Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Bruce]

I can't like your last post. I am deeply sorry about your family situation.

x2!! I'm so sorry Jan, this is a huge blow. I hope they can deal with the arteries and no brain damage was done if he did have a stroke. It is amazing how blocked they can be and a person still function.

Medicare does not pay for things like that.

Yet I suspect they will pay for a full time nursing home which costs much more.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

There has also been some difficult news.

I "liked" your post, not because of the trouble you are dealing with, but because you were willing to share with us here on BYH. That means a lot to me, as I think it does to others. I sincerely hope you can have the strength to deal what comes your way. Please know that we are all wishing you well.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Mini Horses]

I second STAs sentiments!

Often having a place to "unload" our difficulties to others who can care & sympathize from afar sure helps. It takes the edge off to some degree. We care. We are hoping for the best outcome for your parents. Sometimes that is an assisted living location, as I found at the end of my own mom's life. 24/7 takes more than just one or two people.

Jump on when you can. We understand. We just want to know you are OK.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I would allow them to attend to caring for them.....it would be better in facing your surgery and the recovery afterwards....if your "presence" is upsetting, then honor their wishes.....
You know that is not meant in any "slant" towards ya, but...as I faced....the demands of the ill one....sometimes others "push away" no matter how ya try to hold onto them.....may ya walk with strength and comfort....

 

[farmerjan]

Some updates as things are just a bit better. They have done an MRI, a sonogram, a heart camera, something in the lungs, a ct scan.... you name it, it's been done. Today they did surgery on the carotid artery that was 98% blocked which they feel caused/contributed to the stroke. The other is 80% . There are a few small clots in the brain they say they are not overly concerned about at this time. He is on blood thinner. The heart camera showed no problems/damage. White blood cell count was way up, but decided to do the surgery and he seems to have done well. They are keeping him sedated for tonight, then will allow him to come out of it tomorrow. Still has a tube down throat but are planning on taking that out if his signs are good, to see if he can breathe on his own. The strange thing is, they did take him off most of the drugs they were using to keep him under yesterday, after the MRI, and said he followed the doctors and my brothers talking with his eyes, and seemed alert all things considered. Obviously sleeping, and "under" for the night now, but there doesn't seem to be the normal "stroke damage" like drooping of the face and such. I am getting this all third hand, but it seems that he is doing better than he "should be" considering what the original thoughts were.

So we will take all the good news. Tomorrow will be a bit of a test, as to what he can/can't do as far as talking, recognizing, breathing on his own, etc. That will determine the extent of the "damage" or what difficulties will be faced. I am a bit pleasantly surprised, because from what I was being told in the beginning, I didn't think he was going to make it. I can say that my father's side of the family, and my sister in some ways, tend to be "drama queens" and maybe they were perceiving it in the "worst case scenario" . Doesn't matter, I was not there to see it. It does seem to be a "guardedly optimistic" outlook. He did well with the surgery, so that is good.

The caregivers for my mom are doing what they need to, and my brother said she is doing as good as ever. Guess once everything is known about my father, condition, recovery time, and such; then other things can be decided. My sister made the comment that she will probably never go into a care facility....I am not going to get into that mess. The one thing about the surgery and such.... my father's excuses for not having the knees and shoulder done years ago because he was SURE that if he was put under anesthesia, he would not wake up, has been proven wrong. If he gets over all this, then he has no excuse not to get some of the stuff done.....even at this late date....so he can do more to take care of my mom and quit the bytchin about how much it is costing him when he could be doing more than he is. I cannot feel alot of sympathy if there is no good reason to not get the stuff done. If it is something that they feel he will be able to do.

