Just need to talk to my friends (195)

ronald71111 · April 19

Just received a message from the lady that helps with Lou. As you know, she has called sick several times lately and wasn't able to help with Lou. Yesterday after I came back home she layed down in our guest room, then went to her dr. She told me this morning that he called last night and told her to go to ER, her white blood count was 46 and something about her liver enzymes. A ct scan was done thus morning and she has a cancerous mass in her colon and will be having surgery.

As you know, from past experence there is a trust issue with caregivers for Lou. This sitter has been extremely good with her and like family. I will be praying for her and hopefully it want be to serious.

Ron

David1946 · April 19

Good morning all I am going today to see the Veterans home that I am on the waiting list if I get to be to much for my Wife to handle will let you know if I like it.

Lorita · April 19

Morning, chilly here but sunny. I have a doctor's appointment at 10:45, then grocery pickup at WM. Should be home by noon. Hope everyone is okay this morning jng. I sort of slept in and now I have a slight headache, guess I need my.hot tea.

harshedbuzz · April 19

@ronald71111

Prayers for Lou's dear friend and caregiver. Was this the same lady who was supposed to be traveling to assist her daughter?

I hope your church family can step in should you need help.

HB

ronald71111 · April 19

HB, yes, this is the same lady that was going to be with her daughter next month. She has really been a blessing to me, helping with Lou and household duties. She came for two hours a day Sunday thru Thursday. I notified my preacher this morning I would not be able to attend church services for awhile.

Ron

loveskitties · April 19

Lorita, you asked about Part F for Medicare coverage. This plan is no longer offered but is maintained for those who got it before it was discontinued. It covers all deductibles and co-pays. I have it.

I know they have added another plan similar but not as comprehensive but I don't know the letter designation.

I would not go with an Advantage plan for the reasons others have mentioned. Also have heard that it is very difficult to go back to the Medicare plans if you determine Advantage plan is not for you.

jfkoc · April 19

Plan F is a gap paying for anything A and B do not cover.

Today is the anniversary for the bombing in OKC. We remember the day with great sadness.

Lorita · April 19

Thanka for the information Marie and Judith. Don't thinkI I would need that. Back from town- gone two hours. Diagnosis was musculoskeletal strain-heart and lungs good. Also have a floating rib on each side so I imagine that's what has been against the chair arm. Said to use Lidocaine and analgesic cream on the sciatica which I have been doing- not the Lidocaine.

My doctor said he has had covid again- makes three times. Last time it was worse and affected his lungs. Was on breathing treatments for three weeks. He continued working and took the treatments in between seeing patients.

Was In and out in 20 minutes. The waiting room was empty but there were patients in treatment rooms, barely had time to catch my breath. I told him I had been sitting a lot so he suggested taking the GPs for walks. I mentioned the change in my gait and it can be partly attributed to the neuromas and wonky balance from aging.

Picked up my groceries and headed home. I saw the cutest, little car in the parking lot - a 1966 red Mustang. I didn't realize they were so little. Mine was a 65 so guess they were little.

Got the groceries wiped down and put away.

Beth, question for you- I ordered four Native Asclepias Butterfly Bouquet plants from QVC. As I wss turning the corner to go to our gate our mail carrier wss putting them in the mailbox. Opened them and they're nice plants, maybe a foot tall. They are four colors. My question is - do they require full sun? The pamphlet doesn't say but maybe I didn't see it. I remember many years ago there was one growing just off the highway on my way to work. I finally stopped and dug it up and brought it home. It was a pretty orange one but I don't remember that it transplanted well.

On the way home I saw a lot of spider? plants blooming. I've transplanted those before and they lived two or three years. Too dry right now. We are already in a moderate drought.

Zetta, time for Wagon Train and lunch.

eaglemom · April 19

I thought I'd fill everyone in on what I've done in trying to find anything out about Jo.

As I've said I've sent multiple emails and not received any response. I sent one yesterday, again no response. I do have her cell phone number and texted it - its been over 24 hrs with no response. Calling the number it rings. All of this is concerning. So I've written a note to her family and have sent it snail mail. I'm hoping one of them will respond to me.

I don't know what else to do other than hope someone from her family or she responds.

David1946 · April 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/206110#Comment_206110

I went today with my family to tour the VA home and it is unbelievable private room and private showers. Everything is state of the art and everything is all at not cost to you' Now that my family has seen the VA home they know that I will be well taken of if it gets to the point that my wife can no longer take care of me at home.

BethL · April 19

Eagle, thanks for checking on Jo.

Lorita, so good to plant the butterfly milkweed! Great for monarchs! Butterfly milkweed needs full sun to thrive. This plant needs full sun to bloom. Although it prefers sandy soil, butterflyweed grows in almost any type of soil, including gravel or clay, as long as it is well-drained. It is very drought tolerant once established. It's a great plant! It is a perennial and its' seeds fly in the wind to hopefully land and make new plants!

