New Cheek and Chat

[Tasty Tidbits]

I feel the same Panda. A few years ago this was a vibrant place to come, with lots of activity and sharing. I really miss the interchange that there was between all of us. I think they have all moved to facebook now.

My mom had her needle biopsy yesterday. We are just waiting on news from that and then I will book my ticket and fly over. I expect to be away for a couple of months.

[Panda Rose]

I hope all goes well with her. its so worrying with an older person and living so far away. Im sure T will miss you but appreciates why you are going and will miss you. that time will be very precious with your Mum and I m sure you havent spent that much time with her for a very long time. I keep up with it as I read your blog. I find it very interesting - there are so many values which are the same within different religions. eg family values, how to conduct your daily life etc.
My thoughts are with you all.

[Tasty Tidbits]

Thanks so much Panda, that's so kind of you to say and of course your prayers and thoughts are much appreciated.

I think all religions are so fascinating and interesting and there are truths to be found in all of them, and similarities too. I find it profoundly interesting that all of the major religions of the world can trace their roots back to Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenants.

It will be nice to spend this time with my mom and the very least that I can do for her after all she has done for us in our lifetimes. It is a service of love and of gratitude I think.

[Panda Rose]

Any news about your Mum? when do you think you will be going out there?

[Tasty Tidbits]

She has an appointment with her Thoracic Surgeon on the 12th. We should know more then, and be able to make plans. It seems to be taking an awfully long time. I think the health care system in Canada must be in even worse shape than ours!

[duonyte]

Hoping that whatever the news, it is the best possible under all circumstances.

(I remember years ago speaking with a friend in Canada who had decided to attend nursing school, and saying something to her about, well you'll always have a job. I was thinking of my own sister, who is a nurse. She looked at me and said - no, this is Canada - health system does not allow for adequate nursing staffs!)

[Tasty Tidbits]

I know, it's deplorable! My daughter is a nurse practioner who works very hard. They had a lovely hospital in the town my mom lives. It was relatively new, having been built in the 70's. I was a candy striper there. It had a heli-port and everything, as well as a special wing for Veterans, and they have basically shut it down with only a skeletal staff. Basically it is just used to do blood tests and xrays. Other than that you have to go all the way to Kentville which is a good hour away to a brand new hospital which they built there about 10 years ago. Who has the time to go that far in an emergency?? AND, when you do get there it is so understaffed that you wait hours for treatment. People who live further down the valley than my mother have to travel even further, some as much as two hours for treatment. Its disgusting. I think they have shut down all of these smaller hospitals just so they could justify that money pit monstrosity they built in Kentville and now can't afford to staff properly!

Ok, off my soapbox now.

[Panda Rose]

But even when you travel to a " good " hospital, you are not assured of pod care. You really need a member of your family or a pod friend to look out for your. It's completely alien to how I was trained all those years ago, when nurses actually nursed.

[Tasty Tidbits]

I think it must be really difficult on people who have to stay in hospital that don't have family there to help out. With such short staffings it is no wonder people are not cared for properly. Very sad really.

[JoyfulCook]

soo!!!! where is everyone huh???no chat...no chuckles, no caring and sharing

[Tasty Tidbits]

Sorry Joy. I've been away to Canada. just got back. I think nobody loves us anymore actually. Everyone else has flown the coop! Sad to see, but . . .

Hope that you have a lovely and safe journey back to England. Welcome back to good old Blighty! Hope we can catch up with each other soon! xxoo

[JoyfulCook]

I saw that you were back Marie, hope that all is well, we are at my sisters right now its been a long haul and no doubt ail lbw off to bed early this evening, wish there was a bit more chat here xx

[Tasty Tidbits]

I miss the old days here as well Joy. I think we are on our own now! Two old die hards.

I am excited that you are back in the UK for good now. Can't wait to see your new adventure begin.

Coming back from Canada was really difficult for me. I was really torn between leaving my mom on her own and staying until my sister got there. My mom has some really severe memory problems since all of her operations etc. I tried to get homecare in place before I left, but my mom wasn't having any of it. She doesn't seem to realize that there is anything wrong with her, but there is. I thought it would be good for her to have a few weeks on her own before my sister arrived as it would make her appreciate and welcome my sister more. My sister and her partner have quit their jobs and everything to do this.

Mom is very stubborn and uncooperative. She won't pay anyone for anything. It was going to cost her a max of $129 for a months worth of homecare, which meant they would come in as many times as need be to do the things she needed done. She was not having any of it. She wasn't going to pay someone $129 to tell her when to take her pills. So I put in place two cousins to come twice a day to do that and anything else that needed doing. Plus the VON is coming in once a day. The end result is my mother has taken double evening tablets twice and is now two days short of the tablets she needs for this week. I am very distraught about that. Its exactly what I wanted to prevent from happening. She no longer has a drivers license. They took that back before I left. I am really afraid she is going to end up in a home now.

[JoyfulCook]

Oh Marie - that is just so sad and for you such a hard choice leaving like you really had to. I dont suppose that anyone has power of attorney either and that makes it so so hard specially when they are confused and subborn too. this is EXACTLY how my God Mother Auntie Elsie went, she used to get so so angry with me if you remember, thank Goodness that you actually have a sister and her partner who are prepared to do so much for her and yes, its a good idea that she be on her own for a while before they arrive.

talking of tablets, my aunt used to pick hers over and take out all the ones that she remembered taking earlier in the day and I could not convince her that she needed them 2 times

cant wait to catch up, glad that you are home - hugs

[Tasty Tidbits]

My brother who lives in Ottawa is both her next of kin and her power of attorney. She gets even stroppier with him. I was so discouraged when I was there the last couple of weeks as I didn't see her getting any better and yet she would sit and cry to me that her life was over. I tried telling her numerous times that it was not over, just different, but that it could still be a good life.

She used to like doing the crossword in the newspaper every day. She had lost total interest in that and in face couldn't even tell me which one she did. I tried to do one with her one day, but . . .

She has no hobbies or interests. She likes the soaps and each day when it was time for The Bold and the Beautiful to come on, I told her it's time for Bold and the Beautiful and she scooted her walker across the living room in double time to sit in front of the telly. It was the most animated I saw her at any time. She doesn't like to read. She doesn't like to do anything.

She does like to talk and can be so very charming to anyone who is not related to her. It makes me sad and afraid and angry too.