That is one reason I am going ahead to start planning my "REPAIR" work. Mostly because of now being eligible for medicare and a better deal than my previous insurance through work. And because I don't want to spend 20 years of the "woe is me" and then wait until I am too old to enjoy the "fixed" parts. Plus it all fits in with the dairy industry slowing down, and my starting my SS so that there is some money to make up for what I was "losing" from the smaller paychecks. I am actually in better financial shape then I was 2 years ago, even with the greatly reduced paychecks from not testing near as regular as I was even 2 years ago. I learned to live on what I was bringing in, and don't want for much of anything, so the SS has been a nice bonus.

Now to wait for a letter from the mtg co. I applied for pre-qualification. Am going to talk to my credit union here local and see about maybe one or 2 more just to make sure of what I can/cannot do. Just found out that the house on one place we rent pasture might be for sale. It was the parents home, and the son inherited it. His daughters in-laws lived there for several years but they have recently moved out after buying their own place. He mentioned to my son he is thinking about selling the house but keeping the acreage. We've rented it for over 20 years.... so will see what he wants. Maybe a possibility. I liked the place on the 3 acres, a little better, accessible, and am going tomorrow to drive by the one that just came on the market the other day. So we will see......

It has been so humid here. 90 with humidity in the 30-70% with feeling near 100.... I have been soaked when I come in from doing little or nothing. Temps supposed to be up in the mid to UPPER 90's by this weekend. Had .4 inch wed aft at the house when we had just a small shower at the farm I was testing. 20 mile south in Lexington, Va. they had several trees down and pouring down rain and wind on the campuses of Washington and Lee university and the VMI Campus. So spotty and isolated damages and rain/downpours. Had a quick short light shower this afternoon, but some places had some serious rain. Really weird.

 

[Baymule]

That is good news about your Dad, hope he continues to improve. I agree whole heartedly with you, if it is broke, FIX IT! No reason to live your later years compromised and in pain. Life is good. On the house, the right place will come along. Where you are supposed to be, will show up and it will be yours.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Miss @farmerjan,

That is WONDERFUL news about your dad! I hope he fully recovers. And I am glad to know that you are doing better. I hope your upcoming sugery will fix a lot of your aches and pains. You and your son work so hard, and with the extra heat there making the work even hotter, you certainly could have things go your way for a change. Please know that we are all rooting for you!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[B&B Happy goats]

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Any more news on your dad?

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks for asking @Senile_Texas_Aggie . He is drinking, has said up to a dozen words. No response on the right side but left side seems to be responding pretty well. Of course he is right handed. My brother texted and said that he is talking some, very aware of everyone, sitting him up. Ate some but my brother had to feed him because he has no use of the right side. He will be going to a "step down" room in a day or two and then they will be making decisions for rehab. Does not seem to affected him mentally for the most part which is good. But I don't think he realizes that it is going to be a long recovery process and that he may be limited. But the vitals are good, and I guess that it is just a matter of time to see what all he can recover. I've offered my support, and will not push it. I am not going to beg them to accept my help and I do not offer over and over again.
My sister had gone up, and has returned home to CT for a few days and my other brother has also returned home to CT for a few days work. He is a paid fireman/emt so has a 24 on/off type of schedule. I think he said he has some vacation time coming. He also bought a "farm" in Vt several years ago and has planted Christmas trees for his "future retirement". He has managed several tree farms up there for years and has been in the wholesale business of christmas trees for probably 30 + years. Used to have a tree lot on my grandparents place in Ct for years during the season. So he goes near to my parents on his trips back and forth, and now that the two brothers are talking somewhat, will probably be there a bit more. The other brother, who is the poa etc., actually has a fishing boat on one of the great lakes...is a liscensed ships' captain, and it is his busy season so this has been tough on him with all the driving back and forth and lost time.

All we can do is see what happens and try to help where when we can.

It has been miserably hot here. 95 the last two days with heat indexes in the low 100's. Really tough weather for this area, since we do not normally get more than 2-3 days of this. I know that it is countrywide, and cannot imagine the heat like this up in the northern area; @Bruce or the upper mid west members. I sure hope we get the "cool down" to the 80's early next week.

Hoping everyone takes it as easy as possible in this heat.