Keep the Faith

2010-09-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

I know it sounds terrible to anyone who hasn't gone through it...and don't get me wrong, I love my mom more than ever...but I miss my old mom so much sometimes. Three years later, and I still wish I could talk to her one more time, get some advice from her, just be with her. Or at least be able to think of her looking down on me, a constant presence in all my moments, high or low. But (thank heaven and earth) my mom's not dead...she's just different now. I often wonder where her old self went...it seems to have just disappeared into thin air, and this new self just came to be in place of her...and I can't help but feel guilty for mourning that old mom. I just wish I could find the essence of her and put her in a box so I could hold onto her forever...I guess that's what my memory is for, but why does it feel so inadequate sometimes?

Sad news

2008-12-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I am deeply sorry to report that after a brave and valiant fight, Ed Kopman passed away last Saturday, Dec. 6. For those interested, I have included a link to his obituary. My heart goes out to Sam and her family for their loss...especially at this time of year. Thank you to everyone who added Ed to their prayers, and I hope you will continue to keep the Kopman family in your hearts and pray that they will find peace.

Edward Kopman
September 11, 1947-December 6, 2008
http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=298354&fh_id=10184&s_id=095E149E39C4C45A8EAA564B3A749475

Please keep praying

2008-12-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

A note from Sam to solicit your prayers:

"Please keep Ed in your prayers. We need someone else to take over now. Dad has developed blood clots in all of his extremities and is at risk for the clots moving to his lungs (pulmonary embolus or PE) from these clots. He is having a filter placed in one of the large veins that returns blood to the heart this morning to help prevent the clots in his legs from moving to his lungs. There is really not much else they can do for the clots because the usual treatment is blood thinners and he cannot get these anymore because it already caused bleeding in his brain last week. We just have to pray that his body stops clotting and is able to break down the clots before they move in to his lungs.

Please pray for a miracle for Dad.

Thanks so much.
Love you all,
Sam"

Ed

2008-11-16T14:29:00.001-08:00

Hi Friends,

I'm not sure how many people still read this because I update it so infrequently these days, but I would like to solicit from those of you who still do check in some of your famous and wonderful support and prayers. Many of you know my friend Sam and many of you don't...she's a nurse I work with in Labor and Delivery, and was instrumental in keeping me sane throughout Mom's ordeal. She was very supportive and loving, and I was so thankful to have had her there for me. Sam recently had a life-changing event of her own...her dad, Ed, fell from a ladder and sustained a traumatic brain injury almost two weeks ago now. She and her family are unfortunately going through a very similar experience to my own, and my heart aches for them. Ed remains in the ICU and has not yet regained consciousness, but he is surrounded by his loving family and friends and is making those baby steps I am so familiar with in the right direction. Though he has tremendous love and support from so many people already, I know all too well that there can never be too much of that, so am asking all of you to send prayers and hope and love in their direction as often as you can, as you have been so gracious to have done the same for me. I truly believe you were all instrumental in Mom's recovery, and I know together we can help Sam's dad too. Having been on the receiving end of so much support, I know it to be life-sustaining...though I feel so helpless to ease their pain, it is my hope that in this small way I can "pay it forward."

Thank you so much for your help. Peace.

Update

2008-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Many have been commenting that I haven't posted an update in quite some time, and I apologize and will give you a brief one now. The last entry was not so happy, but I'm pleased to report things have taken a turn for the better! :) The needed documents we were awaiting came MUCH sooner than we'd hoped, and Mom only spent a week with our family before she was able to be admitted into the Northeast Center for Special Care! She has been there now for two full weeks, and seems to be enjoying herself and keeping busy. She's making friends, attending classes and meetings, and participating in activities. This coming Friday, Oct 17 is the first Interdisciplinary Care Meeting which I will be attending via conference call, so perhaps we'll get some idea of how much longer she'll be there and her current status. I bought plane tickets to visit in November right before Thanksgiving...I have to work the holiday itself, so perhaps our family will be able to celebrate a bit early. :)

So there's your update! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

SNAFUs up the wazoo

2008-09-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

This will be short since I'm writing this from my phone, but I promised I'd try to update you while in NY. The gist of it is that to be honest, things have been going anything but smoothly here. Despite efforts to get as much of the paperwork together as I could before I got here, there is a major hold-up getting Mom's funding approved or even to the pending status. Therefore, she cannot be admitted until the necessary documents are obtained...something far more difficult than I originally thought. This could take up to 30 days to arrive, which is an absolute disaster. After much family discussion and deliberation, it has been tentatively decided that for the time being, Mom will stay here in NY with family while we await the arrival of the needed documents. I will be forever grateful and indebted to my aunts and uncles for their aid in what had become a crisis situation.

What a nightmare this process has quickly become, and my worst fears about the situation are coming to fruition before my eyes. But I keep telling myself I'm not going to let this keep us down, or at least not for long.

I am once again issuing a plea for all your good thoughts and prayers that this will all work out in the end. Thanks as always. Peace.

And we're off!

2008-09-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

It's been awhile again, but now that I have an official update I decided to share it with you. After much toiling and many trials and tribulations, the day has finally arrived when Mom gets to leave the Imperial! She has been accepted into the Neurorehabilitation program at the Northeast Center for Special Care in Lake Katrine, NY, which is about a 2 hour drive from our family in upstate NY! :) We fly out this Sunday, and I'll be staying in NY for a week to make sure everything is settled and in place. The transition is bittersweet for us both...obviously NY is a lot farther away from Chicago, and I won't be able to visit her nearly as often. But I know in my heart this is the best place for her to go, and I believe it will further her recovery in some amazing ways.

To celebrate, we're going out for dinner with some friends tomorrow (Saturday) night, and anyone is welcome to come. We'll be going around 6pm, so if you'd like to join us, give me a call for details. Bev would love to see all her angels who prayed for her and sent her their thoughts over the last year before she heads off on her new adventure. I hope to see some of you there. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Peace.

Magic in the air

2008-08-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Today was better than I'd dared to hope for, and I am near to bursting with pride and love for Mom. I was quite apprehensive as to what my state of mind would be today, as a year ago today goes down in history as the worst of my life thus far (and hopefully ever)...the fear of reliving it again was nausea-inducing to say the least. But I awoke this morning surprisingly calm, and went about my morning as usual. Mom and I had a lovely lunch at a Chinese restaurant for dim sum, our place we always went to, and though she had only a dim recollection of having been there before, the food was excellent and the conversation light.

When we'd had our fill, we made our way on the bus to the Lincoln Park Zoo. As we rode the bus, we passed her old apartment building, the place she'd been living at the time of the accident, and I pointed it out. She stared at it for a moment, and then this look came over her face...it's hard to describe, but it was like the light suddenly went on. She lit up like I haven't seen her do in some time, and began pointing out other things along the street that she recognized. We came to another street, and even without being able to see down it very far, began naming places along it that she'd frequented and things we'd done along it (like a parade we went to last year). As the bus continued on its route, she would anticipate things ahead, like the site of the farmer's market we'd gone to in the park and the building in which she'd stage managed a play awhile back. She just kept repeating "I remember! I remember everything!" over and over, oozing pure joy at finally being able to place herself in the world. When we arrived at the zoo, she remembered that too, and stood across the street for a moment, crying tears of joy before we continued inside the gates. We strolled around looking at all the animals, having a wonderful time together like always. We walked back up that familiar street again later on, and she pointed out each place that she recognized, each place she remembered vividly...even the small grocery store where she described in detail the layout of all the aisles inside and what items were in each one. She remembered the day of the parade over a year ago, and how on one particular corner there had been a group of protestors who were picketting with signs...something I hadn't even recalled until she said it! Amazing.

At the end of the day, we talked some more about Mom's feelings at having finally truly recognized her surroundings. She described how she knew logically that she was in Chicago and had been living here for some time before her accident, but that until now it had felt like she was in a strange city that she should know well but did only in the vaguest sense. As we waited for the bus, she looked around some more and said "I feel like I've been away for a long time, and I finally just got back." I can't even imagine how it must have been for her to have the awareness that she didn't remember vital things about her life, to feel always one step behind, to feel so lost, like everyone else knew the words to the song except her. Can you imagine? And now she is so incredibly grateful to finally feel grounded, to feel found. She told me that today felt like the best day of her life, and I can understand why that would be so. To yearn for that sense of familiarity and all those memories you know you should have but don't, and then to finally begin to see through the fog. Sure, she's recognized other things in the past here and there, but today was profound and so much more in depth than ever before, as was her appreciation for and understanding of the implications of it. I guess there was a bit of magic in the air today. :)

Once again, I would like to extend my most heartfelt appreciation for all your prayers, love, support and kind words over the last year. To know that you are all out there reading this and thinking about us means so much. We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Peace.

One year

2008-08-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

On this the eve of the one year anniversary of the day our lives changed forever, I felt it not only appropriate but necessary to end my hiatus from the blog with an entry. It's hard to believe it has been that long...one year. In some ways, the time has flown, and in others it feels like a lifetime ago when I got that phone call. So much has happened in that time...I have grown and changed as a person, Mom has come such a long way from that SICU bed, and the world looks different. There were moments (some longer than others) when I doubted my ability to make it through, but I feel as though we've come out on the other side. That is not to say we're done...we've still got a long way to go, many obstacles yet to overcome, rainy days to endure, but if I compare our situation a year ago with the place we're in now, I am so thankful to be here. Mom will never be exactly the same person she was but she's so close, and there are so many of her old quirks and characteristics that she has regained...for this alone my gratitude is boundless. Those dark days were worth the sunshine.

In celebration of all Mom has overcome, all that she has accomplished, and her continued strength and will to keep going, we will spend the day together tomorrow. The plan is a brunch of dim sum (something we haven't had in ages) followed by a leisurely day spent at the zoo...these days she's crazy about animals, so it's perfect. I know she'll have an absolutely wonderful time...and I will too, just because she can.

Thanks for all your love, support and well wishes this past year...it is all of you who have carried me through, and for that I will be eternally grateful. We will raise our glasses to you.

Mini vacay

2008-08-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

Wow, it's been awhile...I will give you an update of course, but it won't be too involved as there are severe thunderstorms afoot (and even a tornado warning earlier with tornado sirens and everything, even in the city itself which is very rare!) and I could lose power at any moment. Since I last wrote, I worked a couple of days during which there wasn't really anything momentious that happened. Friday morning I spent scrambling around getting last minute things done because I left around 11am for my friend Soni's wedding in Grand Rapids, Michigan! I rode up with my coworker Aubry and her husband Chris, and their friends Cathy and Mike. The wedding was very beautiful and we had a great time. I stayed in a hotel Friday night in Grand Rapids, and then Saturday morning, we drove south a bit and the crew dropped me off in another town in Michigan...my friend Suzi and her family rent a house up there for a couple weeks every year near the lake (Lake Michigan of course), and Suzi invited me to spend the weekend with them up there. Since I was going to be in Michigan anyway, it worked out perfectly. So I stayed with them Saturday and Sunday nights...we spent the days at the beach mostly, and just hung out and had fun. Talked to mom a few times a day while I was gone, and she seemed to be doing well...doing puzzles, reading her book, painting her nails, etc. I really miss her since I haven't seen her since last week, so I can't wait to visit on Wednesday!

Got a ride back to Chicago with Suzi's husband this evening (about an hour and a half drive), and we drove right into the storm...the rain was coming down in sheets and the sky looked like it had strobe lights in it there was so much lightning! I was out on my back deck watering the plants since I'd been gone for a few days (ironic I know when it was pouring, but they are somewhat under cover), and I witnessed two lightning strikes very near to me! The light was blinding and the sound was roaring...it was scary but a little exciting as well. The rain seems to have subsided a bit, but lightning is still streaking across the sky like crazy.

Off to bed now...must head back to work tomorrow as my mini vacation is now over. I do feel a bit rejuvinated, so it must be just what I needed. :) Thanks as always for your continued love and support. Peace.

Neuropsych testing

2008-07-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Oy, a long stressful day...mom had her appointment today for the neuropsych testing from 9-4pm...9-12, then an hour for lunch followed by an afternoon session which ended up only lasting until 3pm. Mom was understandably nervous about it, but not overly so...she sort of enjoyed it a little, when all was said and done...it filled her day, she was challenged, and met a nice doctor whom she said was very encouraging to her. Nonetheless, it was tiring for us both, and I'm glad it's done...I think it went well, but I guess we'll know for sure how it went when the report comes out, which I don't think will be for a little while...we have another appointment on Sept. 2 (!) to go over the report, but I'm hoping the written report will be available before this to send to the two prospective programs so they will have it sooner.

