5C's Que Pasa

First off, thanks to you all for your comments and emails and phone calls.  Your support through all of this with my Mom has helped me tremendously.

I have been on the telephone with Edmonton, almost non stop since I got back here Sunday night.  Family situations and medical situations.  Wednesday morning there was a meeting around Mom’s bedside with the “doctor of the week”  ( 4 of them rotate every week ), the social worker aka Mom’s advocate, Dad, the 2 sisters and myself via speaker phone.  My brother could not be there.  I was in on it all via one sister’s cell phone.  Bottom line, Mom says no to “the mask” and yes to food with all the risks outlined.  No more pushed physio and all the morphine she wants….although that is not happening so far.  It is now a matter of hours and days.

Meanwhile I am to check in at the Kelowna hospital Thursday at 6AM  ( for once we will get parking ) and my left hip replacement surgery is scheduled for 8AM….I do hope Colin will be able to keep you all up to date.

Two minutes ago my mouse batteries died and we have no extra AA batteries so I stole them from the TV remote in order to continue.  Note to Colin….buy some  AA’s.

I have so many wee things to share with you:

~gas in Edmonton is 117.9 so why are we here in Kelowna paying 144.9?

This was page one of my to do list for today. Happy to say I am almost done. Never did get all my desk piles done.....they might just have to wait until May 2014.

~I still have NO stair railings.  I can’t come home from hospital without them.  We ordered them end of April??????????????  Last minute plan is to get some neighbors to head to Home Depot Friday night and buy and install some 2 X 4’s.  The dude we hired says it will be done by Friday PM….guess we shall see.  I bet on Colin and the neighbors and Home Depot.

~Not sure I should be having so much vino  ( really not more than normal ) but I need something to get me through.  Colin is cooking a  salmon dinner again 0n the BBQ.  His plan is to feed me the leftovers in the hospital. What a sweetie.  Hey I do intend to tell both my surgeon and the anesthetist my consumption level for those of you who are concerned.

~we have had not stop rain for the past few weeks.

..a great rainbow Tuesday night.

...which then moved over and started a new rainbow.

~I had hoped to pre do some blog posts but I have run out of time….I have much to share with you so don’t give up…I will be back.

~I have managed to get Mom’s obit and photo organized and ready to go at a moments notice.

~I have decided to go with a spinal but I AM scared….but a faster recovery time is important.

~my to do list is almost done, my eyebrows are plucked, my toenails are clipped, the laundry is done and the larder is full.

It has been a very full day indeed.  Off I go to complete the final finals.  Wish me luck.

Tags: Family, friends, health, Wine

Dad and I started Saturday morning on a high note.  We were bringing in Mom’s cat, Angel, right into the hospital to see my mother.  Why not?  Who says we can’t, so we did.  Poor Angel has been so depressed since Mom went into hospital May 15th, not eating, or eating and being sick and mostly just pining at the front door waiting and waiting.

We had to trick Angel into getting into her crate and off we went. She barely made a sound the entire time down the long hall, down the elevator and all through the drive to the hospital nor in the hospital.

By now Mom had been transferred to a private room ( at my request considering the situation ) so we waltzed right in.  Dad and I had also brought a few things from home to decorate the room with.

The cat could hardly wait to get out and explore. Mom was happy to see her but I don't think Angel was too happy in that new environment of beeping machines and strange smells.

Dad did not stay long but before he left he made sure that Angel and Mom got a bit of a cuddle in.   Then Dad gave Mom her diamond ring set so she could feel close to him.

The rings weren't going to go on, but with a little bit of magic I got them on. Mom was so happy to have them on her finger again.

Some of us kids brought in items to make Mom feel more comfortable. The teddy bear was a gift to Dad from family friends when he almost died 8 years ago and he survived, so my sister Denise brought it in as a good luck charm.

We took over the medical info board. I added my message just before I left on Sunday.

I found this shirt in Mom's drawers at home and her face lit up when I hung it. The afghan at the foot of the bed was knit by Mom for Denise and brought a nice touch to the room.

