Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Jack is improved.............
Avery nonresponsive patient.........became amusing, joking, hungry and thirsty on Wednesday. Medicine and prayers are a teriffic combination. He is not out of the woods and this is the third day which often means a rough day.......he was doing ok at three this morning but a bit confused and disoriented. The nurse said this was not unusual......and certainly not for Jack in an occasional situation (actually a lot of the time......drs say a lot of it is meds).
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Jack is very ill........
Jack was taken to the hospital yesterday........very ill. I had no idea it was as serious because the same symptoms had occured before and he had spent about 3 hours in emergency and came back to the nursing facility.
The emergency doctor told me he is "septic" don't know if that is the way it is spelled but he has an infection all over his body and in his blood. He told me I had the right to know he might not pull through this.
Several specialists were called in, his primary care doctor,etc in total four and they all said the same thing.........I called his daughter and she should be here today. My daughter is on alert if I need her but I have a strong faith just as Jack does and I feel he will pull through this illness.
We ask for your prayers and we know all of your are with us as we stand against this invasion of his body.
The emergency doctor told me he is "septic" don't know if that is the way it is spelled but he has an infection all over his body and in his blood. He told me I had the right to know he might not pull through this.
Several specialists were called in, his primary care doctor,etc in total four and they all said the same thing.........I called his daughter and she should be here today. My daughter is on alert if I need her but I have a strong faith just as Jack does and I feel he will pull through this illness.
We ask for your prayers and we know all of your are with us as we stand against this invasion of his body.
Monday, September 13, 2010
I knew this day would come..............
I have always known that someday I would go see Jack and he would not have any idea who I was. Today was really the first when I knew for sure that he did not know me and my presence angered and confused him. After breakfast which was not enjoyed by him or me......much of it spilled, eaten inappropiately, or just refused, I knew I had better spend the rest of the day doing something else. Till he is over this UTI and is much better...........I seemed to set him off.
He was really upset when I didn't let him put salt in the sugar container! Hee Hee.......what a morning that was!
Thankfully they didn't put syrup on his french toast but brought a container........or sticky hands would have been the order of the day. When you use french toast as part of a sandwich..........it can get messy.
Jack has always been so affectionate and this morning he didn't really want to kiss that strange woman! Well, maybe that was good! Except I was that strange woman. I have to laugh to keep from crying..........work, sleep, reading, I have tried to keep my mind busy.
Well, there is always tomorrow!
He was really upset when I didn't let him put salt in the sugar container! Hee Hee.......what a morning that was!
Thankfully they didn't put syrup on his french toast but brought a container........or sticky hands would have been the order of the day. When you use french toast as part of a sandwich..........it can get messy.
Jack has always been so affectionate and this morning he didn't really want to kiss that strange woman! Well, maybe that was good! Except I was that strange woman. I have to laugh to keep from crying..........work, sleep, reading, I have tried to keep my mind busy.
Well, there is always tomorrow!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
PLEASE FALL COME QUICKLY!
The hot nights and even hotter days have been around just long enough for me to look forward to fall. Fall or Autumn has never been one of my favorite seasons. Everything always seemed so drab and dead. But years ago we went to the East coast to see the colors and I really enjoyed that trip. What I have failed to notice that here in Oklahoma we have a vivid range of colors of our own. After the extreme heat and hungry grasshoppers my fall flowers have already tucked their heads and refuse to even look like they might burst forth in color........rats!
Well there is always next year!
Well there is always next year!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Notebook............
Well, I just finished Nicholas Sparks's The Notebook..............please do yourself a favor, and read it if you feel strong enough. It is a beautiful love story that is rare indeed but it is the story of what diseae and age does to the body and relationships. I thought it would be a short read but could not read very long at a time especially at the end. I actually feel better having read the book. I feel I am better equipted to say Good-by when the time comes.
There are times when one reflects on life and the road never traveled that lays ahead. Younger family members should read this book as a manual in dealing with aging and the aging relatives. Although fiction one feels that this book is probably more based on true facts that textbooks on a medical shelf.
Those of you who haven't thought about it.............it is time to write a notebook yourself on your youth. I was telling my daughter something about where I had lived as a child and she commented that she didn't know that.........and I realized somethings will become dust and gone if not recorded for our families to enjoy on a stormy evening in front of a real wood burning fire............not a fake fire in a fake fireplace.
Planted some new iris plants today........different colors.........filling in the enply places in the flowerbed and hoping for some bright colors. Mentioned I was going to an Iris Sale and my daughter discovered a whole new part of my life.
It is hard for my to imagine the generation who does not know how to hang clothes on clothesline. We have elected to keep the traditional and antique..hee hee clothesline in our backyard......things do smell wonderful after hanging on the line. And when the dryer dies there is always an option.
Jack is having some bad days.....I go but leave the nursing to the professionals. I am learning when I am actually better now at letting someone else take care of Jack. I am the visitor, the comfortor, the loving spouse, and they are the caregivers. (But I am the one watching and reminding and asking for.........still caregiving! lol)
There are times when one reflects on life and the road never traveled that lays ahead. Younger family members should read this book as a manual in dealing with aging and the aging relatives. Although fiction one feels that this book is probably more based on true facts that textbooks on a medical shelf.