Also got a call today from the Director of Admissions at QLI while I was at Walgreen's this evening, and she said they decided mom would be welcome in their program...this is great news, but now I face another obstacle...I have to now convince the man who is in charge of approving out-of-state treatments for patients to let her go...we must have exhausted all in-state options first before they will approve this, and I must prove that we have. I do not think on my feet always so well, and am much better with written communication, so the prospect of having to call this man and be savvy and convince him this is the best option is quite daunting to me. I should have known it wasn't over, and that it wouldn't be as simple as that. Not to mention that her application with the other place is still pending, so everything is just still up in the air, and I don't know if it's worth making this phone call to the guy if we are still waiting on the other program...AHHH!!!!! I fear I will soon tear my hair out over all this... :(

Am emotionally exhausted tonight, and looking forward to my bed. Work the next two days so keep your fingers crossed my stress level doesn't skyrocket because of that...it's all I need. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace

Update

2008-07-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, by now you must think I've fallen off the face of the earth...rest assured I haven't, I just haven't had much to tell the last couple of days, and this fatigue I've been battling has been winning...not sure if I'm getting sick or what. Regardless, here I am. I worked on Saturday and the day was okay...not too busy, not too slow to make the day go by. Got home to find they'd torn down our garage while I was out! I barely recognized the place...I hope this means they're going to build us a nice new one!

Today I spent at home just resting and doing a few things around the house...had a little excitement earlier when I heard some commotion outside and looked out the window to find police cars surrounding my building. Turns out they'd been chasing a suspect and he leaped our fence and ran behind our building before they apprehended and arrested him. I went out on the back deck to find out what was going on and felt like I was in the middle of a "Law and Order" episode! Watched them arrest the guy who was proclaiming his innocence the whole time, and watched the at least 30 or so officers comb the nearby area for anything the suspect may have tried to get rid of or hide while being pursued. They even asked me if I'd heard a thump on my roof as though someone had tossed anything up there (I hadn't), and asked me to look on the roof of the neighbor's garage from my vantage point in case I saw anything (I didn't)...I think they were looking for drugs or weapons or both. How exciting!

Anyway, back to work again tomorrow, so goodnight all. I hope everyone's weekend was a nice one. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Forgive me

2008-07-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I know, I know...another missing blog entry. But I promise you there wasn't much to tell you anyway...have been working the last two days and I really have no news...work has been busy, have talked to mom a few times and she seems to be doing fine, if only status quo. Still waiting to hear about her future, will call tomorrow afternoon if I haven't heard anything from QLI, and things are finally shaping up with the NCSC application in NY. So we shall see...as I promised, I'll keep you all posted on any developments. For now, will get some sleep tonight and then tomorrow I hope to be fresh and ready to tackle some more chores, tasks and errands. I can't believe we are nearing the end of July...how time flies. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Mamma Mia

2008-07-22T19:27:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

I am getting lazy! Two nights in the past week with no entry...shame on me! If it weren't for being so darn exhausted at the end of my days that I fall asleep on the couch, I'd be better! I think the time may be nearing to only write when I have an update instead of every night, but I'm not sure I'm quite ready to give it up just yet, so I'll keep you posted. Maybe at the year mark? We'll see...

Anyway, yesterday was a busy day...went to the oral surgeon's office for my non-appointment (he told me to just come, which I should have known would turn into a disaster)...ended up waiting for almost two hours to be seen, and then waiting around in the room for awhile too...by the time I got out of there, I was starving and late for lunch! He took another xray and basically said he thought my pain was from my mouth being stretched open so wide when they removed my tooth...he gave me a muscle relaxer and told me to take Motrin around the clock to aid in reduction of inflammation...it has gotten a little better, but is definitely still there. He wants me to follow up in two weeks (which reminds me, I need to call for an appointment), and if it's not better, he'll refer me to an ENT doctor to check my ear out. Oy.

Once I finally got out of there, I picked up Mom and came back to the apartment where Loyce was waiting for us...we went to a late lunch at a Turkish restaurant and then went to see "Mamma Mia" at a movie theatre near my place I'd never been to before. It was very cute, had fun music, and mom really enjoyed it...so did Loyce and I of course, but Mom had a really good time. When the movie got out, we brought Mom back to the palace where she and Loyce said their goodbyes...then Loyce and I headed home so she could pack up and get on the road back to Iowa. It was a very nice, if brief, visit and we had a good time altogether. Once she left, I did a little work around the house and then succumbed to my exhaustion on the couch, as mentioned above.

Today, my fatigue carried over and I had the hardest time getting out of bed, so I didn't until about noon. Then I dragged myself up, made a couple phone calls and wrote a few emails, got ready, went grocery shopping, and then drove up to Suzi's house to return her car I'd been borrowing for the past almost week (SO nice of them to let me). We sat outside by her pool and got some sun, and then I had dinner with her and her family before taking the train back to the city. A good mix of productivity and relaxation today, I think.

Off to bed early now as I work the next two days...I hope it isn't too busy. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

A visitor

2008-07-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Worked all day yesterday and was exhausted by the time I got home, so I couldn't bring myself to write, plus there wasn't much to report anyway. Today, however, was a whirlwind busy day. Slept later than I meant to, got up and tried to clean and tidy quickly, met Suzi for brunch at our new favorite spot in my neighborhood (and possibly in all of America), then came home and got ready for Brooke's baby shower! Had afternoon tea at the Drake with the girls and the cute Maddies (Candy's and Jen S's little ones)...I felt so British. ;) Then met up with Loyce and Mom downtown for dinner! Loyce got in this afternoon and since I had the shower to attend, headed over to hang out with Mom before me, and brought her downtown to meet me. We had a lovely dinner at the Grand Lux (hadn't been there in ages), and then walked about downtown a small amount before dropping Mom back off at the palace. After that, Loyce and I headed home and sat up talking for awhile catching up. Now we are both off to bed...tomorrow's plans include me heading to the oral surgeon to get my ear/jaw checked out in the morning, and then a picnic lunch at the beach with Loyce and Mom before Loyce has to head back to Iowa. Should be fun...I hope the weather is as nice as it was today! :) I hope everyone had a great weekend! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Galavanting

2008-07-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Have stayed up too late doing things, so this entry will be short and sweet. Ran tons of errands all over the city today it seemed, made phone calls and saw mom. She was doing fine, was reading her book when I arrived. We just visited for a bit before she headed to dinner, and it was nice. Called the oral surgeon's office today but he wasn't in so he is calling me back tomorrow morning to discuss my pain issues...I hope it's nothing complicated! The girl I spoke with seemed to think it was perhaps an aggravated nerve from the application of the local anesthetic, which is sometimes a delayed reaction and not much can be done for it. We shall see what the doctor says tomorrow. It has gotten a little bit worse since yesterday, so have been taking Motrin for it. Oy, nothing is ever easy. Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, so it's way past my bedtime! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Meeting, etc.

2008-07-17T19:39:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Sorry about the lack of blog last night...I have no other excuse except that I was really exhausted from work and forgot...very rare for me, I know. I must fill you in on the meeting yesterday with the woman from QLI (the inpatient program in NE). The woman was SO nice, and after talking to mom and learning a bit about her history and such, thought she would actually be a great candidate for the program. She explained a bit more about the program, and the services they offer, the living situation, etc. She said the average patient there is mom's age or younger, and they're all either brain injury or spinal cord injury survivors, and they range in severity of injury and deficits from very impaired to mildly impaired. She said we may have an answer by as early as the end of next week, so we shall see. :)

Today I worked again, which was probably a good thing as it was another scorcher out. We were busy but not crazy, so we all survived. Talked to mom, she was pretty much status quo so not much new to tell you. Am once again exhausated, so will eat something quickly and then head to bed. Off tomorrow, so another day to get stuff done. Also must call the oral surgeon and possibly make an appointment to be seen...my ear and jaw on the side I got my wisdom tooth removed from has been bothering me a lot the past couple of days...shooting pains in my ear...I can only assume they are connected, but if not at least it's a good place to start. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Scorcher

2008-07-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Wow was it hot today...one of the hottest days of the summer so far, I think...I was so proud that I did not break down and turn on my air conditioning, although I seriously considered it for quite awhile, and had I been doing anything remotely strenuous at home, I would have. As it is, I did very low key things today to keep cool. Some light chores and emailing and phone calls and paperwork and such. Also, had to figure out who would be able to come in to work tomorrow for a couple hours to cover for me as the representative from QLI is coming to assess mom tomorrow at noon! I found out at the very last minute, so wasn't able to find anyone easily, but my dear friend Leah has pulled through for me, thank goodness! Will definitely keep you posted on what they say and how it goes. Keep your collective fingers crossed!!!

Also found out today mom's best friend Loyce will be in town this weekend and will be staying with me on Sunday night and visiting mom! :) Yay!! Mom will enjoy that immensely, no doubt, as will I. :)

Okay, it's late and I must head to bed...wish us luck tomorrow! I know you'll be pulling for mom. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Concert

2008-07-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Just arrived home from the concert at Ravinia...the Beach Boys (though now made up of only one original band member) were great...very fun, and we had a great time just picnicking, relaxing and enjoying ourselves. We were even surprised by a guest appearance from John Stamos, origanally made famous for his role as Uncle Jessie on "Full House" and most recently as a star on the hit NBC drama "ER" (what am I, an ad executive??). He played drums, guitar and sang backup for the band, and we snapped a few pics of him. :) We all knew more songs than we thought, so we had a blast singing along. Jillian is spending the night tonight as she has to work in the morning, poor thing...so I must get to bed shortly so as not to keep her up. Mom was doing well today, keeping fairly busy with activities and such or so she said. More tomorrow. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Back in the game

2008-07-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yay, the neck seems to be about 95% back to its original condition! :) Thank goodness...I was worried I'd be out of commission for longer, so I'm very happy to be better. Just did some chores today as planned...nothing exciting really. Mom was doing fine today...not much new to report on that front. Am off to bed shortly, and tomorrow will run some more errands, and then Pam, Jillian and I are going to Ravinia (an outdoor music festival for those non-Chicagoans) to see the Beach Boys! We got lawn seats and plan to picnic for dinner...should be really fun, I just hope the weather is good! :) Hope everyone had a great weekend, and that your week gets off to a good start! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Low key

2008-07-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

You'll be happy to know my neck is feeling MUCH better tonight...I actually slept okay last night, and spent the morning resting, icing, and attempting to stretch a little. When the Motrin kicked in, I was able to get up and shower, and the more I moved it gently, the better it felt. I hadn't been sure I'd be able to go to the baby shower I had planned to attend this afternoon, but as the pain had subsided a bit, I ended up going. Elvia and her two precious daughters met me at my place and we walked the block over to the church where the shower for our coworker Melissa was being held. We had a nice time...very low key and pleasant. :) After the shower, I just headed home and ended up falling asleep on the couch while reading...took a very long nap, and when I awoke, my neck was sore again, so I decided against going out to meet friends as I'd originally planned. :( Disappointing, but probably for the best so a re-injury doesn't occur. I sort of feel like I'm 80 years old...who else hurts their neck while opening a jar?!?! Oy...

Tomorrow as long as the neck continues to improve, I plan to get some chores done...laundry and possibly a trip to the grocery store. I will also head over to the Imperial to spend some time with mom...perhaps she'll come home and help me with the chores. :) Not sure what the weather is supposed to be like...major thunderstorm again last night in the middle of the night which woke me up and made car alarms go off because the thunder was so loud! I hope nothing like that again tonight! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Pain

2008-07-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Short entry tonight...having trouble holding my head up for more than a couple minutes at a time. Was opening a jar of salsa, the top of which was on way too tight, and felt the muscles in my neck snap or whatever happened to them, and for a long while have been immobile on the couch and trying to figure out what the heck to do. The only reason I am attempting to write at all tonight is because there was no entry last night due to a bad thunderstorm which caused the internet to be spotty and unreliable. Not much news for you since I worked the last two days, but thought I'd check in. Time to pray the pain meds kick in soon, and attempt to sleep without moving my neck too much. Wish me luck. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Bev the rascal

2008-07-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Today was a great day...mom's appointment this morning went really well, first of all. It was nice to see her doctor from RIC again, and he was definitely pleased and impressed with how far mom has come in her recovery process. He also provided many helpful suggestions, resources, and options for us to plan for mom's future, which was so welcome. All in all, a very successful visit indeed. Once we were finished there, we picked up some lunch and headed to the beach to relax and picnic. The weather was perfect for the occasion, and we met up with Pam and Suzi for a girls day. :) We had fun just talking, hanging out and sunning (though mom was under the umbrella as she doesn't do well in the heat and sun). Mom had a great time feeding the gulls, and listening to Pam's iPod. She was quite the jokester today, for the most part in very good spirits (with the occasional tears, as is her usual), and was just being so funny, hence the title of tonight's blog. Gave her a book to bring back with her this evening written by a brain injury survivor for her to begin reading...just so she knows she's not alone in all of this. Hope it helps and doesn't hinder. We shall see.

