June chitchat

[agate]

Arm strength is a problem for me too. My mother wasn't known for her athletic ability but I do remember her often beating batter 150-200 strokes. Recipes spelled out the number of strokes back then, before electric mixers. There's no way I could do that now.

The times I've heard of food being brought to bereaved people, I don't think anyone was supplying food daily for weeks. It was just a gesture that some people made by way of thoughtfulness when and if they felt like it, and so a bereaved person wouldn't be counting on all meals coming from well-meaning neighbors and friends but every once in a while, for some time after a death in the family, a neighbor or other relative or friend would drop by with a casserole or loaf of bread or a pie, maybe a dinner.

[Virginia]

My mother was so adapt at beating out batter. She could make whip cream quicker than I could with an electric mixer. Where did these ladies get these skills back then. I sure would love to have one of her biscuits - or maybe 3 or 4.

Tim, Do you think you could work up to 15 minutes a day on your walking? You were talking about the push - walk method with the rolator. Just be careful when you are behind it not to start slipping and fall under it. When I was in rehab a couple of years ago they had me using one. They told me to walk inside the rolator up toward the front while holding on each side. They said I could walk better like that and it would better protect me from falls.

[Prot]

I manage about 12 minutes a day. I probably need to walk a bit, sit on the seat a bit, and then do some more.

[agate]

Tim, I agree with Virginia about being careful with the push-walk method you describe. Though it might encourage you to walk more independently, the rollator might keep on rolling at times when you don't expect it unless you're very careful always to put the handbrakes on so that it can't do that.

A number of times I've thought the rollator was stably anchored to the ground but it wasn't because I'd neglected to put the brakes on (or at least one of them), and I would grab hold of the rollator handles thinking I'd be anchored to something stable but it went rolling out from under me.

That seat it has isn't much good for sitting for any length of time, I've found, though it's OK for the occasional stop-and-rest moment. I use it mainly as a shelf to put things on, like the laundry basket or the day's mail or anything else I want to carry around.

[Prot]

I use it as you do too. To put things in or on,including the laundry basket. You both make good points about the push-walk method. I think I'll have to scrub that idea.

[agate]

Time and time again I've found how important it is to pay close attention to whether those handbrakes are on or off.

I use the rollator sometimes to help with getting out of bed, and so I keep it parked by my bed at night where I can reach it easily. In the middle of the night or whenever I'm half-awake, it has come as a very unwelcome surprise to reach for that rollator, expecting it to be nice and steady, but it moves. I've learned to make sure both handbrakes are firmly locked before parking it for the night.

[Prot]

Mine is parked near my bed too. I tend to not put the handbrakes on though. I will have to start doing so.

[agate]

Progress really is possible after falls or other setbacks, as I realize when looking back on how I've been using that rollator. There were months when I absolutely needed that rollator just to get out of bed. Nowadays I don't really need it that much at all and often don't reach for it except out of habit. I like to think that my back has slowly improved since whatever fall caused it to act up.

Or maybe the MS drug I'd been taking for the last 3 years caused my back to misbehave, and now that I've stopped it, the back "issues" have subsided. I still have some back problems but not to the point where I can't get out of bed without that rollator.

[Virginia]

I was taught to always be inside the rollator, up fairly close to the front of the inside. My back is also straighter when I use it like that.

Had a kind of busy day today. I had someone come in to put my things back up high. Glad to get them off the floor. She also went upstairs and swept the attic and got that debris off the attic floor. I am going to try and get her to do some more projects for me. I will continue to use the cleaning ladies.

It got late quicker than I thought it would tonight.

[agate]

Oh my, you have an attic to worry about too, Virginia! I can imagine that it would be one more part of a house to have to deal with occasionally though I've been lucky and never really had an attic. I understand that a house is cooler with an attic though.

That's really excellent advice about staying close to the rollator! I notice I tend to lean into it and then my posture is bad. I'm trying hard to correct that.

I'm so glad you were able to get the things put away. Having clutter around is something I find annoying and stress-inducing though sometimes it's just unavoidable.

[Prot]

Had oral surgery appointment this morning . My daughter was with me. It was to discuss things. I wanted to have gas, but it was explained that there is an increased of problems if gas is used. I therefore agreed to just having injections. I've agreed to waiting 3 months for gums to settle before having dentures. All teeth are being extracted in 3 weeks time.

My daughter has told me some exercises to do, to hopefully make my arms get tired less quickly. It's the hottest day of the year so far ,here in the UK.

[agate]

Tim, it's too bad you're having to put up with this ordeal. I'm glad your daughter is being helpful. I hope you can still manage to eat something during the process. It sounds as if this is being done in several appointments?

How hot does it usually get where you are? I've heard that the UK has a lot of rain but don't know much about how the temperature is.

[Prot]

All being taken out at the appointment in 3 weeks time. The temperature today was about 26C. Not hot by USA standards. The highest recorded temperature in the UK is 40.3C(104.54 F).

[agate]

All remaining teeth coming out at once? That definitely isn't my idea of fun. Wonder how many shots of anesthetic will you have, or haven't they told you?

You'll probably have one very numb jaw for a bit. Are dentists in the UK as fond of saying, "You may feel a little discomfort" as they are here? Masters of the understatement sometimes, dentists are....

So the UK is cooler than most parts of the US? I have to ask myself why anyone ever left to come over here. Maybe that wasn't known at the time. Some people do love heat too and even seek it out.

People flock to Florida and Arizona so they can bask in the sun.

I like sunny days too but not if they're over 100' F. We hit 116' here a couple of years ago for a couple of days and I'm still howling in protest.

Now Virginia is in one very hot area. I've been in her part of the world a few times during summer, and that is one very impressive heat there in the southeastern US. I've been in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. The heat and humidity just weigh a person down.

Virginia, I hope that the changed skylights don't mean a warmer situation for you. The tint you had might have helped to cool the place?

[Virginia]

Tim, sorry you are going to have to have so much dental work done. I guess you will be having a lot of soup until you heal enough for dentures. I do hope this ordeal will not be as bad as it sounds.

Sounds like you finally got some warm weather across the pond. I hope you enjoy it. Our weather is to be 100 degrees here and that is not counting the heat index with the humidity which is bad. It really saps me.

Agate, I was glad to get a few things done yesterday. That is a start. I want to get her back and have her help me clean an upstairs closet and my low kitchen cabinets that I can't get down low enough to do, also my bathroom cabinets that are low.
I want to get everything done that I can just in case I decide to sell my house and go into a retirement home. If I could do it myself it wouldn't take as long as having someone else do it. If I got everything done and just stayed here that would be nice too.

I am still upset about the skylights. My neighbor talked to someone with the management company today and they told her the roofers would not come inside to fix anything. It sounds like I am going to have to get someone in who is not afraid to go real high up on a ladder and put some new drywall which will then require a painter coming in and going up to paint.

It is disgusting to pay money to get something done and then find that the warranty doesn't cover something they did. I thought they would be responsible for any damage they caused.