In an attempt to get my folks, especially my dad to eat MORE, I suggested they try to eat fast food more often, at least once a week, if not more. Nothing packs calories like fast food. :-) My dad really needs to try to put on more weight as he got very thin when he was sick and doesn't weigh a whole lot more than I do at this point.
Tonight's dinner for them was Dairy Queen! :-) I stayed to help clean up after dinner (but mostly to watch how much they ate). Dad ate everything on his plate and my mom did not too bad. She has eaten lightly for at least a few years now but my dad was not a light eater, especially at dinnertime. He's my main concern right now for weight gain.
I also recommended they eat snacks, in the afternoon and in the evening after diner so that maybe that will add more caloric intake, more food, and more energy and more weight! I'm no nutritionist but I can see with my eyes that more weight is needed to get more strength. And I know fast food is not the healthiest, but I am just thinking of things with high calories for now. Hubby is also going to get dad some Ensure tomorrow to have for snacks or whenever.
All this talk about food is making me hungry so I better end this blog now. It is 10:15PM and too late for me to eat anything (without getting a belly ache). :-)
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Finally Friday
Yah! It is Friday! We had our pizza and beer, it was sunny today and inched up into the 50's outside and it was a decent day out. I got new sneakers yesterday at DSW (got a post card for a free tote and yoga mat with a purchase of I think $20) so that was a nice gift just for getting new sneakers that I needed anyway. Hubby got a new pair too and I got a new pair of casual shoes. I generally wear sneakers all the time but I like other shoes I can just slip on and not 'tie up'. Plus I'd like to keep my sneakers from wearing out sooner (from wearing them as street shoes too). I wore my new sneakers on my walk today and it was wonderful! I didn't think I'd feel that big a difference but I did!
Well here's to hearing my hubby a lot LESS yelling at the dogs for scratching at the door to the kitchen. Hubby installed put a doggy door in it! Now they can come in and out to my office/garage without scratching at the door or without us just leaving the door open (and letting all the drafty cold air in from the garage). It is great but we will have to be sure we have the door in place when we want to leave from the garage to go anywhere so that they don't just come out with us! :)
It isn't fun chasing 5 dogs around the yard/street! :-)
Normally it doesn't seem that annoying for that long but even here in Texas winter has seemed to be so lonnnnggg!! In the summer it is no big deal because we can just leave doors open.
Tomorrow night we turn the clocks forward an hour and lose an hour. Good! Now the bathroom clock will be the right time again.
Well here's to hearing my hubby a lot LESS yelling at the dogs for scratching at the door to the kitchen. Hubby installed put a doggy door in it! Now they can come in and out to my office/garage without scratching at the door or without us just leaving the door open (and letting all the drafty cold air in from the garage). It is great but we will have to be sure we have the door in place when we want to leave from the garage to go anywhere so that they don't just come out with us! :)
It isn't fun chasing 5 dogs around the yard/street! :-)
Normally it doesn't seem that annoying for that long but even here in Texas winter has seemed to be so lonnnnggg!! In the summer it is no big deal because we can just leave doors open.
Tomorrow night we turn the clocks forward an hour and lose an hour. Good! Now the bathroom clock will be the right time again.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
SUN!
We actually had some SUNSHINE today!! It wasn't warm by any means but we haven't had sun in over a week I'm pretty sure and to me that seemed like months!
Tomorrow is Friday! Yippee!! Pizza and Beer night!
Looking forward to it! Keeping this short. I'm tired!
Tomorrow is Friday! Yippee!! Pizza and Beer night!
Looking forward to it! Keeping this short. I'm tired!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Cold Hump Night
Another winter advisory tonight/tomorrow and several schools are already closed. It is 31 degrees out. Great!
Well Dad went to see his VA doc and he is going to check into that procedure through the VA to make sure it is covered as well as there is some doubt now as to whether it would be covered by medicare.
Will see what happens. They took another UTI test to make sure there really is no infection. They actually did a little clearing of his bladder pathway today so maybe that will help!
I went ahead and ordered a Papillon wall calendar finally! It should get here hopefully within a week. Then I can stop looking at the Calendar and seeing January. LOL.
Looking forward to NEXT week as the temperatures are suppose to be in the 60's (for a high) the entire week. That is until they change the forecast again.
Well Dad went to see his VA doc and he is going to check into that procedure through the VA to make sure it is covered as well as there is some doubt now as to whether it would be covered by medicare.
Will see what happens. They took another UTI test to make sure there really is no infection. They actually did a little clearing of his bladder pathway today so maybe that will help!
I went ahead and ordered a Papillon wall calendar finally! It should get here hopefully within a week. Then I can stop looking at the Calendar and seeing January. LOL.
Looking forward to NEXT week as the temperatures are suppose to be in the 60's (for a high) the entire week. That is until they change the forecast again.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Wrong Day
Guess I was rushing the week along yesterday when I titled the post Tuesday Topic.
< Sigh > Wishful thinking I suppose.
Okay. While I still think the health care workers we are dealing with suck, there is a possible light at the end of this tunnel. The urologist wants to do a procedure on dad to clear out the blockage that he thinks he sees such as scar tissue, that is preventing the natural flow to occur from my dad's bladder. He said it has an 85% success rate and there are no additional risks or concerns due to age. It is an outpatient procedure (where he does not have to stay in the hospital) and my dad is very enthusiastic to give it a shot. It is going to be later in March, sometime the week of the 22nd.