Off to bed...I'm sure it'll be another crazy day tomorrow...work called me again this morning at 5:45am to see if I could come in and help out again. Needless to say, I was unavailable today. Wish me luck tomorrow! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

S.O.S

2008-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, a different kind of day than I thought it would be...got an S.O.S. phone call this am from work begging me to come in and help out for as long or as little as I could because they'd had so many sick calls and it was so busy. Not having any timeframe or deadline for my plans for the day, I agreed to help out from 1130-4pm. Made a little extra money which is always good, and actually got to do some patient care, something I hardly ever get to do anymore and it was fun! After that, I headed over to the Imperial for a few reasons...obviously to visit mom, but also to pick up a few forms from the social worker there, and to let them know mom has an appointment tomorrow morning with her RIC physiatrist for a follow-up. Will pick her up tomorrow for the appointment, and then go to lunch and the beach (if it's nice) with Pam and Suzi before dropping her back off. Mom was doing well, we wrote out a few reminder signs to hang up around her room for various things, and made lists of activities for her to do in place of watching TV and napping. :) Hopefully they'll make some impact...we shall see.

Off to bed now...hope everyone is having a good week so far! Thanks as always for your continued love and support. Peace.

Persistence

2008-07-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Once again, it's a dry day in terms of news for you. Am still attempting to move along the applications to the two rehab programs for mom...am constantly waiting to hear back from people for whom I leave phone messages. Work was extremely busy today as predicted, so there wasn't a ton of downtime. However, I have the next two days off, so definitely more opportunity to make persistent phone calls. As for my pain status with the tooth, today I was okay on Advil but it definitely didn't work as well as the Percocet. Was actually going to take another dose tonight, but have been okay so far, so will play it by ear. Getting very sleepy, so off to bed now. Thanks for your continued love and support. Peace.

Recuperating

2008-07-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I don't have much to write tonight...spent the whole day relaxing and napping on the couch...the pain meds really knock me out, so I didn't do much of anything. Talked to a few people on the phone, watched HGTV and Dateline, ate more soft things, and tried to stay cool in the hot weather. I am proud to say I didn't break down and use the AC either! :) Back to work tomorrow, so must switch to Advil...should be just fine. It's sure to be a busy day after the long holiday weekend, so I'm glad I'll be all rested up. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Tooth be gone!

2008-07-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, I made it...through the oral surgery, that is. I am minus my last wisdom tooth, and doing okay. I had never been sedated with anesthesia before, so it was quite a strange experience for me. The last thing I remember is the surgeon asking me if I was ready, and then telling me to let him know when I "felt something." I remember wondering what I was supposed to be feeling, and then saying "Oh, okay, I'm feeling something now." Next thing I remember is them telling me to sit up slowly, and mom was there in the room (she hadn't come in with me for the procedure but was waiting in the waiting room, so they must have gone and gotten her...not sure if I requested this or not...I don't remember...weird). I walked to the waiting room very crookedly, and was in and out on the chair out there for awhile. The original plan was for my friend Suzi to pick us up after the appointment, but poor Suzi texted me very early this morning to let me know she'd been up all night with either food poisoning or the stomach flu and wouldn't be able to come. :( She ended up having to go to the ER for some IV fluids and meds! Poor thing! Luckily, my friend Elvia was also getting her wisdom tooth out this morning and her cousin was able to drop mom off at the Imperial and then bring me home. So we waited in the waiting room for Elvia's appointment to be over, which ended up being a good thing as I was still coming out of the anesthesia. I didn't feel any pain until I was almost home, and even then it wasn't too bad yet. Once I got home, I was a bit more awake so decided to walk to Walgreen's and fill my rx for Percocet. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening napping and lying around...eating soft things like Spaghettios and ice cream and raspberries and Fig Newtons...all in all not a bad experience, just strange. I didn't get nervous until I was actually in the chair, right before they gave me the meds, and I panicked a little. But it didn't last long at all. Now if I can get through without getting a dry socket again like I did last time, I'll be good to go. What a relief that it's over!

Well, I'm feeling decidedly groggy again, so it's time for bed. Happy weekend! Thanks for your continued love and support. Peace to all.

4th of July!

2008-07-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Happy Independence Day! Hope everyone was able to celebrate and see some fireworks like we did! We barbecued ribs, chicken, and corn for dinner, along with some potato salad and devilled eggs Lilly brought...a very yummy meal. Ate out on the back deck...the weather was perfect...not too hot, a little breeze, sunny and beautiful. We had a good time talking and singing (patriotic songs, of course), laughing and cooking and eating. Then we cleaned up and headed up to Evanston for their fireworks display, which is always impressive. It didn't disappoint this year...was a little shorter than usual, but that was probably due to the shortage of fireworks from China, but what they did have was spectacular. Just getting home now and it's late...mom is spending the night tonight...yay! She will come with me to my oral surgery appointment tomorrow morning and we have to get up early, so off to bed. Wish me luck! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Going going going

2008-07-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Was so tired last night after an extremely busy day at work, and fell asleep on the couch as soon as I got home. So no blog entry...but don't worry, all is well. Today I was off, and got tons of chores done including grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, paying bills, making phone calls, etc. I had a very busy day, but wanted to get the majority of my stuff done today so I can enjoy the holiday tomorrow. Then Saturday morning I go to the oral surgeon for my wisdom tooth extraction, so I may be out of commission for the rest of the weekend, who knows? As always, there is more to do, but at least I got a good chunk of the stuff done. Mom came with me today for some of the errands, and we had a good time together. Tomorrow I hope to get permission from her doctor to take her overnight...that way we can see fireworks and not have to worry about getting her back afterwards. I doubt there will be a problem doing this...will barbecue on the back deck for dinner I think...it's supposed to be nice weather, not too hot nor too cold, so I hope it proves a lovely holiday.

Well, off to bed. Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone! As always, thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Sun

2008-07-01T19:39:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, what a beautiful day. I was lucky enough to have been able to enjoy the nice weather today, and I was so glad since the last few days I've had off have been rainy and chilly. I needed another dose of vitamin E. Got a few necessary things done today, and also some fun things...always good to have a balance. Mom finally checked her email today and sent me one in return, so I was glad about that. She also spent some time out on the balcony reading her Harry Potter book. :) She was also able to enjoy the sunny day which I'm always so glad about. One more day of work this week tomorrow, and then off for four whole days. :) Lots more time to get things done, to be sure. My list is never-ending...in fact, it seems to grow faster the more I cross off. Oy. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Fondue heaven

2008-06-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Work today was busy but okay, and nothing too crazy happened I guess. Just a regular day in the life of Labor and Delivery at Prentice. :) Only talked to mom once in the morning, she was doing well but unfortunately I had to cut our conversation short because of something happening at work. But she was in good spirits and seemed to be fine. After work, some of the girls and I headed out to a fondue dinner...SO yummy, SOO filling, and SOOO fun! We had lots of laughs and ate a ton, and to top it all off, we got 43% off our bill because it was the restaurant's 43rd anniversary! A nice surprise at the end of the evening to be sure! I will soon be in a food coma, so will be heading to bed shortly, before my head hits the keyboard. ;) Off work tomorrow, so hope to be able to sleep in a little and get lots of errands and chores done. I hope everyone had an easy transition into the new week. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Work day

2008-06-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Not much to report today...was at work all day and will be again tomorrow, so my day was mostly filled with that. Talked to mom a few times, she was doing her art projects, reading and playing Bingo. :) She was in good spirits at least. Am pretty tired despite it being a pretty nice day at work, so really must cut this short and head to bed. Hope everyone's weekend was excellent. Thanks as usual for your continued love and support. Peace.

Back in the habit

2008-06-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, Saturday...probably my favorite day of the week. Had a nice day...I got to help out a dear friend to whom I owe so much...was so happy to be able to return the favor, though I still have much to pay back. Suzi and her husband had planned to go visit their son at summer camp this weekend, and their plans for who would watch their other two kids fell through somewhat, and since I wasn't working was able to help out. I took the train out to their house this morning, and played suburban mom for the day. :) The girls were great, and we had a fun day.

Drove back to the city this evening and went to visit mom...got the phone situation straightened out, so no more difficulties there. :) She was doing well, and was very happy to see me, as I was to see her. We just hung out together and talked, and she showed me the paintings and drawings she's been doing lately. Lots of horses and cats, but very good...she's always been a good artist, and I guess she's been "commissioned" to paint some things for the nurses' kids and other residents' rooms and such, and she's been really enjoying it. :) I helped her straighten up her drawers and belongings a bit, and had her start reading the first Harry Potter book tonight as an assignment. I really would also like her to read a book about a brain injury survivor, so will try to get ahold of one for her, but in the meantime wanted her to start something. She called me this evening and was on page 17 and really enjoying it so far. I've also given her the assignment of checking her email tomorrow, so I hope she will follow through with this as well. We shall see. Now that the phone is back in commission and we can get back in the habit of talking frequently throughout the day, I'll be able to give her some reminders. I've been wracking my brain trying to think of other activities I can give her to do to keep her brain going and exercising, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm wide open.

Okay, must work tomorrow (yes, on a Sunday unfortunately), so must start heading to bed. I hope everyone's weekend is going well! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

No call

2008-06-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Wasn't able to write last night because my computer was being too slow at home and I really just wanted to get in bed. But I got to work a bit early this morning, so figured I'd do it now. I don't have much to report actually...still haven't talked to mom...I think something is wrong with her phone. I called the Imperial yesterday afternoon to ask if everything was ok, and it was, so I told the nurse to have mom call me, but she hasn't...therefore leading me to the malfunctioning phone conclusion. Unfortunately, I work again today and won't be able to get over there to investigate, so unless I can get someone there to help her with the technology, I won't be able to talk to her until tomorrow. :(

Last night got home to discover most of the big tree that was in my backyard cut down...!! It provided nice shade, but with the construction next door, I guess they didn't agree so it looks very naked back there. :( I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it'll take awhile. Looks very strange.

Well, on to the day. Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy, and thanks as usual for your continued love and support. Peace.

Too much wisdom

2008-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Another day with not much to report. I didn't even talk to mom at all today...she must have been busy, because I didn't hear from her, and when I tried to call her, she didn't answer so must have been out of her room at activities and such. Myself, I spent the day getting much-needed errands and chores done and lunching with Suzi. One of the things I did was research oral surgeons and make an appointment to get my wisdom tooth removed...NOT looking forward to that. It has really started bothering me a lot the last few days, and I figured I should stop putting it off finally. So, July 5th it is...yikes! At least I'll be able to enjoy the holiday first!

Back to work tomorrow, so must get to bed. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Hustle and flow

2008-06-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Not much to report tonight, had a busy day at work despite a slower patient census day, and am tired. Off tomorrow so will be able to get more errands done, I guess. Mom kept busy today, I only talked to her once briefly, and she was heading out to another activity. Will hopefully be able to visit her tomorrow among the errands, so that will be nice. :) Take care, everyone. Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Girls night

2008-06-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, the last day of my four-day weekend. Got some good stuff done this morning, and then made a trip to Kohl's with Pam to get some summer clothing for mom...she didn't have much that fit her except some pajama-like clothes, and I thought it important that she dress like a "normal" person to make her feel good about herself. They have some good sales going on right now, and have some pretty good stuff, so I got some nice things. After that, Pam, Mom and I drove up to Evanston to meet Lilly and Tiffany for dinner at LuLu's! It was really yummy, and a good time with lots of laughs as well. We had a total girls night. :)

To bed early as I must work tomorrow. Hope everyone's week is off to a good start! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Festivals

2008-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Had a nice Sunday...I met my friend Hope downtown and we went to the Taste of Greece, which turned out to be a very small festival in the parking lot of a church and was basically a fundraiser. They did have good food, though, so we did partake in that. Then we decided to head over to the Taste of Randolph which was also going on this weekend. We didn't know exactly where it was, so walked quite a long way, but it was a nice day and we had a good time just sightseeing and chatting along the way. Finally came to it, and had some more food and walked around to look at all the booths. It was lots of fun. :) After that, I went over to hang out with mom for a bit...she was doing well, working on a puzzle when I arrived. We just hung out, didn't go anywhere today at all. I have off tomorrow again, so I think we'll do something then. For now, off to bed. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Boat party

2008-06-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Sorry about the lack of entry last night...it was a late one, spent at a party on a boat, etc. so was a wee bit too worn out to write when I got home. It was great fun though, and though I paid for it a bit today, was definitely worth it. :) It was our annual Labor and Delivery boat party to send off the graduating residents and welcome the incoming interns. Who doesn't like a party on a boat?

