luvteaching

Good morning, We had a nice Thanksgiving Day even if it was spent at the Care Center. Our friends brought us a lovely dinner - turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots from the garden, fruit salad, apple pie and Earl Grey tea. I supplied the homemade rolls and the staff gladly accepted the last 4 and were eating away on their break. DH had a hard time sitting up and keeping his body in control so I had him put back in bed and he ate every†hing on his plate - but slowly. I was getting ready to leave and he not-so-gently reminded me to make sure to leave his apple pie! I was out on Black Friday shopping this morning. I'll also do some on-line. Today was Fred Meyer for socks, boxers, Fat Max measuring tapes for DS (He gets one at Christmas and I save the other one for his birthday at the end of July), and ice cream. I went in the store in dry weather and came out to a lot of rain. Heading back in shortly as I get my Covid booster at 11:00 and then in to see DH. Have a great Friday! Karen

Good morning, Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! We do both the Canadian one and the American one in this house. @VictOriann Happy #60 to you both! @kaz Happy heavenly birthday for Jose and hugs to you! The dough is in the bread machine and the machine should be beeping soon for the next step. I'll be heading out to the care facility to spend the day with DH. He's having some ups and downs this week. Our good (very good) friends are bringing Thanksgiving dinner to us. The care facility brought a table and some chairs into DH's room yesterday and we can eat in privacy which will be nice. Covid has reared its head in the facility but no cases in DH's wing so that's good. So far several patients and at least 7 staff members. I'm hoping his wing stays Covid free. Enjoy the day everyone! Karen

Good morning, It's a cold morning again here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm just south of Bellingham and north of Mount Vernon to give you an idea. It was a lovely sunrise and pretty red - rain is on the way by Tuesday. DH had a quiet day yesterday and was in bed when I got there and stayed that way. He was alert and chatty until mid-afternoon and then started tuckering out. I figured this was happening as he'd done so much on Friday. He had no therapies yesterday. I did bring him his strawberry milkshake and he wasn't about to let anyone get near it! This morning is a lazy morning for me. I'm still in cozy pj's and fuzzy socks but will shower and get moving soon. I need this kind of morning every once in a while. I've made chocolate chip cookies and addressed the Thanksgiving cards so now need to address and stamp them for the mail tomorrow. I've even got some laundry going - I'm fluffing the bed pillows and washing sheets. It doesn't seem such an onerous task in fuzzy socks! Have a great day everyone! Karen

Good morning! It's 20F on the thermometer on the front porch with lots of blue skies and sunshine. I'll take National Adoption Day as our son is adopted. We adopted him in San Diego. He was 2.5 years old and came walking, talking, almost potty trained and a mop of red hair! He's 46 now, the red has faded a bit but you see it in his beard and a few other places and he's still a talker. DH is making slow progress. Yesterday was very good in many ways. He stood at the parallel bars without help getting up and stood for a minute which is good. Later he walked 30 feet in the parallel bars with minimal assist then wheeled his wheelchair 214 feet back to the room. This was in addition to the arm machine and the bike. He'll be tired today. On the downside he was prepped for a shower and the therapist and I noticed blood coming from the bandage on his heel where he has a deep tissue wound. The Wound care team saw it on Wednesday. In addition to blood there was some other oozing. He had his shower (they covered up his leg), and got dressed and wanted to be in bed and then there was blood still oozing. I got the nurse but she was busy doing diabetic checks, etc. and said she'd get to it when she got to our end of the hall. Well, I left at 6:00, DH was having his dinner, and she was just getting to our end of the hall. I asked her to call if there was anything wrong and she didn't call so I'll see what I find out shortly when I head into town. Being a caregiver and an advocate is a 24-hour job! Have a great weekend everyone! Karen

@scubacruiserx2 Sorry to disappoint but that's not the Lions Gate Bridge. I believe it's the Port Mann one.

