Day 241

Day 241

Monday, January 20 2014

Physical:

This was a quiet day.  DH stayed in bed until after noon.  He would wake a time or two, but was warm and decided to stay there.  He got up after getting bathed, and didn’t doze all afternoon; but off and on some.  In the late afternoon he informed me he thought he’d “had an accident”, so I took him back to his room to get cleaned up.  He wanted to stay there, and napped for between an hour and a half and two hours … got up just before 630.  I was afraid it might get his bedtime a bit off, but it didn’t.

He did wake up around 4:30 though.  And again at 5:00.  Then he seems to have settled back down. 

When I went in at 4:30 he asked how I found him.  I told him I’d heard him rattling and squeaking the bed.  He very indignantly replied that “this is not a bed”.  But when I asked what he thought he was doing somewhere else, with dialysis running, at 4:30 in the morning he conceded that I had a point! LOL!  I never did find out where he was then; but at 5:00 he thought he was in the bathtub.

It’s a bit odd (well, I guess it is), that when he thinks he’s somewhere else, trying to tell him – or even show him – where he is doesn’t have any effect on what he believes.  But telling him what time it is seems to calm him down a bit.

People:

The CAN was on the later side of noon, but since he was still in bed it was fine.  I do enjoy talking with her.  Later in the afternoon SIL came over.  She brought us some homemade soup (which is thawing for tonight when it’s supposed to be extra cold again), and stayed awhile.  She helped me put the blue balls on the white tree … when I get very close, it’s pretty.  I’m sad I can’t see it better.  While she was here the supply delivery came.  I wasn’t even sure he was coming since I never got the usual call with a time frame.  I didn’t know if it was a holiday for him or not  Also SIL and I went through some more books, and she went home with a sack full of cookbooks .. mostly the kind published by churches … and a promise to try out some recipes and share with me!

Emotions:

I got good news, and had company, and DH did not have a bad day.  So it was all together a fairly good day.  By evening, as usual, my energy level suddenly dropped.  I wish I could get that regulated; but since I have to work around his schedule, I guess I can’t.  It’s very frustrating that in the evening I’m suddenly so exhausted.  Plus the morning dose of Aleve seems to start wearing off, and my legs get achy. I manage to push myself through supper and dialysis set up.  But by 9:30 – after he’s settled and has had all pills, and I’ve had all my eye drops (or at least all I remembered), I just can’t stay awake.  My body seems to be tuned in to having around 4 hours of good solid sleep … which means I’m asleep by around 9:30, and waking up between 1:00 and 2:00.  Not good!!  Usually I can drift off and on from there to close to 5:00 when I give up and get up.  Last night it did not help that some dratted dog was running around barking right outside my window!  Grrrrrr.

Yesterday the children (next door) told me a puppy had run under one of the cars in the yard.  During the night I thought I heard, once, a puppy type Yipe.  If it’s a small one, those cats will run him off.  I hope it moves on somewhere else.  We’ve been through that twice already (stray puppies), and just don’t need it again.  Much as I love my cats, I don’t need all of them, but no way to do anything humanely about them.  No dogs please!  Not stray that is.  I’d love to have a golden; but obviously I don’t have time or energy to devote to a dog right now.

Yeserday I got news that put a few more pieces into what I hope turns out to be something great.  I’m really afraid to get my hopes too high .. and yet …. I’m counting down days (24) anyway.

Today (Tuesday) is clinic.  I always dread this day.  There have been more and more times lately that it’s been very hard to get DH up and down, so getting him into the car is a major issue.  Plus, by late afternoon the weather turns nasty.  As usual, they’re saying where we live is “just below” the rain/snow line.  So chances are all we’ll get is cold rain that will freeze.  If there’s any snow, it will likely be mixed with the rain, and after dark so I can’t see it anyway.  Nuts. L

The volunteer lady had suggested she might come on Monday, but I never heard from her.  Of course, it’s always possible she tried to call – my phone line is quite unreliable.  Ironically, the kids insist I keep the landline for emergencies since cell reception is almost non existant.  An option might be Vonage, which runs off internet.  But then, when the internet satellite is down, I’d still have no phone.  Wait a minute.  A lot of the time I have no phone anyway.   But, it would only be around $10 cheaper .. and I suspect it would make my internet bill go higher, so no useful gain anyway.

It’s still not quite 6:30 in the morning.  The dialysis won’t be done until between 7:00 and 7:30, and I prefer waiting until it’s done to take a showerIt’s not essential if I have a reason to be earlier, but today I don’t.  There are still over 4 hours until we need to leave.  There are no dishes to do, today’s pills are done.  I have no reason at all to be awake this early, so I’m going to go watch morning news and hope I drift off for a quick nap!