Today was just spent lying on the couch preparing myself to go into work for four hours this afternoon/evening to cover my friend Elvia's shift. I was feeling better by that time...not 100%, but okay enough I guess. Luckily, work was very slow, so there wasn't any running around to be done really. When I got home, I basically took back up my residence on the couch, and now I'm writing before going to bed. Talked to mom a few times today, she was doing well and having a fine day...she has been looking at the dog breed book Jillian and Brendan got her for her birthday a lot lately, and has decided upon the breed of dog she'd like for us to get someday. She has her heart set on a Manchester Terrier...hey, you never know. ;)

Tomorrow will go see mom and also go with my friend Hope to the Taste of Greece festival...should be fun. I trust everyone's weekend is going well...thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Weary

2008-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, I was right...work today was a little tough...I definitely need to catch up on my sleep...to bed late two nights in a row and having to work is not easy. But well worth it, to be sure. :) Tried to keep busy (which wasn't difficult) at work to stay awake and keep the momentum going, and now I can't wait to hit the sack. Was sort of good that it was busy today, because it kept us from thinking about how it was my last day working with Stef. :(

Mom was doing well today...she was once again upbeat, having fun "challenging her brain" with word search puzzles, playing and winning at bingo, and who knows what all else. She tells me that even though she is no longer receiving speech therapy, Genevieve (the speech therapist) lets her come down and help others in their sessions, so she is getting to do some "teaching" just like always. :) I really think it gives her a sense of pride that she can help out, so I'm grateful she has the opportunity. Still waiting to hear back from the programs out of state, so I'll keep you posted as usual.

Yay, tomorrow is Friday! I've got the annual Prentice Boat Party to attend tomorrow evening to send off the graduating OB residents and welcome the incoming interns. It will be a good time as usual, I'm sure. Hope everyone has a good end to their week! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Farewell

2008-06-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Must get to bed, am up late again and I'm going to be sorry in the morning. Jillian is here, we just arrived home from our dear Stefanie's going away dinner. It was lots of fun, albeit sad, and we enjoyed our margaritas and Mexican food immensely. Stef really liked the group gift we got her, and even shed a tear or two when she opened it and read the card! I am still in denial that she's leaving...it makes me too sad to think about it for more than a minute or two at a time. We're all going to miss her so much. :(

Mom kept busy today as is her norm these days...wasn't able to hear her in the restaurant when she called to say goodnight, but we'll talk more tomorrow. Speaking of which, I'm back to work so must get some rest. Hope everyone had a great "Hump Day." Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Productive

2008-06-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Am up WAY too late trying to finish everything I'd wanted to get done today...sometimes, there don't seem to be enough hours in the day for all one would like to accomplish, eh? Got up, had breakfast, watered all the plants (Betty, you'd be proud!), got ready and picked up a Zipcar for my errands...stopped by the pharmacy, did laundry, went grocery shopping, made a trip to Target (which took MUCH longer than I'd anticipated...I love that place...I'm like a kid in a candy store there), picked up mom, we had dinner on the back deck (spaghetti, salad, and fruit for dessert), and dropped her back off at the palace. We had a great time together...she was enjoying the weather immensely, helped me make dinner, and we just had some great conversations again. She is really doing well, I've been so pleased with all our interactions of late. :) Future plans are still pending, but I will surely keep you posted on any new developments.

When I got back from dropping mom off, I went to work tidying up my place...Jillian is spending the night tomorrow because we have a work function to attend after our shift, and as she works the next day, we thought it best if she just stayed in the city for the night instead of commuting back and forth. She is allergic to kitties, so I had to seriously (and a bit obsessively actually...once I get going, I can't stop) de-hair the place, especially the bedroom she'll be staying in. I think I did pretty well, though there is still much to be done...as I said, not enough hours in the day. It's late now, and I must get to bed. I hope Jillian will not think less of me for not having a completely tidy place! :) I know she won't care, but I certainly do. Ah well, we can only do what we can do. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Content

2008-06-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Am tired, so will make this short. Work today was busy but tolerable, and actually not a typical crazy summer day, so that was good. Talked to mom a couple of times, she was doing great...she was very upbeat, and seemed to be excited about her activities and her day. They were awesome conversations, and I'm happy to know she was content, at least for a day. Tomorrow I have off from work, and will definitely be hanging out with her a bit...I miss her! Also must go grocery shopping and do a little cleaning around the house, as I played hooky over the weekend from my responsibilities. Laundry would probably be good, too.

Hope Monday treated everyone well. Thanks for your continued love and support. Peace.

Sunday blues

2008-06-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Sorry for the missing entry last night...I had quite the headache from too much sun and not enough water, and fell asleep on the couch while trying to recover. Was at the beach again for a good part of yesterday, and met my friend Leah there. We had a nice time, but I clearly didn't hydrate myself enough and paid for it later. Today, I did some chores around the house, spent about an hour at the beach in between rain showers, and then went for a walk to explore the neighborhood a bit and ended up taking myself to dinner at a Thai restaurant several blocks from my apartment. All in all, a very relaxing weekend, which is just what I needed to rejuvinate a little bit, as the stress is once again and inevitably mounting as the next step in mom's recovery fast approaches. I needed a break from work and responsibility, just a couple of days...and I took them. I hope tomorrow I will be able to once again face my obligations, and the daily grind, with a fresh outlook and energy. As it is, though, I'm very sorry to see the end of the weekend.

I trust everyone's weekend was great...Happy Father's Day too! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

RIP Tim Russert

2008-06-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Am fighting my heavy eyelids, so this will be short and sweet. Work was busy today, but we managed to have a pretty good time despite that, or as good a time as can be had at work. We all were of course saddened to hear of the news of Tim Russert's sudden and untimely death, as I'm sure many of you were as well. It just goes to show that you just never know what your life may hold.

Mom was doing well today, I did actually talk to her a couple of times, and she was in good spirits and keeping busy. Off work tomorrow, and it's supposed to be nice out, so perhaps we'll enjoy some time outdoors together. Happy Friday everyone...I hope that even though it was the 13th, all was well and you can look forward to the weekend. Thanks for all your continued love, thoughts, and support. Peace.

Incommunicado

2008-06-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I wish I could tell you how mom's day was, but I truly don't know because I didn't talk to her at all today! She must have kept busy, which I'm perfectly fine with...I called her a few times throughout the day but she must have been out of her room...I'll try again tomorrow from work again. Once again, wish me luck that I don't get blown away by a tornado! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Life's a beach

2008-06-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yep, you guessed it...went to the beach today for a couple of hours...it was the perfect day for it...not too hot, a nice breeze, and plenty of sun. Got some color, so I don't look like an albino anymore...waded in the water and splashed a bit on myself to cool off, but much too cold to get all the way in as yet. The best part is that the beach is literally about a two minute walk from my place, so it's very convenient. :)

Came home, showered, had a little lunch and went to pick up mom and do a few errands, and then we headed to the 'burbs to drop off Suzi's car I've been borrowing since Sunday...I'm so sad to see it go, life is much easier with a ride...I got so much done that I needed to. :) Ah well...hung out with Suzi and the fam for awhile, and went out to dinner with them at a yummy Chinese restaurant before taking the train back into the city. Dropped mom off at the palace and made the trek back home, where I sit now writing to you! It's an oven in here, so I'm opening all the windows tonight...I hope it'll cool off a bit in here!

More than halfway through the week! Hang in there, everyone! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Playing hooky

2008-06-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, I started the day at work, and through some luck was able to leave early and enjoy the beautiful weather with mom! Someone came in for me for the second half of my shift, which was great and unexpected. The weather was perfect, so mom and I sat out on the deck and enjoyed the flowers, the weather, and a nice dinner. It was very relaxing to just sit and talk...plus, the fresh air is always good for us both. Brought her back this evening, and have just been doing stuff around the house tonight...paperwork, chores, etc. Am off tomorrow as well, and will be doing more chores and errands, no doubt. Not sure what the weather is supposed to be like, but we shall see. I may have to try to get stuff done quickly and then play hooky again. :)

Hope everyone's week is going well so far...thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Busy Monday

2008-06-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

A busy Monday, but very productive so all is well. This morning, went grocery shopping for the week, so I finally have some food in the house, always a good thing. Then dropped some stuff off at the Salvation Army before heading to go visit mom. When I arrived, she was starting to work on the needlepoint project Suzi gave her for her birthday...she was in the process of untangling the string and getting it organized. She seemed to be having fun, and was very glad to see me. She is doing very well...slightly warming up to the idea of possibly going to one of those programs this summer...her outlook seems to be shifting in the right direction. She's still not excited about it by any means, but her attitude now is, "If I have to go, so be it...I'll get better so that I can come home permanently." She is showing more of an awareness of her deficits these last couple of days too, which is a wonderful step in the right direction. I only hope it continues in this vein! :)

Anyway, we went to a nursery and got a few more flowers for the back deck...it's starting to look really nice out there...I'll have to take some pics and post them on here for you to see! After I dropped mom back off at the palace, I headed over to visit my friend Kim and her new baby, Joey who live not too far from my new place...they were both doing very well, and we just sat and talked and ordered pizza for dinner. I had a great time, and can't wait to see them again! :) I sure do love givin' those babies some lovin'! I need to visit with all my other coworkers' cute new babies, too! Can't wait!

Now am home and going to bed...back to work tomorrow after my four day off stretch. Ugh. Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Party a success

2008-06-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, what a lovely day. Headed out to the 'burbs to Suzi's house and picked up some items at the grocery store while it proceeded to downpour outside, dampening (no pun intended) our hopes of a summer barbecue as planned. It was really coming down for awhile, but it finally let up as we were getting back to the house. People started arriving, and we just ate snacks and chatted and had some cocktails. The weather began to brighten up, and by late afternoon, the sun was out and it was back to being steamy and perfect for being outside! We were all so pleased, and brought the party outside. I was the "grill master" as I was dubbed and we had brats and burgers, plenty of cookies, fruit, chips, veggies, etc. It was so nice to sit out in the sun with everyone and just hang and talk and listen to music (I DJ'd also). None of us were quite brave enough to go in the pool (except the dogs), but it sure looked good. :) All in all, a fun day with the girls to celebrate Stef.

Am back home now, tired from the fun and sun, so will head to bed. Tomorrow plan to visit mom, visit my friend Kim and her new baby, Joey, and run some other errands. Hope everyone had a great weekend! Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

No Triple Crown winner...again

2008-06-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Short entry tonight, it's WAY past my bedtime and there's no good reason why I'm still up, so I must hustle into my bed. Another stormy day spent doing chores...oh, the exciting life I lead. It's a good thing I didn't blow away, there were tornados very close to me! Yikes!

Paused to watch the Belmont Stakes, and alas Big Brown did not pull through, so we must wait another year for a potential Triple Crown winner. Everyone had such high hopes...mom watched, I know, and I'm sure the rest of the family was all on the edge of their seats as well...in case you didn't know, my family is very into horse racing, being from Saratoga and all. :)

Mom's been working a lot on her word search puzzles, she seems to really be enjoying those...a good exercise for her brain, I'd say, so I'm all for it!

Tomorrow, will be co-hosting (sort of) a summer party to commemorate my dear friend Stefanie's last days with us at work...she and her husband have finally sold their condo and are moving to the Twin Cities toward the end of the month. We'll all be so sad to see her go. :(

Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Back to the future

2008-06-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Sorry for not having written last night...I was so tired after work that I fell asleep on the couch and awoke around 2am feeling very disoriented and in no condition to write, so headed straight into my bed. There wasn't much to report anyway, so I figured you'd forgive me. :)

The weather today was very blustery and stormy, a good day to get things done inside. Spent most of the day unpacking, organizing and cleaning. Sounds like fun, eh? I made good progress, but the job seems never-ending. Can't wait until it's all done...I kept HGTV on all day to inspire me, and it worked pretty well, I guess. Broke down and turned on the central air...I was getting so hot and sweaty as a result of my toils, so I had too cool down. I normally don't like to use it because it can be quite expensive and I prefer the fresh air, but today it was necessary. I'm thankful it was an option.

