Zanne, sorry to hear about your mom. There's a point coming in all of our lives when we are going to need assistance of some kind or another. I know because I am rapidly approaching that point.
What did you do today?
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Mitchell-DIY-Guy
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Yes, it was very rough. The roof was beyond repair and completely had to be replaced. Garage doors were totally rotted and delaminating, they had to be replaced. The front steps were wood, and in the same condition. Lots of things like that inside the house as well, though the plumbing didn’t offer any leaks, everything in the house was dated. One of the concepts of this show is that you can’t easily sell a dated home for a good price, and the market now is full of people who want the house done; they don’t want a project. So these real estate agents come in, update the home to modern standards fix the things that are broken and then list the house much higher than it was originally listed for, but not selling. Usually this involves completely gutting the kitchens and baths, usually expanding the kitchens, and frequently removing some walls for an open concept. They didn’t do as much at Terry Love’s home, because the exterior work and some of the interior work was very extensive and costly.
Turns out it was a UTI and diabetic ketoacidosis. We got her to the hospital and they are transferring her to another one with an ICU (local one doesn't have one). I wasn't allowed to go with her to the ICU so I'm back home resting. Got home after midnight and need to get some sleep.
The falling and stuff wasn't bc of age, it was the DKA.
The falling and stuff wasn't bc of age, it was the DKA.
Thoughts and prayers to your mom and your family. My issues are age-related and I wobble like a Weeble and sometimes I do fall down.
Thanks, Blueskyhigh. Getting older sucks. I find I'm more wobbly now. My friend (the one who helped get Mom to the hospital) didn't realize how much older I am than him. LOL. He thought it was less than 10yrs but its more than 10yrs. He really came through. He got a wheelchair from a co-worker & brought it over. We cleaned it up-- it had been sitting on the person's porch for years and no one was using it. He had to move some furniture to clear a path for the wheelchair and he and my brother got her down the steps and into the truck. They showed up at the ER to help get her out of the truck too. After sitting a few hours in the ER I took my brother home bc they only allowed one visitor. Came back and she was even more confused than before. I guess her sugar kept going up or something.
The ICU only has small windows for visitors but my brother and I will go there at the 1 to 1:30 window. Takes about an hour to get there and I'm trying to figure out the best route. No direct route. Options are to take a hilly, bumpy twisty back road with slow mph and lots of blind curves or to route around through Oberlin or go even farther south to Kinder and then head east.
I'm about to get up and clean up her bed a bit and try to get the bad smell out of the room. Will need to take bathroom trash out. If she didn't have so much stuff piled up on her bed I'd change her sheets. Gonna work with her on getting that stuff in bins and off the bed. But if I touch stuff without her permission she'll flip out on me.
The ICU only has small windows for visitors but my brother and I will go there at the 1 to 1:30 window. Takes about an hour to get there and I'm trying to figure out the best route. No direct route. Options are to take a hilly, bumpy twisty back road with slow mph and lots of blind curves or to route around through Oberlin or go even farther south to Kinder and then head east.
I'm about to get up and clean up her bed a bit and try to get the bad smell out of the room. Will need to take bathroom trash out. If she didn't have so much stuff piled up on her bed I'd change her sheets. Gonna work with her on getting that stuff in bins and off the bed. But if I touch stuff without her permission she'll flip out on me.
I hope all works out well for your mom Z.
Thanks.
The hospital called while we were driving up there & asked about her meds. Gave them the # for our doctor to get the full list of what she takes. Her bp was still high and sugar was over 200. She was lucid at least. Still not feeling great. I explained to the nurse what happened and how she normally takes her meds and insulin regularly but that having Covid threw her off because she was sleeping and feeling sick instead of eating and forgot to take some of her meds and then got nauseous and threw meds up & how she thought her sugar was low bc she hadn't kept stuff down so she drank mountain dew and that put her sugar way too high.
They had her on IV drip with potassium & insulin. They gave me some socks to put on her (she said her feet were cold) and got a wedge pillow to prop her feet up to make her more comfortable. She threw up as we were leaving but hopefully she'll improve. They let us stay an hour past normal visiting hours.
