October chitchat

[agate]

Does Jeanie have one of those personal emergency response systems that I've been nattering on about in another thread?

I notice that they are available with fall detection for an extra fee. I'm not sure how well the fall detection works.

Virginia, did you get over the illness? Hope so!

[Virginia]

Jeanie, does have a personal alert system at home, but she needs to push the button, which she did when she fell this time. She remembers that, and maybe the ride to the hospital, but not much else until she was being taken to rehab. I personally don't think the fall detection is worth much. I have dropped mine too many times and nothing happens.

Rose, I have wondered about Jeanie going home also. I think she will need someone. Maybe she can have Home Health Care plus a Physical Therapist for awhile. After two falls like that I just hate for her to be there alone anymore. She was transferring from the toilet to her scooter when she fell. Due to the position her leg was in she immediately knew it was broken.

I don't know how much longer she can stay where she is. No one has said anything to her about it. She is planning to try to talk to the Doctor when she goes in to get the next surgery Thursday. I am not sure she will mention that, but she wants to see x-rays and know what he thinks her condition is. I didn't ask but I am guessing that Andy and Jim do not do a lot of advocating for her and leave that to her. I understand it because my brothers are the same way. They would take over if their wives were sick, but not me. Maybe they feel they don't know what I would want done. It could be that Jeanie's sons are the same way.

I am tired, but otherwise alright. I racked up a great big 150 steps today. It has been rainy and dark here. Not conducive to doing anything anyway, so mostly I read and I called my one cousin.

Agate and Rose I do hope both of you are doing alright. Agate, I hope your shoulder, wrist and hand continue to heal until they are 100 percent.

[Sunshine 2]

8 more days until I see the pulmonologist. This does not feel like asthma to me, having been a life long asthmatic. Chest X-ray is clear. LIkely. CT scan will be ordered.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Virginia ~

It is a bit concerning not knowing how long Jeanie will be able to stay in rehab. I would guess that Medicare is paying for her care. Is that likely? This is an issue, which should be addressed upon admittance to rehab. An administrator should meet with Jeanie to tell her how long Medicare will cover her stay and what her options are, when those funds run out.

Home health care and a PT should be provided for Jeanie. But those aides won't be there at night, when she gets up to go to the bathroom. I don't know whether Medicare covers private in-home caregivers, but I suspect it doesn't. There might be programs, which could assist Jeanie, so I hope the rehab has a social worker to help her.

Andy and Jim have done a lot to help Jeanie through the years, and they should know what she wants and doesn't want. However, some people don't know how to advocate or don't know enough about their loved one's medical condition and just trust whatever doctors or administrators tell them.

I am thankful for John, as he knows what my wishes are, and he's had experience with his parents, in advocating for their best care. He knows how to ask questions and get answers. All of us need an advocate, when we have a medical crisis, even if we are able to communicate our needs.

I hope that you have had a restful day today. Just take it easy.

Thank you for your positive thoughts for me. All things considered, I am grateful that I am okay and functioning.

Sunshine ~

A clear chest x-ray is a good sign. Eight days probably seems like an eternity. But you are 8 days closer to seeing the pulmonologist. I'm praying that this consult will result in a diagnosis, which is easy to treat and provides you with relief.

My prayers and love are with you all ~ be well, be safe, wear a mask, and please do not attend any large rallies!

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[Howie]

I drive a PT. Does that count? Nah, I guess not.

I just got in from the store. I rarely am out this late. I don't like to drive in the dark. At least I don't these days.

Got everything, and didn't try to walk out to my car. I did last time, and fell. Nothing hurt but my pride, but I had maybe four people offering their help. So I took the electric cart all the way to the car.

People are mostly good. But the media pushes the negative people and their actions on us. I just don't watch it or read about it.

I carried everything in taking two trips. Doing it in one caused me to fall last time, so that's off my agenda.

Everyone have a great evening.

[agate]

Is this a fall you didn't mention here, Howie? I do recall a serious fall you had a while back, I think in connection with the grocery store parking lot.

[Howie]

Yeah, it's always grocery store related. The one before was from me trying to carry too much in the house at one time. The last one was from trying to carry too much from the grocery store to the car.

No more. If I have a lot to carry to my car, I just tell the store clerk that I am taking the cart all the way out to the car, but that I will plug it in when I get it back. The carts have a sticker that they are for in store use only, so I always tell them my intentions, and that I will plug it in when I get back.

If everyone did that, they would have no problem. I've seen it myself. Some guy taking the cart to his car, then parking it right there close to where he unloaded it.

Think beyond yourself.

