LMAO!!! I love them all, but I laughed most at the auto-correct text message! Thanks florrie, this sure is a great start to my day!
Well, we brought my dad home from the skilled nursing facility yesterday. In a way, it's a relief. He was a terror to the staff, and they couldn't keep him safe. I was constantly down there for one thing or another. He was falling daily, and those floors are really hard. He wouldn't eat anything but dessert. He wouldn't wear his oxygen. He ripped off any bandages they put on him. He bulled and cajoled my mother until she consented to bring him home. We took him straight from the facility to our family doctor so we could consult about his medications and condition. Of course he threw a royal fit.
So it goes. If I don't become unstuck in time like poor Billy Pilgrim it'll be a wonder.
Anyway, he's glad to be home. He ate a huge lunch, and a decent dinner. He allowed us to set up his oxygen and such. Still grumpy, but manageable. For now. I always have a nurses best friend if I need it...ativan. Hah! I have a full patient load today, so Noah will be camped at their house getting him into a routine and helping him shower. Mom is a bundle of nerves, so keeping her smiling instead of freaking out is half the battle.
Before we brought him home, we took the bed out of their guest room and we turned it into a refuge for Mom. She has a recliner and a table with a good light, books and more books, her keyboard, and a window that streams sunlight. Now she has a way to gain some quiet and some alone time. Dad watches the TV loud enough to wake the dead, but between Mom's refuge and a set of fancy, cushy earphones Noah bought him, perhaps sanity can be preserved. For awhile, anyway.
I couldn't have got through this past 5 or 6 weeks without you florrie. This experience is way beyond the mind's ability to grasp. It's such a relief to be able to put a voice to everything rattling around in my head with someone who has been in my shoes, and who understands that I really do love my dad...but damnitalltohellthisisinsane!.
Lady Red, that is why so many of our elders are simply warehoused until they die. You've done the good and moral thing to bring him home, and despite the difficulties you can always look at that with some pride and satisfaction
In reaction to the church signs: there was an "Adult Entertainment Center" in Seattle that posted funny things on its marque. My favourite was "Veni Vidi Veni."
To Lady Red: I know from experience the hard time you are having now. I do not know what else to offer you except my prayers.
Lady Red, I had no idea you were going through such difficulties with your dad. I admire your fortitude and initiative and wish you strength to cope, mentally and physically.
We're on the other side of the equation here. My inlaws are going downhill, and even though they have a live-in carer the time is slowly (or not so slowly) approaching when we will need to find them a nursing home.
MIL has advanced Alzheimers and is completely helpless. She can barely stand for a minute or 2 while getting her out of bed and into a wheelchair. We've finally stopped taking her to family dinners etc. because it is so difficult to get her in and out of the wheelchair and into the car, and because when she does get there, she has no idea where she is or what's going on. And if she does by some miracle understand, by the next morning she has forgotten all about it.
Meanwhile PIL, who used to be the life and soul of the party, has become almost insular. He refuses to go out for a walk during the week, only once a week he goes to the synagogue. He doesn't like going to family dos because of the noise and hullabaloo. Even when the grand- and great-grandkids come to visit, he's had enough after 1/2 hour tops. Physically he's also gone downhill and now cannot really walk unaided. He walks around the house with a cane, but outdoors he's terribly wobbly. Either hubby or volunteers take him to and from the synagogue but otherwise he's turned himself into a shut-in despite plenty of community and family volunteers offering to take him out. I get so frustrated with him.
We have considered sheltered housing where there would be care for MIL 24/7 and activities for PIL on-site. But we have to get him to agree, and that's a whole different ballgame.
The matter is going to come to a head soon because their carer wants to go back to India for a month for a home visit. I doubt we'll be able to find a legal fill-in. I've got tummy-ache thinking about it all. There is no way that we (aka me) can take care of them while the carer is away. MIL is incontinent besides anything else. We can mange for a day at a time if the carer takes a day off but that's it.
Meanwhile my daughter is about to produce # 6 and I'm on call for babysitting services. I LOVE babysitting. :). But I also have a job and my own volunteer work...
