Friday, December 23, 2011

Crap!

Mom is still in hospital. She is in the rehab unit, but not doing much rehab. We had a peg tube put in on Wednesday because she was not getting her meds down and it is absolutely essential that she get her blood thinner (Predaxa) down. She also was swallowing very little. She can swallow, but after a few times swallowing, she just forgets how and it just sits in her mouth until we get her to spit it out. It is very frustrating. Speech therapist has never seen a swallowing issue like this. Now they are weaning her off the IV nutrition while using the peg tube, but not allowing her to swallow anything. We didn't know it would be this way or we might not have agreed to it. She has a living will which specifies no heroic efforts. Doc assures us this is not heroic, but we want her to be able to keep working on swallowing food. They assured us that she could eat by mouth some and get her meds through the tube. So far, this has not happened and it is Christmas now and the staff is limited. The only thing she has to look forward to is eating...now we have taken that from her. She did some therapy yesterday, but was asleep when I got there after my root canal. I couldn't even make her wake up enough to tell me good night. She got gout in her good foot, which made her not be able to stand up. They gave her a steroid shot which helped that, but also sent her blood sugar through the roof. We are all frustrated.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Oh,No!

Mom has had another stroke. Happened on Friday while she was having lunch. Caregiver said her eyes rolled back in her head and she started foaming at the mouth. She called brother; he called ambulance. She also has a "rip-roaring" (doc's words) UTI. She slept all Saturday and Sunday, but today she is much better. Had a swallowing test, which showed she is able to swallow. Will start with pureed food, but she hasn't eaten since Friday. She is getting an MRI now to see if they can tell anything by that. She walked a few steps with the therapist today, but not many. Here we go again. Rehab next. She smiled big at me and held my hand and started babbling today when I walked in. Stewart was already there, so we knew she was better.

Thursday, December 08, 2011

NIght off!

My brother is back from vacation, so he and his wife sent me home tonight after I took Mom to the bathroom. I showed them how to put her to bed and I got to come home. Feels good to be home so early. I am glad they are home and Mom is delighted they are back. She really missed him. I'm going to bed now and watch TV under the warmth of my electric blanket!

Sunday, December 04, 2011

I'm tired!

I had a night off last night to go to my Sunday school party, but I was so tired that I didn't go. We had already had our neighborhood brunch, then I went to visit with Mom some. I had someone already hired for the evening, so after I gave her instructions on how to put Mom to bed, I went home, put the garage door down and went to bed. It was nice. Mom cried when the caregiver walked her yesterday, but my brother called and talked to her and she was alright after that. Today, the caregiver said there was no problem. She walked really good and didn't cry.

We are so grateful for the rain all day today. Our drought has been so severe that even the aquifers that our drinking water comes from are getting low. It is supposed to rain all night and tomorrow, so I think I will go to bed and enjoy it.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Rare day!

  • Boiled chicken and took it off bones ( for cornbread dressing on Saturday)
  • Washed clothes
  • Paid all bills
  • Went to Wal-Mart to buy stuff for our adopted soldiers in Afghanistan
  • Went to Post Office
  • Took cans to be recycled
  • Installed new cordless vac in garage
  • Toasted pecans for my world famous pralines
  • Went to bank
ALL BEFORE NOON! OMG...THIS NEVER HAPPENS!

 I am feeling rushed to get things done because my brother is leaving to go to Branson tomorrow and I will feel compelled to go to Mom's in the morning to walk her and visit with her because that's what he does and then be back there at 3P.M. for my regular shift. When he is here, he is always there when the caregiver leaves until I get there. I will have to get there at 3 this week. Mom will miss him so much while he is gone and I will also want to pop in on the caregiver since she will know he is gone and won't be popping in. I live about 20 minutes from Mom, so it is not like popping in next door. On Saturday, I have our  annual neighborhood brunch at 11 and then at  5:30 I have my annual Sunday School Christmas Party. I have someone hired to come in for my shift, but I must get in Mom's walk and a visit with her. Last year when he was gone to Branson, Mom was in the nursing home here in my town....so it was easy for me to go at lunch when my brother usually went and go back again at night when I always went. It's different this year, but I am glad she is home.


Friday, November 25, 2011

Holy Crap!

