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Being a Caregiver


Debbyavery0

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I thought I would take a break today from discussing daddy's stroke and just talk about my very limited experience as a caregiver. I just got my mind wrapped around the fact that my little mama has Alzheimers earlier in the summer. Daddy and I got her to the doctor and he put her on an anti-depressant, Alzheimer's medication and a tranquilizer. During this period, I would make periodic trips to the farm (90 miles from my house) and try to help as much as possible. My husband lost his job at the end of July. Once again, it took me a little time and a lot of prayer to wrap my mind around this new issue. When mama called me on the night of September 4th to say my dad was having a heart attack and throwing up blood, I really hoped she was overreacting due to her Alzheimer's. My husband and I drove the 45 miles to White County Medical and it became quite evident something traumatic had happened to his brain. I stayed up all night with him while my husband drove my mom back to the farm and picked up clothes and meds. I was scared and so hopeful that whatever was going on with daddy was just a temporary thing. I let my work know I would not be in and spent the entire day trying to keep daddy in bed. He rotated between catatonic and rambling. He would try to get out of bed. I think he needed to go to the bathroom but couldn't put it all together. He is extremely strong so it was all I could do to keep him in bed. The hospital felt he was a high fall risk. I asked about restraining him, and they don't do that. I spent Friday night with both him and mama. They brought in this chair to sleep on that I nicknamed the beast. I would dose and his bed alarm would go off. I would jump up and try to keep him in bed. Saturday rolled around and he was really rambling. He would still rotate between catatonic stages and very loud rambling. At times he would laugh uncontrollably. He did not cry which I understand is common for stroke victims. By now I am beyond exhausted and starting to get very frustrated with the doctors at the hospital. They keep telling me he has encephalopathy due to his pneumonia and low sodium. I want him transferred to big Baptist in little rock because he needs a neurologist. People visited all day on Saturday and I had periods of crying. My aunts stayed with daddy so I could go home and get cleaned up and take a nap. I was gone about 3 hours and they apparently had a time keeping him in bed. Saturday night went about the same as Friday night. Daddy was talking out of his head and we got very little sleep. Sunday rolled around and he had a ton of visitors. My precious uncle volunteered to spend Sunday night and I let him. I went home and crashed. I am ashamed but I allowed myself a pity party. I cried for a couple of hours and then got really mad at the hubs because I didn't feel like he was supporting me. I reminded him of how I took care of his dad the previous year before he died, and I told him I felt very alone. He quit being so grumpy after that. I think he was really missing me and worried about daddy. I decided my anger was not accomplishing anything so I decided to pray a thankful prayer that I still had my dad. He has always had a lot of respect for my dad. I got up Monday morning and headed back to the hospital. Uncle Tommy didn't get any sleep. He left right after I got there. Monday marked the day that I got really mad at the hospital. I begged and pleaded to get him moved and thought I had it all worked out. A different hospitalist came in with a chip on his shoulder and informed me daddy had not had a stroke. He told me all stroke victims have a droopy mouth. He told me he was going to release daddy to go home as soon as his sodium was back in spec. I explained that I am an only child and they live way out in the country. He pointed to my mom and said she looked fully capable of taking care of my dad. I almost lost it, I asked him to step out in the hall. I told him my mom has Alzheimers and severe scholiosis (prob not spelled right). I told him she is not allowed to drive and they live 90 miles from me. I told him I thought we had it worked out for him to be transferred to a neurologist at big Baptist. He told me they would never accept him, he had a little neuropathy and he would send him to rehab since mama was unable to take care of him. He tried to hug me, yuk. I walked to the nurses station and told them I did not want him back in the room. I told them he had an attitude and would not listen. The nurse told me she didn't know if I could "fire" a doctor. I told her there had to be plenty of doctors in the hospital. Find me a different one. The social worker apologized for the entire thing. She had been very helpful trying to get daddy transferred to Big Baptist. I called Baptist and tried to transfer him myself. They said they could not accept him without the hospitalist transferring him. Now I am just frustrated. I feel like my dad is having mini strokes. No one is listening to me except the nurses and the social worker. They are in agreement with me. He is still having catatonic phases. I tried to work some on Tuesday and my uncle stayed with daddy so I could. I left work at 9:00AM and headed to Searcy. I was walking down the hall and heard one of the doctors talking about my issue. He was very unkind. He wound up being the doctor we got since I no longer wanted the other. He walked in with a major attitude. He told me he was releasing daddy to rehab even thought his sodium was still low. I begged him to send daddy to Baptist and he refused. I told him about my issues with the previous hospitalist and he told me he had never had a complaint before. I debated packing daddy up and putting him in my car and taking him to Little Rock. I was afraid he would try to get out of my car when I was driving since he was so confused. On Tuesday they transferred daddy to White County rehab. I was pretty impressed with the facility. They had a bed for mama. It was not much more than a cot with a mattress but she was happy. I fixed her meds up for the week in her planner. I loaded up all of mama and daddy's dirty clothes and headed for home. I got a call at work Wednesday that the doctor at White County Rehab was not in agreement with the hospital's diagnosis and felt daddy had suffered a stroke. They wanted to know what hospital I wanted to move him to. I told them either Big Baptist or UAMS. I did not care as long as it was close and had a neurologist on staff. Now I am really angry. I am afraid daddy will have permanent brain damage because he was never treated for a stroke the entire time he was in the hospital. I had to do a lot of praying during this time. I called the social worker at White County hospital and told her I wanted to talk to the head of the hospital. She gave me the name and number of a contact person. I called and gave me my in depth story of how my dad was in their hospital from Thursday night through Tuesday and not one of their doctors felt he had a stroke but the rehab doctor felt he had in less than 12 hours. I did not hear back from White County hospital for two days. In the meantime, White County rehab has a doctor at UAMS who will accept daddy but no bed. Rehab started working with daddy as if he had a stroke. He had vigorous PT, OT and speech therapy daily. He was still unable to feed himself. He had been vomiting at least once daily, but this stopped. I am now getting pretty stressed. Mama has gotten into her medicines and redone them. I talked to her and told her I was happy to do her meds please let me. I was going back and forth between my house, working and rehab (45 miles away). I did everyone's laundry at night and was very grumpy. I pretty much have stopped crying at this point. I decided I would be thankful my mom and dad are still with me and make the best decisions possible. At this point family started giving "advice" which came out more like criticism. I tried not to let it bother me. On Thursday morning I got a call at 5:45AM that I needed to drive back to rehab and sign daddy['s release