03/31/09 At Moms

It's me again,

Well I arrived at mom and dads on Sun 3/22/09. Dad was doing well enough that they took him back to Manor Care,from Hemet hospital,on the same day I got down here.He's been doing great walking with help.He's also talking very clear and understandably and his vocabulary is much better then a few weeks ago.He still tries to eat his dessert first but mom is doing that "mom thing and making him take 1 or 2more bites first."

The day I got here mom was complaining about a sore spot on her head.I looked and thought it looked like a spider bite.It was hurting down onto her forehead only on the right side.By Tue. morning she had a couple of red blotches on her forehead and the pain was getting unbearable so I took her to the ER.SHE HAS SHINGLES,of all things.By now all she wants is something for pain.Gave her that!Now she can't go see dad because she's contagious.So I take COCOA to see him.He's sort of ok with that but not really.He really wants to see mom.OH WELL WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DO.By Fri. moms getting worse.Can't hold anything on her stomach and has the back door trots.I thought it was her meds. but NOPE,[that's 2 times I thought and 2 times I was wrong]I started throwing up and had the trots.Hers started around 4 in the afternoon and mine started about 9pm.

Okay.My brother Ed,has been remodeling their master bath so we can use a wheel chair for dad when he comes home.Mom tells me we can't use that bath because Ed said not to use it.We have one bathroom and 2 women with stomach and major bowel trouble.BOY,am I glad I brought my mohome this trip.This could have been a disaster.Anyway Mon.I had to take her back to ER.because she can't hold anything on her stomach.She was getting very dehydrated and needed some kind of meds.to stop the vomiting.They oh so helped her.She's about a day behind my recovery now and finally able to eat very small amounts of food.She thinks she might live now.And I know I will.

IT IS SOOOO GOOD TO BE ALIVE.

In the mean time I've been trying to fix some window problems in the mohome.THEY'RE TRYING TO FALL OFF.I keep losing the nuts that hold the crank arm in place.I HAVEN"T BEEN ABLE TO FIND REPLACEMENT PARTS ANYWHERE.

4/07/09 Moms

Sorry I lag so bad.I've been busy trying to get dad back home.All of us kids talked and decided it was time to bring dad home.We all feel he's making himself sick because he's worried about mom .

I talked to him and found out he thought he had to be able to walk in order to come home.NOT TRUE. We just want him to be happy for the rest of his life.We don't care if he comes home in a wheel chair or walker or gurney.We just want him to be where he belongs,and that's at home with mom and Coco.

Well long story short ,with the help of his DR.we were able to get him home on Sunday.He couldn't believe he was coming home so soon.

He's doing great,eating like a horse and trying his best to get stronger every day.Being home has been very good for both he and mom.Coco is very happy to have her dad home too.

Now is the work part for mom and me.I'm teaching mom how to transfer him from place to place.It's not too hard for me because I out weigh him by 75#.Mom is having some trouble because they weigh the same amount and he's alot taller then she is.So she's afraid she'll drop him.She really can do it she just needs to practice.She's doing much better every time she tries and he's getting stronger every time we get him up.So between the two of them they are doing great.

I won't go home until she can get him in and out of their van,so she can take him to appointments and to church.I might be here along time but it's necessary.

I did finally come up with a solution for the windows in the mohome,and it's working.

Well that's about it for now.

I'll talk to you all later.

Take care.

Jan

Home 3/21/09

Hi all, it's me again.
I've been very busy since I got home.I was able to get my garden in and most of my flower bed done.Marion and the boys will have to do the rest after I leave.I'm going to take off for moms in the morning.I'm feeling like I really need to be there for mom.Every thing with my dad was going great and all of a sudden he started getting weak and showing signs of internal bleeding again.He's in the hospital again and they did find a large ulcer in his esophagus.The Dr. cauterized it to stop the bleeding.They're not sure if it worked or not because his hemoglobin is still low after 2 units of blood.So he's staying in the hospital because along with every thing else his heart isn't working right and they may have to put in a pace maker.I really think I should be there to help out if I can.
I promise to write more after I get down there.I'll talk to you later.
Take care.
Jan

Moms House 2/20/09

Hi all,

Well this has been a very productive couple weeks.Mom's doing pretty good on the pacemaker.She's having a little trouble with her meds.The pacemaker has an internal chip with memory.When the tec. downloaded the memory it showed a couple of irregular heart beats.Her heart was doing the rapid beats again.Not as fast as before,and not stopping like it did before.Just some speeding up,so the Dr. gave her some new medication.

March 6th

Boy have I been gone awhile.I came home on Feb.28Mom and dad are doing very well.Mom was a little scared to be alone until the tec told her that the pace maker was working great.Then she told me to go home.My only problem with leaving was moms arm.It had been hurting her for 10 days or so.I tryed to get her to call the Dr.I didn't want to go until she was checked.If she couldn't drive she'd need me to stay.She finally called the Dr.on Wed. and saw the Dr. on Thur.The Dr.said it was a pinched nerve in her shoulder,but she would be able to drive and do all normal stuff.So I left on Fri.

My dad is doing great.His therapy is going soo well.He's trying sooo hard.His therapists are working even harder then he is.They really care and do everything they can to help him take care of himself.When I left they were teaching him how to get out of bed and how to get into his wheel chair.

When he's ready to come home I'll go back down and help them get into some sort of routine.

When I got home every thing was good.Some cats were happy to see me and others wouldn't come to me for three days.

