today we try to get mom's new partial denture fixed. The dentist who made it insists it's perfectly fine, but she has trouble getting it in and out and now one of the teeth has begun to work its way loose. Yeesh!
Trying to figure out how to fit in all the tasks before the cruise and balance time with Bob. I have taken an inordinate amount of pride in cleaning the house, but lately have had trouble keeping up. Next week brings a meeting with Bill Roth, an appt. for Mom with Dr. Knupp, training at Pitt and packing.
Randy returned yesterday and finished the back door before and after dinner. It's always nice to have someone around to provide a distraction for my mom and I think she is slowly starting to feel better after her most recent hospital stay. She does seem sad and scared a lot of the time. I'm never sure just how to deal with it, but we manage to get through the days. Trying to balance it all at times seems impossible.
Slowly in this life I am beginning to see how to manage things without expecting the impossible of myself. We'll see if that sticks.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
A scare
So, oxygen issues have been settled. I knew that once we saw the pulmonary specialist, no one would continue to talk about taking away nocturnal oxygen. The sidebar on the bed is back where it belongs, by mom's request. :) But Easter was another story. We were scheduled to have Easter dinner and the egg hunt here. She really, really, really looks forward to this, mostly I think because my sister shines and she is so proud. So we got through the Good Friday party with the volleyball crew and the Saturday dinner with the ski trip group. Mom really enjoyed that especially, since she stayed with us the whole time and loved the conversation and being included with the group.
Sunday morning was another matter. She complained of chest pains when she woke up and said she'd been having them since 5:00 a.m. I knew if we took her to the ER, they would keep her, an 85-year-old with chest pains. And they did, complete with an IV line which never had to be used. They did all the requisite tests, including another echocardiogram, and blood tests. Nothing indicated another heart attack and they said her echo actually showed some improvement over December. My sister called it: they had taken her off Imdur, which was controlling her angina pain for a decade or more, and substituted Coreg, a beta blocker which has actually made her heart a little stronger but done nothing for angina.
So now we readjust. It really does take a village, as my friend Bob once pointed out to me. Marianne kept asking about why they'd made the change, but I didn't know enough about each drug at the time to ask. And the fact is that if her own cardiologist hadn't been on vacation in December, it might not have occurred that way. She'll be back on Imdur and Coreg and we'll watch her blood pressure. I have a feeling I'll be learning that long before November when I'm hoping to train for the Normal Physical Exam at Pitt. It will feel good to go in there at that time with that already under my belt.
We need to keep in mind that none of this means she is totally out of the woods. She still has a weak heart and lungs, and still the balance issues. My plan is to hit the balance stuff hard when we return to Keystone Rehab. If she felt more confident walking, she'd feel more confident all the way around. So that's the plan.
We continue to get ready for the cruise. We'll have to finish her packing next weekend, so we may be working around our friends from Queens, who are staying in her house right now. People come and go so quickly here!
Sunday morning was another matter. She complained of chest pains when she woke up and said she'd been having them since 5:00 a.m. I knew if we took her to the ER, they would keep her, an 85-year-old with chest pains. And they did, complete with an IV line which never had to be used. They did all the requisite tests, including another echocardiogram, and blood tests. Nothing indicated another heart attack and they said her echo actually showed some improvement over December. My sister called it: they had taken her off Imdur, which was controlling her angina pain for a decade or more, and substituted Coreg, a beta blocker which has actually made her heart a little stronger but done nothing for angina.
So now we readjust. It really does take a village, as my friend Bob once pointed out to me. Marianne kept asking about why they'd made the change, but I didn't know enough about each drug at the time to ask. And the fact is that if her own cardiologist hadn't been on vacation in December, it might not have occurred that way. She'll be back on Imdur and Coreg and we'll watch her blood pressure. I have a feeling I'll be learning that long before November when I'm hoping to train for the Normal Physical Exam at Pitt. It will feel good to go in there at that time with that already under my belt.
We need to keep in mind that none of this means she is totally out of the woods. She still has a weak heart and lungs, and still the balance issues. My plan is to hit the balance stuff hard when we return to Keystone Rehab. If she felt more confident walking, she'd feel more confident all the way around. So that's the plan.
We continue to get ready for the cruise. We'll have to finish her packing next weekend, so we may be working around our friends from Queens, who are staying in her house right now. People come and go so quickly here!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Moving along
Today I don't feel like the good caretaker. An argument with my mother first thing, about the rail on the bed. She insisted it be moved down, closer to her waist, which necessitates her scooting up on the pillow. It makes no sense, which is why I had it situated where it was, but my sister moved it for her one Friday night. Now she struggles to get into bed, all the while insisting it's better.
