Tuesday October 25 2022

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2022

Good morning!

Joe hope today is quiet for you.

J22, hope the retirement people give you good news. Is the bone scan just a routine screening?

Dianah, reminds me I need to clean my curtains which I haven't done in quite a while. I need one for my new bathroom as well.

My arm is sore from the covid shot but so far so good. The insomnia bug visited me last night and I'm feeling a bit bleh. May have to take a nap.

Going with best friend to see Stevie Nicks tonight. We have to go to Tampa through some bad traffic so will leave a couple of hours early and bring some dinner for a picnic in the car or out on the grass so we don't have to stress about traffic. I'm getting some subs. Publix has a tofu vegan sub that I like and BF is getting an Italian sub (with the no bread make it a salad option since he's low carb).

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2022

Ado was sorry to read about your BIL. Glad the open house went well. Must be an exciting time.

(I thought I put this in my post above...?)

nursej22, MSN, RN · Oct 25, 2022

Yes, my bone scan was routine, based on my age. Sort of a "welcome to senescence". But with my luck, it will show something abnormal. I'm active, don't smoke, no family history of osteoporosis.

No Stars In My Eyes · Oct 25, 2022

Gouda Aftahnuen~

Got Nannie up and dressed, and the bed WAS NOT WET! Yay! She is eating her steak and cheese sub from Subway. You could feed her that all day, every day, and she'd still dig in with great gusto.

It is in the low to mid 70's, the sun is shining (brightly!) and there are a huge number of ladybugs flying everywhere. Like an invasion! Used to think they were cute, but they are kind of destructive, from what I have read. When I was in high school, the fad was to have lady-bug pins --- straight pins with a hand painted lady-bug glued on....you wore them on your collar, 2-3 at a time. So chic!

I told hubby that by this time tomorrow, his dreaded doctor's appt. will be over. He tried to tell me the appt. is on Thursday, but I said I called the doc's office and confirmed the day, date and time. He claimed to have called the doc's office also, and that he thought his appt was on Thursday. Nope, it ain't! He's not getting out of this one!

Called "A Place For Mom" . The woman gave me several reference phone numbers, including the ***'t on Aging, which MAY do things on a sliding scale, and MAYBE Nannie qualifies for help from the VA since her husband was in the service (Navy?) during wartime. I REALLY wish hubby would get on the ball and start researching for how and where we can place Nannie without losing our orifices, money-wise. He hates having to deal with her, and that's not fair at all, because as I've said before, she's HIS mother. And with his health problems and the drinking, he is not much help at all. I will mention tomorrow at the doctor's office that *I* am essentially running the household and I am getting damned worn out from the everyday drudgery. He has GOT TO quit this drinking shite. I know, I know, he won't until he hits bottom. But, what worries me is if I hit bottom before he does, he'll land right on top of me. (That's supposed to be kind of a joke.)

I can't expect any help from him today, as he just came in from his 'office', aka 'man cave', and yep, sure enough, he has been at the bottle, as he is speaking slowly, slurring his words. And Nannie, who is without a clue, looked up at him and said, "Well, you're looking pretty chipper!" (HA!) He is sitting in his recliner now, with the O2 condenser running. Both he and Nannie have closed their eyes, so this is the way the afternoon goes. At least they are quiet.

Joe, enjoy your dinner tonight at the new place.

Tweety, you wouldn't feel bad about your bathroom curtains if you could see the ones Nannie has in the upstairs bathroom. We were not to change anything way back when we moved in, so we (I) didn't. The curtains have threadbare areas and small rips...and the most gawd-awful thick layer of dust on every frilly surface. It is AWFUL! And speaking of bathroom make-overs, I saw on-line a place to enter a contest to get money for a bathroom make-over, and I laughed when I saw the amount of the prize.....$5,000. Like you can re-do a bathroom for that pittance! And there was also one for having a kitchen re-made, which was $10,000. Yup, sure, that'll do just fine.

j22, Glad to hear you have bones! I hear it is difficult to ooze around with nothing to support the body!

Hey to y'all others....

No Stars In My Eyes · Oct 25, 2022

Forgot to mention that last night Nannie said, "I feel like my brain is covered with cheese." -----which is a pretty good analogy for what Alzheimers and dementia is doing to her brain!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2022

Best friend found out he had advanced osteoporosis when I insisted he talk to his doctor and getting a bone scan about getting to the bottom of him getting foot fracture for no good reason rather than wait for his annual physical. After that he broke his hip doing physical therapy for his foot. This was a man that is in great health, walked 7 miles a day. You never know I guess. They could never figure out a pathological reason for his osteo. Since women make up a large percentage good to hear it's screened for. I'm sure you're okay though J22.

