Saturday Update Snapper,Bob,Beau

7 weeks, since Bob stopped walking on 3/27, and can only walk by using a Walker, only point a to point B, using his upper body strength to do that. While in hospital his BP was lower than usual, THEY said because he was in bed, and at home it continues until yesterday it was 110/50 and way to low. 

Its been 9 days, 9 of the Longest Days of My Life, since I told you this blog is closed temporarily. 

No change, still the same as the March 28th, when he woke up unable to walk unassisted.

home from hospital a week now, still the same even with 5 days with 3 nurse, 3 therapist visits,  none of which has changed his condition at all. We tried to cancel nurses and have only therapists, nope, he needs a nurse. Memory and not walking. OT comes today with plans for making bathrooms safe for him, not safe for our savings.  I am still standing, but do a lot of crying. 

a photo is worth a thousand words, The blood thinner, Chain Saw Massacre several times ✅ foot prints in red a trail from bath to sofa ✅ I did not cry as I sprayed the trusting bottle of peroxide even though tears have been common for the past week.

Beau had an ear infection, he is doing great, Vet let me order drops by email and I just picked them up. 

I cut my hair All By Myself! I even did the back,

I asked Bob to take a photo of the back, he ended up with 4 photos, 3 of his walker and one of his finger over the lens. We laughed long and hard.

Exhaustion Is My Middle Name. While seeking my cousins wisdom by phone, she said Just order your groceries, I order all of mine. She said she loves Walmart delivery.

Sunday morning I went to the Walmart app in my phone, at 6 am, signed up for Walmart +, for price of 98 per year, free shipping and free  delivery from store.  I picked a delivery time of 11 to 1, same day delivery, with instructions to leave on front porch. Tip is added and paid for with groceries.

Sunday 11:40 AM, my First Delivery from Walmart

 Bob is on the throne, 

my hands are buried in the meatloaf mix, 

I hear a car door slam in driveway

I lift pot of green beans off burner, leaving burner on

peer out window at driveway, delivery girl is getting in car.

I open door and the entire porch floor is covered in bags, and bottles of pool chemicals

(I did not specify leave on bench)

while saying, Beau get back, Beau get back,

I hear shouting from the throne, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

over my head the fire alarm starts SHRIEKING!

The throne voice shouts over and over, turn it off! Get a ladder! (he knows he can reach it but I can't)

I don't answer because I am trying to turn it off with my dads CANE.

I shriek, I AM TRYING! SHUT UP!

Throne shouts, STOP IT STOP IT

I SHOUT I AM TRYING while standing on foot stool trying to reach over my head without falling and Beau is whirling in circles around the stool because the shrieking is hurting his ears.

I realize the reason it did not turn off is the BURNER IS STILL ON PUTTING OUT HEAT. 

I step carefully down from the stool, race to kitchen, turn off burner and back to the stool and The Quiet Returns and at that moment the 12 noon Cell Alarm goes off playing a song to warn me to TAKE MY VITAMINS.

Shouting from throne changes to The Phone Is Ringing, I turn it off and it changes to

Who was that, what is going on.

Walmart brought the groceries. What Groceries? He has forgotten I ordered them.

I get him up and out and down on the sofa and say calmly, Lunch will be late,  no really, I did say it calmly while we laughed and laughed at the comedy of errors our life has become.

Bob's lunch plate was late, I call it that because I can eat the potatoes and about 6 beans and the pickled beets with my rice pasta.

My apologies for posting, and not reading yours posts, but it took me 3 days to type this. I still snap photos of any/all things for just in case I return to blogging.

UPDATE on Bob. MadSnapper Temporarily Closed

 

I have been sitting by this hospital bed since April 28th, yesterday was the 4th day since Bob was admitted to hospital, 4/28/2025 taken there by a call to 911, when he failed to stand up from the sofa. There have been many tests and more ongoing. Basics are, he has spinal stenosis and walks only by struggling with his walker.

Added to his memory issues this makes life challenging. We came home late yesterday afternoon on May 2, choosing in home therapy/nurses for the next 20 days, over rehab. He refused rehab and I felt he would be more comfortable here and so would I. 

Who Moved My Cheese? Someone moved my Cheese. I need a new routine, we are working on that today,. He is in the pool walking back and forth and when he gets out I will bathe him with the soap and dry sheets and do his hair the same way, while he sits by the  pool. 

Watch the video if you are not familiar, because my cheese has been moved, and I am learning where the cheese, where and when it will be moved and adjusting my attitude and skills.

I am NOT a natural born nurse/caregiver, must have a routine and that will calm me down. 

Our health plan pays for 20 days of nurse/therapists, 3 times a week. the nurse came yesterday, the therapist comes Monday between 10 and 12, he sees his primary doc at 9:15 on Mon, his neurologist on Tuesday. Please pray we can get him in and out of car/chair/office. There is a free wheel chair coming sometime today, have to find help bringing it in and unboxing.

Right now, The Cheese must be assisted with everything, and I have to move him safely, so far, we are doing well. Beau, our dog is fine, but did have a bout with poopitis from well, eating possum and mallard poo...  this is the link to who moved my cheese We were requried to watch this several times at my prior workplace, each time there was a major change. this IS a major change

Until then, MadSnapper and Beau will be temporarily Closed.  

how I entertained myself 4 days of sitting in the hospital. 

the green light under his bed, was a night light and fascinated me, it changed with what light was in the room.

Nurse Chelsea was an angel that God blessed us with, and so were Matt and Claudia, who took great care of Bob.

nurse station front desk, Neuro Unit

UPDATE on Bob,

 

Bob and I waiting in exam room for  one hour, before doc came in was excruciating to both of us

I have for now rigged the house, for use, neither bathroom has doors wide enough to allow walker and no access to shower or tub

Thank you to Debbie from Just Breahte for suggesting the sponges that I add water and it is shampoo and body wash, dry and no rinse for baths. Beau got a bath with the sponges and wow.

So far, my make do grab bar/foot stool and rails is working.

Doc visit for Bob is not good. He got out of bed on March 29 and could not longer walks, and 5  weeks today, he has been unable to walk at all without a walker. 

With a walker, he struggles to move from bed to bath to  sofa and breakfast bar, once a day outside to the pool.

At the visit with the Orthopedic doctor and his assistant said they were shocked to see him in a wheelchair and sees no reason for it and Dr. say he MUST have therapy 5 days a week, 3 at their facility, 2 on a bike, or 5 at their  facility. He will continue to worsen with out this and it might not help, it will take 6 weeks to know.

Just getting him in/out of house and car 4 times to get in the The office, was almost impossible, both for him and for me. 

His appointment is not until May 9th, to be assessed by a therapy nurse to what he needs and can do. She will decide that, and then therapy starts. 

I asked if they had an in -home therapist and she said she could refer us to home care, but they don't do it in-home. 

As of now he is refusing to have anyone come to the house. The next step is a neurologist, he is refusing to go. Since he is cognitive there is no way to force him to do anything.

As of now we are once again waiting. I will not be blogging, except for updates if anything changes.