Talked to mom a bunch today...she was in good spirits, even doing some word search puzzles and reading and such. I have begun the process of getting her used to the idea that she may not come straight home upon discharge from the Imperial, but may head to an inpatient program for awhile first to get some intensive therapy. I guess I haven't really discussed this much on the blog, so here it is...in exploring options for mom post-Imperial, it came down to a choice between having her live at home and going to a day/outpatient rehab program which would not be very intensive, or taking advantage of the present time when the potential for further recovery is still great and enrolling her in an inpatient program which focuses specifically on TBI rehab. The catch is that Illinois does not have a viable inpatient program of this nature. The two main contenders at this point are QLI, which is located in Omaha, NE or The Center for Special Care in Lake Katrine, NY. Both seem to have excellent, intensive programs, so the next step is investigating them further, applying, and determining which one would be best for mom. Both have pros and cons, but more information is needed before a decision is made. Mom isn't crazy about this idea...all she wants is to come home to the kitties and me...so convincing her this may be the best for her in terms of recovery will no doubt be a challenge, especially due to the distance from me...not to mention the fact that it will be much more difficult and expensive for me to visit her, a hard thing to swallow. Mom has told me that of course she'll go if this is what I think is best for her, but she'll be a little sad to do so. Oy.

I'll keep you posted as things unfold. Fortunately, my family has been a big help in terms of researching, giving input and advice, etc. and continues to be so, and I know I'm not alone in making this momentious decision. As they say, nothing worth doing is ever easy. Thanks to you all as well for your continued love and support. Peace.

A brush with Hollywood...

2008-06-04T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

The day was packed with chores and fun, a good mix of both. Picked mom up around 11:15am or so, and headed to do some laundry. While it was washing, we had lunch at Boston Market, and while it was drying we got some pretty flowers and herbs from Home Depot for the back deck. When the laundry was done, we headed home and did some stuff around the house...unpacking and such, and potted the flowers and herbs. Ordered in for dinner, and watched "So You Think You Can Dance." On our way back to drop her at the palace, we saw a whole bunch of trailers and such for a movie filming, and found out they were filming Johnny Depp's latest, about John Dillinger and his shooting death in front of the Biograph Theatre...apparently they wanted to film on location, so they were on Lincoln at Fullerton right in front of the old theatre. The whole street was blocked off, and they'd redone all the store fronts to look like they were from that time period, there were old cars along the street, and the middle of the street was resurfaced so that the old underlying trolley tracks were exposed...saw a few actors in costume (none of whom we recognized), which was also cool. Unfortunately, did not spot Johnny, but oh well...another time perhaps. That would have been great though, I love him. How is it that I always happen upon movie sets? Just luck, I guess. :)

Anyway, we had a good day, and now it's time for bed. Must work tomorrow, but Pam is taking mom to get lunch and a pedicure for her belated birthday gift...mom is SO excited, and I know they'll have a good time. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Graduated

2008-06-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I've stayed up too late putzing around, so this will be short. Worked today as you know, and it was fine. Nothing exciting to report on any front really...mom was okay today, talked to her a few times. She has officially "graduated" from speech therapy at the Imperial, so she's glad about that though I've assured her she's not done with therapy by a long shot but is just ready to move on to the next level...she claims she knows and understands, and I hope that's truly the case. The inquiries continue as to what exactly that will entail, and as I get more concrete information, I'll let you know.

For now though, must rest. Tomorrow brings lots of chores and work, so onward. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

The next step

2008-06-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, Mondays. Always fun, eh? Hope everyone's week is off to a good start. Mine was busy as usual, lots of babies, but what's new? Since I was able to relax yesterday and go to bed early, I was at least well-rested today, and even had the energy to do some unpacking when I got home...it's still a disaster in here, but I made a little of a dent I suppose.

Another work day tomorrow, but then off Wednesday so will bring mom over to help with the rest of the unpacking...she'll enjoy feeling useful, I know. Talked to mom's speech therapist today, and she is just about at the end of her course there. She feels that she's done as much with mom as she can without having more of an extensive background in TBI, so will be discharging her from the speech therapy shortly. This definitely puts the pressure on to figure out the next step, which is good but adds another layer of stress once again. I'll definitely keep you posted as the process unfolds. As always, your continued love and support are essential to me, and much appreciated. Thank you, and peace to you all.

Lazy Sunday

2008-06-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, the end of another weekend...sorry for no blog last night...even though I didn't spend the night in Rockford after all, by the time I got home it was very late and all I wanted to do was collapse into bed. The wedding was very beautiful, and a lot of fun...Lia looked gorgeous, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

Today have just been hanging out at home...while I should have been unpacking and putting things away, I must admit I mostly just vegged on the couch. I feel like I've been going and going nonstop and just needed a break. I did install my Roman shades in the living room windows finally, and they look great...so at least I was a little productive. Also made myself pancakes for breakfast, which I hadn't done in a long time. :)

Mom was having a good day today, I think...was keeping busy with activities and such, and was in good spirits. This week we'll hang out on my days off. :)

Okay, off to bed now. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

It's official

2008-05-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

First of all, sorry for no blog entry last night...I had a bad day at work, and then missed the premiere of "Sex and the City" that I'd won tickets to because Stef and I couldn't get there quite fast enough after work (even though we sprinted several blocks), so was really bummed about that. We decided to head to dinner together as a consolation, and actually had a really great time just talking and hanging out despite our disappointment. But by the time I got home, I was absolutely exhausted from the three 12s in a row and a latish night, and I couldn't bear the thought of waiting for my computer to boot up and write. Hence, why I am sorry.

Today was another busy and stressful one even though I was off of work...I definitely need a vacation! I moved the rest of the stuff out of the old apartment, as I had to be moved out by the end of this month. Thankfully Pam was able to help me for a couple of hours because otherwise I'd probably still be trying to drag everything out. I hadn't planned on waiting until the last minute, but there was a mishap with my keys (long story) and they never arrived in the mail as planned, so I finally just had to go there in the hopes they'd let me in. And they almost didn't...my name is not on the lease, and mom wasn't there to verify that I was her daughter...the manager didn't know me, and at first they were going to make me call mom to get a verbal "ok" from her, but she wasn't answering her phone. I explained to them the whole situation, and I think they felt sorry for me so thank goodness they let me in. There was an extra set of keys inside the apartment, so I only had to do that once. Phew! So Pam and I hurriedly packed up the rest of the stuff (or most of it) and made a trip to the new place...of course, today there was a tornado watch for Cook County, and it was raining quite heavily at certain points, and I had gotten a pickup truck, so some of my stuff got wet...could it get any better? But we unloaded, and Pam had to take off. I headed back down to get another load (mostly small stuff this time), and cleaned up a bit. After a couple more trips, the place is completely emptied out, and I am exhausted. Leaving it for the last time, I got a little sad and shed a tear or two...I hate that I had to move mom out of her apartment, the last shred of her former independence. She had made it so nice and cozy, and I will miss it very much...

This evening, I alternated between laying on the couch in exhaustion and trying to unpack a little bit...once again, my apartment is a disaster, and I can't stand it. Unfortunately, I won't have much time this weekend to work on it, as I am going to my friend and coworker Lia's wedding in Rockford tomorrow, and possibly to Navy Pier on Sunday with Suzi and her daughter, Julia. So, I guess it'll have to wait. There is a possibility there won't be a blog entry tomorrow night, as I may end up staying overnight in Rockford after the wedding reception and will most likely not have internet access there. If I happen to come back to Chicago for the night instead, I'll write. I hope everyone's week was great, and happy weekend! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Natural born performer

2008-05-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Another day of work down, one more to go this week...woohoo! The last is always the hardest, so I'll keep this short, especially as I have little new to report tonight. Mom seemed to keep busy today...she went to the resident council meeting today, got to perform with the guest musician as she does most of the time now...she's a natural born performer, you can't keep her down, and everyone there seems to really enjoy it, staff and residents alike. :) According to her, they ask her to come up and sing all the time...she's probably the most lively of all the residents and is refreshing for them I'm sure. She's too cute.

I really hope it's warmer tomorrow than it has been...I'm so over having to wear a coat...it's the end of May for goodness' sake! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Brrr!

2008-05-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I can't believe this weather...85 degrees one day, 40 degrees the next...very strange. Woke up with a headache which I can't help but contribute to the abrupt change in barometric pressure. Ugh...when will it just stay warm already?! Oh well, I was stuck inside all day anyway, so I suppose it didn't really matter much to me. Work was, as predicted, busy after the holiday weekend, and probably will be all week. Was able to squeeze in a few conversations with mom throughout the day, and she seemed to be doing well despite her sadness at having to go back last evening. She exercised today, and emailed me, etc. Otherwise, not much new to report.

Off to bed to gear up for my second of three tomorrow. I trust everyone transitioned back into work fine today after the long weekend. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Whew, a long but fun day...man is it hot out! A pleasant surprise that it didn't rain one drop all day, and was beautifully sunny the whole time...just very warm (80s). A great day for a barbecue! Mom and I got up and had breakfast, and then showered and got ready to go shopping...I even gave her hair a trim! :) Looks good, if I do say so myself. Who needs expensive haircuts? Anyway, then went to a couple of grocery stores to get some supplies, and came back to prepare. Pam and Michelle arrived first, followed by Monica and Tim. We had a lovely meal on the back deck. Later on, Lilly came by and we were able to hang out a bit altogether before we had to bring mom back to the palace...let me tell you, that was difficult...after a taste of home living (spending the night and all), she REALLY didn't want to go back and was very upset. We tried to get her to think about it like she was just going back to the dorm for college, and that she'd get another break soon. :( I can imagine how sad she was though, having to go back. I can't wait till she doesn't have to go back anymore.

Off to bed now, tomorrow will be the first of three in a row at work, so must rest up. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Sleepover!

2008-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

How exciting, mom is spending the night at home tonight!!! Wow!! I got that brilliant idea this morning while lying in bed, and called to make it happen! I can't tell you how excited mom was when I told her...she is LOVING it, especially because she gets to hang out with the kitties so much. We ordered Mediterranean food for dinner and watched one of Betty's birthday gifts to mom, the movie "Across the Universe." We had a grand old time, singing along with all the Beatles songs, and mom remembering how she was alive during the Vietnam war and saw wartime footage on TV. Fitting movie to be watching on Memorial Day weekend, I just realized...speaking of which, heard bagpipes out my back door this morning and looked to find a parade of some kind going down the street, with the church bells clanging along as well. Quite nice, actually...I enjoyed the music. Anyway, we'll get up tomorrow morning and shop for groceries for the barbecue in the afternoon, and she'll help me straighten the rest of the house up for the occasion and company. Lilly might even stop by! :)

For now though, we must head to bed. Hopefully Moe will make her way in to sleep on mom's bed...she'll be in heaven. Thanks for all your continued love and support! Peace.

Housekeeping

2008-05-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Whew, did a lot of cleaning today! I bet you could eat off my floors, and there isn't a dust bunny in sight. :) There's still quite a bit to do, but I got a good amount done today, so that hopefully tomorrow I can be outside to enjoy the warmer weather for part of the day. Monday, I plan to have some people over for an informal barbecue for the holiday, so I wanted to get the place looking decent and somewhat presentable before then. Am hoping the weather forcast is correct for tomorrow, because if it is I'm taking mom to the beach!

For now though, I will head to bed as I've stayed up too late watching "Look Who's Talking" on TV. Speaking of which, congrats to Kim on the delivery of her son tonight...Happy Birthday Joey!! :) I can totally see him talking just like Mikey does in the movie...too cute. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

The weekend's finally here!

2008-05-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yay, it's the holiday weekend! We made it! Worked today, was busy, but now it's time to relax (sort of). Am actually very tired, so this will be a record short entry tonight. Mom had a good day, filled with activities and reading, etc. Will hang out with her this weekend a bunch, I hope. Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Snore (referring to this entry)

2008-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Long day at work (what's new?) so won't write much. Was busy all day, but cleared up a bit toward the evening, so at least it got better. Talked to mom a few times...she seemed to be having a pretty good day, I suppose. Not much new to report, really. I work again tomorrow, so must rest up. But then it's on to the holiday weekend, and I hear the weather is supposed to be great, so I'm ready! Maybe we'll even hit up the beach for some R&R and sun (I'm so pale it's ridiculous). I do have a lot of chores to do, both administrative and otherwise, but I'm sure I'll work in some time for fun as well. At least I hope so! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Home improvement

2008-05-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I have electricity in my whole apartment! Yay!!! The electricians arrived this morning and got it all fixed, and I couldn't be more excited. It's finally coming together more, and it feels good to live in a normal, working apartment. Also was able to transport mom's couch which doesn't fit well in the living room to Pam's apartment for her to use indefinitely...it definitely reinforced that it was a good decision to get movers to move me! We handled it, but it wasn't very much fun. ;)

After that, Pam dropped me off to visit mom...she wasn't feeling very well, and complained of a headache that was making her nauseous, poor thing...I gave her some Tylenol and she mostly just laid down while I was there...we hung out, but she wasn't in much of a condition to do much. I felt bad for her. :( Hopefully she'll get a good night's sleep and wake up feeling much better. Headed home after that and rearranged some furniture and other things, hung some pictures and things on the walls, and cleaned a bit. I can't wait to be done getting everything all settled and situated...the in between time is no fun.

