Good day Friday!

[Twins' Mom]

Echoing Kathryn's description of yesterday as a good day! Or we can take it as a greeting, Good Day!

[CathyS]

I've put my car into the garage. The snow has started here, and it's extremely windy.

Dh is still sick. He's also grumpy. I don't feel as bad as I did, but I'm still not 100%

I think we need milk, but I also think we can wait until Sunday or Monday. Dh doesn't need to go anywhere that I know of.

[Lady Maverick]

I plan to have a good day today. It will no doubt have some challenges but that keeps it interesting.

DS14 was up at 5:45am to continue taking his online state test. He is 7 hours into the test and must finish with a certificate before his class starts at 6pm. At 8am he was 75% completed. At the rate he is going it will be another 2-3 hours. The test requires watching their videos so the only way he can make the test go faster is speed up the videos, but they have that option disabled. It is what it is.

I am on hour #3 of my hourly schedule. Next up -
** bounce on mini trampoline
** eat breakfast (Greek yogurt & blueberries)
** The bonus room is the focus for this hour. Do something to improve that room.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Just got of the phone with my BFF. She is a nurse who now works for Blood Services but used to work in the hospital both on the post-op wards (not ICU) and doing blood draws for all patients and I had her give me some perspective.

Dgs had a rough night and was up 10:30 to midnight. His parents didn't arrive until 4 and he woke up when they came and was hysterical because I wasn't there trying to comfort him. I debated going out and decided that would be disruptive. Things quieted down and I assumed they were finally asleep. I coughed tons after that (interestingly, that was the same time my coughing started the night before) and was trying to stay as quiet as possible. Turns out it was unnecessary, ds made the call to take him home while ds was not too exhausted to drive safely.

Dgs was fine with ds but hysterical whenever his mom went to him. That finally changed about 90 minutes ago. So I think ds made the right decision, otherwise, he might have continued to shun her, preferring me.

I did learn that dgs was a dam between my emotions and what is happening with dh and so I'm on the verge of tears all the time. I also didn't get to say good-bye to dgs which hurts but is proper. He'll be back here for nap on Saturday (also his birthday party but that's downstairs in the social room.)

My BFF said that today should be a "Kathryn Day" which had been my plan all along. I'll shower for a long time to get steaming as well as cleaning, and try and eat only healthy foods. The cold is really flowing out of me now, but the coughing has stopped again. Not sure it that is because I'm upright and moving around or if it is because I took a decongestant.

[Ramblinrose]

Morning…

Just not sure it is good. Woke up at 2 am with a horrible migraine, took meds, found my ice pack and finally feel asleep around 5. Got up at 7 hoping some coffee would help.

News from Sweeties dr is not good. He has onset Alzheimer’s. Dr set up a multitude of tests including a MRI to see which part of Sweeties brain is being effective. Also ordered Sweetie an anti-depressant and a sleep test. My most concern is Sweeties weight. I battle to get mine down and he is 5’11” and weighed 139 with his clothes and shoes on. Dr was concerned about that as well and is sending him to an internist.

Other than that things are grand. We went out to eat last night and had a wonderful steak dinner. Suddenly Sweetie wants to do many of the things I have suggested. We are headed to Sarasota to the Ringley Brothers museum and also to a music box one he went to in the past. I also suggested a few days at the Hollywood Margaritaville hotel and he’s all for it. He also said he wanted to visit Cape Carnival. He jokingly referred to himself as the dead man walking and we laughed so hard over it the tears ran down our faces.

Thankfully many of the hard conversations are behind us. My good friend in Mesa works with patients in a memory care facility and has told us many stories about patients hooking up with each other. Seems in my research this is not unusual. Superior Judge Sandra Day O’Conner’s tells the story of her husband who was in a memory care unit finding a new “girlfriend” there. When asked what she thought about it she said she was glad to see her husband happy again. I asked Sweetie if he was going to look for a new GF if the time ever comes that we find ourselves in that situation and he just laughed at the idea.

You just have to keep a sense of humor about these things….and so we laugh as our new adventure begins.

The only thing I have to do today is fold more laundry. Not feeling much up for anything else. Once Sweeties prescription is ready we will need to pick it up. Other than that is gonna be a slow and easy day.

Send good vibes to LadyM’s ds14 and wish him well on his tests..

Glad Kathryn got to see her hubby last night!

[blessedw2]

I am sorry your dgs had a hard night; which means in turn that you had a rough night!
I saw this all the time when I babysat.

I am praying for your dh!!! I am praying for you! it's so hard!.

hi d lady wishing your ds the best as he takes his test!

hi d Cathy! hoping your dh feels better soon! Glad you are starting to feel better


hi d twins... thank you for starting us!!!

d rose - I am so so sorry you had a migraine!!! I have been hearing from my dd that the red tide is bad as well. I wonder if that is adding to your migraines. thinking of you!

Good day to all of you.

[DeeClutter]

Glad to see Kathryn will have at least a little "ME" time. Build up, neighbor!

