Feels more like spring every day

                       

 

The weather here is great.  It got up to almost 70 degrees!  Supposed to be in the 70's all week!  I am so thrilled!  Weather so effects my moods. 

I have been needing gas and kept putting it off.  Well I should have never waited.  Today I paid $2.15 a gallon.  I don't think I have ever paid over $2.00 before.  I really don't remember seeing it hit $2.00 before. 

 Hospice came in to see my Aunt E this past week.  They are such wonderful people.  I am so glad the doctor hooked us up with them.  They thought my aunt could use a wheel chair (though I don't know if she would use it) so they brought her one in.  Yesterday they brought her another bed!  It's more like a hospital bed, you can adjust it and it has side rails.  My aunt LOVES it!  I like the thought of them checking in on my aunt once a week (to start, the worse she gets the more they go).  They check her out head to toe to make sure everything is ok.  And I like the social contact it gives my aunt.

This past week I was so sick. (sick as a dog?  why do they call it that?)  It was the worse cold (or whatever it was) I think I have ever had.  I didn't feel like doing anything.  I spent very little time on the computer.  Just didn't feel like sitting up.  Yesterday was the first day that I started to feel better, today I think I am back to normal.  Whatever "normal" is. 

         

Someone needs our prayers

I just read in lisbnjvi's journal, Lisa's Mommy Journal, about a fellow J-lander that needs our prayers.  Jennifer's,  A Pickle for your thoughts, baby is in the newborn ICU.  Please go to to Lisa's place and read all about baby Zack and send some prayers and wished Jennifer's way.

Kathy

First day of Spring

My aunt......After going over her Living Will and lots of talk we are not going to let them put a feeding tube in her.  And actually before I got to the hospital to tell the doctor she had ate just a little bit.  Not much, but every bit helps.  She has also had another stroke or something because she is talking strange.  Aunt E will take a few words that you just said and keep repeating them.  She will keep it up for a few minutes or until you say something else.  It is really strange.  I would love to know what she is thinking -- or if she is really able to think.

The doctor called hospice in to help with my aunt also.  My aunt will leave the hospital Monday to go back to the assisted living place.  Hospice will be there everyday to make sure she is being taken care of and that if she is not eatting that she isn't in any pain.  I feel a lot better knowing that they will be helping in her care.

Can't believe it is already the first day of spring!  The weather sure feels like it though.  I love it when it is warm enough to sit outside and yet cool enough not to burn up.  My neighbor's "easter" flowers are blooming.  You know, those buttercup things that always pop up this time of year.  Easter is early this year.  Hasn't came in March in ages.  My parents were married on Easter 49 years ago this month.  Forty-nine years!  That is so hard to believe.

My Uncle B went home from the hospital a few days ago with his new pacemaker in place.  He is doing really good.  So glad to hear that.  Too many people sick and in the hospital lately!

My brother knew dad was in the hospital but has never called back to see how he's doing.  I realise it is long distance but he knows he can call me or mom collect.  Sometimes I wonder about him.......

When my mom gets sick on her stomach she wants something a little "sour" for some strange reason.  I had just tried these new chips by Lay's called "dill pickle".  You should have seen the look on mom's face when she tasted one!  They really do taste like a dill pickle.  They are a little on the salty side though.

Guess that's it for now.  Thanks everyone for your comments, emails, and prayers.  You have no idea how much they have meant to me.

                    

For any of you that celebrate Easter and all the "signs" that Easter is upon us (Easter flowers, dogwood trees blooming, etc....) check out this site.  Music plays so you may want to turn your speakers down a tad:  PINE TREE CROSSES ~ Wanda's Country Home

What to do?

My aunt's doctor called me a few hours ago.  He said that she wasn't doing so well.  They can't get her to eat or drink anything.

The doctor wants to know if I want them to put a feeding tube in her or just make her comfortable.  Wow.  I was not expecting that phone call.

My aunt had stopped eatting once before but they managed to get her to start eatting again.  This time that doesn't seem to be happening.  So I am left with deciding on what to do.  Well, mom will have a say -- it is her sister after all--   but I am the power of attorney so it is me that the doctor wants the answer from.

My aunt has a living will so I will have to read it again, but still..... I never thought that this type of situation would come up.  This is really hard.  I don't like having to make life/death decisions.  It was hard enough to do it for my pets but for a human being.

Please pray for my family and for my aunt.  If she would just eat.

Happy St Patrick's Day

                                              

Happy St Patty's day everyone.  I LOVE the color green. 