Okay, off to bed...I think I'll sleep in my own room tonight now that it has electricity! :) Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

The waiting game

2008-05-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I can tell you I'm so sick of waiting around for someone to come fix something in my apartment. The electricians were supposed to come today, but halfway through the day I finally got ahold of someone who told me they wouldn't be able to come after all, and needed to reschedule for tomorrow. Grrrrrr!!! So I spent the whole morning waiting and wasting time...had to go into work at 3:30pm so wasn't able to go see mom because of all that...double grrrr!! She was doing well though, playing bingo and such. I miss her though, and can't wait to see her tomorrow. Hopefully the darned electricians will show and get their work done so I can actually do stuff I want to do. Keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Epic day

2008-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

An epic day to be sure...16 hours of work is long and tiring, and I can't wait to get into bed. Despite the long hours, I don't have a ton to report. Mom emailed me again today, and she also had a conversation on the phone with a very old friend of hers, something she enjoyed immensely...when she has memories that she knows are real and concrete and substantial, she revels in it. She's doing so well...she continues to amaze me. It had been awhile since I'd seen any measurable changes in her, but I've noticed a shift in her the last week or two...she is more "in it"...it's hard to describe, really...I'm not sure I have the words. I guess it's that she is becoming more and more proactive in her recovery...reading a book, venturing to the computer and emailing, becoming more interested in day-to-day issues like money, a desire to volunteer, to work, etc. I like it. :)

Okay, really must head to bed now before I fall asleep at the computer. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Errands

2008-05-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Ah, the weekend has come to an end. :( It was a nice 3 day weekend for me, but now it's back to the grind. In fact, WAY back, as I work an epic 16 hour day tomorrow (I know, I know, I'm crazy...I signed up for an extra four hours to make some extra cash). So must rest up for that, but of course wanted to update you on the day. Relaxed in the morning and emailed back and forth with mom a few times...she's gettin' good! :) She sent me the cutest email, a part of which I'll copy here because I think it's too cute not to:

"I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to say, I LOVE WRITING TO YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of making myself LEARN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did it !!!!!!!!!! Yup, HERE YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY, ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY, MY BRAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT SURELY FELT VERY GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY both of us because we can both write back and forth to EACH OTHER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! More later, ok? YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Can you tell she's excited? :)

Anyway, then Pam and I had our semi-weekly Discount Day and I got lots of good deals on essentials for the new place...towel bars and a shower curtain, deck furniture from Cost Plus World Market, a charcoal grill that took me 2 hours this evening to put together, etc. Next I need to measure the windows and get some shades/curtains...I feel like I'm living in a fish bowl. But, it's coming along. Had leftovers for dinner and watched the season finale of "Desperate Housewives."

Now to bed! Thanks all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Happy BIrthday Bev!

2008-05-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Today's birthday celebration was great...a good time was had by all, and most importantly by the birthday girl herself. :) I made a run to a few stores to gather ingredients, and then picked mom up around 11am. We headed home and I began preparing the breakfast brunch in the new kitchen to christen it! I made fruit skewers with a coconut yogurt dip, a potato leek gruyere tart, and strawberry-stuffed french toast with pecans and caramel sauce, all recipes from Cooking Light magazine. Jillian and Brendan came, and we had a lovely meal altogether. Because it was so nice out, we took a walk down to the beach after brunch and sat by the water for a bit and talked. The wind picked up and it started getting a bit chilly, so we headed home after awhile, and Jillian and Brendan headed out. Mom and I hung out for awhile and cleaned up the dishes from brunch, and then I started making dinner. While I was cooking, Suzi and Julia stopped by to wish mom a Happy Birthday and bring her a gift, which was so sweet. For dinner, we had broiled trout (I was going to grill outside, but it began raining), pasta veggie salad, and asparagus spears. The dessert was mom's birthday cake of course, angel food cake with cream and fresh raspberries. All in all, a very yummy meal and much enjoyed by mom. :) We spent a great day together, and I think she truly enjoyed herself.

Am now just relaxing after having cleaned up, and will watch my Netflix DVD before heading to bed..."Sherrybaby." I've heard it's good, so I hope it captures my attention. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Milestones

2008-05-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Twas a long day, and it's late so I must get to bed. I now have blessed hot water in my apartment and was able to take my first shower here! Yay!!! There were of course more steps to getting it than I would have liked today, but to make a long story short, we're in business. As for the electric, I'm not so lucky on that front and must wait until Tuesday when a bigger crew can come and rewire some things and replace some fixtures, etc...of course it couldn't be simple like a blown fuse. Oh well, I'm a happy camper with my hot water. :)

The other big news of the day is that mom emailed me all by herself today for the first time!!!! She brought the directions down to the computer that I'd written out for her about how to access email, and she replied to my email!!! Hallelujah!! I remember the first time she called me on her cell phone all by herself like it was just yesterday, and I will forever remember the first solo email! :) :) :) I'm so proud...and so encouraged by the forward progress. It's slower, but it's still happening!!!!

Went to the OB resident prom at The Drake tonight as I have done the previous two years as well. Not so many L&D nurses this year as before, but it was still fun, and getting a free meal and drinks at a fancy hotel is never a bad thing. :) Borrowed a dress and shoes from Pam, who is sick in bed tonight poor thing, and got myself all dolled up for the occasion. Was fun, but now I must get to bed. Tomorrow is mom's bday, and we'll be celebrating with brunch and then perhaps a barbecue for dinner, so must get to the store in the morning bright and early to prepare. Thanks all for your continued love and support! Peace.

A little better

2008-05-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, overall feeling better but still not at 100%. I branched out to rice and a banana today, and though it did make my stomach hurt, it stayed in me. :) Am tired, so will make this short. Work was busy, but now I'm on to a three day weekend, so I'm all good with that. Mom had a good day today too, it seemed, but I was pretty busy all day so don't have too many details for you. Supposedly tomorrow the plumber and the electrician are coming sometime in the morning, so we'll see...I'll believe it when I see it.

Okay, off to bed to rest and recuperate some more...thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

If it's not one thing...

2008-05-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Another uneventful blog as I've been on the couch all day again, never far from the bathroom for reasons I won't discuss in detail, as I'm sure you'd all prefer. Have not attempted to ingest anything but Gatorade, Coke and chicken soup with saltines today. Ugh. Emily arrived last night around 11pm and we chatted for awhile before we hit the hay, both exhausted. We had a nice time catching up and chatting, and it was good to see her after so long. Of course the gas man didn't arrive in enough time before she had to leave for her interview this morning, so she headed over to the old apartment to shower. I stayed on the couch sleeping off and on all afternoon.

The gas man finally showed up about 45 minutes past the time they were supposed to, and turned the gas on, but the saga continues...apparently, the hot water heater down in the basement is missing an essential part, so he was not able to turn that on. Now I must wait for the management to send a plumber to take care of this and an electrician to fix the electricity issues, and judging by their track record with this stuff so far, it's anyone's guess how long that will take. I talked to them today, and then didn't hear back from them the rest of the day, so you can be sure they'll be getting a nasty phone call from me tomorrow. And if I'm not satisfied with their turn-around time, I will call an electrician and a plumber myself and bill them for their services. This is getting too ridiculous, and I'm tired of trying to live in a place that is not really livable.

Was unable to visit mom today sadly...I couldn't be too far from the bathroom, and also did not want to pass whatever this bug is on to her...but we talked on the phone quite a bit, and she seemed to keep busy today with activities and reading her book and such. I'm going to have to bring some more books for her...she is really enjoying reading, which I'm absolutely ecstatic about! Will try to go back to work tomorrow...I hope by then I will be less dependent on the loo and more able to eat solids. :) Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Home sick and homesick

2008-05-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Very short entry tonight, am having major issues with what is possibly the stomach flu and can't sit up in a chair very long due to some pretty bad low back pain....nothing like perfect timing when my friend's flight gets in late tonight. :( Had to leave work early today to go home sick, and have been laying on the couch all afternoon and evening. Ugh. Mom feels very badly that she's not home to take care of me, but I've assured her that I'll be fine. Nonetheless, I'm headed back to the couch now. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Monday Monday

2008-05-12T20:18:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yay, a normal blog posting! Won't be long, but it's here! Am very tired after a long, busy day at work. Gotta love Mondays! Mom had a good day today, she attended some activities and read more of her book. She's really enjoying that, which I'm so glad about. It's good brain exercise and also entertainment for her. Hopefully only one more morning of showering at work, also a good thing!

Okay, off to bed. Hope everyone made it through your Mondays okay...thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Mother's Day continued

2008-05-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yep, that's right...a second entry in one day...I've got to make up for lost time! :) This one, rest assured, will be a short one. The rest of the afternoon was uneventful and relaxing, just what we needed. We spent some time looking through pictures and reminiscing...it sometimes amazes me how much mom actually remembers with some sort of stimulation, like photos. We went through our albums from our trip to Europe the summer after I graduated high school, and it blew me away everytime she'd point something out and recall some detail about it that I'd almost forgotten myself. Same thing with my college graduation pictures...she remembered some details I never thought she would. It's in there...it just needs to be brought out. :)

For dinner, we walked around the corner to Francesca's Italian restaurant...thank goodness the weather had gotten a little better by that time...it was no longer pouring, and the wind had died down a bit. We had a lovely meal, and a wonderful time. On the way back to the Imperial, mom called Grandma Zoe and wished her a Happy Mother's Day...she also got to talk briefly with Aunt Linda and Uncle Jack who were also still there from their afternoon family barbecue. Wish we could have been there. :( She and Aunt Linda discussed the novel mom has begun reading (all of her own accord I do believe) called "The Lovely Bones." It's actually one I've read before and enjoyed...and I was happily surprised to hear her describe the plot to Aunt Linda so accurately from memory...wow! And in fact, she was lying on her bed reading it when I arrived to pick her up this morning. :) I'm so pleased...I always tell her she needs to exercise her brain, and she is!

Okay, enough for tonight. Back to work tomorrow and Tuesday, and then my old college friend Emily arrives from California to spend a night with me before her job interview Wednesday in the hopes of moving back to Chicago! :) Can't wait to see her, it's been quite awhile! Thanks as always for your love and support. Peace.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Wow, it has been so strange not to have written in the blog for so long...but I finally found the power cord to my laptop (it was at the old apartment with some cat toys for some reason, haha) so I'm back on track once again. Hopefully that was the end of the technical difficulties! So from here on out, you can fully expect a nightly blog once again. :)

Yesterday consisted entirely of unpacking...and though there is still some to be done, the vast majority of the work is finished thank goodness! Now all I need is gas for hot water and cooking, and I'll be set! :) That will come Wednesday...not soon enough! :)

By the way, Happy Mother's Day! Mom and I are just hanging out at the apartment, staying warm and dry inside...it is nasty outside, rainy and cold with a wind advisory in effect until this evening...in fact, I almost got blown away on my way to pick up mom! We plan to go out for Italian for dinner at a restaurant around the corner, and I hope by then the wind will have died down a little bit and the rain will have stopped...we shall see. In the meantime, we're just hanging out...she is having a ball playing with the kitties...we may or may not do some more organizing and cleaning...truth be told, I'm very sick of it at this point and could use a little break. I'll keep you posted.

More tonight, friends. Thanks all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Technical difficulties

2008-05-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

So whaddya know, I finally get the internet hooked up at my new place and then my laptop goes dead because I can't find the power cord anywhere! :( Ah, the joys of moving. So unfortunately I was unable to write last night, and felt bad asking anyone else to do so for me. I figured I would just do it first thing this morning. I really don't have much to report anyway...still showering at work because they can't come turn on the gas until Wednesday, so it looks like I'll be doing this for awhile longer. Work yesterday was extremely busy, and I was exhausted last night when I came home, so I ate something and promptly fell asleep...no unpacking took place at all, which is fine. I'll have the whole weekend to do so, and I plan to bring mom over so she can help like she's dying to do. Talked to her a few times yesterday and she was doing just fine. She's excited for the weekend.

