We need some powerful prayers please

Oh yes, there was a move involved in the year, wasn't there?  And a new job for Todd, which he is so happy with, and me as well.......and it's not fair to say that the year has been terrible, because there have been plenty of good things that happened, including recoveries and great medical outcomes.
 
But I have turned to you guys an awful lot for prayers and support over this past year.  And I'm so thankful that you've been here for me.  You've lifted me up, you've given me a place to dump my emotional toxic waste, you've sometimes told me when I'm being too sensitive or an outright witch, and that's ok, cuz I needed to hear that too, but most of all, just knowing you all were here for me to talk to, to share some of the pain and to vent to and to know that I could count on idoggers for prayers, well, that is probably what has kept me sane.  And no cracks Billy. []
 
You know, I forgot that BIL had a major meltdown this year too......and you guys were here for me then too.  Oddly, he and I have been the ones holding out the most hope (he's kind of a wierd and introverted guy and difficult to know...even after 40 years of "knowing" him).  He even said yesterday that there's a chance that Mom WILL be able to go back to her own home again.  I've thot that all along, but Sis was so dug into her trench that Mom was on her way out that she wouldn't hear anything.  And now suddenly what baby sister said....it is what it is and we have to go a day at a time....is making sense to everyone.
 
I said all along that they needed to visit a pet store and pick up some Petastic to get the blood out of Mom's bedroom carpet......nope, I had to be on drugs because it's BLOOD, not urine.  Well, duh?  It's still got enzymes that need destroying.....but, the professional carpet cleaners used, you've got it, Petastic!  I told them that you have to saturate the spot and let it soak.....exactly what the pros did......so maybe baby sis isn't quite so stupid and unable to intelligently contribute now......
 
Mom was funny yesterday telling everyone that came into the room that she did not appreciate the shrink coming to see her.  She is fiercly protective of her mental status and having all her "marbles" as she puts it.....and anytime that anyone asked if she remembered my oldest son being there she said "of course I do...he tickled my feet"....which yes, he did do and in fact she wouldn't let him leave for the airport without having her feet tickled......kind of a Grandma/grandson thing.......DS is funny as heck anyway and has a way of bringing out the child in folks......
 
She is VERY aware of her multiple cuts and bruises and was really complaining about having trouble getting comfy because the back of her head is so sore.  Well, yeah it is...she still has some bumbs back there and the whole back of her head is varying shades of purple and/or scabbed over...think that today I will take her a special neck pillow and see if that helps a bit.
 
She didn't sleep all night.....had some good rest and then was awake, used the bathroom, etc.  Getting up to use the bathroom or sit in the chair is scarey for her still....despite help from the nurse and the walker, but thats likely because she now really remembers that she got out of bed at home to use the bathroom and ended up looking like she'd gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.  Oh, and she rails against needing that walker!!  I reminded her that it's short term, that I had to use one after my neck surgery for the hip where they harvested bone, and that it really gets you a lot of extra consideration.....She ate pretty good again yesterday, after not having a bite all day Thursday other than the two spoonfuls of chocolate milk shake I fed her......
 
Today on my way in, I'm to stop and check out two nursing homes......not something I want to do, but i do agree that SHORT term it's needed.
 
What is really odd...and maybe you guys will think I'm nuts...but we released Mother Thursday nite.  We told her that if she is ready to leave to be with Dad that it's ok to go.  Of course I had to be the one to start the conversation, but, that's ok because I am the strong one.....but man, that was tough even for this tough old broad to do.....but, it seems like after we released her, returned the choice to HER, she made up her mind to come back to us.
 
And, I've gotta say, we really need to make a seat of honor for Mother in the tough old broads club....from having the grit to get across the room, injured and hurting, to access that Lifeline, to coming back to us as she did, well, she really qualifies for that club!
 
