Glad To Be Home

We just got back home Friday evening after a long stay at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas.
I think I told you before moms eye was giving her trouble well it just kept getting worse so had to have a eye doc. come check her out. I have to give Dr Jefferies a shout out . He did a house call. Thanks to him. Anyway he said her eyeball had ruptured so it needed to have surgery very soon. Well the next day we were off to Little Rock. Than the surgeon would not do surgery till the infection was gone. That took a week and than surgery and two days recovery and now we are at home. All is well. If it heals good and no infection sets in she will be feeling good soon I think. You can tell she is much better. I bet that nasty eye as been hurting her for a very long time. She just could not tell us. She has not opened in along time due to another surgery she had years ago. So hard to tell when it had ruptured. I just hope it is all better now.

Memory Walk 2010

Our Memory Walk was a great success. And so much fun. There were games for the kids , free food ,gifts bags,door prizes,free samples , music and lots of money raised. Thanks everyone for your help and support.
I got a few copies of a book with wonderful tips in it for caregiving from one of the many tables sit up . If any of you would like one let me know . It is Coach Broyels Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers. Coach Broyles played for the Arkansas Razorbacks when he was in college and he was there Athletic Director for many years. His wife suffered from Alzheimer's also.
Here is the poem from his book.

Do not ask me to remember.
Don't try to make me understand.
Let me rest and know you're with me.
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.

I'm confused beyond your concept.
I am sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you.
To be with me at all cost.

Do not lose your patience with me.
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can't help the way I'm acting.
Can't be different 'though I try.

Just remember that I need you.
That the best of me is gone.
Please don't fail to stand beside me.
Love me 'til my life is done.

Author unknown

Happy Birthday Mom number 83

Mom is 83 today. My sister fed her lemon cake which is her favorite last night after supper. She ate most of it. Last year I don't think she ate as much. I can't believe I have had my blog for over a year. But I wrote a post on mom's birthday last year. Boy time passes fast.
She is doing good. Except her eye is still swollen. The hospice Doctor is coming to see her this week . They wanted me to take her to an eye doc. But I said that would be hard on her and me . Since I sold our wheelchair van it would be really hard. So the hospice doctor is doing a home visit. Hopefully we won't have to take her to the eye doctor.

It is so nice out. We got some much needed rain today. Our yard was all dry. The good thing about that is we don't have to mow the bad thing is it looks really bad.

My son started his Jr year at the University Of Arkansas and I am so proud. He got two grants and Two scholarship's this year. Which means no money out of his pocket for the first time since he started college. We are very happy about that. He even has money left over.
I want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Labor Day Weekend.

Bear Hug Waltz

My very good blogger and facebook friend Donna lost her mother recently. Donna was the full time caregiver of her mom as I am of mine. I looked to her blog for advice, strength, comfort and just plan good reading. Donna is a very good writer . If you have not read her blogs you must. Just click on the title of this post and go for a visit.
Donna misses her mom. And the fact that she is free to do as she pleases anytime and for as long as she wants has not set in yet I don't think. I know these days are coming for me and I am a little scared. What will I do when mom passes. Can I go back to work or will I be a big chicken to do anything else after just caring for mom all these years. Sometimes when I drive to Wal-mart the traffic overwhelms me. All the people makes me nervous and I just want to go back home.
I hope I can be strong like Donna . She went to Church with her whole family this Sunday . No one had to stay home with mom. Missing mom is hard but getting to go to church with nothing to worry about at home must of been refreshing. I hope she forgives me for writing this post about her but she is one of my inspirations and I want her to know how proud I am of getting to know her. And I hope I can be as good a caregiver as she was.

Shampoo Cap

I washed mom's hair today. Just for fun really because the aid does that once or twice a week . But the nurse gave me a shower cap to wash her hair with and I wanted to play with it. You put it in the microwave for 30 seconds than put it on your love ones hair and start working it in. It was to hot right out of the microwave so make sure you let it cool or do less seconds. Anyway it was fun. If I had to do it I would not be so much fun because when I had to I hated it . But you don't even have to rinse the hair after. So cool.
Notice moms swollen eye. It might not look so bad if she would smile. I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. But we can hope. Anyway she has a bad eye from detached retina surgery years ago and it is infected. We have her on eye drops. I hope they work . They have in the past. I am not even going to try to take her to the eye doc. So lets pray the eye drops work. Thanks .
If you want a fancy shower cap to wash your love ones hair or yours you can get them from the Alzheimer's store. I know I have wrote about this before but I love this stuff.