This is the letter we composed this morning. Jim is so good at this
I am writing this on behalf of my father, Stanley A. Lang.
On Tuesday March 8, I accompanied my father on an appointment with his primary care physician, Dr. George Isaac. My father is currently being evaluated for Alzheimer's. We felt that Dr. Isaac's behavior towards my father and me was rude and disrespectful. When we tried to talk to him, he would interrupt us and raise his voice while telling us "you must listen to me." Since my father has Alzheimer's he doesn't always grasp what is being said to him immediately and he has a tendency to ramble. Dr. Isaac lost his patience several times during his visit and wouldn't listen to my father or me when we tried to explain what was going on with my father's health. He then tried to cut the visit short even though I had produced a written list of other concerns that needed addressing.
My father needs cataract surgery, but in order to receive it, Dr. Isaac said that he can't have any other conditions, such as his high blood pressure. Yet even though his blood pressure was high, all Dr. Isaac did to try to lower it was increase the dosage of his prostate medicine. My brother-in-law is a physician, and he said that increasing the dosage of his prostate medicine really isn't going to be sufficient to bring his blood pressure down. We feel that Dr. Isaac should have prescribed something that would be more effective at lowering my father's blood pressure, so that his vision can be restored.
I have never had an experience with a doctor that was as bad as this one. It seems inexcusable to us for Dr. Isaac to be so dismissive and short-tempered with an Alzheimer's patient. My father and I have discussed this at length, and we both feel that he needs to be assigned to a new primary care physician.
Thank you,
- Donita Smith
Showing posts with label Alzheimer's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alzheimer's. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
Property taxes
This morning Dad got a cold call from a real estate agent. This guy had been snooping around the county records and found that Dad hadn't paid his property taxes last December. Dad talked to him for a while and then called me. Jim and I think this guy is probably preying on the elderly. I got his phone number from Dad and called him and left a message on his machine. I haven't heard back from him yet. If he calls Dad again he's going to tell the guy he needs to talk to me.
But the good thing is, he gave us a heads up about the property taxes. Dad and I went downtown and got everything caught up. We need to make sure we watch the mail for stuff like that.
We had some time left on the parking meter so I suggested we take a walk. I'm trying to get some exercise in whenever we get the chance. We walked around a couple of the big blocks downtown. I was watching Dad's steps and warning him about the curbs. I also reminded him to pick up his feet and allow his arms to swing at his sides. At one point there was a construction sign lashed to a sawhorse in the middle of the sidewalk. He moved to avoid it but ended up falling on it. I tried to hang on to him while we danced around on the sidewalk and ended up with him clutching the sign and me holding him up from behind. I'm wondering if a cane would be a good idea.
After that we went to lunch and then to the grocery store. He said he wanted to go get a haircut but I was ready to go home. He said he'd deal with it later. Drew's truck was still here and Dad had the key. Later in the day Drew showed up with Dad's car. He wanted to get his truck back but Dad had taken it to go get his haircut. Dad hadn't told me that he was going to take Drew's truck and I didn't know that he had left. I'm thinking that Dad didn't really have Drew's permission to drive his truck and that Drew might be a little miffed. I guess I'll find out later.
Monday we have an appointment with a different doctor. A non VA doctor. Drew and Mindy set this appointment up. This guy was Mindy's dad's doc and they say he's really good. We were going to wait until after the VA appointment but since they were able to get him in we decided to take it. I'm looking forward to this one.
But the good thing is, he gave us a heads up about the property taxes. Dad and I went downtown and got everything caught up. We need to make sure we watch the mail for stuff like that.
We had some time left on the parking meter so I suggested we take a walk. I'm trying to get some exercise in whenever we get the chance. We walked around a couple of the big blocks downtown. I was watching Dad's steps and warning him about the curbs. I also reminded him to pick up his feet and allow his arms to swing at his sides. At one point there was a construction sign lashed to a sawhorse in the middle of the sidewalk. He moved to avoid it but ended up falling on it. I tried to hang on to him while we danced around on the sidewalk and ended up with him clutching the sign and me holding him up from behind. I'm wondering if a cane would be a good idea.
After that we went to lunch and then to the grocery store. He said he wanted to go get a haircut but I was ready to go home. He said he'd deal with it later. Drew's truck was still here and Dad had the key. Later in the day Drew showed up with Dad's car. He wanted to get his truck back but Dad had taken it to go get his haircut. Dad hadn't told me that he was going to take Drew's truck and I didn't know that he had left. I'm thinking that Dad didn't really have Drew's permission to drive his truck and that Drew might be a little miffed. I guess I'll find out later.
Monday we have an appointment with a different doctor. A non VA doctor. Drew and Mindy set this appointment up. This guy was Mindy's dad's doc and they say he's really good. We were going to wait until after the VA appointment but since they were able to get him in we decided to take it. I'm looking forward to this one.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Ah... But don't breathe too deeply in Dad's house.
The citrus trees are blooming. Man, it smells great around here!
Paige got her braces off today! She be happy. Her teeth look great! Well, they'd better, after spending $3500.
Today Debbie and I snooped around Dad's house and gathered up as much as we could find of all the chemicals he's got stashed around there. Debbie and Bob have done a LOT in Dad's house this week. Bob's been doing repairs and today he changed the deadbolts so the house won't be a death trap. Debbie's been cleaning and organizing and getting the poisons out of the house.
That has been one thing that's been driving us all nuts. Dad has herbicides, pesticides, motor oil, fertilizers and other scary chemicals stashed around the house in all kinds of TOTALLY inappropriate places. He's got them in his dresser drawers, in his file cabinets, plant food in with his dishes, a big bottle of bleach in his bedroom closet, stuff mixed up in spray bottles and icky chemicals in containers that were originally intended for food.
They've got everything set on shelves in Dad's downstairs closet. At least now it's not in his living space.
Debbie and I also had a real good talk about some of our personal history. Dad and Bob had gone to the store so we had a lot of time alone. Good stuff, very productive. Juicy bits!
Later I drove Drew's truck and took them on a Riverside nostalgia tour. We cruised around downtown, the Mission Inn, Fairmount Park, Redwood ave., Mt. Rubidoux and finished up with the old neighborhood. When we got home Carlos came walking up with some creepy guy. Carlos and Rosa had been working in the field and stumbled across him. Scared Rosa to death. Carlos was questioning him when we drove up. He said he had done some work here some years back but he didn't know Dad. Something was way off about this guy. Carlos said the guy had been talking to himself. We all talked to him for a while and followed him down the driveway to make sure he left. Bob, Debbie and Dad got in the truck and drove up Central towards the airport to see where he went. They saw him sitting by the road, drinking. They called the cops but he was gone by the time they showed up.
So, was he like, camping in the Christmas trees? What was the nut job doing up there at dusk?
I reeeally hope he stays away.
Paige got her braces off today! She be happy. Her teeth look great! Well, they'd better, after spending $3500.