And now I'm just rambling, but God Bless you all for letting me......

make a seat of honor for Mother in the tough old broads club

 
Here's to tough old broads! (insert toasting emoticon here).[]

Yeah, I had already thought she had that seat of honor.  I figured that is where you get it from...[]

Honestly, I have never seen Mother as a tough old broad.  She is a product of her generation.....compliant, gentle, giving and very sweet.  It took this for me to see that she really has a core of tempered steel........
 
She wouldn't take kindly to being called a tough old broad...far too much of a lady for that.....so I'll leave it to you guys to think up another handle for her....

Whooo hooooo, Glenda THIS ROCKS!!!  I jumped on here just to see how she was doing.  Bless all of you EVERY one!! 

Oh,. Glenda...I'm just getting on here to read this. We've been knee-deep in home improvments this week, and that's what I get for not coming on here. I am so sorry to hear about all of this, but so glad to hear that she seems to be improving so quickly. I will certainly keep both her and you in my prayers. Stay strong - sounds as thought you're doing a fantastic job of it thus far!

Oh, Glenda I am so happy give her some butterfly kisses from the paps, and give her one from me.

Glenda, I'm glad she is getting better.  And, I never had a doubt that she was a member, along with us, of the tough old broad's club. []

Mother sends her thanks to everyone for all their prayers, candles and caring......and she laughed about having a seat of honor in the tough old broads club......she's got quite the sense of humor again.  Guess that coming that close to death woke it back up.
 
There is the issue of congestive heart failure and we have to get some of the fluid out of her, but can't use diuretics because they cause the sodium to crash.  However, this is according to Sis who doesn't want Mother to know??????  Umm, she is totally competent again to make her own medical decisions and withholding info is unfair and wrong.  I'll be there early enough tommorow that I'll see whatever doc that comes in and will urge him to discuss this issue with Mother.
 
Mother did hear and remember my telling her that if she felt it was time to go and be with Dad it was ok, and she says that it didn't upset her, but did kind of make her realize that she was pretty danged sick and needed to get it together.  Shoot, we might have to make her the PRESIDENT of the tough old broads club.....

Gosh, I'm getting forgetful....further GREAT news......Dr. S (he's the really cute one) thinks that the best thing for rehab would be to transfer Mom to the 1st floor and do the rehab THERE, inside the hospital and not in a nursing home and then release her to HOME.  She's thrilled, I'm thrilled....Sis says, well, it'll buy her some time so we can get her into the nursing home.....BULL.  If the doc feels that Mom is ok to be home, that's exactly where she's going.  Sis can stop feeling like she's the ONLY one who can do anything for Mom and share the load.
 
And, by the way, whenever anyone mentions Dr. S, she gets a BIG grin on her face or chuckles, and reminds us that HE'S the cute one.......

Glenda, so glad to hear such a good report today!  The Christmas spirit is definitely surrounding your family this weekend.
 
As for her big grin at the mention of the cute doc's name -- reminds me of a coworker I had who used to bring her elderly mother to the cardiologist, who was very young and handsome.  We always knew it was an "appointment day" because my coworker would be in her nicest attire, with hair and make-up all done.  We'd say to her, "Taking your Mom to Dr. B's today?" and she'd say with a big smile, "Yup!!" [sm=happy.gif]

We had a little issue last nite.....Mom called Sis at 3:30 this morning......she was afraid of the nurse because she was dressed so oddly and she wanted someone with her.  Of course Sis took this as a major mental setback and doesn't want to hear that a) shift change is 7PM....at 8:45 the night nurse STILL hadn't been in, b) the lady across the hall called for help for 30 minutes to no avail before I finally went down to the nurses station and TOLD them she needed help and then it took another 10 minutes for the nurse to come down.  By then I had gone in to tell her that I had gone to get them for her.....poor thing had been left on the potty and managed to get back to the edge of the bed, her back was hanging out (lovely hospital gowns) and she was cold and couldn't reach her tissues or her call button.  As I was handing her the tissues the nurse came in and snapped "Is that the emergency???  She needed tissues????"  I told her no, the lady was freezing, had been left on the potty and could not get back into bed alone......c) the nurse WAS dressed oddly...bright purple scrubs and NEON striped socks and d) had been totally inattentive while we were there...as in just flat hadn't come in, oh and e) that Mother had pushed her call button at 3AM and the nurse would not come in to take her to the bathroom so she got up by herself to go.  Those older bladders can only wait just so long.....
 