I pinned back the curtains, turned the chairs sideways and pushed the machines as far back as I could so she could look outside.  It was difficult to leave with my sisters Lise and Denise on Saturday evening but Mom needed to rest.  Lise drove me to Dad’s where I made ( with her help ) dinner for all of us and shared some wine.

Sunday morning I insisted on taking Dad out for breakfast.  He thanked me and said that I had brought his appetite back.  Then we were off to the hospital.  Dad didn’t stay too long.  After he left I just sat by Mom’s bedside, I couldn’t read, I paced a bit.  When she woke up I had my final words with her and told her what a great Mom she has been.

Our final moment before the big machine....

She went back onto the big machine with the mask and I just sat with her.  Her brother and his wife came to say goodbye.  I stayed with them for a few moments but I had to leave.  As I left Mom said “thanks for coming”.

I have to say that I think that was the most difficult thing I have ever done, to just leave her there.  I cried then as I am crying now sharing this with you.  By the way I did ask Dad’s permission to write this and to include some photos.  Colin thinks I should not do it but I need to and Dad says he wants to have a record of what happened.

Despite leaving oodles of time to get to the airport ahead of schedule I almost missed my flight.  There was an international triathlon happening in Edmonton on Sunday and some bridges were closed.  That is in addition to the ones that were already closed which made it a 3 hour drive to the airport from the hospital rather than a 60 – 75 minute drive.  My flight was boarding as I arrived but I did get thru security and onto  my flight where as soon as we were airborne the crew treated me to some vino blanco gratis.  Great crew on that Westjet flight.

My wonderful husband met me at the Kelowna airport with hugs and once I got into the car, some vino.  Chris, I think you have started a new tradition.  Colin continued to surprise once we got home.  He had spent the entire day planning a special dinner and cooking it.

..including marinating. Seems he spent hours on Google researching.

In addition to marinating wild salmon he used a different marinade on the eggplant. He even peeled and pre cooked potatoes to finish them on the grill. Not to mention the salad he had prepared with cut up cherry tomatoes which really added to the flavor. I almost forgot, there was even dessert.

Carmeh just had to clean up the cedar plank.

So I was welcomed home with tons of love.  I felt very special but also exhausted.

Here are just a few photos from almost 10 years ago.  Thanks for digging them out Colin.

Don't they look so happy? This is taken on our beach site where we now live.But long ago only the RV lived here, with Mom and Dad as guests.

They look so happy. I love you both.

Tags: Family, health, Wine

The last four days have been so hectic that I lost track of time.  There have been a few highs and so many lows that I am almost emotioned out.  Is that a word?  Is that possible?

My flight from Kelowna to Edmonton last Friday went very well and I was greeted in Edmonton by my friend Ena at the airport.  We met at a beach in Edmonton, Seba Beach in fact, during the summer between completing grade six and commencing grade seven.  I remember our mothers sitting and visiting while we played in the sand and water.  We spent our remaining school years together at the Academie Assomption, a girls only school.

Ena had planned a brunch for 7 of us from the class of ’71.

Some of us had not seen each other for 42 years!! So hard to believe.

What an amazing few hours.  None of us wanted to leave.  No one wanted to stop the memories or the current state of our various lives.  It was fast paced, sometimes hard to keep up with this conversation and that one, but mostly we all shared each moment together.  We are all the same age, born the same year, so it was also a celebration of us all turning 60!!  We were and are a powerful group.  We recalled various teachers and others in our class.  Many are still in touch with others.  We dreamed about meeting in Mazatlan ( where else, eh!) and even Florida but most certainly very very soon.

Really folks it must have been that schooling by nuns that made us all state that we preferred future get togethers be around wine.  Thank goodness it is not just my personal preference!  Anyway it seems that we are all either teachers, nurses or dentists.  A great group indeed.  We share such a deep bond, it seems like it was just yesterday we were all together.  Plus we all easily recognized each other, obviously we are such a special group that we do not show our age.  Like Gisele ( on the right  in the upper photo ) said….” I had my first white hairs at 16″…so she is who she is, unaltered after 42 years!

