I think (knock on wood) that we have gotten Mom's home care in some sort of a rhythm. I know there will be times things go awry, but for the moment we have everything worked out. I am not having to be there as many hours each day as I was having to be there, so yea!. We have also gotten better at predicting when her confusion will be at its worst, and physically she is improving almost daily.
She is not happy because her doctor wants her to use the walker permanently. She is able to walk unassisted most of the time (emphasis on most) but she still gets dizzy and off balance every day. She has decided once she can walk alone she will be able to move out of that place we put her in. Yes, she is still in her own home but continues to believe we are tricking her with a duplicate dwelling. Now though, she believes we built an identical house across the creek from her house so the back yard would look the same. My beloved sister and I are so clever, and obviously have unlimited discretionary cash on hand to pull off the ruse.
Anyhow, now I am going to try and start some sort of limited menu planning. TheHub and I have agreed we really don't care what we eat, so the meals will mostly be something I can throw together in a hurry while remaining keto. This is my plan right now, in no particular order, but is subject to change based on the day and any unplanned craziness.
1. BLT's (thanks to chaffle wonderbread*)
2. Greek Food Festival
3. Spaghetti sauce over pasta or zoodles, tossed salad
4. Shepherd's pie (cauli mash topping) ,coleslaw
5. Steak, baked potato (or not) , asparagus, tossed salad
6. Slaw dog, cauli tots
7. Taco salad with or without tortilla chips
I guess I will see at the end of next week how this works out. Right now we have tentative plans to go to the lake for the weekend, of course based on how Mom is doing. Although I have a fully operational kitchen there, I prefer to spend my time there doing things other than cooking. I am pretty sure taco salad will be one of the meals there, and possibly spaghetti since I can have it all made ahead of time and just warm it once we get there.
So onward and upward to the week and October! I think our high today is only 93.
*Recipe will appear another day
She is not happy because her doctor wants her to use the walker permanently. She is able to walk unassisted most of the time (emphasis on most) but she still gets dizzy and off balance every day. She has decided once she can walk alone she will be able to move out of that place we put her in. Yes, she is still in her own home but continues to believe we are tricking her with a duplicate dwelling. Now though, she believes we built an identical house across the creek from her house so the back yard would look the same. My beloved sister and I are so clever, and obviously have unlimited discretionary cash on hand to pull off the ruse.
Anyhow, now I am going to try and start some sort of limited menu planning. TheHub and I have agreed we really don't care what we eat, so the meals will mostly be something I can throw together in a hurry while remaining keto. This is my plan right now, in no particular order, but is subject to change based on the day and any unplanned craziness.
1. BLT's (thanks to chaffle wonderbread*)
2. Greek Food Festival
3. Spaghetti sauce over pasta or zoodles, tossed salad
4. Shepherd's pie (cauli mash topping) ,coleslaw
5. Steak, baked potato (or not) , asparagus, tossed salad
6. Slaw dog, cauli tots
7. Taco salad with or without tortilla chips
I guess I will see at the end of next week how this works out. Right now we have tentative plans to go to the lake for the weekend, of course based on how Mom is doing. Although I have a fully operational kitchen there, I prefer to spend my time there doing things other than cooking. I am pretty sure taco salad will be one of the meals there, and possibly spaghetti since I can have it all made ahead of time and just warm it once we get there.
So onward and upward to the week and October! I think our high today is only 93.
*Recipe will appear another day
I am glad to hear your mother seems better and you can predict her bad times. You and your sister are wonders with your ability to make some things seem exactly the same.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like best is how we have managed to copy one of a kind statuary items and also managed to copy a rocking chair complete with copies of the teeth marks on one of the arms that MBS used as a teething ring.
DeleteI'm glad to hear that things are improving - even if still tentative. It has to be stressful for your mom too of course and I'm sure a routine will reassure her. Hope you get to go to the lake place too - I'm sure you could all use a break!
ReplyDeleteThings are improving or either I am adapting. Maybe it is a combination of both, but when she gets combative now I am ready for it and can diffuse her anger fairly quickly.
DeleteSo happy to hear things are settling down somewhat. The stress of dealing with your mom is a constant so getting back into your routine will be good. Take care and have a good week.
ReplyDeleteThis morning my sister had a day off work so she did the morning fill in shift. Best. Gift. Ever>
Deletethat is a hard one insisting they use the walker, then when it comes to the wheel chair it is another fight. Hope you don't have to get to this point. If you have that mush discretionary cash build me a house too.