Today Debbie and I snooped around Dad's house and gathered up as much as we could find of all the chemicals he's got stashed around there. Debbie and Bob have done a LOT in Dad's house this week. Bob's been doing repairs and today he changed the deadbolts so the house won't be a death trap. Debbie's been cleaning and organizing and getting the poisons out of the house.
That has been one thing that's been driving us all nuts. Dad has herbicides, pesticides, motor oil, fertilizers and other scary chemicals stashed around the house in all kinds of TOTALLY inappropriate places. He's got them in his dresser drawers, in his file cabinets, plant food in with his dishes, a big bottle of bleach in his bedroom closet, stuff mixed up in spray bottles and icky chemicals in containers that were originally intended for food.
They've got everything set on shelves in Dad's downstairs closet. At least now it's not in his living space.
Debbie and I also had a real good talk about some of our personal history. Dad and Bob had gone to the store so we had a lot of time alone. Good stuff, very productive. Juicy bits!
Later I drove Drew's truck and took them on a Riverside nostalgia tour. We cruised around downtown, the Mission Inn, Fairmount Park, Redwood ave., Mt. Rubidoux and finished up with the old neighborhood. When we got home Carlos came walking up with some creepy guy. Carlos and Rosa had been working in the field and stumbled across him. Scared Rosa to death. Carlos was questioning him when we drove up. He said he had done some work here some years back but he didn't know Dad. Something was way off about this guy. Carlos said the guy had been talking to himself. We all talked to him for a while and followed him down the driveway to make sure he left. Bob, Debbie and Dad got in the truck and drove up Central towards the airport to see where he went. They saw him sitting by the road, drinking. They called the cops but he was gone by the time they showed up.
So, was he like, camping in the Christmas trees? What was the nut job doing up there at dusk?
I reeeally hope he stays away.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Sunday's visit.
After lunch everyone came over. David took Dad into the office to try to find his medical insurance info. Turns out his Medicare is still current so he can start using it again and get his own doctor. He can still get his meds through the VA.
While they were in the office the rest of us walked around the house and made a list of Dad's possessions that have any value. We needed that info to finish up the trust. After that we went out and toured the farm. We looked at the Debbie field to see if it was a viable place for RV storage. It could be a quick source of income for Dad.
Then we walked around the barnyard. Stacey and I knew what to expect but I think Debbie was a little shocked. We filled her in on the Timio situation and she feels the same way the rest of us do. Timio's presence here is a drain on Dad's resources and something needs to be done about it. It's a very sensitive subject with Dad. He thinks Timio does a lot for him with the farm so he thinks it's worth it to have him here. We strongly disagree. It will be a happy day for me when we can finally tell Timio adios.
We talked a lot about how to get rid of all the scrap metal. Drew and I are going to handle that one. He's going to mark it all with spray paint. We're going to put an ad in the paper for "free scrap, you haul" and have our phone number on the ad. As for the rest of the stuff, we'll just have to get in there and get to work. First we'll tell Timio to get his crap out of there and then we'll do the rest. I suggested we divide the whole project up into sections so it's not so overwhelming.
It's still going to be a battle working with Dad. Yesterday I asked him about this tv that was sitting on the bricks around his fireplace. I asked if it works. He said, "What difference does it make?" His tone was confrontational. I said, "Why are you asking me that?" He gave me a little more crap and then backed down and gave me a straight answer. I think he was showing off for the sibs. Mr. Tough Guy.
The selfish part of me sometimes wishes he was a little more "gone" so we could just step in and get it all done. Getting him started on meds will help him hang onto what he still has. But what he has now can be pretty darned hard to work with!
While they were in the office the rest of us walked around the house and made a list of Dad's possessions that have any value. We needed that info to finish up the trust. After that we went out and toured the farm. We looked at the Debbie field to see if it was a viable place for RV storage. It could be a quick source of income for Dad.
Then we walked around the barnyard. Stacey and I knew what to expect but I think Debbie was a little shocked. We filled her in on the Timio situation and she feels the same way the rest of us do. Timio's presence here is a drain on Dad's resources and something needs to be done about it. It's a very sensitive subject with Dad. He thinks Timio does a lot for him with the farm so he thinks it's worth it to have him here. We strongly disagree. It will be a happy day for me when we can finally tell Timio adios.
We talked a lot about how to get rid of all the scrap metal. Drew and I are going to handle that one. He's going to mark it all with spray paint. We're going to put an ad in the paper for "free scrap, you haul" and have our phone number on the ad. As for the rest of the stuff, we'll just have to get in there and get to work. First we'll tell Timio to get his crap out of there and then we'll do the rest. I suggested we divide the whole project up into sections so it's not so overwhelming.
It's still going to be a battle working with Dad. Yesterday I asked him about this tv that was sitting on the bricks around his fireplace. I asked if it works. He said, "What difference does it make?" His tone was confrontational. I said, "Why are you asking me that?" He gave me a little more crap and then backed down and gave me a straight answer. I think he was showing off for the sibs. Mr. Tough Guy.
The selfish part of me sometimes wishes he was a little more "gone" so we could just step in and get it all done. Getting him started on meds will help him hang onto what he still has. But what he has now can be pretty darned hard to work with!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
The Big Meeting
It was a good meeting. Of course, I was the first one to get emotional but I still managed to get my points across. I've given this stuff a lot of thought so I knew what I wanted to say.
I got pretty mad at Dad at one point. We were talking about cleaning up his house, something he had agreed to when it was just the two of us talking. In front of everyone else he decided to dig in and resist it. His house, that BIG house, is stuffed to the gills with STUFF. He wanted to have final say on everything that will be thrown away. Man, if we did it that way it would never get done. I told him he couldn't have final say on throwing out old crap and that we wouldn't throw away anything that was important to him. We're going to be there working our asses off so he'll have an easier time living in his house. We're not going to get his ok on every item. He started going into the same bullshit that he's been saying for years whenever we'd complain about all the clutter in his house. I wasn't going to put up with any of that so I barked at him pretty good. Maybe it wasn't the best reaction but I'm ok with it.
We're not going to move in next door until it's clear that Dad really can't live on his own. Monday, Bob is going to change the deadbolts on Dad's doors. He has those awful deadbolts that can only be opened with a key. We're also getting smoke alarms.
We're going to do what we can to AD proof the house but there are some things that will still be dangerous, like his oven and stove. He's been storing cans of Coke in his lower oven, Debbie said when she got up this morning the upper oven was on warm and the door was open. She thinks when he was up last night he got cold so he turned the oven on. All kinds of possibilities for disaster are present with that one.
The other thing that worries me is the stove. It's this horrible, monster stove that has a solid glass top. It heats up super fast. It has those burners that light up with this nuclear orange glow when they're turned to high. When you turn it off the burner is still hot! it has a light on the controls to warn you but it's not very noticeable. The surface is a big, black slab of glass that is the perfect spot to plop down papers, groceries or anything else you might have in your hand when you come in the door.