Those of you who haven't thought about it.............it is time to write a notebook yourself on your youth. I was telling my daughter something about where I had lived as a child and she commented that she didn't know that.........and I realized somethings will become dust and gone if not recorded for our families to enjoy on a stormy evening in front of a real wood burning fire............not a fake fire in a fake fireplace.
Planted some new iris plants today........different colors.........filling in the enply places in the flowerbed and hoping for some bright colors. Mentioned I was going to an Iris Sale and my daughter discovered a whole new part of my life.
It is hard for my to imagine the generation who does not know how to hang clothes on clothesline. We have elected to keep the traditional and antique..hee hee clothesline in our backyard......things do smell wonderful after hanging on the line. And when the dryer dies there is always an option.
Jack is having some bad days.....I go but leave the nursing to the professionals. I am learning when I am actually better now at letting someone else take care of Jack. I am the visitor, the comfortor, the loving spouse, and they are the caregivers. (But I am the one watching and reminding and asking for.........still caregiving! lol)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
loneliness
The nights are long........the days sometimes are even longer. I spend a lot of time at the nursing facility where Jack now lives, but it still doesn't fill the empty void at our home.
The responsibilities of the house and the community felines just doesn't fill the hours well enough. I need a hobby that totally comsumes my attention..........
I have painted but have no interest there anymore.
I took some linedancing classes but my feet have had so many fractures since I have been in Oklahoma that they just would not hold up to the "beat"!
I read a lot but even that sometimes reaches a limit.
Any suggestions?
The responsibilities of the house and the community felines just doesn't fill the hours well enough. I need a hobby that totally comsumes my attention..........
I have painted but have no interest there anymore.
I took some linedancing classes but my feet have had so many fractures since I have been in Oklahoma that they just would not hold up to the "beat"!
I read a lot but even that sometimes reaches a limit.
Any suggestions?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The phone rang at 3:45 am
The nursing home called...........Jack had a fall, but he was alright. He is one of the many patients that have a star on their wheel chairs or power chairs because they tend to fall. He had trouble sleeping and had been to the nurses' desk.........back to his room and from his power chair to his lift chair he lost his footing.
I have learned to listen to the nurses and if they say he is alright I take their word for it and he had not called me so I didn't go to the facility. Although I didn't go back to sleep. Later he complained of this hand hurting and today mobile x-ray came out to check out the hand.....all seems to be ok.
Don't we all sleep with one ear for the phone?
I have learned to listen to the nurses and if they say he is alright I take their word for it and he had not called me so I didn't go to the facility. Although I didn't go back to sleep. Later he complained of this hand hurting and today mobile x-ray came out to check out the hand.....all seems to be ok.
Don't we all sleep with one ear for the phone?
Monday, August 23, 2010
When the phone rings..............
Is it just me... or does everyone who is a caregiver, or has someone in a nursing facility or hospital, just always think the worst?
I still feel like a caregiver because I am constantly monitoring my husband's progress, changes in behavior, reactions to medication, and general well-being.
Sometimes he calls ( and gratefully he can still use the cell phone) and he is just not himself and the next time he is jolly and full of a funny story. Today I just have one of those feelings that things are just not right but can't put a finger on it.
Maybe because it is a full moon and the hottest day we have had this year.........when the heat indext is 112 degrees you just feel different. However, I just wonder how he really is medically. Even doctors don't always understand how a disease progresses in each person.
When the phone rings I always just want to expect a positive call, perhaps that is always the best attitude.
GOODNESS IT IS HOT!
I still feel like a caregiver because I am constantly monitoring my husband's progress, changes in behavior, reactions to medication, and general well-being.
Sometimes he calls ( and gratefully he can still use the cell phone) and he is just not himself and the next time he is jolly and full of a funny story. Today I just have one of those feelings that things are just not right but can't put a finger on it.
Maybe because it is a full moon and the hottest day we have had this year.........when the heat indext is 112 degrees you just feel different. However, I just wonder how he really is medically. Even doctors don't always understand how a disease progresses in each person.
When the phone rings I always just want to expect a positive call, perhaps that is always the best attitude.
GOODNESS IT IS HOT!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Today....right now........that is the time!
Sometimes one begins to wonder about tomorrow........stop right there! Today is all that is important.
There will be good days when I can understand all that Jack is trying to communicate to me. There will be days when I have no clue. But the thing that he has never had trouble with are the words "I love you", and making that very plain.
There are times when we get so caught up in the 'what is' and 'what will' that we forget to just enjoy the 'just now'. A wise person told me once.........grab the moment and hold it close, that is the essence of memories.
I have spent so much time at the nursing facility the past year and a half that I feel I am a part of the building. The staff are good and try to do everything possible to make the residents comfortable. Sometimes we just are so focused on our loved one that forget that the patient needs to just be a part of the whole and not a "me".
