Saturday, December 12, 2015
December 12, 2015
The days seem to fly by. I seem to have so much to do that I can blink and another week has passed me by. Or it may be that I am getting old enough to be forgetful. Injury update - Doctor set me up for an mri to check on the ligament damage. By this time I was feeling no pain in my wrist and I was able to move everything inside the cast. The mri was extremelypainfull due to the awkward position I had to lay in. The prior damage to my shoulder made it impossible to lay on my stomach with my arm stretched out. He said the imaging would take four minutes. After what seemed like an hour, they said three more minutes, but I was done. I had to get out of the machine. They had to lift my arm up because I could not raise my arm. I hope I never have to do that again. This past Monday (7th) I went back to the doctor halfway expecting to have the cast removed. Instead I was told that I needed surgery to repair the wrist. Not only was there a break in one of the outer bones but also a dislocation of the bones in the center of my wrist. After more X-rays the doctor showed me the problem and scheduled surgery for Wednesday (9th). The surgery was extensive and the wrist was reconstructed with ligaments taken from the back of my hand. When I left the hospital I was in fair shape, but I've had to double up on my pain meds every 4 hours. Fingers are really swollen and thumb is in what feels like heavy concrete cast. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rank my pain level at 15. Meds sure help but make me feel loopy and all spaced out. I go back to the doctor on the 23rd. I guess I will find out what it looks like under the cast then.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
November 28, 2015
Yesterday was so beautiful that we headed for the woods. Amy, Jason, Shelley, and Brooks and I hiked about 7.5 miles.
On Monday after my doctor visit, where I was told there may be ligament damage in my wrist, we headed to Woodstock, Ga. to visit my brother. We originally planned to stay one night, but those plans went out the window. After lunch on Tuesday, Lewis and I went to Walmart and were headed to Lowe's when my car started to overheat. We tried to get it to a chevy dealer, but I did not want to ruin the engine, so we could only go about 1/2 mile before I had to cut it off and let it cool. Although the dealership was only about 7 miles away we had to get on the interstate during rush hour traffic and continuously pull over on the shoulder to let the car cool. Needless to say we never made it to the dealer. Had to call a wrecker and have it towed the last mile, One of Lewis's neighbors came to pick us up. So, we stayed an extra night. The dealership provided a car for us to drive home because the repairs would take a couple of days. We will go pick up our car on Monday. The problem was a busted water pump, and someone put the wrong coolant in when trying to get to the dealership, which ruined the radiator. Okay, the someone was me. Other than the mis-adventure with the car we really enjoyed the visit, We will plan on visiting once a month.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Nov. 18 2015
Update on Friday 13 hike.. So I followed up with the doctor and i now have a cast.
I have to have an mri on it tomorrow to see if surgery is needed. Doctor thinks the bone is too small to operate so we will wait and see. The worst thing is I missed a 3 day church trip with good friends to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I told my wife that I would drive up after the doctor visit. I knew there was no way that was happening but I did not want her to back out of the trip because of me. She gets home today. More to come later.
i
i
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Nov. 14, 2015
Yesterday was a beautiful day. Amy and I decided to go hiking at Cheaha State Park. We parked at the trailhead and set out to hike some of the Pinhoti Trail then loop back on Cave Creek Trail. I had hiked this before, but had no idea of the distance. This was Amy's first hike.
About 3 miles in I managed to trip and fall. Not just once but 3 times in all. The second fall was the worst. I was in pain after that. Wrist was hurting, ribs were bruised. Amy wanted to turn around and go back. Being as stubborn as a mule I kept pushing for us to keep going. I really should have listened to her. We were on the trail for over 6 hours. The last 2 were in the dark. I had taken a headlamp just in case so Amy used it and I used the flashlight on my phone. The loop turned out to be 9.4 miles. We were so glad to get back to our car. Tired, hungry, cold and in pain. Once we got home I could see my wrist was swollen. I thought it was sprained so I put some ice on it, ate supper, watched T.V. and then went to bed. About 3:00 this morning I had to go to the hospital. On a scale of 1 to 10, my pain was at least a 20. Turned out the wrist was broken. I'm not superstitious but I'm never hiking again on a Friday the 13th.