In the meantime, there has been yet another nocturnal pulse-ox test ordered. I believe the one in November is the one they're looking at and it shows she does not qualify for oxygen. I think she actually mistakenly used the oxygen that night. There was a test run in December, but nobody seems to have the results of that one. Steve won't let her exercise without her tank, so I don't see how she doesn't qualify for oxygen.
In the meantime, we are trying, trying, trying to keep things on an even keel.
In the meantime, there has been yet another nocturnal pulse-ox test ordered. I believe the one in November is the one they're looking at and it shows she does not qualify for oxygen. I think she actually mistakenly used the oxygen that night. There was a test run in December, but nobody seems to have the results of that one. Steve won't let her exercise without her tank, so I don't see how she doesn't qualify for oxygen.
In the meantime, we are trying, trying, trying to keep things on an even keel.
Friday, January 13, 2012
January 13, 2012 New Year, new situations
I just reread my last post and it's incredible how much has happened. My mother's knee surgery went very well. I had my first case portrayal and it was a lot of fun and I got compliments from the preceptor who attended. My next portrayal won't be until next week, because of all that's happened in between.
To summarize: about a week after my mom came here to recover, she ended up back in the hospital with pneumonia. During that stay the doctors discovered that she had a heart attack sometime in November between her pre-op testing and her surgery. They probably would have canceled the surgery if they'd know, which is probably why she didn't tell anyone that she had the awful chest pains in the middle of the night. I remember a point at which she became too tired to do much of anything and we quit PT until after her knee replacement. Her energy level is very low at times, which makes sense considering that she lost a third of her heart function, and we need to monitor sodium intake and fluids more than before, but otherwise she is doing pretty well. There were a couple of weeks when she had no energy, but that is to be expected after pneumonia and with her heart issues. Her therapists are very please with her physical progress so far, and after another week or so, we will start again at Keystone Rehab.
Bob's eye is coming along. His vision hasn't stabilized yet, so his glasses are not helping much in that eye. That is frustrating because it affects most everything. He returned to volleyball this week with limited success, but is going to try again tonight. He and Bob John have been trying to get out skiing at least once before Holiday Valley, but opted out of this weekend because of the low temperatures and the wind.
I am holding my own. I have a Case Portrayal next week, which will get me out of the house and back into the swing of that. I was quite confined for a while, sometimes not leaving the house at all for almost a week. Different for me, that's for sure. I am trying to strike a balance between making sure my mom is doing the right things for herself and letting an 85-year-old indulge herself in some of the things she loves. (Her favorite snacks of olives and cheese are high on the sodium spectrum!)
Holiday Valley is coming up, and Roxann is going to stay here. My mom is actually a little more independent than she has been, able to use the bathroom by herself and get up and down more easily, so that will work.
In the meantime, the other big event was the death of Bob John's mother, Peg John. She had been in the nursing home since last March when she had a stroke. After a stint in a rehab facility, she went to a memory care place. She fell and broke her hip October and really never made it out of bed after that. He is at peace with the ending, since he knows he did everything he could and that her life wasn't really much fun for the past year.
So, we've begun a new year with new challenges. We've been pretty philosophical about all the changes and obligations, and I think ultimately we'll feel some satisfaction that we did things the right way.
Friday, November 18, 2011
11/18 The best laid plans
Well, we had a nice routine going. That was until the Mamá had a stomach virus all weekend. Then Randy got sick and spent Monday afternoon and evening in bed. Then Bob came home sick Monday, tried to work Tuesday and came home at 10:00 a.m.. Then Marianne got a stomach virus and threw up at the Penguins game Tuesday night. Randy bounced back the fastest, taking a bike ride on Tuesday after school, albeit a short one. Mama is still on slightly shaky ground, her insides gurgling a lot. Bob went back to school on Wednesday, but spent the evening under an afghan with hot tea. Marianne will finally go back to work today. And I've been knocking on every piece of wood I can find, along with taking echinacea with orange juice several time a day.
I am beginning to wonder if my skipping a flu shot this year was a foolish move. I reasoned that since I wouldn't be exposed to all the little "angels" and their germs, I should be okay. So far, so good. Lunch with Patti yesterday at Kaya was wonderful, one of those things I enjoy about being retired. She has a one-year lead on me, so I look to her for wisdom about what's to come. She agreed that for a long time there is almost a euphoria about being able to get up each day and make one's own plans. It's not as if I don't have to consider anybody else, or even as if I have no obligations. It's just different, especially with the things we were required to do for the last few years.