It was pouring rain on the way home and the sky was rather dark. My brother wanted to go back tonight but no way am I driving on those roads in the dark. My nightvision sucks.
We'll talk to our doctor tomorrow and see if he can find a way to get her prescribed a Dexcom G6. May talk to the pharmacist about it too. He's a really nice guy who goes above and beyond to help patients/customers.
The hospital called while we were driving up there & asked about her meds. Gave them the # for our doctor to get the full list of what she takes. Her bp was still high and sugar was over 200. She was lucid at least. Still not feeling great. I explained to the nurse what happened and how she normally takes her meds and insulin regularly but that having Covid threw her off because she was sleeping and feeling sick instead of eating and forgot to take some of her meds and then got nauseous and threw meds up & how she thought her sugar was low bc she hadn't kept stuff down so she drank mountain dew and that put her sugar way too high.
They had her on IV drip with potassium & insulin. They gave me some socks to put on her (she said her feet were cold) and got a wedge pillow to prop her feet up to make her more comfortable. She threw up as we were leaving but hopefully she'll improve. They let us stay an hour past normal visiting hours.
It was pouring rain on the way home and the sky was rather dark. My brother wanted to go back tonight but no way am I driving on those roads in the dark. My nightvision sucks.
We'll talk to our doctor tomorrow and see if he can find a way to get her prescribed a Dexcom G6. May talk to the pharmacist about it too. He's a really nice guy who goes above and beyond to help patients/customers.
Glade to hear that is seems your mom is on the mend.
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Watched this episode tonight. I’m really surprised Terry let his house get so run down. There were quite a few things that could have easily been fixed up like the paint (inside and out) and the garage doors.
It was probably just a rental house that he owned, but I didn’t watch the show.
Mitchell-DIY-Guy
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That could be true, but that’s really not what they alluded to on the show. His son and daughter had indicated he had always planned on doing some of these renovations, but just never got around to it.
While there is nothing that says every home you own must be kept up to the latest and current standards, when you do go to sell, and it’s dated in appearance and dated in modern safety things such as electrical, you will probably get only a percentage of the value and have a hard time selling it. That’s the entire premise of the show— at least as it pertains to the Pacific Northwest where the show is located. More specifically in and around Snohomish, Washington. Other parts of the country may have a much higher tolerance for fixer-uppers, as well as dated interiors, etc.
While there is nothing that says every home you own must be kept up to the latest and current standards, when you do go to sell, and it’s dated in appearance and dated in modern safety things such as electrical, you will probably get only a percentage of the value and have a hard time selling it. That’s the entire premise of the show— at least as it pertains to the Pacific Northwest where the show is located. More specifically in and around Snohomish, Washington. Other parts of the country may have a much higher tolerance for fixer-uppers, as well as dated interiors, etc.
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Talked to the doctor and he said my brother and I are doing better. I lost 1lb since the last visit. I was feeling nauseous and the doctor was concerned. I said it was something I ate but he was still worried it might be a gall bladder issue but he knows I can't get any tests without insurance so he suggested that since I'm mom's caregiver she can start paying me $50 a week and put that as my income and I should qualify. Not sure how filing taxes would work. Can it still list that she pays me that and have her keep me as a dependent? Would I have to file separately?
Anyways, he wants me to get insurance so I can get some tests run and get my meds paid for and stuff.
He also said Mom should qualify for the Dexcom G7 to be covered by insurance in light of the dka incident and past hypoglycemic events. He said he will write that she needs constant monitoring.
Went to visit Mom after the doctor appointment and they said she has a large kidney stone. Said it blocked her up enough to make urine stagnate which gave her a UTI and that + the stone raised her BP and messed her sugars up so it sent her into dka.
Today she had a procedure to try to remove the stone. They put a stent in but it was too large to go through so they moved it out of the way and will have a specialist come in to break it up with a laser on Wednesday (that's the earliest the laser specialist is available). Once it is broken up they should be able to remove it or have it pass through the stent.
She still can't keep any food down though.