It was kind of funny this afternoon. When I first got there everyone was in the kitchen looking at pictures and stuff. We chatted for a while and then decided it was time to fix dinner. The guys left the room (of course) and the sisters got to work getting out food and dishes and setting up our individual work stations. Funny how natural that comes to all of us. Since Dad was just out of earshot we all started up with these funny little whispering conversations with each other while we were puttering around. We were just talking about different things that happened with Dad and exchanging ideas but it all seemed so conspiratory. It made me laugh hearing all the pssss, pssss, psssss stuff flying around the kitchen.
Women.
We got a lot handled tonight but it also brought up a whole new set of things that need to get done. I guess that's the way it's going to be from now on. Tomorrow they're all coming here to walk around the farm. David can get a look at the house and see what else needs to be done to insure Dad's safety.
It was a very good meeting. It got pretty serious a few times. It felt good to talk it all out with them. I do have a good family.
There's more, but it's late.
I got pretty mad at Dad at one point. We were talking about cleaning up his house, something he had agreed to when it was just the two of us talking. In front of everyone else he decided to dig in and resist it. His house, that BIG house, is stuffed to the gills with STUFF. He wanted to have final say on everything that will be thrown away. Man, if we did it that way it would never get done. I told him he couldn't have final say on throwing out old crap and that we wouldn't throw away anything that was important to him. We're going to be there working our asses off so he'll have an easier time living in his house. We're not going to get his ok on every item. He started going into the same bullshit that he's been saying for years whenever we'd complain about all the clutter in his house. I wasn't going to put up with any of that so I barked at him pretty good. Maybe it wasn't the best reaction but I'm ok with it.
We're not going to move in next door until it's clear that Dad really can't live on his own. Monday, Bob is going to change the deadbolts on Dad's doors. He has those awful deadbolts that can only be opened with a key. We're also getting smoke alarms.
We're going to do what we can to AD proof the house but there are some things that will still be dangerous, like his oven and stove. He's been storing cans of Coke in his lower oven, Debbie said when she got up this morning the upper oven was on warm and the door was open. She thinks when he was up last night he got cold so he turned the oven on. All kinds of possibilities for disaster are present with that one.
The other thing that worries me is the stove. It's this horrible, monster stove that has a solid glass top. It heats up super fast. It has those burners that light up with this nuclear orange glow when they're turned to high. When you turn it off the burner is still hot! it has a light on the controls to warn you but it's not very noticeable. The surface is a big, black slab of glass that is the perfect spot to plop down papers, groceries or anything else you might have in your hand when you come in the door.
It was kind of funny this afternoon. When I first got there everyone was in the kitchen looking at pictures and stuff. We chatted for a while and then decided it was time to fix dinner. The guys left the room (of course) and the sisters got to work getting out food and dishes and setting up our individual work stations. Funny how natural that comes to all of us. Since Dad was just out of earshot we all started up with these funny little whispering conversations with each other while we were puttering around. We were just talking about different things that happened with Dad and exchanging ideas but it all seemed so conspiratory. It made me laugh hearing all the pssss, pssss, psssss stuff flying around the kitchen.
Women.
We got a lot handled tonight but it also brought up a whole new set of things that need to get done. I guess that's the way it's going to be from now on. Tomorrow they're all coming here to walk around the farm. David can get a look at the house and see what else needs to be done to insure Dad's safety.
It was a very good meeting. It got pretty serious a few times. It felt good to talk it all out with them. I do have a good family.
There's more, but it's late.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Paging Dr. Soup Nazi
I could bust a vein.
I went with Dad to his doctor's appointment today. This guy was one arrogant SOB and that's putting it mildly. I was trying to have what I thought was a normal conversation with him and he yelled at me, "Don't talk when I'm talking! You must listen to me!" Then Dad tried to talk to him about getting his cataract surgery scheduled and he yelled at Dad, "I don't have anything to do with that! You must listen to me!" The whole visit went pretty much like that. He yelled at Dad and then said, "Ok, I'm going to have the nurse come take your blood pressure now." WTF?????
He went through everything that he already had in Dad's records and then got up and said, "Come on, we're going to send you to the pharmacy now. Come on."
I said, "What? You're done?"
Him- "Yes, I'm done."
Me- "WELL, WE'RE NOT DONE!!!"
The dickhead almost dropped his clipboard.
I had a whole list of things we needed to talk about. Dad has a huge, doughy lump on his elbow. He'll have to see the rheumatologist for that. I asked how we do that. He yelled, "It's in the system! They'll contact you!". I asked about his Alzheimer's evaluation and getting Dad into the Geriatric Clinic. Guess what? It's in the system! They'll contact you! We talked about Dad not being able to drive. Dad was really trying hard to understand but this is an emotional issue for him and he didn't listen to every word this sorry puke was yelling. The doc said, "This is where I get really mad at my patients. You have to listen to me!"
So, he KNOWS that Dad has AD but he's going to get really mad at him and yell at him because Dad doesn't quite get what he's saying???? This guy is the WORST doctor in the WORLD! There were several times during the visit where I was talking and he interrupted me. I'd stop, then let him finish and then start over again. I'm sure if I had yelled YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME he would have called security.
I took notes and will give the full report to the sibs when we're all together. We got Dad's prescriptions refilled and he got a chest xray. Tomorrow we're going back for blood work. He can't get the cataract surgery done until his blood pressure comes down.
MY blood pressure is pretty freakin' high right now.
I went with Dad to his doctor's appointment today. This guy was one arrogant SOB and that's putting it mildly. I was trying to have what I thought was a normal conversation with him and he yelled at me, "Don't talk when I'm talking! You must listen to me!" Then Dad tried to talk to him about getting his cataract surgery scheduled and he yelled at Dad, "I don't have anything to do with that! You must listen to me!" The whole visit went pretty much like that. He yelled at Dad and then said, "Ok, I'm going to have the nurse come take your blood pressure now." WTF?????
He went through everything that he already had in Dad's records and then got up and said, "Come on, we're going to send you to the pharmacy now. Come on."
I said, "What? You're done?"
Him- "Yes, I'm done."
Me- "WELL, WE'RE NOT DONE!!!"
The dickhead almost dropped his clipboard.
I had a whole list of things we needed to talk about. Dad has a huge, doughy lump on his elbow. He'll have to see the rheumatologist for that. I asked how we do that. He yelled, "It's in the system! They'll contact you!". I asked about his Alzheimer's evaluation and getting Dad into the Geriatric Clinic. Guess what? It's in the system! They'll contact you! We talked about Dad not being able to drive. Dad was really trying hard to understand but this is an emotional issue for him and he didn't listen to every word this sorry puke was yelling. The doc said, "This is where I get really mad at my patients. You have to listen to me!"
So, he KNOWS that Dad has AD but he's going to get really mad at him and yell at him because Dad doesn't quite get what he's saying???? This guy is the WORST doctor in the WORLD! There were several times during the visit where I was talking and he interrupted me. I'd stop, then let him finish and then start over again. I'm sure if I had yelled YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME he would have called security.