Good evening, It's been a good day. DH walked today - not as much as @Quartzsite Cruiser's but the most he's done - 26 feet! I am rewarding him with an Oreo Cookie milkshake when I go in tomorrow. @atexsixBruno - it was on the Alaska cruise last year - Nieuw Amsterdam - that we met. I enjoyed seeing DD at the Lincoln Center stage and chatting with him. I'm sorry he's declining. You're doing a great job of being there and taking care of him. Kudos! Please tell him hi for me and I'm thinking of him. @dfish, THanks for the ideas. If I don't learn something tomorrow I'll start requesting the info in writing. That's a great idea! Rehab places are scary and I feel for the people who don't have people advocating for them. The people in direct contact with DH are very kind and caring but they are hampered by "the system". Karen

Good morning everyone, It's a cold clear day here in the PNW and I love it! Rain isn't in the forecast for almost a week which is nice. DH is making progress but slow. He has a heel problem with a deep tissue injury which is slowing him down. I had a Care Conference yesterday unbeknownst to me until I got there. Communication is not a strong suit at times from the facility. Overall he is making slow progress. I can't talk to the wound care people who change his heel dressing because they only come on Wednesday (wound care Wednesday) and they are done before 9:00 AM. His blood work that was ordered last Friday was finally done yesterday. It gets frustrating trying to be an advocate. Oh well - we soldier on. @Quartzsite Cruiser Your husband sounds. like he's doing better than mine (minus the blood pressure issues). Hang in there! Caregiving isn't for the faint of heart! Now off to see DH for a few hours and then I have a 3:00 PM Doctor's appointment (check in with the PA) in Bellingham which is about 25 minutes north of us. While I'm up there I plan on a bit of shopping at a few favorite spots and then a stop at Boomer's Drive-In for chicken Swiss mushroom burger to bring home for dinner. Karen

Good morning, I got up to a light dusting of snow! Fortunately it's on the grass but the road looks clear. I don't need to head out for a couple of hours so hopefully it will warm up and be gone by then. DH continues to make slow progress. He was seen by the PA on Friday and she ordered a chest x-ray stat as well as one to check his ankle with the broken bone. Stat didn't happen until yesterday morning (a sooner or later but not right now attitude) but when I got to Life Care I was told there was no sign of pneumonia and no broken bone. Just waiting for the facility doctor or PA (who only come 2-3 times a week) to ok taking off the boot and then try to figure out why he's so congested and his lungs are wheezy. Yesterday he worked on standing and that seemed to go well I was told. I wasn't there until 12:30 PM. I went to the pool for water aerobics and then for a much needed haircut! My hair is thick and I always feel I should lose 5 lbs after a haircut but the scale never shows it. Oh well.... Have a great day everyone. We did DH's ballot a few weeks ago and it was in the mail. I checked on-line and it was accepted. All of Washington is mail in ballot and I like that. As for me, I'm a Canadian citizen and permanent US resident so no vote. I do the research for DH so keep on top of things (sort of). Karen

Good morning from a very wet and windy Pacific Northwest! DH is making progess slowly but surely. Wednesday he was up in the parallel bars and walked 14 feet. Yesterday he did 21 feet. He is still struggling with transferring from the bed to wheelchair and back. Walking would be easier if he didn't have the boot on but that's life. Now idea on time line yet but at leas there's some progress. He's also more alert, talkative, etc. and he's stubborn. I think his therapists are getting tired of "I want to do it myself!". Karen

Good morning everyone, CC seems to be working this morning. We're having a couple of nice days in the Pacific Northwest but are due for more rain on Friday and there have been snowflakes in the long range forecast (at night thank heavens!). DH is progressing - slowly - but progressing. I'm finding I'm having to be much more of an advocate for his care at the rehab than I was in the hospital. At the rehab the wheels move slowly even though the staff is trying. He can transfer to the wheelchair from the bed with a lot less assistance now but they still haven't had him up and walking. I had appointments with the neurologist and foot and ankle doctor on Monday but no transport was available (nobody working on Monday could drive the van) so had to cancel. Will talk to the physician's assistant today to get direction on where to go from here. DH has a good attitude, is counting down the days to the next cruise (240 on the Eurodam) and is eating well. I spend about 6 hours with him daily and that keeps his memory function going. Karen

@kazu Jacqui, have a wonderful trip! I'm really looking forward to reading all about it! Karen

