One Day in the Life of a Wolf - Memorial 7-25-20

[Daughter (imported)]

Tell the guy to screw off. He couldn't follow through on a deal that would have made him some cash, he's probably planning on giving you a bunch of non-working junk that he more than likely stole from someone else...... Because you need possession of stolen goods on your record, right?

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

Yup, cash only. Besides, I could use a few extra bucks.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

RATS and Fiddlesticks:

I called Radio Shack to tell them I was bringing back the broken DVD/VCR to get my money back. Their response: "we can only give you money back if it's returned during first 30 days."

They did say I could exchange it for another one. I'd rather have the $80 in cash but an extra machine is better than nothing.

After we BOMB DETROIT, can we BOMB RADIO SHACK too?

[kristoff]

RATS and Fiddlesticks:

I called Radio Shack to tell them I was bringing back the broken DVD/VCR to get my money back. Their response: "we can only give you money back if it's returned during first 30 days."

They did say I could exchange it for another one. I'd rather have the $80 in cash but an extra machine is better than nothing.

After we BOMB DETROIT, can we BOMB RADIO SHACK too?

Put the thing in a back pack with the receipt. Go to radio shack with a sign on a stick. Make the sign with junk carboard, big markers, etc. "RADIO SHACK CHEATS ITS CUSTOMERS" or perhaps " RADIO SHACK SELLS JUNK"

Parade up and down in front of their store on the public walk, and tell anyone who passes all about it. I wonder how fast you might get a refund?...

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

What a night.

Mom fainted while moving from her wheel chair to her easy chair. At first she looked dead. I called 911. They to check her breathing. I touched her forehead and she blinked a few times and mumbled. Paramedics arrived and said her pulse and blood pressure were normal but took her to hospital to check her out for a few days.

The head paramedic, Matt, one of my students from 25 years ago, told me while mom was in the hospital to work on cleaning my house. His major com- plaint was the dirty rug which he said needed replacing if not seriously vacuumed.

I'll be spending the next few days cleaning my house mut neither of my two vacuums operate. One is clogged and the newer one, a Dirt Devil,doesn't pick up much of anything.

I'll call the hospital in a few hours to check on mom. Matt, the paramedic, said if he didn't know and trust me. he would report the house condition to Adult Protection Services.

Worst part is the carpet.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I just called the hospital and they "claim" they don't have mom as a patient. I called two other hospitals who said they haven't seen her either. I called ambulance service who told me to call the hospital back in the morning as it takes hours to process her. The ambulance company said "we are not allowed by law to tell you if she was taken to that hospital or not." I guess I'll call back in the morning and see if I can find info on mom.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I walked up to St. Bernardine's Hospital and found out they had mom. The admitting nurse says there are legal complexities to admitting on the phone if spmeone is there or not. I sat beside mom's bed in the ER till her nurse came by with little info. He did say she's too skinny, hasn't been eating enough and was a bit dehydrated.

She often just picks at her food eating from a third to half of what I serve her. She does better on fast food over my cooking but then, so do I. She drank a lot of water or seemed to. She'd only drink chilled water. In some ways mom is like a kid: she eat all day if I offered her cookies, donuts, candy and ice cream. Her bathing nurse told me to give her more sweets because mom needed the fat on her bones.

The nurse say she refused to eat or drink for them so they are giving her food and water via an IV. They did say they were assigning her to a room. She wasn't conscious when I visited her but they said they had drugged her to allow for lots of rest.

I know they plan to keep her for a few to several days. The only thing good about that is it frees me to house clean 12 hours a day to get my house in good order.

Friday night two close friends are coming by with their new, super duper vacuum cleaner and ATTEMPT to clean my carpets to semi-cleanliness standards. It would be better to tear up the carpet but I don't have the knowhow, cost, physical support or strength to do it myself. I know most of the house had a wood floor underneath except for mom's old bedroom. That was an add-on 20 years ago and is just a cement slab I believe.

Now I go finish the kitchen and then work on dining and living rooms. Tomorrow I go up and pay my utility bills. Hopefully it's not raining then too. I got soaked today coming home and thought "this is what the homeless put up with everyday." Unlike them, I have a warm house to return to with a hungry cat and dog giving me the eye.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I walked up to see mom today. The nurses say she is eating but mostly puried foods and Ensure pudding. She talked to me, smiled and semi-recognized me. I couldn't make out all of what she said but that's the norm.

Back to housework. Laters

Nurse just called mme from hospital to say mom is doing better, sorta. Her vitals are good, but she's refusing to eat much. I told them she's stubborn about eating anything but sweets. They put a tube down her nose three times to feed her and mom pulled it out three times. I told them to keep trying and or to secure her hands. They asked if I had a "Directive" on her and I said "yes." D

o everything possible to keep her alive.

