Going to blog tonight. Tomorrow we switch to a new cable network and I can only guess the mess I will be in-LOL. So if I am MIA, you all know the reason.
I switched to a bundle package when Bruce first stroked. We had been considering it as we still had two phone lines, two computers on the extra phone line, I needed to simplify. Initial contract was $60.00 a month for computer, phone and TV-basic cable. Three years later it is $190.00/month. Ridiculous! plus we lost channels-lol.
Bruce
Bruce and I are good. Nice plateau to be on, but tough week.
On Monday, I was informed that Bruce would have to go back to the long leg brace. A set back? maybe. We tried the brace at PT's suggestion. Of course, she put it on wrong. One look at Bruce's face an I knew. Why is it always on me? We have appointment with brace man-one of Bruce's old high school students-on Friday to check for fit and adjustment.
He is currently using AFO and back to hemi. Yes, I knew there would be set backs,
I am so tired of Stroke! I went through 58 years of my life, dealing with only one family stroke, my Grandmother: Ethel -when I was a teenager. She stroked in a car coming here from upstate New York for a visit. By the time my Aunt and Uncle got to a hospital, Grandma had passed.
Flash forward to 30 years later and I become a Nurse, working in sub-acute rehab. We did not do much with stroke rehab. Connecticut has a world class Stroke-TBI hospital. We received a few of their patients, for ext
We got back to Chat this week. Been tough not talking to everyone and not having the latest info. The new names set me back a bit I must admit-don't like change much.
I have become a bit complacent, I must admit. We had a nice routine going and I had some extra "Me" time, which I was enjoying. Bruce was given some new PT, OT due to the insurance change and of course a new round of Botox and our Jen, who took him to the pool twice weekly, relocated. Cathy and Leo have picked up Jen's days, bu
It is a beautiful night. Tuesday night we had our first dusting of snow for 2012. Tonight another! I realize that no matter how difficult weather may be now, due to the stroke and mobility issues, I love living in the Northeast. We have the best of all worlds.
Right now the backyard is lit up-everyone walking and toileting their dogs before settling for the night. Makes the snowfall even more calming and pretty. Little Kira is here beside me, napping. This week has not been good for her. I d
Thank all of you so much for the birthday greetings. I had to work extra time time today and had free caregiving, so took it. I got to Chat later, but apparently there are problems. Thank you Sue, Sally, Ruth, Sarah and Julie and all here at Strokenet for the well wishes.
I have six close friends from grammar school. We try to have dinner every three months and I am the first of the group to hit the big 60. For our 50th, none of us wanted parties with the ever popular 50s toilet paper-lol, s
Glad everyone is back. So missed you all and am praying everyone is well and healthy. It will probably take us all some time to catch up and look forward to reading about your time away.
Hopefully Chat will be available soon. I noticed some got in, but everytime I clicked on rooms, was disconnected. I am sure Sue, Sally and Sarah will advise all of us.
Interesting week for us. Mary Beth is due in for a visit. Bruce has been using his couponing skills to get some stores put away for our G
Happy New Year all. I know I am a bit early, but I am hoping to be sound asleep by midnight! LOL.
Very long week and Julie gave me a great suggestion tonight-book and maybe a good movie tomorrow. Will also have to check the football games.
I am exhausted as is Bruce. Way too much party! But it is wonderful to reflect on the holiday season and be able to say we completely enjoyed it and also had time to reflect on the past 2 1/2 years since the stroke.
We had the dinner with Carl, Bru
I so had high hopes for this Christmas. We had gotten the ball rolling with Thanksgiving-small, quiet, manageable but with all the traditions.
Bruce was on board all the way! I think with the cognitive improvement and by me keeping him involved in all the prep, talking about it and planning together made all the difference.
We did the tree and indoor decorations one weekend. Then asked Carl to dinner and added in the shopping. So Friday, when I got out of work, it was home-holiday time!
Well, Bruce has had two falls this week. He is fine and I guess it just comes with getting back into therapy and getting used to movement again.
Sunday night he had to shower. Monday was an early day to therapy and he had put it off all day until bedtime. This was my fault in that coming out of the shower, he needed the toilet and I tried to help him transfer but had not dried the floor. He sat down. We were able to inch to a grip bar, but there was not enough room for him to get his left fo
Now I don't mind getting up early and I am certainly organized, but our new routine is a bit grueling.
Our heat goes on at 5am. My farmer is up and out of bed at 5:30am and it takes some doing to make him wait a half hour for the house to warm up a bit. He starts his coffee, turns on the Weather Channel and opens blinds, awaiting his newspaper and seeing the neighborhood wake up. Bruce was always a delayed awakening, liked his leisure time in the morning and was willing to get up early to al
Well, today was the day!
Three weeks ago Bruce received his Botox injections. Last November, another Insurance change and this one would not pay anything towards Botox. Bruce had decided he had had enough therapy for a while, so there was no sense in investing $2400.00 to sit in a WC. September 1 this year, he qualified for Medicare and that certainly changed a lot of things, including the enormous COBRA payment we were making. I jumped right on it. Set up appointment with Physiatrist and go
Very busy season and I wonder how that happens as we have so scaled down the holidays. But all of Bruce's followups are in December. Guess I should have thought about that earlier-lol.