papers. Mama's signature was not sufficient because of the Alzheimers. I am thinking great I was just there last night but I didn't argue. I was actually happy he was being transferred and maybe we would get some answers. I signed daddy's papers, checked on him and headed to work. I got a call at 1:00PM that he was being transferred by ambulance and I would need to pick up my mom and her stuff. I left work and headed to get her. I was a little concerned that daddy was going to get really confused and he did. I took Friday off so I could spend it at the hospital. I am so glad I did. Mama had apparently given some very confusing information about how this whole ordeal started. The neurologist did another ct scan and did not see anything. He felt like daddy had had a stroke and had placed him on the stroke recovery ward. Daddy is very confused, he thinks he is still at White County. Mama has messed with the pills again. I can tell she is not taking them right because she is very confused too. I went home Friday night and tried to get a good nights rest. I got up Saturday morning and headed back to the hospital. The neurologist came in and said they were going to check for blockage in daddy's carotid artery since they couldn't do a MRI due to his pacemaker. This test came back with 50% blockage which he said indicated he had suffered a stroke. They released daddy in the early afternoon to go back to White County rehab. Daddy seems to be doing better. He is telling everyone mama has dementia and there is nothing wrong with him. This is not like daddy at all. Normally, he is very careful of mama's feelings. He acts like he is angry with her and she can't do anything right. In his defense, she was pretty confused. An ambulance takes daddy back to White County rehab. I pack mama and all her stuff up and head back to Searcy. We got daddy settled back in the same room he was in before. He ate a decent supper and was very quiet. I talked to mama about her meds again, grabbed the dirty clothes and headed home about 6:00PM. By now the head of White County hospital has called to apologize and ask if there is anything he could do to help. I told him the hospital told me my dad should make a full recovery. I told him I wanted his hospitalists to transfer patients to hospitals that have in-house neurologists rather than trying to diagnose brain injuries themselves. I was within two miles of the house when mama called to say daddy was going home. I asked her what she meant and she said he wasn't going to stay there. I asked her to put him on the phone. I asked him what was going on and he told me he couldn't do the rehab. I probably handled the whole thing wrong but I told him the doctor would not release him to go home unless I quit work and stayed with them 24/7. I asked him to wait until the next day and we would work it out. I thought we were okay and mama called back again and said he was going to call an ambulance to take him home. I called daddy's baby sister to see if she had any better luck with him and she did not. I called rehab and asked them if I needed to come back. They said they had it handled and I didn't need to return. I called mama back and told her to go to bed and ignore him. The staff said they would take care of the issue. Come to find out he told them he was going to call the police. They told him the police did not come out that far and he seemed okay after that. By Monday daddy has taken a major step back into confusion. Daddy's side of the family are telling me that I have moved him too much. I should have left him at Baptist rehab. I explained to them that White County rehab was the only facility that would allow mama to stay with him. They told me I needed to worry more about daddy than mama because she would never get any better. I cried and I think they felt bad. By Monday, the therapist told me she was very concerned because daddy had quit responding to commands. He once again was unable to feed himself. They checked him and he had a uti. This gave me some comfort that there was a reason for the regression. They put him on an antibiotic but found out two days later it was the wrong one for the type of uti he had. They changed his antibiotic and he seemed to be improving. I am really struggling with mama at this point about her meds. She is continuing to "fix" them and they are all messed up. I finally took her pills away from her and felt like a terrible person because it really hurt her feelings. I explained to her that I needed to take them to a pharmacist and make sure the right pills were in the right bottles. It was her security blanket to have her pills and her planner but it just was not working out. We were afraid she would od. Daddy started showing improvement so I was starting to feel up. I have completely taken over bill paying at this point. I am excited because I was told daddy could stay in rehab for 20 days at 100% coverage and 80 days at 80% coverage. One week into his stay I got the call that medicare would no longer cover him at all after another week and I needed to arrange a place for him. It was their recommendation that if he went home he would have 24/7 care. Based on their observation of my mom, they said she needed to too. I didn't understand why he couldn't stay where he was but oh well. I found a place by the house called Sherwood Nursing and Rehab it had a 5 star rating. I visited and was very impressed. I was a little apprehensive whether he met their criteria. He was approved and I thought yay! On moving day, daddy went by van to the new rehab and I picked up mama and her stuff. She could only stay during the day at the new rehab facility so I told her I wanted her to stay with us at night. She wanted to go to a motel because she was afraid my husband would resent her being there. I explained it was his idea. So the next phase began. Daddy got very confused again when he was moved. He told the director that I was picking him up to take him back to Baptist. He really seemed to like it there at first. He seemed to have really good days and really bad days. I watched some of the therapy and was very impressed. A man from our church was in the same rehab facility and daddy didn't like him at all. This is so unlike my dad. Daddy became very angry toward mama during this period. I started being afraid he might hurt her. He kept trying to grab her purse. I couldn't figure out what he was doing but apparently he wanted her keys. I guess he thought he was going to escape and drive home. He would say mean things toward mama that she had dementia and didn't know anything. I really struggled during this period but I was excited I found a place close to the house that I could drop mama off on my way to work. Go after work and eat supper then take mama home. Daddy's side of the family felt like mama was with him too much and he needed a break from her. I tried to let it go in one ear and out the other but who can say whether they are right or not. Mama has started physical therapy at this point for her scholiosis. One physical therapy days she would stay at the house with the hubs while I worked. He would take her to physical therapy then drop her off with daddy once she was done. Four days into his stay there, the therapist told me he was not showing any signs of improvement and would not be able to stay. She told me it was her experience that he would never get any better. This was a hard pill to swallow and I burst into tears. They told me he had to be out in 7 days because Medicare would stop paying. I met with the rehab director that afternoon and I probably wasn't very nice. He told me there was nothing he could do because daddy was not meeting medicare requirements. I told him I was not stupid. It all depended on what his staff put on the paperwork. If they stated he was not improving, I couldn't get him into any rehab facility. He said it was his recommendation that mama and daddy go to assisted living. I told him I didn't know if I could get it all together in 7 days. He told me daddy could stay two weeks extra at $350/day with no therapy. He would be considered a nursing home resident but still stay in his same room. I started