Just need to talk to my: friends (216)

harshedbuzz · March 9

Good morning. Sunny and headed to 69F today. I'll take it.

Lady Zetta— I've been meaning to weigh in on your watch. Mom and I both wear an Apple Watch and I asked her pulmo/sleep specialist about the accuracy of the sleep app. He said the Apple Watch was not reliable in reporting sleep amount, stages, or quality. My mom's sleep looks terrible in the watch's app but mostly OK in the app that reports her bi-pap use. She does suffer from insomnia, has both central and obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy so I would expect her sleep to look different. He does sing the Apple Watch's praises for the detection of Afib.

Beth and Iris— I hope you have pleasant travels and enjoy your whales/family. Beth— I forgot about the car's clock. Grrr. DH or DS normally manage that one. Last time, I changed it, DS had already done it for me.

Homemade devices were thrown at the mayor's residence in NYC. The FBI searched homes in my area as a result. The one house is about a mile from here in a lovely neighborhood and the other is a few hundred feet from the apartment where DH and I first lived. Yikes.

I had a rough night and slept until 8:30. That's different. PT at 1:30pm today and mom has a DEXA scan tomorrow. Living the dream.

HB

ronald71111 · March 9

Good morning,

I wonder if this is because I’m a broken down old man or if it’s normal for all the pre surgery visits. I have ENT visit tomorrow, Wednesday is echo and chemical induced stress test, 30th is a telephone interview, April 6th is ekg and lab, than April 13th surgery. I can’t ever remember going through this much on previous surgeries.

I was talking to an old classmate of mine that lives close to Branson and she told me they lived up on a hill and don’t get the tornado’s just heavy rain. I wonder if the same applies to me up on a mountain top.

I’ve been having second thoughts about building a cabin. Son and DIL leave for work early and not home till after 6, grandson is in School and after school practice for baseball and rehearsal for a play he’s in. Seems like weekends is the only time to really spend time and even then son has been working a lot of Saturdays. I’m seriously considering an assisted living in Springfield. I would be in a place that my diet would be better, have help if needed 24/7 and still able to spend time with family when they are available, plus my granddaughter lives and works in Springfield.

Ron

Carl46 · March 9

Safe travels, Beth!

HB, we are at war. We murdered Iran's supreme leader and bombed a girls' elementary school, and we can't expect that there will be no consequences. What you describe will get worse before it gets better.

Ron, that sounds like a good idea. You'll have other "broken down old men" (and women) to hang out with during the workday and your family near on weekends.

I'm off to lunch and chair chi at the sr ctr. TTYL

Iris L. · March 9

Good morning.

Enjoy your trip to TX, Beth!

Ron, whatever will make your life easier I think is a good idea. Some places call "independent living" the plan where you don't need daily assistance, but would have some people to stand by in case you need help. Plus there is the socialization. My cousin lived in a wonderful independent living residence in Northern California that offered a meal plan and weekly housekeeping. I wouldn't mind something like that for myself.

Iris

jfkoc · March 9

iI want to swim with the whales!!!

Iris,..no clocks. TV, Ipad,Mac Iphone keep me on time.

Mint · March 9

Good evening.
i thought I had just missed a couple of days. Looks like I missed a lot of days. Life has been busy with stuff, nothing special

eaglemom · March 9

Ron I think that might be a great plan for you. Clearly you've given it some thought. Equally, your alone during a good part of the day if you stay home. In an assisted living facility, you can choose to either be alone in your room or more ideally, be out with the others for meals and things that go on. The socialization would be wonderful for you. If we get to vote, I vote yes!

Iris whale watching sounds so fun and relaxing. Please do post some pictures. I'm glad you participate in these things.

HB the St Patrick's tree isn't my favorite, but DH likes it. The thank you and hug I got made up for me putting it up for him. The living room tree will be a spring tree.

jfkoc · March 9

Ron…looks like you have a lot of choices. How can we help you with this idea?

I think group living could be. a good decision for you. I know I would not like to be alone on a mountain top. You seem to be a very social guy who makes friends easily.

ronald71111 · March 9

Thank you front porch friends for your input! Ive probably already made up my mind to move, just need to convince my son. I would still have family near, so hopefully he will understand. 80 percent of the time im just as lonely now as i was in Louisiana. I will probably wait until my surgery is over to make a decision on what to do. I will probably start looking around Springfield to see where i might go

Ron

loveskitties · March 9

Ron, some tips regarding picking an assisted living place which meets your needs and wants. We just went thru this for my 101 yr old mother who did not want to leave her home.