Marion is so good at taking care of things around here.She keeps my house running so well I think she wants to take over all the time.

On Sat. Derek called to tell me I'm going to be a GREAT NANA.He and Sassy are expecting some time in Oct.I've got very mixed emotions.I think the kids are too young to be bring a baby into the world but I also feel that I have to think back to when I got married.I to was 18yrs.Derek will be 19yrs. in May ans Sassy will be 18yrs.in Aug.

I wish for them, that they had waited a little until they're married, but then many ,many of us didn't wait and we got the best that life has to give.We got the love our spouse and a baby to go along with it.

We as parents and grand parents need to give them the best support and love and understanding we can.

Some of us didn't have that support and had to go it alone.That has to be toughest thing in the world.I don't know if I could have done it.

I think I've given enough talk for now.

Take care

Jan

From moms 2/10/09

Hi all,

I made it to my mom and dads house on Fri.We've been alittle busy so I haven't been able to write.

The first pict. is of my mom and dad.The sec. is of the weird side of my family.

Like I said before mom and dad are both doing very well.dad is coming along good on his physical therapy.He's able to move his right upper thigh some and they're teaching him how to use his right arm.This is going to take some time but we're all in it for the long haul.

If I haven't told you before my dad Jess is my step dad.He and my mom have been married for 14yrs.She couldn't have fallen for a better man.He is the kindest gentlest man I've ever met.He's the DAD that we've always wanted.[my 2 brothers ,my sister and I]There is no way we could ever love anyone any more.

Mom is doing great.She's actually doing what the Dr. told her to because she doesn't want to be away from dad.It upsets him too much and he falls behind on his therapy.

She has an appointment with the cardiologist 23rd. so I'm staying at least that long maybe until the 1st. of Mar.We'll see.

I got here on Fri and my brother Frank asked mom if he could fix dinner Sat.nite for his son John and grandson Aiden? Mom told him he'd have to do it all because she couldn't and I'm rotten and wouldn't.He said that was fine.That was dinner for4.Mom told him how to make braised beef and noodles.By the time everyone called we had 12 coming for an impromtue party.There were 8 adults 4 kids and 4 dogs.IT WAS GREAT.

We haven't all 4 been together in a long time.Franks dinner was great,Peggys salad was great and Pegs dessert was great too.

While we were eating dinner my daughter Stella decided to take picts.So we gave her the see food version of our family.Photo 2.

Any way they stayed to clean up and everyone was gone by 9:00.It was a GREAT EVENING

That's about all for now.

Take care.

Jan

I'm still home 2/06/09

Hi all,

Well I thought I'd be on my way to moms house this morning,but that's not happenen.I'm still not feeling up to par so I decided to wait one more day.I'm sure I can leave in the morning.The one thing I don't want to do is give mom and dad what ever I've had.The Dr. said it was bronchitis.I think that's how you spell it.It just means I cough alot.The cough is much better and I really do feel better just not quite good enough.

At least I'm all packed for Hershey and me.Her suitcase is almost as full as mine.After all I only have clothes.She has food,toys, snacks and chewies.These are the things every good traveling dog has to take with them.This doesn't include the stuff she'll share with Coco.

Mom and dad are both doing pretty good.Moms doing great and dad is good now that moms ok.

Frank will leave on the 14th.so I need to get to moms so he's free to do some other stuff before he has to go.

My eye problem was sort of like looking thru a dirty screen door.My eye Dr. said it might be the start of an infection. So he gave me antibiotics and so other drops.Any way they seemed to work.My screen door got washed and the lines are starting to smooth out.I AM OH SO HAPPY!!

Well that's about all for now.Hope to talk to you from moms tomorrw.

Take care

Jan

Home 2/1/09

Hi all it's me again.
My mom came through the procedure with flying colors.She's doing well and I guess they'll do more tests later to see if there are any blockages any where.
So we're good for now.
My brother Frank is down from Portland and is going to stay an extra weed so he can help mom out.I'll see both of my Drs. tomorrow to get my eye checked out and my GP for something for this stupid cold or virus that I've had since the beginning of the year.I don't like not being available when I'm needed.
Fore right now everyone is doing good.My sisters and brothers are doing really good.
Most of all is a BIG Thank you to God.AMAN.

Take care
Jan

Home 2/1/09

Hi all,
Today is a pins and needles kind of day.My mom,who has always been the strength of our family,is having a pacemaker attached to her heart.
I told you in my last blog that I wouldn't be able to go down for the birthday party for my dad because I didn't have the money.Well ,I was and am still sick too.
Yesterday afternoon my sister Peggy called to say mom was dizzy and light headed while they were having the party for dad.The nurse at the rehab.told Peg and my brothers Ed and Frank to take her to the ER.My mom,being My MOM wanted to see her Dr.instead.Her Dr.was at the hospital seeing patients,so they sent them to the ER anyway.Moms heart was very erratic and stopping and flat lining for 10 to 15 sec.at a time.DA!!No wonder she was dizzy and light headed!!
They wanted to keep her to have tests and get her ready for pacemaker today.
Mom told Peg to be sure and pick up their beloved Coco from home and take her to Pegs house.She told Peg to call Janett and have her go be with dad today so he wouldn't be alone.It sounds like she has it all handled to me.That's how my mom is and we all love her for it.
Dads doing good the last I heard and I'm waiting to hear from Peg so I know how mom's doing.
That's about all for now.I'll more when I know more.
Take care.
Jan