The bonus room is the focus for this hour. Do something to improve that room.

This little statement on your list hit home with me, Lady M. Especially the part of "Do something to improve that room".) That's all it takes just even one little thing of improvement (though hopefully I'd find more than ONE.

Only got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night and 4 the night before. Not doing too well on the sleep scale. Doesn't help when I stumble to the bathroom at 3am because my bladder woke me and then dh chose that time to tell me about something he wanted me to help him do today. So, you know what happened to my mind then. Dh is resting right now as he's planning to go to an Orlando Solar Bears hockey game with DD later this afternoon. He usually works for them as a stats keeper throughout the winter but not this year. DD has talked with the 'chief' and he's told her to have dh wear his prescribed 'working outfit' and just come in with her. They started a new sign in process last week, which will show that anyone checking in is actually scheduled to 'work'. So dh is being put on the roster as 'working' just so she can get him in and he'll go upstairs to sit with them. I know he'll be glad to see the crew and vice versa. I'm concerned about him going, yes, as he gets so tired so easily, but I think it will be good for him mentally.

I'm still vascillating about whether or not to drive dh home at the end of the month or stay here (as he wants) and fly him up. Not sure how we'd get the car north at that point though. So, I'm beginning to make my lists for packing and will at least start on that.

I need to call W algreens and make my appointment for my Covid booster. I've put it off through all of this as I didn't want to chance not feeling well at any one point.

We went for lunch O live G arden yesterday with 2 friends from church and our pastor. Dh said later that even with traveling in over 26 countries and the U.S. and Canada during his travels when he was working, he had never had a waitress like this one, She was unbelieveably good! Our pastor is 'batching' it for a couple of weeks while his dwife is in NJ. He went home with enough food for at least 3 days. She kept bringing us all sorts of 'extras' and was superbly kind. It was worth the experience just for that. Made sure we left her name with the front end manager. Now if only we oculd get the same waitress if we ever went back!

[blessedw2]

As dd older was heading out the door she said "I feel tension" and smiled.
I think I looked up in the air and smiled back at her - "Yep!"

Dh is is tired of the process but it's time for him to stand on his own with some of his care. This morning, I put most of his care in his hands after he got snippy with me. I stepped back except for the feeding and the trac.

I tube fed him and changed his trac/bandages which was bloody today. I mentioned I needed him to weigh himself, take his oxygen, temp and BP and He let his frustration out - "I know, I know, I know!!!!" In other words he decided he doesn't have to do this care or do the PT or speech therapy and is getting angry at me for that.

For today I told him that I am stepping back and he needs to do those things today. I needed to do that - I think it will help him not be a victim (which I totally understand) and get him feeling that he has a focus to make himself better.

I am sure I will revisit this if he doesn't do what he needs to do. But for today I am stepping back from anything that isn't life sustaining.

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the Ent will not sign the order to get the new trac he ordered (on script) or the equipment that goes with the new trac. dd older is trying to take care of it and the speech therapist wrote the dr. for us.

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I will say I had a lovely moment in my imagination today. I remembered what it was like being a kid/teen and sitting on the beach - closing my eyes and putting my face up to the sun. I literally was back there in my imagination. The warmth of the sun, the sand and it's warmth, the smell of copper tone, the sun on my skin and breathing in the joy of the moment. It was so nice to remember that considering we are have snow outside.

I think I needed this moment of beauty!
It soothed my soul!
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See you all soon!

[DeeClutter]

I SO hear you, Blessed!

For a while dh was so confused that I printed out a sheet every day that listed what day it was, any appointments, events, etc for that day. Usually included a positive note and signed it whatever name I put for his "nurse for the day". Now I say that his nurse is on Sabbatical! He got used to seeing that every day and it became a highlight -sure going through a lot of copier paper though. So, I continue and have added some things that he/me/we have to get accomplished that particular day. I have 2 magnets and hang it on the front of the ice machine we have in the office. Helps me too, I must admi.

[Lady Maverick]

(((RR & Sweetie))) Even though you expected this diagnosis, it still can't be easy to have it confirmed. I admire you both for talking through and making tough decisions together. I hope you both have many years together before this disease progresses.

DGS14 is walking on cloud 9. He finished the online course and passed the test. The certificate is printed and now he just has to get through 19 hours in a classroom this weekend. One of the big reasons we homeschool is because he cannot sit still. Also, when DS14 gets stressed then his Tourette tics increase substantially. He is just going to have to get through those classroom hours the best he can.

I'm on hour #5. Next up -
** My next Spanish lesson (online)
** Kitchen is the focus room of the hour.
** Incline pushups & 250+ steps

Blessed - Thank you for sharing that memory!

I had a lovely moment in my imagination today. I remembered what it was like being a kid/teen and sitting on the beach - closing my eyes and putting my face up to the sun. I literally was back there in my imagination. The warmth of the sun, the sand and it's warmth, the smell of copper tone, the sun on my skin and breathing in the joy of the moment. It was so nice to remember that