It sucks growing old

RTH10260 · #601

The covefe indicator tells me it's time to refill with hot beverage

Lani · #602

Midnight run to the hospital night Monday/Tuesday early morning, in surgery in minutes. Aorta was swelling. Then adding stents. I am a terrible patient. Why isn't the tv working/Where is my coffee (which was allowed)/Why isn't the phone working/blah blah blah. I was home yesterday afternoon.

Mocha had sprayed the doorways to my room and son's & partner's bedroom. Son punished him. NO! Mocha was frightened I was gone, and he thought he was taking care of the rooms for me. He stopped that when I arrived, jump in my lap, and so happy! I'm very weak, but I use my mobility scooter to take him for a walk around the block.

Good news - out on leave for work 2 weeks starting Monday. And I'm doing some thinking about budgets and retiring.

#603

Oh, Lani. I'm so sorry. Please take care of yourself and get well soon.

Volkonski · #604

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Sat Jun 17, 2023 11:55 pm Oh, Lani. I'm so sorry. Please take care of yourself and get well soon.

My feelings exactly.

#605

Yikes. Lani, your life is a little too adventurous lately.

#606

Yikes indeed Lani. Ugh. Big hugs. Rest up and get well soon.

jemcanada2 · #607

Take care, Lani!!

June bug · #608

Oh, Lani! Take care of yourself, sweetie, and know we’re all sending you a

!

#609

p0rtia · #610

Slim Cognito · #611

Get better fast!!!!!

Fiascoist · #612

Sounds like you are getting better... Just don't start speed racing your scooter.

Annrc · #613

Lani · #614

Fiascoist wrote: ↑Sun Jun 18, 2023 1:17 pm Sounds like you are getting better... Just don't start speed racing your scooter.

Did that when I got home! Took Mocha on two scooter-walks - just a block or 2.

#615

Lani · #616

Saw the heart surgeon today. Said things are going ok, and I'm going to feel better and better.

He said someone/everyone dropped the ball. He went through all my records and found out the previous doctors knew about the clot for a couple of years. Every time I had a xray, it was bigger & bigger, and nobody told me.

He met me the night I was being rushed into surgery - fortunately.

Meanwhile at home I looked into buying a lightweight wheelchair to use in the house & garden. Then I saw a mobility scooter on sale. Years ago I bought a used one from a resident leaving Hawaii. Love it, but it can barely travel 2 miles. I have to know where there are public electrical outlets when I drive around. My new one goes 10 to 14 miles

It was on sale, going fast, but I bought in time. Probably will take a month, but it's on its way.

Seriously, if you know someone who has a mobility problem, including back pain, arthritis, etc., tell them to try out scooters. First - they are fun! Really! Easy to use, comfortable seat, and drive on sidewalks, in stores, etc.

Easy to take apart and toss in the trunk. Flying? Drive up to the plane's door. When you land, the scooter is brought to you.

#617

Hubby said I could choose between getting a horse or a scooter because he could only worry about me getting hurt on one thing. I chose a horse!

#618

Yeah, if'n you haven't been hurt on the horsie, I'd revisit that conversation.

#619

#620

I've mentioned my dad before - he's now 93 and has dementia, probably Alzheimer's. He's still at home with my mom (92) who has problems dealing with him because he used to do EVERYTHING and now can't remember how to use a microwave, and it breaks her heart.

Anyway, I've done some reading and watched online videos on how to handle dementia patients, which is basically avoid arguing and try to enter their reality. Sometimes I'm really good at it, but sometimes I slip up.

Today, I got to my parents' house and my mom immediately said "YOU handle it!" Not a good start. I got my dad to go into the other room to talk to him.

Dad: I'm in a fix. I've got to cancel a date.
Me: A date? You mean an appointment, or a meeting?
D: No, a date. I feel like such a jerk.
M: You mean a date with a girl? Dad, you're married! (mistake)
D: MARRIED? I am not! (argue back and forth a bit) To who?
M: You have been married to Mom for 70 years! (argue back and forth)
D: Well, I guess I better call that other girl...
M: WHAT other girl?
D: The other girl. Will you call them for me? I feel awful about doing this to them.
M: (Finally, understanding dawns... he made 2 dates for a dance with 2 different girls!) Dad, I will talk to them, it's ok. No problem, dates get cancelled all the time.
D: But they were counting on me.
M: They'll be mad for a couple days but they'll get over it. It's no big deal. They'll probably go to the dance anyway; girls today do that.
D: Thank you so much; I'll just sit here and feel like a fool.

I never thought I'd be managing my father's love life! To his credit, he did seem ashamed. My dad, the player!

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane - Jimmy Buffett

#621

My favorite thing about when my dad had dementia was that if I screwed up, I could just try again later and do better. I learned that arguing or trying to bring him into reality was pointless, and upsetting to him. So, sometimes I was Uncle Elmer, other times I was a distant cousin, but he always enjoyed my company (and I his.)

#622

Yeah, my dad still has a sense of humor. When I told him he wasn't allowed to drive any more, he said "any car?" When I said no, he said "I guess I'll have to get a motorcycle."

#623

I'm taking notes. I answer a question for Mrs, and hours later she's asking about it again.

Volkonski · #624

The median age in the U.S. reaches a record high, approaching 40 years old

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/22/median ... tion-older

America is red, white, blue ... and gray. The median age in the U.S. reached a record high last year, rising to 38.9 years, and it's likely only going up from here, per Census Bureau data out Thursday.

Why it matters: Decades of lower birth rates and increasing (until recently) life expectancy means older folks make up an ever larger share of the population.

Put another way: The baby boomers and their kids — the millennials or echo boomers — are aging the country. Call it the OK, (echo) boomer era.

This has all kinds of implications for the economy, particularly in the workforce where the aging population is keeping the labor market tight.

The aging workforce could drive worker shortages for years to come — especially in health care, which will become even more crucial as we gray.

#625

Mrich wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2023 5:33 pm Yeah, my dad still has a sense of humor. When I told him he wasn't allowed to drive any more, he said "any car?" When I said no, he said "I guess I'll have to get a motorcycle."

I gotta remember that one.

I wore my "Dance Risk" t-shirt to the hospital yesterday so they would have some idea who they were dealing with.