It's Time For A New MMP

Good morning everyone.

I’ve missed the chance to say Bon Voyage to FCM, but I hope you have a good trip all the same!

After a Skype conversation with my son last night, I’ve had to change my plans for today. He’s had a rough week. In the course of the conversation, he asked if I would send him a Wal-Mart gift card so he could buy groceries. Additionally, when I told him we’d be going to his Grandma’s for Easter dinner, he asked if I would send some Easter goodies his way. He told me he hadn’t missed an Easter basket in 18 years, and he wasn’t going to miss the 19th.

So, very shortly, I’ll shower, prettify and head on out to crazy Wally World, and then it’s off to the UPS store.

I was planning on staying home, donning grubbies, and doing some yardwork. It seems my plans are always changed at the whim of others. Who knows, I may still get a little yardwork in.

TGIFirday!!!
I made it through the whole week. But since I plan to do very little over the weekend, Monday will probably be tough.

Meanwhile, Hoppy Easter and a zissen Pesach.

Howdy Y’all! I have declared irk over. Ok, I declared that at eleven thirty when I left da cave to go to the Friday service downtown. So I did that and now I am in chill mode for a while. Dindin will be an easy fix as it’s grilled tilapia, yellow rice and lima beans, a simple Good Friday meal.

Ok, so I’m working on this small project for school about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and I was looking for images of Aslan. Did you know that if you do an image search on ‘Aslan’ that you come up with pictures of naked women?? :dubious:

I love that book so much! But… I guess I won’t be Googling Aslan!

Well, DUH… Aslan’s a stripper name! :stuck_out_tongue:

/d&r

Ya know, despite all the comments about Easter, I somehow managed to miss the fact that today is Good Friday. Leave it to me to say something sacriligious on Good Friday. Your comment made me realize it. When I told Sweetie what I had said, he asked me, “Does this mean I can’t have lunch meat in my sandwiches today?” This, of course, made me laugh because in the 14 years since I first met him, I have never once figured out if he even believes in any god let alone the Christian one. (He was raised by a mother who firmly believes that religion is a personal thing and that there is no reason to talk about it)

Anyway, the appointment went well. The doctor was very nice. He said that I don’t have to do anything other than keep trying to lose weight as long as the Diamoxx continues to work at the current dose. If it stops working I may need to try other medication, will definitely need a spinal tap, and will need to stop taking hormonal birth control. Until that point though, all I have to do is continue taking my drugs, continue working out regularly (including making an attempt to strengthen all my back and neck muscles because my posture is atrocious), and get another field of vision test from the ophthalmologist because people with pseudotumor really shouldn’t wait 8 years before getting follow ups. :smiley: Basically he said everything I assumed (and hoped) he would say. I’m really glad I don’t have to take any other meds and that I don’t have to have a great horking needle in my back. It is nice to finally have confirmation that I do have what everyone thinks I have but it really doesn’t change any aspect of my life (yet).

Yum. Unfrosted brown sugar ones are the best!

Hi, all! Two different Dopers have contacted me, worried about my absence, so I am climbing back onto the face of the Earth to give a brief update.

Dad is now showing deficits in long term/implicit memory and skills. He couldn’t tell the difference between dishwashing soap and dishwasher soap. Then, he couldn’t figure out how to put the soap in the dishwasher, close the hatch, and start it. Helping him with that was painful. On the emotional side, he’s been much friendlier and nicer to me

He’s also been in the ER and hospital this week for chest pains that proved to be nothing.

I’m finding that I’m about at the end of my dealing with stuff rope. There are no days off. There is no personal time. There is no point when I can say “everyone’s okay, and there’s nothing to worry about.” I don’t bother looking for a full time job, because there’s no point. I am always on call. My counselor and I have talked about being in a situation, like mine, where you have responsibility but no authority, and how stressful it is. Now she is strongly urging me to talk to Mom about making the decision to put Dad in professional care and following through with it.

One of the things I will emphasize is that once Dad is placed, we will no longer have to worry about juggling schedules, being called away at a moment’s notice, arranging the household around his needs without letting him know, not having to deal with ‘the crocodile’ of Alzheimer’s when it rears its ugly head, and not being the bad guy when he wants to drive his car or hold the checkbook or carry the credit card in his wallet.

And, the sooner we do this, the better. All three of us are showing signs of extreme stress.

And you know what bugs me the most? The knowledge that I am not the only person to go through this, let alone the first. That not only am I not the only person going through this, I’m barely a face in an enormous crowd. That there are millions, if not tens of millions, of people going through this same horrendous crap. You’d think I’d take some comfort in the thought that I’m not alone, but actually, I find it horrifying that this is normal and not some singular, one-time crit fail on a family life saving throw.

I’m sorry, did I say brief? Heh.

Well, I’m going to go find some lunch and then run about a thousand errands. Love to all.

{{{Kanga}}} it’s just so hard dealin’ with a loved one who as AD. Sure there are a lot of others out there dealin’ with the same thing but your reality is this is not the dad you know in that body now and that’s tough to deal with and accept.

Dindin is et. It was actually kinda tasty. We both like tilapia a lot.

Yeah, phoukaroo, that’s part of why I contacted you. It’s been a shitty Alz week here and I figured you must be experiencing the same since you weren’t around much.

Hugs…

I’m home!
Wow - this was a doozy of a week, but it’s over and I can veg for 48 hours.

I think my Bubber boy might be getting sick again. I’ve given him a Pepcid and am keeping him with me for the night and all of tomorrow. Hopefully I’m wrong and he’s fine. I hope.

{{{Bubber}}} feel better.

Home from Good Friday Evensong at the church house. ‘Twas a beautiful service. The choir did a breath takin’ rendition of Go To Dark Gethsemane. The only problem with it was that were not 50,000 people there to hear them sing. :smiley:

Oh swampy I bet it was good

I finished up all my work then got gotta there at 3.30 givenhardly anyone was in the office at all all day. Mr ems did sams club and I hit Target - divide and conquer- so we had great steaks for supper. I am also tiny bit drunk. I stocked up on vodka on the way home from Target :smiley:

At least you got yours. I ordered a box from my niece at Christmas and haven’t gotten it yet. :mad: You do not deny your aunt GS cookies. Not if you want her to ever remember your existence again. :mad:

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffienatin’. YAWN 'Tis a chilly 45 Amurrkin out! The predicted high is 78 and sunny. Should be a nice day. This is actually a little more normal for this time of year. The nights should be cool and the afternoons warm.

Ok, that’s all I got for now. I need more caffiene and should consider some brekkie cause rumbly tummy is gettin’ right demandin’.

Happy Saturday Y’all! To all the Jewish Mumpers…

HAPPY PASSOVER!!!

Up, caffeinated, off to irk.

All brekkied. Bacon, aigs, grits and toast. NUM!!! Now I’m waitin’ for the grass to dry out so’s I can yahd irk.

Happy Passover!

Had long, long week at work. Going into home stretch of big project and it’s been really sressful.

Am going to destress by playing in the garden. Also, going to look at potential trees to plant.

Need to do taxes as well.

Off in search of food.

Hugs.

GT