One of our night time caregivers left us a note yesterday that she wanted a raise or she would be quitting after these last 3 nights. She is getting minimum wage, which is $7.25 for doing nothing except changing a diaper a couple of times a night...no laundry, no meal prep,   no nothing but sitting. Plus, we gave her stuff from our garden...okra, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and pecans. We talked to our day time caregiver about the demands the night lady was asking for and she relayed to her that we were looking for someone else.  The other night caregiver was fine with her pay and wasn't asking for anything. Well, turns out the demander has had a change of heart and doesn't want to quit. She just called me and told me she was going to stay after reading her Bible and praying about it! Yeah...I think God told her we were going to find someone to take her place!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

My phone has been melting down today with all the Facebook birthday greetings and it has been awesome. What a great bunch of friends I have. Each of those over 100 greetings today made me stop and think about each individual and how I know that person. Most of them are students that I had at one time or another. Many of them I actually do NOT remember, but I know they know me. I couldn't dare tell them that I really don't remember them, so I cannot accept their friend request.

I visited my mom's sister today. She is in the same rehab that Mom was in last Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the rehab dining room last year. Next week my aunt will be moved to a rehab in a nursing home close to her home. She can walk with a walker, talk and use both hands, so hers was not as bad as Mom's.

Last night, we took Mom to a dinner at her church where she thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the members stood up and gave a testimony about my mom and how grateful this person was for Mom in their church while she was growing up. Mom taught Sunday School for 50 years....the little bitty children! Made big ole tears come to my eyes and I almost lost it when my brother stood up and told everyone how grateful he was for his family and that we were able to bring our mother home. Makes tears come to my eyes right now!

Anyway.....it's been a great birthday.


Monday, November 07, 2011

Uh OH!

Mom's sister had a stroke last night. Doesn't seem to be as bad as Mom's was as there is no evidence of bleeding in the brain. Doc thinks it may have been an embolic stroke which originates in the heart and moves to block an artery to the brain, but does not go into the brain. She is in ICU today. I told Mom last night, but I had to because her phone kept ringing, so she knew something was going on. She was able to sleep after I told her that it wasn't as bad as they had first thought. She has right side weakness, but is not talking yet.

Friday, November 04, 2011

Most excellent day!

Mom
My mom had an awesome day yesterday. Her sister got to come visit for the first time since coming home from rehab. Mom was so excited. They just cried and held hands. I wasn't there when my aunt and cousin arrived, but my brother said it was quite a scene. He hadn't seen Mom so excited in a long time. There are only about 14 months between Mom and her sister, with Mom being the oldest. They had another sister who died many years ago from alcoholism. Mom had been to the beauty shop, so she was looking beautiful.
Her sister

Sunday, October 30, 2011

CRY BABY!


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

It's been a while!

We almost had a crisis yesterday, When I got there at 4 my brother was outside and Mom was asleep in her chair, which she hardly ever does. We let her sleep for  a while, then tried to wake her. We could NOT! Finally, we checked her blood sugar and it was VERY low. We put cake icing under her tongue because we couldn't wake her enough to drink some coke or orange juice. We finally got her awake, but her blood sugar would not come up! We tried candy, coke, juice with sugar...everything we could get in her mouth. She finally came around, but would not eat any supper (and I had made gumbo) and remained very sleepy.


On Saturday, she scraped skin off her arm (which is very easy to do) while on her power chair in the house. She never uses it in the house, but she came in from outside and headed straight to the bathroom. That's when she got too close to a piece of furniture. It looks bad!

Not much else to report. I am just tired. It is beginning to take a toll on me. My brother is going to Branson in December and I will have it by myself for a week. I'm glad he can get away. Even if I went away, I would not be able to free my mind!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Hello!

I am sick to death of politicians! We need a clean slate!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Progress!

She is getting a little better operating her new wheels!

Monday, October 03, 2011

Good night, Mom!

Every night I put my mom to bed and tonight I remembered to turn my camera on on the iphone. She says a bunch of stuff every night that I can't decipher!

Two minutes you need to watch!

New wheels!

Wow! This has been much more difficult than we thought it would be. Mom is having trouble learning to drive! She won't watch where she is going, but is constantly looking down at the controls. She does fine outside on the driveway and she has managed to go up the ramp at the house, but inside the house is a bit difficult. It is sort of dangerous in there because she can scrape up her arms. She can't grasp that to stop, she has to just let go of the joy stick! By the way, notice the drought killed yard. That is her front yard. It is pitiful!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Great day!