I am learning to help Jack wait.........and waiting is difficult, but having every wish and whim immediately granted isn't good either. As the Parkinson's progresses the personality changes and impatience is the first emotional signpost I have been able to make out. Jack is impatient with himself as well when he can't communicate or move the way he wants.
I am also learning to judge what is fact and what is supposed fact. A good example is: Jack has just received his meds........a few minutes later he is complaining that they are late again with his meds.
From time to time I hear about the second story of the building and he has found how to get there. (There is no second story.) Sometimes I get call from Jack about a problem and after I drive 10 miles to the facility, he was mistaken, and greatly embarassed. Helping him through these painful times is just part of loving your spouse.
Most of all I am learning that showing LOVE is understood and communicated without any barriers in the mind. The brain can be a broken machine but the love cells still function.
The Oklahoma Irrigation story that you might have read in Patrict's blog was a reality but he would laugh that the irrigation ditches I dug that year are back and there is a constant drip into a large terricotta bowl and then there is the overflow under the elm trees for the "town cats" to lay in a cool damp place during the days of expreme heat warnings. These cast off animals are the furry things that keep my blood pressure low, my sense of humor in tact, and my cat food budget constantly strained. But my Mother (passed in 2008), and Jack constantly reminded me that these are God's creatures and not to let them starve............or get thirsty ..........or too hot! lol
There will be good days when I can understand all that Jack is trying to communicate to me. There will be days when I have no clue. But the thing that he has never had trouble with are the words "I love you", and making that very plain.
There are times when we get so caught up in the 'what is' and 'what will' that we forget to just enjoy the 'just now'. A wise person told me once.........grab the moment and hold it close, that is the essence of memories.
I have spent so much time at the nursing facility the past year and a half that I feel I am a part of the building. The staff are good and try to do everything possible to make the residents comfortable. Sometimes we just are so focused on our loved one that forget that the patient needs to just be a part of the whole and not a "me".
I am learning to help Jack wait.........and waiting is difficult, but having every wish and whim immediately granted isn't good either. As the Parkinson's progresses the personality changes and impatience is the first emotional signpost I have been able to make out. Jack is impatient with himself as well when he can't communicate or move the way he wants.
I am also learning to judge what is fact and what is supposed fact. A good example is: Jack has just received his meds........a few minutes later he is complaining that they are late again with his meds.
From time to time I hear about the second story of the building and he has found how to get there. (There is no second story.) Sometimes I get call from Jack about a problem and after I drive 10 miles to the facility, he was mistaken, and greatly embarassed. Helping him through these painful times is just part of loving your spouse.
Most of all I am learning that showing LOVE is understood and communicated without any barriers in the mind. The brain can be a broken machine but the love cells still function.
The Oklahoma Irrigation story that you might have read in Patrict's blog was a reality but he would laugh that the irrigation ditches I dug that year are back and there is a constant drip into a large terricotta bowl and then there is the overflow under the elm trees for the "town cats" to lay in a cool damp place during the days of expreme heat warnings. These cast off animals are the furry things that keep my blood pressure low, my sense of humor in tact, and my cat food budget constantly strained. But my Mother (passed in 2008), and Jack constantly reminded me that these are God's creatures and not to let them starve............or get thirsty ..........or too hot! lol
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Shower to cool the air........and make lots of humidity!
Well, we received a welcome shower last night but the counter part is lots of humidity. When the nights are 80 what do you expect during the day?
Yesterday was not a good day for Jack. He had chest pains and his legs were so painful as well. The nurses finally told him that he could expect the pain as part of the disease and they would help as much as they could with medication. The chest pains seemed to be indigestion and when I alerted the nurses they took care of that. Jack doesn't want to be a complainer so he won't say anything when he is in discomfort. He lets me do that! LOL In fact he felt so bad he ate very little lunch but in the evening they brought him his evening meal and he was looking forward to it when he gave me the 5 o'clock call.
Days are difficult. I find that sometimes it is just hard to go to the nursing home. I know I will find problems, discomforts, and in general life breaking down. I understand why many don't go, although the visits are so looked forward to by the patients. The smells, the pain, the constant reminders that life is so out of their control. Some of us who are there everyday become hardened to the obvious and just look into the eyes and try to make smiles. I do lots of back rubs. One lady said, "She always rubs my back when she goes by and it feels good." I also give a prayer in that touch that the day will go well for that lady. Jack wants lots of smooches.......to keep him reassured that I love him. Sometimes their situations are not very lovable but the patients stay as lovable as ever.
I do a bible study every week,sometimes I forget to sign in.......like this week. I must do that! We have been trying to do a little craft project with the bible study. We made pots of flowers when we studied about the potter and the clay. This past week we decorated flyswatters when we talked about swatting the "flies" that annoy our daily walks with the Lord and with others. I found some bibles at a thrift shop.......many come to the facility straight from the hospital with few or no possessions.
The bibles are already finding homes. It helps to really know these people, and find ways to reach out to them. If I can inspire them for a few minutes every week, that is great. We average from 12 to 14 and that will grow I hope.