I took notes and will give the full report to the sibs when we're all together. We got Dad's prescriptions refilled and he got a chest xray. Tomorrow we're going back for blood work. He can't get the cataract surgery done until his blood pressure comes down.
MY blood pressure is pretty freakin' high right now.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Very foggy
Dad's thinking was pretty cloudy today. I set his vitamins up in the easiest way possible (at least it seemed that way to me) and he just couldn't grasp it. I went over there and set his lunch time dose out on the counter on top of a note that said EAT LUNCH AND TAKE THESE VITAMINS. He came into the kitchen, picked up the vitamin packet and moved it aside. Then he picked up the note and asked what it was about. I had him get his lunch and then I sat with him while he ate and took the vitamins. If this is going to work at all I'm going to have to go over there every day and hand him the vitamins and stay with him until he takes them. This curcumin experiment will need a lot of supervision.
The realtor came over today. Dad decided he'd rather watch the boys' softball practice so Drew, Scotty, Jim and I walked around the farm with the realtor. It was a good meeting. He's going to do some research and get back to us. He knows of a guy who needs a couple acres real soon to store cars. Dad could live quite comfortably off that rent alone. Then he could take his time deciding what to do with the rest of the property. When I told Dad about it he said we should try to talk the guy into renting 4 acres. Heh, heh! Scotty was right. Put a dollar sign on the idea and Dad's all over it. I think he's pretty tired of having no money.
The realtor came over today. Dad decided he'd rather watch the boys' softball practice so Drew, Scotty, Jim and I walked around the farm with the realtor. It was a good meeting. He's going to do some research and get back to us. He knows of a guy who needs a couple acres real soon to store cars. Dad could live quite comfortably off that rent alone. Then he could take his time deciding what to do with the rest of the property. When I told Dad about it he said we should try to talk the guy into renting 4 acres. Heh, heh! Scotty was right. Put a dollar sign on the idea and Dad's all over it. I think he's pretty tired of having no money.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Brain pills
I gathered up all Dad's vitamins and brought them here. I read all the labels and added up the dosages to make sure we don't OD him on this stuff. Then I put everything into little plastic bags so it was all organized. I put all those into paper bags and labeled them. I took them all to his house and cleaned up his kitchen and got all the crap off the counters. The bags are lined up there now. I'll check on him every day to make sure he's taking them correctly.
He's been pretty good about throwing stuff away. While I was there cleaning he let go of a huge jar of hot sauce packets. At first he said he wanted to give it to Goodwill! I convinced him that the poor really don't need his packets.
It will be good when we can get his house cleaned. There's way too much visual confusion right now. Hell, I feel like MY brain is draining away when I'm there!
Ok, today he started on curcumin and a bunch of other stuff. We'll see if it makes any difference.
He's been pretty good about throwing stuff away. While I was there cleaning he let go of a huge jar of hot sauce packets. At first he said he wanted to give it to Goodwill! I convinced him that the poor really don't need his packets.
It will be good when we can get his house cleaned. There's way too much visual confusion right now. Hell, I feel like MY brain is draining away when I'm there!
Ok, today he started on curcumin and a bunch of other stuff. We'll see if it makes any difference.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Yeeesh!
Today Dad and I went to Harold's office to sign off on the taxes. Harold wasn't there so Vicki handled it. The penalties came to $3500! Major ouch. I again suggested to Dad that he give up the Christmas tree business and lease his land and hire a property manager. At first he was agreeable but later changed his mind. He wants to turn all the business stuff over to Harold. Vicki told him they could do that but all the information they would need would still have to come from Dad.
When we were driving home Dad was saying what a relief it was to know he could have everything sent to Harold directly. I reminded him that it would still be up to him to get his sales figures and payroll info to Harold and we don't know how well he will be a year from now. He thinks he still needs to have employees to do all the work with the trees. I told him if he lets the trees go he wouldn't have to hire someone to take care of them. He said, "How will that make money? It doesn't just fall out of the sky, you know." He was starting to get mad. Again I explained to him about leasing his land and hiring a management company to collect the rent for him. It went around a couple times more like that.
He thinks he's going to stay on top of things so that next year he can just hand over his figures to Harold. I know it ain't gonna be that way and NONE of us wants to take over his tree business. Even today he got a past due notice from the State Board of Equalization concerning the timber tax. He needs to report the total tree footage that was sold. He doesn't know where that information is! I already spent an hour today looking through his files for his resale number, which I found only because I got lucky.
I went to Clark's and got a bunch of supplements that are supposed to be good for Alzheimer's. Tomorrow I'm going to organize his vitamins and try to make it easier for him to take them. I got the Curcumin. I Googled it and read about it last night. Man, that stuff is good for everything! At least that's what the hippies at the vitamin companies say.
When we were driving home Dad was saying what a relief it was to know he could have everything sent to Harold directly. I reminded him that it would still be up to him to get his sales figures and payroll info to Harold and we don't know how well he will be a year from now. He thinks he still needs to have employees to do all the work with the trees. I told him if he lets the trees go he wouldn't have to hire someone to take care of them. He said, "How will that make money? It doesn't just fall out of the sky, you know." He was starting to get mad. Again I explained to him about leasing his land and hiring a management company to collect the rent for him. It went around a couple times more like that.
He thinks he's going to stay on top of things so that next year he can just hand over his figures to Harold. I know it ain't gonna be that way and NONE of us wants to take over his tree business. Even today he got a past due notice from the State Board of Equalization concerning the timber tax. He needs to report the total tree footage that was sold. He doesn't know where that information is! I already spent an hour today looking through his files for his resale number, which I found only because I got lucky.
I went to Clark's and got a bunch of supplements that are supposed to be good for Alzheimer's. Tomorrow I'm going to organize his vitamins and try to make it easier for him to take them. I got the Curcumin. I Googled it and read about it last night. Man, that stuff is good for everything! At least that's what the hippies at the vitamin companies say.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
I gotta hand it to him...
He was dealt quite a blow today and he's handled it remarkably well. I went over to check on him and he was much calmer- chipper, even. I asked him if he called the psychiatrist and he said he hadn't gotten around to it. I had read a suggestion on one of the AD websites that said taking a cab is a good idea. It might seem expensive, but if you're not paying for gas, insurance and maintenance on a car it's a pretty good deal. I told him about that and he seemed open to it. Tonight he got a ride to and from choir practice. What a trooper.
We talked a little about him moving downstairs and having us move into his house. He said he thinks he should do that real soon. I told him we could wait until we have our family meeting to figure that one out. Everyone should be in on that decision.
Tonight we jammed with some old friends from highschool. That was super fun. They want Jim to join their band but he just can't commit. He'll probably play with them occasionally. They're nice guys and good musicians.
It looks like Casual Sunday might squeek one one performance out of Pepito's this weekend. The new owner hasn't made the switchover yet, so the place is available. I would enjoy that. Our band is fun.
We talked a little about him moving downstairs and having us move into his house. He said he thinks he should do that real soon. I told him we could wait until we have our family meeting to figure that one out. Everyone should be in on that decision.