Good evening everyone from a blustery Pacific Northwest, @grapau27Happy Birthday! DH update - did his care conference today and he's making progress but it's slow. Today he was up in the wheelchair for close to 6 hours so that was very good. He did the arm machine and had no problem doing 15 minutes at a good pace. It's just going to take some time to rebuild his strength. @rafinmd you can take him off the list or move him to the rotation. Thank you so much! Tomorrow is the Celebration of Life for my teaching partner Wayne and I have my speech/eulogy ready. His wife, Karen, has 4 of us speaking so my topic is his days at school. Our school colors were red and white so I'm thinking of wearing something with red in it. Thanks for all the good thoughts for DH. Karen

Good morning! Nothing new on DH at the moment. He has an upbeat attitude, liked watching the Seahawks yesterday, and is eating well (maybe a bit too well). I'm hoping to find out mid-week, in a Care Conference, what the plan is and a possible release date. I grew up in a suburb of Vancouver, BC. In 1963 we drove across Canada to Toronto to see/meet shirttail family (I turned 10 between Medicine Hat, Alberta and Portage La Prairie Manitoba), My dad was stationed in Orillia, Ontario during WWII. Anyway, we did the trip again in 1972 and my mother fed us bologna and mustard sandwiches every travel day both directions. I rarely eat bologna even to this day! It's raining quite steadily and I need to get moving. Water aerobics today (2 classes) and then the afternoon sitting with DH and working on needlework. Karen

Good evening everyone, Thanks for all the good wishes for DH - they are working. I got there at 11:30 today to find him sitting on the edge of the bed having done PT and OT, had a shower and his nails were trimmed and cleaned. He was cheery and all was well. His lunch was a big hit - meatloaf, sour cream mashed potatoes, and brussell sprouts (they were not a hit) and peach cobbler for dessert. He ate everything but the sprouts! It's a journey with him but he is always asking when our cruises are (251 days to the Eurodam to Alaska) and that is great motivation for him. Have a good evening and thanks again! Karen

Good evening all from a wet and rainy Pacific Northwest, At least we don't have smoke today! I spent most of the day at the rehab with DH and he had a good day. He was cheery when I got there but didn't have his dentures in. That got remedied quickly. He had PT this afternoon which involved getting him out of bed on a slide board and into a wheelchair then hooked up to a machine that simulated riding a bike up and down hills. He did well and afterwards I was able to have him stay in the wheelchair and we went for a walk in the building. He scored a dish of ice cream with strawberry syrup at the start of the walk (an in-room ice cream social was happening) and another on the way back so he was a happy camper. Once back and in bed he zonked out and I couldn't get him awake to even eat his dinner. Oh well. He had a good afternoon and it was nice to have him out of that bed! Good wishes to all and now it's time for my evening small dish of ice cream as my treat. Karen

Good evening, Thanks for all the good thoughts everyone! They are much appreciated. I spent the afternoon at the care facility with DH and he was bright and cheery today. I'm going to have to be his advocate that's for sure. I got there before noon and DH informed me that he didn't have his bottom denture. WHen the CNA came in she said she noticed it was gone this morning. Now, if it was gone, wouldn't you look? Anyway, we looked and it was on the floor under the bed! How it got there will remain a mystery. I also am trying to get a bed rail for him but there's a process. Don't get me wrong - the staff are very friendly and when I ask I get answers but I sometimes think I shouldn't have to ask. This evening our smoke had dissipated quite a bit and rain is supposed to come tomorrow so we'll see what happens. Thank you!!!! Karen

Good morning everyone from a smokey Pacific Northwest. Today should be the last day of smoke conditions as rain is in the forecast for the next week. The smoke is so heavy that you can smell and taste it - not fun! I'm reading every day (several times) but life has been busy. Last Thursday DH went down on my twice and the second time I had him transported to the local ER. By the time I got there he was shaking and not too coherent. Diagnosis - bladder infection (turned out to be a yeast one) and a small broken bone in his left ankle. He was admitted, has a boot on his left foot, etc. Tuesday he was transferred to a local rehab/care facility and will probably be there a few weeks as they work to build his stamina. Due to his memory issues I try to be there from 11:30 - 5:00 or so. Yesterday was the intake for both OT and PT. Speech tried but DH was asleep and couldn't be woken. DH is doing fine, has a good attitude about things, and waits every day for the treats (some cookies and a bit of fudge) that I bring. It just is a new routine to get used to. Have a good day today everyone! Karen

