Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Wags, I’m happy to hear your report about your Dad, sounds ideal actually. He will definitely benefit from his PT sessions. Glad you found a good doc too, it makes all the difference.
Apparently alcohol can do quite a bit of damage to the brain, who wants that? We have so many reasons to be grateful for our quits!!

Hoping everyone else is OK & checks in soon.
Have a safe night in the nest everyone!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Kensho - yes, sad and toxic are the perfect words to describe how I felt while I was still drinking too. SO much better now, hands down!

Lav - I went to see my Dad today and his new PCP came for his first appt. She's AWESOME!!! I'm very relieved to have such a great Dr steering the ship. The care staff said he seems to be settling in and getting more comfortable, eating a bit more, participating a bit more. That sounds pretty good to me, as it hasn't even been a full week yet. His Dr is ordering some in-home physical therapy for him, where the PT will go to his memory care facility and provide him sessions where he can learn safe ways to get up/down, to use his walker more effectively, and to hopefully get a bit stronger. I think that's a great idea and will give him some additional structure and some things to do that are intended to help him have high quality of life. I couldn't be happier.


There's a woman living in my dad's new memory care facility who apparently has cognitive issues from drinking alcohol. It isn't dementia per se but it IS brain damage and presents much like dementia. If you even needed motivation to stop drinking, visit a memory care home. Aging is hard enough - why make things worse with something you can quit?

Take care everyone.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Kensho, I 100% agree!! I can’t imagine how miserable (or sick) I would be if I had continued.
Glad you’re enjoying all the nature Spring has to offer, it’s a gift from the universe really. It’s hard to stay focused when you have so much going on, I get that. Soon you’ll be off on your fabulous trip & you can leave the monkey mind home

Ns, my daughter married into a big Italian family & they surely do have some celiac issues. Everyone just basically does their own thing where food is concerned, confusing at times. Hope you’re still getting some nice spring temps.

Wags, hope all is going well with you & your Dad.

Just came inside from an abbreviated walk - too many allergens out there for me haha!
Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nest. Embarking on another busy week. I stayed awake last night with my mind swirling in 1000 directions very fast. Eventually it exhausted me I guess, and if finally stopped. I'm feeling calmer today (or more tired!), and am going to focus on one thing at a time, and not go off on any unimportant tangents.

Lovely spring here... lots of flowering trees and I got a new bird app that tells me what birds are singing what songs. We have robins, finches, doves, say's Phoebe, grackles, red-wing black birds and sparrows that were making music this morning. We see herons, pelicans, hawks, sandpipers, eaglets and eagles on our walks. Such happy creatures.

It has been enough time now since I last drank that I can only imagine what my life would have been like if I had continued. The first word that comes to me is "sad". I was sad and felt controlled and frustrated and toxic and stuck. Now my path feels open, happy and full of potential. Best decision I have ever made.

Have a good day All.

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

I sure hope your dad has evened out, Wags. It is hard to see a whole new 'personality' in a parent. My mom was always kind of tough as I was growing up (she was a kind but very practical RN) but became absolutely mushy and lovey in her later years (and sometimes evil/angry). Both were disconcerting because they were so different from how she used to be.

Kensho, they screen all kids in Italy for CD - I think around 2nd grade. So it might be that more celiacs are identified in Italy, not that the incidence is actually greater. In the nineties I used to order food from Italy b/c there was so little gluten free food available here. You should have no problem eating on your trip!

You sound busy as usual, Ava, taking care of everyone (human and furry) around you. Here's a hug from me :hug:

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Quick sober check-in for me tonight. Hope everyone is doing well!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good Sunday evening Nesters,

Waiting for a touch of rain to move through, now that I have so much planted I appreciate the rain showers

Wags, sounds like your Dad is doing OK in his new home. Can’t ask for much more at this point.
Well I remember how much teens like having some money in their pockets & if they’re willing to do a little work for it then great!! I hope I can keep him interested in coming over & giving us a hand around here.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Lav - thanks for the suggestion. I went to see my dad today but he was sleeping deeply and since he didn't respond to my voice or my hand on his lower leg, I decided he probably needed to sleep. But the care staff all said how much they like him and how sweet he is, so that's nice to hear. Great job putting your g'son to work, and great job him on making some money while helping!