Lorita · April 19

Thanks so much, Beth. I think I will plant it in the NE corner of the yard where I lost a crepe myrtle, althes and the big Magnolia. They will get full sun, until late in the day. How big do they grow? I haven't seen a Monarch or any butterfly in a long time. I feed birds every day so they're around.

Thanks, Eagle, for letting us know.. Doesn't sound too good but maybe she's in the hospital without her phone. If she is, it might be the hospital north of their home. Guess all we can do is hope and pray she's okay. Hate to mention this but have you checked b their local newspaper?

Caro_Lynne · April 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/206377#Comment_206377

Thank you for the update eagle, not much more you can do! All we can do is pray for Jo and leave her in God's hands. xo

jfkoc · April 19

We have her name from Chicken Soup for the Soul and I think Iris knows the town she lives in.

Caro_Lynne · April 19

Yes Judith we have her name and someone mentioned she lives in LA.

Mint · April 19

I guess what I’ve been wondering about is if Johanna Richardson is her real name. Like we use aliases on here is it possible that as an author she did also? I have looked around a little now and then to see if I could find anything but I haven’t. I truly don’t know though, even if I’m looking for the right name.

there is only one thing that I’ve heard commented on about the F plan that is worth thinking about. As someone stated they’re not available anymore it was not an option for me. So I am on the G plan. If I understand correctly, the only difference is that I have to pay a deductible once a year. Last year the deductible was $226 and that’s all I paid for my entire hospitalization and all my other medical bills for the entire year. This year it’s a little bit higher. I forget what it is. What I’ve heard mentioned is this, your premiums are affected by the size of the pool of people that’s in that plan. So what is happening with the F plan is that the pool is decreasing because people are dying and some people are switching to a different plan . So what they were saying is, if you’re paying more than what the deductible is on the G plan, then you’re actually paying out more money than those on the G plan. The pool for the F plan is only going to continue to get smaller and smaller. It can’t increase because no one can join it. The other variable is the company you go with to get your plan in general. The more people that the company you’re with has on the F plan or the G plan the cheaper their premiums will probably be again because a larger pool of people sharing the cost. Anyway, it all gets a little complicated. But I have found a channel that I listen to fairly often. They repeat the same things basically over and over but it helps me to retain it and not forget it so I listen every once in a while. And some people may feel like they’re going to stick with the F plan, regardless of what it costs and that’s OK because we never know what they’ll do to the G plan either so just something to think about especially if your premiums get really crazy. you could always check and see what would it be on the G plan and what the deductible For it is.

Ron I’m so sorry to hear about the lady that helps you care give.

butterfly bushes, grow wild in Kentucky. They are very hard to transplant because they have a very long taproot. I do not have any at the house where I’m at now, but I have had them in the past.

take care, everyone

Caro_Lynne · April 19

Thanks for that explanation Mint. I'm also looking at the G plan but with high deductible. What part D plan do you have?

jfkoc · April 19

Richardson…could be a pen name…or her maiden name. She lives close to the coast, S of LA,, near a CostCo and a fabulous Christmas store. She also said she could not go to LA for care since the traffic made it too long a drive.

Lorita · April 19

What about typing in her name and where we think she might live. That's how Loretta got my address

ronald71111 · April 19

Update on Lou's sitter! Her son text me that she made it through surgery and everything went well.

Ron

BethL · April 19

Butterfly bush and butterfly milkweed are different plants. Lorita (and I) have the butterfly milkweed. They are small, Lorita, 2 feet high, maybe 3 feet wide maximum.

If anyone can locate/find out about our Jo, it will be Eagle. Glad she is trying. Her absence is very concerning.

Lorita · April 19

Great news, Ron. I had missed your post about her but found it. So glad surgery went well.

MInt, are the butterfly bushes you mentioned the ones with flat blooms? If so, I didn't get all if the tsp root. I always think o f butterfly bushes as the ones with long blooms.

Wouldn't the alz. Org people have her real name and address?

Darwin called to see if I was back from doctor and how it went. A real Southern gentleman he is. Yesterday on his way home from cutting down trees his Mule quit running. Another neighbor pulled him home. He called the repairman and they came and got it. Has to have a new motor p!us other things. Motor costs $2500 but a new Mule is around $18,000. Our Chuck Wagon was around $5000 many years ago. So wonder what this Gator I have would cost? Not mine- Mikes. Things are too expensive!!

Lorita · April 19

Found i! That blue flowering weed is Spiderwort! I was half right. A long time ago when we had avatars you could see someone had this flower as their avatar The blooms are a dark Beautiful blue. If it rains I may dig up some of them. They're along the right of way on the section east of us.