Here in Northern Virginia we found there were two types…one with a buy-in (you buy the apartment and pay monthly fees) …the second was to do a month-to-month lease with the amount escalating based on assistance needs.
One of the issues we faced was the size of the apartments. Since you have already down-sized you probably won't have the concern. If budget allow, I suggest a one bedroom instead of a studio…makes it more homey.
Go for a tour around meal time and ask to have the meal and talk to the person who is in charge of the kitchen. Some a pretty basic and others have daily specials with options to have something off the "always available" list.
Get a monthly calendar for their activities so you can see what types they offer.
Find out what medical staff they have on site 24/7 and how close they are to your preferred ER/Hospital.
If possible get something on the floor where the dining area is and where activities are held…that way you don't have to deal with elevator traffic.
A more compact facility is a benefit…some we looked at were more like a college campus with lots of "younger folk" amenities.

I wish you all the best and I think you will like the social aspects. If you have any questions, just let me know.

Marie (aka loves kitties)

jfkoc · March 9

Ron…in good weather you could spend some weekends in the trailer…right?

ladyzetta · March 9

Good afternoon Porch Rockers.

Lorita. Im glad to hear that you're 30 miles away from the bad weather and the strong winds. Has your cat always hissed at Stormy are is this something new?

Beth. Those flowers are beautiful. Enjoy your stay and time with your family in Texas. Is it a long drive for you?

HB. Thanks for the info on the watches, my watch is a Garman, not sure what's ths best. I will ask my doctor in a few weeks, what she thinks of them . It's nice your off your pain meds, but sorry you had abad night. Im such a baby and not brave enough to go off them till the pain is gone.

Iris. Have fun in Mexico and be safe. I went whale 🐋 watch many years ago and my head was over the side of the boat the whole time. I was so sick.

Ron. I think I would like the idea of independent living. I also like the points that Marie was talking about. Judith, mentioned spending some times in your RV on the weekends. With your family being close. For all those reasons I vote yes. I would also ask if you stay in place if the time, comes you will need MC. Hopefully that does not happen. When my DH was in MC I saw moves and most were gradual moves, when the time came to make the move. Your family will surely miss you, but it may be something they are comfortable with.

Im praying for all of you to be safe during all this bad weather. When I was a kid I used to make Mud Pies, I could not eat mine. Dirt cake sounds good. Hugs Zetta

Lorita · March 9

Hi, it has been a pretty dsy but windy which is pretty normal. Storms bargain tomorrow! I'm have an 8:30: app. For fasing.blood work but I think the bad been weather will be later.

Have lots of fun on your trip, Iris, pictures please..

Ron, think about it and be sure. But if you do make the move then change your mind , it is not written in stone. My.BIL.moved into a.big complex in Amarillo for a while. He had a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen. He could have meals in the dining room or they could.bring them to his apartment with housekeeping weekly. Really enjoyed it but movrd.back home. He had two daughters in town so is okay. It sounded pretty expensive but nice. Something for all of us seniors to consider.

Time to call Darwin. Sleep well.

GothicGremlin · March 10

HB - I hear you about leaving the pain meds behind. I don't tolerate them very well either. I hope the pain isn't too bad.

People ask me about Sunday gravy sometimes, but for some reason I think it's an east coast thing. On the west coast we never called it that. Sunday gravy as you describe it sounds like our family spaghetti sauce. When I make it for me and my s.o. I add hot Italian sausages and I make meatballs (and I don't eat them), but the sauce wouldn't taste right without them. My grandmother and my mom would do a short rib version or one with stew meat every once in awhile.

Jealous of your 69 degree weather. 🙂 We're in the high 40s all week. With rain.

Iris - have a great time whale watching!!! I'm sure it's going to be fun.

Beth - Have a great time in Texas seeing your daughter and family!

Ron - everything that everyone has already said about independent and assisted living. Another thing to consider is safety. My mom-in-law who lives in Charleston, SC has to deal with hurricanes. If they have to evacuate, her facility arranges all of the logistics - transportation out of the area, and arranging places for people to stay. If you guys are in an area with tornadoes, a good facility should be able to help you if you're in a situation where you have to evacuate.

If I end up by myself, I'm definitely moving into independent and/or assisted living. My aunt, my sister, and my mom-in-law all love (or loved) the variety of food they have access to, plus all of the activities and excursions. I'd be happy just with maid service. 😄

As for me? Gym was all about strength training today. I'm a bit sore, but in a good way. Karyn and I have been adding photos to the blog - I add them, and she brightens them. I'm planning out the week and getting ready for our Bay Area trip.

Last night as I was slowing down before going to sleep I went to the Southern Living website (one of my guilty pleasures), and I found this recipe for an ice cream cake. When I'm off of this diet in April, I'm going to make that cake! It doesn't even look that hard to make, and I can make it as chocolate-y as I want.

Carl46 · March 10

I'm already in assisted living in a way. I have a housekeeper, a lawn service, and meals delivered via FEDEX. Since I get dizzy, I don't climb ladders, so someone else changes ceiling lights and furnace filters. When the real estate market recovers and I sell the house, I'll be ready to move on over there.

One thing for sure, it will be easier to move to AL before building a cabin than after.