They took the catheter out to do the stent and she's wary of trying to get to the toilet. It is not ADA height and there are no grab bars for it. I'll post pics in the pictures thread. She doesn't like the bedpans and wants a portable commode.
At least she was able to transfer herself from a recliner to the bed by without help yesterday. But she's still feeling tired and is hungry but can't keep any food down. They gave her something to eat and she instantly threw up. So, feeding her when she gets back is going to suck. I bought some chicken broth for her. Will also get some sugar free flavorless pedialyte.
Went to a chinese buffet after the visit. They have good food there. Tried the honey chicken today. They let you fill your own drinks and have a soda machine. I got water with a slice of lemon. The lemon gets rid of the tap water taste and citrus is good to prevent kidney stones. I get them sometimes.
Went straight home after that. Napped, and then went to Walmart to grab some stuff. It was so foggy and dark on the way home I missed my road. Had to turn on gps to figure out where I was and backed up (no place to turn around) until I got back to my road. Mom's dog, Fippy is really missing her. He keeps looking for her and doesn't understand why she's not here. He's going to be ecstatic when she gets home. He's been sleeping on my bed the whole time.
Tomorrow after we visit Mom, I'm going to see if my friend can come help clear up some stuff and help me change the sheets on her bed and put on a waterproof mattress pad. It's his day off so I hope he won't mind helping with that. Want to get it ready for when she gets home. My brother never helps with stuff like that and he has to go to work after we get back from visiting. We won't be able to stop to eat since we'll have to get straight back so he can leave in time. At least his supervisor has been good about things. She's the one who provided the wheelchair & said we could keep it. She also called someone to take my brother's shift the other day and the person had said she was already planning to volunteer. He's got good co-workers for the most part.
Gravy Jones is clinging to me right now but I have to get up to pee. LOL.
Anyways, he wants me to get insurance so I can get some tests run and get my meds paid for and stuff.
He also said Mom should qualify for the Dexcom G7 to be covered by insurance in light of the dka incident and past hypoglycemic events. He said he will write that she needs constant monitoring.
Went to visit Mom after the doctor appointment and they said she has a large kidney stone. Said it blocked her up enough to make urine stagnate which gave her a UTI and that + the stone raised her BP and messed her sugars up so it sent her into dka.
Today she had a procedure to try to remove the stone. They put a stent in but it was too large to go through so they moved it out of the way and will have a specialist come in to break it up with a laser on Wednesday (that's the earliest the laser specialist is available). Once it is broken up they should be able to remove it or have it pass through the stent.
She still can't keep any food down though.
They took the catheter out to do the stent and she's wary of trying to get to the toilet. It is not ADA height and there are no grab bars for it. I'll post pics in the pictures thread. She doesn't like the bedpans and wants a portable commode.
At least she was able to transfer herself from a recliner to the bed by without help yesterday. But she's still feeling tired and is hungry but can't keep any food down. They gave her something to eat and she instantly threw up. So, feeding her when she gets back is going to suck. I bought some chicken broth for her. Will also get some sugar free flavorless pedialyte.
Went to a chinese buffet after the visit. They have good food there. Tried the honey chicken today. They let you fill your own drinks and have a soda machine. I got water with a slice of lemon. The lemon gets rid of the tap water taste and citrus is good to prevent kidney stones. I get them sometimes.
Went straight home after that. Napped, and then went to Walmart to grab some stuff. It was so foggy and dark on the way home I missed my road. Had to turn on gps to figure out where I was and backed up (no place to turn around) until I got back to my road. Mom's dog, Fippy is really missing her. He keeps looking for her and doesn't understand why she's not here. He's going to be ecstatic when she gets home. He's been sleeping on my bed the whole time.
Tomorrow after we visit Mom, I'm going to see if my friend can come help clear up some stuff and help me change the sheets on her bed and put on a waterproof mattress pad. It's his day off so I hope he won't mind helping with that. Want to get it ready for when she gets home. My brother never helps with stuff like that and he has to go to work after we get back from visiting. We won't be able to stop to eat since we'll have to get straight back so he can leave in time. At least his supervisor has been good about things. She's the one who provided the wheelchair & said we could keep it. She also called someone to take my brother's shift the other day and the person had said she was already planning to volunteer. He's got good co-workers for the most part.