scrambling trying to find a place for mama and daddy. Everything I found that had an opening was in little rock which is not convenient for every day care and to the tune of $7,000/month. I finally found a place in north little rock called Parkstone Place that is an independent living facility. It was much cheaper $2295/month. I could hire an aide during the day Mon-Fri. I could do meds and supper and then do weekends. I went by and visited and liked the apartment. It had a shower which is easier for mama to get in and out of. I went ahead and paid a deposit of one months rent. Mama called and she had told daddy how much it was going to cost and he was refusing to go. I had to tell a lie which I hated. I told him I worked it out through medicare that they would pay for a time. I feel very guilty for doing this. If he ever gets to where he wants to do finances again I will have to fess up. I prayed about all my alternatives. My husband and I talked about me quitting work and taking care of them full time. Unfortunately, we would have no income unless I wrote myself checks from mama and daddy's account which I can't do. We also would be without insurance. I have more health issues than my husband but our meds alone would eat us alive. During this period daddy started getting very restless. He was having a lot of trouble with incontinence. I wasn't sure how this was going to work at the new living facility. I started checking into aides and found Home Instead. They charge $17.50/hr with a minimum of 3 hours. I asked God what I should do and all of a sudden I felt such a peace. I remembered Robbie who had kept my granddaughter for a year and a half was not keeping children right now. I called her and offered her $10/hr for 5 hours 5 days a week. She seemed excited about the new adventure. I found out on day 3 that I had to have a note from mama and daddy's doctor's stating they could live independently. This was concerning to me because I'm not sure at this point if they can or can't. I gave it over to God and started the process of trying to get a doctor to sign for them. I finally got the doctor at rehab to sign for mama. Mama's primary care doctor in Jonesboro finally signed her form. I was a little concerned because he checked no for living independently but added that I had hired an aide. Anyway they got approved to move in. We paid the $350/day for 5 days while we got everything ready at the new apartment. My husband rented a uhaul. He, my son and son-in-law moved furniture all weekend. My very pregnant daughter and I worked on hanging pictures, stocking the fridge, etc. I was excited but scared at the same time. We are worried that daddy is a flight risk. I start checking on Amber alert tracking devices. We found door alarms for the front and back doors which the hubs installs. I called Life Alert and asked them if they had a locking gps wrist bracelet. The guy started laughing and said they were Life Alert. I was not amused and told him I realized what they were I just needed a locking wrist bracelet. I was very annoyed. I finally gave up and went to ATT and found a gps tracker and a separate wrist bracelet it would fit into. Every evening we ate supper with mama and daddy at rehab during this time. He was released to walk on his own but still chose to push himself in the wheelchair the majority of the time. I bought him tons of magazines and some westerns. He actually started reading one of the westerns. He was watching TV but still very angry toward mama. So on move in day, I worked all day. I took care of my dogs then headed to pick mama and daddy up. I got the list of meds from rehab. This was a scary daunting list. Rehab also sent me with syringes and insulin. Now I am in panic mode. I have given insulin to a diabetic schnauzer before but never a human. The dog wound up dying so now I am really worried. I drove to the pharmacy and they told me in the drive through how to give an insulin shot. I loaded mama and daddy and all their stuff up and off to the new apartment we went. I took them on a tour. Everything seemed to be going okay. Daddy kept talking in rehab about how much he wanted to make stir fry. He and I cooked stir fry in the kitchen for supper. I worked my way through the long list of meds and prayed I had them all set up in the medicine calendar correctly. I double and triple checked myself while mama tried to talk to me the whole time. I finally told her I had to concentrate and could not talk. I hope it did not hurt her feelings. Daddy asked me if I was taking mama with me and I told him no. This was their apartment. I spent the night in the recliner, very uncomfortable. The next morning Robbie met us for breakfast. We did meds, checked sugar, bp and weight. I went home around 9 and left Robbie with them until lunchtime. It was such a relief to have some help. Daddy started getting quieter each day and would sit with his head in his hands. He kept turning the tv off and would not read. I tried everything I could think of the entice him. I bought hunting magazines, books, bird food, bird feeder, more stir fry stuff, etc. I offered to take them to their church in McCrory but he didn't seem interested. I couldn't decide if he was depressed, angry or sick. I finally got him into the doctor. He felt he was depressed and referred him to a neurologist. I am still constantly worrying that maybe he is having mini strokes. One day he just acted like he couldn't pick his feet up and had no energy. His bp was really low so I loaded him and mama up and headed to the er. His bp was 89/46. The doctor said he was dehydrated. They gave him fluids and his bp went back up. He acted very aggravated that I took him to the er. He said nothing was wrong with him. He wants to go home. I am really feeling guilty. I am still contemplating quitting work. Robbie and I are having a time with his sugar. The doctor prescribed Januvia and we finally start seeing a difference. Daddy starts having a few good days and then some really bad days. I have quit getting my hopes up that he is going to be okay. I am just trying to be thankful for the good days. I took him to his cardiologist and he felt like the diuretics were causing his dehydration and low bp. He took him off all diuretics unless his weight went up suddenly. He also reduced one of his heart meds. We ate lunch at Ryans which he loves. His favorite waitress gave him a big hug and he seemed to have a good day. We started noticing a difference in that his bad days didn't seem quite so bad anymore. He would have days he was almost normal then several bad days. One day he was sitting in the lobby walked out the front door and urinated on a tree. I am thinking great he is going to be arrested for indecent exposure. During this period I started feeling really bad and running fever. I hated exposing anyone to the crud but didn't have much choice. I finally went to the doctor and had a sinus infection. I got meds and started feeling better. Last Sunday daddy wet all over himself at Krogers. We got him cleaned up and he did it again. He pooped in the bathroom floor and I wanted to cry. Now I am worried he is having mini strokes again. He had an awesome day the next day. He initiated conversation and acted like his old self. The next day was a very bad day and I realized he was getting sick. The man never complains but said he was feeling terrible. I took him seriously and took him to urgent care. He had a sinus infection so we got meds. I went back to work and he slept most of the day. During this period he took off out of the front door and went around back of the apartment and started pulling up the plastic in the flower bed. Mama finally got him back in the apartment. Right now I am okay. I am trying to take it a day at a time. I love this website. It has given me hope and knowledge. The only knowledge I had before was what I got out of books and on the internet. Its helps to talk to people who have been through the same thing. We have a long road ahead of us. I seriously doubt mama and daddy will ever get to move back home. They seem more settled in the apartment which gives me a sense of peace. I will add more as the story goes on.