He also does not have a so called bladder infection that needs antibiotics. It is more like residual stuff that just does get out because the bladder doesn't completely drain. I'm not going to get real technical but am glad to hear this news which also explains to me why he wasn't in pain and feeling the urge to go all the time. I've had UTI infections and they were not something that one is nonchalant about!
I so hope that this procedure works! If it does the results should be very quick, like within a day. :-) Say a little prayer everyone. I'd also love to be done helping him with the catheter 3 times a day.
We are getting another cold front with a chance of wintry mix Wed evening thru Thursday morning. Fun, fun !!
< Sigh > Wishful thinking I suppose.
Okay. While I still think the health care workers we are dealing with suck, there is a possible light at the end of this tunnel. The urologist wants to do a procedure on dad to clear out the blockage that he thinks he sees such as scar tissue, that is preventing the natural flow to occur from my dad's bladder. He said it has an 85% success rate and there are no additional risks or concerns due to age. It is an outpatient procedure (where he does not have to stay in the hospital) and my dad is very enthusiastic to give it a shot. It is going to be later in March, sometime the week of the 22nd.
He also does not have a so called bladder infection that needs antibiotics. It is more like residual stuff that just does get out because the bladder doesn't completely drain. I'm not going to get real technical but am glad to hear this news which also explains to me why he wasn't in pain and feeling the urge to go all the time. I've had UTI infections and they were not something that one is nonchalant about!
I so hope that this procedure works! If it does the results should be very quick, like within a day. :-) Say a little prayer everyone. I'd also love to be done helping him with the catheter 3 times a day.
We are getting another cold front with a chance of wintry mix Wed evening thru Thursday morning. Fun, fun !!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Tuesday Topic - Home Health Care Lacking
I took my walk today even though it was a little drizzly out and only in the 40s. Even though it wasn't the most pleasant walk, it was nice to get a walk in for once! I'm hoping it is nice enough Wednesday to walk again then too.
I really don't know about the health care service for elderly folks. I have had to call the home health care folks for the third time today to let them know about supplies I am running out of to help with my dad's catheter procedure that he has to do 3 times a day. I already called Thursday and told them I only had enough Iodine swabsticks for a few more day and they promised to order some. I asked them to sent me a good quantity of supply so I am not asking every couple days for more.
None have arrived at my folks house and I heard nothing more from them.
Now I won't have any for tomorrow morning but they are having a nurse go first thing to take care of it and provide more supplies. This would not have happened if I hadn't kept calling them. I called them at 8:30 this morning and they were going to call me right back. Finally around 3:30 I called them again to see what my dad was suppose to do if he could not do the catheter due to lack of supplies! I try to be polite but it is hard to keep my temper when they obviously just flat out don't seem to care.
Also he has a bladder infection. They took a sample Thursday and I asked about it Friday. No word yet as they 'send them out'. Today I asked about it again and was finally told he does have a UTI (infection) but they have to send the results to his doctor who will then call in a prescription for him. Nothing happened for that today. There is just no sense of urgency at all! Let's just let him go for days with a urinary tract infection.
I don't know how my folks would have handled all this if they were trying to do all this on their own. Between my sister and I we got a lot accomplished but we have to stay on top of everyone too. Makes me sad wondering how many elderly are just not cared for, even if they are Vets??! My dad is a Vet and this home health care was provided via the VA (and my sister had to push and push to get that care). Maybe they are short staffed. Who knows, but it has not been a great experience and I just pray every night that my dad gets to go like he used to so we do not have to deal with this any more.
I really don't know about the health care service for elderly folks. I have had to call the home health care folks for the third time today to let them know about supplies I am running out of to help with my dad's catheter procedure that he has to do 3 times a day. I already called Thursday and told them I only had enough Iodine swabsticks for a few more day and they promised to order some. I asked them to sent me a good quantity of supply so I am not asking every couple days for more.
None have arrived at my folks house and I heard nothing more from them.
Now I won't have any for tomorrow morning but they are having a nurse go first thing to take care of it and provide more supplies. This would not have happened if I hadn't kept calling them. I called them at 8:30 this morning and they were going to call me right back. Finally around 3:30 I called them again to see what my dad was suppose to do if he could not do the catheter due to lack of supplies! I try to be polite but it is hard to keep my temper when they obviously just flat out don't seem to care.
Also he has a bladder infection. They took a sample Thursday and I asked about it Friday. No word yet as they 'send them out'. Today I asked about it again and was finally told he does have a UTI (infection) but they have to send the results to his doctor who will then call in a prescription for him. Nothing happened for that today. There is just no sense of urgency at all! Let's just let him go for days with a urinary tract infection.
I don't know how my folks would have handled all this if they were trying to do all this on their own. Between my sister and I we got a lot accomplished but we have to stay on top of everyone too. Makes me sad wondering how many elderly are just not cared for, even if they are Vets??! My dad is a Vet and this home health care was provided via the VA (and my sister had to push and push to get that care). Maybe they are short staffed. Who knows, but it has not been a great experience and I just pray every night that my dad gets to go like he used to so we do not have to deal with this any more.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
March is here!!
YAH!! IT is March. Time to get warm. Right?!
No ice today but it was rainy all day, still is I think. It would be nice to have the sun come out again.
Not much to blog about today sorry.
No ice today but it was rainy all day, still is I think. It would be nice to have the sun come out again.
Not much to blog about today sorry.
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