Aging in place

One of my goals in this blog is to stay away from whining on and on about health issues. I have read other people's TMI emails / postings and asked, "Wow, what were they thinking in posting all that stuff?"

[If you are thinking in horror that you sent me an update and I reacted with the above question, then you probably did NOT send too much information. It's the clueless folks who don't see themselves as pushing the edges of social ineptitude.]

Yet I cannot ignore the fact that Mike has Parkinson's. As we looked to move to Clark County, our number one criteria in buying a home was for a single story. I told Brooke that we would only stay in the house we finally bought for two years or so, because of the front steps. She said "what steps?" There are three sections that have two steps each, which you don't even notice if you're a 'regular' person. You just walk up the walkway. Brooke reminded me of this story recently, as we were comparing stories of when the limited mobility really sunk in.

Lately I've thought a lot about the need to plan for aging in place. Mike's daughter, Dianne, has a degree in health care administration, emphasis in long-term care. I'm hoping she can give me ideas of what we need to think about. There are a lot of different scenarios. More immediately, we need to have a plan in place if something happens to me, even short term (say, I blow out my knee again).

Side note: when I mentioned this to Mike, his response was, "Well, you have been keeping lots of healthy food on hand. I open the fridge and you have things like grapes, sugar-free jell-o, yogurt."

"Wow, Mike, I'm really not talking about food."

That is as far as we got.

So if you have tips and resources, bring 'em on.

Beaver Football

Our home season is over, and thank goodness for decent weather. The first game had showers right up to game time, but then stopped for all of the play. In our regular seats it wouldn't matter, because those are under cover. The wheelchair seating is much lower (row 39 instead of 63), but just into the rain exposure.

I'm also thankful for the special ADA shuttles with the wheelchair lift. We had the same driver (out of three possible) for all but one run; I think her name is Kimberly.

Go Beavs!

Here's me being quiet for a couple of days

No blogging for a couple of days. Off to the Beavers last home game tomorrow!

Miracle cure for baggy eyes?

So yesterday I went for a facial. As Angela was doing "magic stuff" around my eyes, she said, "This will help with puffiness and bags."

"Really," I asked, "it's a miracle cure to help Mike sleep all night so I can sleep?"

The boss's hubby

My boss, Linda, called yesterday morning. She was scheduled to be at the VA all day with her husband's appointments. When I saw her number on my phone, I picked up with, "Hey, you're not supposed to be thinking about work today."

"Well," she said, "we're being admitted."

Obviously Vince was being admitted, "But it feels like us." I don't have permission to disclose what he was going through, but his chest pain was not from a recurrence of pneumonia. So Linda was a bit put out, especially since she had tried to get VA to see him a week ago.

My hubby came to the office at 4:00 because we had a flu shot clinic (regular seasonal flu, not H1N1 yet). Afterwards, we trondled off to the VA campus. What an adventure. First I had to unload the wheelchair and leave Mike at the front door while I figured out parking. Then there was no information desk open, so we had to ask at Emergency where to find Vince.

[side story: Vince last name: Richard. Mike last name: Ramsby. So as we are leaving the E-room, who are the calling next? Richard Ramsey. I kid you not.]

They are very concerned about the flu up there. Signs, "Restricted Access. No visitors under 15." Surgical masks available. Hand sanitizer every other step. The wing we were going to had three doors, and it seems like each were labeled, "Restricted, use other door." Anyway, we finally found them, he's looking good. He's an active 80 year old, by the way. Mike and I left in time to still use the carpool lane on I-5 north (hey, that can be a whole blog). Went to Olive Garden for dinner, then home in time for NCIS.

Anyway, think happy thoughts for Linda and Vince. Linda can always use any "calm Karma" you send her way -- ooh, another future blog!

Do I really have anything to say?

So what in the world can I blog about? All our great kids, of course. Gardening, but everything's dormant now. Work, but that might turn into whines. Holidays -- need to get Thanksgiving figured out, and also remember birthdays for Christine, Ben, Nate, Sonja, and Dianne before year end. Ooh, weight loss, always an exciting topic. Do you want to vote? Anyone out there besides Brookster?

Two months later

So if I come back to this once every two months, I will have something readable by ... 2020?