Hope everyone is doing well. Catch you tomorrow!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

We had another nice day here
We convinced our 14 yr old grandson to come over & help finish up with the huge mulching job. He worked hard for a few hours & made some $$. I miss having teenagers on hand for this stuff haha!

Wags, sounds like your Dad had a good day, that’s all we can ask for at this point, right?
Ifhe seems to continue having those low days don’t be afraid to ask for a psych consult. I’ve seen psychiatrists, familiar with geriatrics manage these mood swings very well with the right meds. I know it’s hard to witness this stuff but here we are. Great on getting your work caught up too

Hello to all & hope to see a few checking in this weekend. Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Ava - sorry to hear of the frustrations and challenges with the elder care system in your country as well. Why can't these systems and services just be clear and straightforward? I realize they deal with a LOT of people but so do many large companies who manage to make things fairly simple. I hope you find your way forward as easily as possible. Glad to hear things are going well with Carl and with having the new person at work. Stand your ground on not going back to 5 days/week going into work!

Lav - infection was the first thought I had too, and I mentioned it to the med tech on duty when I was leaving. My dad's PCP is going to see him (she does house calls!) on Monday and I'm planning to be there for the appt, so I'll be sure to mention it. I couldn't go see him today because I had to catch up on all of my work, but one of the staff there gave me an update that he was in a good mood, being very witty and sweet, so maybe it was just one way he experiences/presents dementia. We'll definitely keep an eye on it and get the Dr in the loop. It's just so hard to see him experiencing such anguish or similar. :sob:


On a happier note, I got caught up on a lot of my work with students today, and also made some headway on sorting my dad's stuff into keep/donate/sell categories. There's a ton more to do but it felt good to make another dent.


Take care everyone. Hope the weekends treat you all well!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

We had a real nice day here, sunny. No rain
Wags, I’m sorry your Dad is slipping back a bit. Have his meds been changed recently or is there a possibility of a new infection starting up somewhere? Seemingly unrelated issues can cause an increase in confusion. If his confusion continues have the nurses contact his doctor or you can make a call too to report a change in his behavior. Sorry, I know this is hard. Hang in there :hug:

Ava, I guess you can call me an old granny now that the kids have gotten so old Lol
They are all different but maturing quickly, no more babies around here. Sounds like all of our healthcare systems need a total reboot - they’re all a pain in the butt & it’s sad.
Glad Carl is all healed & hopefully Bindi will settle down after her extractions, poor thing.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

morning nesters

Damn, i have been slack, i did also try and log on and couldnt so went off on my own tangent.

Wags glad your dad has moved into care but sorry to hear he is upset. Old age is not something i look forward to. I called the aged care people to try and arrange a meeting with them, they called and left a message to say her application is on hold as she did not answer 4 phone calls or an email. She is f'n DEAF which i put on the paperwork and suprisingly no email to either of us. So i called them on the number they left and it was the number to their IT department. I am not feeling good about this process already. Then they could not talk to me as i didnt fill out a form to say i could, so i downloaded that emailed it to mum and she signed the wrong bit. Give me strength and i am only up to the paperwork lol. Oh ANZAC day involves a lot of people getting pissed, after the dawn service that is!

Kensho, i hope you have a lovely holiday, I would definitely love one of those atm.

Lav, i cant believe your g-children are getting so old lol. Time flies and i am still waiting patiently! We are getting rain now so i am growing weeds and not sure what else. Everything is so expensive so anything is good.

NS, you need some raised garden beds to plant vege's in. I find for me the bending over constantly is a killer now. Hope you get through your medicare forms.

Our health system which used to be so good is atrocious now. I have to pay $80 each time to go and get $40 back but i was sick the past couple of days and found an online GP service and it cost me $25 and i was on the phone for maybe one and a half minutes. They would be making a fortune as there were 10 people waiting.

Steady, a huge belated 10 year sober birthday wishes. I was thinking to myself that i didnt think i was a year behind you but then realised it will be 10 years for me this year also.

