Tuesday July 25th 2023

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 25, 2023

Good morning/day!

I finally unpacked my duffle bag. I will start the laundry after the dryer repairman shows up, this afternoon between 1 and 5. Forecast is for 105 degrees today, decreasing one degree on Thursday, to finally 103 degrees on Saturday. Guess where I will spend most of my time???? Someplace with Air Conditioning! Looking at the next two weeks' forecast, mostly triple-digits is predicted. The manx cat, Toby, is draped across my chair, at the back of my neck, and purring loudly. He has the loudest purr of any of our cats!

Hope you have a good day!

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 25, 2023

Yeah, we are at least at 94 degrees today. Disgusting!

I had my appt with Dr L. and spent most of my time venting about hubby. And I hadn't done any of my 'homework", which involves taking care of ME, writing and getting out, like to the Senior Center. May try to see if I can get Nannie into a Senior Daycare for a few days a week, just as a break.

This morning before I left, I stopped by the bathroom door to tell hubby I was about to leave. He was having a hard time getting up off the commode, even after 4 attempts. One attempt landed him sort of half sideways back on the seat, tearing the plastic nut/bolt loose, AND tearing the bottom slat of the bIinds. ARGH! I went in to help him stand up. Guess I'll have to get him an elevated toilet seat. He is getting worse, I swear.

Dr L. suggested that rather than trying to get Nannie placed first, it might be a good idea to find a residential rehab to detox hubby, as HE is more of a problem than Nannie. She wrote a list of 3 places, then discovered one of them doesn't take medicare. I will have to do some more phone-work to find out about the other two. Then I can present hubby with his #1 option, which is to go into a rehab, PERIOD, because I should not have to spend my 'golden years' burdened down with his addictions. But, I have to find a place that will accept him with all his other illnesses and diseases, because if they can't do that, well.... I sure don't know of any options for that. Anyway, ppfftt!

All for now~

toomuchbaloney · Jul 25, 2023

It was 90+ degrees in Fairbanks yesterday. I put a fan in the back door of the cabin. I put the water pump into the stream at the back of the property and the grandson played in the sprinkler and helped me wash the truck in the front yard. I put water features in the yard for the huskies to cool off in the heat. It's forecast to be another scorcher today in the interior.

All of you down in the hot zones stay safe.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 25, 2023

Scary weirdness:

I went out to pick up a few items at the grocery store and to stop at Subway for supper. I called hubby and told him that Subway was not open due to the fact they didn't have enough employees. I said I had picked up some of the frozen meals, and would be home shortly.

So when I got in, I noticed Nannie was not in her recliner. Hubby was sitting in his recliner. I said "Where's Nannie?" //Hubby; She went out to get supper.// Me: I was the one to go out and get supper. // Hubby:You can't have gone for supper. You don't have a driver's license. // Me: Is Nannie in the bathroom or her bedroom? // Hubby: I told you, she went out to get supper..// Then I went down to the den, and said to him: I am the one who went to get supper. // Hubby: You don't have a driver's license. // Me: I"M the one who DOES have a driver's license. You're the one who doesn't have a driver's license, and Nannie hasn't driven in YEARS. So where is Nannie? In her bedroom or the bathroom? // I told you she went out to pick up supper. // Me: I am your wife, and *I* am the one who went to get supper. // Hubby: I know who you are!

I gave up and went to see which room Nannie was in; she was sitting on the side of her bed. I had her get her walker and come out to her chair in the den, so I could bring her supper tray He said, when I came back out into the den, before she came out into the den: "Well did you find her?"

Then later, after supper, he had come back down to the den, but decided to go up to lay down in bed until the ballgame came on. He couldn't even get up on the first step. Then he did, but he had trouble getting his other foot on the next step. I had to go and hang on to his waistband, aand I wouldn't let him to up the next 6 steps to the bedrooms. He kept saying, "I'm okay." I told him, "NO you are NOT." I helped him put his 02 canula and noticed the tubing at the canula was creased closed. Changed that.

I was wondering if I'd have to call an ambulance or the cops if he got any stranger acting. Thank God he is not a physically violent person at all, but I was wondering how he had 'lost his mind' in the 45 minutes I was gone.

Hope the rest of the night is less weird.

toomuchbaloney · Jul 25, 2023

Please don't call the police if your husband is behaving oddly. In his state, there is a wide variety of issues that could be at play with his changes in cognition but perhaps you should consider with his trouble with balance and clear confusion that he may be having TIAs or similar.

That was probably unnerving for you.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 25, 2023

toomuchbaloney said:

... there is a wide variety of issues that could be at play with his changes in cognition but perhaps you should consider with his trouble with balance and clear confusion that he may be having TIAs or similar.

That was probably unnerving for you.

