Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Once Again

Once again I'm trying to get my act together. Just about the time I get everything in place for healthy living something happens with Bob and I'm thrown off again.

I had been walking and was pretty proud of myself for that little accomplishment. Then Bob's ER event happened and my world of discipline went to hell in a hand basket. Today is the first time I've walked since the famous ER day. Good eating also went out the window since time for preparing food didn't always spontaneously develop so we wound up eating more fast food.

I failed to mention Bob is on medication.  I cannot give total credit for his improvement to drinking more fluids but I still believe it helped. Got to give medicine some credit.

I thought things were moving in the right direction and we would soon be settled into 'normal' living. Should have known better.

Bob up and announced he wanted a twin bed in his room to allow more space. That one surprised me. Who knew he was thinking about such a thing? Weird. You see I don't sleep with him because he runs the heat in his room about 90% of the year. I often run the a/c in mine. I feel like I need to be sleeping with him because I think he's sometimes a little confused when he wakes up during the night. I'm thinking I'll need to go with one of the baby monitors of some type in my room so I have a way to know when he's up.

Upon throwing out the new bed idea he also announced he wanted a new recliner. Remember this would be recliner number three for him. He said I didn't ask him his opinion about the other two, that daughter and I went out and bought them leaving him at home. I have to admit, that's true.

He's had a recliner you push back on the arms to recline, one that's motorized, and now he wanted a Lazy-Boy with the handle which is what he's always had. Anything to keep the man happy. He told me he did not want my opinion about the new chair.

Sunday morning we took off like two dry land terrapins to see what we could do to get rid of a chunk of money. At the Lazy-Boy store I found myself a place to sit and left him to roam the place on his own. It turns out when it was time to pay he did want me involved.

It was on then to the mattress store to look at single beds. This being Labor Day week-end there were sales everywhere. He kept wanting me to try out the mattresses but I wasn't going there. He was not going to blame that bed purchase on me if he didn't like it.  I did become involved in choosing to buy the adjustable base. I was thinking down the road it might come in handy to use instead of renting a hospital bed, if he should ever need such a thing.

Then it was on to Bed Bath & Beyond for sheets. We were back home in less than two hours.

The fun began then in preparing for these new items. He's a pack rat and had stashed everything possible under his bed. Fortunately most of it was toys grandson had outgrown. I sent word to son to come pick that stuff up so it turned out to be easily solved.

I really thought Bob would not use this adjustable bed on any setting but flat and I was okay with that. He's much like the old men in my family. You don't lay on a bed unless it's dark, and you don't want to spend anymore time in one than you have to because people have been known to die in beds. I was pleased last night to see he had elevated the head some. This morning he announced he'd had a good night's sleep. I didn't mention noticing he'd elevated his head because he'd be sure not to be caught doing that again.

Daughter is coming the end of the month and we will be changing his closet from a satellite Costco storage back into a closet. He's stored so much Costco merchandise in his closet until the normal contents of the closet are now out in the room. His clothes are still hanging but almost everything else is Costco storage. Now it's my job to find other places to store his Costco purchases.

Sick or well Bob requires my full attention.

24 comments:

  1. It seems that healthful eating is the first thing to go during stressful times, and exercise is second. Ironic that those are the two things we need most at those times.

    Well, didn't Bob pick the perfect time to buy a new mattress. You can't throw a rock without hitting a mattress sale on Labor Day weekend. I hope he enjoys it. I hate choosing new shoes, cars, and mattresses. They seem so final.

    I may have mentioned this in a comment before, but my father really had a thing about his recliner, too. My brother, with all good intentions, bought him a new one that he never really liked. His world got smaller after the stroke, and the few things that mattered... really mattered. He could obsess on things like that.

    "two land terrapins..." LOL That's a good one.

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    1. Bob's world is pretty small. We know he spends a lot of time in a recliner so we were just trying to help. Obviously we failed. At least he has no one but himself if he doesn't like this one.

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  2. Bed sounds like a good chice as is your choosing to not mention having noticed he is elevating the HOB. Getting back to normal likely means unpredictability as the norm. Keep those fluids flowing. Maybe lemon or lime wedge in warer would appeal to him. Gatorade also could supplement electrolytes.