I love ice cream cakes. Braum's make a hot fudge brownie sundae that is pretty close. Two brownies, two scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Yum!

Iris L. · March 10

Yum, ice cream cake!

As much as I love to travel and to visit places, the trip preparation takes so much out of me. I spent all day packing. I'm so exhausted! I'm going to sleep now. I hope I'll have energy tomorrow.

Good night.

Iris

GothicGremlin · March 10

I'm slowing down - the music hasn't been great at Death Guild so I'm going to sleep.

Carl - the hot fudge sundae you describe sounds so much like like a Chocolate Madness that we used to get at Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz (sad that they closed). It was a brownie as the base, chocolate ice cream, a big scoop of chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge sauce, whipped cream, with chocolate chips sprinkled on the top. So good.

ronald71111 · March 10

Good morning,

For some reason I’m now craving a hot fudge sundae. Growing up hot fudge sundae was my treat of choice! When I came back from Vietnam my Aunt took one look at me and said something about how much weight I lost. Next thing I know she left and came back with two Malt containers full of hot fudge sundaes.

Ron

eaglemom · March 10

Morning………..

Now all I can think about is a hot fudge sundae…….

I'm thinking we just might have to have an "outing" to Brawm's!

Carl46 · March 10

GG, some place I used to eat had a dessert like that called Death by Chocolate. I liked it a lot.

Mint · March 10

Good morning

harshedbuzz · March 10

Good morning. Another warm and sunny day on tap here.

Ron— I think taking your time to take next steps was really wise. An independent-level apartment or cottage in a continuing care community could be a great fit for you. I like the idea of that while maintaining the camper for weekends in pleasant weather. My uncle planned something similar when he got older; they'd retired to a cottage in Maine 18 miles out on a peninsula in the bay from town that wasn't always reachable in the winter. As they got older and had more medical issues, being in town was better. I hope your son and family accept this as a good compromise for everybody.

I hear you on the many pre-op appointments. IME, some of this is related to age/pre-existing conditions. Mom and I had TKR with the same surgeon— she had a soup-to-nuts medical clearance (you and she have many of the same diagnoses) while I did a quick cardiac and dental sign-off. He also insisted on a 2-3 day stay in the downtown hospital for her while I did "outpatient". The new surgeon ordered me bloodwork, EKG and let my own CNP sign off on the paperwork.

Carl— Your set up sounds very like mom's. Her 55+ community has a HOA fee that includes most landscaping, shoveling and outdoor upkeep as well as a host of amenities. She also has a cleaner weekly. She's been making noises about a CCRC but hasn't wanted to tour any just yet.

The hot fudge sundae sounds really good. Count me in.

HB

jfkoc · March 10

Ron…is that you in the photo???

I would start with location>transportation

Then I would look at the websites and check out the amenities/activities etc

Then get a copy of the contract> state inspection report

Last thing I would do is visit …do this more than once … I would not make an appointment for these

There a lot of choices on line…start there

added….Fair Grove has lots of opportunities

final thought…have you considered an apartment

ronald71111 · March 10

That picture was me; a 19 year old MAN the first day back home for a 18 year old BOY that left for Vietnam a year earlier.

I have made up my mind that a independent/assisted living is what i want and need. I might look a little before my surgery, but really need to eait until after where i know just what my abilities and needs are.

Ron

Iris L. · March 10

Good morning.

I'm off to Mexico. The first stop is overnight in San Diego.

Iris

Goodlife2025 · March 10

Safe travels Iris, we look forward to pictures and good stories

Lorita · March 10

OK, you all have made me want to go to Braums but the.closest one is 25 miles away so guess I will settle for coffee ice cream with a little whipped cream.

Made my doctor's appointment for annual labwork. All they did in the clinic was within normal limits except cholesterol was a little high but down 22 points from last year. Triglycerides was WNL. Will get CK,CRP glucose and other reports tomorrow.

Left Stormy in bedroom with Max. Told him I would be. home.by 10:15 but it was 10:29 and he thought I wasn't incoming back. Had half a tank of gas so filled up-$3.69 for premium. Lots of cars getting gas. Cloudy with more storms tonight, hopefully no tornados.

Sandy, thanks for the call, so enjoy our visits. Good luck tomorrow, let us know.

I

jfkoc · March 10

TORNADO WATCH…AH, THE BEAUTY OF SPRING IN OKLAHOMA! WICKED WEATHER ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WICHITA FALLS TX

jfkoc · March 11

NOW LARGE HAIL ON ITS' WAY,,,TV/MAC AND IPHONE ALL IN FRONT OF ME.

jfkoc · March 11

QUARTER SIZED HAIL HAS STOPPED…NOW A TORNADO WARNING UNTILL 11P. NOW STORMS COMING UP FROM SAN ANGELO,TX.

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO POST ALL NIGHT…JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO GO THROUGH ONE OF OUR SPRINGTIME EVENTS…LOL

Just need to talk to my: friends (216)