Wow, yes, I'm sure you were very concerned, No Stars! That WAS weird! Hope the confusion is not repeated.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 25, 2023

No, tmb, I won't call the police, I promise. What made me think of the police was because if I had had to call the ambulance he'd squawk and absolutely refuse to go to the ER. Yes, I got freaked out, because he's never been this weird before. Never thought of TIAs. My "nurse's brain" went blank when this was going on.

Ooof.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 25, 2023

I pulled the car out of the garage into the driveway, anticipating the dryer repairman's arrival (between 1-5pm). Dh went outside and came in with a broken sprinkler head that I had apparently rolled over with the car, permanently disfiguring it. I had no clue! So after the repairman's visit (he will order parts for the dryer, and contact us in about 5 days in order to install the parts), he drove over to Lowe's and got a replacement, while I took the dog out to "empty his tanks." Then when dh returned (and, BTW, he reports car thermometer showed 108 degrees!!), he installed the new sprinkler head. I dusted the house a little while he was gone, then after he returned and had installed the sprinkler head (and came in fully sprinkled-on -- but says it felt good!), I went out to get something for dinner. Ended up with our favorite: burritos from a wonderful place! Dh likes their chile relleno burritos (they will add chicken upon request), and then he adds their Mexican rice and green tomatillo sauce. I like their no-meat "garbage" burritos (they are famous for these: beans, Mexican rice, cheese, onions, tomatoes, cilantro), with extra veggies. We usually eat half of a burrito for a meal.

Oh, and when we came home from camping twice last week, to feed/care for the cats, dh noted that the foam insulation we had placed over the garden hose (the one bringing water from the tap in the backyard to the drip system in the front side yard) had become disfigured due to being in the extreme heat. He duct-taped it back over the garden hose, and is keeping an eye on it. The drip system timer continues to work well (we covered it with a cardboard box, to keep it out of direct, prolonged, HOT sunlight).

Have a good evening!

No Stars In My Eyes said:

Yes, I got freaked out, because he's never been this weird before. Never thought of TIAs. My "nurse's brain" went blank when this was going on.

Ooof.

Sometimes my nurses's brain does the same thing! I know you are on high alert now, observing him. Hope there are no more instances of confusion.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Jul 26, 2023

its been cool (65) and rainy here. I ran more errands today: pharmacy run for sis and dh, picked up air tags for dh, a small backpack to carry onto the plane, and master gardener meeting to plan for the local fair booth. I still haven't packed. oof. Dh saw a story on the local news about how much is stolen from the airport, so he wants to an air tag (an electronic tracker tag) on his luggage, so it can be tracked if someone takes his bag.

Those burritos sound delicious. Our local Mexican place used to have a spinach burrito, but it's no longer offered. The veggie burrito is mainly pinto beans and onions, topped with pico de gallo, sour cream and guac.

I think Dr. L is giving very good advice. But Mr. Stars won't even follow basic medical advice, so I doubt he would stay in a rehab. TIAs, hepatic encephalopathy, Wernicke's encephalopathy, benzos with ETOH, so many things come to mind. I guess it doesn't hurt to try rehab, if he will agree to go.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 26, 2023

Yeh, IF we can find a rehab place that accepts Medicare and will take him on with all his health problems.

Huh; when he went upstairs again, I went up to get my hoodie in my room because the AC is always colder in the den.... and there was hubby sitting on the side of his bed, upending another little bottle of vodka. Tsk.

No Stars In My Eyes · Jul 26, 2023

Between 10:45 PM and midnight hubby got up 5-6 times; he came back down to the den twice, and went back upstairs after sitting there maybe <10 minutes, Then I had to help him straighten out his bed 2x, and replace his canula in his nose and over his ears, and he asked me to help him to the bathroom, then back to bed again with the usual "can you help with the oxygen tube."

Sometimes lately, I think HE needs to be in a nursing home more than Nannie. It's a'killin' me that he has a difficult time with so many ADL's. I had to help him check his blood sugar and load his insulin syringe. His fingers are so fumbling and he can't see well with his old glasses. Thank goodness he is getting is new pair tomorrow.....and hopefully he will quit falling on his face and wrecking them. I've lost track, but I think this maybe is the fifth pair of new glasses he's had to get for ruining all the previous ones.

He needs to get in the tub and sit on the shower seat for about an hour to get a thorough soaking. I told him I would wash his legs and feet and back, and he can get the rest, but the trick will be WHEN WILL HE BE SOBER enough to climb over the edge of the tub? Certainly not without a great deal of help. He needs to go to the hairdresser to get his beard trimmed .... he hasn't shaved himself for weeks.

God help me get something going to take care of both him and Nannie, because I cannot keep this up. I'm thinking that one of these days I am going to burst into tears with frustration and discouragement. Probably wouldn't hurt if I did; crying can release a lot of tension. This all is unsustainable.