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| Bill enjoying a Viennese Crescent cookie |
Here is the latest medical update on me and Bill.
We're both doing fine. Bill has much improved since his two back to back strokes in January of 2021.
Bill still needs and will probably always need help dressing, washing, eating and taking his medications. His cognitive abilities are not what they were before his strokes but he has stabilized. Bill, bless his heart, still is able to get around on his own.
Every morning I wash him (every third day is Shower Day which he still hates), change his Depends, give him his medications and prepare his breakfast. His diet is still the same. The two main meals are oatmeal with extra sugar and half and half cream. I have to fine ground his oatmeal because he can't swallow regular oatmeal. Lunch time is a high protein Ensure. During the day he snacks on thin cookies, his favorite being crescent cookies that I make for him. They are shortbread cookies consisting of butter (lots of butter), flour, sugar (both regular and confectioners) and a dab of vanilla. Those are his favorite cookies. Labor intensive to make for me (I always end up with an aching back after I roll them out for the umpteenth time in confectioners sugar) but well worth it for he so appreciates them. He also likes caramel candies. Doesn't seem like a varied diet (where are the fruits and vegetables you ask?) but this seems to be working for him.
This week we both have doctors' appointments. Mine is tomorrow with my VA care provider. Annually I give blood for my labs and my care provider goes over the results. This year he's ordered a CAT-SCAN for me. I don't know why but I'm not doing any more bone marrow tests or that test where they stick an instrument with a camera on the end up your penis into your bladder to check for bladder cancer. My brother Isaac just had that procedure. Twice I've turned down that procedure. Once about twelve years ago when a doctor at the VA in Wilmington was pressuring me and another time with my former urologist who scheduled the procedure for me without even informing me or discussing the NEED for that procedure. That procedure must be a profit center. No thank you.
My arthritis is gradually getting worse. Not much I can do about it other than take Advil when my back aches become too painful. Advil will give me a few hours of relief. I'm also having more trouble with my legs. If I get down on the floor I have trouble getting up on my own. I have to grab something to grab onto help life me up. This problem has been creeping up on me for the past twenty years or so. Again, not much I can do about it other than to take my regular walks.
My mental health is doing fine these days. For several months after Bill came home from the rehab facility and I became his full-time caregiver, I was feeling trapped. Even though I was thankful to be able to care for Bill here at home where he is most comfortable (I just cannot imagine him living in a nursing home like facility) I felt like I had a ball and chain around my ankle. I don't feel like that now. I am resigned (?) or comfortable with the fact that for the foreseeable future, even though that may be years, I will always be here at home taking care of Bill. We have a very comfortable home and life here in southern Delaware is like a permanent vacation. Of course I miss my trips to Palm Springs, Philadelphia and Canada with Pat, but I didn't have those trips before I met Pat. Again, life could be a lot worse. These days I compare anything I complain about with life in Ukraine. Extreme yes but true.
One thing that is making life easier around here is my discovery of hour long continuous club music on You Tube. All these years I've been paying for a premium membership in You Tube and I haven't been taking advantage of this free music! I'm making for lost time now.
The one thing I do miss though is my part-time job at the hotel. This January it will be two years since I left my job abruptly to take care of Bill. Hard to believe so much time has passed by so quickly. Maybe someday I'll go back, if they'll have me that is.
Have a great day everyone!