Stars, so sorry about the stress. Seems like you're in Ground Hog Day. Again, it seems like you're setting yourself up by putting a lot of hope on this doctor's appointment. But I am glad you're insistent about it since he obviously needs medical care and lives in denial. Unless the doctors admits him then and there into rehab I wouldn't hold my breath even if all involved knows quitting is essential.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Oct 25, 2022

Hullo. It's been a gray, blustery day. The fall leaves, that had just turned color, were 90% blown off the trees overnight. The same thing happens every Spring just as the cherry blossoms open. I picked up dh's grocery order (he loves to order on his phone) got a better adjustment on my glasses, and got my flu shot. I stopped at the auto parts store to get a cabin air filter for the pickup, but it won't be in until this afternoon. I put out some more Halloween decorations: a blow-up dragon, some ghosts, and some lights. I have some of the spider web stuff, but will wait until the wind calms down. I had a good talk with the lady from the state retirement system. She thinks I will have to work until the end of February to qualify for my pension. Sigh. This could conflict with me starting Master Gardener classes, if I'm accepted. Sigh. Or maybe I'll just take vacation on days that conflict with class.

NoStars, I hope the doc can get through to your hubby, but as Tweety says, it's iffy. But you certainly can shine some light on how much he drinks and all the falls. I don't buy much liquor, but that has got to be expensive!

Annie, best wishes to your BIL. I used to take care of open-heart patients, and they usually feel a lot better post-op, if their incisional pain is controlled.

Dianah, new curtains will freshen things up!

Joe, I hope the dining experience is enjoyable.

Sub sandwiches sound lovely. I usually opt for veggie and cheese on multigrain.

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2022

Joe, I hope the new restaurant was good and a good time. And Tweety, enjoy the concert!

A bone density test is one of the things I keep putting off. My mother was thin and a lifelong smoker so she had pretty severe osteoporosis. I'm neither of those things but do have fondness for diet coke with all that phosphorus.

The latest from BIL is... no CABG. His stents are borderline but not clogged, he says. He will be getting an ICD.

Stars, Hubs and I loved watching Quantum Leap. The Scott Bakula character would talk about "Swiss cheese brain" after his leaps and that is how we describe Gma's condition. I hope the doctor appointment is productive.

Hubs is pretty down because stepson texted a bunch of mean and hateful stuff today (after Hubs paid off his sewage bill). Hubs says he's not paying any more. We were getting close to the $5000 we had allotted anyway. And I respect his feelings on the matter.

The movers were at the hospital today. It gets more real all the time. I'm still pretty absorbed in reporting but surely another day or 2 should get that out of the way.

No Stars In My Eyes · Oct 26, 2022

Ado, I once was trying to say "swiss cheese for brains" and ended up hearing myself say, "Switz breeze for chains." And abruptly burst out laughing.

Hubby said to me this evening at supper: "I'm scared." and of course when he said nothing else, I had to ask, "What are you scared of?" You might guess, and yet I was surprised at his answer. He said, "I'm afraid of going to the doctor tomorrow. I don't know why, because I've never been scared to go to the doctor before." I told him that I was scared when he didn't go to the doctor and skipped his appointments. I tried to be encouraging (though I don't particularly feel encouraged myself) and said, "Well, knowing is better than not knowing, because when you know, you might could do something about it; but if you don't know anything, being in that limbo is much scarier to me."

He asked me to write down to ask the doc how and when to start the Librium taper, like when he should start, in other words, how long after drinking is it okay to start taking it. I reckon we'll see what we see.

Tawk whichoo'all's tomorrow when some of hubby's health 'mystery' might be revealed. (I know we aren't mystified.) I just don't know the extent to which his alcoholism has affected his inner guts. I am scared, too, because I don't want to be his caretaker or his widow.

I give all my burdens and worries to God, but somehow I end up picking them up again. It's like trying to meditate...you find yourself actually thinking instead of "OHM"-ing. But, since the only way out is through, I'm going forward regardless of my/our worries.

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 26, 2022

((((((((((((((((( No Stars )))))))))))))))))))))