It sucks growing old

[sugar magnolia]

Home again, home again, jiggety jig. As expected, a raging UTI with the addition of (suspected) gall stones. She's being admitted (eventually) for the UTI and possible surgery. Super busy in the ER with 6 Code Blue and 2 "Dr Redd" (fire alarm) in the 4 hours I was there. She'll be lucky to get a room by morning.

From all the descriptions during the plague, I'm surprised the health care system hasn't collapsed. Do they take age into account when it comes to admission?

I don't think so. Like everything else, cases are probably triaged. With flu/covid/RSV raging here, I would think they get the rooms first to try and keep it from spreading any more than necessary. The nurse just called and they are transferring her from the ER to pre-op and have gall bladder surgery scheduled for later today. They'll hold her in pre-op and then post-op until a room becomes available. Getting a room on the surgical floor should be much faster than one on the med floor, which is where they would have put her yesterday. We're still being told to stay off the roads so I'm going to wait until she's in a room before going up there. I can't see her anyway and don't particularly feel like sitting in a waiting room full of the aforementioned flu/covid/RSV patients. Until my thyroid levels get back to normal, I'm still susceptible to all the nasties much more than usual. Other than her age and current issues, she's in remarkably good health for being 86 years old. Spending the night in a room in the ER was probably less stressing than being moved to a room, then to surgery then back to a different room anyway.

[bill_g]

I'm terrible about staying hydrated unless it's hot, then I get thirsty but still don't drink enough. I'm not sure what saffron urine would look like-dark? I'm temporarily on sulfasalazine, which can add color. Congestion is better, but man do the joints and muscles hurt. Can still just walk around a small area. Can't even get mail. Blah blah blah. I will have to log into work tomorrow. Can't keep slacking.

Saffron is reddish orange, and an indicator of blood in your urine. Your fatigue and aches sounds like a flu or covid symptoms, and it sounds like you've been going through this for 48hrs already. You should see a doc sometime soon if possible. In the meantime, eat light and drink lots of clear liquids like watered down broths from canned soup.

[sugar magnolia]

I'm terrible about staying hydrated unless it's hot, then I get thirsty but still don't drink enough. I'm not sure what saffron urine would look like-dark? I'm temporarily on sulfasalazine, which can add color. Congestion is better, but man do the joints and muscles hurt. Can still just walk around a small area. Can't even get mail. Blah blah blah. I will have to log into work tomorrow. Can't keep slacking.

Saffron is reddish orange, and an indicator of blood in your urine. Your fatigue and aches sounds like a flu or covid symptoms, and it sounds like you've been going through this for 48hrs already. You should see a doc sometime soon if possible. In the meantime, eat light and drink lots of clear liquids like watered down broths from canned soup.

Also known as "soup juice" from when my daughter was attacked and had her mouth wired shut.

[bill_g]

Also known as "soup juice" from when my daughter was attacked and had her mouth wired shut.

Oh ouch. I'm sorry that happened to her. I hope she's better now.

Yes. Soup juice is a good name for it. It was one of the few things Mrs could tolerate on her worst days. Sometimes I ran the immersion blender through it so she got more solids, but she wasn't fond of soup smoothies. Some days she insisted on just the broth which meant I got all the solids for lunch. I heated it up, strained her a cup, and gave her a straw to draw it up while sitting in bed.

(Damn it. Even those memories start my eyes watering. I miss playing gin with her at lunch.)

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

My parents just called, their offer on the condo was accepted!

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

L

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

Here's the basic floorplan (different community, same builder). Their unit has the following options: vault ceiling, sun room off the cafe, deck (access from sunroom), bay window in owner's suite, full basement (including under the sunroom, stairs are where the mech room is on the floor plan) w/ roughin for bathroom. 1800 sq. ft. first floor, same for basement. They may well add the basement bathroom a few years down the road, since they are planning on using the basement for projects, plus having a library down there.

Bayport-Floor-Plan-1.pdf

(121.96 KiB) Downloaded 41 times

[John Thomas8]

As a quick update, our real estate lawyer had a discussion with the "lien holder" and that went away within an hour. We closed Wednesday and now it's just staying employed for the next 30 years that's the problem.

