I'm HEEEERE!!!
Whoopdee-do, right? Sorry for my absenteeism, folks, but it appears LJ has upgraded itself right out of my ability to post entries. Need Internet Explorer 8 or better, and of our four computers, not one has IE 8 or better. Have dl'd it, but get told that the operating system doesn't support it. So must wait for my computer guy (my brother in-law) to come from Nevada to see what he can do since I am completely clueless. Anyhoo, I am at the public library posting this, and then updating my other two journals so that LJ doesn't go and delete any if I don't get back here anytime soon. I do log on once a month to check my friends page. At least it lets me READ stuff... just can't write stuff.
Life has been pretty sucky. I never think it can really get much worse, but then it does. Beginning of January, my mom's legs and feet started swelling. She had a doctor appointment for a few days later, so she insisted on waiting. Unfortunately that is when our area had our really bitter, snowy blizzardy weather, and on the day of her appointment a state of emergency was declared and all roads were closed, and everything else was closed as well (including the doctor's office). Even McDonalds! (The radio DJ even said "Even McDonalds is closed. You know it's bad!") My car refused to start anyway since it was a bazillion degrees below zero withOUT the wind chill factored in. I told mom we would need to call an ambulance (because I knew her doctor would have had her admitted to the hospital. But again she refused. A couple days later, my car started and she sent me to get a couple prescriptions filled and a few groceries. When I got back she said "I think you need to take me to the hospital. My legs are oozing." Eep. Did something to my heel when I slid off the snowy, icy curb trying to get her in her wheelchair to the car, and it is still hurting really bad. Of course they admitted her. While she was in ER, her left hand, which had been hurting her badly, started hurting so bad she was crying and crying out for help. (She'd been sleeping sitting up for several weeks, as it didn't hurt as bad then, but of course in the ER, she was lying down.) Seriously, they ended up more concerned with her pain than the edema. She was admitted, and for the first full day they pretty much spent trying to get her pain under control. Then they started her agressively on lasix, which then ended up dehydrating her and her kidneys started to shut down. They got that taken care of and then as usual when in the hospital, her blood sugar went out of control. Then I got there one day and she was totally out of it, hallucinating and talking nonsense. Didn't know it was me. She responded appropriately when spoken to though. I was a total wreck. Then I found out her blood sugar had swung they other way and had dropped to dangerous levels. They finally got her levels stabilized, but it still took about 4 more days before she was 'normal' again. Two weeks of total bedrest, she was sent to a nursing home to rebuild her strength and get her back on her feet. First she was too scared of falling; finally got past that and started walking some. Then got a sore on the back of her heel since she doesn't turn over in bed. They started using a leg rest at night that her feet hang off of. But for a while the therapists stopped working on the walking because of it, which set her back to square one. Finally got her going again, but more slowly because the heel was still not fully healed. Then her coumadin levels went sky high and when they gave her a shot of Vitamin K, she bled like a stuck pig. Therapist were again instructed to stop trying to have her walk until her levels returned to normal because of the fall risk. She still hasn't been released for walking yet. That's where we're at now. She went into the nursing home Jan. 22 and Medicare will only pay for 100 days. I've been clearing out the house in case we have to sell it to pay for more nursing home care, but with only me, it's slow going. I work, then go up to spend a few hours with her, come home, have breakfast/lunch/dinner (sometimes I do pick up something on the way to the nursing home though), work in the house for about an hour, shower and hit the bed. Don't know what we'll do if she's not walking and has to come home until the house sells. She cannot get out of bed on her own, nor propel her own wheelchair. The house is in such disrepair that it would probably pay for less than a year of nursing home care anyway, so what after that? Siblings are sympathetic, but other than plans to come and widen the bathroom door so that mom can get her walker in there, and everyone pitching in to have a proper front walk put in so that I don't have to back her all the way across the lawn to get her to the car, and my one sister wanting to get mom a lift chair, it's all on me. I've taken over her finances (OMG, her checkbook was a mess!), though have yet to get power of attorney (it's on the list). For a while she was unable to write at all. But now she can sign her name at least 3 times before she writes off the line. But I finally found the name of a mobile notary public, so need to make arrangements for him to come to the nursing home.
As for me, still working at Mickey D's. New store manager, who can be a real bear when she's angry, but otherwise she's great. Lets me go about my business pretty much. I was working 6 hours when she took over the store; she increased it to 8 with an increase in duties, but the printed schedule that the person who does the scheduling put up only reflected that increase on one day. I worked 8 anyway. The following week it was the same, though the 8 hour day was on a different one. Finally it was dropped to 5 hours with a slight decrease in duties. It has consistently taken me 5-1/2 hours though to do my work. Then it got dropped to 4-1/4 hours. Riiiight. I just keep going until I'm done. The first day of the new schedule, I mentioned to the breakfast manager that I was probably eventually going to get fired since I can't get done until 11:30 when I'm supposed to be done at 10:15. Apparently she mentioned it to the boss, as the boss came to me and said that as long as she was store manager, I would NEVER lose my job there. And so far, no one has said a thing about my not being done on time.
Anyway, that's my life right now. No writing is actively being done, though my brain is still working on both Consanguinity and book 4 or The Rat Series.