Okay, back to work. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Back online

2008-05-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yay, I finally have cable and internet in my new apartment, so I'm typing on my own computer from my own living room while watching Law and Order! It's so sad how much I rely on TV and internet to entertain me and keep me company, but I totally do...the apartment now feels "normal" even though there are boxes and stuff everywhere. Got a little more unpacking done this evening, so little by little the place is coming together. This weekend I plan to get the rest of it done...I can't stand living in such chaos and disorder...plus I'm excited to see what the place looks like all put together. :)

Talked to mom a few times today...she seemed to have a good day...she still can't wait to come over and help me unpack...this weekend, for sure. Must work tomorrow and Friday as well, so won't be doing much of that over the next couple of days. Hope everyone is well...halfway through the week! Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

New Bus

2008-05-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tonights entry will be short once again, because Suzi is typing on her computer and I am dicatating. Today was the first day on the new bus and so far so good, it took no longer then usual since it was an express and I only have to walk two blocks. Which is great. Talked to Bev. She was fine. Having a good day. Really tired. Not feeling great from kitty stress. Hopefully nothing a good night sleep won't fix.
Thank you for your continued support. Peace to all.

High drama

2008-05-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

This one will be short again...I am writing from Pam's computer...I still don't have internet at my new abode, so writing in the blog at home is impossible. Last night's was written compliments of Suzi, thank goodness. :) Couldn't miss a night! Had to shower at Pam's too, as I don't have hot water yet...moving is so much fun, eh?

The drama, in short, was that around 6am or so (per my best guess), my kitty Mite decided to search out the best hiding spot in the apartment...and boy did she find it. There is a hole in the wall inside the utility closet where the furnace is, on the other side of the wall from the bathroom and the tub...she climbed in and hid inside...when I got up, I couldn't find her anywhere for awhile, then heard her crying and finally figured out where she'd gone. Couldn't see or reach her, and she stayed in there ALL day...tried coaxing her with food, catnip, sweet talk...nothing. Suzi called her handyman friend as she knew I was panicking and he came over and helped us make a larger hole in the floor...it turns out she had somehow gotten down underneath the floor...the only way to reach her was to make a hole...she still wouldn't come out, so we had to wait it out. Finally, around 7pm or so, she approached the hole and I was able to grab her and drag her out...resulting in scratches up and down my arms from the wire mesh in the floor. She and I are no longer speaking. ;) But at least she is safe and sound...will be boarding up those holes, you can be sure.

Meanwhile, didn't want to leave so Pam suggested grilling out on the deck...she picked mom up and then went to the store...we had steaks, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes...so yummy, and we ate out on the back porch. The first barbecue of the summer! :) All's well that ends well, I guess.

Okay, must get home to bed. Did not get much unpacking today due to the kitty drama, and work the next four days (!), so it'll have to wait I suppose. Thanks to everyone who sent their well wishes for Mitey, and as always thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.

2008-05-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Moving Day
Hi Friends. This will be short.But I just wanted you to know know the move went well. The movers came and emptied Bev's place of most of her stuff. Still a little left, but the big stuff is gone. Suzi and her daughter Julia came to help. which was great. Natalie showed up once we were at the new place. It all went well. Just getting settled in. More tomorrow. Thanks for your love and support.
Peace to all.

Busy day

2008-05-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

It has been a long day...not a bad day, just long. I feel exhausted, like this morning was a really really long time ago, like it was a different day altogether. Worked my extra shift this morning and then headed over to RIC to be on the panel of families of brain injury survivors...met some really nice people, and made some connections that could possibly bode well for mom's future...more on that later. All in all a very good experience though it was a bit nerve-wracking not to have been a bit more prepared. After I left there, I headed home for lunch and to change clothes, then headed first to the rental office and then up to the new apartment with Pam where we took turns mopping the whole apartment...a big job. It was getting late, so then we went over to spend some time with mom...she was so cute...I got a message from her earlier in the day telling me she'd decided not to go on the out trip to the dollar store today because she didn't think it would be that fun. Then I'd called her later on in the afternoon and she told me she couldn't talk right then because she was too busy but would call me later...I was intrigued but didn't push it. When we got there this evening, I asked her what she'd been up to when I'd called her, and she pulled out a bag from the Dollar Tree...it turns out she was on the out trip to the dollar store after all when I'd called her, and she was busy shopping for gifts for me to thank me for taking care of her these last months...I almost cried she was so cute when she gave them to me...she picked out a mug, some cheese crackers, a York peppermint patty, and some sugar free chocolate mint candy. SO cute. AND, her picture is up for the month of May for being the resident of the month!!! It's absolutely adorable, and I'll try to post a pic of the pic here...she's so proud. :)

After the visit, Pam and I grabbed a quick bite to eat for dinner, and then I was supposed to come home and pack some more, but I am so tired I can't bring myself to do anymore. Must work tomorrow too, so won't get much more packing done before Sunday...oh well, I did what I could and I'm not going to get too stressed about it. Anyway, off to bed...happy weekend everyone! Thanks as always, and peace.

Pack rat

2008-05-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, today didn't go exactly as originally planned, but it was productive nonetheless. Got up early and after a somewhat leisurely breakfast, began the task of packing up the apartment. Had done a few boxes last night, but today I really dug into it...the place is now full of packed boxes, and actually looks like I'm moving finally. I finished both bookshelves (man, do mom and I have a lot of books!), got all the stuff off the shelves in the closet mostly, emptied out the buffet, all the dvds and cds are packed, etc. I think I did pretty well for one day by myself! Anyway, I made a good dent in things...the kitchen will be another big job, but definitely doable. I hate packing...I hate moving. :(

Thus, lost track of time while having so much fun packing that before I realized it the day was done...didn't even make it outside today. Had planned to go up to the new place to do a bit of cleaning, but I guess that'll have to wait till tomorrow afternoon...it'll be a good break from packing I guess. Also didn't get to see mom again today...I feel guilty and bad about it, but know also that what I was doing was preparing for our new home, and that can't be too bad, right? Not like I was off gallavanting around the city for my own pleasure...and we thought the guilt had abated...ha!

Now enjoying a glass of wine and watching my Thursday night medical shows (Grey's Anatomy and ER)...working another extra shift tomorrow morning, then headed to RIC for an Annual Brain Injury Course where I'll be on a panel and telling our story and answering questions...a semi spur of the moment thing...wish me luck. Then it's off to clean and scrub down the new place, and then more packing...a fun-filled day. :) Hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend! Thanks for your continued support and love. Peace to all.

The adventures of Suzi and Amanda

2008-04-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Wow, for some reason I just got really really sleepy, so I guess I'll cut this a bit short. Worked this a.m. and took care of our dearest Ellen, a nurse I work with, as her labor was being induced today...so glad I could take care of her for a little while! When I was done with work, met Suzi for a nice lunch...the adventure really began when we left the restaurant and discovered her car had been towed! Spent much of the rest of the afternoon tracking it down, and did a little shopping on the way to get it (we couldn't resist) and both got really good deals...the bag I got was practically free ($6.58 from J Crew!!) and so cute! :) Once we'd gotten the car back from the pound, we headed up to the new apartment for a look-see...still much to be done, and I guess I can no longer depend on the management company to do anything more...harder to try to get them to do it than to just do it myself. :( Suzi left to get home, and I mosied my way home via the train, stopping in several more shops on the way but resisting temptation...yay! Teared up a bit as I walked across The intersection, but didn't shake as I have done in the past. I guess that's good.

Talked to mom on the phone quite a bit today...she was in good spirits again and keeping busy. Missed seeing her today, but tomorrow in between packing at the old place and cleaning at the new, I will stop by for a visit. For now, am at home status post dinner and a bit of packing (!)...so sleepy now, and so are the kitties. Halfway to the weekend! Thanks for your continued support and love. Peace to all.

Let's move move move!

2008-04-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

A very productive day today...lots of chores and errands, including finally scheduling the movers to deliver my stuff from storage to the new apartment! :) This Sunday is the day, and I'm very excited. Feels good to have a day set since everyone keeps asking me when I'm moving...I'll finally have an answer!

Brought mom to the homestead today to visit the kitties, and she enjoyed it quite a bit. We also had a beauty session...I styled her hair after she showered in her own shower, dressed her up, plucked her eyebrows and picked out some jewelry for her. She looked so great, and I think she felt great about herself, too!! :) For dinner, she wanted to cook so she made, with my help, spaghetti with meat sauce...it was very good...she did a wonderful job.

Off to bed...working an extra shift tomorrow, then lunch with Suzi and some more errands after that. Thanks for all your continued support and love. Peace.

Planning

2008-04-28T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Am pretty tired tonight after a long day at work, so won't write much...not much to report anyway, really...I talked to mom a few times today, and she was in good spirits and seemed to be having a good day. We'll hang out tomorrow, and perhaps bring her to visit the kitties as requested...I'm glad she was the one to suggest a plan for tomorrow...a good step in the right direction for making specific plans. :)

Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Playing games

2008-04-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

A long Sunday at work, but though the day started out hectic it ended well and slow...talked to mom a few times today, she was excited to tell me she won twice at the card games they played today, and she walked around a lot and kept herself busy. She's so cute.

Had a nice healthy dinner and now am getting awfully sleepy so will make this a short entry. On to another week...thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Chores

2008-04-26T19:07:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Despite the cooler temps, today was bright, sunny and beautiful. Cooked myself a nice brunch this morning and then cleaned up, got ready, and headed to the palace. It was laundry day for mom and I, and I picked her and the laundry up and we went to the laundromat. While it was washing and drying, we multi-tasked by going grocery shopping which mom helped me with...got some yummy healthy stuff. :) Trying to eat well to feel and stay well. Then mom folded the laundry while I sat and relaxed (hehehe) and then we headed back to the palace. We had a nice afternoon hanging out despite the fact that we were doing chores...she was of course grateful as ever just to get out and about. Before I left for home, I went over with her the importance of dental health, and reminded her how to floss and brush correctly...I'm cracking down on her, since I've recently learned at the dentist that a healthy mouth can prevent many other health problems...while mom was still relearning how to do things like brush her teeth, her oral health suffered a bit, so I'm trying to get her back in the swing of things and on track.

Anyway, came home and made dinner, and I've just been relaxing on the couch...must work tomorrow, so will head to bed early...no crazy Saturday night for me. :) Hope everyone's weekend is going well. Thanks for your continued love and support. Peace to all.

Special delivery

2008-04-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

TGIF! A much less crazy day at work than yesterday, which was very nice...certainly not slow, but not insane. :) AND I didn't have to be in charge, so even better. Sometimes it's nice to have a break from that. The coolest part of the day by far was that, because it was Friday and the obstetric residents are in conference every Fri morning, I got to actually do a delivery with the unit attending...I've delivered a baby before, but it was not in a controlled setting and it wasn't my choice (front seat of a car, another story altogether). So I got to gown and glove and deliver the baby! A very cool experience...maybe I have a future in midwifery after all? ;)

Mom had a good day today, keeping busy once again with activities and such. I talked to her a few times, and she was well. Again, not much detail to update you with there...but we'll hang out tomorrow. :) Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks for your continued love and support. Peace to you all.

We all scream for ice cream

2008-04-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Wow, what a day...insanely busy and thankfully over. :) Won't write much, am expecting an ice cream delivery from Pam...but I will tell you that mom had a good day today...talked to her a few times and she was keeping busy with activities and such. Sounded in good spirits too. Don't really have much news for you, to be honest. Must work again tomorrow, so after the ice cream I'm headin' to bed. Hope your week is coming to a relaxing close. Thanks for all your continued love and support...peace to all.

A day with the girls

2008-04-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Had a very nice day today...got up and had a cup of tea while reading a new book, did a few chores around the house, got ready and Pam picked me up for lunch. Headed downtown where we met Jillian, Candy and Maddie for a nice meal at PJ Clarke's, followed by some shopping down there. The weather was beautiful despite original forcasts for rain, and the spring flowers were beginning to bloom. :)

After some shopping, we headed up to our favorite nail salon to get pampered a bit...I got a mani and a pedi...mmmm. Then we all went over to visit mom at the palace...she was so glad to see us, and we had a great time hanging out and chatting...she's really really cute. :) I noticed when we were looking around for her when we arrived (she wasn't in her room) that the terrace they have was open, so I suggested she head out after we left to get some fresh air...she was excited, and when I talked to her later, she said she'd really enjoyed it. :) After we visited mom, Jillian had to head back to the 'burbs, and Pam and I grabbed a bite for dinner before she dropped me off at home. A very nice day full of good friends and good times.