About 3 miles in I managed to trip and fall. Not just once but 3 times in all. The second fall was the worst. I was in pain after that. Wrist was hurting, ribs were bruised. Amy wanted to turn around and go back. Being as stubborn as a mule I kept pushing for us to keep going. I really should have listened to her. We were on the trail for over 6 hours. The last 2 were in the dark. I had taken a headlamp just in case so Amy used it and I used the flashlight on my phone. The loop turned out to be 9.4 miles. We were so glad to get back to our car. Tired, hungry, cold and in pain. Once we got home I could see my wrist was swollen. I thought it was sprained so I put some ice on it, ate supper, watched T.V. and then went to bed. About 3:00 this morning I had to go to the hospital. On a scale of 1 to 10, my pain was at least a 20. Turned out the wrist was broken. I'm not superstitious but I'm never hiking again on a Friday the 13th.
Nov. 12, 2015
Over the summer I have said I would post pictures, so here they are. They do go back to previous posts.
The hardest puzzle I ever worked. (2000 pieces)
Pool construction pictures.
Almost ready to swim???
Beginning to take shape
Now ready to swim.
Wall construction.
Concrete poured.
New parking area.
Caught in the act tearing down my bird feeders.
Before sod. Note the rocks.
After sod.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
November 3, 2015
Okay, it looks like this will be a quarterly update A lot of good things have happened since the last update. Mom has improved to the point where she is beginning to get out of the house some. She has been to church several times and we even went to visit Lewis last week in Woodstock, Ga. We can only credit mom's improvement to answered prayer and her occupational therapist, Lisa, who was able to convince her that the only thing limiting her was her "can't do" mentality. Mom had made so much progress that she no longer quilifies for home health care. We hated to see Lisa stop coming. She had gotten mom to even walk across the room with out her walker. She would strap on her magic belt and off she would go. Of course mom thought Lisa was right behind her holding the belt, but Lisa would be on the other side of the room. That is the reason we called it a magic belt. As long as the belt was on, she could walk without the walker. Lisa will be missed. Mom's caregivers are excellent and take extremely good care of her. We do have a standing joke about them having to take nerve pills to keep staying with her, but the truth is they are excellent help with mom. We are lucky to have them.
Lewis has been well enough to take several trips but his loss of appetite has caused him to be more feeble. He continues to be a fall risk and now uses a walker sometimes. He still has a great attitude and is now on steroids to increase his appetite. They seem to be working. He needs to gain some weight, and that is one of his goals. I am not sure I understand the thinking that drinking an Ensure counts as a meal, even though that is what they say. Each one is not but about 300 calories and drinking 3 would only provide less than 1000 calories a day. That is the amount most people would take in if they were trying to loose weight. Of course that thinking probably comes from my being 240 lbs and really overweight. I would gladly share some pounds with Lewis, but it doesn't work that way. Lewis's original prognosis was two years, which has now stretched to 4 and counting. Another answer to prayers. The results of his last scan were not as promising and he may have to go back to IV chemo after Christmas. He has been on oral chemo which has not been as strong as the other, but has had less side effects. We pray that his next scan will show improvement, and further delay the IV chemo.
Changes have been made around my house. Amy and I raked the top rocks in the front yard and I decided to put down sod to cover the remaining rocks. I estimated about 4000 square feet of grass would be needed. That came to nine pallets. So a couple of weeks ago I had them delivered. I don't know what I was thinking. I somehow failed to realize that I had to pick up each piece and set it in place. I knew I was in trouble after the 1st day when I had only put out one pallet. The race was on to get the rest out before all the grass died on the remaining 8 pallets. After a quick trip for a back brace and three days later I was done. I never want to see another pallet of grass, ever! In my mind I knew I was putting out some dead grass, but at least all the rocks are now covered and I will be able to use the lawnmower again this coming spring. I hope that the grass comes back to life in a couple of months, but for now even dead grass looks good. Of course most of it is growing, and it may need cutting before winter.
The pool is finally finished and I even got to swim in it a few times before the temperature started to drop. Another good thing is that I finished my physical therapy on my shoulder. I had mess it up when I hauled the 38 years of accumulated junk around the house to the landfill. Some of the things were quite heavy. I was able to load those things on the truck with my front end loader, but once I got to the dump, it was just me to get them off the truck. Every piece had to be lifted over a rail to get it into the dumpster. I thought it was a bad sprain, but it hurt like a broken arm. After a couple of months I finally went to the doctor, had two shots in the shoulder and then 5 weeks of physical therapy or should I say torture therapy. I was so glad when I was released from that ordeal. I will have to admit that it really helped though.
