Sunday, September 11, 2011

What A Week Update

In memory in pictures:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/falling-man-photographer-_n_947424.html#s349293

I remember the day like it was yesterday. The day before mom called me and said she was feeling like something was going to happen the next day and she was afraid to be alone with dad that night. I went in and spent the night with mom and dad. Early the next morning I went to my house and that is when the first plane hit the tower. I was mesmerized and couldn't quit watching TV for most of that day and the next day. Eerie that Mom knew something was going to happen, she thought it was with dad. Dad was fine but a lot of people three thousand miles away weren't. May they rest in peace and may we never be attacked like that again.

On to my update. As they say in blog circles, what a freaking week. Mom almost died. My brother-in-law couldn't get out of bed due to severe muscle pain.

Mom got her blood pressure medication mixed up with her pain medication. She discovered it but was scared to tell sis and myself. She finally told sister and she called the pharmacist. Mom took four blood pressure pills and no pain pills. Here blood pressure was so low that she probably should have called 911. The pharmacist said give mom some coffee immediately. I knew that but Mom didn't call me. The pharmacist also said to drink a lot of water so that it will flush out her system. She took her blood pressure every hour and it finally got up to normal levels. I'm kind of upset that Mom didn't want to tell either my sister and I. I am also upset that nobody told me until the next day.

Brother-in-law is now in his second day without pain. Yea!!

Two crisis averted one relative stressed out. That would be me.

Monday and Tuesday nights at Mom's. Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday no night but lunches and dinners. Today a day of rest. Watched the Oregon game, they beat Nevada 69-20. In between finished five tax returns and delivered them to Mark. Starting cleaning out my garage. My mind is next.

Next week. Tomorrow breakfast with the guys. Monday and Tuesday more getting things done on my to do list. Wednesday night at Mom's. Thursday day at Mom's, until 8 PM. Friday and Saturday play or dealing with crisis.

The blog is now yours. Tell me about *you*. Your lives. What went on in them last week, what is planned for next week. Post anything you damn well please. The blog is now yours.

8 comments:

Pat said...

What a scare with your mom! I'm glad she at least had a concerned pharmacist, since she didn't want to tell you or sis. And I'm glad that she managed to realize it herself.

But the whole situation is worrying. Maybe someone can put her meds into one of those divided boxes with correct dosages for morning, afternoon and evening of each day of the week? That's what I did for my mom, and it worked well as long as she was functioning well enough to handle it.

Otherwise, your mom really needs to call someone besides the pharmacist if she has a problem. How you can get her to do that is beyond me, but I hope you can convince her.

Good news about BIL! I hope his lack of pain continues and that he can find some substitute for statins if he needs them.

As to 9/11, I'm sure we all remember that day, and can hardly realize that it was 10 years ago. However, I do think we tend to wallow in it a bit more than necessary, and I'll be glad when this anniversary is over.

dona said...

So glad your mom is ok...taking the wrong pills such as that can end in a bad result. Glad sis and Pharmacist we on top of it. Shankster and myself also used the divided pill thingys for both of our moms and we use them now too, don't know how "good" they work for us as I have taken Shanksters pills for myself on more than one occasion...:)

Glad also your BIL is doing better, I have been absent on here lately but still get here to read whats up, just haven't the time to comment...so wanted to say I am glad he is ok and hoping your BIL will keep improving.

Don't get too upset your mom didn't call you first...you are still in the only caregiver mode and it does take some getting used to not being the first they call, as they also feel the need to be in charge of their own self...and they also don't want to worry you..... Or is it that they don't want to own up that they made a mistake?

I also can't believe its been 10 years for 9/11, and agree with Pat, that even though we all can remember exactly what we were doing that day,I will also be glad the anniversary is over, some memories are hard to live over and over.

Lady DR said...

Like you, I remember too well where we were and what we were doing on 9/11/01. I pray for those who lost loved ones and that the terrorist threat may be neutralized, but I don't know if there's any way to overcome the hatred, vengance, greed and ambition that drive such things.