Tonight we jammed with some old friends from highschool. That was super fun. They want Jim to join their band but he just can't commit. He'll probably play with them occasionally. They're nice guys and good musicians.
It looks like Casual Sunday might squeek one one performance out of Pepito's this weekend. The new owner hasn't made the switchover yet, so the place is available. I would enjoy that. Our band is fun.
Groans and heavy sighs
That's what I've been doing for the last 10 minutes. I just gave Dad the news that he can't drive anymore.
I called the VA this morning to get Dad an appointment with his primary doc. They said he already has an appointment for March 8th. Then I had them switch me to the psychiatrist who heads the clinic where he got his Alzheimer's evaluation. I was suprised when the psychiatrist answered the phone (must have been a mistake. You NEVER get to talk to the VA docs on the phone). I talked to him about Dad's evaluation and bitched a bit about the intern who did it. She rushed through it because she had another patient coming in. I didn't feel like she got a good handle on Dad. Anyway, as shoddy as it was it did show that Dad has a problem and needs more evaluation.
He said he's going to recommend he go the the Geriatric Clinic and get his hearing tested and get a medication evaluation. He's also going to tell Dad's primary doc that Dad can't drive anymore and that the DMV should be notified.
The good news is the medication should (hopefully) restore some of Dad's memory after a couple months. I thought Dad would be heartened by that. Silly me.
I called Dad and told him about my conversation with the psych. He about hit the ceiling. He said this is the same as putting him in a cage. He thinks he's going to be sidelined and sit in a corner and watch the family have fun. Stuff like that. He was in a bit of a panic. He said he wants to go to a different doctor. I told him the result would be the same no matter what doctor he sees. He started trying to negotiate which of his faculties he could do without and still be able to drive, as if whatever medication they put him on could target those things. He was grasping at straws.
He's going to call the psychiatrist and try to get him to stop the process. He was hopping mad at first and I told him he couldn't call the psychiatrist and start yelling at him like he was a store clerk. By the time we ended our phone call he was mostly calmed down. I'll find out later how that conversation went. Dad also talked to Drew and I think that helped him a little.
I'm going to go clean house. Our accountant is coming over later. I'll write more when I've had a chance to digest the events of this morning.
Shit. (heavy sigh)
I called the VA this morning to get Dad an appointment with his primary doc. They said he already has an appointment for March 8th. Then I had them switch me to the psychiatrist who heads the clinic where he got his Alzheimer's evaluation. I was suprised when the psychiatrist answered the phone (must have been a mistake. You NEVER get to talk to the VA docs on the phone). I talked to him about Dad's evaluation and bitched a bit about the intern who did it. She rushed through it because she had another patient coming in. I didn't feel like she got a good handle on Dad. Anyway, as shoddy as it was it did show that Dad has a problem and needs more evaluation.
He said he's going to recommend he go the the Geriatric Clinic and get his hearing tested and get a medication evaluation. He's also going to tell Dad's primary doc that Dad can't drive anymore and that the DMV should be notified.
The good news is the medication should (hopefully) restore some of Dad's memory after a couple months. I thought Dad would be heartened by that. Silly me.
I called Dad and told him about my conversation with the psych. He about hit the ceiling. He said this is the same as putting him in a cage. He thinks he's going to be sidelined and sit in a corner and watch the family have fun. Stuff like that. He was in a bit of a panic. He said he wants to go to a different doctor. I told him the result would be the same no matter what doctor he sees. He started trying to negotiate which of his faculties he could do without and still be able to drive, as if whatever medication they put him on could target those things. He was grasping at straws.
He's going to call the psychiatrist and try to get him to stop the process. He was hopping mad at first and I told him he couldn't call the psychiatrist and start yelling at him like he was a store clerk. By the time we ended our phone call he was mostly calmed down. I'll find out later how that conversation went. Dad also talked to Drew and I think that helped him a little.
I'm going to go clean house. Our accountant is coming over later. I'll write more when I've had a chance to digest the events of this morning.
Shit. (heavy sigh)
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Drawing a blank
Dad came over 3 times today. The last visit he was here for a long time. We talked about a lot of things, mainly how to handle what's coming. It was a good talk, sometimes confrontational, but good. He often had to search for words. There were times when he'd stop talking altogether, like he was shut down.
He called tonight and he was pretty upset. He said he wasn't doing well and that he just couldn't think. He was fighting just to be able to talk to me. I said, "Is it like you're drawing a blank all the time?" He said, "Yes! That's it!" I told him he should probably just go to bed and get some rest. I told him he'll probably be brighter in the morning. That's how it's been with him. His foggyness kinda comes and goes.
I told him he could call me if he's not feeling well. He's been complaining about feeling weak all the time. Tomorrow we're going to call the VA and make some appointments.
This shutting down thing is new. I need more info. The last time I was at Kaiser I saw a flyer advertising a class on being a caregiver. We all should take a class like that. I'll look into it.
He called tonight and he was pretty upset. He said he wasn't doing well and that he just couldn't think. He was fighting just to be able to talk to me. I said, "Is it like you're drawing a blank all the time?" He said, "Yes! That's it!" I told him he should probably just go to bed and get some rest. I told him he'll probably be brighter in the morning. That's how it's been with him. His foggyness kinda comes and goes.
I told him he could call me if he's not feeling well. He's been complaining about feeling weak all the time. Tomorrow we're going to call the VA and make some appointments.
This shutting down thing is new. I need more info. The last time I was at Kaiser I saw a flyer advertising a class on being a caregiver. We all should take a class like that. I'll look into it.
AARGH!!!
Dad called at 7:30 this morning because he wanted to know if we were going to the store. His car broke down a couple days ago and it's parked down on the street. He doesn't want to pay to have it towed to a mechanic so he's waiting for Drew to handle it. We just got the truck fixed after Dad had borrowed it and returned it with messed up electricals. Jim was already gone taking Paige to school and since I was still half asleep (really!) and didn't want him to sit at home hungry I told him to come get the truck. It took him forever to back the truck out. I stood at the kitchen window and watched him do the clutch pop cha-cha down the drive way.
Ok, we've got to do something about his car.
How long should we let him keep driving? He still seems like he's able to but the fog is closing in pretty fast. Soon it's going to be too dangerous for him to drive. And you can be sure he won't be the one to see it first. Getting his keys will be like taking a gun from Charlton Heston's cold, dead hand.
Later...
Dad just came by. He said Drew is going to deal with it tomorrow. That solves one problem.
Ok, we've got to do something about his car.
How long should we let him keep driving? He still seems like he's able to but the fog is closing in pretty fast. Soon it's going to be too dangerous for him to drive. And you can be sure he won't be the one to see it first. Getting his keys will be like taking a gun from Charlton Heston's cold, dead hand.
Later...
Dad just came by. He said Drew is going to deal with it tomorrow. That solves one problem.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Whew!