I have been going to an exercise class. Yesterday, I gave up early after 45 minutes of constant movement in a hot room, I decided I had reached my limit. We have a fan but it is just not enough to keep the air moving and do any cooling. I went right to the grocery store which I knew would be cold, and soon felt better. The heat and humidity are really wearing us down and summer has just begun! lol
Blessings on all of you........caregiving is a big responsibility. Mine has shifted somewhat but I still am constantly involved with my husband everyday.......usually twice or more depending on the activities of the day. The facility is 10 miles away but sometimes I just have to go back again! smiles No one knows the weight on the shoulders until they carry the load!
Yesterday was not a good day for Jack. He had chest pains and his legs were so painful as well. The nurses finally told him that he could expect the pain as part of the disease and they would help as much as they could with medication. The chest pains seemed to be indigestion and when I alerted the nurses they took care of that. Jack doesn't want to be a complainer so he won't say anything when he is in discomfort. He lets me do that! LOL In fact he felt so bad he ate very little lunch but in the evening they brought him his evening meal and he was looking forward to it when he gave me the 5 o'clock call.
Days are difficult. I find that sometimes it is just hard to go to the nursing home. I know I will find problems, discomforts, and in general life breaking down. I understand why many don't go, although the visits are so looked forward to by the patients. The smells, the pain, the constant reminders that life is so out of their control. Some of us who are there everyday become hardened to the obvious and just look into the eyes and try to make smiles. I do lots of back rubs. One lady said, "She always rubs my back when she goes by and it feels good." I also give a prayer in that touch that the day will go well for that lady. Jack wants lots of smooches.......to keep him reassured that I love him. Sometimes their situations are not very lovable but the patients stay as lovable as ever.
I do a bible study every week,sometimes I forget to sign in.......like this week. I must do that! We have been trying to do a little craft project with the bible study. We made pots of flowers when we studied about the potter and the clay. This past week we decorated flyswatters when we talked about swatting the "flies" that annoy our daily walks with the Lord and with others. I found some bibles at a thrift shop.......many come to the facility straight from the hospital with few or no possessions.
The bibles are already finding homes. It helps to really know these people, and find ways to reach out to them. If I can inspire them for a few minutes every week, that is great. We average from 12 to 14 and that will grow I hope.
I have been going to an exercise class. Yesterday, I gave up early after 45 minutes of constant movement in a hot room, I decided I had reached my limit. We have a fan but it is just not enough to keep the air moving and do any cooling. I went right to the grocery store which I knew would be cold, and soon felt better. The heat and humidity are really wearing us down and summer has just begun! lol
Blessings on all of you........caregiving is a big responsibility. Mine has shifted somewhat but I still am constantly involved with my husband everyday.......usually twice or more depending on the activities of the day. The facility is 10 miles away but sometimes I just have to go back again! smiles No one knows the weight on the shoulders until they carry the load!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Father's Day
Holidays are sometimes traumatic. I purchased a rather expensive men's Cologne for Jack for Father's Day. Well, we have had some things "walk", usually small things like room spray,etc. Sometimes his glasses disappear but seem to reappear with a little searching in nearby rooms or "walkers" pockets.
This time all the searching and questioning seem to turn up nothing. I happened to have the receipt because the store told me to return it if the scent was not agreeable to Jack. He is very sensitive to odors.
After an investigation they said they would give me a check for the item. I told them to forget it, things like this could happen with lots of visitors, etc. But they insist that is Jack's home and to take things from his home is definitely wrong.
I think they have some suspicions about the disappearance.
But otherwise the day was fairly nice........roast pork which neither of us like.........but I had a salad for Jack and we shared the vegetables on his plate....and I had made a cheese cake for him. We faired very well!
The symptoms are becoming more pronounced. Jack is very agitated, easily brought to tears. He has threatened the staff because they are not being good to him. His threats are to turn them in....to whom? Or into frogs? lol Anyway they seem to understand this is the disease.
His eating habits are really getting messy and he gets really upset about the food being wrong for his diet. Which is heart healthy. There are some mistakes but for the most part quite acceptable. Just not to him!
He keeps commenting "he is afraid". He can't tell what he is afraid of or afraid of what.......but I think he is feeling the loss of control of his life. Yes, that is very frightening!
Blessings for the day to all!
This time all the searching and questioning seem to turn up nothing. I happened to have the receipt because the store told me to return it if the scent was not agreeable to Jack. He is very sensitive to odors.
After an investigation they said they would give me a check for the item. I told them to forget it, things like this could happen with lots of visitors, etc. But they insist that is Jack's home and to take things from his home is definitely wrong.
I think they have some suspicions about the disappearance.
But otherwise the day was fairly nice........roast pork which neither of us like.........but I had a salad for Jack and we shared the vegetables on his plate....and I had made a cheese cake for him. We faired very well!
The symptoms are becoming more pronounced. Jack is very agitated, easily brought to tears. He has threatened the staff because they are not being good to him. His threats are to turn them in....to whom? Or into frogs? lol Anyway they seem to understand this is the disease.