Mom's caregiver had to leave at 12:30 today, but my brother didn't tell me so I went at my regular time around 3:30. Her wheelchair was in the yard and the golf cart was gone. My brother had taken her down to the pond where he was doing some dirt work on our dried up pond. When they came home, she saw me in the yard and said, "Hi, Sandy"! That was HUGE! She has not said my name without prompting since she had her stroke almost a year ago. She walked better today as well. AND...as if that wasn't enough to make my day, tonight she was sitting on the side of her bed while I was moving her wheelchair out of the way. She stood up and straightened out her gown.....by herself...no help. I just turned around and saw her do it! Surprised her as much as it surprised me!

The power chair will be here next week. That should be interesting. Today, she probably could have done it well....not sure on any other days! Some days she is really fuzzy! But, hey, some days I AM REAL FUZZY!




Sunday, September 25, 2011

Mom's New Ride!

We finally got Mom's new ride. She has been all over the property to places she hasn't seen in years. We have even been in areas that I haven't seen since I was a child walking in the woods with my dad.


This used to be our pond. The drought has rendered it almost dry. My brother has been on the tractor cleaning it all out and making improvements to it. Mom was shocked to see this!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Big week!

Had my yearly eye appointment and found that my cataracts have not gotten any worse in the last year, so no need to remove them yet. Had mammogram...no results yet. Got carpet cleaned using one of those Groupon deals. If you haven't checked out Groupon yet, it has some good deals in your local areas. We are in the process of finding a golf cart so we can take Mom around her property. We have been on this mission for 2 weeks. A family friend owns a golf cart dealership and he is not happy with the batteries in the one we are getting, so he is trying to fit it with used batteries that get a decent read on his machine. We certainly don't want to have to buy batteries for $650 or a charger for $400. Maybe this week, he will get it fixed like he wants it for us.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Enough said!


Monday, September 05, 2011

Happy Labor Day!

I hope that you are lucky enough to have a job to be off from today!

Your President is wishing the labor unions a happy day today. Yeah! They are a major part of the reason our nation is in the bad shape it is in now! People better wake up and get a clue before the next election or watch this wonderful country further decline .


Woo Hoo!

My brother got someone to come in at 5 today for Mom. He told me not to come at all today, so I didn't. I went to a cookout and socialized with my friends and had a great time. We got some residual sprinkles from Tropical Storm Lee, so it was nice and cool and windy outside. Looking forward to much cooler weather this next week...a welcome break from many record breaking days of over 100 degrees. Some days I just have to take a break!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Thank God!

Doctor could find no problems with my brother's liver or gall bladder. Doc suggested he see a cardiologist, but he probably won't since it has only been a few months since he had a stress test. I tried to find someone to fill in for me on Sunday at Mom's so I could go to a cook out, but I struck out on that. We only have one person who has done that shift since one of our caregivers had to move to Texas. She is one of the CNA's that took care of Mom in rehab and she works the evening shift there. She is working on Sunday, so she can't work. We need someone else who could fill in. I hate to be limited to only her days off to get a break for myself. Oh, well....I'll deal with it. No big deal!


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Sorry!

I have been forgetting to post here since I spend most of my computer time on Facebook. Things are going smoothly for Mom. My brother has been sick and is having a CT scan tomorrow because an ultra sound last week showed a spot on his liver. Fortunately, I had my 6 month check up with my doc and everything came out normal....no highs or lows on any of the lab results, so I'm good!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

What a week!

After moving to rehab, Mom went into complete meltdown and did nothing, but cry. Finally, after taking all I could take with her crying, I went to the nurse and asked her to start taking the necessary steps to get mom discharged the next morning. She did and we took her home yesterday. Now she is happy. Caregivers are back and we have a break again. The caregiver said she was not as weak as we thought. She was just "playing us" and it worked. She cried so much that we thought she had had another slight stroke that affected the emotion part of the brain. She didn't cry once yesterday, so perhaps not.

I enjoyed my one night away in a beautiful resort in Lake Charles and getting to see my adopted family! Had not seen the kids in over two years. The kids enjoyed the lazy river and we enjoyed the beautiful setting. After going out to dinner, I came back to the hotel, stepped in the casino and put in $20 and took out $58...went to my room!

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Time for an update!

