Chez Rozarie

Fun doesn't begin to describe how things are these days.  I don't have a full time job anymore.  I worked for a small college, an hour or so away from home until October 19th.  The new schedule I was told was required was from 8:30 a.m. until 10:15 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, starting October 22nd.  There were a lot of reasons to leave, and very few to stay.  Parental care, obviously needed!  My gig at HCC, obviously important, especially with a contract!  Other reasons, like the fact that I love my husband and want to get to talk to him during the week (face time, people!), I don't see well at night, it takes an hour or so to drive to and from work, these also factored into the decision. I really miss the students, and some of my co-workers.  However, I have three quarters of a tank of gas today, after filling up on Monday. So this was my first week of so-called "free time".  Once I figured the 45 minutes in the morning, and 45 minut...

So Dad has come home from his surgical adventures.  He's been here since Tuesday evening.  He alternates between, "I feel good today, slept good" and "Oh my leg, oh my butt, I hurt".  At times, these comments happen one after another. First night was a trip.  To another world...the world of old people in your house that can't do things for themselves.  I do mean "can't".  It just wasn't physically possible for Dad to do much that first night.  Mom, as we know, has her own issues, but does follow directions when given 1 at a time. Dad uses the walker around the house, the cane to go up the stairs.  Jeremiah was here to fix him hotdogs when he got home so he had dinner.  Mom was out having pizza with her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, as  it was a Tuesday night.  This was good.  Dad got lots of attention until Mom came home with my aunt and uncle.  They stayed a while and visited.  Dad told them how good he felt,...

I realized that I primarily write about my Dad.  Not sure why, but I thought Mom should get a bit of equal time, especially since I've been spending a significant about of time with her these days. This dementia stuff is quite interesting to observe, and while it can be heart breaking to do this, it is also full of humor.  Mom and my son sit on the couch, and Mom says to him, "I don't know what I'm doing."  this comes right out of the blue while they watch television together.  Fortunately the kid "gets it" and says, "I don't know what I'm doing either, Grammie."  He laughs, she laughs. Mom isn't going outside undressed or anything, but the routine that most of us use when getting ready for the day is lost to her.  I lay her clothes out at night, making sure to put a different color underwear out, and different color socks as well.  If I don't do that, I can't be sure the clean underwear and clean socks get put on. I w...

Where to begin?  So much has happened with the old folks over the past days!  Went up to see Dad in hospital Tuesday after teaching/working all day.  He starts moaning about what hurts, still having trouble, can't seem to get the urinal where it needs to be... Yeah, the urinal issue, well, that was just a bit too much info for me. The RN on duty comes in to check on Dad, post dinner.  She has a paper cup with a pill in it - Lortab.  She tells him to take it, he does after she sits him up in bed.  Now, remember he was complaining about the pain, his legs, and everything else about 5 minutes before she comes in. "How's your pain on a scale from 1 to 9?" He thinks about it.  Says, "Oh, about a 3, I think.  I sat up all day in the chair.  About 8 hours.  I'm feeling pretty good."  If he had pants on they would be ON FIRE like those guys in the Progressive commercial! Then, he says, "You're unusual, you know" to the nurse, who ...