Just wanted to let you know why I haven't been posting or responding to journal entries. Blame it all on LJ. Don't know how often I'll get her to the library to post, but will try to do so. I'll have to come back soon though, as I still have to update my recipe journal and my faith journal. I only have 5 minutes left on this computer. Don't think I can get it done in that time.
A quick thank you for the Christmas cards from Inlaterdays and Morganslady. Mom's the only one who got a card this year.
Must go til next time.
Life has been pretty sucky. I never think it can really get much worse, but then it does. Beginning of January, my mom's legs and feet started swelling. She had a doctor appointment for a few days later, so she insisted on waiting. Unfortunately that is when our area had our really bitter, snowy blizzardy weather, and on the day of her appointment a state of emergency was declared and all roads were closed, and everything else was closed as well (including the doctor's office). Even McDonalds! (The radio DJ even said "Even McDonalds is closed. You know it's bad!") My car refused to start anyway since it was a bazillion degrees below zero withOUT the wind chill factored in. I told mom we would need to call an ambulance (because I knew her doctor would have had her admitted to the hospital. But again she refused. A couple days later, my car started and she sent me to get a couple prescriptions filled and a few groceries. When I got back she said "I think you need to take me to the hospital. My legs are oozing." Eep. Did something to my heel when I slid off the snowy, icy curb trying to get her in her wheelchair to the car, and it is still hurting really bad. Of course they admitted her. While she was in ER, her left hand, which had been hurting her badly, started hurting so bad she was crying and crying out for help. (She'd been sleeping sitting up for several weeks, as it didn't hurt as bad then, but of course in the ER, she was lying down.) Seriously, they ended up more concerned with her pain than the edema. She was admitted, and for the first full day they pretty much spent trying to get her pain under control. Then they started her agressively on lasix, which then ended up dehydrating her and her kidneys started to shut down. They got that taken care of and then as usual when in the hospital, her blood sugar went out of control. Then I got there one day and she was totally out of it, hallucinating and talking nonsense. Didn't know it was me. She responded appropriately when spoken to though. I was a total wreck. Then I found out her blood sugar had swung they other way and had dropped to dangerous levels. They finally got her levels stabilized, but it still took about 4 more days before she was 'normal' again. Two weeks of total bedrest, she was sent to a nursing home to rebuild her strength and get her back on her feet. First she was too scared of falling; finally got past that and started walking some. Then got a sore on the back of her heel since she doesn't turn over in bed. They started using a leg rest at night that her feet hang off of. But for a while the therapists stopped working on the walking because of it, which set her back to square one. Finally got her going again, but more slowly because the heel was still not fully healed. Then her coumadin levels went sky high and when they gave her a shot of Vitamin K, she bled like a stuck pig. Therapist were again instructed to stop trying to have her walk until her levels returned to normal because of the fall risk. She still hasn't been released for walking yet. That's where we're at now. She went into the nursing home Jan. 22 and Medicare will only pay for 100 days. I've been clearing out the house in case we have to sell it to pay for more nursing home care, but with only me, it's slow going. I work, then go up to spend a few hours with her, come home, have breakfast/lunch/dinner (sometimes I do pick up something on the way to the nursing home though), work in the house for about an hour, shower and hit the bed. Don't know what we'll do if she's not walking and has to come home until the house sells. She cannot get out of bed on her own, nor propel her own wheelchair. The house is in such disrepair that it would probably pay for less than a year of nursing home care anyway, so what after that? Siblings are sympathetic, but other than plans to come and widen the bathroom door so that mom can get her walker in there, and everyone pitching in to have a proper front walk put in so that I don't have to back her all the way across the lawn to get her to the car, and my one sister wanting to get mom a lift chair, it's all on me. I've taken over her finances (OMG, her checkbook was a mess!), though have yet to get power of attorney (it's on the list). For a while she was unable to write at all. But now she can sign her name at least 3 times before she writes off the line. But I finally found the name of a mobile notary public, so need to make arrangements for him to come to the nursing home.
As for me, still working at Mickey D's. New store manager, who can be a real bear when she's angry, but otherwise she's great. Lets me go about my business pretty much. I was working 6 hours when she took over the store; she increased it to 8 with an increase in duties, but the printed schedule that the person who does the scheduling put up only reflected that increase on one day. I worked 8 anyway. The following week it was the same, though the 8 hour day was on a different one. Finally it was dropped to 5 hours with a slight decrease in duties. It has consistently taken me 5-1/2 hours though to do my work. Then it got dropped to 4-1/4 hours. Riiiight. I just keep going until I'm done. The first day of the new schedule, I mentioned to the breakfast manager that I was probably eventually going to get fired since I can't get done until 11:30 when I'm supposed to be done at 10:15. Apparently she mentioned it to the boss, as the boss came to me and said that as long as she was store manager, I would NEVER lose my job there. And so far, no one has said a thing about my not being done on time.
Anyway, that's my life right now. No writing is actively being done, though my brain is still working on both Consanguinity and book 4 or The Rat Series.
Just wanted to let you know why I haven't been posting or responding to journal entries. Blame it all on LJ. Don't know how often I'll get her to the library to post, but will try to do so. I'll have to come back soon though, as I still have to update my recipe journal and my faith journal. I only have 5 minutes left on this computer. Don't think I can get it done in that time.
A quick thank you for the Christmas cards from Inlaterdays and Morganslady. Mom's the only one who got a card this year.
Must go til next time.