    My husband has constant unrelieved back pain I thought might be relieved by a new recliner though his was far from being too old. He seemed to agree and finally went out to puchase a new one. I was quite surprised when the new chair arrived -- exactly like the old one! No back pain relief, but guess no chair would relieve it, neither did shots and he wasn't a candidate for surgery.



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    1. I love a recliner as much as anyone but can't sit in one without a lumbar cushion. Have to have support for my lower back.

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  3. The twin bed was really a good idea. It's increasingly harder for older people to get out of full-sized beds because we tend to drift into the center. After my husband's stroke the hospital wouldn't even let me bring him home until I had bought twins. And the extra space in the room will come in handy should Bob need to use a walker in the future.

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    1. Some family members strongly advised against buying a twin but we ignored them. How much room do you need to sleep? I'm tempted to go buy one for myself.

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  4. Oh Linda, you really had me chuckling with your descriptions. And, I had to look up the word terrapin. Learn something new every day. The Costco satellite unit! Ha! It's easy to buy stuff there because the prices are good.

    On a more serious note, getting off schedule can definitely be stressful. And it seems like healthy eating and getting exercise are the first to go. I hear you on that one.

    So often it is just easier to "go along to get along". Everyone is happier, and the stress level goes way down.

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    1. I hear you on taking the stress level down. Bob's twin & his wife had mortal hell every day of the 59 years they were married because they both had to be right. It's not worth it to me.

      Terrapins travel at about the speed Bob & I do. Too slow to make it across the highway you frequently find them squished on the highways in West Texas.

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  5. He requires full attention but it's difficult to steer him in the right direction. Hopefully these two purchases will keep him happy for a while. the irrational is hard to deal with.

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    1. Every day I wake up in a new world. Never have a clue what's on his mind.

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  6. My husband and I would probably be good in separate rooms because he likes a warm room and I like the windows open to cool air. I also like air conditioning or the fan if it's hot; he doesn't. Sigh... I do prefer sleeping with him though. Marriage is often a compromise. You are the BEST caregiver around, Linda. I'm learning from you.

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    1. You are better at compromising than be. I can't sleep in a room with the heat going. He is cold unless it's above 80 to 85 degrees. He just runs me out wit too much heat.

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  7. I guess as long as you can afford all of these multiple recliners and fancy beds, it's money well spent.

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    1. The bed is money well spent I think. The recliner, not so much.

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  8. Well, hopefully this keeps him happy for a while. Now about making YOU a bit of happy.... ;)

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    1. I hear you but just haven't figured out what that would be.

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  9. I just laugh and laugh at you two. I imagine myself being somewhat like Bob when I get there and my daughter having to negotiate me like you do. You are a really good caregiver even if you are frowning on the inside.

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    1. A few hours of not thinking about him would be heavenly but that's not going to happen. It's like living with a toddler, can't take my eyes off him for a minute.

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  10. Oh, Linda. It's a funny story as you tell it -- maybe not so much as you live it, but you gotta keep a sense of humor. You are, in my estimation, a true saint and a goddess.

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    1. I'm getting to be a very tired Saint. I long for a day of peace and quite, no medical emergencies, no hair brained ideas. Sounds wonderful but my body maight be too tired to enjoy it.

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  11. Louis Dean has been using the guest room since he's been sick with these allergies and it works really well for us. If we are both well, we sleep together. When Mother had that stroke, and we would take turns spending the night in her guest room, Deanie had a TV monitor where we could see if she got up or needed something. Amber and Mike have a closed circuit thing where they can watch either bedroom where the quads are on their TV in their bedroom.
    You always manage to keep your priorities in order AND maintain your great sense of humor!

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    1. I think all this will work. It just takes time & I need Susan to make it happen. She will ne here Sept 28.. Where there's a will there's a way.

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  12. I am so impressed how you are able to bend and not break. The twin was probably a smart move and adjustable even smarter. Good idea to let him do the picking. I sure hope all the new works out perfectly and you get to spend some "me" time.

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    1. Truthfully, I've bent until I'm close to the snapping pont. I'm very tired these days.

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