Just need to talk to my friends (200)

Thanks all for the kind thoughts and prayers. Mom's not rebounding as quickly as she has in the past. She's on breathing treatments, IV steroids and 2 different antibiotics. Her nurses seem very attentive.

It looks like they've tweaked her regular medications while in the hospital— Farxiga for Jardiance (maybe not on their formulary, I could bring some) and her BP meds are missing. I'm not sure what's up with that and will ask tomorrow. Ugh, most of her docs are with the Big Gun university network, but her highly regarded pulmo is with the community hospital. Given her symptoms, we opted to go for the hospital affiliated with the pulmo. Plus, the university hospital ER is just crazy; in June they stuck her in a hall for 2 days. With COVID, RSV and flu season upon us, I wanted to avoid that.

HB

waiting for daughterr to come and cut 3 inches off my hair…

Just checked thinking I could apply online for ballot.

The Standard absentee ballet requires a notary and physically absentee ballot requires two signatures. Neither required for application.

I'm curious, by absentee ballot do you mean mail-in ballot? You have to get it notarized! Wow, I never heard of that - tells you what I know. Here in Florida, I request mail-in ballot online, receive in mail and mail it back. I received mine last week, completed and mailed. Every vote counts!

Thank you for your support porch friends; I have cried so much the past few days just trying to accept the fact that my LO is gone. He's awake maybe an hour in the morning, I feed him yogurt which he can still swallow, protein shake if he takes it, change and clean him, and stay with him until he falls asleep again. My son comes over around 7ish to help me clean and change him before I go to bed. Lorita and Mint I can relate to some of the things we wish we had not said or done. I try very hard to minimize my regrets; regrets turn into guilt and what if's. We are all guilty of being human. I'm learning to forgive myself. As difficult as it is to watch my LO fade away, I will keep him home. I can understand those that cannot, no judgement here.

David I hope you find 200.

HB what's the latest on your mom?

Iris how are your travels going? Hope you can check in soon.

Eagle, Judith, Sandy, Ron, JeriLynn, Zetta, Beth, Barb, and anyone I missed, I hope you are all well xo

I think Ifinally found 200.

Here is my first post Today is went to bingo and won the fifty fifty for 14 dollars. Does sound like much but it still felt good to win.

yes, David you have found 200!

Lorita….could you post the whole title of the new thread next time you start fresh please…

Carolynne… no guilt please, ever. We do our best. This is a vey hard time for you. Please remember that we are right next to you and will be here 24/7.

Jerri lynne… sounds like you struck gold.

David…you made it!

HB…update???

Lorita, here is one I found on Amazon which looks more like a blanket. When shopping for one, check the weight on the product description…the heavier the more like a blanket. I think the thinner ones are popular because they weigh less but can still keep you warm.,.,.not like a blanket that you can use without the power to keep you warm.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Microplush-Electric-Settings-Selectable/dp/B0C5JR7FM5/ref=sr_1_7?crid=13APB32ZJMHJQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TvB6GKPHJRrqfIe8w2mqUGkzrQobe6OApndW1yVE0UX0uSWvuEjbJFvm_o7hDJ0UP3afsWbVLtelaqsoKHi_2rrX4pvicROzylUvuUdL5OycCNeS5zN-ToJjeBgII-ZXrWbl-tp4PyqbvVqj9qWh-iJmtArb50KhXIN_m_E1QlM6nKpS7lwObXoFsf6dUDjr.VY9c9COdPP5C805BA2oRrUqRtQA0EQ9DwWOumceHhUM&dib_tag=se&keywords=electric%2Bblanket%2Bqueen&qid=1729132237&refinements=p_n_feature_ten_browse-bin%3A23720538011%2Cp_n_pattern_browse-bin%3A362256011%2Cp_n_feature_seventeen_browse-bin%3A24046361011%2Cp_n_feature_eighteen_browse-bin%3A122339083011&rnid=122338189011&sprefix=electric%2Bblanket%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-7&th=1

The moon is shining brightly in my office window this morning. Coffee's ready. Banana bread in the kitchen. Come sit on the porch a bit.

We brought in or covered all the plants last evening in preparation for frost. It's still dark so I don't know yet, but DH turned on the heat yesterday… it was quite cool in the house.

Today I will start on the master bedroom to clean. DH moved the bed to the middle of the room so I can get behind there and clean the walls. It's a king sized sleigh bed and I can't move it by myself.

Have the best day everyone. BBL

Good morning porch-dwellers.