It's the same Directive I'd want for myself...unless I had turned into a vegetable.

More updates when I get them. Thanks for putting up with my rants, worries, complaints and problems. I know I'm not the only one who has gone through this and I know others who are having similar problems.

At the moment, I see myself as the fly chalenging the windshield to a duel. I may lose but I'm going down with a sword in my hand.

[bobbie (imported)]

I do not look at your updates as rants. They are just updates on the life and times of our one and only wolfie. Hang in there.

[JesusA]

I do not look at your updates as rants. They are just updates on the life and times of our one and only wolfie. Hang in there.

I completely agree with Bobbie on this one. You are a valued member of the group and we're all concerned about what is happening in your life. Every time I click on to the Archive, the first place I check is this thread to see if there's a new post.

I'm sure that many of us here wish that there were some way that we could help. My thanks go to KenSD and Plix for being close enough and caring enough to stop by and do what they can.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

Don't you just hate it when you leave the house to run errands and forget the errand list and have to drive back (in my case walk back) home to get it. I made it all the way ti Highland Avenue and realized I had forgotten my backpack containing all my utility bills and checks to pay them with.

Now I hope to leave by 10:00 am to go pay my bills and be home by noon or close to it hopefully. Assuming I don't forget my brain this time Wish me luck.

At least it's not raining...YET

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I made it back before noon. I paid all five utility bills and visited mom in hospital. She was sound asleep but nurse said she was up all night saying she wanted to go home and she needed rest.

Speaking of which, I'll go sack out for 90 minutes and then arise to finish some housekeeping before the space age vacuum arrives later tonight.

[bobbie (imported)]

Better chain yourself down before the vacuum arrives. Hate to see you become a wolf hairball.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

The Ken and Plix Vacuuming Service just left my house but they "forgot" to leave me their new vacuum - heheheh. They vacuumed fve rooms: living, dining, mom's bedroom, my bedroom and the den and the house looks greatly improved.

When Ken vacuumed his own apartment, he said it only filled the vacuum dirt cannister halfway. Here he dumped the full dirt canninister at least 26 times.

His machine even had a minor heart attack but was remedied. Just a loose fitting. Ken even unplugged the clog in my old vacumn so I can keep up the cleaning. The house still needs work but the floor looks MUCH better than it did.

I hope they make it home safely. Ken is worn out and his Dyson probably thought it just fought it's way through hell and back. That's it, Ken & Plix own the Audey Murphy of vacuums

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I was never a believer in Angels before but I met one today.

Daughter, offspring of young Uncle Flo, took me to lunch today. She's polite, beautiful, prompt, cute, sexy, highly intelligent. She is a great conversationalist though I probably monopolized the talk.

Did I mention she was cute

Oh, and she has exotic tattoos. I only saw two out of 20 but they were great.

[Daughter (imported)]

Hon I had a great time with you today! We'll have to do it again next time I come through town.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

Today, I walked up to see mom at the hospital and received my first panic attack in ages. Not only was she not in her room, there was a stranger in her bed in room 620. As I ran to the nurse's station panic stricken (thinking mom has died and nobody had bothered ti call me) her nurse saw my face, white as a sheet and said, "we moved your mom down to 517."

I saw mom finally. The nurse there says she's not eating and they want to insert that hose thing into her stomach to feed her. They say she is still having trouble swallowing. They took my number and said they would call me for permission.

I informed them, the tube had to come out before she was returned home. I stressed I wanted her home and NOT in another NURSING HOME. She'll heal faster at home. Mom was glad to see me. I only stayed 24 minutes as hospitals freak me out.

I told mom I'd see her tomorrow.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I visited mom today and managed to meet her physician, a Dr. Wong. He wanted to leave the tube in her stomach for several more days till she adds a few pounds. He said they tried to give her puried foods but they went, not into her tummy but into her lungs, causing pneumonia. She is now being treated for pneumonia.

Wong's Prognosis: you mom could live a few more years or die in a few days. He says she needs to be fattened up. I like Dr. Wong, he actually seems to care. I asked if he would begin giving her Aricept to slow her mental deterioration and he agreed.

After I walked back home and completed grocery shopping, Jesus called to give me updates to cheer me up.

Kristoff is our Holy Nun but I think Jesus should wear a long, black hassock and act as our Father Confessor...or Padre.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I did one of my last two mile walks to see mom in hospital. Her doctor said in a few days she will be transferred to a different hospital 40 miles away that specializes in dementia patients. The hospital is covered by mom's insurance.

However, the hospital, being so far away, means no more daily visits and only one bus trip a week at the most. Alas.