[AndyinPA]

Nice design. I'm not a fan of the open concept, but overall, it's a charming design.

For some reason, over the last week, I've been getting dozens of house plans in my FB feed, so I've looked at a lot of them.

[neonzx]

Hm. When did living room get changed to gathering room? That new terminology for me.

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

Hm. When did living room get changed to gathering room? That new terminology for me.

First time I've seen that terminology as well. And cafe instead of breakfast nook.

[Luke]

I had NO IDEA this topic was about us! Never opened it because the title scared me. I'm on page 33 and just saw Gregg's first round with Biscuit and I'm in tears, what a terrific guy he is. I got a bit of a spoiler on his sister's message but went back to find out how we got here. Lots of love to everybody.

ETA: Foggy -- thank you for scheduling your knee surgery on my birthday! I think young Ryan Heath has something going on in court that day, I don't remember what but it was 1/29.

One other thought about Gregg. Foggy, do you remember if Gregg was part of the group that sent flowers to the clerks dealing with Walt Fitzpatrick? Something colorful might brighten his day if that's allowed. I'd be in in a heartbeat.

And I'm really sorry about all the other problems I've read about. I'm still nowhere near getting over losing Mom and Dad within two months of each other as an only child, every day is hard and like everybody, medical stuff doesn't help.

[bill_g]

I'll summarize the thread for you Luke - Don't get old.

You're welcome.

[Foggy]

Yeah, getting old is kinda my thing nowadays.
You kids can get offa my lawn now.

Gregg was too new to be part of the flowers-to-clerks episode. Or even donation-in-the-name-of-Fuddy. I feel that, sadly, there's no emergency in deciding how to honor Gregg, and the more time I spend on it, the better it will be. But I wish we could just have him back instead. I think the motorcar company feels the same way. I hope.

[Mrich]

My dad's been in his memory care facility for 10 days now; yesterday I took my mom to see him. It shows how bad his memory has been that he didn't even mention that he hasn't seen her for a while. (They told us to wait until he became acclimated to his new arrangements.)

I'm really proud of my mom for not getting weepy. They had a nice visit, then when it came time for him to go to dinner, we just told him that his dinner was ready, it's all paid for as part of the room, but we were going to leave but would be back soon.

I have been to see him 4 times, and I am learning how to gracefully leave without him wanting to go with me. It's hard to see him in a facility, but he's probably eating better and they're taking good care of him. Next week he's starting physical therapy!

[AndyinPA]

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[Foggy]

Oh, Mrich. I hope my kids will be as caring as you are.

[Estiveo]

Visiting was a problem for Estiveo's Mom during her last almost two months in a care facility. She would be agitated & upset for hours after I would visit & leave, but without a visit she'd mention me every day or so, and be content after being told I was running errands and had asked her to wait a while. She never asked after Bosco or the Yeti and obviously didn't recognize them when they visited early on, which was really hard on them. So none of us visited her last few weeks to make it easier for her, hard as it was on us.

It's difficult for everyone while it's happening, but I don't regret the years I was able to keep Estiveo's Mom at home, or her last few weeks happily loving on the facility's two therapy wiener dogs.

You're doing good by them, Mrich.

[AndyinPA]

Yeah, for about the last year or so, we would call before going in to see my mom. If she was having a bad day, it was better if we stayed away, as our presence only upset her more.

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

My MIL passed away in July; she was an avid football (and basketball) fan, particularly of the Lions and Michigan State. I could always count on the game being on TV when we came over to visit. She was a young girl the last time the Lions won the Championship. She would have been so excited this season.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Hubby has been suffering from shingles for the past 2 weeks. He had all the necessary vaccinations. The pain in his left rib ebbs and flows with flulike “being stove up”. Luckily he has reprieves.

[Slim Cognito]

[AndyinPA]

To get that after being vaxed sucks. Could they not give him an anti-viral when it first appeared?

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

To get that after being vaxed sucks. Could they not give him an anti-viral when it first appeared?

He thought the pain was from a snowboarding fall until the rash appeared. He is on gabapentin and an antiviral which have reduced but not gotten rid of all the pain. It sucks.