I had lunch with Jay on Monday, partly to get some information about the Standardized Patient portrayals from an insider. He agreed that even teaching on the university level was very different when he retired from what it had been when he started. I related the story to him about the man in the class I taught after Dr. Burrett died. He hounded me about his grade, and eventually I began to feel that for a temporary part-time gig, I was putting way more thought and getting way more stress than it was worth. But on the college level, students tend to think if they've paid their money they're entitled to a grade.
It was good to talk with Jay, because we do actually have other things to talk about than the SP program or even theatre. He does some respectable cycling, and we compared notes on bike trails. He has also done the trail near Franklin, though he said he stopped at the tunnel because he didn't have a light. He is possibly interested in trying the trail in Maine that was written up in the most recent Rails to Trails magazine. How ironic that one of the few people who does decent distances and rides fairly frequently is even older than we are.
The routine continues to settle in, despite the contagion around me. I have kept faithfully to the yoga schedule, incorporating a new video which includes vinyasas, which are good on the days I don't run or cycle.. I feel better physically than I have in a while, something I attribute directly to the yoga. I have continued with projects around the house, and hope to be able to keep a handle on things during the holidays.
In the meantime, the elderly continue to crumble. Irene is still in rehab, and Bob talked with her yesterday while I took my mother's dinner to her. (We don't want her exposed to Bob and his respiratory illness). He said she seems quite disheartened. It's ironic, since she has had her share of adversity. It's just that before now, her challenges have been emotional. Her first husband died suddenly, her son did the same a few years ago, and then Dad battled Alzheimers. During that time, she had some minor things go wrong with her, and her hip replacement, but was always strong and able to hold her own. I'm going to recommend the Benedum Geriatric Center to her daughter, in case they need to get her psychological help.
Our local mayor's wife died this week after a years-long battle with cancer. I never met her, but she was liked by one and all. Everyone I talked to said was a truly nice person she was. It makes me wonder what people will say about me!
Still on my to-do list: tea with David Lewis, calling the Watershield people, calling the exterminator back, taking more time to write. Randy is at Mary's parents' house until after Thanksgiving. That week, all hell will break loose with the knee surgery and my first SP case portrayal. Wheee!!
I am beginning to wonder if my skipping a flu shot this year was a foolish move. I reasoned that since I wouldn't be exposed to all the little "angels" and their germs, I should be okay. So far, so good. Lunch with Patti yesterday at Kaya was wonderful, one of those things I enjoy about being retired. She has a one-year lead on me, so I look to her for wisdom about what's to come. She agreed that for a long time there is almost a euphoria about being able to get up each day and make one's own plans. It's not as if I don't have to consider anybody else, or even as if I have no obligations. It's just different, especially with the things we were required to do for the last few years.
I had lunch with Jay on Monday, partly to get some information about the Standardized Patient portrayals from an insider. He agreed that even teaching on the university level was very different when he retired from what it had been when he started. I related the story to him about the man in the class I taught after Dr. Burrett died. He hounded me about his grade, and eventually I began to feel that for a temporary part-time gig, I was putting way more thought and getting way more stress than it was worth. But on the college level, students tend to think if they've paid their money they're entitled to a grade.
It was good to talk with Jay, because we do actually have other things to talk about than the SP program or even theatre. He does some respectable cycling, and we compared notes on bike trails. He has also done the trail near Franklin, though he said he stopped at the tunnel because he didn't have a light. He is possibly interested in trying the trail in Maine that was written up in the most recent Rails to Trails magazine. How ironic that one of the few people who does decent distances and rides fairly frequently is even older than we are.
The routine continues to settle in, despite the contagion around me. I have kept faithfully to the yoga schedule, incorporating a new video which includes vinyasas, which are good on the days I don't run or cycle.. I feel better physically than I have in a while, something I attribute directly to the yoga. I have continued with projects around the house, and hope to be able to keep a handle on things during the holidays.
In the meantime, the elderly continue to crumble. Irene is still in rehab, and Bob talked with her yesterday while I took my mother's dinner to her. (We don't want her exposed to Bob and his respiratory illness). He said she seems quite disheartened. It's ironic, since she has had her share of adversity. It's just that before now, her challenges have been emotional. Her first husband died suddenly, her son did the same a few years ago, and then Dad battled Alzheimers. During that time, she had some minor things go wrong with her, and her hip replacement, but was always strong and able to hold her own. I'm going to recommend the Benedum Geriatric Center to her daughter, in case they need to get her psychological help.
Our local mayor's wife died this week after a years-long battle with cancer. I never met her, but she was liked by one and all. Everyone I talked to said was a truly nice person she was. It makes me wonder what people will say about me!