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Debby, welcome. And please do continue to share your stroke journey. You will be as resourceful to all of us Caregivers as you feel all of us here are to you. Prayers.

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It sounds like you have been thru the wringer, such an exhausting and bewildering situation.   It is such a hard thing to deal with, because your dad may not be at all trustworthy to live on his own....  what assistance do they give in this 'assisted living' place?   

 

You mentioned you are the one working, so yes, you must keep your job or how will you pay your own bills.    It's not clear what kind of income/medicare/medicaid your parents may be drawing, and I couldn't find any clues about their age, but seems you mentioned medicare.  

 

I send you my prayers, and it is a worry, I know... and so exhausting and terrifying.

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Debbie, you certainly got straight to the scary end of stroke where the medical incompetence makes life so much harder.  So sorry the hospital messed you around so much.  I wonder how they keep going if they never listen to anyone?  After all those of us who know the patient well have a lot of insights to offer. Seems you got the runaround from all the institutions you took your Daddy to.  I hope you Mom and Dad can settle where they are for a while as it needs to happen for your family's sake as well as for theirs.

 

Sue.

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Debby, sorry you have been through so much.  First dealing with your spouse's job lay off and then your mom's health issue plus your dad.  You really have been a super caregiver.  It is so hard when you trust the "experts" to help you and they do not seem to always give you the answers and support you are looking for.  I learned from your blog that you cannot transfer a loved one to another facility without permission from their hospital staff.  

 

My prayers are with you.  Take care of yourself too and keep us posted. 

 

Julie, caregiver to spouse, stroked 2/10

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Daddy had his best day ever Sunday. I am trying to enjoy those days instead of dreading the next day which is usually bad. Yay, I finally attracted birds in the bird feeder, a bunch of sparrows and one develop. Daddy seems to enjoy watching them. I took mama and daddy to church Sunday. He saw some people he knew and wanted to talk to them. He didn't do much talking but really seemed to enjoy himself. I took Ethel's advice and encouraged him to use the restroom often. He seemed to enjoy the sermon. I ate with them at the apartment dining room and headed for home. The hubs was back from deer hunting. I fell asleep on the couch. We went back over to the apartment to watch NASCAR, still no tv or Internet until our new modem arrives. Daddy had his best day ever. He was initiating conversation and watching the birds. Mama did laundry while we were there. We had picked up Burger King for everyone. Daddy has gained 13 lbs since I moved them in the apartment, mama has gained 5. They were very thin so they are looking better. I worked with both mama and daddy on their word find books. Daddy and I went down to the library and he checked out two books. I hated leaving because he was doing so good.

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Debbie,   you are doing a great job!    What  with Mom and Dad health problems, then with husband losing his job!   I have you all in my prayers, keep on praying and trusting that everything will be alright.

 

Yvonne

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Monday was a so so day. Daddy was somewhat restless. It was too cold to go outside. He took the two books we checked out of the library back without reading them. He ate a good supper and we worked on word finds after supper. Today I got a little nervous. Robbie said he was really restless and bored. He took off from the apartment a couple of times with mama and Robbie in hot pursuit. They said he acted aggravated that he couldn't get away from them. I talked to him on the phone twice and promised to take him to Books a Miliion when I got off work. He told me he didn't want me to do anything to lose my job. I told him I would wait until I got off work. I stopped and picked up Zaxby's for supper. By the time I got to the apartment he was ready to go. I got him to eat some supper. Mama was still eating hers and he opened the door to leave. I told him we had to wait for mama and closed the door. We headed out when mama got done eating. He is sounding hoarse and sniffly again which is worrisome. He picked out one western and a book about custers last stand. We paid and headed back to the apartment. He didn't want to do word finds tonight. I started feeling discouraged tonight but reminded myself that his bad days aren't nearly as bad as they were. I am thinking the hubs and I need to get away for a weekend soon. I keep praying for a miracle.

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Wow, you have had a lot to deal with! After a sudden illness there is always an adjustment period and hopefully things will calm down and you will get settled into your new normal. Keep us updated.

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Today was not a good day. I called to ask daddy what he wanted from the grocery sore. He got really quiet and said in a quiet voice "for everyone to go to heaven" I teared up. People from McCrory have been visiting. Daddy is not really interacting with any of them. I hope they don't give up on him. My husband took mama to the farm today to get winter clothes for her and daddy. I started hanging up the clothes. She now has 12 pair of jeans, daddy has one pair. She brought him 4 sweater vests with no shirts to match. I found two hideous sweaters that I couldn't decide who they belonged to. I asked both him and mama who they belonged to and he said he hoped it wasn't him. Mama said she didn't know. I will take her back to the farm next Friday since I will be off work. We will get daddy some clothes and try to see what mama really needs. I told both mama and daddy we would have Zaxby's salads tonight since the ate very little last night. I found both salads in the trash. They were still cold and had lids on them so I dug them out for supper. I laid everyone's pills out. Daddy tried to take mamas. I got them away from him just in time. I am going to have to watch closer. Daddy asked me when I was meeting with the doctor. I sat down and asked him what he meant. He said he couldn't stay in the apartment for a year. I asked him if he could stay until the end of January and he said yes. I told him his appointment with the neurologist is in January. A little later I told him I really enjoyed having him and mama this close. I told him I had never gotten to spend this much time with them since I got married in 1980. In a little bit he told me would stay. I am sure this will come up again but we should be okay for a bit. Mama brought me the wills and power of attorney papers. Mama listed daddy and daddy listed mama as power of attorney. I am going to call the attorney tomorrow to see what I need at to to get power of attorney. I am managing the farm right now with no legal right. I decided I am going to count my blessings. I have two wonderful healthy children who work and are financially independent. I have a healthy two year old granddaughter. I have another granddaughter due 12/12. I have a good job, a great husband. I have a wonderful mom and dad who I can spend time with every day. God has been good to me and I need to remember to count my blessings.