There's not much to admire here, annie. If I had my druthers I would have him in the nursing home down the street. He's so miserable there and so abusive to the staff that I felt like there is no choice but to bring him home.
The good news is that he's settling in and has been sweet as pie for the past two days. He's been eating three good meals a day and hasn't fallen. We're taking it day by day.
Some of the thoughts that go through my head are not exactly noble. And then I feel like a real sh*t for thinking them. I've been pondering that, as a generation, we need get our noodles in gear and get creative with the whole "sandwich" thing. Surely we can design a better way to take care of the 4 and even 5 generations that comprise a family these days.
If not, I can envision the evillll boomers turning into berserkers and rampaging through the streets yelling and screaming and screeching ZZTop tunes at the tops of our lungs. Nekkid. Hah! That should embarrass the grandkids! :D
Congratulations on being a grandma again!!! I love good news. And babies! I love babies! :)
Lady Red, I understand your "ignoble thoughts" exactly. And I feel the same guilt.
When we suggested sheltered housing - not a nursing home but a retirement community - to the inlaws, PIL went ballistic. It was quite terrifying. Now my sister in law, who has quite a mouth on her, refuses to bring up the subject, although she also realises the situation, and their status has deteriorated greatly since we first discussed a home about 3 years ago.
I'll tell you the bet way to care for all the generations. It's to revert to the old tribal or clan way of living - the extended family in a family compound, so the young can look after the old, and the oldies can babysit the little ones. But it doesn't work nowadays. It's all very well yearning for the olden days, but we're in the 21st century and even those of us who live a traditional lifestyle can't turn the clock back.
Another difference to the 'good old days' is that people are living so much longer - but their health is not particularly good. Hence strokes, Alzheimers and all the other troubles.
Whoever called it the "Golden Age" had a sick sense of humour.
As for babies, we got plenty. :). 11 I think (counting on fingers and toes...). OK, they're not all babies. In fact we just had the first Batmitzvah in the next generation - our granddaughter (technically our step-granddaughter but who's counting?). It was a beautiful do, just family (150 people!!), a lovely warm atmosphere with lots of good food, speeches and tradition.
It was a very peculiar feeling to be the Grandma at the celebration. I didn't even feel old. Just surprised! :))
Your extended family must make for uproarious Batmitsvah annie! I can't imagine having 150 family members at a celebration! :))
And yeah. The whole "Golden Age" thing is highly idealized. The reality is somewhat different, innit?
When my dad first got sick, Noah and I approached them about the communal family idea, and we offered to buy a big house that we could all live in. They weren't interested, and still aren't. Like you said, we can't turn back the clock to a simpler, saner time.
Well, they weren't 150 only from my family! There were about 50-60 from each side (us and our DIL's family), and the rest were our granddaughter's classmates. But yeah, it was uproarious and loud and great fun. :)
Your idea of buying a big house is a good one, but it also depends on the circumstances. My inlaws for example would still need a carer. I do know quite a few families who have done so though. They built on "granny flats" (as we call them in England) so the oldies could have their independence and yet be near enough for company and assistance.
I know it sounds funny but hubby and I are considering buying a small house/apartment where our kids live. I know we're not at that stage yet, but I like the idea of being prepared. We can rent it out for the moment. We just have to choose which settlement and hope that Obama or Kerry don't give the house to the Palestinians before we get a chance to live in it!
All of these are good, but a couple of things:
ReplyDeleteThese churches need someone with a dirty mind to read the signs before they are posted.
The chocolate fountain is just indescribable, glad I was not nearby when it was turned on.
Love the wire stripper
The text msg is hilarious and completely believable.
ReplyDeleteLMAO!!! I love them all, but I laughed most at the auto-correct text message! Thanks florrie, this sure is a great start to my day!