Good evening, We've been home about 10 days and are back in "at home" mode. We do have 3 Alaska cruises booked for next summer so DH is happy. Sopies are a real treat here. I make them as our treat with spinach and ham enchiladas. We have honey, cinnamon butter, and honey butter on the table as well as various jellies including salmonberry from the Lutheran Church ladies in Sitka. Sopies are easy to make but I've found they don't do well in the air fryer. We've been to Anchorage 5 times all on the HAL 14 day Alaska itinerary on the Amsterdam. We've done the train, been to the Wildlife center and Portage Glacier, wandered town and loved the museum and the trolley tour, and last time did the Alaska Zoo. OH - we've also done the Alaska Aviation Museum. The extreme tides made rebounding interesting a time or two! Thank you for keeping my friend Wayne, who passed away, and his wife Karen on the rotation. His Celebration of Life is October 28th and I've been asked to speak. My son's comment will be included - "Mom he was a great teacher and I learned a lot from him. It's too bad he had to teach long division!" Karen

At Sitka your kids, and you, may enjoy the Sitka Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear. If you take the shuttle into town you can walk by the marina and head to the Totem Pole Park. There are some great trails to walk on there. In town the New Archangel Store has good fudge! Karen

Don't worry - the storm is more hitting the Aleutians and north. Your area is not in the path. Karen

Good afternoon, This cruise is winding down and Saturday it's home to all the "stuff" we do on a daily basis. Meanwhile tonight is Gala night, we've had one Lincoln Center Stage performance and there are 2 more to go this evening and I have to get some non-refundable on-board credit spent! The Captain made a very nice announcement at 11:45 AM regarding the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. It was very well said and you could hear the reactions of those who hadn't heard the news yet. She was an incredible woman in so many ways. I was born in 1953 so the only monarch I've known. I had a number of Elizabeths in my classes and I have several friends/family members with Elizabeth as their middle name. Ketchikan was glorious today. By 10:00 AM I'd done the shopping, purchased all of DH's required fudge, and was back on board. I was on the balcony calling my mom (who is 96 and a going concern) and I was getting too hot and could have easily been out suntanning! It was warm, blue skies, and just a perfect day in what is usually an overcast or rainy stop. Off to change and head to dinner. Thanks for everyone's input on here. I read the Daily several times a day! Karen

We're in Aaska on the Eurodam right now. Today in Sitka I am in shirtsleeves. Juneau was rainy. Glacier Bay was cool and overcast and Icy Strait Point was misty rain. I haven't used any heavy jackets, etc. I have my sneakers (Brooks) that I sprayed with waterproofing and a few pairs of sandals that I use for the dining room. Karen

So great to hear from you! I kept checking the blog for the wrap up of your adventures. Have a wonderful time.

Good morning from Glacier Bay and specifically Johns Hopkins Glacier. Happy Anniversary @StLouisCruisers! May you have many more. The cruise on the Eurodam is going well. On Saturday the captain very sternly said that masks are recommended but very few are listening to him. We are and are masked when we are outside of the cabin. Juneau was nice when we got there yesterday but the rain started later. We got postcards mailed and we were looking for a place to replace the battery in DH's watch. For those of you with this dilemna in Juneau, on the main street, by the fur shop, there is a stairway going up to Sam's and for $20.00 he replaces batteries. We weren't the only ship people in his place! Very nice people and DH's watch now works so all is well. Today is Glacier Bay and the first is Johns Hopkins. We're supposed to see Margerie Glacier and get a "drive by" of Lamplugh. We are in Icy Strait Point tonight so we'll be off to get mini-dougnuts and maybe ride the gondola. Karen Here are a couple of photos of Johns Hopkins Glacier. 1 mile wide and goes back over 16 miles. Wow!

It's quite nice here today - so far. Rain is in the forecast but so far the sun is shining through and it's quite mild temperature wise - for Juneua. The ship is serving an express lunch in the dining room of wild cot cod fish and chips. Haven't decided if that's where we're going or just the Lido. We'll let the crowds get off before we do. BTW there are about 1500 passengers this week. Karen