I spent 4 hours with Dad today trying to get financial stuff handled. First we went to the bank to see Sona, the woman who has been handling Dad's accounts for years. Sona is a little weird. I think Dad likes her because she's attractive and she flirts with him. But she seems to know her stuff so, ok. She said I couldn't be added as a second signer on Dad's accounts because that goes against the rules of the trust. We have to go back to Darling and redo it. I don't think that will be a big deal.
We had to wait to see Sona because we didn't have an appointment. We used that time to fill out some of the forms in the trust packet and talk about funeral arrangements and stuff. It was pretty productive. Having the forms in front of us made it easier to discuss these sensitive subjects. I actually talked to him about shutting down the Christmas tree business, although he thinks he can do it one more year.
I got the print outs for Dad's business account so I can add up the deposits and get the gross sales for the year. I'll do that tomorrow and call Harold with the total. Then we got lunch and then went to Harold's to drop off the payroll stuff. That's 2 things crossed off the list. Hooray!
All that took 4 hours. I'm a little OD'd on Dad right now.
After I dropped him off I went to Ken's. Jim had been there for a few hours already and they worked on a lot of music. I practiced with them for 2 hours. It was great! We worked on Sweet Talkin' Guy, It's My Party and Angel Of The Morning. Sweet Talkin' Guy is going to be freakin' awesome when we get it down.
I'm buzzy tired. A hot bath would be a good thing.
We had to wait to see Sona because we didn't have an appointment. We used that time to fill out some of the forms in the trust packet and talk about funeral arrangements and stuff. It was pretty productive. Having the forms in front of us made it easier to discuss these sensitive subjects. I actually talked to him about shutting down the Christmas tree business, although he thinks he can do it one more year.
I got the print outs for Dad's business account so I can add up the deposits and get the gross sales for the year. I'll do that tomorrow and call Harold with the total. Then we got lunch and then went to Harold's to drop off the payroll stuff. That's 2 things crossed off the list. Hooray!
All that took 4 hours. I'm a little OD'd on Dad right now.
After I dropped him off I went to Ken's. Jim had been there for a few hours already and they worked on a lot of music. I practiced with them for 2 hours. It was great! We worked on Sweet Talkin' Guy, It's My Party and Angel Of The Morning. Sweet Talkin' Guy is going to be freakin' awesome when we get it down.
I'm buzzy tired. A hot bath would be a good thing.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Medication drama
Two days ago when Dad went to the VA hospital the doctor du jour sent him home with an antibiotic for his cold. This added another med for him to keep track of. He's supposed to take one a day for 10 days. This morning called for me to come over. He said he wasn't feeling well, like something was wrong. I checked out all his meds and threw away a bunch of old, expired pills. The antibiotic wasn't with his regular meds. He had it in on his desk. There were 4 pills left! He had taken 2 the first day, 3 the second and 1 today. I guess he had gotten them confused with his diabetes meds. I wrote instructions on some paper and on the pill jar.
When I came back here I told Jim what had happened. He Googled the name of the antibiotic and read what it said about overdose. It said call poison control. The woman I talked to was very helpful and said he was probably ok since he didn't have any severe symptoms. It could have been much worse. I went back to Dad's to ask him more about how he was feeling and to get the pill bottle so we could talk to the doctor about it. While I was at Dad's Jim called the VA to try to get in touch with the doc. No luck there. Some bitch on a power trip was manning the phones and wouldn't put us in touch with anything resembling an actual doctor. We hate the VA.
I called the Leeces and talked to Dede. David was out on a bike ride so I gave Dede the lowdown. She said she'd have Dave call us at Stacey's tonight. When I talked to him he said he felt Dad would be ok and to let him finish up the course of antibiotic. I got the pills back from Dad so I can make sure he takes only one a day. He can handle his regular medication routine (well, usually), we just can't add anything new. But I think it's getting to the point where we'll have to manage his meds.
We're going to have to start managing everything else, too. While Dad was snoozing in Stacey's family room we (Stacey, Drew, Mindy and me) were in the kitchen making a list of the things that need to be done to get Dad's affairs in order. If we can take care of a few things and whittle the list down things won't seem so overwhelming.
We're also going to spend some time cleaning Dad's house. I talked to him about this today and he's open to the idea. He really needs to simplify his life. His house is so full of junk and clutter he really can't function well. Also, Jim thinks it's possible that there may be some kind of environmental factor to Dad's problem. What if mold or some old improperly stored chemicals or the water is partly to blame? Also, Stacey thinks the house is just plain depressing. Cleaning it and getting rid of all the crap would probably help Dad to feel calmer, less stressful. He thinks more clearly when he's not stressed.
Sometimes Dad can seem like he's mostly normal so it almost feels like it's too soon to be taking some of these steps. But lately there have been some pretty big lapses in his memory and confusion in his thinking. I sometimes hesitate to bring these things up with him because it forces him to confront the horrible truth and I know that's so frightening for him. It almost seems cruel to do that. And yet, I think if we can present this stuff to him early and give him a chance to get used to the idea it might make his transition easier when the time comes. There's no way to know for sure if we're doing the right thing.
So, ok, we just keep going.
When I came back here I told Jim what had happened. He Googled the name of the antibiotic and read what it said about overdose. It said call poison control. The woman I talked to was very helpful and said he was probably ok since he didn't have any severe symptoms. It could have been much worse. I went back to Dad's to ask him more about how he was feeling and to get the pill bottle so we could talk to the doctor about it. While I was at Dad's Jim called the VA to try to get in touch with the doc. No luck there. Some bitch on a power trip was manning the phones and wouldn't put us in touch with anything resembling an actual doctor. We hate the VA.
I called the Leeces and talked to Dede. David was out on a bike ride so I gave Dede the lowdown. She said she'd have Dave call us at Stacey's tonight. When I talked to him he said he felt Dad would be ok and to let him finish up the course of antibiotic. I got the pills back from Dad so I can make sure he takes only one a day. He can handle his regular medication routine (well, usually), we just can't add anything new. But I think it's getting to the point where we'll have to manage his meds.
We're going to have to start managing everything else, too. While Dad was snoozing in Stacey's family room we (Stacey, Drew, Mindy and me) were in the kitchen making a list of the things that need to be done to get Dad's affairs in order. If we can take care of a few things and whittle the list down things won't seem so overwhelming.
We're also going to spend some time cleaning Dad's house. I talked to him about this today and he's open to the idea. He really needs to simplify his life. His house is so full of junk and clutter he really can't function well. Also, Jim thinks it's possible that there may be some kind of environmental factor to Dad's problem. What if mold or some old improperly stored chemicals or the water is partly to blame? Also, Stacey thinks the house is just plain depressing. Cleaning it and getting rid of all the crap would probably help Dad to feel calmer, less stressful. He thinks more clearly when he's not stressed.
Sometimes Dad can seem like he's mostly normal so it almost feels like it's too soon to be taking some of these steps. But lately there have been some pretty big lapses in his memory and confusion in his thinking. I sometimes hesitate to bring these things up with him because it forces him to confront the horrible truth and I know that's so frightening for him. It almost seems cruel to do that. And yet, I think if we can present this stuff to him early and give him a chance to get used to the idea it might make his transition easier when the time comes. There's no way to know for sure if we're doing the right thing.
