Hi everybody,

I haven't been around too much recently and was surprised to find this evening that I didn't miss much on the board! Other than the new font functions and the new chat room that's always in the way at the top, of course

I just wanted to reiterate that I really appreciate the small support group feeling of this board in comparison to other busy forums where it's hard to keep names straight or follow all the stories. I hope it's just a slow season and not anything else.

All the best to all of you.

Hi Jezza,

I have been lurking but just don't have anything to contribute right now. My days/nights are filled with bartending at the golf course.

Summer seems to draw people away from the computer. I tend to log in a little less myself in the summer.

I'm around, Jezza, but as a caregiver, I never know where I will be from one day to the next or which shift I'll be working!

I've a small bit of news: I may not feel like I'm doing that great at helping my clients, but I must be doing something right. I was selected to be the Jackson area 'Caregiver of the Quarter' for Home Instead Senior Care.

Congratulations! That's great!

Yay Debra, congratulations, that is wonderful. I'm sure you do lots and lots to help your clients, they just don't always show their appreciation very well!

I've been terribly busy with new grandbaby, house things, Mom things, dear children, yard things, dad things, dear husband, parties, company, well life, I've finally realized it won't ever slow down!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day,

~Kelly~

Hi Jezza,

I'm still around but I'm so far out in the forest that all I can get is just enough internet time to pay my bills. Right now I'm sitting in the store/cafe in town reading my mail and checking on what is going on here.

How is your grandma doing?

BTW, Jezza, I love your new id pic. Were you making faces to relieve stress?

Love the new pic.... I'm here but, at times, seem to be alone....things are changing daily and I am usually on late at night.

I'm still here from time to time. Right now I am living in my van and traveling across country. I'm in Oklahoma for the next couple of days. It's even hard to type that without breaking out in song. LOL.

I've been checking in but it's been a crazy week at my house.
We had a wonderful van that we traveled in. It was 20 years old and my husband was going to take it this week to have it appraised as an antique car as he has kept it in perfect shape since we bought it. Anyway it was stolen and the police hold no hope for it's recovery. It feels like a member of our family is missing.
With five kids the van was the only way we could afford to have good vacations. We have been all over Canada and all of our good vacation memories include the van. I know it is only a "thing" but we are upset about it.
My husband planned to work on it and replace parts when he retired. He was so looking forward to that. I guess God has other plans for his retirement.
The other fun thing that happened this week is that my mom has decided (again) that she will only take pills that are white and orange. Luckily her blood pressure pills, namenda and seroquel are all white and orange but the aricept is yellow so it is out. She thought I was trying to poison her with the other pills. I have the feeling that soon I won't be able to get any of them into her. This happened a while ago but I was able to get her started again. This time she seems much more determined.
I hope next week is much quieter. I have been wishing I could just pack up and go like Lori (but I'll have to get a new van).

Congratulations Debra, what a great award to be recognized for. I'm around as well, just not much to report lately. Grandmother is still as she was a month ago in a nursing facility across the street, and my grandfather is still having back problems. Lori fill us in on the travels! You should post some pictures from the different states you visit. Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend.

It's been quiet on the caregiving front here. I totally knocked on wood lol. MIL has been busy with some local holiday stuff and the extended family so it's been nice. Hubby and I got some time to ourselves and it's been nice.

I hope everyone is well!

Katrina

Jezza,
Thanks for the wonderful compliment to all of us! Well, I'm still here, although a week ago that was very questionable. Was still having so much pain since this knee replacement (normal I'm told and x-rays backed up that everything was fine.) Plus my back went out so the pain between the two and taking care of Mom was more than I could handle. Sitting at the computer was something I couldn't accomplish for more than 15 or 20 minutes, then it was forced.

I was given some new prescription gel that is an anti-inflammatory medication that was suppose to help and not as hard on the stomach. Tried it for three weeks and there wasn't much improvement. So I just started taking Ibuprofen 3 times daily and wow, what a difference. The only problem with that is the stomach, but now I'm started back on my Previcid. Cure one thing, start another. I just think at this point I'd rather have an ulcer than all this back and knee pain, although I guess if my stomach gets bad, I'll wish I hadn't made that choice.

Hopefully when things settle more with me, I'll be more active as I really miss talking to you all. Seems like between Mom and this pain I've had for the last 3 months, a bit of depression has set in and I don't have alot of good advice to offer as I'll probably suggest we put them all in homes and be done with it. (Which I have to say crosses my mind more than it used to)


I'm expecting Lori on Tuesday, so hopefully that will put me in a much better frame of mind. I'm so looking forward to seeing her. We will be going to see Snicks, and Nancy (don't think she's ever been on this forum and her loved one has passed away) Ann R. was also planning on coming in, but it didn't work out for us this time around. And I also planned on having Joyce and EileenV, but my darn knee goofed everything up real good. So hopefully in Sept. we'll be able many of our forum friends.

Well I could go on and on, but you all know the routine. Sh*t happens! Hope this is finding you and Laurette well and that things are going as smoothly as possible for you. As always Jezza, I commend you on honoring your grandmother as you do by taking such good care of her. You really are quite a young man.

talk soon
Jackie

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I think that's wonderful!

My personal update is that mom is beginning to have a lot of behavior stuff going on - apparently last week when she was at my brother's, he went to do some work and my sister-in-law was home, mom went outside and got in her car (why do they leave their car doors unlocked????) and insisted that she wanted to go home. My sister-in-law is useless, she called my brother to come home and handle it. I am also beginning to have to clean poop off the toilet seat and mom now thinks that all toilet paper goes in the wastebasket when done wiping. I am taking the trash out a lot in the bathroom.

I also have been feeling like a big failure in a way because we have mom on the waiting list for NH and I am dreading the day we get the call saying a bed is open. The logical part of me knows this is really the right thing to do for us, I am really impatient with her sometimes and I think if the basics were taken care of, I could visit her and spend time being loving without seeing something in this house that needs to be done instead.

Hi Everyone,
I'm sitting in the gas station/store/cafe again reading my email and catching up on everyone here.

Judy don't feel like a failure. You are doing what you feel is best for your mother and that's all any of us can do.

Lori, Jackie is expecting you Tues. When can I expect to see you up here? Middle daughter will be here the first week in July and I hope to get two of the grandkids the middle of July. Nothing will interfer with us having a good time while you're here. I don't get to check in as often as I did when I was down state, but if you are heading this way just give me a call. I'll either email you or send you a pm with my number here in case you don't have it.

Jackie, I know it gets hard at times but would you believe me when I say that I am forgetting how hard it was. I grabbed a notebook this weekend and found notes that I had written to the volunteer. It brought the hard times all back. They just don't seem so bad now.
I'm looking forward to Chicago in Sept. and hope to meet a lot of friends while there. That includes you.

As for me, the weather is beautiful, the flowers are blooming and the deer haven't eaten my garden (Just my sunflowers) If the fish would start biting things would be even better. I'll be back here later in the week. Until then Love to all of you.