After working the 2000 piece mostly dark blue puzzle, the hardest one ever which took 6 months to finish, it would seem that I need a break from puzzles. But, I have started another one that is mostly green, but only half the number of pieces than the other one. It should be completed by the end of this month. I will try to post pictures and less writing for my next post. This week we are visiting Kinsley, Cooper, Katy, Scott, and Baxter in Chantilly, Virginia. Having a great time, but dreading the ride back home at the end of the week. That's all for now, will post again soon.
Lewis has been well enough to take several trips but his loss of appetite has caused him to be more feeble. He continues to be a fall risk and now uses a walker sometimes. He still has a great attitude and is now on steroids to increase his appetite. They seem to be working. He needs to gain some weight, and that is one of his goals. I am not sure I understand the thinking that drinking an Ensure counts as a meal, even though that is what they say. Each one is not but about 300 calories and drinking 3 would only provide less than 1000 calories a day. That is the amount most people would take in if they were trying to loose weight. Of course that thinking probably comes from my being 240 lbs and really overweight. I would gladly share some pounds with Lewis, but it doesn't work that way. Lewis's original prognosis was two years, which has now stretched to 4 and counting. Another answer to prayers. The results of his last scan were not as promising and he may have to go back to IV chemo after Christmas. He has been on oral chemo which has not been as strong as the other, but has had less side effects. We pray that his next scan will show improvement, and further delay the IV chemo.
Changes have been made around my house. Amy and I raked the top rocks in the front yard and I decided to put down sod to cover the remaining rocks. I estimated about 4000 square feet of grass would be needed. That came to nine pallets. So a couple of weeks ago I had them delivered. I don't know what I was thinking. I somehow failed to realize that I had to pick up each piece and set it in place. I knew I was in trouble after the 1st day when I had only put out one pallet. The race was on to get the rest out before all the grass died on the remaining 8 pallets. After a quick trip for a back brace and three days later I was done. I never want to see another pallet of grass, ever! In my mind I knew I was putting out some dead grass, but at least all the rocks are now covered and I will be able to use the lawnmower again this coming spring. I hope that the grass comes back to life in a couple of months, but for now even dead grass looks good. Of course most of it is growing, and it may need cutting before winter.
The pool is finally finished and I even got to swim in it a few times before the temperature started to drop. Another good thing is that I finished my physical therapy on my shoulder. I had mess it up when I hauled the 38 years of accumulated junk around the house to the landfill. Some of the things were quite heavy. I was able to load those things on the truck with my front end loader, but once I got to the dump, it was just me to get them off the truck. Every piece had to be lifted over a rail to get it into the dumpster. I thought it was a bad sprain, but it hurt like a broken arm. After a couple of months I finally went to the doctor, had two shots in the shoulder and then 5 weeks of physical therapy or should I say torture therapy. I was so glad when I was released from that ordeal. I will have to admit that it really helped though.
After working the 2000 piece mostly dark blue puzzle, the hardest one ever which took 6 months to finish, it would seem that I need a break from puzzles. But, I have started another one that is mostly green, but only half the number of pieces than the other one. It should be completed by the end of this month. I will try to post pictures and less writing for my next post. This week we are visiting Kinsley, Cooper, Katy, Scott, and Baxter in Chantilly, Virginia. Having a great time, but dreading the ride back home at the end of the week. That's all for now, will post again soon.
Monday, August 10, 2015
August 8, 2015
It has been 2 months since the last post. A lot of drama in the Locklin family. We returned from Virginia expecting to go to Texas the next week. That trip did not happen yet. During the week we were home, mom's blood pressure rose so high that the home health nurse thought she should go back to the hospital. After a week in the hospital she was so weak that she went back to rehab for 21 more days. This is the 3rd time since January. After completing her rehab she came home extremely weak. She could not tend to herself or walk with her walker or even get up out of her chair without assistance. We have sitters 24/7 to help her. We started with 3, but one got sick and missed about a week so the other 2 had to double up. I continue to go over each day, but due to her physical needs I am the wrong sex for that. In a way that is really a relief. The 2 main workers, Dorothy and Shaun, needed some help on the weekends. So, another person was hired for that. To make a long story short mom allowed her to move into her basement temporarily since she lived in a nearby city. This could help her cut down on her driving time. This temporary arrangement is not working out and she will be moving out soon. In the meantime the sitter that was sick is now well enough to work again, but her hours have been reduced. What makes that situation worse is that this person is one of mom's neighbors and our families are real close. Mom wants to keep all the workers, because she likes them all. I depend on Dorothy to make the schedule. Dorothy kind of adopted the Locklin family and sat with both my Dad and my Sister before they passed away. She is very dependable and has mom's best interest at heart.