[Blaise (imported)]

Thank you for the ongoing story.

[A-1 (imported)]

I did one of my last two mile walks to see mom in hospital. Her doctor said in a few days she will be transferred to a different hospital 40 miles away that specializes in dementia patients. The hospital is covered by mom's insurance.

However, the hospital, being so far away, means no more daily visits and only one bus trip a week at the most. Alas.

MAC,

You need to prepare yourself for the time when you walk into her room and she does not know you, if this 'transfer' goes through. Ask for a 2nd opinion.

Taking an Alzheimer patient out of familiar surroundings hastens their decline. When she gets there she will be too confused to realize that she is somewhere else.

Get a 2nd opinion. This disease is FATAL... no matter how GOOD that hospital might or might not be, the outcome is inevitable. Moving her away from you will only make her worse faster, especially if you are seeing her every day now. After a week you will walk in and you will look like everyone else to her. She will not know you after a while if you are only seeing her once a week.

Ask them to see her CARE PLAN. If they don't have one ask them how they propose to make her better when she has a fatal disease of known outcome. Tell them that she needs to be in FAMILIAR surroundings and THAT is the best thing for her.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

When she was in Hospital a mile away, she often didn't recognize me. She forgot my name long ago but recognizes me as somebody she thinks she knows.

She is "almost" over her pneumonia. Her doctors have her on Aricept for dementia which "might" help and she has a feeding tube in her tummy. They are trying to fatten her up by 10-15 pounds.

She'll be at this new hospital from 13-21 days. She's been there 4 days so far and her nurses hace called a few times to say she's taking some food by mouth now and is conversing with them often.

Sometimes, the nurses say they can even understand her. When she was home, I understood only 10% of what she said.

She has a new doctor. He's good, friendly and informative.

She only weighed 76 pounds upon entering the first hospital. They're hoping to get her up to 90 pounds.

Her physical therapist has her walking everyday.

Her nurse-aide, who bathed her here at home, went to see her today and said mom was glad to her but mom couldn't recall Frankie's name. Her nurses did say mom talks about things from 30 years ago but often doesn't recall things from a few hours ago. They said that was common for dementia patients.

The head nurse did say to me (on the phone) "I don't see how you have cared for her alone for the past four years without help and still maintain my sanity." I almost said (but didn't) "who said I was sane."

I maintain what little sanity I may have thanks to friends on the EA, the Boards, chat room, surfing the web, watching the TV news and recording documentaries. That's my life now besides caring for mom.

Without my computer, printer, TV and VCR, I'd go creaking frazy.

[A-1 (imported)]

When she was in Hospital a mile away, she often didn't recognize me. She forgot my name long ago but recognizes me as somebody she thinks she knows.

She is "almost" over her pneumonia. Her doctors have her on Aricept for dementia which "might" help and she has a feeding tube in her tummy. They are trying to fatten her up by 10-15 pounds.

She'll be at this new hospital from 13-21 days. She's been there 4 days so far and her nurses hace called a few times to say she's taking some food by mouth now and is conversing with them often.

Sometimes, the nurses say they can even understand her. When she was home, I understood only 10% of what she said.

She has a new doctor. He's good, friendly and informative.

She only weighed 76 pounds upon entering the first hospital. They're hoping to get her up to 90 pounds.

Her physical therapist has her walking everyday.

Her nurse-aide, who bathed her here at home, went to see her today and said mom was glad to her but mom couldn't recall Frankie's name. Her nurses did say mom talks about things from 30 years ago but often doesn't recall things from a few hours ago. They said that was common for dementia patients.

The head nurse did say to me (on the phone) "I don't see how you have cared for her alone for the past four years without help and still maintain my sanity." I almost said (but didn't) "who said I was sane."

I maintain what little sanity I may have thanks to friends on the EA, the Boards, chat room, surfing the web, watching the TV news and recording documentaries. That's my life now besides caring for mom.

Without my computer, printer, TV and VCR, I'd go creaking frazy.

Gotta watch what you say, MAC. I once knew a girl named Kerry Hunt.

[MacTheWolf (imported)]

I just walked home from the hospital as I was too lazy to wait for the bus and too cheap to use a taxi. I've lost track of time lately. All I'm sure of is Tuesdsay at midnight I called 911, this time for me.

Worst stomach pain I ever recall having. The doctors agreed my pancreas had shut down. They checked for gall stones and found none and they asked how long I have diabetes.

Diabetes? That news to me. I'm off to lie down as my tummy and head feel terrible

[bobbie (imported)]

I am very sorry to here this and am very worried to say the least. Our prayers and best wishes are with you old Wolfie. Get well fast and that is an order. Hugs