Changing Plans In Stressful Times As August Rolls In



Tansy, I think, from a neighbors garden. My youngest sister comes by for a walk with me each day which is great for our mental health.

Wednesday 7/26

A cooler morning prompted me to get on my bike early to ride ten miles which turned into 18 as the 500 mile mark was so close. I did have to back track around the lake twice to get to 18 miles, but the weather was with me and I wasn't sure I could ride in the heat that was in the forecast. 

Later, I took to the highway to visit Mom and enjoy a housewarming/graduation party for my sister and brother-in-law and my niece.  One sister and I spent the next morning and afternoon cooking and chatting, and going on a short walk. The party  was lots of fun. Mom made a huge effort to be there, but she was not feeling well today, and I brought her home early and now she is feeling worse. I helped her to bed and she is hoping a good night of sleep will help. We all do worry quite a bit about her. 

Tree trimming, bike riding, laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and Scrabble describes Thursday and Friday. I also got the results of my biopsies. Most were fine, but one was not. I'll be having Moh's surgery in 3 weeks to address that issue. Not a surprise given my family history, but a pain in the face for certain.

A misty morning on the Cohocton River - a place I used to fish with my dad and siblings when I was a child. It was his way of giving mom a few precious hours to herself once in a while. She had 5 children in 5 years so was kind of busy.

Sunday 7/30

Mom is still sick and if she doesn't start eating tomorrow I'm afraid we're going to have to go to the ER. She had a good morning, but after breakfast had a rough couple of hours. Five of us siblings were here to lend support, but mom is having a rough time fighting a stomach bug (?). I won't leave unless she is back on her feet, so tomorrow will give a better idea of where she stands. My stress levels are rather high.

These leopard slugs greeted me on mom's porch shortly after a rainstorm. They were so large.

Tuesday 8/1

What a rough couple of days. Last night mom felt really bad to the point that she did not object to going to the Emergency Room. The last thing she would ever want to do is go to the ER much less in an ambulance. She went, willingly, in an ambulance last night. We were there until 3:30 am and they ran all the tests on her with astonishingly good results for a 93 yr old. She was dehydrated - no surprise there. Once re-hydrated via IV, we were sent on our way. She had a decent day today up until 7 pm when things started to go wrong again. Abdominal pain and full body shakes for 45 minutes. She is ok now, but I'll be taking her to the Dr in the morning to find the cause of her pain. 

Five of us siblings got together tonight to coordinate support for mom, so no individual gets overwhelmed. We also talked about other things and are committed to communicating better to support mom. I'm exhausted, emotionally drained, and thankful for good siblings. 

Wednesday 8/2

I got mom an appt with her PA tomorrow morning to try to get to the bottom of her ailments. Today she is doing ok as usual. It is in the evening that things usually go sideways. My sister Theresa is coming from Conn. on Friday evening to take over for me. I may go home Thurs or Friday to tend to my own home. I volunteered to drive a friend to her colonoscopy and I feel very strongly about paying it forward. She will be driving me to the Moh's surgery as well. I am so blessed and gratetful for my friends and family.

2023 Biking Challenge (1000 miles and 2+ rides per month)

Jan: 1/8 - 18 miles; 1/29 -12 mi

Feb: 2/14/- 14 mi, 2/15 - 16 mi, 2/20 - 21 mi

March: 3/21 - 14 mi, 3/31 - 11.5 mi

April: 4/4 - 20 mi, 4/27 - 15 mi

May: 5/9 - 20 mi, 5/11 - 15.1 mi, 5/14 - 19 mi, 5/21 - 30.1 mi, 5/26 - 7 mi, 5/27 - 8 mi, 5/28 - 20 mi

June: 6/3 - 20.3 mi, 6/6 - 15 mi, 6/8 - 15 mi, 6/9 - 23 mi, 6/14 - 15 mi, 6/15 - 21 mi, 6/16 - 10 mi, 

6/22 - 10 mi

July: 7/8 - 30.25 mi,  7/17 - 11 mi, 7/20 - 20.25 mi, 7/22 - 30 mi, 7/26 - 18.1 mo, 7/28 - 10 mi

August: 8/2 - 16.5 mi

Total Distance: 527.1 miles

Comments

  1. MargaretAugust 3, 2023 at 6:54 PM

    So much stress between your surgery and your mom's health. My worries are different but similar. You are very fortunate to have such supportive siblings and friends. I only have the one brother and he can't help much due to work. He does what he can but much falls on me. Great job on the bike riding! I'm envious.

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