It's been crazy! Mom has been in the hospital twice since I have updated. First, she had a UTI and was on IV antibiotics for 3 days in the hospital. She lost everything she had gained relating to physicality. Could not even stand up, so we were back to square one. We had finally got her up and walking a little bit when she had another set back...this time it was throwing up and diarrhea which sent her back to the hospital where she is now. She went there last Wednesday with a heart rate in the 30's and vomiting. Finally, an ultra sound of her gall bladder showed some small stones. She has never had that before, but doc is pretty sure that was the culprit with a small stone getting stuck in a duct and making her sick. No damage was done, so we are not doing anything about that. Heart rate has come back up after taking her off Atenelol. Yesterday, she was accepted and moved into the in-house hospital wing for rehab. Hopefully, she can regain some strength and we can continue working with her at home with my brother and me and home health physical therapists.

Tomorrow, I am taking a day off and driving down to Lake Charles to meet up with a friend from South Carolina. Looking forward to a night at L'Auberge du lac Resort.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

It's a "God thing"!


Why does blogger keep jacking with things! Leave it the hell alone! I keep trying to change the update above to red and it will not let me! WTH!
We struck out on getting a caregiver for the weekend. I had already told Mom she would just have to deal with an amateur this weekend...ME! Well, tonight our daily caregiver called to see if we had found someone. She said she would come in tomorrow. WooHoo! I will have it on Sunday, but I am happy to NOT have it during the day tomorrow. We are still in need to someone to come in the occasional evening to give me a night off. It will work out! I know it will.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Another HIccup!

Our weekend caregiver and sub for the weekly daytime caregiver had to quit to move to Texas and care for her grandchild while her daughter is in Kuwait. She really liked working for us and hated to leave. We have several leads for replacements...mostly some CNA's that took care of Mom while she was in rehab. They are really good, so I hope it works out schedule-wise for them. This would be a job in addition to their regular jobs. 

Mom now has some gout. Her feet have been hurting, so yesterday the home health nurse took blood and I just got a call that her uric acid was high. I take meds on a daily basis for gout, so I know how very painful it is.

On a personal note, I have been using my Wii fit for about a month and really feel better. It's amazing what regular exercise can do to improve overall attitude and health. It's too hot to walk outside. It's too hot to even go outside! The yoga section always makes me feel better even if it is all I do.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

MIssing in Action!

Didn't realize it's been so long since an update. Mom is back in the hospital with UTI on IV antibiotics. Been there since Sunday. She has taken a few steps backwards physically. Can't walk but a few steps with help.

On top of that her car broke down on the way to the hospital, the sewer has been stopped up again and just about everything has gone to hell in a handbasket, whatever that means! The car is being towed tomorrow. The sewer had to be dug up again by my brother and the plumber called again. Once again the caregivers had been putting those damn moistened wipes that I buy for their convenience in the toilet. We told them not to do that and also put a sign on them and they did it anyway. Well, they won't anymore because I removed them from the house. I should tell them that every time we have to call a plumber, we use more of Mom's money. When her money is gone, so are their JOBS!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

New Ceiling Fan

New Ceiling Fan

Just testing out how to do some stuff in Blogger. Not exactly planning to install a ceiling fan like this!!!

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Uh Oh!

Today was the last day that PT came to see Mom. My brother and I took her out tonight to walk on her driveway. She did really well and walked almost to the end of it. After that, he rolled her around the property so she could see his ornamental gourds. I have no idea what he is going to do with them, but they are very interesting to watch grow. He has also planted some pumpkins and some cushaw, but they are slow about coming up! Tomorrow I will check with the people that we got the wheelchair from a long time ago and see if it is now ours. It should be ours after 13 months, but all the time she was in the hospital and rehab did not count against that time. I want to get started again on trying to get a power chair for her. It was hard to push her around  in that wheelchair in the grass on the property today. Her cousin, who is a doctor, has said he will do the paperwork again to get that chair. The paperwork he did before has since expired and must be redone. We are also checking on perhaps getting Medicare to pay for the adult diapers and rubber gloves that we have to buy a lot of. They are very expensive.

Monday, July 04, 2011

Amen!

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Wow! Much needed break!

Friends and I went to an upscale steakhouse last night for dinner. We all needed the break.....one has had to put her husband in a nursing home (he's much older than her) and the other just lost her husband. I really splurged and had the lobster.....yum....haven't had lobster in many years. It should have been a short trip of about 30 minutes to get back home, but due to an 18 wheeler overturned near our exit, it took us 2 hours to go a few miles.

Yesterday, I got some solar screens installed on my huge bedroom windows. This morning I really slept in because those screens had it really dark in my room, but I can now open the blinds in the daytime and not have so much heat come in as well. Soooooo...overall, it's been a good 24 hours. Back to the grind today of doing my part to care for Mom.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Smooth sailing....

