Cushie Butterfield

mommygalore @ 2007-11-12T01:54:00

2007-11-12T08:55:05Z

Is there anybody out there?

mommygalore @ 2007-05-12T11:51:00

2007-05-12T17:52:44Z

You know, maybe I'm being a little selfish here, but I really don't think it's asking too much to have more than twenty-four hour's notice that I will be having a houseguest ON MOTHER'S DAY.

A Bright Red Cast

2007-05-11T19:51:06Z

It turns out Jackaroo wasn't exaggerating yesterday's playground injury after all. (The best clue was that he wasn't using that hand to play video games.)

Definitely a sprain, possibly a scaphoid fracture: http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp04013.htm

Ten days in a cast, then more xrays, and then another cast if it's really broken.

Four hours at Children's Hospital, not that bad, really... M was at school but we had Mr. Peanut with us, both were incredibly well behaved.

Dropped him off at school on the way home from the hospital. He's quite pleased with the cast - I can only imagine the way he is embellishing the ordeal.

Aunt Barb Passes Away

2007-02-18T04:09:01Z

...I'm sure it was a relief to her sons. She has been nonresponsive for years.

So: The funeral is Monday, and I am escorting Uncle Bud, Mom, and Aunts Martha, Lucy, and Margaret. (They range in age from the mid-60's to the early 80's.) We fly to Regina tomorrow AM. I'll be driving for the Manitoba leg of the journey.

It's an "all oldies" weekend - woo hoo.

I'd better get my own damned room.

Mom

2007-02-12T07:00:07Z

So, it's down on paper: Mild Dementia, Slow progression expected.
This is what I have known for years but it is heart-rending to see it committed to paper by her doctor.

So there, big brothers, I got the damned assessment done. I'll take that foul little document to the lawyer tomorrow and you can all go about pretending to be in charge of things. Yes. I am bitter.

Don't leave her notes anymore to brush her teeth or take a bath. THAT HURTS HER. She is raging at you because you are treating her like a toddler. FUCK OFF ALREADY.

Don't be so fucking surprised I joined a caregiver support group.

No more bullshit family dinners. She hates them and so do I.

I'll take her to x-ray tomorrow, and I'll get her meds changed, and I'll figure out a day program, and drive all over the fucking city to try to make her smile.

This HURTS.
I want my mom back.

It's not betrayal, it's not betrayal....

2007-01-29T18:37:16Z

...and yet, that is how it feels. I've just made an appointment to see Mom's doctor this aft to discuss assessment for trusteeship/guardianship.

I'd hoped to give her another chance at signing things over voluntarily, but as much as I hate to admit that he's right, it would seem that brother #3 actually IS probably being more realistic than I have been of late. She is not going to ever come back all the way.

My heart has broken just a little bit more with this admission.

mommygalore @ 2007-01-29T01:19:00

2007-01-29T08:24:24Z

no school for kids tomorrow = no school lunches to pack. (sigh of relief)

did not phone Mom today. not at all. (slight nagging guilt)

must discuss with the estate lawyer what assessment is necessary for trusteeship application. (will likely procrastinate)

had a huge nap today - now i'm WIDE AWAKE.
i kind of like the quiet here. even the hamster is sleeping.

just checked. he's not dead.

mommygalore @ 2007-01-07T23:52:00

2007-01-08T06:53:10Z

I don't care if you've already seen this a dozen times. Watch it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOz3Qgr3-Po

I just want to find this guy and feed him soup and ginger cookies.

mommygalore @ 2007-01-02T20:24:00

2007-01-03T02:24:10Z

There is a bread pudding in the oven, and three very happy children running about. They are very loud but I am not inclined to do anything about it just now.

Went to see Mom this aft - and she was busy playing Scrabble with her new friend. I don't think she keeps the score terribly accurately but it doesn't seem to bother either of them a bit. They play at least four games a day - two after breakfast, two after lunch, and occasionally after supper.

She seems happy more often than not but often talks about going back to her house in Saskatchewan "just for a few weeks." I'm considering taking her back this summer when the kids are out of school - but wonder if it might be difficult to get her to leave again.

Elder care has so many different layers it's hard to know what to deal with first.

mommygalore @ 2007-01-01T16:14:00

2007-01-01T22:14:48Z

This year, I will try not to buy any cheap shoes.

I will try to eat less meat and drink more tea.

I will attempt to spend more time with my kids and my mom.

I had thought I would try to get a lot of cleaning done in a flurry of new year's virtue, but the dust aggravated me so much I needed an extra dose of the inhaler.

Perhaps what is needed is an extra dose of creativity - many inks and papers and things around here which ought to be put to use.

my xmas gifts

2006-12-30T19:36:43Z

... the flu, pneumonia, and reactive asthma.

Actually, I came down with what I thought at first was a severe cold. By the middle of December I had full blown flu symptoms which worsened, and as a result, Christmas was hellish. On Boxing Day I decided that perhaps I should go and be seen.

Went to the Urgent Care Clinic downtown and after a half hour wait for triage, was seen by a nurse who looked at me sideways as I sat there wheezing and describing my symptoms. I had a wild fit of coughing then. After it subsided, she took my oxygen sats and they were a rather low 87%. Apparently, being able to breathe is very important, because I was suddenly jumped over a queue of about 50 people and laid out on a stretcher with a mask over my face administering a double treatment of Ventalin. I was diagnosed with pneumonia and "reactive asthma." (I've never had asthma in my life and quit smoking over 15 years ago.)

Two more double treatments and five hours later I was sent home after arguing with the doctor that I had been dealing with this for days now and would comply with the medications (puffer and pills). I seem to be responding fairly well and will follow up with the family doctor in a couple of weeks.

