It sucks growing old

[Kriselda Gray]

[Uninformed]

Lost for words. I’ll feebly second Rvinit’s post. I hope all of you will accept best wishes from a stranger.

[Foggy]

Yeah, no wait. No more broken ribs, yikes! And definitely no more hospice!

Here's what you gotta do - you gotta fool 'em and live for many, many more years. Yeah, that's the ticket. Tell 'em hospice is nice, but you're not leaving ANY TIME SOON.



p.s. Fuck Prisoner #P01135809

[bill_g]

Big hugs for pgirl and rv.

Chin up, or get drunk, or do whatever it takes to put one foot in front of the other. It's been a hard year. Seems we are all going through it. I haven't posted anything about Mrs in a while because it falls mostly in the category of If-you-can't-say-something-good-then-don't-say-anything-at-all. She's made some progress, and had some setbacks. She's present hour by hour these days. I keep my shit together through contemplation, service to other people, keeping a schedule, eating well, and the occasional small glass of wine. All of our Sunday Dinner friends have passed. While we've made new friends, we haven't restarted the tradition. I honestly don't know what the next few months has in store for us, but I've already plugged my nose and jumped into the deep end of the pool.

[coffee_cup_toast]Here's mud in your eye![/coffee_cup_toast]

[Lani]

I've been reading this thread for hours. I'm 73 yo this week. I have medical appointments frequently. I'm not scared. I've died 2x. It wasn't painful or scary. Just wonderful.

Now I'm cleaning out the condo to give people items they need and I don't.

[AndyinPA]

[Slim Cognito]

Well, well. I don't find comfort in others journey through the old age foibles and agonies. Though it is somehow comforting that I am not alone.

I've been a lurker here for sometime because the news, politics.are.just too depressing. And I am - have caused my medical situation. I am at peace with my prognosis which is six months to a year. I am peaceful with it now. I have an appointment with hospice next week to discuss palliative care. I've pretty much taken care of my affairs (house is my only asset so while simple, it wasn't cheap but a real comfort.
p.s. Fuck Trump.

I’m so sorry! If there’s anything I can do, please let me know!!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

PG and sad-cafe - Dammit!!!

[Mrich]

I have mentioned my 93 year old dad who has dementia - pretty sure Alzheimer's. He has been living at home with my mom (married 70 years, she is 92), but we are going to have to get my dad into a facility. I'm just venting here because I'm upset and need to talk it out.

In general, he's pleasant but constantly confused, with the memory of a goldfish. He can't remember if he's eaten, doesn't remember where he lives, wants to know when he's going home... stuff like that. It's not been unusual to spend 30 minutes talking about where his shoes are. Usually when he gets into what I call "a loop" I take him on a drive and it distracts him and he forgets what he's obsessing on.

This afternoon he was being ugly to Mom and me which is really unusual. He was accusing me of something he couldn't articulate but was implying that I'm going to hell for what I'm doing. (No idea what it was.) But he agreed to get in the car and go for a ride.

He was quiet during the ride which is also very unusual. Typically he makes comments about how pretty the land is and how the area has developed since he moved there, but not a word.

I was making a left turn and he opened the door and tried to get out of the moving car. I yelled at him to close the door and grabbed him and he started hitting me and yelling HELP HELP. I pulled over into a parking lot and tried to get out of the car, and he was pulling my hair and punching and slapping me and yelling HELP HELP HE'S GOT A GUN. (I am his daughter.) Now, my dad is maybe 130 lbs but he had a hold of me and I couldn't get out of the car. I had to bite him to get out. All the time he's yelling HELP HELP.

Luckily the lady who owns a business there and her husband were outside; they called 911 then came over and he immediately calmed down but told them I had kidnapped him. I called my sister, and she came and he recognized her but still was pointing to me and saying "He kidnapped me." She took him home without problem. The patrol cars came after and I stayed to talk to them. They were really nice, said they would just write up the report, no charges (they said technically it was domestic abuse). I’m shaken but unhurt except a few scratches and a sore neck; he has a bruise on his finger where I bit him. He remembers nothing about it and at this time he knows who I am.

Like I say, just venting. My dad has always been a sweetheart and this is heartbreaking. Thanks for listening.

[Annrc]

Oh my goodness. I can’t even imagine.

[p0rtia]

So damned sorry. Glad you came here to vent. Be safe.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

It is so difficult to watch an illness change someone’s personality. We watched an older friend go through that.

[NewMexGirl]

One of my grandfathers became violent as he traveled further into senility. He tried to shove my grandmother down the stairs. There was simply no choice but to find him a place (euphemism for institution) to live asap. This turned out to be a veteran’s hospital—very grim. It took a couple of more months to find him a better “home.” Just an awful, awful situation, as yours is.

[sad-cafe]

o as you all know I was being a klutz and fell early Tuesday morning last week. I went back to work on Friday and things were okay. Monday I worked and was hurting so badly that I was crying all night. Tuesday was a little better. Today Wed. I was doing my hall duty and a student either ran or was pushed into me YOU GUESSED IT on the injured ribs side. dropped me to my knees, I almost threw up and uncontrollable crying commenced. Then embarrassment because they brought the wheelchair and a couple of adults picked me up and sat me in it. All of this time I am just in a fog because the pain was imminence.

[John Thomas8]

And I thought not sleeping do to an annoyed sciatic nerve was bad.

Not even close.

[Mr brolin]

Reading all the above, ones old git moment seems pretty trivial.

After a looooong series of palliative measures, steroid injections, bit of laproscopic surgery etc, 10 days ago I had to bite the bullet and get a TKR ( Total Knee Replacement) on my left knee.

Staples came out yesterday, all 17 of them and the torturers, sorry physiotherapists have their hands on me.

For me, one of the worst parts has been that I simply can't get in a comfortable position to sleep, so far best has been 3 hours at one stretch.

I never knew that human skin could come in such a wide and vibrant range of colours when it bruises....

[AndyinPA]

I'm so sorry for both of you. I hope you can get your dad the help he needs in a good place for him and you and your mother.

Also, so sorry that the broken ribs are so awful. I hope you feel better soon.

[Foggy]

I know it's super hard not to be angry at your dad, too also. Loving him is the easy part.

Jeez, what an episode. You have to move quickly to get him in a facility, because if he's going to climb out of the car, you can't drive him around anymore, it isn't safe. What a pickle!

Ol' Wifehorn and I took care of both her parents in our house until they died. Both had Alzheimers', but they had very different paths of the disease. We got kicked off hospice twice becaues we took such good care of her mom. Her dad died relatively quickly. We've faced a lot of these issues and I will say what I can think of that might help.

[Mrich]

Thanks to all for your compassion regarding my dad. He has a doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon (Monday).

[John Thomas8]

I turned 62 about a month ago.

My sister got married the year I was born.

We lost her earlier this morning.

There's me and my brother left out of a family of 6, he's older than I am.

I'm tired.

The folks from the local Hospice are extremely special.

[June bug]

I’m sorry, John. I’m glad Hospice was there for you.
Hugs to you and your family.

[Volkonski]

I have some idea how that feels. At 72 I am the last of my nuclear family. My younger brother died this past spring. All those memories that you no longer share with any living person.

[p0rtia]

Sending my love your way, JT. This has been a tough year for you and your family.

[Estiveo]

Condolences to you & your family, JT8

[Kriselda Gray]