We had discussed assisted living for mom, but I am not sure she would qualify for that now. She does get a little stronger each day. The improvement started with a knock down drag out screaming match with her home health occupational therapist. The OT was the winner of that round, and it made mom realize that she could do more by herself. The goal is to build her confidence to the point where she was before her fall. Like I said there is a little improvement each day. Mom has decided to publish her family history book that she has worked on for years and write a children's book based on the life of the family pet Daisy. While not physically strong, she is mentally as sharp as ever.
Just a quick update on my brother. He has struggled with pain issues, but now seems to have it under control. He just completed more radiation and has started another round of chemo. Amy and I drove over for a visit with he and his wife last week. He was having a really good day and we enjoyed the time with them. We look forward to their coming to visit us soon.
The past 2 months have seen changes at our house. We were having trouble with our septic tank and field lines, so a new tank was needed and new field lines. Now there is no grass on one side of the house and the front yard. If that wasn't bad enough my dryer went out and my tractor tore up. On the good side, we decided to install a swimming pool so now the back yard is all torn up too. The pool should be completed in the next couple of weeks. I may never get the rocks out of the front yard and have grass again, but the back yard will be mostly concrete. I will post pictures on my next post.
We had discussed assisted living for mom, but I am not sure she would qualify for that now. She does get a little stronger each day. The improvement started with a knock down drag out screaming match with her home health occupational therapist. The OT was the winner of that round, and it made mom realize that she could do more by herself. The goal is to build her confidence to the point where she was before her fall. Like I said there is a little improvement each day. Mom has decided to publish her family history book that she has worked on for years and write a children's book based on the life of the family pet Daisy. While not physically strong, she is mentally as sharp as ever.
Just a quick update on my brother. He has struggled with pain issues, but now seems to have it under control. He just completed more radiation and has started another round of chemo. Amy and I drove over for a visit with he and his wife last week. He was having a really good day and we enjoyed the time with them. We look forward to their coming to visit us soon.
The past 2 months have seen changes at our house. We were having trouble with our septic tank and field lines, so a new tank was needed and new field lines. Now there is no grass on one side of the house and the front yard. If that wasn't bad enough my dryer went out and my tractor tore up. On the good side, we decided to install a swimming pool so now the back yard is all torn up too. The pool should be completed in the next couple of weeks. I may never get the rocks out of the front yard and have grass again, but the back yard will be mostly concrete. I will post pictures on my next post.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
June 10, 2015
Well it looks like I can only get to post once every month or so. I will try to do better, but no promises. Lots has happened since my last post. The drama continues with our moms. Amy's mom is in a very nice Assisted Living Community in Birmingham. They have interesting activities almost everyday. GoGo chooses to not participate in these, but we hope that will change with time. We are changing her name from GoGo (which she got by always being on the go) to SitSit, because that is all she chooses to do now. She was always so active and interacting with others, but chooses to sit in her room most of the day, waiting on God to call her home. She still has lots of friends come to visit her. She tends to fall a lot because she will not ask for help. It may be that she is not aware that she needs help, but that is something I would have learned after the first fall. She wears a button that she can push anytime she needs assistance, but will not push the button. It may be that due to the tia's or mini-strokes that she has had she may not remember that she has a button to push.
My mom had been out of rehab for a couple of weeks, then decided to finish her sleep study to be fitted with her CPAP machine. She was diagnosed with sleep apnea back in December, before her first trip to the hospital. So she was at the hospital and about 4:00 am her blood pressure when over 200. The nurse recommended that she go immediately to the ER, thinking she was going to have a stroke. So when I went to pick her up at 5:00 I find her in the Emergency Room due to high blood pressure. They decide to keep her for a couple of days, to get her blood pressure down. Instead of increasing her bp meds, they changed them. Her heart doctor has a daily monitor of her blood pressure and is aware that it gets over 200 before taking her medicine. I believe that he is really more concerned with the bottom number than the top. She has diastolic heart failure. Hopefully the doctor will hit on the right meds for her. Anyway she is still having home health, and still on oxygen 24/7 and her lung doctor says she will not be able to come off the O2. She was doing really well and had progressed to the point that home health was going to release her. She was able to stay by herself at night. I would leave her house about the time she headed to bed. All was good.