Still wheezing with exertion (stairs) and cold air.

Flu shot next year, dammit.

mommygalore @ 2006-12-11T08:53:00

2006-12-11T14:53:14Z

i need to wake those kids up and make the damned lunches. geez, i hate those lunches. i seriously would rather clean the catbox.

yesterday was bodhi day and christmas tree and a wee nap. not bad. kids very happy.

mommygalore @ 2006-12-11T08:45:00

2006-12-11T14:45:40Z

intensity of focus would be a good thing right now.

i'm scattered in many directions.

my entire torso is aching for some reason too.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-24T00:06:00

2006-11-24T06:06:40Z

Hamtaro the Hamster
February 2005 - November 23, 2006
Rest in Peace

(the kids don't know yet. tomorrow is going to suck.)

mommygalore @ 2006-11-23T00:36:00

2006-11-23T06:36:32Z

Well, well.

Tonight I went to see Valdy at Mom's retirement home. Turns out his former father in law lives there too.

Great show, only an hour, but heaps of fun. Charles stayed over at my coaxing - he was meant to fly out tonight but gave in to the power of the baby sister! Last time he saw the old folkie was in '72. Wild. I saw him in '89 (Lake Louise), '97 (whilst hugely knocked up with Jackaroo) and now in '06.

Mom had a great time, I think. I hope she will remember it - maybe I'll pick up some CDs for her - it may help cement the memory.

It sure would be nice if somebody else would help with the physio.

on apathy

2006-11-18T05:28:48Z

...meh.

baby teeth

2006-11-17T14:52:07Z

MonkeyBunny lost both front teeth this week! Now she's all cute and lithpy.

Oh MAN, I love those kids so much I sometimes just want to bite their little faces right off.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-17T08:50:00

2006-11-17T14:50:05Z

Won all three at the club last night. Don't feel particularly good about the way I won the last one, though - opponent had less than 40 seconds on her clock, and I was holding EEEINST, one tile left in the bag. I played off an E knowing it was a phony - REIT* as she did not have time to challenge. I wasn't trying to make her go overtime, but i did need to get rid of that tile without making an opening for her blank. I pulled the last E, she played TURF leaving me a line for TEENIEST, which, of course I played for 59, catching her with ?UGM on her rack. I won by 36.

Now, she could have challenged, but chose not to. I knew the word was a phony, and she did too. I think if she had challenged, I probably could have won by scratching out a few points while she scrambled against her clock.

So I won, but it felt sleazy. Don't think I'll do that again.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-13T17:26:00

2006-11-13T23:26:50Z

Took Mom in for physio today. She was kind of scared and didn't want to stay by herself. It went well, though, and the woman working with her (Carolyn) was really kind and understanding and quite amazing with Mom. Carolyn agreed with me that Mom's pain tolerance is prodigious in that she has no residual pain from the shoulder, rib and pelvic fractures.

Focus will be on strengthening her hip to begin with - perhaps the "stable" pelvic fracture is of a greater concern than we had been led to believe. There seems to be some strength issues around the right hip and hamstring - much of which seems to be due to disuse. We have some resistance band exercises to begin with.

It's clear that the shoulder will need more work, and Carolyn mentioned soft tissue work for that, but for now we are starting with strengthening and correcting the gait. There is also extensive ligament damage to the left thumb, but that may be an older injury.

Also had a long talk with the brain injury service coordinator (Joe). Intake interview this Wednesday. This seeming trend of writing off elderly patients as "too old" seems to be a real growing trend in this region. How truly horrifying.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-12T22:00:00

2006-11-13T04:00:37Z

Finally, a day off. Shame I had to spend most of it down with a migraine.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-11T01:00:00

2006-11-11T07:00:01Z

Another day with Mom. Picked her up after lunch and went to the Oval. Had all the kids as it was a PD day. She managed her usual two laps (450M each) before wanting to stop. This from a woman who used to walk 5K every day and get crabby if she missed it.

Dropped her off before supper and went back after for another quiet evening in. Knitting endless garter stitch squares together; we have enough for at least two large afghans by now. C is back in town tomorrow, R & C Sunday. Wonder when D will call? Not too bloody soon, I'll bet.

Made some progress on the power of attorney discussion. Think I'll try to take her in to see Leanne to avoid the whole application process if possible - although I'm sure somebody will find a reason to bitch about it.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-05T13:39:00

2006-11-05T19:39:41Z

There is so much housework to do I just want to cry.

Good thing there's a computer to procrastinate with.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-04T18:37:00

2006-11-05T00:37:29Z

My kids are getting to the age where I need my OWN DAMNNED COMPUTER.

ETA: Maybe my OWN DAMNNED HOUSE.

mommygalore @ 2006-11-04T00:02:00

2006-11-04T06:02:41Z

Kick him in the crotch and then run...

2006-11-03T05:57:25Z

...was my strategy for playing the top player on our club laddder. By some fluke I found myself playing in the top group against Jason (1683) Wayne (1593) and Mark (1782). I lost all three games.

Against Jason, I had a strong lead but blew it in the endgame by not opening the board. 415-334. I had TOAdIES(64) and TRIDENTS (64) and he had RECOPIED and a couple of 40+ plays.

With Wayne, I had BATTING (79) and ReLIEVED (72) but he had MALTIEST and DUSTERS and SUPINATE. (I did manage to block his EPIBLAST) 459-364.

And by far, the most fun was playing Mark. (I don't usually get to play the higher rated players, so it really was a treat.) I only had GARReTS (73) to his MOISTEN and EPIsTLE, but he missed a little opening near the end of the game - he had a minute on his clock and I played TAJ for 30 - tying the score - but he found a few more points to beat me with an end score of 420-403.

Geez, sometimes losing can be fun.