Late Monday my dad came home from the hospital.  He is seems to be doing ok.  He tried to do too much Tuesday and got out of breath, but I think he learned that he has to take it slow.

At the same time dad was being discharged from the hospital I got a call from the home I have my aunt in, they were sending her to the ER via ambulance.  Couldn't believe it.

My aunt has a urinary tract infection so that caused her to not eat or drink enough liquids which caused her sugar to go way down (she is diabetic) and got dehydrated.  She is also broke out in a rash.  They think the rash is a reaction to some of her meds.

My uncle was to get his pace maker yesterday.  I haven't heard how he is doing (he lives in another state), but I am guessing no news is good news.  I will try to call one of my aunts later to see if they know anything.

Woke up this morning to snow!  Couldn't believe it.  The grass has a nice layer of white but the roads were just wet.  By lunch time the snow was gone.  Bummer.  That is the first we have had this season.

I love the show Survivor.  Couldn't believe the twist at the end that caused Angie to get voted off.  I feel so sorry for the Ulong tribe but I can't help but root for the other tribe.

Hope everyone has been having a good week and looking forward to having a great weekend.

 

                     

 

Wednesday

                                             
         

    It has been a long week.  And it isn't over yet.

    After being in the hospital for a couple of days
    my dad started feeling better.  The doctor
    wanted him to stay another day or so, but 
    being the idiot my dad is, he came home any-
    way. This was Tuesday morning.  He knew by
    the time I got him to his house that he had
     made a mistake and should have listened to
     the doctor.  He tries to tough it out but he
     is having a really hard time breathing so at
     about 6pm Tuesday I took him back to the
     ER.  They gave him oxygen and some 
     steriods and his breathing started getting
     better.  I stayed with him until they 
     decided to re-admit him-- this was around
     11 pm.

      Today dad says his breathing is worse.  It
      was all I could do NOT to say "well if you
      would have listened to the doctor and not
     went home you might not be having it worse!"
     Two of his sisters from out of town came to
      see him and to tell him to listen to the doctor
      this time!

      I am exhaused.  I spent half of Sunday in the
      ER with dad, half of last night back in the
      ER with him.  I have been running here and
      there doing things for mom (she doesn't drive
       any more).  I still need to take care of some
       banking for dad.  It is just going to have to
       wait until tomorrow.

       Other news......my neighbor 2 doors is a prison
       guard, or WAS one I should say.  Until he
       got arrested for having sex with inmates! 
       His wife had left him before he was arrested,
       but I can just picture her now.  And how does
       she tell their daughter about why daddy was
       arrested?  It was in the newspaper with his
       name so they can't exactly hide it.

        My uncle has decided to get the pace maker.
        I am not really sure when the surgery will be.
        I have been to busy with dad to keep up.

        Hope all of you guys are doing ok.  Hope you
        can read this ok.  I love this ivy background.

                      
 

What a way to spend a Sunday

Mom called me early this morning and asked if I could do a favor.  Sure.  Take your dad to the emergency room.  That got me awake.  She said he was having problems breathing.

So I hurry and get dressed.  Got to the hospital and they took dad right back to major.  They gave him oxygen and some meds.  One doctor came in and asked a ton of questions.  Then he disappeared.  Hours go by.  But dad is starting to breathe better.  Another doctor comes in and asks tons of questions.  Not really sure what is wrong but narrows it down to 2 or 3 things.  He is ready to admit dad to the hospital.  But wait, he needs to get in touch with dad's regular doctor to see what he wants to do.  Huh?  I am so confused at this. 

I leave the ER to go grab something to eat.  When I get back dad is not where I left him.  So I track him down.  They are going to admit him but don't have a bed just yet for him.  So he is in a separate part of the ER for people waiting to get a bed.  And since he had been at the hospital so long they brought him something to eat.  He was feeling better and told me to go ahead and go home and he would call with the room number as soon as they moved him upstairs.

Hours later dad calls to say that they moved him to the old ER (they had remodeled and expanded in the past year or so) because they still didn't have a room for him upstairs.  Can you believe that the hospital is so full they are keeping people in the old ER?

So anyway it has been a long day for me.  I know that they are taking good care of my dad but I really wish they would get him in a proper room.

Meanwhile dad's brother is in the hospital in Virginia in bad shape with his heart.  The doctors want to put a pace maker into Uncle Bill but he doesn't want it.  I think the man is crazy and should listen to his doctor.

That's it for now.  Please keep my dad and uncle in your prayers.