Great news on your b-il!

Sorry to hear about your mom's mix-up on medication. Like Pat and Dona, we used the separated boxes for Mom (heck, I use them for myself), but it didn't always work, if she forgot. I suspect your mom didn't want to admit the mistake and that Sis didn't want to "bother" you, after your stint last week and didn't want to interrupt your time off, although having been sole caretaker so long, I'm sure it seemed strange to find out about the issue after the fact, rather than being the one to fix it.

Sounds like you had a super busy week and am glad to hear you'll have some time for you this week and maybe even some play time.

Pretty standard routine around here. Pool four days, line dance one day, chiro and massage therapist. The hip seems to have plateaued, which isn't what I'd like, but we'll see how the next couple weeks go. New editorial project started, completed one mailed out. This is a client I've worked with on a previous book and this is the second in a series. Domestics and paperwork throughout the week, weather has been quite pleasant since Tuesday, even had some "play ball" time with Scamp a day or two. She's becoming a pretty well behaved little girl, seems to finally get the house breaking routine, with the occasional accident (hey, she's only six months old, so I can't complain too much). Woke up with "dry eye" today, so my accomplishments have been some looming, rest eye, crocheting, rest eye, repeat. More prayers for Mom would be appreciated - they now think she has gout, to add to her other issues, and she has another medication. Mostly, we coast along quite comfortably, with very minor complaints, which is just fine with me.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

We have used one of those dividers for years. But the pain pills are every three to four hours not every day. The blood pressure pills are every day. She puts the blood pressure pills in the divider and carries the pain pills in her purse. She put the wrong bottle in her purse and the pain pills in the divider. So every three or four hours she took a blood pressure pill instead of a pain pill.

I am hoping now that mom has a bad experience and sister was calm and helped her instead of getting mad at her I think Mom will call one of us in the future. It scared her as much as us.

Brother in law joined the guys this morning for breakfast and did pretty well. He was still in pain but not as severe. They did cancel a trip to Texas because he couldn't sit that long in a car.

The 9-11 think was just to long. If it had only been this weekend it would have been fine. But they started in a month ago and replayed show after show. To much.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi Dona

I've taken the wrong pills before just not on the level mom did. The message to Pat about the divided pill thing. Ouch on you taking The Shankster's pills. Be careful we want you around.

Brother in law is going to work today, I hope for only a half of day. Go slow is the mantra.

I check my visit schedulen on the blog and I've seen your visits, if I hadn't seen them I would have e-mailed you. You are important to us and we want to know how you are doing.

I guess what upset me is I knew what to do and could have gotten coffee in mom right away instead of waiting the fifteen minutes it took to talk to the pharmacist. Mom is afraid my sister will get mad at her so she is afraid to call her. She doesn't want to bother me on what are days away from caregiving. Sis is getting a ton better with her reactions and I am re-enforcing with mom to call me anytime.

I'm with both you and Pat. 9-11 to much and to long.

Bill

William J. said...

Hi DR

We can only work on getting over the hate and hope eventually we all come together before the country is destroyed.

I'm pleased my brother in law is doing better, it had to be his medications.

See message to Pat about the dividers we use for Mom. You suspect correctly. It feel strange not to be the one to fix it.

Your life is always so full and busy, I think that is great. I am hoping for the best. I read somewhere that Knox unflavored jello with help with pain. I've tried it the last three days and my pain seem less. Getting repeat business shows how good you are at what you do. Our weather has been hot! Glad Scamp is becoming behaved. Worried about your eye, let us know how it is. Of course you have my prayers for you Mom. She is just dealing with to much.

Bill

Lady DR said...

Never hear of the unflavored gelatin. What kind of pain are you treating, please?

William J. said...

Hi DR

Muscle pain, joint paint, hip pain.

I will e-mail you some stuff.

Bill