This is the place where where I periodically (meaning whenever I feel like it, or get around to it) ramble on about whatever I feel
like rambling on about. If anybody is bored enough to want to read my old ramblings, just click on the appropriate year, below, to
read them. (Y'know, you really SHOULD get a life!)
Tired...physically, but mostly emotionally! I woke up at 5AM...which is still better than the 4, the other morning, and
this is only the latest of several attempts over the past few days to update you. To back up a tad for those of you who don't already
know, I had Mom transported to the ER last Friday morning. She couldn't lift her arms or legs and was having trouble breathing
and I was a nervous wreck, myself, by the time 911 responded. Despite running every test known to medical science, including
a CT scan and MRI, the only thing they could find wrong with her was she is 91! After spending the night in Baptist Hospital
being monitored, she was discharged home on Saturday afternoon. She can still only manage the one step to the portable bedside
commode, but she's doing much better at sitting up and, at least, I'm not having to do bedpan duty.
In fact, she's (and I have)
been comfortable enough for me to make a grocery run and a trip to PMS for a beer. As long as she has the Life Alert button
it's okay (as long as it's not more than an hour or so). The tough part is when she said she'd be a lot more comfortable if
I took the truck rather than riding. She was nice enough about it but I realize that there's a lot of uncertainty going on in
that head of her's, as to her abilities. I put the bike on the trickle charger and I guess I won't be seeing you on the road
on the scoot, at least for a while. Maybe that's a piece of my exhaustion: knowing I don't have that stress release to fall
back on. I have no idea how long I won't be riding, but I don't want add to her current anxiety.
(later)
Well, laundry's done,
tile floors vaccumed and mopped, and Mom's breakfast served. I got her a bicycle horn to honk when she needs me and it kinda
reminds me Clarabelle(sp?) from my early TV days. I'll close this up for now and be back when I have something more to say.
Thanks for all the prayers, folks. Be safe, be good to one another, and I'll seeya when I seeya.
2/7/10
Almost a week later, but things are looking up. I awoke at 4:55 and stared at the dark until 5 and got up to start the
coffee. It's taken me a couple of mornings, but I've finally mastered the right combination so it tastes like when Mom would
set up the pot at night. She's still pretty much bed-ridden but IS getting stronger, so I don't have to clean the bed-side commode
as often (that's as delicate as I can put it). At least she now trusts my cooking skills enough that I don't have to listen
to her blow-by-blow descriptions of how to cook. She even liked my kapuska(sp?), which I haven't cooked for almost 20 years.
In a way, it's almost nice to have her out of the kitchen for a while. I do have a feeling this arrangement, though, is going to be
permanent.
With her improvement, I have been able to get out and ride some, albeit for much shorter runs than I've been used
to making in the past. I suppose this is the norm for my foreseeable future, but I'm still blessed to still have her with
me. She lets me know when she's feeling comfortable for me to be gone for a while but I haven't been able to make more than
a couple of hours before I start getting antsy about her and head home to check. She shoo'ed me out of the house yesterday afternoon
and I thought I'd take a run out Perdido Key but, by the time I got as far as Innerarity, that wind was so gusty, I decided it wouldn't
be any fun on the Theo Baars Bridge, OR being sand-blasted on the beach. When I rode to the end of Innerarity Point Road, there
were whitecaps on Perdido Bay and spray hitting the causeway. Brrr, I had enough and headed back. I enjoyed the ride but,
enough is enough. C'mon, Spring!
I'm gonna shut this down for this episode; she's ordered a scrambled egg, bacon, and a
boiled potato fried up in the bacon grease. I don't think I'm going to mention cholestoral to a 91-year-old lady. What
more can it do to her, at this stage? Y'all ride safe and warm, and look out for one another. Chances are getting better
I'll seeya on the road.
2/18/10
It's sometimes funny how you measure progress, but I haven't had to clean the bedside potty in quite a while. Mom
is almost back to her pre-episode condition, for which I'm extremely grateful, but I think this is probably as good as it's going
to get. Again, she's almost 91, so this is good. As I've said before, the machine is just worn out. I have gained
another skill out of all this, though; when I went to Halsey's Index to get her some more of her "romance novels", she told
me I got her just what she wanted. Reading the blurbs on the backs made me have to supress my gag reflex, but apparently I done
good!
I've been able to get out on the scoot a little more since she's been improving but, now, the temperature's been the limiting
factor. As I mentioned last year, one result of treating my Grave's Disease was to lower my cold tolerance while increasing
my heat tolerance but I sure could use a little of it, now. I've ridden a couple of days this week, but only in the middle of
the day. When that sun gets lower in the afternoon, it's just plain "no fun"! I'd love to ride to Bike Night at PMS tonight
but I think my night-time riding is gonna have to wait for a while.
Okay, that's it for now. That god-foresaken horn I
got Mom just bleeped me, and I feel like bleeping it back. I shouldn't complain; it's doing what I wanted it to do...getting
my attention..but I wish she didn't use it so gleefully. Ride safe (and warm), and be good to one another. Catcha later.
2/24/10
Almost a week now, and I think Mom is about as good as she's going to get. Her spirits are good and she gets around the
house but primarily uses the walker now, instead of her cane. She's getting better about letting me do the daily stuff but still
tries to cook dinner now and then. The main difference is that she's tires even more easily than before and I would really prefer
to do everything myself than try to take over something half-done. Still, she has to feel useful or it'll make her feel
even worse. This morning, I washed a load of light laundry and, after I'd taken out my stuff, I brought her the basket to her
bedroom so she could sort and fold from there. I've only had to listen to that horn infrequently, though (thank Goodness!).
This morning, it was to ask me what I used for stock in a pot roast I'd started in the slow cooker. I passed though: I used
a couple of cups of beef buillon...
Oh yeah...riding! I think it was Saturday (but they all kind of run together, sometimes),
Mom was having a good ay and I got in over a hundred miles in one nice loop. Riding out Pine Forest, I stopped in at Pine Forest
Cycles to harass the working class, and then continued up to 297. From there, I took 97 up to Muscogee Road into Alabama, and
then, south on Baldwin 87. It was a delicious riding day, but I hardly saw any other scoots on the road. Crossing US 90,
I was intending to cut down to 98 and back home but when I came to (I think) Baldwin 28, I realized I had never been down that one
before and verified that when I came to OLF Summerdale. Just zig-zagging around Baldwin County, I found that 73 runs into the
Beach Expressway north of Foley. Aha, I was hungry and remembered seeing a TV commercial that CiCi's was celebrating an anniversary
and reverted their price to $3.99 until the 28th of this month. Yahoo, I pigged out on pizza and salad (good bleu cheese dressing!)
and finally wound my way back to PMS. All told, 113.4 miles and I really couldn't tell you where I was half the time while I
was back-roading. Sure felt good.
Okay, it's yucky cold and damp out, so I'm glad I washed the scoot yesterday instead
of waiting for today. When the weather's rideable again, maybe I'll see you out there. Until then, stay warm, dry and
safe. Be good to one another, and I'll keep an eye out for you.