So, ok, we just keep going.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Break time's over
Dad is back in the fog. Actually, he's been there for a few days. He's pretty much the same as he was before he left for Texas.
He's been sick with a pretty bad cold. Today he went to the doctor and came back with a prescription for anitbiotics. The instructions are a little confusing so I guess I'm going to have to call him every morning and make sure he gets it right.
While he was at the VA he CANCELLED his psychiatrist appointment! I told him he souldn't have done that. He said he wanted to get all this other stuff out of the way first. He needs to schedule cataract surgery and get a physical but he really needs to get his Alzheimer's evaluation completed. There was no reason to cancel that appointment.
I didn't go with him to the doctor because he called at 7 this morning and said he was leaving right away. I haven't been feeling well for a couple days so I let him go. And since he didn't have an appointment it took him almost the whole day.
He still doesn't have his taxes done. I'm going to go to the bank with him tomorrow and try to get a print out of his deposits. Then I can figure out his Christmas tree sales. Once I get that I can take everything to Harold and get the taxes off the freakin' list. Somehow we've got to convince Dad he shouldn't have another tree season. We can't do this another year. Not unless he completely turns it over to someone else and I know none of us kids wants to do it.
But it's too soon to have that conversation. I don't think he'd go for it.
I'm feeling better. Maybe tomorrow I'll clean his kitchen. The other day I was over there and there were fruit flies all over the place. There must have been a piece of fruit rotting on the counter somewhere but I couldn't find it. The counters are covered with stuff and he keeps those old, holey tree stumps above the sink (objet d'art). It's a visual cacophony that makes me want to flee.
He's been sick with a pretty bad cold. Today he went to the doctor and came back with a prescription for anitbiotics. The instructions are a little confusing so I guess I'm going to have to call him every morning and make sure he gets it right.
While he was at the VA he CANCELLED his psychiatrist appointment! I told him he souldn't have done that. He said he wanted to get all this other stuff out of the way first. He needs to schedule cataract surgery and get a physical but he really needs to get his Alzheimer's evaluation completed. There was no reason to cancel that appointment.
I didn't go with him to the doctor because he called at 7 this morning and said he was leaving right away. I haven't been feeling well for a couple days so I let him go. And since he didn't have an appointment it took him almost the whole day.
He still doesn't have his taxes done. I'm going to go to the bank with him tomorrow and try to get a print out of his deposits. Then I can figure out his Christmas tree sales. Once I get that I can take everything to Harold and get the taxes off the freakin' list. Somehow we've got to convince Dad he shouldn't have another tree season. We can't do this another year. Not unless he completely turns it over to someone else and I know none of us kids wants to do it.
But it's too soon to have that conversation. I don't think he'd go for it.
I'm feeling better. Maybe tomorrow I'll clean his kitchen. The other day I was over there and there were fruit flies all over the place. There must have been a piece of fruit rotting on the counter somewhere but I couldn't find it. The counters are covered with stuff and he keeps those old, holey tree stumps above the sink (objet d'art). It's a visual cacophony that makes me want to flee.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Dad's coming home.
I go get him at 2:00. Jeannie called and said they had a good visit. She also said we should go down to Social Security and get things straightened out. I'm not sure just what but hey, that's what they're there for.
Gotta go. We're going to work on his back yard.
It's 3:50 now. Back from the airport. Dad seems better (for now). He thinks the stress of trying to get his taxes together was messing him up. I agree with him on that. He had a good time on his trip though he wishes he had more time to visit the Macaluso's.
I told him that our wheel barrow was missing. He decided we absolutely had to find it. When we got home we went on a wheel barrow search. Jeez, there were wheelbarrows everywhere! He must have at least 10 wheelbarrows in good working condition. We wandered around the barnyard (that's where it was, full of greasy motor parts. I figure Carlos took it.) and it bothered him to see the barnyard so junky. Timio's bags of grass seed and chemicals was a big mess in the barn. Dad's kind of pissed about that. He said Timio's done a lot for him but maybe it would be nice to not have to put up with all this crap. I hadn't said anything about it. He came up with that one on his own.
There's a lot to do. We have to finish the trust, inventory the farm, finish Dad's taxes, fix the back hoe so they can fill in the big hole, figure out the rest of Dad's finances and get Dad back to the doctor for his cataract surgery, his knee and to finish his Alzheimer's evaluation. We have to get the realtor up here so we can get started on leasing the big field and get some income for Dad.
I looked at some of the Alzheimer's websites the other night. It looks like Dad is in stage 4 of 7. What's coming ain't so good. I knew that but looking at the websites was a good wake up call. Drew and Mindy know what to expect because they've been through it with her dad. Dede and David also know. I don't know about Debbie. I talked about it with Stacey today and told her what I had read. She was kind of shocked. There's a big life change coming up for all of us and we need to be prepared. I know that's an understatement but it's way too easy to go into denial. I know it is for me.
I have to keep moving on getting my health together. I think later this week I can get the electrocardiogram (yeah, I know, I should've done that weeks ago). I need to get another blood test because those blood sugar numbers weren't so good. Crap. I pretty much knew that one was coming. But the reason for all these tests is so I can get started on a doctor-supervised weightloss program. With all that's coming I really need to stay healthy. I can't give my health over to a disease that's not even mine.
Gotta go. We're going to work on his back yard.
It's 3:50 now. Back from the airport. Dad seems better (for now). He thinks the stress of trying to get his taxes together was messing him up. I agree with him on that. He had a good time on his trip though he wishes he had more time to visit the Macaluso's.
I told him that our wheel barrow was missing. He decided we absolutely had to find it. When we got home we went on a wheel barrow search. Jeez, there were wheelbarrows everywhere! He must have at least 10 wheelbarrows in good working condition. We wandered around the barnyard (that's where it was, full of greasy motor parts. I figure Carlos took it.) and it bothered him to see the barnyard so junky. Timio's bags of grass seed and chemicals was a big mess in the barn. Dad's kind of pissed about that. He said Timio's done a lot for him but maybe it would be nice to not have to put up with all this crap. I hadn't said anything about it. He came up with that one on his own.
There's a lot to do. We have to finish the trust, inventory the farm, finish Dad's taxes, fix the back hoe so they can fill in the big hole, figure out the rest of Dad's finances and get Dad back to the doctor for his cataract surgery, his knee and to finish his Alzheimer's evaluation. We have to get the realtor up here so we can get started on leasing the big field and get some income for Dad.
I looked at some of the Alzheimer's websites the other night. It looks like Dad is in stage 4 of 7. What's coming ain't so good. I knew that but looking at the websites was a good wake up call. Drew and Mindy know what to expect because they've been through it with her dad. Dede and David also know. I don't know about Debbie. I talked about it with Stacey today and told her what I had read. She was kind of shocked. There's a big life change coming up for all of us and we need to be prepared. I know that's an understatement but it's way too easy to go into denial. I know it is for me.
