Sunday Weigh in February 25, 2024

[Barb135]

Good morning everyone.  How is everyone doing this morning?  I hope you've all had a good week.  It's been busy here and I've given my permission to take the day off, but I'm sure I'll work just as hard as I've been working, anyway.  

I don't know if I've mentioned that we're in the process of remodeling our kitchen.  We're using some of our existing cabinets, painting them and replacing the doors and drawer facings and have new cabinets for other places.  We'll be putting some of cabinets into a different configuration with new countertops and opening up the kitchen/dining area, so, hopefully, it will be lighter... We will be replacing the fridge and turning it a different direction, plus getting new flooring in both the kitchen and dining rooms.  It's a big job and is slow going because we can't just rip out the old and install the new because we have nowhere to store dishes, pots/pans, etc while we're doing all that.

Anyway,  I've spent the past week painting cabinets along one wall that we're keeping.  I'm pretty much worn out from being up/down on/off the stool, up/down on the floor, and still walking every day along with that.  My arms are sore from scrubbing/painting, peeling wall paper and my back is killing me from all of the above, plus the lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling... my old body simply isn't built for all this anymore!!  In addition, husband seems to be "driven" when it comes to projects... it takes forever to convince him we need to make improvements, but once he gets onboard, he wants it done yesterday, so the push is continual from start to finish!!  Anyway, it will all get done eventually!!

In addition to construction project, I had to go for a breathing test this week.  I've noticed that when I'm out walking with neighbor, it's getting harder and harder to keep up with her, especially going uphill.  I think I've mentioned that she's quite a bit taller than me and her stride is longer than mine, so at times, I find myself nearly running to keep up.  Going uphill now leaves me totally unable to carry on a conversation.  I don't have the results of the breathing test (will get those on Thursday), but as a former smoker (quit 15 yrs ago), I'm guessing I'll be told I have COPD and put on some type of medication.  The technician gave me a puff of albuterol (rescue inhaler) during the test and it made a difference, but it also gave me horrible sore throat, so I'll be sure to tell my doctor about that.

I also went back to have my hearing aids checked.  They'd been causing some discomfort in my ears so the doctor made some changes - now they cause even more discomfort, so I'm going to try to get her to put them back like they were.  I'm not sure they're helping a lot, especially for my tinnitus, which was the main reason I got them, but I'm trying to stick with them in hopes it gets better.

So - with all that going on, you'd think I should have lost several pounds, but I've actually gained 1.8 pounds... I've had some trouble with constipation and swelling, so I'm guessing those are the culprits so I'm trying to work on resolving both issues.  We'll see how well I do this week.  

So, that's my story... how was your week?  I hope it was a good one and that you were able to meet your goals, whatever they might have been.  I look forward to hearing about them.  

~~Wishing everyone a wonderful, successful weekend~~

[AnnieBrooke]

Gee, Barb, please post back when you get your results. I'll be thinking about you.

So, fooey, I gained a pound this week. I'm sure it's my eating -- due to school stress, son has asked to go to Starbucks a few times after school just to get something nice and to unwind, and I've joined him (though I know that even most of their coffees have secret sugar). And we've had snacks in the house. It's been a stressful week, and though I don't often eat in response to stress, I don't doubt I've been doing that this week, especially sweets. I renewed my vow today that if it tastes sweet, I'm not eating it, a good mantra that I ignored several times!

My stepdad has been having labored breathing, and keeps calling my sister that lives closest to him to take him to the hospital. They keep doing the same tests and telling him the same thing, and finally told him there's nothing more to do besides the medication the cardiologist prescribed two weeks ago. He's too frail for serious surgeries they might recommend if he was a vigorous young man.

The hospital sent for the hospice nurse, and she told him that he could get categorized now as as hospice patient (which to him, sounds like "give up"). He said he just wants to be able to go to the hospital if he's having problems. (My sister told the hospice nurse he goes in for medical appointments every week -- his feet, his eyes, his skin --"Going to the hospital is his hobby." She was pushing for him to become a hospice patient so she could get out of taking him to all those appointments.)

Apparently stepdad thinks that once the medication works or he gets some regular oxygen or something, everything will be as it has been. (Failing that, he wants to be taken care of at the hospital. They won't admit him, though.) I can see why he doesn't believe he's in the hospice category, since up until maybe 4 weeks ago, he was still driving, going to the grocery store, and tutoring at the local community college. The labored breathing, and the diagnosis that his heart is in bad shape, have come on very suddenly.

What makes it stressful in the family is that the sister who gets called in the middle of the night is furious at the situation, and at the rest of us for not getting called in the middle of the night. She won't tell him no because she is sure if she does, he'll call an ambulance and go anyway. I don't know why that makes her so angry -- he has money  and health insurance, and if she let him cope with it on his own he might finally get the drift that they don't want to see him any more at the hospital. But she says it just really would bother her if he called an ambulance. So she's mad at all of us for not sharing the load of taking him to the hospital, which she shouldn't be doing anyway. And it's work -- it involves going over to his place, helping him put on his shoes, putting him into a wheelchair and loading him into the car, wheeling him into the ER and then being told that the ER really thinks he should not have come in. I can see why she would dislike it, but wish she would see that it isn't her sisters' fault that she has been doing it.

Anyway, it's better today, he got an order for an oxygen tank and feels like that's the magic feather. Now I just have to deal with a big task for my husband that has been hanging fire while we deal with my stepdad.

My son is considering a medical career. I'm going to suggest he specialize in tinnitus research, or in the interesting medical intersection in which an oldster is not well enough to be left to his own devices and yet still insists on going to the hospital, and the massive stresses that come from that. :-P

Have a great week!

[Barb135]

I won't see my doctor until Thursday, so I'll probably post my results in next week's weigh in.  

I'm sorry to hear you've been doing the sugar again... I'm sure your son's stress and him wanting to go to Starbucks makes it hard not to indulge in "something".  Fortunately, I drink my coffee black, so Starbucks' sweet coffee drinks are not an enticement to me.   You haven't mentioned your son having a driver's license, but if he drives, it might be good to let him go get the sweets on his own... LOL

Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your stepdad and his trips to the hospital.   Even though you say he's been driving, going to the grocery store and tutoring at the local college, it almost sounds like he's got a touch of dementia accompanied by health anxiety or he's terribly lonely and goes for medical check ups to have someone to talk to.    I can see why it would bother your sister if he called an ambulance - it would make her feel as though he's not being cared for properly and yet on the other hand, she resents that she's the only one getting up at 1:00 am to drive him to the hospital.   Of course, it's not the sisters' fault that she's doing it.  Perhaps she needs to find a nice way of telling him not to call her at 1:00 am.  Doesn't he live in an assisted living facility or did he move out after your mother passed?  

Well, if I thought your son would be able to find a cure for tinnitus in my lifetime, I'd love to have him go for it!!  And of course, there's a lot of research to be done in geriatric medicine - that crossroad you mention when one can't be left on their own, but don't need constant care (including regular hospital visits... lol).   We used to have our own business when we lived in Iowa and we had some elderly customers that would call periodically, to have husband come by to visit... didn't really need anything, but they were lonely so they call him to come for a service call.  If they were able, sometimes, they'd just have him stop in to pick up a plate of cookies or something.    We have people here that make several trips to the grocery store every day because they have nothing else to do and there are people at the store they can talk to.   Maybe your stepdad needs a companion to come visit every couple of days??

I hope it all gets worked out before your sister gets too frustrated with it all.  
Have a good week.