Planet Janet

My Mom will be turning 79 years old this September 5th.  But she doesn't look or act her age, and doesn't mind people knowing her age either.  That in and of itself is pretty remarkable - particularly in our family which isn't exactly known for its longevity.  But what is even more impressive is how active my Mom is for someone of a "certain age".  No, my mother is not a retiree sitting on the porch sipping tea.  Far from it!!!  She's still very hard at work every day.  She works two jobs every month.  She is a college professor who teaches computer science.  After raising us kids she started college, earned her PhD and began her teaching profession.  This is her "main" job - the one that requires the most from her.  She also works certain days for Wells-Fargo Bank as part of their "Silver Bullet" program.  She will also accept jobs grading papers online by assignment.  Besides all of this - until a few years ago - Mom ran a tiny vending machine business, and at holidays worked as a "Grandma" baking cookies for Cookies from Home.  Are you tired yet from hearing all of this?  Because I know it tuckers me out just listing everything!!!

But this birthday is the first one my Mother admits to "feeling" her age.  She doesn't have the time or energy to do all the things she'd like to.  She's cut down on some of her crafting ideas, which have always kept her busy when she's not "working".  She still makes quilts, and makes cloth purses and beautiful hair ornaments.  She works on those thing to relax.  Most moms sip wine while taking a bubblebath, BUT not my Mom!

She also does volunteer work for our church, and for International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is a wonderful organization.  She coordinates donations for them.  Mom has helped out here at the facility with me by donating bingo prizes and offering books to continue fleshing out our library here at North Mountain. 

My Mom has been likened by my friends to the Energizer Bunny (and sometimes to me as E.B. Junior!)  I don't buy it, but we do both read during TV commercial breaks.  Anyway, my point is for someone who is finally feeling her age I don't think she realizes how terrific she really is.  I think most people would love to have half her energy and lust for life!!  She feels like she's going a little soft, but she is actually still very, very tough and determined.  I used to refer to my mother as "Atilla the Mom" because she was a hard act to emulate.  Mom did have, and still does have, time to do all of the required Mom skill-set - - cooking, cleaning, laundry, kiss boo-boo, make the donuts!!  OK well, maybe donuts aren't a mom "thing"!!

Anyway, Mom, I love  you dearly and wish you all of the best ALWAYS,  and love you to death and beyond.  I hope you have the Happiest Birthday. 

Don't you think it's kind of ironic that Mom's birthday is so close to Labor Day??  HMM??  I think it is extremely fitting!!  Love you, Mom!!!

Love Always,
Your Devoted Daughter Darci, and sort-of-son-in-law, Steve

Have fun with the Little Widow Ladies Club Vacation (Ha!).  Seriously you and Peg have a wonderful time.!!

A good and bad week

This has been a good week and a bad week.  My bladder and my lower back as well as my stomach have been on a rampage.   I did get to go on an outing Monday, and I didn't tell them my bladder hurt.  I had a great time shopping at Target and spent a lot of my gift cards.  All but $11 was spent from the gift cards I had been hoarding the last two years.

My good friend Paul, the rock 'n' roller, died from a massive stroke Sunday.  That was the bad part.  He was only 43.  We are trying to get together a memorial service here at the nursing facility for him.  Paul had been here a long time - before I came here, and he had a lot of good friends here.  We would like to have a service in order to have closure.  I will always have great memories of him waking me at 7:00 a.m. with rock & roll blaring from his stereo.

Next week all the gift cards I have been hoarding from Walmart will be spent.  There is an trip to Walmart planned, and I have finally been medically cleared to go on outings.

Love always, Darci

Welcome to my second blog of 2012!!!  Unfortunately this one will also be very brief.  My eyes are once again infected, and it's making it very hard to see when both eyes keep trying to stay shut on me.  Can't read, can't write, can't see!  My left eye is so swollen that I can no longer put on my new fancy glasses.

Hope next Thursday will be better and will try to start from the beginning again since it's been long since I've been able to blog regularly.

See you next week!  Take care.
Love always, Darci

I'm Back

Hello Everyone! I'm so happy to be back at my blogging!! Since last time I have been going through quite the ordeal!! Right after Christmas I was diagnosed with pneumonia. The first two antibiotics turned out not to be the correct type of medicine for my particular type of pneumonia. The Doctors turned to an I.V. form of antibiotic. My pneumonia raged on and I was pretty miserable. Next I went through a series of shots involving long needles being inserted into my hips! Then I was given pills three times a day for 10 days. More X-rays showed I still had pneumonia, and my doctor decided another blast of I.V. antibiotics (the strongest she could find) were in order. So another I.V. was put in my arm and I went through another 10-day 3 times a day regimen. Blood work and X-rays finally showed some improvement (Yeaaa!). Several weeks ago tests finally showed the pneumonia had cleared up.
But I wasn't in the clear yet!! The tests had also revealed I had fluid in my lungs and two different "bugs" in my sputum. Fatima, the nurse practioner, ordered another I.V. antibiotic three times a day for 10 days. She also amped up my prescription of Lasix, which helps eliminate the body of excess fluid. I finished the I.V. treatment last week and continue my path toward healing. Tomorrow I go to the hospital for a procedure to install a port in my chest. This will eliminate the need for new pic lines each time I need I.V. medication. It takes about an hour to put the port in me.

Well, that's all for this week. I hope to be able to contribute to my blog on a more regular basis.

Have an awesome and blessed week!

Love always, Darci

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year Bloggers!! Sure hope it's a good one. Today, I'm writing about resolutions. Everyone still sticking to the ones you made for 2012??