On Sunday before Memorial Day, Amy's sister, Ginger, brought GoGo to mom's house for lunch. We had a couple of their friends over and had a good time. The all enjoyed visiting together and it was a good day. Monday, that all changed. Mom fell and knocked a hole in her head. After a time she was able to push her Life Alert button and they sent an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Life Alert worked exactly like it was suppose to and it is worth every penny it costs. After 7 staples to close the wound and multiple x-rays, the ER doctor sent her home. I basically moved back to mom's house. This fall really set mom back. She has lost any confidence that she had built up. She has trouble getting up and is continually thinking she is going to fall again. She is back on physical therapy and occupational therapy through home health. It seems that they are starting all over again to try to get her back to where she was before the fall. She now has sitters that will stay with her so she will not be by herself. She has a long way to go before she can stay by herself again. The sitters have also given me some relief.
This week Amy and I are visiting grandchildren in Virginia, and having a great time. Mom is taken care of so I was able to make this trip. We plan to be home for a week and then go visit another grandchild in Texas. It looks like June is the traveling month for us. We just wish the grandchildren lived a little closer to us. 700 miles in one direction and then 900 miles in the other direction, just to visit all three. Sure makes for a lot of riding. But, it is worth it after all.
Another topic, my garden. I was able to get a few turnip greens before the bugs got to them and before it got hot. I will plant them again in the fall. Everything else is growing good. We have had a lot of rain, so the grass is taller than some of the plants. It seems every year something prevents me from being able to work it like I should. Last year, my knee surgery, this year mom, the year before that I was just feeding the deer and turkeys.
I am almost ready to hike again, especially if mom will keep the sitters. I will take it day by day and see how it all works out.
The drama continues......
My mom had been out of rehab for a couple of weeks, then decided to finish her sleep study to be fitted with her CPAP machine. She was diagnosed with sleep apnea back in December, before her first trip to the hospital. So she was at the hospital and about 4:00 am her blood pressure when over 200. The nurse recommended that she go immediately to the ER, thinking she was going to have a stroke. So when I went to pick her up at 5:00 I find her in the Emergency Room due to high blood pressure. They decide to keep her for a couple of days, to get her blood pressure down. Instead of increasing her bp meds, they changed them. Her heart doctor has a daily monitor of her blood pressure and is aware that it gets over 200 before taking her medicine. I believe that he is really more concerned with the bottom number than the top. She has diastolic heart failure. Hopefully the doctor will hit on the right meds for her. Anyway she is still having home health, and still on oxygen 24/7 and her lung doctor says she will not be able to come off the O2. She was doing really well and had progressed to the point that home health was going to release her. She was able to stay by herself at night. I would leave her house about the time she headed to bed. All was good.
On Sunday before Memorial Day, Amy's sister, Ginger, brought GoGo to mom's house for lunch. We had a couple of their friends over and had a good time. The all enjoyed visiting together and it was a good day. Monday, that all changed. Mom fell and knocked a hole in her head. After a time she was able to push her Life Alert button and they sent an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Life Alert worked exactly like it was suppose to and it is worth every penny it costs. After 7 staples to close the wound and multiple x-rays, the ER doctor sent her home. I basically moved back to mom's house. This fall really set mom back. She has lost any confidence that she had built up. She has trouble getting up and is continually thinking she is going to fall again. She is back on physical therapy and occupational therapy through home health. It seems that they are starting all over again to try to get her back to where she was before the fall. She now has sitters that will stay with her so she will not be by herself. She has a long way to go before she can stay by herself again. The sitters have also given me some relief.
This week Amy and I are visiting grandchildren in Virginia, and having a great time. Mom is taken care of so I was able to make this trip. We plan to be home for a week and then go visit another grandchild in Texas. It looks like June is the traveling month for us. We just wish the grandchildren lived a little closer to us. 700 miles in one direction and then 900 miles in the other direction, just to visit all three. Sure makes for a lot of riding. But, it is worth it after all.
Another topic, my garden. I was able to get a few turnip greens before the bugs got to them and before it got hot. I will plant them again in the fall. Everything else is growing good. We have had a lot of rain, so the grass is taller than some of the plants. It seems every year something prevents me from being able to work it like I should. Last year, my knee surgery, this year mom, the year before that I was just feeding the deer and turkeys.
I am almost ready to hike again, especially if mom will keep the sitters. I will take it day by day and see how it all works out.
The drama continues......