His eating habits are really getting messy and he gets really upset about the food being wrong for his diet. Which is heart healthy. There are some mistakes but for the most part quite acceptable. Just not to him!
He keeps commenting "he is afraid". He can't tell what he is afraid of or afraid of what.......but I think he is feeling the loss of control of his life. Yes, that is very frightening!
Blessings for the day to all!
Friday, June 18, 2010
I Wish I Knew When the Storms...........
I finally had a chance to talk to the nurses that were with the doctor when Jack said that the doctor said he could go home...............well, actually Jack asked if he could go home and the doctor gave him the standard I will talk to the family but at this time you need to be right where you are!
One nurse said that is a typical male.........only heard what he wanted to hear! But even though it might be funny to think about it after the fact it caused some loss of sleep and real worry. The head nurse said he wants to go home so badly that he heard just that. Yes, Jack wants to go home but I am not able to take care of him 24/7 like they can at the nursing facility. Actually I could not take care of him for an hour probably because he does need a lot of attention which he doesn't realize that he gets. Nurses are always patroling the hallways looking in rooms and checking on patients. He doesn't always see them and doesn't realize that they are there.
He has not mentioned the idea again so guess somewhere down in his heart he knows that this isn't a possibility. At least I don't have to address this problem today! The home moved Jack out of his room for about 4 hours, painted, stripped the floors and put on 6 coats of wax, did the windows,etc. They also wanted to shampoo his chair and came to the house and moved another twin chair up to the facility so there will always be two chairs for him to use. Also, there will be a place for me to stay if I need to, or can rest during the time I am there. Jack does not use a bed, but an electric lift chair that flattens out into a sleeping position. Because of his lack of mobility since hip surgery he is not able to lift his legs on to a bed and when he gets into bed he can not move himself about. He found out just how difficult that was again when he was in the hospital in August if 2oo9. With the lift chair he can sit up, stand up, then sit down again and lay back to rest.
The day they came after the chair he had a real meltdown.........said he was 80 years old and all he had was a room and two chairs to his name!
He had been "hearing about women who took everything their husbands had", and they were bragging about it! Another event with the brain playing tricks...this is happening more frequently. He hears, see, knows, dreams, or thinks about things until they become reality. The man across the hall has been saying his wife has all his money,etc. It doesn't take much to influence another patient or give them ideas. We have already been through the "another man" stage. The only other men in my life or the "gay (fixed) cats" that live at this house! lol
The stages of Parkinson's Disease vary with every patient. I am glad the nurses at the nursing facility are familiar with those stages. I sometimes forget to recognize something as just one of the things with go with the disease. This isn't an easy life.
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!
One nurse said that is a typical male.........only heard what he wanted to hear! But even though it might be funny to think about it after the fact it caused some loss of sleep and real worry. The head nurse said he wants to go home so badly that he heard just that. Yes, Jack wants to go home but I am not able to take care of him 24/7 like they can at the nursing facility. Actually I could not take care of him for an hour probably because he does need a lot of attention which he doesn't realize that he gets. Nurses are always patroling the hallways looking in rooms and checking on patients. He doesn't always see them and doesn't realize that they are there.
He has not mentioned the idea again so guess somewhere down in his heart he knows that this isn't a possibility. At least I don't have to address this problem today! The home moved Jack out of his room for about 4 hours, painted, stripped the floors and put on 6 coats of wax, did the windows,etc. They also wanted to shampoo his chair and came to the house and moved another twin chair up to the facility so there will always be two chairs for him to use. Also, there will be a place for me to stay if I need to, or can rest during the time I am there. Jack does not use a bed, but an electric lift chair that flattens out into a sleeping position. Because of his lack of mobility since hip surgery he is not able to lift his legs on to a bed and when he gets into bed he can not move himself about. He found out just how difficult that was again when he was in the hospital in August if 2oo9. With the lift chair he can sit up, stand up, then sit down again and lay back to rest.
The day they came after the chair he had a real meltdown.........said he was 80 years old and all he had was a room and two chairs to his name!
He had been "hearing about women who took everything their husbands had", and they were bragging about it! Another event with the brain playing tricks...this is happening more frequently. He hears, see, knows, dreams, or thinks about things until they become reality. The man across the hall has been saying his wife has all his money,etc. It doesn't take much to influence another patient or give them ideas. We have already been through the "another man" stage. The only other men in my life or the "gay (fixed) cats" that live at this house! lol
The stages of Parkinson's Disease vary with every patient. I am glad the nurses at the nursing facility are familiar with those stages. I sometimes forget to recognize something as just one of the things with go with the disease. This isn't an easy life.
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!
Friday, June 11, 2010
new developmrnents
It did shower last night.........but the biggest storm came by way of a phone call...........Jack said the doctor said he was able to go home???????????? There is a mistake somewhere! After a year and four months in a facility........he is able to be cared for a non professional? No, I am not able to lift this 300 pound man, cope with the sometimes violent reactions to anger, and professionally monitor his on going physical condition.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Those six orphans!