Lorita— I think tastes have changed around blankets with more folks wary of potential risks of electric blankets like fires and overheating (not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, or young children). Most people I know sleep under down and a few like a weighted blanket for better sleep. The risk of fire increases with age (so you should be fine); of the 500 fires caused by electric blankets in the U.S. a few years back, all were older than 10 years.

I'm sure the dogs enjoyed their walk.

David— Congratulations on you win! I saw your post about the VA Home. I know many of these are state-run and will vary, but the one in Philadelphia was my top choice for my dad. The atmosphere and camaraderie there was so positive. Unlike a lot of places, the atmosphere was very masculine which I felt would be a better fit for my dad. It reminded me of dad's club. I hope it's a great fit for you.

eaglemom— I hear you on the weather whiplash. I've worn everything thing from a tee shirt and sandals to a turtleneck, boots and Thinsulate jacket this week.

I hope you enjoyed the Dementia Cafe once you got there even if you were perfectly content to stay home.

Carolynne— You're human. Alas, the tender compassion that is the best of humanity comes in a package that can also experience pain and frustration in the moment. It sounds like you're doing a wonderful job of tending to your husband's care at home.

My state offers both mail-in and absentee ballots. Mail-ins are available to anyone and don't require notarization. Absentee ballots are an older option and were intended for shut-ins, folks traveling on election day and military personnel stationed out-of-state. Main-ins are pretty straightforward here. I mailed mom's ballot for her last week. DH, DS and I will vote in person.

Mint— Vent away. Sometimes venting can help you reset and return to a challenging role in better control of your emotions. Did you get your bulbs planted?

Judith— Are you enjoying your haircut. It's great that your DD can do that for you.

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The mom update. Day Four.

I discouraged DH from riding along with me. I suspect he wanted to prevent me asking my questions. Her room isn't really conducive to visiting. It's tight and, at 6'6" he takes up a lot of space. Mom was napping and her nurse was able to talk with me. I asked about the missing BP. She said it was listed as a medication but being held. He BP crept up yesterday and the nurse had already reached out to the doc about starting it back up. I shared the story of the damage to mom's option nerve from her BP being set too low and she made a note. The vision issue was a segue to the difficulty mom has seeing in low-light conditions due to her AMD and GA.

I also asked her hospitalist to ask for a pulmo consult with her regular pulmos as we'll have to do a post-hospitalization visit with them. That's on her chart for today I think. Doc says her wheeze is gone but that her lungs are still "gunky". He anticipates discharge maybe Friday earliest. He's suggesting home health after; I said I would prefer a short stay rehab stay. I reminded him that she lives independently at home and that she needs to get back to a place where she can, and intensive rehab would be best. I'm working on my top 3 choices, just in case.

She seems about the same. Her mood is great while I'm there. I helped her get cleaned up yesterday— and I think that helped a lot. PT came and did an evaluation. It wasn't great— when she stood up, her O2 dropped to 88 on 4 liters. He tucked her back in bed pretty quickly. We talked a bit about goals— she looks very frail in bed, so I have to remind them that she's typically home alone, walking to the store, not using O2 or a cane/walker. I suspect she'll be discharged with both.

I downloaded YouTube on her phone and gave her ear buds. I found some documentary of on the reign of Elizabeth II to distract her when I left. My niece dropped by after work. I'm sure she enjoyed that.

DH and I out went out to a local place for a quick bite. Some date-night, we discussed Plan Bs. I'm fortunate that he's pretty much on the same page as me in terms of playing it by ear for now. We disagreed about informing mom's sister. They're close but there's a weird competition between them that's kind of zero sum in nature. Mom and auntie visited back in August and mom's not at death's door, so I'm willing to avoid auntie's schadenfreude for the time being. I adore my mom and aunt, but the pair of them (at 86 and 89) need to knock this nonsense off.

I hope all have a pleasant day.

HB

IM hoping it is the right choice I know ot is a hard decision but it is the right decision because it's getting hard for my wife to take of me.

HB I did get the bulbs planted. I don’t feel too tired this fall. Enjoyed your information about the eyes. Hope your mom is able to regain her strength.

Yes Beth I’m ready to start cooking. I haven’t baked hardly anything this summer. I tried not to overdo it. I’m still very tired a lot of nights. The pond is very nice.

Lorita i make rice bags. Have a down comforter, polartec blanket and flannel sheets. A little while before i go to bed I heat them and put them in bottom of my bed. Keeps me cozy and i don’t have to worry about anything

I bought smoked turkey tails today. LOL I had never heard of them til yesterday. I saw someone cooking pinto beans with them. Hope i like it. Have any of you guys had them? Looks like you sort of can use them like you would a ham hock? Guess i will learn