Thursday May 2nd 2024

No Stars In My Eyes · May 2, 2024

Supposed to get up to 89 today.....betcha it reaches 90, though.

BiL came over yesterday to check my "low tire" light....he put in air and the light went off. I will have to buy new tires by Winter-time....but BiL says he knows someone who sells tires, so that's good. Now all I have to do is come up with the money....for that and 6 other costly things that need taking care of. Roseanne Rosannadanna was 100% right!

Looks like I forgot to post yesterday...Oh well.

It was so chilly in here last night I turned the thermostat from 'cool' to 'heat' with only 1 degree difference in the setting, and woke up this morning DRENCHED in sweat! That'll teach me!

I have no actual plans for the day; there are, naturally, MANY things I could do here at the house, and if I really felt like it I could go out for a few things, like one of my refills...but I don't really feel like it. I kind of feel like I am dragging my feet, and I am, but it must be depression that makes me so roundly ignore so much of it! SiL says I am still grieving and should give myself a break. I am still having the "I have to show (or tell) hubby about this (or that)" times. I guess that is natural, but it is kind of a let down when I realize "He's never coming back." The relief from not having him constantly always drinking, drinking more, and getting drunker as the day went on, was the primary feeling when he first passed. But, now I am missing the good times we used to have before the drinking ever started, and realizing that our "plans" for retirement and travel are shot. And it's not that I feel any pressure to free myself from my current situation, but I have absolutely no clue of anything or anywhere I would do or go otherwise. So, what that tells me is that it isn't time to bother with all that yet. I am glad I am in a safe (and mostly) affordable situation and don't have to make any decisions or changes in the immediate future.

I don't have much else to say right now..../ Maybe I'll have something to 'report on' later in the day......

No Stars In My Eyes · May 2, 2024

It's a la-la-la-laundry day again! Forgot stuff I'd already put in the dryer and in the washer, so I have to let them each run a short cycle in case the dampness bunched up for 2 days was starting to get funky smelling. And then, all the sheets and covers from the bed, plus what she was wearing yesterday and last night, it all needed to be washed. I've already got the chux and a fresh bottom sheet and chux and the fresh top sheet on the bed, so that part of my day is partially done. She has a favorite cotton blanket (in the wash now) but I think I have a cotton blanket upstairs that I can use instead of waiting for the wash to be dried, so maybe I should just go ahead and finish up making the bed. Then it will just be a matter of wash, dry, fold, and put away, (x2.) I know I have mentioned before the song I used to have to practice on the piano, "The Washer-Woman", but here it is again, all these years later: "Oh, I work all day, wash all day, keeping the clothes real clean; It's a chore, it's a bore, you know just what I mean; Makes me fret, makes me sweat, I don't feel like a queen; Oh how I wish for a washing machine!" (the picture drawn above it on the page was a woman using a scrubbing board.) I can tell her, though, that a washing machine may be easier to use than a scrubbing-board, but the laundry really is an un-ending task!

She had a heck of a time last night having a BM (again) and went onto the bathroom three times to try to 'get rid of it'. I put on a glove, slathered her rectum with lotion, and then had her lean forward and PUSH while I 'encouraged' the huge brick of poop to come out. I have decided that instead of giving her the stool softener once a day in the morning, and the stool softener with a laxative once at the end of the day.....she will be getting the one with the laxative both morning and night. I never have known someone to retain such large and heavy amounts of stool, really almost too big to be expelled, as she does. Since it needs so much 'teasing' of it to get it to come out, that's why I decided she may require the dulcolax laxative twice a day for a little while. And we have increased the amount of fluid intake. I gave her Raisin Bran Crunch this morning instead of just the yogurt.

Laundry and pee and poop. Huh! 🤨 No wonder my brain feels stunted.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · May 2, 2024

Put my Senior nurse hat on...Have you tried a Squatty Potty or if its too much of fall risk.? Senna with laxative 2x day appears indicated.for recurrent issue. This constipation recipie gold standard for Seniors I've worked with. My DH post stroke needed linzess and Miralax to move his impacted stool as decreased peristalsis.

nursej22, MSN, RN · May 2, 2024

My understanding is that colace has been shown to do nothing, contrary to traditional thinking.
A nice sunny, albeit cool day here. My little dog keeps escaping from the yard, but is sly enough to do so when I'm not looking. I got a massage this afternoon and would like nothing more than to lie down.dh said he will go out to see if he can lure to dog to reveal her escape hatch, but he fell asleep! So here I sit. I am going to turn last nights leftovers into soup for dinner.
dh got his sleep study results that show moderate obstructive sleep apnea, so the supply company will call him to fit him with a machine. I think that takes care of all his health stuff for the year. I didn't expect retirement to be a long string of health visits.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 3, 2024

Hello all!

Got the car back today from the service department. We only had a $100 copay, so that's good. Car seems to drive well. We returned the rental yesterday, AFTER we got a little Toyota Corolla! Dh feels better about having a second car, in case the older (5yr old now) car has more issues in the future. I tell you, that ride home was scary, not sure we were going to get home at all! I prayed a lot!

I got my mammo done yesterday. I have an appt tomorrow to *discuss* my recent lab results. I caught dh's cold, and it's heavy today, seems to be lightening up this afternoon. We'll see. I'm sure the MD office -- yanno, sees SICK ppl all the time! I will wear a mask. I went out this afternoon with dh to pick up the one car, and then return it home, and we went out again, to pick up the RV in anticipation of a trip next week. So, I have been out and about. Just blowing my nose a lot. Dh calls it "nasal incontinence." 😄

No Stars, keep plugging away at that laundry! It is, indeed, The Neverending Story! I know you will figure out something workable for Nannie's bowel issues.

Joe, agree, shopping for jeans/pants is a pain! Hope you found something you like, that fits well.

Well, that's all for now from here. Have a good evening!

No Stars In My Eyes · May 3, 2024

Here's my best idea of how to shop (which I pretty much hate to do): Go to the store, bring your list in with you, go to where the (shirt/jersey/socks/whatever) product is displayed, pick out the color you want, make sure it's the right size, go to the register, pay, and go home. Hate to wander and search!

No Stars In My Eyes · May 4, 2024

I'm confused. It's Friday, right? But there's not any Friday on this site ..... I've got Wednesday and Thursday, but no Friday; THAT'S why I am confused. Nothing went on today (Friday) so I have nothing to report or squawk about. Maybe tomorrow it will be Saturday on here like it's supposed to be?

Will catch up w/ everyone at another time.

Hope all is well with y'all.....