[agate]

I don't know how else a person could get the groceries to the car without having to reload them from the scooter-cart into a store-type shopping cart, then walk while pushing that cart to the car, load the groceries into the car, then return the shopping cart to the store ( or do what is allowed here--leave the cart in the parking lot where there is often a place for them). Of course you couldn't just leave the scooter-cart in the parking lot. Surely the store means for people to do what you've been doing, Howie--ride the loaded scooter cart to the car, unload the groceries into the car, then return the scooter cart to its charging station in the store.

And you'd probably be headed for a vehicle parked in a handicapped spot that is probably pretty close to the store--so it isn't as if you'd be taking their cart very far.

[Sunshine 2]

I agree Howie, most people in the world are good. Anne FRank said that, right?

By most, though, I am thinking that about 65% of people are good.

There are people who purposely ignore incovenient evil, thus being complicit. Those people are not good. It is how catastrophic regimes (e.g. Germany) happen.

[Virginia]

I am still using one of the carts that you push when I go to the grocery store. Then I can push it out to the car and leave it in one of the places provided. Occasionally someone is passing by and sees me struggling a little and takes my cart for me. I am always grateful to them.

Last night my younger brother called about 9:20PM. We talked until almost 12:30. We first covered what is going on with his kids, then we got around to the dogs (which are also the kids).

Then we talked about my Niece's dog who the Vets say either has a slow growing brain tumor or early dementia. He is only 10, so I think he is too young to have dementia. Sometimes he stays up all night prowling around the house, opening the doors and sometime slamming them. My brother was at her house the night before and he was laying with his hind legs up on the couch, his front legs on the floor with his head on his front paws and he was sleeping. He is a sweetheart and it is not mean things that he is doing, it is just weird. I think it bothers them when he stays up all night and rambles around the house. He is a black lab. They have another one that is a black lab and they still play. If he is not hurting I think as far as the staying up all night it is funny, but I can kind of see where it would keep them awake.

Then we got onto world affairs (not any politics). We covered all of the Middle East including Israel, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, over to Russia and China. Then we went back over World War II and how Russia got involved by Hitler breaking his agreement with Stalin and attacking Russia, which turned out to be a good thing for the allies because it spread Germany so thin and that was when we got involved. Then of course there was the Japanese attack and how now they are one of our best allies.

So, due to the fact that his phone was running down we had to hang up. After 3 hours, and it was so late, I was kind of glad because I was getting tired. I had to sit up awhile to rest before I went to bed. I had a late night. I guess he couldn't find anything to do since it was a rainy, wet day here.

Today is another rainy, wet day.

Hope all of you are having a good day.

[agate]

Virginia, about your niece's dog--I'm pretty ignorant about dogs but do recall that larger dogs, like labs, don't live nearly as long as the smaller ones. A big dog's typical life expectancy is only about 10 years. So I'm wondering if that dog might be suffering from some old-age problems after all?

[Lazarus]

I got my one and only little laugh today. My friend from Atlanta sent me a text. It was a picture of RBG. In fact probably my favorite of her. Across the black robe, as she set there looking very regal was I SENT THE FLY. Loved it.

Oh, thanks for sharing this! Love it.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Virginia ~

Agate is correct that your niece's Labrador is what might be considered elderly in his breed. The average lifespan of a Lab is 10-14 years.

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I presume that the Vet examined his eyes and ears, which could contribute to his nighttime wandering, if he is going blind, deaf or has an ear infection. Another possibility is seizures. Our Cocker Spaniel, who was a stray, had seizures for much of her 11 years with us. One of the manifestations of her seizures was wandering, sometimes even running around our backyard wildly for an hour or more.

I'm glad that you and your brother had a very long chat, and I'm impressed that you could talk about all of those world events without discussing current politics.

Howie ~

Please do continue to be careful with your grocery shopping, because a fall on hard asphalt could be really dangerous and painful. You do have a disabled placard or sticker, don't you? And you do park in the disabled parking spaces?

This is why I am so grateful for Instacart. John dropped by to check on me for a few minutes today. He asked whether I need anything from the store(s). I thanked him and said, "I'm going shopping at the grocery tomorrow."

Surprised, he asked, "You're going to drive the van to the store?"

"No! I'm never going to go to a store literally again! I meant to say that I'm 'ordering groceries' tomorrow."

I do not miss grocery shopping at all.

Sending love, prayers, and positive energy to all ~ be well, be safe, be strong.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[Virginia]

Now, I think I will go cry. I didn't know the life span of labs was that short. He still plays with the other dog, runs and everything. The other one is the same age and also as sweet as can be. My Niece got them when she was in college. When she married later, we couldn't figure out if he married her or the dogs. So that worked out really well since he loves them too.

[Howie]

Rose, no placard or sticker, but I always seem to find a parking space close to the door. It helps to go really early, before anyone really gets there.

The lifespan of all the animals we call pets, is so short. I've had 5 cats in my life, and Sam will be my last due to my age. I couldn't pass on owning a cat. No one could treat them as great as I do.