One evening a young man came to my door and asked for help. He had found six kittens and a mother that had died not too recently. He lives in our town but isn't home much and he said he just could not let them starve and die. WHAT SHOULD HE DO? I suggested several options but not seemed to be available so you know what I said.......go get them. He brought them in a big box and they ended up in my bathroom. I got them to drink a little warm milk then took them to the garage and put them in my van.......still in the box. I planned to sleep not listen to kittens mewing. I carried those kittens around a couple of days because I was not sure what my old cat that lives in the garage would do..........I had often seen him hostile toward other cats.
I finallly gave up..........got another box about the same size and cut connecting openings and taped them together with grey tape. Covered the top with window screens that I seemed to have from somewhere, put them in the middle of the garage and covered them on cool nights. When it got hot the ceiling fans blew overhead. Well I lost two not because they were cared for but they were just too small and had gone too long without food. I was feeding one with an eyedropper. The absolutely amazing thing was they all except the little one went to canned cat food like crazy! I was thankful for that. Finally after about 5 or 6 weeks they were outgrowing the boxes and I had to made a decision.
They went to the barn and I fixed a new box with screens and a big pedestal fan right over the top. So far they are doing great. The box is just for security if some other cat comes to bother or another creature. It has a little opening cut in the side and watching them someout into the world for the first time was a neat experience. I found three other orphans and two of those survived making 6 furry creatures. They have the whole barn. They have discovered the automatic feeders with meow mix already there, pans of water and 9 litter boxes. This is what you call a deluxe hotel for cats!!!! They seem to think I am their mother and want to play when I go out to feed them. So far they are quite tame and will make someone a great playmate. I gave them a flea treatment. We seem to have a lot of tiny flea like things that are really bothering the cats and me after I have been to the barn. Is theysomething called grass fleas! Cable people are here........must sign off.
I finallly gave up..........got another box about the same size and cut connecting openings and taped them together with grey tape. Covered the top with window screens that I seemed to have from somewhere, put them in the middle of the garage and covered them on cool nights. When it got hot the ceiling fans blew overhead. Well I lost two not because they were cared for but they were just too small and had gone too long without food. I was feeding one with an eyedropper. The absolutely amazing thing was they all except the little one went to canned cat food like crazy! I was thankful for that. Finally after about 5 or 6 weeks they were outgrowing the boxes and I had to made a decision.
They went to the barn and I fixed a new box with screens and a big pedestal fan right over the top. So far they are doing great. The box is just for security if some other cat comes to bother or another creature. It has a little opening cut in the side and watching them someout into the world for the first time was a neat experience. I found three other orphans and two of those survived making 6 furry creatures. They have the whole barn. They have discovered the automatic feeders with meow mix already there, pans of water and 9 litter boxes. This is what you call a deluxe hotel for cats!!!! They seem to think I am their mother and want to play when I go out to feed them. So far they are quite tame and will make someone a great playmate. I gave them a flea treatment. We seem to have a lot of tiny flea like things that are really bothering the cats and me after I have been to the barn. Is theysomething called grass fleas! Cable people are here........must sign off.
Hee hee when you make a mistake.....go big time!
I have made so many mistakes this week that I am probable the queen of error!
Couldn't sign into this blog..........then when I did I found two and didn't know which was which........one of those days when it was easier to create a new blog that argue with a computer! Well I hope I have the right entry!
I am off the continue to build a wider life........hopefully not physically. A neighbor asked me to go to an exercise type of class and I said that would be great........it really is a line dancing class........I have taught line dancing to elementary students but that was YEARS ago! I am calling it an exercise class because that is what it will be for me. Finding things to do to broaden the outlook on my exisitance in this small town is what I am trying to do.
I think I have mentioned somewhere and maybe I need to update my profile.....but I have been in LAY TRAINING and currently fill the position of lay leader in my small town church. My position was important since we have had no minister and Sunday we will again have someone in the pulpit. We have had ministers and lay speakers for the last 4 months and I have not enjoyed the added responsibility as a church leader. But I have learned so much........much I didn't want to know but it was part of the ballgame!
I have started the summer bible study at the nursing home and enjoy it so much because the people are so loving, supportive, and responsive. I guess last year my most talked about study was "What does the Bible say about Cowboys?" That one really had them going. Next Tuesday we are talking about CLAY POTS! I have been approached to take a Sunday afternoon service at least once a month because the present minister wants to branch into additional outreach. Eventhough I have been certified ??? as a lay speaker I am not sure this is something I want to do.
Time and the Spirit will tell me I hope........anyway Jack is about the same....he will see a doctor today and will get an update on his medication,etc. Yesterday I went to a restaurant and ordered two big taco salads for our lunch, we do take out often. Well was I glad I had made that decision because turkey casserole and squash with barely done rolls was on the menu. Jack told me that he had made up his mind to not complain but just eat whatever they put in front of him or just not eat. But when I mentioned the salad he was delighted. We both ate every scrap and enjoy the mutual company! Most of the residents had gone on a field trip to a local museum and we were mostly alone and it was a fun time.
