OK, Time to Regroup

Yesterday I reported that the lady we hired to do some of the housework seemed to be working out well. She is very nice, did a good job, and was flexible. But last evening she called and told me that the extra work on the other side of town was not working out for her. All her other jobs are close to where she lives. What can I say? We will have to start all over.

The other person I know who does cleaning on a private basis had a critical medical condition surface with a family member yesterday. She will be spending all her down time at the hospital for the next few weeks. So where do I turn? I will figure it out.

More Updates

This week has brought several small changes to my life. On Monday Richard & I both had roughtine Dr. visits. We got the results of lab work and Richard had x-rays done on his wrist. He had jammed it some time ago and it still really bothers him. No breaks, but he does have advanced arthritis and the wrist had been sprained. Richard may also have a thyroid problem.

My level of vitamin D is extremely low and may account for my osteoporosis. I have been taking medication for this for about 4 years, but it may not be working. So I have another Rx. Massive amounts of D designed to kick start calcium absorbtion. Other than that I am healthy.

Tuesday our cleaning lady started. She has a great attitude and does a good job. What a blessing she is. There are some things that we can do, but some are not doable right now. This arrangement is short term, but really nice.

Just A Trim

Richard has a lot of hair & it was starting to look pretty shaggy. Well, let'd face it, it has looked shaggy for some time. He last had his hair cut in mid-April while we were in Germany. The problem is that I am his barber. In fact, I have cut his hair for the better part of 40 years. So my inability to do anything that requires sitting straight up or standing (on one foot) for more than a few minutes merely postponed the task, not cancel it. That is why today I took it on. My stamina is not great, so it actually took two tries. After about 4 or 5 minutes of trimming I began to get a bit shakey and had to stop. Then a couple hours later I was able to finish it up. Probably not my best job, but certainly an improvement. Happy Father's Day honey.

Still more helps

Today there has been an increase in the amount of help we have/are receiving. This morning we hired a lady to come in twice a week to perform some of the household chores such as cleaning the bathroom, wiping up kitchen counters, doing some dusting, and mopping floors. She will start next Tuesday and we will see how things go. Amy suggested this & she & Rick will cover the cost. Shelley comes over on Fridays. She usually takes out the trash and changes my bedding. Dianna does the laundry & runs errands. All our kids have stepped up to help us through this trial. We can not express our gratitude too much.

This afternoon, a volunteer came to install grab bars in the bathroom to help us in & out of the showerr / tub and adjacent to the toilet. This is a safety factor and will make transitions a lot easier. There are sure a lot of great volunteer organizations and services in our area.

Spring Fever

I had a hard time both getting to sleep last night and rolling out of bed this morning. Just why I am so tired is not clear, but probably has something to do with most of my energy going into the healing process. Then too, many plants are in bloom and I may be having a reaction to all the pollen in the air. Whatever, I feel somewhat lathargic, like I could go right back to bed. When I was a kid, they called it spring fever.

Richard is also tired and a bit uncoordinated today. He had just cooked breakfast, reached up to get the salt shaker and knocked down a new bottle of olive oil. It hit the stove, broke, and spattered oil and glass all over everything. Not only did it take a great deal of clean up, but he had to cook breakfast all over again. It is just one of those days.

Just so I don't forget...Happy Father's day Dad!

When God Created Fathers
by Erma Bombeck

When the good Lord was creating fathers He started with a tall frame.
And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If You're going to make children so close to the ground, why have You put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."
And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, whom would children have to look up to?"
And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy.
And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You know what You're doing?" Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on ponytails or even remove splinters caused
by baseball bats."
And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day ... yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands."
And then God molded long slim legs and broad shoulders.
And the angel nearby had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked, " Do You realize You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?"
And God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."
God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?"
And God smiled and said. "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to 'ride a horse to Banbury Cross,' or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."
God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm, authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant.
Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the Angel and said, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?"
The angel shuteth up.

...Love, Amy

We are so thankful

A long weekend has come to an end. On Saturday afternoon we had 2 daughters (Shelley & Dianna) and their husbands (Eric & Paul) working along side Richard on the front yard and driveway. Shelley cleaned the refrigerator. Later in the day our son Rick arrived with 3 of our grandsons (Chris, Gary, & Preston) to help both with the yard and with unloading a lot of garbage at the dump. They all did a great job, one much needed.