Gravy Jones is clinging to me right now but I have to get up to pee. LOL.
Interesting. I've never heard of using a laser to break up a kidney stone. I have heard of using ultrasonics or Shock Wave Lithotripsy to break them up small enough to allow them to pass. Keep us posted!
As my dad aged, his doctor told him to start drinking warm lemon water at night because of what Z was saying. I have fallen into this habit, and after 6PM, I get a 6 ounce glass of water, squirt a bit of lemon juice in the cup, and microwave it for a minute. It is warm, and I sip until I go to bed. This also limits my intake of water, so I don't need to get up to go pee at night. Makes for a restful night's sleep.
Blueskyhigh, I'd never heard of it before either. Back in Guam they had some sort of machine that used soundwaves to break up kidney stones. I remember my dad was scheduled to have it used on him but when they were transporting the machine, someone dropped it and it broke & it took weeks to get a new one. By that time the stone had moved behind the bone where they couldn't use it. The doctor also pushed the stone back into his kidney and made things worse. It wasn't out of the way and he was bleeding out the stent. Did I mention they did not use anesthetic? I wanted to punch that doctor. For mom they used anesthetic and moved it to a safe spot.
Havasu, I might try the lemon water thing. I've been drinking lemonade, but I need to find a sugar free kind. I *hate* when I get comfortable and am about to fall asleep and I have to get up to pee. My pets hate it too because I have to move them out of my way.
My brother had to be at work early today so I went by myself. Brought a bunch of stuff for her-- cpap machine, tp, shea butter wet wipes, toothbrush travel kit + her favorite toothpick, new hairbrush, new sleeping cap, new socks, etc. Last 3 she didn't like so I'm regifting some and returning others. She really likes the sleeping cap I got for myself that I gave her. Got her some hair clips to hold it on better so it doesn't slip. Also got her a bottle of spring water because she hates the water at the hospital. When I showed her the tp she said "Yay!" because the tp there sucks. They got her to walk, she ate grits, & her bp was down. The nurse told me she had labile hypertension (fluctuates from high to low at abnormal frequency). Oh, fed the cows sweet feed. Kwai-ying was ecstatic.
Grabbed a triple burger from Dairy Queen (was hoping they would have the mushroom swiss but they didn't), picked up mail, got my RX, grabbed groceries, dropped some rotisserie chicken at my friend's house, came home, unloaded stuff, fed kitties & dogs, dissected rotisserie chicken, and did a little cleaning.
Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my friend after I visit Mom. He's going to help me clean up more so she can have a clear path to her bed and so we can change the sheets. His daughter was sick today so he couldn't come over.
Havasu, I might try the lemon water thing. I've been drinking lemonade, but I need to find a sugar free kind. I *hate* when I get comfortable and am about to fall asleep and I have to get up to pee. My pets hate it too because I have to move them out of my way.
My brother had to be at work early today so I went by myself. Brought a bunch of stuff for her-- cpap machine, tp, shea butter wet wipes, toothbrush travel kit + her favorite toothpick, new hairbrush, new sleeping cap, new socks, etc. Last 3 she didn't like so I'm regifting some and returning others. She really likes the sleeping cap I got for myself that I gave her. Got her some hair clips to hold it on better so it doesn't slip. Also got her a bottle of spring water because she hates the water at the hospital. When I showed her the tp she said "Yay!" because the tp there sucks. They got her to walk, she ate grits, & her bp was down. The nurse told me she had labile hypertension (fluctuates from high to low at abnormal frequency). Oh, fed the cows sweet feed. Kwai-ying was ecstatic.
Grabbed a triple burger from Dairy Queen (was hoping they would have the mushroom swiss but they didn't), picked up mail, got my RX, grabbed groceries, dropped some rotisserie chicken at my friend's house, came home, unloaded stuff, fed kitties & dogs, dissected rotisserie chicken, and did a little cleaning.
Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my friend after I visit Mom. He's going to help me clean up more so she can have a clear path to her bed and so we can change the sheets. His daughter was sick today so he couldn't come over.
@Zanne, I have a relatively new ResMed CPAP machine that I no longer use. I traded it in for a mouth guard device that jut's my lower jaw forward just enough to stop the snoring. I tried all sorts of "plumbing" equipment from the machine to my face including the devices that look like the creature that popped out of the egg in the movie "Alien" and little nose pillows that only cover your nose and leave your mouth clear. None of them worked acceptably for me. By the way, is a prescription necessary for purchase of a CPAP machine or just "coin of the realm"?
And regarding the medical staff not using local anesthesia on your dad harkens me back to tails (tales?) my wife tells me about what happened in the former Soviet Union and/or the medicine practiced during the Spanish Inquisition. Glad they treated your mom better!
And regarding the medical staff not using local anesthesia on your dad harkens me back to tails (tales?) my wife tells me about what happened in the former Soviet Union and/or the medicine practiced during the Spanish Inquisition. Glad they treated your mom better!
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I have to chip in here about the no anathesesia ... not exactly the same, but when I was small (maybe 5 years old) our dog took a bite out of my lip. They took me to the Dr where I got 6 or 8 stitches, but no numbing, they just held me down and sewed up my lip. I'll never forget it. It's just terrible for people if they don't get numbed up in some way before a procedure.
Unless you want to pay out the wazoo for a CPAP you need a prescription. Having a sleep study done is usually necessary so they can determine what sort you need, what pressure you need, etc. My brother needs one but he can't find a sleep study place that takes his insurance. The study itself is over $1k and the machines are pretty expensive too.
When I was little I fell and hit my head on the corner of the coffee table. Cut over my eyelid/top of my eyelid. They didn't use anesthetic when they stitched it.
Got woken up before 7am by the hospital calling to say Mom is being moved out of ICU into a regular hospital room. I'll have to find out visiting hours but I need more sleep. Didn't get 8 hrs of sleep yet. Passed the info along to my sister and to Mom's oldest sister.
Now its time to get some shut eye until the cats stomp on my head.
When I was little I fell and hit my head on the corner of the coffee table. Cut over my eyelid/top of my eyelid. They didn't use anesthetic when they stitched it.
Got woken up before 7am by the hospital calling to say Mom is being moved out of ICU into a regular hospital room. I'll have to find out visiting hours but I need more sleep. Didn't get 8 hrs of sleep yet. Passed the info along to my sister and to Mom's oldest sister.
Now its time to get some shut eye until the cats stomp on my head.
Cleaned my toilet, swept hallway, swept kitchen, took out trash, went to visit mom (along with my brother), stopped to eat, picked my friend up from his house and got him food, brought him to my house to help clean up Mom's room enough that we could change her sheets. Got new mattress cover (waterproof), sheets, pillow cases, and blankets put on. Got stuff put in bins, laundry in laundry bags, trash in trash bags (filled at least two 55gallon ones). Even put up new curtains. Hoping she'll be happy with it. Organized the bathroom a little but still need to deep clean and organize better. Also need to clean the toilet in there, but that will take a lot of effort & my back waved the white flag.
Tomorrow (or even later tonight if the naprosyn kicks in) I need to clean the hallway carpet. In the morning I'll take out more trash and empty boxes. Too dark to see as lights don't work in the front room we have to go through to take trash out.
Landline stopped working. Nothing but buzzing tone on the line and no dial tone. TV is not responding to the Dish remote and won't turn off. Need to find the Hisense remote or reprogram the Dish remote. Or maybe get a new one because its old and worn out.
Tomorrow (or even later tonight if the naprosyn kicks in) I need to clean the hallway carpet. In the morning I'll take out more trash and empty boxes. Too dark to see as lights don't work in the front room we have to go through to take trash out.
Landline stopped working. Nothing but buzzing tone on the line and no dial tone. TV is not responding to the Dish remote and won't turn off. Need to find the Hisense remote or reprogram the Dish remote. Or maybe get a new one because its old and worn out.