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So today was a really bad day. Daddy was bound and determined to do yard work. His idea of yard work is digging up all the plastic in the flower beds at the at the apartment. Mama got really upset and told him they were going to get kicked out of the apartment and it would cost them hundreds of dollars to fix the flower beds. She wanted me to talk to him on the phone about it but I told her I would wait until I got over there after work. I asked him what he wanted from the store and he said razors. He said mama wanted bananas but he wasn't going to eat any. I bought salmon dinners at Krogers to surprise them. He loves salmon. He said he wasn't eating salmon tonight. I wound up feeding him mamas left over lunch from yesterday. To make matters even more special I found out they have been throwing daddy's pants away because he said they don't fit. Unfortunately, one of those pairs of pants was brand new from kohls. I just bought them. I spent about an hour with them. I could tell daddy was angry with mama. Apparently my preacher wanted to visit with them and mama said he had to clear it through me (this is per my aunt). I got more advice on daddy needing to get out more. I told her I was fine if they wanted to pick him up and take him somewhere. Mi know they will watch him. She said he wants to go to McCrory but he has only told me he wanted to go one time. My husband loaded them up and headed that direction and he didn't want to go. I am not sure what my next step will be. I plan to get them both out this weekend. I am going to give him a choice of seeing the grand baby or going computer shopping at best buy. I did do one positive thing today. I talked to the lawyer who did their power of attorney in 2010. Because daddy named mama power of attorney in the event he was unable to make decisions, she can sign power of attorney over to me for both of them. I want to get this done before she goes downhill anymore. I don't know what to think about daddy's mental state. He hasn't had a good day this week since Monday. I may try to take him somewhere by himself without mama. I think they both need a break. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

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Today was a little better. Daddy was sitting at the table waiting on the therapist. He said he wanted his salmon tonight but probably wouldn't be able to eat it all. He ate every bite. Mama ate very little supper tonight. My preacher called and said he was coming over shortly. She started buzzing around putting stuff up. I read a devotional to mama and daddy. I'm was going to work with daddy on the iPad but the hubs called and said he was throwing up. I picked up Lysol on my way home. Mama called and said the visit with the preacher went great. Daddy talked the whole time. I plan to take them on some kind of outing tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't get the pukes.

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Today was a. Enter day for all of us. I was going to take mama and daddy to best buy to window shop for laptops. Mama decided not to go after I told her we were going to walk quite a bit. He told me he didn't want to go to best buy. I mentioned gander mountain and tractor supply and he said no to those too. I asked him about walking at the mall and he was all for that. Physically he is strong as an ox. We walked all over the mall. Bye said he liked our preacher and wanted to wear matching clothes tomorrow. I asked him if he wanted to buy some clothes and he said yes. We went to Sears and picked out a pair of jeans, a pair of dickies, one pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. We went to the ups store and he didn't want to go in. I parked right in front of the store so I could watch him and he did fine. We went to Kroger next. I thought he wasn't going to go in with me so untold him I needed help picking up dog food. I really don't but it wa a good excuse. We got inside the store and he found quite a few things he wanted. I asked him if he needed to use the restroom and he said yes. I took him to the restroom and waited outside the door. In a little bit I hear knocking. I asked him if he was okay and he said he couldn't get out of the restroom. I opened the door and he was just standing there with the lights off. We checked out our groceries and headed back to the apartment. i put chicken vegetable soup in the crockpot. Daddy and I headed out to the lobby to work on my iPad. When we walked back into the apartment mama was on the floor trying to cut the security sensor off the dickens we just bough. There was red all over her hand. I thought she cut herself. I got her up and washed her hand and realized it he sensor had broken and it was red dye. Fortunately, she just got it on her hands and the dickies. I bagged them up with the receipt to return them. We went tonlunch, everyone ate really good. I headed for home to check on the hubs. He was still feeling bad from the stomach virus. I fixed him a light lunch and took a nap. At 3:30 I headed back over to the apartment. The soup smelled delicious and mama and daddy cleaned their bowls. I read the devotional after supper, I am trying to establish routines. I got the calendar out and discussed upcoming plans. I told them I would be there at 10 in the morning to go to church. After church the therapist was going to work with daddy. I told daddy I would start cooking Wednesday night for our thanksgiving brunch. On Thursday, the kids would all be at the apartment around 9:30. I explained that mama and I were going out for a girls day Friday and Robbie was coming to stay with daddy. I then asked them if they wanted to go to mccrory on Saturday and eat at their favorite restaurant. They seemed excited about that. I told them we would visit some of their friends. We next worked on word finds. I am just trying to get them to use their brains as much as possible. I then headed for home. I decided to do a little flea market shopping on my way home as a trat for myself. After that I came home and started cleaning house. I should sleep really good tonight.

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Today was a decent day. The hubs still isn't feeling good. I went over to the apartment and mama and daddy were dressed for church. I gave daddy his meds checked sugar and bp. Off to church we went. It was a rainy dreary day. Daddy seemed to enjoy the sermon. They did communion and he wouldn't go down to the front of the church. They brought communion back to mama and daddy and he seemed confused. I helped mama and him dip the bread in the grape juice then eat it. He ran into one of his old friends out in the vestibule when we went out for a potty break. He didn't say much but smiled a lot. We left chuch and went to the dining room at the apartment. lunch was quite yummy. I really enjoy only being responsible for one meal per day. After lunch I headed home, fixed the hubs some lunch and took a nap. I headed back over to the apartment about 4. One of my cousins was visiting. Daddy seemed to enjoy his visit, it is just hard to keep his attention. Daddy ever initiated a little conversation. He told me today he was having trouble distinguishing reality from his imagination. I am not sure if this is normal but I told him it was. After my cousin left, I fixed leftover chicken and vegetable soup and gave out meds. I read a Joyce Meyer devotion and we talked about the week. Daddy seemed confused about Thanksgiving. He didn't know where the food was coming from. I told him I would start cooking Wednesday night and finish up Thursday morning. I am not sure if I am doing everything right. I am still getting a lot of criticism from family. They think I should take him out more and let him make more decisions. Sometimes it just makes me tired.

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Today seemed to be a good day. Mama called at 5 this morning to say daddy hugged and kissed her twice last night and told her he loved her. I was afraid she was going to tell me they did more and that is something I do want to think about. One of my coworkers made homemade chicken noodle soup so I did have to cook tonight, yay! Mama and daddy cleaned their bowls. Daddy asked me twice what day it was. I told him it was Monday nov 24th. I noticed he had checked off through the 25th on the calendar.m I read them their devotions. I reminded them thanksgiving is in 3 days. I reminded daddy her is going to see the grand baby on Saturday. He told me the birds had eaten most of the bird food so I filled the feeder up. Mama said his sister called to invite them to dinner. She declined. I asked her why and she said they would have enough Thanksgiving with our brunch. I asked her to reconsider I think they need to get out. She said my aunt asked daddy if he wanted to go to the farm and he said he would love to. I am going to have to pray about this because I wish they would quit. They keep asking if he wants to go but no one volunteers to take him. I am planning on taking him Saturday if the weather is good and my daughter hasn't had her baby. I am honestly doing the best I can. I have quit calling them to give them updates because I get so much advice that I hang up depressed. I just have to remember baby steps. The therapist came before I left and daddy always enjoys her visits.