That crazy bluebird is making me crazy. He still will not stay off my windows and my patio door. I'm told he sees his reflection and is very territorial. All he does is make a mess. This is MY territory. Today I covered the panes on the patio door with with that kitchen wrap stuff that sticks to itself. I hope to retrain the stupid bird because I can't see out with that stuff on the door. He needs to go somewhere else!

So far, things are going smoothly at Mom's. Her regular day caregiver has to be out tomorrow for a doctor appointment, but she called the weekend person to come in for her. We didn't have to do anything. She is even giving her instructions about taking Mom to the hairdresser. We were very lucky to get the people we hired to take care of her. Every one is good and dependable. Mom is happy and that is all that matters. And.....we finally got an inch and a half of rain. It's not much, but it sure helped! My city has placed water restrictions effective immediately.

Friday, June 17, 2011

'nuf said!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

It's hot!

And it's way too early to be 100 freakin' degrees! My grass is dying even though it gets watered every day.  The aquifer from which our water comes is getting low due to severe drought ,,,,,so soon we will be on water restrictions. Maybe I should just go ahead and let it die, but my neighbors would not like that! We all take pride in our homes and especially our yards. I even got my yard aerated last week so the water could get to the roots of the grass and not just roll off the hard ground and thatch. Thank goodness for an air conditioner that works great! I have a call in to a company  to get an estimate on some solar screens. My neighbor got some last week and they look great and made a huge difference in the coolness in her house.

Friday, June 10, 2011

WooHoo!

I had a caregiver come in at 5 today and give me the night off...first one since October 29th. The evening was spent going to a grocery store in Bossier City and Chik-fil-A! Big night on the town, but I was glad just to go do something by myself. My friends have trouble getting together......one had to put her husband in the nursing home (he's much older than her), another has her husband in the hospital, another has her mother living with her, another is out of town caring for her mother-in-law, another is on stand-by waiting to be called to New Hampshire where her sister is in bad shape...another has her nephews here from Maui......and it just goes on and on....so it isn't just me that is tied down!!!!! I even felt guilty that a stranger was putting my mom to bed tonight. That's my job and I have done it every night even when she was in the hospital and the rehab. I have to make sure she is comfortable and tell her good night and that I love her. I told her that before I left her this evening, but it wasn't the same as telling her after I put her to bed.


We had our first major problem caused by caregivers. Someone has been putting the baby wipes in the toilet. The whole septic system got stopped up and my poor brother had to dig it all up and run the snake through it and after a couple of days of trying, he finally got it unclogged and that's what he found. Of course, no one admits to flushing those things. Only an idiot would not know those things are NOT flushable! They are not the little Charmin wipes that are flushable, but the big baby wipes! We also had to get new field lines put in today. That was not the result of the wipes being flushed, but something that just needed to be done due to roots of the huge magnolia tree which my brother also cut down earlier this week. That man has worked so hard this week and all of it at my mom's. Today after the guys finished with the field lines, my brother had to go paint at his church. He is glad this week is over. He admitted he is weary and he never says that.....he just keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny! I feel sorry for him.
Photobucket

Friday, June 03, 2011

Gotta make changes!

It has become clear to me this week that I need to find someone who can come in occasionally during the 3-11 shift that my brother and I currently cover. I had to miss a Memorial Day cookout and tonight I am missing out on going out to dinner with friends because I have to be there to prepare something for Mom to eat, take her to the bathroom and put her to bed every night. My brother cannot take her to the bathroom. People have told me that I could become resentful and I don't want that to happen. I'm on a mission now to make that happen so that I can have a little bit of a life!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Thanks!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Still not quite normal!

Although my life has resumed somewhat of a normalcy, it's not what I was accustomed to. I guess this is my new normal. At least, I am sleeping in my own bed, but there is something about changing diapers on my own mom that is just not right! I didn't think I could do that, but I have had to. I have actually come home a couple of nights before the night caregiver arrived because Mom is asleep and sleeps very soundly. Today, I actually went to Bossier City which is the next city over and much bigger. I was able to get the car washed, get a hair cut and eat some Chinese food. After returning home I have been able to get the yard treated by the yard people and get it watered in since I don't have a sprinkler system. Also, arranged to get the yard aerated next weekend. Finally, a productive day for me. Now, I'm off for my shift with Mom.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Happy camper!