On Sunday Dianna & Paul, Rick & the boys all did additional work on the yard and Rick did a fair amount of housework. He cleaned the rest of the kitchen mopped the floors in the living & dining rooms, and in the hallway.

Monday the boys did some additional yard work, moving a pile of sod and watering. Rick helped with this and also assembled a new bath bench for me. He has indicated that he will be spending more weekends here this summer in order to accomplish several major chores for us. We are indeed blessed to have such thoughtful kids. Their efforts are much appreciated.

Work Day

Today is supposed to be a work day here. Rick and his boys are comming down from Washington, Shelley and Eric are comming over, and Paul is supposed to be home for a couple days. Wouldn't you know it, it is raining. There is so much that needs to be done. The house and yard have both been neglected since my accident. The weeds are shoulder high in some areas and my floors have seen better days. I hope some of this will be corrected despite the weather. There is no way we can make any inroads without help.

Amy has offered topay for a housekeeper a few hours a week for about a month. This will really help, but having the house in order to start with will be a real bonus. She won't need to start out in the negetive.

Richard did manage to do a bit of shopping yesterday. He went to Winco and used an electric cart to shop, then used his wheelchair to bring the groceries into the house via the ramp. This really wiped him out. It seems like even simple activities take a real toll on either of us. I can use a walker (with a seat) to get myself to the bathroom. But it is exhausting. My blood pressure seems to jump a good 10 points and takes a good half hour to drop back to normal. This has been documented by the home health aid on several occaions. Getting well is really hard work.

My latest visit to the Dr.

I had a Dr. appointment this morning. My x-rays indicate that there has been no movement of bone. This is good. It confirms that I won't require surgery to hold it in place as it heals. The Mhealing process has just barely begun. So my next orthpedic appointment is going to be August 6. In the mean time, absolutely no weight bearing, but I can bend my knee. I can already manage up to about 55 degrees before it becomes too painful (I am not to push it). The goal is 90 degrees by August. Then maybe I can start to apply weight. I am still looking at replacement surgery 3 months later. My energy level is very low. Just getting myself to the bathroom wears me out. Going anywhere is exhausting. All my energy is going into the healing process. I am thankful for all those who have stepped up to help. Even though I get a little down sitting here looking at my warehouse of a living space and wondering if it will ever be where Ican do something about it, I know that time will eventually come.

I sit here in the living room, laptop on my my lap. I have so may frustrations, yet so many people have and continue to contribute to my/our well being. Richard is taking good care of me to the best of his ability, but dependence on others does not set easy on my shoulders. It is both frustrating and humbling. Add to that the fact that neither of us has the capability of carrying anything with bulk, we are more or less dependent on the willingness of others to accomplish such things as laundry, taking out trash, and moving things from one location to anotherIt does not help that some of our family has been insensitive, pushing for us to make major changes in our lives at a time when we are under so much stress and we are beginning to feel "kept"/ dependant on the whim of others for so many things. It is a fact of life in this day and age that calendars are more often than not filled to overflowing. So adding on time to spend with us is a strain and often leads to misunderstandings and a feeling of being "put upon".

In former times, it was common to have several generations living together and each generation doing what they were capable of/ taking care of one another. This is no longer the case and I don't think modern arrangements are necessarily wrong, but it sure would be easier. Yes, Dianna lives with us, but she works and is worn out when she gets home. Shelley is at home most of the time, but she has so much on her plate that we rarely see her. Do we complain, yes. Do we none the less understand, yes. Are we frustrated, yes we are. Please forgive us if we are short or complain. We will get through this trial. We are far from perfect.

It has been almost a week since mylast post. Time is still passing very slowly, but it is passing. I still am limited to a small part of the house. I can go between the guest room, bathroom, and living room. Dianna set up Paul's old laptop for me which at least gives me access to the outside world.

Today is our 51 st anniversary and Dianna's birthday. She is spending the day with a girlfriend. She really deserves a day to enjoy herself. Happy Birthday honey.

Richard is fixing short ribs for us today. It will be the first real meat we have had in a couple weeks. Shelley gave us a basket of goodies and we also received a basket from one of Rick's friends. We are grateful for all the rememberances.

I see the Dr again this week. Hope all is progressing well. I will let you know.