I have to keep moving on getting my health together. I think later this week I can get the electrocardiogram (yeah, I know, I should've done that weeks ago). I need to get another blood test because those blood sugar numbers weren't so good. Crap. I pretty much knew that one was coming. But the reason for all these tests is so I can get started on a doctor-supervised weightloss program. With all that's coming I really need to stay healthy. I can't give my health over to a disease that's not even mine.
Monday, February 07, 2005
checking in
I called Dad this morning. He's having a fun visit. Herbie took him to a junk yard to find some steel. Dad feels at home in a junk yard.
It's been a nice break for us knowing that the phone isn't going to ring 10 times a day and Dad isn't just going to show up at the door and send the dogs into a frenzy 4 or 5 times a day.
My singing thing on Sunday went well. I wasn't perfect but I also didn't totally blow it. This church was in Yucaipa which is at a higher altitude than I'm used to. Not much but it did affect my singing. Still, I did ok. Kevin took me out for breakfast between services. Probably shouldn't have done that. It made me a bit phlemmy.
The superbowl party was also much better than expected. The cousins all behaved. We did the family hootnanny thing which was fun. One of the cousins had a football pool going. Jan and Dallas took the whole thing. How they managed to rig the game is way beyond any of us. One of the younger cousins was in one of the Pepsi commercials. Her career is really taking off. She's also been in a few magazines. Cute girl.
I went over to Dad's to check on things this morning. Jim and I need to get over there and clean the back yard. We've had some windy days so the pool is full of debris and the dogs have contributed massive amounts of poop to the yard. When you go back there you have to carry a stick to keep Maggie from poking her nose in your butt and pushing you into the pool. She's a sweet dog but a huge pest. And Lady is just plain weird. I wonder about what we'll do when Dad get's too far gone to care for them. Maggie is old but she's showing no signs of slowing down. I guess we'll figure it out when we need to.
It's been a nice break for us knowing that the phone isn't going to ring 10 times a day and Dad isn't just going to show up at the door and send the dogs into a frenzy 4 or 5 times a day.
My singing thing on Sunday went well. I wasn't perfect but I also didn't totally blow it. This church was in Yucaipa which is at a higher altitude than I'm used to. Not much but it did affect my singing. Still, I did ok. Kevin took me out for breakfast between services. Probably shouldn't have done that. It made me a bit phlemmy.
The superbowl party was also much better than expected. The cousins all behaved. We did the family hootnanny thing which was fun. One of the cousins had a football pool going. Jan and Dallas took the whole thing. How they managed to rig the game is way beyond any of us. One of the younger cousins was in one of the Pepsi commercials. Her career is really taking off. She's also been in a few magazines. Cute girl.
I went over to Dad's to check on things this morning. Jim and I need to get over there and clean the back yard. We've had some windy days so the pool is full of debris and the dogs have contributed massive amounts of poop to the yard. When you go back there you have to carry a stick to keep Maggie from poking her nose in your butt and pushing you into the pool. She's a sweet dog but a huge pest. And Lady is just plain weird. I wonder about what we'll do when Dad get's too far gone to care for them. Maggie is old but she's showing no signs of slowing down. I guess we'll figure it out when we need to.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Airport
The last time I saw Dad he was walking down the gangway so I assume he's on the plane.
There's no way he could have done this on his own. I got an escort pass so I could go with him to the gate. Going through security was fun. We both had to take off our jackets and shoes and put all our belongings in the bins. With Dad that means two jackets, two bags and having to sit down and untie his shoes. That meant running around to find a chair. Why doesn't security have chairs available so old people can take off their shoes without keeling over?
When Dad took off his jacket 2 grapefruit rolled out of his pockets and hit the floor. So now I'm running around trying to retrieve grapefruit while 30 people are trying to get around me and Dad, who is now chatting it up with the humorless trog who is pulling SCISSORS (2 pair) out of his bag.
When we got to the gate we sat down next to this poor guy who clearly didn't appreciate Dad fiddling with stuffing the grapefruits into his bag and then dropping it on the guy's foot. He left. Dad kept taking his ticket out of his pocket and asking if he's supposed to change planes in Phoenix. I kept reminding him about his yellow piece of paper. I explained several times that it's printed on his ticket that he needs assistance and someone will meet him at the gate and get him to the next plane. We had this conversation 6 times in 30 minutes. His ticket may be mushed to pulp by the time he gets there.
I called Jeannie when I got home. She's on it. They went through all this with Nana so they know what's required. She'll remind him to take his meds. She said she and Herbie really noticed when they saw him last year that things weren't quite right. And thank you, David for giving them that call.
Oh yeah, I got Dad's keys.
There's no way he could have done this on his own. I got an escort pass so I could go with him to the gate. Going through security was fun. We both had to take off our jackets and shoes and put all our belongings in the bins. With Dad that means two jackets, two bags and having to sit down and untie his shoes. That meant running around to find a chair. Why doesn't security have chairs available so old people can take off their shoes without keeling over?
When Dad took off his jacket 2 grapefruit rolled out of his pockets and hit the floor. So now I'm running around trying to retrieve grapefruit while 30 people are trying to get around me and Dad, who is now chatting it up with the humorless trog who is pulling SCISSORS (2 pair) out of his bag.
When we got to the gate we sat down next to this poor guy who clearly didn't appreciate Dad fiddling with stuffing the grapefruits into his bag and then dropping it on the guy's foot. He left. Dad kept taking his ticket out of his pocket and asking if he's supposed to change planes in Phoenix. I kept reminding him about his yellow piece of paper. I explained several times that it's printed on his ticket that he needs assistance and someone will meet him at the gate and get him to the next plane. We had this conversation 6 times in 30 minutes. His ticket may be mushed to pulp by the time he gets there.
I called Jeannie when I got home. She's on it. They went through all this with Nana so they know what's required. She'll remind him to take his meds. She said she and Herbie really noticed when they saw him last year that things weren't quite right. And thank you, David for giving them that call.
Oh yeah, I got Dad's keys.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The meds
Ok, so he actually did take the meds out of the bag and put them in his medicine cabinet. But for some reason he thought I had them. We looked in his cabinet and found them. I checked the date on the bottles and found the one we had just gotten last week. So, ok, good. At least he has them.
He actually did a pretty good job of packing for the trip. He has his plane ticket in his suitcase in a ziplock bag. He has his instructions on bright yellow paper taped in is date book. He has his meds. I'll check everything tomorrow morning. Jeez, I hope everything goes ok at the airport tomorrow.
Note to self- Tell him to leave his keys at home.
He actually did a pretty good job of packing for the trip. He has his plane ticket in his suitcase in a ziplock bag. He has his instructions on bright yellow paper taped in is date book. He has his meds. I'll check everything tomorrow morning. Jeez, I hope everything goes ok at the airport tomorrow.
Note to self- Tell him to leave his keys at home.
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