sis called me when she got home and I was in the tub, told her we'd be leaving in 30 minutes....just as we were putting shoes on to leave we discovered that Sheba had buried a bone in the bed.....the WATER bed....and it was leaking like a sieve.....so I called and talked to Mom's nurse who said she was fine, doing perfectly, talked to Mom and told her we had a little bed emergency to take care of, and then called her again when we WERE ready to leave......so while we were an hour later than we intended to be, I was in contact with the nurse and with Mother......HOURS later as I was taking a little walk, I met Sis getting off the elevator and she automatically assumed that I was just arriving...despite getting OFF the down elevator.....and was upset that I hadn't called her so that Mom wouldn't be alone....as IF she was going to give up her Church service. I give up!  And of course she INSISTED that Mom had come back to us on Thursday....nope, it was Friday I told her and I could show her my post HERE to prove it.....I did argue, because I was totally right and she looked at Todd and asked how he lived with my insisting I was right.....bless his heart he told her that when I insist I'm right, I usually am!![]
 
But, there is excellent news in that she lost 12 pounds of fluid since yesterday so the CHF is not a concern now.  And the absolutely adorable doc was in and called for a "group hug" when he left...and the entire time he was answering questions, he was doing a gentle back scratch on Mom.
 
This man is a saint.  Aside from being an absolute doll and a wonderful doc, he has put his mission work to 3rd world countries on hold until his children are old enough to go with him, and wants to give his 9 year old daughter some time to mature and grow spiritually before he takes her along.  My sister gets annoyed that I gush about him, but he truly is wonderful and Mother just lights up when he walks into the room.  He ordered an xray of a little infection on her thumb pad.....they've been doing the stick to check her blood sugar on that thumb and while I know that the reason he is looking for an abcess is because that could indicate staph, I didn't say anything out loud.  He did say in the hall that he doubts it is but that he'd rather be safe.  When all the other docs had pretty much given up on her, THIS doc believed....and even told us that she was the miracle for this year...that we'd had a miracle 2000 years ago and we just got another one.  I couldn't agree with him more.
 
This has changed my Mom a bit....she's let go of everything that doesn't matter....and she's laughing and happy to be alive.  And we're so happy to HAVE her......

Oh, that's great Glenda. Have a Merry Christmas an a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Hi everbuddy.  We all pulled straws out in the back yard and me and Shadow got the biggest ones, so WE get to tell you about our Gramma.  We can't go see her cuz she's in a place called a hospitible, but she's doing lots better.....mom is smiling again n she doesn't look old and tired all the time and dad is happy too.  Oh, and when mom starts to do sumpthin she doesn't forget and go start to do sumpthin else.....and our furless brudder is happy too...he's not grouchy now.
 
Earlier today tho, Sheba put a hole in the bed, again, and dad said some werds that we'd get in BIG truble for saying.....but rite now, mom and dad is singing and putting those things mom makes ever year on the tree in the libinroom.  We was kinda wondering hows come the tree was sittin there with nuthin on it but pretty lights, but NOW they are making it prettier.
 
Everbuddy here is really happy and thats a good thing.  And all of us wants to say thanks to you guys for helping Gramma get better.  Merry Christmas.
Luv, Tyler n Shadow
oh, and Thor, Sheba, Thunder n Theo too

Oh my God. . .you guys are soooooo lucky. . .they put indoor plumbing in for you!!!  Mom said no way after my sniffing and stamping around it last year.  And, also I pulled a few things off.  I didn't think they went well where mom put them. 
 
Who can understand humans????
 
Willow