Tomorrow I will tell about the latest orphans that I have taken in!
Couldn't sign into this blog..........then when I did I found two and didn't know which was which........one of those days when it was easier to create a new blog that argue with a computer! Well I hope I have the right entry!
I am off the continue to build a wider life........hopefully not physically. A neighbor asked me to go to an exercise type of class and I said that would be great........it really is a line dancing class........I have taught line dancing to elementary students but that was YEARS ago! I am calling it an exercise class because that is what it will be for me. Finding things to do to broaden the outlook on my exisitance in this small town is what I am trying to do.
I think I have mentioned somewhere and maybe I need to update my profile.....but I have been in LAY TRAINING and currently fill the position of lay leader in my small town church. My position was important since we have had no minister and Sunday we will again have someone in the pulpit. We have had ministers and lay speakers for the last 4 months and I have not enjoyed the added responsibility as a church leader. But I have learned so much........much I didn't want to know but it was part of the ballgame!
I have started the summer bible study at the nursing home and enjoy it so much because the people are so loving, supportive, and responsive. I guess last year my most talked about study was "What does the Bible say about Cowboys?" That one really had them going. Next Tuesday we are talking about CLAY POTS! I have been approached to take a Sunday afternoon service at least once a month because the present minister wants to branch into additional outreach. Eventhough I have been certified ??? as a lay speaker I am not sure this is something I want to do.
Time and the Spirit will tell me I hope........anyway Jack is about the same....he will see a doctor today and will get an update on his medication,etc. Yesterday I went to a restaurant and ordered two big taco salads for our lunch, we do take out often. Well was I glad I had made that decision because turkey casserole and squash with barely done rolls was on the menu. Jack told me that he had made up his mind to not complain but just eat whatever they put in front of him or just not eat. But when I mentioned the salad he was delighted. We both ate every scrap and enjoy the mutual company! Most of the residents had gone on a field trip to a local museum and we were mostly alone and it was a fun time.
Tomorrow I will tell about the latest orphans that I have taken in!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010DO YOU EVER WONDER...................?Do you ever wonder just what the future holds? Well, it is something we all do and yet we really don't want to know too much. If your family member is ill with a progressive disease like MS or Parkinson's Disease..........each day brings changes and more questions about the next stage of development. Jack is having some changes in his behavior and the changes come slowly and then wham they seem to explode! Right now he is very angry and upset with all the things that are happening. If he makes some small mistakes he seems to just react with strong emotion. Having a power chair sometimes isn't as good a thing as it has been for many years. The chair "all on its own will jump to a high speed"! Then Jack becomes angry and jams the chair into tables chairs or whatever is handy. If he backs into someone.....they ran into him.......(typical man? LOL) But dangerous if I were taking him out to a restaurant or entertainment. In the controlled environment of the care facility there isn't much he can damage expect other residents or me. I have had my feet run over and it's always isn't just a little thing. He has had a permanent cathater put in and it isn't working out as well as we had hoped. It is quite painful and something must be wrong. I hope the nurses and doctor can work out the problem for Jack's sake. His medication isn't always just on time and the results are muscles that won't work and a mouth that is so drawn aside that it is difficult to understand what Jack is saying........he also says he had difficulty breathing........some of this is the panic he feels when he is so out of control.I still go twice a day on most days..........it is getting so hot now I may cut that down because of the extreme danger to be out and about with the high humidity and heat index. Jack's daughter hasn't been here since last year and he would so like to see her. Her job and life style prevents her coming too often.For Christmas 2009 I made a wall hanging for Jack's room and it has all the things he has done in his life. Movies, plays, music, military, career, hobbies, volunteer activities and so many aspects of his life. It keeps him focused on how good life has been. Residents and visitors who drop in have something to start conversations and take away some good stories about Jack's life.This life alone is quite lonely to say the least for both Jack and I but we are making it day by day.............I looked forward to Spring now I am looking forward to Fall!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
March marks a milestone..........or a year stone?
Jack has been in the nursing facility for over a year now. I have to say that the professional care and social interaction is really great.
Care isn't as fast as Jack would like it and sometimes he gets really frustrated when an aide says " I'll be right back.. and doesn't come right back", but there are always distractions and sometimes people do forget to come right back. That is what that call button is for. But as far as the professional care.....it is good. Doctors advice is always available to the nurses and they come regularly each month and on call in an emergency. There isn't that need for appointments and long waits. If the nurse says this is an emergency......things get taken care of.
I was concerned when Jack caught a cold and had all the uncomfortable symptoms but I was assured he was taking medication to help his body fight on its own. And of course I caught the cold from him and wasn't so successful in making short work of the situation. Again it is reassuring to know someone is taking good care of him.
During the period when there was no power and water........I was comfortable knowing he was receiving care and generators were being connected. There were some night terrors until I could get a battery powered lamp to him but by that time the generators were rumbling along and THERE WAS LIGHT. The same situation with water made things a little dicy but water came on faster there than it did for the local area so again he was in good hands. Nursing facilities were at the head of the line for help in those situations.
