to take the hospital smell off of me.! She said that is a great idea, I got her ready for a shower in Jack's handicap shower and she asked me to stay and help her.......wow, this is a first! She said she had never had anyone help her like this, and it felt strange that I had to do it." I asked if it bothered her and she said no. Another hurdle crossed in an easy way. THANKS JACK!
I might go out and mow some.........awfully tired however!
Peace!