..we were together over 3 hours and it was difficult to say goodbye. Don't we look fab for 60?

I left the restaurant elated and thinking of future reunions.  Ena kindly dropped me at the hospital where I would be seeing my Mom.  As I walked into the hospital the up of the visit with my classmates clashed in my heart with my impending visit on the 6th floor with Mom.  I had to call mi amor and once again, as he always has done, he steadied me and gave me the courage to continue.

My Mom’s first words to me were ” I want to go home”!  I patiently explained to her that it was not possible but if she got stronger she could one day go to a nursing home.  She said she would not do that and she did not want to continue as she was.  So we talked about life and death.  I am so thankful I had those few private and lucid moments with her.  Her Dr. then arrived and the social worker arrived, Dad had arrived no more than 5 minutes earlier and then a very frank discussion ensued.  Many tears and much emotion flowed.

Mom was later transferred to a private room ( she was in a room with 4 others who listened in our final private conversations )  Very stressful for all of us in the family who were present.  Decisions were made and acted upon.

61 years of love.

By now Dad was drained, exhausted and hungry.

Funny face! Fish and chips.

I am still figuring out what I can and can't eat so this seemed safe enough.

Much conversation later, many phone calls to family and many hugs and we settled for the night.  First for me was a long conversation with Ena, thanks for being there for me for 43 years amiga.  Then another long call to Colin and that ended Friday.  I promise to catch you up to date tomorrow.

Tags: Family, friends, Mom

Tommie who!

This is a new product, not even 2 years on the market.  By accident we saw the infomercial while still on the Isla in Mexico and thought that there was a great chance that this product would be great to decrease pain.

So I watched the infomercial and went online to the site and read all of the testimonials.

Wow, I could relate to so many of them.

So as the cost was so very small I ordered the ladies compression shorts and a knee sleeve.  We picked them up in Yuma on our second day back in the US in April and I have been in love ever since.  I have been sleeping in those shorts.  The most amazing thing is that I have no idea I am wearing them.  They are so very light and you do not feel the heat of the summer wearing them.  But most important of all is that they worked.  My pain did not go away totally but it decreased significantly. I would not hesitate to suggest you buy whatever piece might be of help to you.  I even went a few days, here and there, without wearing my Tommies and felt the difference.  As soon as I put my shorts back on the pain went away….mostly.  I wanted to be sure and did this off/ on experiment several times.  I always heaved a sigh of relief putting them back on.

All I can say is it works for me and if you have pain I don’t hesitate to suggest you give it a try.

Tags: health, Tommie Copper

Yesterday I needed Colin to get my small carry on, out so I could pack for a quick trip.  He spent a long time under the house moving things and looking for it.  Then back inside where we both searched to no avail.  Back out to the shed and yet again under the house.  Finally he drove over to the RV in the storage compound and came back with the bag.

Only it wasn’t the bag I wanted.  I described the bag I wanted and he said “oh, that is under the house,I saw it earlier”.  So on went his knee pads and yet again he had to move the 2 kayaks out to get to the bag I wanted. So I got the bag but it took a lot of effort.  Obviously I should have said more and he should not have assumed which bag I wanted.  Mille gracias mi amor.

So the bag is packed and here it is 6:00AM and I am heading out the door to the airport.  I am off to Edmonton yet again.

I feel the need to spend some time with my Mom, who is still in hospital ( since May 15th ) just in case.  I won’t be able to fly for almost two months after my surgery on Thursday so I felt the need to spend time and say my goodbyes, just in case.  Apparently she does not remember that she almost passed over three times in the past few weeks.  She is doing much better and I just want to sit with her for a while.  Of course I get to spend some quality time with my Dad.  Bonus!!!

Just found out late last night that it seems my trip is timely…..Mom still has pneumonia and is back on O2 and no food or drink.

Tags: emergency, Family, health