The social situation in a nursing facility is always a plus. Recently there was a wedding and Jack was asked to be the "best man". The family picked someone else but the groom had chosen Jack. Currently Jack is trying to help another resident in adjusting to home away from home. Jack keeps telling the wife, that he himself had gone through those stages and he and I survived! smiles The resident cries a lot and Jack is a good listener. Everyone seems to look out for each other and check on each other even if they can't do much, they care. A friend of mine has her mother in the same facility. She is 107 and the friend is pleased with the daily dressing and grooming of her mother, in addition to the care.
The food is always a problem. Some love everything, others like Jack are critical and picky but that is fine. He knows some things he should not eat and sticks to his guns about dark meat, gravy, heavy sauces, and lots of carbs. Most residents in this area like those southern comfort foods, but Jack is a salad guy instead of a meat and potatoes man. I supply lots of cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and sometimes crackers. The wife of one of the residents brings Jack goodies and that is wonderful....she stays and chats and that is a boost to morale.
I am usually at the facility twice a day. I do not take him out anymore. I cannot do it physically and he isn't always able unless his Parkinson's meds have been given recently. Also, there are sometimes emotional and physical changes occuring quickly and beyond my abilities.
Jack needed a new power chair but Medicare will not provide one for someone in a nursing facility. The local store provides a lot of help with the chair and they found a "almost like new" one that is exactly like the one he had so we made a seat switch and same considerable $$$$. A rental was 13 dollars a day until the switch was made and it was different and more difficult to operate. I have noticed that Jack isn't quite as accurate with his power chair and a lot of bloody knuckles, bumps, and "runs into" are on the list these days.
I have been doing the April scary deadline tax (lol) and am shocked at the amount of medical deductions there are this year. We are private pay and that takes a toll on savings accumulated over the years. Hope Uncle Sam has a gentle heart this year when it comes to returns.
I hope I can keep the blog up to date now........life seems to have lots of interuptions that keeps me from writing......or wanting to.
COME QUICKLY SPRING!
Care isn't as fast as Jack would like it and sometimes he gets really frustrated when an aide says " I'll be right back.. and doesn't come right back", but there are always distractions and sometimes people do forget to come right back. That is what that call button is for. But as far as the professional care.....it is good. Doctors advice is always available to the nurses and they come regularly each month and on call in an emergency. There isn't that need for appointments and long waits. If the nurse says this is an emergency......things get taken care of.
I was concerned when Jack caught a cold and had all the uncomfortable symptoms but I was assured he was taking medication to help his body fight on its own. And of course I caught the cold from him and wasn't so successful in making short work of the situation. Again it is reassuring to know someone is taking good care of him.
During the period when there was no power and water........I was comfortable knowing he was receiving care and generators were being connected. There were some night terrors until I could get a battery powered lamp to him but by that time the generators were rumbling along and THERE WAS LIGHT. The same situation with water made things a little dicy but water came on faster there than it did for the local area so again he was in good hands. Nursing facilities were at the head of the line for help in those situations.
The social situation in a nursing facility is always a plus. Recently there was a wedding and Jack was asked to be the "best man". The family picked someone else but the groom had chosen Jack. Currently Jack is trying to help another resident in adjusting to home away from home. Jack keeps telling the wife, that he himself had gone through those stages and he and I survived! smiles The resident cries a lot and Jack is a good listener. Everyone seems to look out for each other and check on each other even if they can't do much, they care. A friend of mine has her mother in the same facility. She is 107 and the friend is pleased with the daily dressing and grooming of her mother, in addition to the care.
The food is always a problem. Some love everything, others like Jack are critical and picky but that is fine. He knows some things he should not eat and sticks to his guns about dark meat, gravy, heavy sauces, and lots of carbs. Most residents in this area like those southern comfort foods, but Jack is a salad guy instead of a meat and potatoes man. I supply lots of cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and sometimes crackers. The wife of one of the residents brings Jack goodies and that is wonderful....she stays and chats and that is a boost to morale.
I am usually at the facility twice a day. I do not take him out anymore. I cannot do it physically and he isn't always able unless his Parkinson's meds have been given recently. Also, there are sometimes emotional and physical changes occuring quickly and beyond my abilities.
Jack needed a new power chair but Medicare will not provide one for someone in a nursing facility. The local store provides a lot of help with the chair and they found a "almost like new" one that is exactly like the one he had so we made a seat switch and same considerable $$$$. A rental was 13 dollars a day until the switch was made and it was different and more difficult to operate. I have noticed that Jack isn't quite as accurate with his power chair and a lot of bloody knuckles, bumps, and "runs into" are on the list these days.
I have been doing the April scary deadline tax (lol) and am shocked at the amount of medical deductions there are this year. We are private pay and that takes a toll on savings accumulated over the years. Hope Uncle Sam has a gentle heart this year when it comes to returns.
I hope I can keep the blog up to date now........life seems to have lots of interuptions that keeps me from writing......or wanting to.
COME QUICKLY SPRING!
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