Carl is doing great now, he has his xrays on the 19th to make sure everything is fine (just another $500+) for that and then back to life for us. Bindi has been back to the vets as she was yelping for no reason, she has 3 rotten teeth. her surgery is on the 19th also but she is driving me nuts as wont settle at night and i dont function well on little sleep. She is even on pain killers but nope not making her drowsy at all.

Still training the newbie at work, im not as frustrated now which is handy lol. I could never ever train people for a living, i would be out of a job in 5 minutes. Apparently work wants us all to go back into work 5 days a week. I told the PA i will start getting my resignation letter ready. i am not doing that.

Take care everyone xxx

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Well, we haven't hit smooth sailing yet. :sad: I went to visit my dad today to see how he was settling in, and he was in a mental space very similar to the delirium we first saw about 6 weeks ago. Maybe I just don't understand all the ways that dementia can present (or be experienced). In these periods of delirium he also gets pretty emotional (crying) and he was never an emotional guy mainly cuz it makes him very uncomfortable and he doesn't have good skills for working through difficult emotions. I don't think that's all that unique in men of his generation, especially in the U.S. but probably in a lot of cultures. He wasn't sad about being in this new place, he was sad and scared about things that weren't real but that he was sure he'd read or seen or heard in the past few days.

This is a very difficult time in my life, not gonna lie.

NS - We recently signed my wife up for Medicare and it was astonishing how complicated it was. And now, especially for more holistic care such as chiro or acupuncture, so many providers only accept certain Advantage plans and of course not all accept any single one so grrrrr.... I agree we need a total overhaul and not just Medicare but all health insurance.

Kensho - I think you'll be fine diet-wise and honestly there is a ton to see and do that doesn't involve wine, but very good idea to get in the right mindset before you go and set yourself up for success.

Lav - great to see you as always

Steady - you make it sound so pleasant to have wintry weather coming on! I hope you enjoy your cooler temps.


Take care everyone.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

No rain today, yay! Just got back from a walk with the dog, my feet aren’t too unhappy. The trick is knowing when to stop!

Wags, that’s great news & I really hope your Dad enjoys his new residence for a long time to come. You did a great job, good for you.
Hopefully now you can relax & make some plans for a short trip

Steady, good to see you. Enjoy your changing seasons.

NS, I agree, getting started on Medicare shouldn’t be such a pita. We are fortunate to have good supplemental insurance paid for by my husband’s former employer thru a contract so outof pocket expenses haven’t been bad at all. It did take time to get it all set up & working though, you’ll get there. It definitely shouldn’t be so difficult.

Kensho, I learned about the Italian celiac thing from my son-in-law. None of us are gluten free but I do like having less. I’ve been using Italian farro in place of barley, makes my tummy happier. You should do fine on your trip. I’m sure you’ll find something else to do in place of teh wine tour

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

STEADY... 10 years!?!?!? Way to go!! That's huge! Rocks! Amazing! WOW! Nuckles, high five... I really can't say enough about 10 years sober. It's a commitment to a better life, and I'm so happy for you. :heartbeat:

Wags and NS... tying up loose ends with housing and medicare - also things to celebrate! Happy nest here!

Wags, you must be so relieved. I'm really glad that your dad has not fought this process and seems relatively happy. You deserve some time for yourself now... spa? Hike? Massage in the woods? Congrats

NS, after just completing a bunch of governmental business paperwork, I can relate to your pain. It does feel like it is all much harder than it should be. I'm glad you're making your way through. We all deserve health care. The people I know who have Medicare love it.

I've been working and working and working. I've also been going to the gym, dealing with a leaky faucet, and what's nearly sending me over the top are the last things that we have to do for our trip. It's all good... just keeping me quite busy. I'm getting sleep though, and enjoying time, so fairly balanced. I asked one of our AirBNB hosts to do a private wine tour for my husband, and told him that the rest of us don't drink. I know he would enjoy pairing it with food, and I don't want to deny him that experience. But I wanted no temptation for myself. I'm going to be fine. Can't wait to enjoy the other things Italy has to offer. Did you know that Italy has one of the biggest celiac populations in the world? Evidently it should be easy to be gluten free.

Best to everyone... SO glad I don't drink.