Dear Diary

This was not such a great day. Mother-in-law is back in the hospital. She's 82, has a leaky heart valve which they don't want to do anything about because of her overall health, now she has fluid in the lungs and her legs are swollen. Actually, these symptoms have been around for several weeks and she went to her regular MD and he told her she needed to have angioplasty which she told us she would NOT do (she had open heart surgery about 15 years ago and doesn't want to go through that again). Then she went to her cardiologist and he agreed with her -- no angioplasty, just medication. Now, the regular doctor had already upped her diuretic and given her a sedative to help her sleep (she was waking up, having difficulty breathing and then panicking and not able to get back to sleep). Things were going well.

End of last week she went back to regular MD and he decided she was becoming dehydrated so he decreased the diuretic again and, as one would expect, back came the fluid and the swelling. So he sends her from his office to the hospital in an ambulance and tells her she MUST have the angioplasty. When the cardiologist came to see her, he said there's no point. The medication will work.

Understand that this is the self-same regular MD who put her in the hospital several years ago because he prescribed a medication with interacted with one of the other meds she was on and it caused her kidneys to malfunction. I hate stupid doctors.

Oh well, at least she's being carefully watched and hopefully while in the hospital all will stabilize. The trouble is, I suspect she's giving up and that is not a good thing. I keep reminding her that her granddaughter is getting married in June and she has to stick around until then, but she's worried about making it to Christmas.

Not such a good day but maybe tomorrow will be better.

I was the caregiver to my mother until her death; then another 9 months with my father. However, we were blessed with better than average doctors, all the difference in the world.

It is hard, isn't it Mapleleaf. My own parents have been gone for a good many years and my father-in-law likewise. She is my kids' last grandparent and my daughter so wants her to be around for her wedding next year.

I can understand that when you reach a certain age and a certain state of health and mind, you may want to just give up. She was here for Thanksgiving and I sensed then that she was reaching that state. But the blankety-blank doctor doesn't have to contribute to it with his own idiotic behavior!

Sorry, it just makes me angry. I'm sorry for your loss -- and so close together which adds to the sorrow you must have felt. I can remember when my mother passed away I was in my 40's, yet I suddenly felt like an orphan. Strange feeling. I still miss them both.

Actually, my father is still alive, but his mind is gone. Now his body is sharply declining. How we handled his care is for another thread on a different forum.

I am not religious, at least not in the traditional Christian sense. I believe there may be more to life. Anyway...I don't see death of the physical body as a terrible thing.

Oh, what a day! I started having pain in my lower back gums yesterday. During the night last night, I could hardly sleep because of all the pain. I went to work this morning, but left after 2 hours. I had called the dentist from work, but they couldn't get me in for 3 days, so I went to my doctor. After sitting for over an hour waiting to see her, she checked me and said I have an abcessed tooth. The left side of my face is swollen, ahhh, so cute! The doctor prescribed an antibiotic which I had to wait 45 minutes (in pain) for.

I came home, took a pill, then picked up the phone to call the dentist again, but I couldn't get any dial tone. I said the heck with it and went to bed. When I got up, the house seemed awfully cold. I realized the pilot light had gone out in my furnace. So I lit it. And it went out. I lit it again and it went out again. After about four more times, I decided the furnace must be on the blink. No phone to call anyone, throbbing mouth, no heat. Geesh!

After my son got home from work, I went to his house and called the phone company. They are checking the lines and hope to have it fixed within 24 hours. It was too late to call the dentist or a furnace repairman, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow for that. My son loaned me a small electric space heater which isn't warming me up much, but it's better than nothing!

My dear diary, please help tomorrow to be better!

Dear Diary,
Please help Chatoyant...my goodness, what a day.

Bandylu
I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-laws troughbles. I know what you mean about the idiot doctors out there who don't have a clue. You put your life in their hands and that's scary because their screw ups could mean your life. I'm glad she is recovering now and I hope she up and at em in no time. My thoughts with be with you both.

Mapleleaf
I'm also sorry to hear of your loss and your fathers condition. My thoughts will be with you as well.

Chatoyant
Oh, you poor thing. You sure did have a lousy day. I do hope tomorrow brings a brighter, warmer, and pain free day for you.

Yesterday was hubby's turn at the pain docs. The doc is great, but you always have to wait. There was a foul up, and we were there over 4 hours.

He had an epidural block in his neck- One big one right into the spine, and six little ones. Took him a long time to come out of the sodium pentothal. When the novocain wore off, he could hardly move his neck. Last night he couldn't sleep well, and had to drug himself up to go to sleep.