Friday, April 3, 2015
April 3, 2015
Another month has come and gone, and I have not done a good job updating this blog. The past month has just been a blur. So, let me try to bring it into focus. The saga continues with mom. Mom continued to get weaker from the fluid build up in her legs and lungs, to the point where she was having trouble breathing so I took her back to the hospital. After a bad night she was having a panic attack, so she was given a sedative to calm her down. This calmed her to the point that she went to sleep, but her breathing was more like a dog panting extremely shallow and she was not breathing deep enough to get the correct gas exchange in her lungs. Mom breaths through her mouth so the oxygen she was hooked up to was not doing her any good and this caused the problem. Too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen and the doctor could not get her to wake up. She was put on a respirator to assist her breathing and bring her gas levels back to normal. Also to help remove the fluid built up in her lungs. Once she was breathing again normally the tubes were removed. She stayed in the hospital for a week. She was not strong enough to go home so she went back to rehab for 2 weeks.
Mom has Home Health that provides for therapy; physical, occupational, and speech. Mom has been home now for two weeks, which means that I have had to basically move in to care for her. I do have two people that assist with her care which gives me a 4 to 6 hour break each day. Yesterday she was told that she could start staying by herself some during the day, which is good news for me. She is now on a low sodium diet and yesterday she was told to watch her potassium intake also. There are no foods that are low in sodium, low in potassium and high in protein that she likes to eat. Grocery shopping is beginning to be a nightmare. Checking labels and all, quadruples the time spent in the store. She will just have to learn to eat foods that she doesn't like. Hopefully she will be able to stay by herself at night before long. Then I can get back to my normal retired life.
My wife's mother can not walk and she continues to drive to Birmingham two days a week to care for her. Here lately we just pass each other as we come and go. We hope one day that things can get back to normal for us.
During one of my 4 hour breaks I was able to plow my garden and get my turnip greens planted. I was waiting till Good Friday to plant the rest of my crops, but this week has been too wet to plow and plant. Maybe it will dry out by the first of next week. The drama continues....
Mom has Home Health that provides for therapy; physical, occupational, and speech. Mom has been home now for two weeks, which means that I have had to basically move in to care for her. I do have two people that assist with her care which gives me a 4 to 6 hour break each day. Yesterday she was told that she could start staying by herself some during the day, which is good news for me. She is now on a low sodium diet and yesterday she was told to watch her potassium intake also. There are no foods that are low in sodium, low in potassium and high in protein that she likes to eat. Grocery shopping is beginning to be a nightmare. Checking labels and all, quadruples the time spent in the store. She will just have to learn to eat foods that she doesn't like. Hopefully she will be able to stay by herself at night before long. Then I can get back to my normal retired life.
My wife's mother can not walk and she continues to drive to Birmingham two days a week to care for her. Here lately we just pass each other as we come and go. We hope one day that things can get back to normal for us.
During one of my 4 hour breaks I was able to plow my garden and get my turnip greens planted. I was waiting till Good Friday to plant the rest of my crops, but this week has been too wet to plow and plant. Maybe it will dry out by the first of next week. The drama continues....
Friday, February 27, 2015
Feb 27, 2015
I have not had a chance to write on this blog for about a month now. After mom's stay in the hospital, she was too weak to walk. So, she spent 21 days in Talladega Rehab and was allowed to go home on Feb. 11th. I basically moved in her house to help her out. For about a week she made steady improvement, but had a rash we assumed was an allergic reaction to one of her meds. So, the doctors took her off two of her medicines. One was to help remove fluid build up in her body. For the past week she has had a setback. Almost to the point that put her in the hospital in the first place. So today they have put her back on the lay-6 (sp) to remove fluid and added two more pills to remove fluid. Hopefully these will work magic and she will improve to the point where she can stay by herself. Until then I will not have much time to continue writing.
I hope to find some time to start my garden this week. I have a hankering for turnip greens, so that will be planted first. The rest will have to wait about another month. Of course my wife does not like turnip greens, nor wants to wash them or cook them so I will probably have a lot to give away.
My latest puzzle is a 2000 piece that was started after Christmas. Just have not found time to work on it either. Once I get caught up I will start building a king sized bed. So, I have big plans but until mom is better they are on hold. One last thing on the list is to start back hiking and some weekend camping in north Georgia, but will wait for the weather to become more stable first. Surely by next month some of these plans will take shape.
I hope to find some time to start my garden this week. I have a hankering for turnip greens, so that will be planted first. The rest will have to wait about another month. Of course my wife does not like turnip greens, nor wants to wash them or cook them so I will probably have a lot to give away.