I am a happy camper! Last week was an incredibly long week and I am totally exhausted. We have help hired for the 7-3 shift and the 11-7 shift. My brother and I will handle the afternoons, but tonight I get to sleep in my own bed in my own home and not get up until I feel like it. Thank you, Jesus! These CNA's and LPN's know way more than I do and certainly know how to take care of Mom. I am thrilled that she is going to have that quality of help. I'm off for a nap now!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Aye, Carumba!

This has been a most difficult week...way harder than I ever expected it would be. So much so that my brother and I are looking for Certified Nurse Assistants to hire. I am exhausted and have lost all my zeal for anything. I am not trained to care for anyone, but especially my mom who has incontinence of the bowel and the bladder. I did not know this before we got her home. There are two upsides to the whole thing...she is happy and I have lost 8 pounds since Monday. Along with the rest of my zeal, my appetite left, too! That part is cool. I am kind of hoping for the end of the world rumors to be true tomorrow.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Good bye sweet home of mine!

Tonight will be my last night in my home for who knows how long. I guess we will hire some sitters from time to time, but not for a while. Didn't sleep much last night just thinking about not getting to sleep in my home. Instead, I get to go back to my childhood home that was built when I was 4 years old! My brother and I have worked hard to get it prepared for Mom's homecoming tomorrow. I told her we had everything but the brass band. She just laughed. We have the hospital bed  and have moved furniture to make sure the wheelchair will fit everywhere. We have planted flowers and hung the hummingbird feeder. The cabinets and the fridge have been re-stocked and lots of stuff thrown out. I am mentally prepared for the transition, I think. I have my high speed internet and my laptop set up at her house and wifi so that all my iphone apps will work. I know she is ready to go home. I am going to get her soon to take her to church.

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

CRAPPY day!

When I got to the rehab center this evening, the aides couldn't wait to tell me that Mom balked again at going to therapy. One of them even told me that she said, "Hell, no"! My mother has never in her life said that, so I am really questioning what they say they heard her say. I fussed at her about not wanting to go to therapy and she fussed right back at me. I don't know what she was saying, but when I asked her if she was fussing at me, she emphatically said, "Yes"! I don't know what's wrong. She cried and I cried. I apologized for fussing at her. I don't know what is wrong, but we are going home soon and I am not going to fuss at her anymore even though we are paying $140 a day for her to get more therapy. She has no concept of that. When I left tonight, she told me to, "Be happy". I clearly understood that. I think I am just frustrated at trying to handle so much and I am just tired!!!

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Glitch #1!

We ran into a road block with Medicare today. Mom has a wheelchair at home and after 13 months, it becomes ours. However, that does not include the time that she has been in the care of others (hospital and rehab center). We have one more month left on the wheelchair. Because of this, Medicare will not pay for the power chair. We cannot start counting that last month until she gets home. Meanwhile, the paperwork on the power chair expires. It's only good for 40 days. What a freakin' mess! We simply must have the wheelchair at home, so the power chair is on hold until we get this all cleared up. The rep at the power chair store is not happy because of "all the work" she has done on this case. Whatever! We have friends here in our area that own a medical supply store and we would rather get it from them anyway, but since it was Mom's cousin who was taking care of all this, we just stood back. The therapist has reservations about whether or not Mom can operate a power chair. She may be right and, actually, she probably doesn't need it inside her home. We can just get a golf cart so she can get around the acreage and not be stuck inside if the power chair doesn't work out. We are making plans to get her home in about two weeks. The saga continues!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Mom had a meltdown yesterday and today when a therapist came to get her to walk. She refused and rambled on and on and, of course, we couldn't figure out why she wouldn't go. She cried and I cried. Today, same thing happened and Stewart was there as well, so he saw what I was talking about that happened last night. She cried again. She got alright, but she did not go to therapy. Tomorrow I will take her to her church again and I hope on Monday, she gets back to working hard. If she doesn't, then we have no reason to be there. This photo was today when my brother and I took her outside to sit for awhile.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Mom update

I spoke with the therapists yesterday and they said that after what seemed to be a plateau, Mom is once again making progress. She finally got a light brace to hold her right foot up so it cannot drag and she is walking further each day. We got a ramp built into the front door of her house and her cousin, the orthopedic surgeon, has made arrangements for a power chair. Apparently, there is lots of paperwork required by the doctor and he has taken care of all that. I have gotten internet set up at her house and moved my laptop, which I rarely used anyway, to her house. Will be getting wireless set up today, so I can use all the apps on my iphone.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

It's what's for dinner!

Sauteed vegetables and shrimp over a bed of rice!

Happy Easter to my peeps!