Mint · April 19

Caro_Lynne I have Aetna SilverScript Smart Saver. This is very much an individual thing though, so it may not be one you would want at all. I use a local agent that was recommended to me by someone. Every year you have to re-look at that because it depends on which medications you’re on and things like that as to which plan is the best for you. I’m only on two medication‘s right now they’re cheap so I’m on a plan that’s not that expensive. But anyway that information is all available to them so that you will just give them what drugs you’re on and then they plug it in and then they come up with plans that will suit you the best. I think you may even be able to do this yourself online like on Medicare website I’m not positive about that though. But I just didn’t want to mess with it. It’s like I don’t do my taxes anymore I take them to a CPA the expert that’s what I do with this too. I’m too old to mess with all this. Each year you are able to switch which plan D you are in. So each year you can set it up to fit whatever medication you are on.

Medicare School is the YouTube channel that I listened to before I went on to Medicare to get educated about Medicare.

There’s something I want to share with you that my cousin just experienced recently and she shared with us today. She asked us to share this with others to help educate people. She said she got a call and her caller ID showed it was from her bank. When she answered, the guy said he was from the fraud department, calling about a debit card ending in and he gave the four correct numbers for her debit card. Then he asked her if she had been traveling and he reported two suspicious charges from out of state stores. He knew her phone numbers, he knew her address. he sent a verification code to her cell phone and asked her to read it to him. Then he asked her for her pin number so he can deactivate it. That is when she caught on and said no I’m not giving that to you. Then he said to her look at the number I’m calling from it matches the number on the back of your card. Sure enough it did. She told him it does, but I’m not giving it to you, she said let me call you back. When she said, let me call you back he hung up. She reported this to her banks fraud department and they told her we will never ask for your pin number and they immediately canceled her card. They said this is a new scam that they’ve been hearing about a lot . So I hope this helps prevent someone from being scammed. As you know, I think I told you, my aunt just got scammed last week out of a good sum of money .

Mint · April 19

jfkoc · April 19

thanks mint…I will share

Lorita · April 19

SSo glad she caught on in time. Awful but they can get information somehow, even make voices sound like a relative who they say us in trouble. Thanks, Mint. Hope it helps.. It's good to inform it hers about scams so we can be aware.

I hate to bore you all with baby stories but.. the girls just came out of the barn and I heard a baby bawl. Went out and the youngest one was coming down the runway out of the barn. I called to him to find his mother. He stopped and looked at me like he wss listening. I saw his mom not far away so said"your mother is right down there" and pointed. He started that direction but stopped at another cow. She gently let him know he wasn't her baby. He turned and went to his mom and latched on! I saw several babies having supper after an afternoon napping. That sort of thing is my entertainment and I'm always fascinated by what they do. They are smart!

Iris L. · April 19

I'm late posting, I slept poorly and got up late, then had a doctor's appointment at noon, then I drove downtown to my rental unit to take photos. The president of our board of directors resigned suddenly, so I am now the new president. I have to make sure things run smoothly and that the building is maintained.

My neurologist is very active in my care, and explains a lot to me. He assured me that I don't have a degenerative neurologic disease, but I have a white matter disease.

Eaglemom, thank you for searching for Jo C.

Mint, what a fright for your cousin! It's good that she had the presence of mind not to give her PIN.

I don't know what Medicare plan I have, but have had it for many years, so maybe I do have plan F.

Marie, I was told the same thing, it is difficult to return to regular Medicare if dissatisfied with an Advantage plan because you could be refused on medical reasons.

Ron, I do hope Lou's sitter will recover well from her surgery. Does your church televise or video the sermons? My former church would tape each sermon, and they were available about an hour later for purchase. This was several years ago, before the popularity of YouTube.

Judith, the OKC bombing was mentioned on the radio today. What a horrendous day that was!

David, I'm glad you were impressed by the VA facility. One of the member's DH was in a VA facility, and he like being around his fellow veterans, and she was happy with his care.

Lorita, my neurologist also recommended that I take walks in the morning, he said the walks could help wake my brain up.

If you use a topical analgesic, you could try Voltaren, generic name is diclofenac, it is an anti-inflammatory medication and is available over the counter, costs about $18 where I live for one tube. It gave me good pain relief for my knees.

Yes, everything is expensive. My grocery bill used to be $75, now it is about $200.

HB, is the tea party at a Cafe or restaurant? There is a local tea party restaurant that offers a traditional English tea party, I went once it was very nice.

I keep all my appointment on my wall calendar, I write my medical appointments in green and outline the square with a highlighter for any appointments away from home. I can tell from far away if I have to get up early. I check my calendar twice a day. I learned this from the Flylady.

I have had a busy week. I'll try to rest a bit this weekend.

Iris

JeriLynn66 · April 19

Ron, I found a gumbo roux mix at the grocery and tried it today. I started with all the veggies, added chicken, sausage, tomatoes and okra. Cooked that down real good and deglazed the pot with a splash of beer. Then added butter and the roux mix. Let it rest a while then did a second rolling boil and added the shrimp. It was delicious!

ronald71111 · April 20

JeriLynn, you are sounding like cajun cook!

Ron