My latest puzzle is a 2000 piece that was started after Christmas. Just have not found time to work on it either. Once I get caught up I will start building a king sized bed. So, I have big plans but until mom is better they are on hold. One last thing on the list is to start back hiking and some weekend camping in north Georgia, but will wait for the weather to become more stable first. Surely by next month some of these plans will take shape.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
January 22, 2015
There are no excuses for waiting so long to post this, but the last couple of weeks have been a blur. My wife's mom, GoGo, has had several TIA's and is practically immobile. She has been at Amy's brother's house in Birmingham. Amy travels to stay with her two days a week. Sometimes we bring her to our house for a few days. Even though she would like to spend more time here with us, our house is not really equipped for someone in her condition. My mom has spent the last couple of weeks in Trinity hospital in Birmingham. Diagnosis was congestive heart failure and afib. She was able to walk into the hospital but after being in bed that long she is having trouble walking. She will be discharged from the hospital today and will go to rehab for physical therapy here in Talladega. She could be there for up to 20 days or less depending on how well she progresses with the therapy. Although both moms have similar health issues, their attitudes are as different as night and day. Gogo's attitude is very negative, to the point of being mad at God for not taking her on to heaven. She is waiting to die. Of course some one said that she will probably live another 20 years so God can prove he is in charge. On the other hand mom's attitude is positive, wanting to live every day to the fullest, fully intending to regain her strength and get back to her usual activities. She makes the best of every little setback she encounters.
So, with all that has happened in the last year, surgery on both knees, loosing my sister, and now taking care of our mothers, I am glad that I did not spend 6 months hiking the trail. I really miss my sister, because we thought that she would be the one to care for mom. Apparently God had and continues to have other plans. I am glad that Amy and I are retired and are in a position to take part in the care of our parents. In the meantime writing this blog will have to take a backseat, and a low priority. In another month winter will be fading out and spring coming in, bringing with it new opportunities and new changes. Gardening time. Hiking again. By the way, my knees are doing great. I can walk down steps without any pain and I can cross my legs with no pain. There is a little discomfort when standing up from a chair, but that is getting better and better.
So, with all that has happened in the last year, surgery on both knees, loosing my sister, and now taking care of our mothers, I am glad that I did not spend 6 months hiking the trail. I really miss my sister, because we thought that she would be the one to care for mom. Apparently God had and continues to have other plans. I am glad that Amy and I are retired and are in a position to take part in the care of our parents. In the meantime writing this blog will have to take a backseat, and a low priority. In another month winter will be fading out and spring coming in, bringing with it new opportunities and new changes. Gardening time. Hiking again. By the way, my knees are doing great. I can walk down steps without any pain and I can cross my legs with no pain. There is a little discomfort when standing up from a chair, but that is getting better and better.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
January 4
Christmas is over and 2015 has begun. Time to settle in for the new year. My new exercise program will begin in the morning. I will start with logging everything I eat, using my fitness app on my ipad. I will also start daily walking with a minimum of 2 miles at the track at Veteran's Park. Also I plan to add treadmill walking 30 minutes a day. I will try this for the rest of January, then consider other ideas.
I also have other activities to do. I plan to begin my woodworking by building two beds. The first thing to do is to clean out one of my buildings so I can have room to work on this. Right now the building is so full I can barely get into the door. When I retired I took everything I had accumulated over the years and instead of going through it then, I just brought it home and threw it into that building. Since I have been retired for over a year it is time for winter/spring cleaning. I admit to being a hoarder, but it is time I got rid of almost everything.
I seldom drive my truck, but drove it to town to walk on the Saturday before Christmas. My wife met me at the track and we went to fill up with gas. After I filled up the gas tank I discovered the truck was a leaking gas. Half of the gas had drained out over the weekend. The truck is a 1994 Mazda B3000 cab plus. When I took it to find out about the leak, I discovered that the gas tank is no longer made for that model. I made several inquiries online trying to find a new tank. The day before Christmas eve I found a used one at a salvage yard in Munford, about 10 miles away. My truck is now ready for hauling. Looks like this week will be a lot of work.
I also have other activities to do. I plan to begin my woodworking by building two beds. The first thing to do is to clean out one of my buildings so I can have room to work on this. Right now the building is so full I can barely get into the door. When I retired I took everything I had accumulated over the years and instead of going through it then, I just brought it home and threw it into that building. Since I have been retired for over a year it is time for winter/spring cleaning. I admit to being a hoarder, but it is time I got rid of almost everything.