Lots of discussion lately about the holiday season and the difficulties with stroke. Too much to do, having to scale back. I know Bruce has been very excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. A lot of it, I know, is my fault. I did not include him enough in the two past years as I thought he had enou
First off, I do not dumpster dive, I do not steal my neighbor's newspapers. I do have support, since a lot of my co-workers are also trying to cut costs. Our employer just cut hours of everyone, including adding a co-pay for health insurance to cover the cuts the Federal Government has made to Medicare starting October 1. So we all take our inserts, cut out our stuff and bring the rest of the circular to a community room in the facility. Jen, Cathy and Leo also cut for me out of their circulars
Busy week, as I imagine the next few before Christmas will be.
Due to a cable upgrade, we have no TV service in our bedroom for the past week or so. It is interesting and I am watching. As much as I love Bruce having a true nap without channel surfing, staying up later at night and going to bed with reading material, I can not let it go. And the new Cable box arrived tonight. Will attempt the hook up tomorrow-lol.
Bruce seems to be having trouble with some follow through. I keep daily li
Well it went splendidly! Mary Beth left a few hours ago and hopefully is pulling into her driveway at this time. Her husband and both girls left very early this morning to take Liz back to school. Dave and Melissa should just about be getting home at this time as well.
Everyone arrived on Friday afternoon. My brothers came up for some time on the deck with everyone, as they were not coming for dinner on Saturday and wanted to see the girls mostly-lol! We have had 60 degree days for the past
Bruce and I were given the true meaning of Thanksgiving today. We, of course, always give thanks for our health, our families and friends, our life together,our love.
You all know of our recent difficulties: the trees going down,the engine light continuing to go on in the truck, the electrical conduit off the house. We had agreed to a large co-pay for the Botox before all this happened, not that I would have changed my mind, but we may have delayed it a bit.
Our dear friend Carl knows al
I was thinking of posting this under Burn Out for some of the new Caregivers, but figured someone might need that spot and this is kind of discussion more than anything.
I am counseling a new stroke family at work. They are asking some of the questions we have seen here of late: how long? when this, when that? how soon? will he ever or is it gone?
So often we as stroke-affected families get so many conflicting prognoses from doctors, therapists, counselors.
I used this example from B
My sister, Mary Beth and I have had Thanksgiving dinner together for the 16 years before Stroke.
I am a Nurse and am expected to work two of the three holidays in the Fall: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Since Brittany wanted to spend Christmas with my brother, his wife (now her adoptive parents)and their son (her cousin, but also brother-there are only nine months between the kids), I chose to work Christmas and New Year's.
We did Christmas Eve with the whole family either here
I am not a housekeeper. It is not from lack of training. No one kept a cleaner house than my Mom. MaryBeth and Dawn certainly got it, and brothers Michael and Kevin, but somehow it was beyond me. Maybe because I was always in charge of the babies and their care, and MaryBeth and John had the house to tend to.
About five years before Bruce's stroke, I discovered Poker. We all did via TV and I was a Math Major in college. I remember saying to Bruce, that is Probability and Statistics, and Bruc
I had a bad time last night. A really long, hard cry and maybe it was just coming and needed to be done-get the stress out. But in bringing Leo to the bus stop, he reminded me that I had all of you.
Jen is on vacation, so Leo is filling in, but Leo does not work days or take Bruce to the pool. He is more than willing to take Bruce to work, but unless he has the day off from work and can get here at 8 am, we can't do that.
I am shuffling some major stuff: the truck is in the garage and ne
When my darling sister, Mary Beth, gets upset, that is what she says. She is taking in all the information, processing and that one phrase gets her through her thinking process.
And it sure has been a Boy Oh, Boy Oh, Boy couple of days here at Chez Sparks.
Three weeks ago engine light went on in the truck. Computer said it was either the oxygen delivery system to the Catalytic converter or the Catalytic converter. So the mechanic went with the cheapest and easiest fix, the oxygen deliver
Our darling Carl has been restoring a 1976 Triumph. He and Bruce both share the same job as Graphic Arts Estimators and have worked together for years. They share many other loves, including that of cars.
Bruce has helped Carl through some difficult personal problems several years back and when Bruce stroked, I called him. He and Bruce had been having dinner together once a week for a long time. Carl came every Friday night to the Rehab. When Bruce saw him, he would start folding paper-a mus
How is that a way to go out-lol? Except woke Bruce up out of a sound sleep, totally scared and Kira is meowing in the kitchen. I am trying to breathe and talk Bruce down and comfort her and all the while I am hysterical laughing thinking no one will ever believe this one.
We have had a crazy two weeks. The engine light in the truck keeps going on. Oxygen delivery system to the catalytic converter and now probably the catalytic converter. Bruce has no trouble getting in and out of my Honda. B
This isn't for everyone and it was costly; but if you have a friend or family member who is offering help; this may be something you could consider.
Bruce and I had a small Cape, but it is on an acre of land. This was a farm community and after WWII, farm was subdivided into rather large lots. In my home town, subdivision post War was as little as 1/4 acre plots, but not so here in North Haven. Milford was up and growing as a city faster in its relationship to Bridgeport and New Haven, its s