Usually, I make the same resolutions every year and that is to not make any. So far I've been able to keep that one for a whole year. I know the most popular wish people have is to lose weight by dieting. I've tried that with dismal results; just like most of the planet. Every January we are bombarded with weight loss advertisements. Are you sick of them already?? I know I am. There must be a million dieting plans out there! Everyone wants a quick fix for something that has to be a lifestyle change in order to successfully drop pounds and get in shape.

I had a really difficult time deciding what I wanted to resolve about for the brand new year. In the past, I have resolved to buy more interesting jewelry (I was highly successful with that one!); or have planned to do a service project (I decided to start a library for my local battered moms shelter); or work with my health issues. I actually did the library for one and one-half years, and still working on maintaining a healthier life style. Not easy from a wheelchair!!

This New Year's Eve I mulled my choices over while watching the various celebrations on television. I wanted to be sure my resolution (I only do one per year) would be something that was attainable. I know better by now not to try a resolution that's destined to fail - My ego and self-esteem can't handle that. Well, maybe it can - but why tempt fate??!!

After a brief review of events in my life the last year, I concluded that I wanted to expand my social circle. Most of the friends I had become very close to over my years here have passed away in the past year, thus diminishing my friendships fast. I've started on my way to success by waving to everyone that passes by my room. That's my first step. I also decided to use my wheelchair and get out of bed and my room. I haven't been able to do that since my chair is in the shop. They finally brought me a loner to use till mine gets repaired. After that step, it'll get harder to make friends since I am unable to speak at all sometimes, or else above a bare whisper. Communication will be a challenge. Best handled on a case-by-case basis. Wish me luck!!

Anyway, Happy New Year everybody. I wish all of my followers have a happy and healthy 2012. Please remember to stop by next Thursday. 'Til then- -

Love Always, Darci

Christmas prep

Dear Reader:

I don't know about you, but I have been very busy getting ready for Christmas. My side of the room looks very festive. My friend helped me dress up the bears. I've got my stocking hung up, presents are ready to go. It's pretty lean this year since I'm saving up my money so that I can get new eyeglasses. My insurance has a co-pay, so I have to cough up part of the cost for the eye exam and the glasses.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because it's our resident Christmas party. We'll have live entertainment and food (of course), and then Santa will arrive and pass out all of the gifts under the tree. The Activities Department always does a great job pulling it all together, and I look forward to the party every year. I'm planning on wearing my Christmas cardigan sweater -- I've had it awhile but it looks so nice still.

My roommate has the holiday station on her radio. They started playing Christmas tunes right after Halloween, and she runs it 24/7. When I was growing up we had two holiday albums that my Dad played every year. One was Brenda Lee, and the other was the Chipmunks (Alvin!!) I would hop on my Dad's feet, and we would dance around the living room.

We'd also all sit in our little rocking chairs and watch the holiday specials on our black & white console television. There were more shows than there are now, but I'm happy to see they have started to bring back some of the classics in recent years.

This year I have asked Santa Claus to bring me a Kindle - the e-reader from Amazon. Yeah!! good luck on that one!!! But in my defense, I rarely ask for anything too costly, and I have been a very good girl this year. We'll see. Wish me luck.

My family will come to see me on Christmas afternoon, except for my brother Roger and his family. They are the ones hosting Christmas for my family. They will probably come on Monday. My mom will bring me leftovers from the family's get-together. This year Mim is serving ham, as it is Roger's favorite. It's actually my favorite as well. I love pork - I try not to think about where it comes from.

Hopefully we will get a holiday dinner here too. For Thanksgiving I got both turkey and ham, but sometimes they get it wrong. One year, we got spaghetti for our special dinner!!

Well, I think I'll stop rambling now. I'll be back next Thursday with a new edition to my blog. See you then!!!

Love always,
Darci

Roommates

Hello Fellow Bloggers!! Today's topic is roommates. Over the years I've shared space with a number of men and women. It's not easy to adapt to others habits and quirks. Everyone has various lifestyles. I've lived in both houses and apartments, as well as dorms in college.

Living in a facility you share a room where there is very little space or privacy. I've split a room with women who are here for rehabilitation and are here for a brief stay; the rest were long term residents. Many of my roommates were very ill and ended up passing away, which is difficult if you are attached to them. Most of the women have been much older than I am and not as easily relatable.

I've had some crazy roommates over the years but sharing such a small room with staff in and out day and night seems to really intensify people's behavior. In other words, it brings out the worst in people. I got a new roommate last month who is a perfect example of that. For a change, though, she is closer to my age. She is nice enough to me, but not talkative at all. I've not had one real conversation with the woman since she moved in last month. And she treats the staff like they are her personal servants. She has a hair-trigger temper, no patience and her only interests seem to be food, soda and smoking. In a few weeks we will become a smoke-free building. I'm sure that no smoking will just increase her volatile behavior.

She never watches T.V., but has her radio on 24/7 to a station that started playing non-stop Christmas music in early November. She's the biggest character I've ever had as a roommate!! She's long term like me so she won't be one who rotates through the program quickly. She scares the crap out of me when she's terriorizing the staff. She'll bellow at the top of her lungs and has the foulest mouth I've ever heard. I'm a fairly easy-going person, but it does get to me sometimes. I've always managed to get along with people, and so far have had few problems with a roommate.

I hope this has brought back memories of people you've shared living quarters with, and that this brings a smile to your face. Take care, and be sure to come back here in seven for my next installment.

Love Always, Darci and Skippy