I seldom drive my truck, but drove it to town to walk on the Saturday before Christmas. My wife met me at the track and we went to fill up with gas. After I filled up the gas tank I discovered the truck was a leaking gas. Half of the gas had drained out over the weekend. The truck is a 1994 Mazda B3000 cab plus. When I took it to find out about the leak, I discovered that the gas tank is no longer made for that model. I made several inquiries online trying to find a new tank. The day before Christmas eve I found a used one at a salvage yard in Munford, about 10 miles away. My truck is now ready for hauling. Looks like this week will be a lot of work.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Hiking again - January 1, 2015
It has been a long time since my last post. Sorry about that, but my new years resolution is to do a better job at posting on my blog. A lot has happened since Thanksgiving, but the time has just flown by. My wife's mother, who is in poor health, has spent a couple of weeks with us. She had been staying in Birmingham at Amy's brother's house. Amy, and sometimes myself, go over every Tuesday and Thursday to stay with her. We have been doing this since October.
We started a new Christmas tradition. Amy and I and our moms ate Christmas hamburgers on Christmas day. This was the first time we did not spend Christmas day with any of our kids. Our daughter Emily and her family (Craig and Kale) when to Indiana to spend Christmas with Craig's parents. Our other daughter, Katy and her group (Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper) spent Christmas day with Scott's mom and her family. Our son, Jason and his wife, Shelley spent Christmas with her parents in Ashland. Therefore we began a new tradition by cooking Bubba Burgers on the grill. After lunch we took GoGo, Amy's mom, back to Birmingham.
Katy, Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper did come to spend a week with us. They will be returning to Virginia in the morning. It is always great when they come to visit. Jason and Shelley came over this past Saturday so we could all get together for lunch. That was a really good time. I forgot to mention that Baxter, Katy's dog came too. Also Jason brought his dog, Brooks, a chocolate lab that is as big as a horse. It made for a full house and a fun time.
Scott wanted to do some trail running, so I dropped him off at Adam's Gap on the Pinhoti Trail. I parked at the Cheaha trailhead and was supposed to meet him somewhere on the trail. I walked the Cave Creek trail and ended up missing him at the connector with the Pinhoti, I knew I had walked 4 miles when we finally got communication on Scott's walkie-talkies. I should have turned and gone back the same way I had come, but I decided to continue on the Pinhoti back to the parking lot. My cell phone went dead after 8.4 miles, which was still about 2 miles away from the parking lot. Needless to say, I can hardly walk today, but there was no problem with my knees. I had forgotten how rocky and steep that portion of the trail was, and decided to go really slow to protect my knees, I finally finished after the sun went down. A lot farther than I had planned, but a really enjoyable hike. My legs were begining to cramp a little at the end.
We started a new Christmas tradition. Amy and I and our moms ate Christmas hamburgers on Christmas day. This was the first time we did not spend Christmas day with any of our kids. Our daughter Emily and her family (Craig and Kale) when to Indiana to spend Christmas with Craig's parents. Our other daughter, Katy and her group (Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper) spent Christmas day with Scott's mom and her family. Our son, Jason and his wife, Shelley spent Christmas with her parents in Ashland. Therefore we began a new tradition by cooking Bubba Burgers on the grill. After lunch we took GoGo, Amy's mom, back to Birmingham.
Katy, Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper did come to spend a week with us. They will be returning to Virginia in the morning. It is always great when they come to visit. Jason and Shelley came over this past Saturday so we could all get together for lunch. That was a really good time. I forgot to mention that Baxter, Katy's dog came too. Also Jason brought his dog, Brooks, a chocolate lab that is as big as a horse. It made for a full house and a fun time.
Scott wanted to do some trail running, so I dropped him off at Adam's Gap on the Pinhoti Trail. I parked at the Cheaha trailhead and was supposed to meet him somewhere on the trail. I walked the Cave Creek trail and ended up missing him at the connector with the Pinhoti, I knew I had walked 4 miles when we finally got communication on Scott's walkie-talkies. I should have turned and gone back the same way I had come, but I decided to continue on the Pinhoti back to the parking lot. My cell phone went dead after 8.4 miles, which was still about 2 miles away from the parking lot. Needless to say, I can hardly walk today, but there was no problem with my knees. I had forgotten how rocky and steep that portion of the trail was, and decided to go really slow to protect my knees, I finally finished after the sun went down. A lot farther than I had planned, but a really enjoyable hike. My legs were begining to cramp a little at the end.
Scott after we met up.
This selfie was taken from one of the views on the Pinhoti.
Scott was ready for another run today, but since I can barely walk from sore muscles my hiking is done for a couple of days. He will have to wait for his next visit to do more of the trail. For me, I am going to start my weight loss program tomorrow. Today it's time for football games and one last big meal with blackeyed peas and turnip greens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)