Week 29 and Life in General

 

I have lots of pictures to post as well as stories to go with each one.  So if you are in a hurry, you might want to come back when you have some time.  Otherwise, grab your favorite beverage and a snack and let's get to it.

First up:

I completed sock one of the Hermione Socks.  This is such a great pattern to work when under a bit of stress.  Easy to memorize and if you make a mistake, it seldom shows.  

Sock 2 got started Thursday night but didn't see much love until yesterday.  It has been just a bit busy around here.

That is it for crafting.  Next will be about my life in week 29 of Year 7.

As you know, MIL (mother in law) had a stroke on New Year's Eve.  She finally got released from the hospital on the 11th and was placed in a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation.  So far she has tried to get out of bed by herself, twice, which resulted in falls. (She is unable to stand or walk at this time.)  Luckily, she has a thick foam mat by her bed and is only 6 inches off the ground.  Last night, she was by the nursing station because of irritability, and fell out of her wheelchair and had to go to the Emergency Room for CT scans. (She is fine)  According to new Federal Guidelines, facilities can no longer use rails on beds or ties to help keep people from falling out of their chairs.  That is considered restraining the patient.  They can use it in a hospital but not a nursing facility.  I wonder how long before a law suit is brought to the federal government because of serious injury or death from this brand new ruling?  So, I have about 4 hours of sleep under my belt and a full day ahead of me.  

We have had some fun this week though.

This was dinner time one night this week.  Looks like a feeding frenzy in my kitchen.  Hubby is in the blue shirt, Brother in Law in the hat, Sister in Law facing the camera and the other two are my nieces from the dude in the hat.

See those pink roses?  Son in Law brought them over on Monday.  They lasted until this morning.  They were gorgeous though.  I am now flowerless for the first time in 3 weeks.

This is the crew out to dinner one night.  We had such a great time talking and laughing.  It really helped with all the negativity that was going on.

I don't normally like any photos of myself, but SIL managed to get a pretty good shot of my hubby and I.  This man has been my rock these past weeks.  

I was finally able to bring my mom home yesterday.  I still don't have any death certificates.  Hopefully they will be ready next week.  The urn will remain on my mantle until around Easter.  Then we will travel back to Kansas to have her service and internment.  I am in love with this urn.  It is so my mom.  Just getting her ashes has helped me so much.  I am much calmer now.  Thinking of her in cold storage for 2 weeks was making me nuts.  She hated the cold.  I know she could not feel it, but it still bothered me.  The Medical Examiners office even called me to apologize about the length of time it took them to review her medical records.  They did change her cause of death though.  It was complications from her pelvic fractures.  Most probably some type of embolism (Per the private conversation with the Medical Examiner)

Journaling has been my saving grace these past two weeks.  I keep my to do list in here as well as writing about my feelings.  I love checking off all the things I accomplish each day.  If they are not competed, it goes on the next day.  It is just a super simple layout, but works so well for me.  I set it up each night before bed so I don't have to think too hard in the morning.  My SIL has a journal too and carries it everywhere with her.  She loved my reading journal and thinks she might start multiple journals for different areas of her life too.

The internal Christmas decorations came down on Wednesday.  I am never that late getting them put away.  Our tradition is to take them down on Epiphany (January 6).  Hubby pulled the yard art that day too but........................we still have lights out front (even though they are not coming on anymore).  Our goal is to get them put away this week.  

I get my blood work done this week again.  Praying my liver functions are back to normal so I can get back on my anti-inflammatories.  They were not the drug that messed up my liver functions but I had to stay off everything to give the liver time to regenerate.  RA is not a fun thing to deal with when you are not allowed any medicines to help with the pain or progression of the disease.  I have been drug free since the first of December.  (That sounded weird LOL)  With all that has happened in the past 6 weeks, I am lucky I haven't been totally knocked out of daily living.  There has not been any adult beverages during this time period either.  My hubby says I come from strong stock and that's why I don't let my RA get the best of me.  (See?  He is my rock)

That covers my life this past week.  Next week will see me working on a sock and visiting my MIL a few times.  We are hoping they can get her strong enough to transfer her back to Nevada in a couple of weeks.  We already know she will never be independent again.  She is getting an hour of therapy 5 times a week.  She really tries hard to do all they ask.  Her upper body is doing pretty good but the right leg has a mind of its own.   She is still on pureed food also and that will need to change before she can get to the next level of living arrangements.  Her speech is getting better but still needs some work.  I can now understand her about 40% of the time.  She is 90 and 1/2 years old.  (Seems when you hit 90 the half years become as important as they were when you were a child LOL.)  We ave nick named her Spark Plug.  Sparky for short.  She is bound and determined she is going to escape and go home. Those nurses will be given a run for their money with her.

Until next time.............Happy Crafting!!!!