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Today seemed to be a pretty good day for both mama and daddy. I was super busy at work today and didn't have much time to check in on them. I talked to Robbie a couple of times. I think I just talked to mama once. I went straight to the apartment after work. Mama had already called the hubs to find out where I was. This is part of her reasoning that is missing as this disease progresses. She doesn't think about just calling me to find out where I am. I cooked chicken and vegetable stir fry with brown rice. Mama and daddy ate every bite. After supper I read the devotion then helped them with their word find books. That is one thing the therapist asked us to work on. She said it works their brains. Daddy seemed in a good mood but all the lights were off and the tv was off. I reminded him that I would come over tomorrow afternoon and start cooking. I reminded him today is Tuesday and Thanksgiving is Thursday. I told him all the kids are coming over Thursday. I told him he and Robbie are going to see Hayley Friday and mama and I are going to have a girls day. I reminded him we are planning on going to McCrory Saturday and visit friends and relatives. Daddy had kind of a blank look on his face, I can't tell how much he comprehends. I get scared sometimes when I think about the future. I just have to remember where we were and where we are now. I am trying to focus on the new grand baby due 12/12, and on my other precious grandbaby. I am trying not to think about stressful things.

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Robbie sent a text saying daddy was having a really bad day today. Mi called her and she said he was extremely confused. She said he even admitted he was confused and laughed. Later in the morning he started raising his voice to mama. I am not sure what that was about. Mama called and said he had a lot of nervous energy. She also called to find out what time I would be there. I got to the apartment at 3:40 and asked mama and daddy if they wanted to walk after supper. I warmed up stir fry and made brown rice. I passed out meds then read the daily devotion. Mama wanted daddy to take off his dress clothes so she could wash them for Sunday. I reminded her it is just Wednesday and he has another pair of dress clothes as long as they haven't thr them away. I told daddy everyone needed to take a shower after walking because they were going to have a lot of company visiting tomorrow. We walked around the apartment complex and I asked them if they wanted to look around upstairs. Daddy didn't want to. We went back to the apartment and I wrote out all of our plans for every day between now and next Monday. Daddy asked me three times what year it is. He said last he could remember he was 81. I told him he was still 81. I asked him when his birthday was. He told me June but could not remember the day. He lost his wallet and I caught him taking a chair in the bedroom to stand on. I stood on the chair and found his wallet in the top of the closet. All of his stuff was out of the wallet but I found his license and insurance cards. I made him promise not to climb on the chairs. He promised but I don't know if I believe him. I came on home to start cooking for tomorrow.

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I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. I got over to mama and daddy's a little after 6 this morning. I went to breakfast with them in the dining room. They both seemed in good spirits. I asked daddy what today was and he said Thanksgiving. I asked him who was coming over and he named all the kids. He made up the bed. He wanted to know when he was going to the doctor that would release him. I knew he meant when could he drive? I showed him when his appointment is in January. I told him sometimes they don't let you drive for six months to a year after a stroke. I cooked and turned on a George Beverly Shea cd. He turned it louder and sat down to listen to it. The kids and hubs all got there around 9:30. Everyone had a great time visiting and eating. Daddy was very animated with the little one. I took her kitchen and play food to the apartment this morning. She cooked for all of us. We all enjoyed her. All the kids and hubs left around 12:30 for the next group of family get together so. I cleaned up the kitchen then left to meet the hubs at his moms house. I got back to mama and daddy's around 4:30. They ate supper and took their pills. We took the elevator up to the 5th floor and lent outside on the balcony. We decided to walk down all five flights of stairs for exercise. We got back to the apartment and daddy asked me how many of the chairs in the living room were theirs. I told him we brought three from the farm. He asked me if we could take them back. I told him we could but I really hoped he and mama would make the apartment their home. He said that was fine. Overall, it was a good day.

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Daddy had an awesome day today. This was his best day so far. Made my day. I got over to the apartment a little before Robbie. I talked to mama and daddy about possibly staying at the apartment until I could retire in three years. I could tell daddy didn't really like the idea. I reminded him that I really enjoy seeing them every day. He then said it wasn't bad and was really convenient. We went to breakfast then one of my aunts sent me a text that she felt like I was making a big mistake not telling daddy we were going to the farm. I sent her a text back that we were not going to the farm just the bank. I explained that he wanted me on all the accounts before he got sick and that is what we were doing. She then texted me that he was going to get really upset if he ever found out I was keeping stuff from him. I sent her a text back that I was doing the best I could and would discuss money and whatever else if he asked but I was not bringing money up. She said she felt like he was going to give up. I just rolled my eyes. I left with mama and Robbie stayed with daddy. Mama and I got the banking stuff done. We then went shopping at Walmart. We went to the one at Searcy because that is the one she is the most comfortable with. She did okay but got confused some. I have been trying to let her buckle her own seatbelt to work on her strength. She could not do it today. Made me very sad. Around noon we got to Cabot to pick daddy up. Apparently daddy and Robbie had been quite busy. They went shopping at Walmart then headed out to see the little princess. He and Hayley were playing hard when we got there. I could tell he was having a great time. Hayley wound up spilling his glucernacallmover her, daddy and the sofa. My daughter in law worked on daddy and the sofa. I cleaned Hayley up and changed her clothes. We left to head back to the apartment to get daddy changed. He was covered in glucerna. We got him changed then headed over to my aunts house for thanksgiving. I stayed a few minutes then headed home to see the hubs. We watched the Razorbacks lose then he headed to pick up my son and go to the farm. They have hunting fever. I did a little flea market shopping then headed to my aunts to visit. Daddy was laughing and carrying on. He was laughing about my cousins and me growing up. He and my aunt shared stories when they were young. We finally left and headed back to the apartment. Daddy turned on the tv and was engrossed in it so I did take out the laptop. I gave out meds filled out their day planner through Monday and headed home. I was going to wrap Christmas presents tonight but lost my motivation. I decided to clean floors and decorate our bedroom. I brought the Weimaraner's inside and they curled up on the sofa. They are looking at me right now. Hope everyone had a great black Friday!