Still on my to-do list: tea with David Lewis, calling the Watershield people, calling the exterminator back, taking more time to write. Randy is at Mary's parents' house until after Thanksgiving. That week, all hell will break loose with the knee surgery and my first SP case portrayal. Wheee!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
11/9 The value of routine and variety
So, here's what I've come to realize in the last few weeks. As much of a lover of routine as I am, I also need some flexibility. The last few days have finally settled into what is a heavenly way to live. With a little less yard work to do, and with cutting back PT to two days a week instead of three, my daily routine has become quite pleasant. I seem to have passed that exhaustion that I think comes with the change of seasons and I've been getting out of bed before 6:30. That gives me back the few hours I was losing to sleep for a couple of weeks. I've managed to finish the mulch, get a good handle on a housecleaning routine, exercise the way I've always wanted to and have time for some relaxation and fun. Couldn't be better.
We had a scare with Bob John's mother last week; they told him to call his brother up from Florida because they did not expect her to last the week. She rallied over the weekend, Gary returned to Florida, and she seems to be doing better all the way around. On the other hand, we found out that Irene had two toes amputated, which turned out to be better than the alternative "leg above the knee" option the doctor here was planning. Her family took her to Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion and they did a bypass in the leg to improve circulation. She is currently in rehab until she gets a handle on the walking thing again.
Had an epiphany. I am a lover of routine, so I have to be careful not to regiment myself too much. I have achieved an almost-perfect balance of routine and variety, so that my life at the moment seems perfect. I don't mean without problems perfect. Just that it's a comfortable pace, I am getting things done, I am able to relax some, I am not bored. I have enough exercise options that I can shake things up and stay in the best shape of my life. Life is good.
I have two case portrayals on my schedule for December, so I'll be getting my feet wet in the SP program. They seem to have the confidence I can handle these without an observation, so I'm going to give it my best shot. This morning I read a CNN article about people who have had memory impairment illnesses in their families and what they do to stave off the same in themselves. Ironically, ballroom dancing was considered the most perfect way to do that. It combines exercise, socializing and having to learn something, the three key items to staying healthy and avoiding memory impairment. Bob John would die!!!!
We had a scare with Bob John's mother last week; they told him to call his brother up from Florida because they did not expect her to last the week. She rallied over the weekend, Gary returned to Florida, and she seems to be doing better all the way around. On the other hand, we found out that Irene had two toes amputated, which turned out to be better than the alternative "leg above the knee" option the doctor here was planning. Her family took her to Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion and they did a bypass in the leg to improve circulation. She is currently in rehab until she gets a handle on the walking thing again.
Had an epiphany. I am a lover of routine, so I have to be careful not to regiment myself too much. I have achieved an almost-perfect balance of routine and variety, so that my life at the moment seems perfect. I don't mean without problems perfect. Just that it's a comfortable pace, I am getting things done, I am able to relax some, I am not bored. I have enough exercise options that I can shake things up and stay in the best shape of my life. Life is good.
I have two case portrayals on my schedule for December, so I'll be getting my feet wet in the SP program. They seem to have the confidence I can handle these without an observation, so I'm going to give it my best shot. This morning I read a CNN article about people who have had memory impairment illnesses in their families and what they do to stave off the same in themselves. Ironically, ballroom dancing was considered the most perfect way to do that. It combines exercise, socializing and having to learn something, the three key items to staying healthy and avoiding memory impairment. Bob John would die!!!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
11/4 Onward
It's been quite a week on the geriatric scene. My mother completed all her appointments leading up to the orthopedic man yesterday. He took one look at the x-ray of her left knee and literally apologized for not realizing how bad it must have been last year when she saw him. She has replacement surgery scheduled for Nov. 30. Recovery will mostly take place here, and he is happy about that since it apparently significantly reduces the possibility of infection.
She also got her Q-Tenza treatment on Wednesday. Hopefully soon, she will have no pain to complain about; then what shall we do?
I was just offered a case portrayal on Dec. 1. I hate to decline, since this really is a vote of confidence on the team's part, but I worry that I will be exhausted because of mom's surgery the day before. On the other hand, she will be safely in the hospital, so that would free me up.
She also got her Q-Tenza treatment on Wednesday. Hopefully soon, she will have no pain to complain about; then what shall we do?
I was just offered a case portrayal on Dec. 1. I hate to decline, since this really is a vote of confidence on the team's part, but I worry that I will be exhausted because of mom's surgery the day before. On the other hand, she will be safely in the hospital, so that would free me up.
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