ReplyDeleteWell, we brought my dad home from the skilled nursing facility yesterday. In a way, it's a relief. He was a terror to the staff, and they couldn't keep him safe. I was constantly down there for one thing or another. He was falling daily, and those floors are really hard. He wouldn't eat anything but dessert. He wouldn't wear his oxygen. He ripped off any bandages they put on him. He bulled and cajoled my mother until she consented to bring him home. We took him straight from the facility to our family doctor so we could consult about his medications and condition. Of course he threw a royal fit.
So it goes. If I don't become unstuck in time like poor Billy Pilgrim it'll be a wonder.
Anyway, he's glad to be home. He ate a huge lunch, and a decent dinner. He allowed us to set up his oxygen and such. Still grumpy, but manageable. For now. I always have a nurses best friend if I need it...ativan. Hah! I have a full patient load today, so Noah will be camped at their house getting him into a routine and helping him shower. Mom is a bundle of nerves, so keeping her smiling instead of freaking out is half the battle.
Before we brought him home, we took the bed out of their guest room and we turned it into a refuge for Mom. She has a recliner and a table with a good light, books and more books, her keyboard, and a window that streams sunlight. Now she has a way to gain some quiet and some alone time. Dad watches the TV loud enough to wake the dead, but between Mom's refuge and a set of fancy, cushy earphones Noah bought him, perhaps sanity can be preserved. For awhile, anyway.
I couldn't have got through this past 5 or 6 weeks without you florrie. This experience is way beyond the mind's ability to grasp. It's such a relief to be able to put a voice to everything rattling around in my head with someone who has been in my shoes, and who understands that I really do love my dad...but damnitalltohellthisisinsane!.
Lady Red, that is why so many of our elders are simply warehoused until they die. You've done the good and moral thing to bring him home, and despite the difficulties you can always look at that with some pride and satisfaction
DeleteHang in there, lady red, we're all with you in spirit! Better days ahead, GW.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the funnies ;-)
In reaction to the church signs: there was an "Adult Entertainment Center" in Seattle that posted funny things on its marque. My favourite was "Veni Vidi Veni."
ReplyDeleteTo Lady Red: I know from experience the hard time you are having now. I do not know what else to offer you except my prayers.
Hahahaha, I love the bird chilling in the sink! Great funnies florrie.
ReplyDeleteHang in there lr, big hugs from me {{{lady red}}}
I thought you might like that one, Fay :-)
DeleteI saw something that made me chuckle today, it may not seem that funny to others but in my line of business it's completely relevant...
ReplyDeleteDefinition of a consultant:
Someone who borrows your watch and then tells you what time it is.
Hahaha!! I love that one Fay! :)
DeleteDefinition of a consultant:
ReplyDeleteSomeone who borrows your watch and then tells you what time it is.
LOL! How true is that? Sadly, consultants permeate every level of bureaucracy.
Lady Red, I had no idea you were going through such difficulties with your dad. I admire your fortitude and initiative and wish you strength to cope, mentally and physically.
ReplyDeleteWe're on the other side of the equation here. My inlaws are going downhill, and even though they have a live-in carer the time is slowly (or not so slowly) approaching when we will need to find them a nursing home.
MIL has advanced Alzheimers and is completely helpless. She can barely stand for a minute or 2 while getting her out of bed and into a wheelchair. We've finally stopped taking her to family dinners etc. because it is so difficult to get her in and out of the wheelchair and into the car, and because when she does get there, she has no idea where she is or what's going on. And if she does by some miracle understand, by the next morning she has forgotten all about it.
Meanwhile PIL, who used to be the life and soul of the party, has become almost insular. He refuses to go out for a walk during the week, only once a week he goes to the synagogue. He doesn't like going to family dos because of the noise and hullabaloo. Even when the grand- and great-grandkids come to visit, he's had enough after 1/2 hour tops. Physically he's also gone downhill and now cannot really walk unaided. He walks around the house with a cane, but outdoors he's terribly wobbly. Either hubby or volunteers take him to and from the synagogue but otherwise he's turned himself into a shut-in despite plenty of community and family volunteers offering to take him out. I get so frustrated with him.