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Today was a good day. The hubs and son are at the farm hunting. I got up took care of animals and headed to the apartment. I was a little apprehensive about taking daddy to the farm. What if he gets upset and won't leave. I just prayed about it and went on with our plans. We did meds, checked sugar and headed into the dining room to eat. Mama and daddy are pretty good. I got everyone to use the restroom and we headed out. Daddy said he was confused but was laughing about it. I told hi. This was part of the healing process and he seemed fine with that. He wanted to know if we were going to Walmart before or after the farm. I told him after. We drove the 90 miles to Paaterson and went to the little restaurant daddy and mama used to go to every Saturday morning. You would have thought daddy was a celebrity. People were hugging mama and him. The waitress made him a big plate of hash browns which she appRently used to do every Saturday. I thought great there goes his sugar but I certainly wasn't stopping him from eating it. I was so glad we got to see little Ruth from their church. He apparently brought her a watermelon every Sunday during the summer. He wasn't super talkative but I could tell he enjoyed himself. Mama did too. We next headed to his cousins house. The were so excited to see mama and daddy. We visited for a bit and headed to the farm. Daddy went out to the shed to talk to the hubs and son. The were cleaning a deer. I asked my son to keep an eye on him. Mama and I headed in the house to get stuff. In a bit daddy and my son came in the house. Daddy and I started looking for him some clothes. It is quite obvious that mama doesn't get rid of anything. Going through clothes is going to be one of our future projects. We tried to see if daddy could play on his computer. he said he didn't even know where to put his hands so we didn't push it today. He said things were not as he remembered and went and sat in the car. Next we went over to visit some friends then daddy's sister. After that we headed back to the apartment. We decided against going to Walmart because we were all pooped. We carried all the stuff in the apartment. I checked his sugar and warmed up a meal my aunt sent home with them. They split it and I left. I decided today I wanted to go to hobby lobby and get some Christmas stuff. I finished shopping and headed home to do some Christmas decorating. I got all 10 stockings hung, our family is really growing. I decorated the kitchen table and took care of the doggies. I took a little nap. I haven't fel very good all day. I started having chest pains before we even left this morning. I had to take a verapamil and relax for a bit before they went away. Fortunately, I kept it from mama and daddy. Right now I am nursing a migraine. I will take something shortly and crash. After my nap I headed back to the apartment. I played george beverly Shea again. That seems to relax mama and daddy. I warmed up super and gave out meds. Mama went ahead and showered while I was there. I rolled her hair. I read the nightly devotion then turned the news on for mama. I kissed them goodbye and headed home. The hubs still wasn't back so I paid mama and daddy's bills and cleaned out their meds. They have enough Prilosec to take care of both of them for a year. Apparently, mama hadn't been doing well for quite some time. I found about 30 empty pill bottles. I am now relaxing watching the auburn alabama game. The hubs dropped my son off at his house and is now playing with the grandbaby. All in all it was a good day. Our daughter made me a little sad. She told me in a quiet voice that her mother in law made her a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. She said it made her too sad to eat it because mama and daddy made her a pumpkin pie and banana pudding every time she went to the farm from when she was a little girl. I told her I would make her a pumpkin pie and banana pudding when we have our Christmas brunch at mama and daddy's. That seemed to make her feel better.

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Today was a pretty good day. The hubs and I slept in and discussed the Alabama game. It was nice and relaxing. I got up and got ready for church. I headed over to mama and daddy's. They were all dressed for church. Daddy didn't like what mama had on. She was dressed casual in jeans. I'm told him it would be fine. I gave him his meds and checked his sugar and bp. We loaded up and went to pick up daddy's older sister. The hubs met us all at church. It was a great service. Daddy got up one time to use the restroom. I stepped out with him to make sure he made it back in the sanctuary okay. He did fine. After church we all headed back to the apartment for lunch. The hubs and I visited for a bit then headed to Walmart. We did our shopping then headed home. He changed the oil in mama and daddy's car. I took a long nap. He and I both have a migraine today probably from the weather change coming. I headed back to mama and daddy's around 4 pm. I warmed up left overs and gave them their meds. I asked them if they wanted to sit outside. Mama said she would clean the kitchen so daddy and I could sit outside. I asked him if he enjoyed the service but said he didn't really recognize the preacher. We talked about our trip to McCrory yesterday. He said he really didn't want to visit anyone on the next trip. He wanted to eat at Patterson and it would be great if some of he people from their church could meet them there. I need to arrange that. He said he didn't care about going in the house at the farm. He just wanted to mess around in his shop. I asked him if he could tell he was doing better and he said he thought so. It seems like his bad days are not as bad lately. I really pray he can make a full recovery.

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I got up this morning and got ready for work. Mama called around 5am to check in. I got to work before 6 am. I started feeling bad around 8. I checked my bp and it was 190/118. I checked it again and it was 209/118. I wanted to go home and rest but I guess I scared them at work when they saw how high it was. Someone found me a cot and I laid down for 15 minutes. Bp finally dropped to 170/97 so I drove home. I slept until noon then took daddy to the cardiologist in searcy. The hubs took mama tonAugusta to sign over power of attorney to me. I am glad to get that out of the way. I have been worrying about mamas dementia getting worse and not being able to make legal decisions. Daddy had a decent day. He still wants to sit in the dark with the tv off. The curtain was open so we watched the birds at the bird feeder. I fixed him some homemade chicken and vegetable soup. He ate quite well. I got daddy to watch a couple of westerns then he turned the tv off. I am not sure what is going on with that. He was really laughing when watching have gun will travel. I guess I am going to have to chill out some or I am going to have more health issues myself. I have a cardiology appointment this month so I will discuss this latest blood pressure spike with him. I am staying away from caffeine but kind of hard to stay away from stress right now.