Thanks all for your continued love and support. Peace.

The party's over

2008-04-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, my "vacation" officially came to the end today as I had to go back to work...not a horrible day to come back to, but busy nonetheless. Betty got off very early this morning (before 5am) so I'm sure she must be beat tonight as well...she made it back to NY safe and sound...mom and I both miss her already, and so do the kitties. :( It's always so nice to have a visitor, especially family.

So, am just hanging out now watching TV before I go to bed. Mom seemed to have a good day today, she said she went and exercised on the treadmill for a bit...I'm sure though she missed Betty, it was nice for her to have a day "off" from going out and about...I know the long days tired her out. Will hopefully see her tomorrow, perhaps in the late afternoon...am having lunch with some friends followed by a pedicure. :) Should be a nice day. Thank you all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

2008-04-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Mmm, another beatiful day...and we enjoyed it to its fullest. One of those days that it just feels good to be outside, ya know? Got up and hung out and chatted over coffee, Betty headed out on another walk while I got ready and then made a quick trip up to the new apartment to point out all the stuff that still needs to be done/fixed/cleaned, and then we met back up at the Homestead and headed over to get mom. Took the bus to the zoo where Lilly met us and we had a leisurely day walking around looking at all the animals. Mom thoroughly enjoyed herself as I knew she would, and it was more good exercise for her to be walking around so much. :) Had some ice cream while we rested, a yummy treat in the nice weather. Her favorite animal by far seemed to be the seals, for some reason...she just loved them. Unfortunately, we so leisurely walked around the zoo that we didn't make it to the Lincoln Park Conservatory before it closed...but we'll go another day. I just wished Betty could have seen it as I know she would have enjoyed it.

After the zoo, we headed home to eat up the leftovers that have accumulated in the fridge over the weekend...Betty gave mom her compiled journal entries from the first couple of months following the accident in a book she had bound, and mom started reading over it and of course got teary...a very nice gift for her though...I'm sure she'll read it over and over. Then we brought her back to the palace where she gave Betty a tearful goodbye...she'll be okay, but I know she really really enjoyed having her here, as have I. :) Dropped Lilly off at the grocery store, and then headed home where we checked Betty in for her flight online, and she packed up all her stuff. :( It'll be an early morning tomorrow as her flight is an early one, so off to bed now. Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace.

Right back on the horse

2008-04-20T19:57:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, today went much better...mom was feeling fine this morning when she called after breakfast, and sounded great. Betty and I leisurely had our coffee and breakfast here at home, and then Betty ventured out on her own to TJ Maxx and Costplus World Market while I got ready. Then when she came back (after picking out some good stuff), we headed over to get mom. She had taken it easy all morning and after lunch, so she was good to go when we got there. We headed out into the sunlight and warmth and strolled on down the street...peeked in a costume shop where they had all kinds of funny stuff, and just admired the weather, architecture, wildlife (mom is OBSESSED with dogs, including every single one we pass on the street) and plant life. Took a rest in McDonald's for a bit so as not to tire mom out, and then headed out again in search of a good place to meet up with Lilly for dinner. Found a spot but kept walking and took another rest in a park where we people- and dog-watched in the afternoon sun. Then headed back to the restaurant and a bit later Lilly arrived...had a great dinner with lots of laughs and reminiscing, and then another leisurely stroll back to the Palace to drop mom off for the night. She did not feel ill at all, and had a wonderful day. :) I'm so glad. Tomorrow we'll all go to the zoo together (Lilly too!) and the Lincoln Park Conservatory for our "nature" fix...well, as much of one as we can get in the middle of the city.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and was able to enjoy the weather...spring has finally sprung! :) Thanks for all your continued love and support. Peace to you.

The best laid plans...

2008-04-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, today was fun but didn't go exactly as planned. After a bit of relaxation this morning and a special delivery from my friend Allison of some much-needed boxes for packing/moving, we headed over to get mom and then downtown to a movie...saw "21," about a group of MIT students led by their math professor who count cards in Vegas and make loads of money before they're eventually caught. Was entertaining, and of course mom's favorite, Kevin Spacey, was in it so that was a draw as well. :) Mom very much enjoyed the film and just the movie theatre experience in general. After the movie, we walked a bit downtown and stopped in a couple places including Cartier, where mom persuaded the saleswoman to let her try on a $19,500 ring and said to her "Well, I don't have the money on me, but do you have a payment plan?" "No, we would need it all up front." "Oh, well, I have money at home, I'll need to come back." Quite entertaining, but clear that her sense of money management is still an area that needs much work.

After the retail therapy, headed back up to the neighborhood where we got some ingredients for mom to make us dinner. Unfortunately, when we got back to the apartment, after only beginning the meal, she fell ill and was very nauseous to the point that she asked "to go back to the hospital." We were unable to persuade her to stay, and she truly did seem as though she were ill, so I brought her back where she went straight to bed. I think the combination of so much activity over the last few days, the excitement of having Betty here, and her mild sniffles and cold that she has were too much and overcame her. She tires easily, which is to be expected during recovery from TBI, and we haven't really given her much of a break these last few days. Hopefully with a nice long sleep tonight, she'll be feeling a bit better tomorrow...and we'll have a more relaxing day perhaps, with less activity. I needed to reassure myself as much as anyone...definitely some PTSD rearing its ugly head...so much worry, but it'd been awhile since I had a real meltdown, so it was about time I guess, eh?

Anyway, after I brought mom back to the palace, Betty and I ate the meal she'd finished preparing and then watched a Netflix DVD ("The Painted Veil"). Off to bed soon...hopefully I'll be able to sleep. Thanks all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Adventures

2008-04-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

It was a full, long day...very busy...I think it tired all of us out. Woke up to Betty giving the plants some TLC (I have a tendency to neglect the plants sometimes), and they are reviving well. :) Had some coffee, composed an email to Dinh, the social worker from RIC, to try to get some advice about discharge planning for mom, made the dreaded phone call to the new landlord to inquire about why I didn't yet have the keys to the new apartment, etc. Then got a Zipcar and zipped over to pick up mom and drove out to the office to pick up the keys as promised. Surprisingly they actually had them, and we headed up to the place to check it out. Parked in the garage where we came upon one of our new neighbors who seemed really nice...he was sweeping out the garage and admitted he was a clean freak...how could that possibly be a bad thing in a neighbor!? He told us he and his partner have two pugs, something mom was really excited about. Headed up to the apartment...though they had removed some of the junk from inside, there were still some things there...though they had painted, they hadn't done much cleaning...still some work to be done there. Later on, called the landlord to tell him this, and the plan is to go over Monday morning and meet with the maintenance guy who we'll show all the specifics that still need to be taken care of. Oy.

After checking out the apartment, we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in the new neighborhood, and dessert at the bakery there. Then headed back to the old apartment and hung out...watched mom's show "Stop Kiss" on dvd and she reminisced. Also looked through some old picture albums from way back in the day...;) Then met Pam for dinner at an Italian place down the street...what a beautiful night it was, balmy and warm...it's supposed to rain tomorrow unfortunately, but we'll find something good to do I'm sure. Apparently this morning there was an earthquake whose epicenter was in southern Illinois, and according to the news, it could be felt in 16 states...from Nebraska to Atlanta! Unfortunately, we all slept through it...would have been kinda cool to feel it. ;) Off to bed now...more tomorrow on our adventures. Thanks for your continued love and support...peace to all.

Betty has arrived!

2008-04-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Betty's here, yay!!! She made it without incident, and just as I was finishing up the tidying of the apartment, so couldn't have had better timing. It was all spic and span for her (cleaner than it has been in months...a great excuse and impetus to do some spring cleaning!). She arrived exhausted but in good spirits...it was an early morning for her without much sleep last night. Just after she arrived, we headed over to the palace for our meeting...mom was SO happy to see Betty, and hugged and hugged her. Of course, Betty was also so glad to see mom. :) Mom gave her a tour of the place, and even played us a little piano in the dining room...she did awesome once she got going!

At around 2:30pm, we headed down to meet with Genevieve and the social worker (whose name is still a mystery as she said little to nothing during the meeting as was not at all helpful or knowledgable). We first addressed what our goals were for mom as far as living arrangements and continued therapies, to make sure we were all on the same page...which we were. Unfortunately, their knowledge about resources for TBI survivors is not extensive in the least, and we knew more about things than they did, including the existence of day rehab programs available for TBI survivors. Genevieve as the speech therapist seems to be driving this whole plan whereas the social worker seems to have little involvement, a strange reversal of roles to say the least. We brought to their attention the day rehab programs we'd found in our research and Genevieve said she'd look into them and see what she could find out. The game plan is that she will call me next week and we'll really start to dig into setting up a discharge plan in terms of having a program for her to attend in place. I will get moved into the new apartment and get all ready on my end for her to come home, and then we'll touch base again. We all agreed it is very important to have everything all set up and arranged prior to her discharge, so we'll begin working on that. There was also discussion of setting up a "trial" weekend where she would be at home with me...sort of an assessment in the actual home setting of how she would function and the level of safety with her being by herself for some amounts of time. So for now, that is the only info I have, but at least it's something to move toward.

After our meeting we hung out a bit more and then headed out for a nice walk and then to dinner at a Thai restaurant. When we finished eating, we headed back to the apartment for a kitty visit and a "concert"...mom had a little dance party with Betty while I DJ'd, and I have the pictures to prove it. ;) Dropped her back off at the palace this evening (9ish) and stopped off at the grocery store for a few key items before coming home. Now to bed so poor Betty can catch up on some sleep. No specific plans in mind for tomorrow, but we'll play it by ear. My cold is still here but getting better by the day...the cough is really whats causing all the trouble now, and those always tend to stick around with me for quite awhile, so I'll just have to wait it out.

Thanks all for your continued love and support...peace to all.

Mini vacay

2008-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Hallelujah, I'm done with my three 12s in a row! I made it, sick and all! And now I'm off until next Tuesday! Betty arrives tomorrow, and both mom and I are so excited for her visit. Have a dentist appointment in the morning, and Betty is scheduled to arrive around lunch time barring any delays of course. So will probably come home after my appointment and make sure the apartment is in decent shape to entertain. :) In the afternoon, we'll meet with the speech therapist, social worker and mom to have a discussion about her future at the Imperial (just got a call this afternoon from Genevieve the speech therapist asking about our availability). This will hopefully give us an idea of a time frame for her discharge and we'll begin the discussion about outpatient therapy and making arrangements for such. I'm nervous, but also at the same time glad to be finally having a discussion about it. Wish us luck, and say some prayers.

Okay, off to start my mini vacay by crawling into bed! :) Hope everyone else was able to enjoy the beautiful weather today...I unfortunately was stuck inside. And onto the rain...ah well, I'll take it over subzero temps! Thanks all for your continued love, prayers and support. Peace.

Good ol' Vitamin C

2008-04-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

A short entry tonight...must get to bed. Woke up feeling worse this morning, but thanks to my trusty Advil Cold & Sinus, I made it through the day feeling somewhat human, so that was good. Am completely exhausted now though, and can't wait to pass out in bed. An uneventful day for mom as far as I know...she has been taking her vitamin C as directed, which is good, and though she still sounds stuffy, she says she feels fine. Went to some activities today and of course had fun playing with Jack the dog. She still insists we need to get a dog of our own. ;)

Goodnight, my friends. Thanks all for your continued love and support. Peace.

Blah

2008-04-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Well, the day is done and I'm still standing...well, maybe stooping. Made it through my first of 3 12 hr shifts in a row, though barely. I'm hoping tomorrow I will feel better...can't say that I did at all today. Luckily I was able to stay relatively low key and calm, as it was not a horrible day on the unit. Tomorrow I may not be so lucky, but I will have taken another round of vitamins by then so we shall see. Sweet Suzi brought me some nighttime cold medicine to drop off for me at work, so will definitely be partaking in that tonight. My whole body aches...not pleasant.

And to top it off, mom sounds congested on the phone and I fear that though I have not been around her for the worst of my cold, I have still managed to pass it along to her. I'm making her drink EmergenC twice a day, so hopefully she'll remember to do so. That's about all I can do, besides remind her to drink lots of fluids. She doesn't say she feels bad at all, so I hope it will pass quickly. She did have fun today though, went to exercise and to a musical theatre performance where they let her dance and sing with them. ;) Still reminding her everyday to live in the moment and try not to worry about the future too much right now. It's hard for her though.

Okay, I really must get to bed so I can try to rest up for another work day tomorrow. Wish me luck. Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Peace.