I understand what Mapleleaf is going through. My mother, 93, lousy back, can't take pain pills. Short term memory is almost GONE, but thankfully, she can still carry on a decent conversation. When I wake up, I will start a thread about dealing with the elderly without driving yourself bonkers. Maybe someone here can give me a few pointers.

Dear Diary,

Another very cold day - the prediction for maximum is temp -4 and minimum at -7 and there is no snow. It is the dry cold which gets to me everytime. But the sun is shining, and it is a welcome change from London weather - bright blue skies with sunlight. Work is killing, I am in meetings all day, and my head is swimming from facts. Guess, I am suffering from information overload syndrome. Couple this with late nights (last night went to sleep at 0200) and lots of alcohol, I think I shud be labelled as a "sufferer".

Christmas is all over the place and there is a huge christmas tree just outside my hotel in the old town square - abt 50 feet tall and dazzling. And a small christmas market as well....I plan to go back early today so I can browse and do some shopping.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I am currently in Prague - in my opinion, the most beautiful city in the world

DD,

I don't seem to have troubles compared to everyone else. I do hope things resolve themselves for all.

Dealing with, oy, a PC that sometimes just doesn't feel like working. We'd get a new one, but that just ain't in the budget right now. In the meantime, I make do, and complain. Certainly, it has gotten a lot more usage than it was intended for.

What a great thread! I can't tell you how good it makes me feel about my own mundane struggles. I feel . . . lighter.

Chatoyant, my goodness, that's a bad day. I do hope you are feeling better and warmer and more connected via phone today!

bandylu2, I'm sorry about your mother-in-law's ill health and conflicting medical opinions. I do hope she makes it and not only to the wedding. You've sure got a lot on your plate.

Here goes my first attempt.

Dear Diary: I feel guilty about the loads of laundry upstairs. I'd take them to the laundry, really I would, if only I had some guarantee that there would be enough space in my two tiny portable closets to put the clean clothes back in. Oh, how I wish my boyfriend would start construction on that closet he has promised me and hook up the brand-new, still-in-the-box washer and dryer that's been crowding my living room for months. Paradise is always a few more pipes and electrical lines away. <sigh>

Dear Diary,
My...you are really coming alive. And some new folks too...nice people...trying to deal with life in a constructive way...looking for the bright side. What's this...we are beginning to develop an international flavor. Also, did you notice, some young ones to offset the gracefully (Ha!) aging folks?

You know...it would be fun, and perhaps worthwhile, to recruit a wide array of members from different countries, cities, vocations and interests. What a stew it would make. I get all tinglely thinking about it.

Dear Diary,

I'm warm and my phone is working. The pain comes and goes, but I'm sure it will be much better soon.

I called the gas repairman this morning. He had a full slate, but when he found out I'd been without heat all night, he redid his schedule and came to my house first. It didn't cost as much as I had expected, but it makes a dent this time of year. However, I'm so happy to be warm, I'm not going to worry about that one bit.

What nice people you are, and thanks for all your kind wishes. I know my problems aren't nearly as bad as many of yours, but it all just happened at once! Maybe that's good. That way I can get them all over at once too.

Some of you have things going on that will take quite some time to resolve. My best to all of you!

Yay for chatoyant and her intrepid gas repairman! :-D

WOW! A THREE SMILER, it doesn't get much better than that.

Whoppee for Chatoyant!

dupre, I must be losing it...you know...nutty. I am a serious bahumbug fellow...Oh boy, 62 and descenting steadily back into my youth. Now, where did I put my RED RYDER b-b gun?

Mapleleaf, I don't follow . . . ?

But, I'll take you anyway you come, on any day.

Husker, thank you for starting a dear diary thread here. I've never been a regular contributor, but it is a wonderful place to visit,even though it isn't very often.

Bandylu, my thoughts are with you and your mil. You are right about someone reaching the point where they just want to give up. Sometimes, I think letting them know that it is alright to die is the kindest thing you can do for them. I also know how difficult that is, especially for your daughter.

Chatoyant, thank heaven you have heat! I hope you were able to get into the dentist earlier. An abcessed tooth is soooo painful.

Gautam, please tell us all about Prague. I would love to go there sometime. I, too, have heard that it is the most beautiful city in Europe.

Dupre, I agree that this thread makes one feel lighter. Whether the talk is of problems or something joyous, it is nice to share with good people.

Jes, I don't know how you do it and do it so well!! It really sounds like you need some assistance. Is that in the works? Able2know is a great place, but we don't want its creators to burn out.