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I got up this morning and decided to go into work late. I was still really shaken and my head felt weird. I talked to mama and she said daddy was having a good day. I went into work around 9:30 and started feeling weird again. The cardiologist called and called me in clonidine as a rescue pill if my bp gets over 170/90. My regular doctors office called and gave me a lecture for not going to the er yesterday. My bp went up again. It was 120/105 then it jumped to 159/117. My medicine wasn't ready yet so I headed for home. I stopped at the pharmacy and the pharmacist told me she thought I was under too much stress. This is what happens when your pharmacist is a family friend. I went on home and slept. My uncle picked my dad and aunt up and took them out to East End. All the siblings got together with the exception of Uncle Tommy. He had another emergency with his son. My aunt sent me a picture of daddy smiling really big. I could tell he was having a good day. I was praying none of my aunts would tell him how much his apartment rent is. I headed over to the apartment around 4pm. Daddy had gotten there a little bit before me. He seemed in good spirits. My aunt had sent a ton of leftovers. Daddy wanted the beans and ham I made. Mama and I got in the leftovers. After supper I gave everyone their meds then we went outside to see the new tires on mamas car. The hubs was busy today. He took care of the recall on mamas car then went and got her new tires. He asked me if he needed a jacket which is a big step. He is thinking ahead. When we went back inside he asked me when he goes to the doctor to be released. Mama asked what he meant. I misspoke and said he wanted to be approved to drive. He said he didn't care about driving. I got the planner out and put down all their appointments. Daddy asked me if I was telling him the truth when I told him I wanted to retire at 59 1/2. I told him that was the plan unless I needed to quit working to take care of them. He seemed okay with that answer. I am saving all their bills, etc in a box hoping one day he will be well enough to want to do their finances. I talked Robbie into taking mama to the doctor Friday. I have already missed too much work this week.

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I felt better today. My bp went up and down all morning. I started feeling better after lunch. Robbie said mama and daddy went to Lowes and Walmart with her. She said daddy ate a great lunch, mama didn't. Mama called me at lunchtime confused about her doctors appt. I had written all of the doctors appointments on their calendar and planner. Mama apparently wrote in other things and got confused. She kept thinking the appointment was tomorrow. I think I got her straightened out, tried to be patient. Left work early to go to the doctor. She is changing my verapamil to a 24 hour pill to see if it helps. She knows my situation and feels it is causing my bp problem. I am sure it is but don't know what to do about it. I headed to mama and daddy's. Daddy did not seem to be doing good to me. I had to repeat everything two to three times. He took forever to answe questions. I mentioned the hubs putting his old tires on Creaigslist and he said he thought one tire was split. I thought that was a good sign that he remembered. I told him it was actually cut supposedly by gravel per the tire store. I told him the new tires really drive better. He wasn't very talkative at all. I couldn't tell if he was upset or just really tired. His sugar and bp were really good. I read the devotion to them. I can't tell if he really comprehends it or not. A little discouraged tonight but have to remember how far we have come. I think I am nervous because my daughters baby girl is due any time.

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I got up at my usual 3:45 this morning and got all the little doggies pottied and fed. I got ready for work and the hubs got up so we could spend a little time talking. I had a pretty good day at work today. My little pregnant daughter stopped by on her way to her doctors appt to show me the earrings she bought the baby. She called after the appt to let me know the due date is still 12/24, poo. I am ready for the little darling to get here. Robbie called to say daddy's hormones seemed to have kicked in today. Mi told her TMI. I got a few errands done on my way home. I picked up groceries for us and mama and daddy. I had to run by our house because our financial planner stopped by and discussed our son cashing in his whole life policy. It is still in the hubs name so he had to sign for it. I really hope this doesn't kill our income tax for this year. Mir shouldn't because the hubs is still out of work and doesn't qualify for unemployment. Smart company, they let him go 3 days before his 6 month anniversary. I next ran over to mama and daddy's. I had told them to go ahead and eat but mama said daddy won't eat without me. I warmed up supper. I think we have at least one more night of leftovers. I passed out meds and read the devotion. I asked daddy if he wanted strawberry ice cream or a ice cream cone. It took him almost 5 minutes to answer. He asked me again when his doctors appt is. I knew he meant the neurologist. I showed him where I had written it on the calendar for January 12 at 1:15. He wanted to know who he could depend on to get him there. I told him I was going to take him. He seemed okay with that. I told him it would be helpful if he would star writing in his notebook how he is feeling. I told him Robbie mentioned he said he was confused this morning. I asked him if he would write down the things that confuse him. I will continue to work on this. On my way home Intalked to one of his sisters. I'm know they all mean well but there are so critical it is working my nerves. Today it was he can't watch tv because he doesn't know how to use the remote. I'm explained we all try to turn th tv on every day multiple times a day and he continues to turn it off. Then it was he feels hemmed in just sitting in the apartment and not getting out. I explained that we all try to get him out, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Then she told me she thought he is getting depressed. he is not getting depressed, he has been depressed. Then she asked me if his Na could be low again. I told her I just had it checked 2 weeks ago and it was fine. I also had him checked for a uti. I think I just don't need to talk to the sisters as much. I know they mean well but at times it is wearing. I finally just said I am doing the best I can and let her go. I will really be glad when we get in to see the neurologist. Maybe we will get some answers.

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Today was a pretty good day. I talked to daddy this morning and he was concerned that he was "dressed like a clod" whatever that means. He described what he had on and it sounded fine to me. He wanted to be dressed nice to go with mama to the doctor. I talked to both mama and Robbie and they said daddy was having a good day. The hubs went over and ate fried fish with them. He said they were doing pretty good. Robbie took them to the doctor. They discussed mamas scholeosis. The physicians assistant told mama to start taking ibuprofen every day for pain. She also told her to get a strongervotc ibuprofen. I got to the apartment around 4. Mama took a shower. Daddy wanted to talk to people on the phone. I tried to get three different people in McCrory but no one answered. He wanted to talk to his baby sister. I fixed supper while he talked to her. He did a lot of laughing. He told her he dreamed he went to heaven and saw Granny. He told her he wanted to go see his tombstone. After he hung up, I had supper ready. I rolled mamas hair and they ate a good supper. We sat down and went over how to use the remote. I wrote down detailed directions for turning the tv on and off and changing channels. I showed both mama and daddy several times how to use the remote. We will see if they retain the knowledge. We talked about going to see the grandbaby tomorrow and church Sunday. I told them we would go to McCrory next Saturday unless the new baby is born. My aunt called very concerned about the conversation she had with daddy. She said he was reminding her of how he was before the stroke. She wanted me to talk to a doctor right away. I reminded her I have taken him to the doctor but he is not a neurologist. He does not want to do anything until daddy sees the neurologist. I told her I felt it was a good sign that daddy was acting like he was before the stroke. I felt like it was a step forward. Hopefully, I settled her down. Now I am home chilling with the hubs and dogs.

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