ReplyDeleteI will have to have my sister in on it and we can only build copies of Mom's house. Is that OK?
DeleteIt would be interesting to see what your mom would say if you and your sister said "ok mom, we'll take you back to your house", got in the car with her, drove around a bit to "her" house. I wonder if she would then think it's her own house again. We used to have to go along with stuff my grandma would come up with. My mom used to try to argue and convince her and I would say just agree with her. It's not hurting anything and then she doesn't get upset with you arguing with her about it.
ReplyDeleteWe do the reset a few times a week. She knows it is her house when we are in the street or driveway and for a few minutes once we get inside. Then it becomes her fake house again. Sometimes it is in Birmingham, sometimes we have her in different cities. It just depends on the day where the counterfeit house is.
DeleteI'm glad you've found a sort of rhythm; that is immensely sanity-preserving for me in all situations! I'll be looking forward to the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI am glad we have developed some sort of rhythm too. The chaos was wearing on me.
DeleteGoodness you and your sister are clever. You obviously missed your calling and could have been/should have been real estate fixer uppers.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that she is (mostly) improving and the rhythm of life has settled to a less chaotic beat. Long may it continue.
Not only are we clever, we are obviously talented. One of Mom's childhood neighbors was a woodcarver and carved a bust of Sir Walter Raleigh from walnut. It lived in my grandmother's house for years and has been at Mom's for about 20 years. We managed to create a duplicate including a crack in the wood.
DeleteCan you tell her that if she does not use the walker, she will have to use a wheelchair? Maybe if you give the semblance of it being her choice, she will choose the walker. People decorate the rollators so they are not just a "walker." She could name it. It could get mail.
ReplyDeleteIt is not so much the walker as it is the lack of independence. She does not want "people" on her house and people are there around the clock.
DeleteYour mom's delusion seems especially complicated. The delusions I encountered with patients in the nursing home were simpler. One lady often saw glass. I never knew if it was broken glass or glass items. She'd say it was all over her bed. I'd tell her, I'm going to have a talk with that girl who left those things here. Then I'd very carefully fold the bedspread over the "glass" and take it out of the room only to return a couple of minutes later when I'd gotten rid of everything. She always looked suspicious, though, poor woman. She also saw oil or water dripping from the back of her wheelchair when she wasn't sitting in it. I'd have to take the wheelchair in the bathroom to clean it. Those two delusions--glass on the bed and the dripping from the wheelchair--were her regular delusions. She also had some others occasionally. It does make one find ways to improvise.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Yes it does. About the only thing we can do is put her in the car, drive to the grocery store (close and extremely familiar most of the time) then drive her home. Most of the time she recognizes her house as she drives up to it, but after a few minutes back inside it becomes an alternate home.
DeleteI hope things continue to improve with your mom and the whole situation, and you are able to spend the weekend at the lake place. :)
ReplyDeleteMe too Bless! Mainly about Mom, though. I would happily give up a lake weekend for major Mom improvement!
DeleteMaybe the change in seasons, though I know that is different in the south has thrown her off? Maybe her mind is settling, but I'm glad to hear it is less stressful for you for now.
ReplyDeleteI hope it is settling, but who knows? No matter what is going on things have improved and she is getting used to having people in her home. She still does not like it and occasionally lashes out about it, but nothing changes and we are keeping them as long as she is in her home.
DeleteGlad to hear things are settling down with your mom, at least for the moment. Our weekday meals are usually pretty simple. We don't often have BLTs but we often make a BLT salad. Good stuff. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe only reason we had the BLT is because I found this wonderful keto substitute for sandwich bread. For the first time I felt like I was really eating a sandwich. Usually we do the BLT salad, taco salad, bbq pork salad . . . you name it I can turn it into a salad.
DeleteHmmm BLTs...those likely will now make an appearance this week at my house. Tonight is gourmet though....Costco hotdogs...or if we are really living it up pizza lol.
ReplyDeleteI don't make chaffles, but I do enjoy this version of keto bread. It's 3 tbs ground golden flax, 3 tbs egg white, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tbs oil, 1/2 tsp "everything but the bagel" seasoning. Mix, microwave in a nuke-safe bowl for 90 seconds, and Bob's your muffin/bun. I let it cool enough to handle, then split and toast. Very fast, really good. If I wanted a sweeter bun, like for a berry shortcake, I'd use almond meal instead of flax.
ReplyDelete