We have considered sheltered housing where there would be care for MIL 24/7 and activities for PIL on-site. But we have to get him to agree, and that's a whole different ballgame.
The matter is going to come to a head soon because their carer wants to go back to India for a month for a home visit. I doubt we'll be able to find a legal fill-in. I've got tummy-ache thinking about it all. There is no way that we (aka me) can take care of them while the carer is away. MIL is incontinent besides anything else. We can mange for a day at a time if the carer takes a day off but that's it.
Meanwhile my daughter is about to produce # 6 and I'm on call for babysitting services. I LOVE babysitting. :). But I also have a job and my own volunteer work...
Sigh... We are the sandwich generation.
There's not much to admire here, annie. If I had my druthers I would have him in the nursing home down the street. He's so miserable there and so abusive to the staff that I felt like there is no choice but to bring him home.
DeleteThe good news is that he's settling in and has been sweet as pie for the past two days. He's been eating three good meals a day and hasn't fallen. We're taking it day by day.
Some of the thoughts that go through my head are not exactly noble. And then I feel like a real sh*t for thinking them. I've been pondering that, as a generation, we need get our noodles in gear and get creative with the whole "sandwich" thing. Surely we can design a better way to take care of the 4 and even 5 generations that comprise a family these days.
If not, I can envision the evillll boomers turning into berserkers and rampaging through the streets yelling and screaming and screeching ZZTop tunes at the tops of our lungs. Nekkid. Hah! That should embarrass the grandkids! :D
Congratulations on being a grandma again!!! I love good news. And babies! I love babies! :)
Lady Red, I understand your "ignoble thoughts" exactly. And I feel the same guilt.
DeleteWhen we suggested sheltered housing - not a nursing home but a retirement community - to the inlaws, PIL went ballistic. It was quite terrifying. Now my sister in law, who has quite a mouth on her, refuses to bring up the subject, although she also realises the situation, and their status has deteriorated greatly since we first discussed a home about 3 years ago.
I'll tell you the bet way to care for all the generations. It's to revert to the old tribal or clan way of living - the extended family in a family compound, so the young can look after the old, and the oldies can babysit the little ones. But it doesn't work nowadays. It's all very well yearning for the olden days, but we're in the 21st century and even those of us who live a traditional lifestyle can't turn the clock back.
Another difference to the 'good old days' is that people are living so much longer - but their health is not particularly good. Hence strokes, Alzheimers and all the other troubles.
Whoever called it the "Golden Age" had a sick sense of humour.
As for babies, we got plenty. :). 11 I think (counting on fingers and toes...). OK, they're not all babies. In fact we just had the first Batmitzvah in the next generation - our granddaughter (technically our step-granddaughter but who's counting?). It was a beautiful do, just family (150 people!!), a lovely warm atmosphere with lots of good food, speeches and tradition.
DeleteIt was a very peculiar feeling to be the Grandma at the celebration. I didn't even feel old. Just surprised! :))
Your extended family must make for uproarious Batmitsvah annie! I can't imagine having 150 family members at a celebration! :))
DeleteAnd yeah. The whole "Golden Age" thing is highly idealized. The reality is somewhat different, innit?
When my dad first got sick, Noah and I approached them about the communal family idea, and we offered to buy a big house that we could all live in. They weren't interested, and still aren't. Like you said, we can't turn back the clock to a simpler, saner time.
Well, they weren't 150 only from my family! There were about 50-60 from each side (us and our DIL's family), and the rest were our granddaughter's classmates. But yeah, it was uproarious and loud and great fun. :)
DeleteYour idea of buying a big house is a good one, but it also depends on the circumstances. My inlaws for example would still need a carer. I do know quite a few families who have done so though. They built on "granny flats" (as we call them in England) so the oldies could have their independence and yet be near enough for company and assistance.
I know it sounds funny but hubby and I are considering buying a small house/apartment where our kids live. I know we're not at that stage yet, but I like the idea of being prepared. We can rent it out for the moment. We just have to choose which settlement and hope that Obama or Kerry don't give the house to the Palestinians before we get a chance to live in it!