Alzheimer’s/Dementia

Good energy is Contagious!

3 Positives:
Sleep – and lots of it.
a little reading time
Grateful! Fans to the rescue!*

Our Journey Notes:
T has the time for tthe time for check in at the surgical center on Monday. Sounds like a packed schedule for the day.

The shingles shot did me in again. Fever, headache and lots of pain at the injection site. Same as in April. Happy to be done with the vaccines for now. Feeling better this morning. Lots to catch up on today.

*The AC went out. No callback from the warranty company as it was a holiday, so calling the emergency line this morning. The temp on the main floor is in the 80’s still — we have windows open, ceiling fans going and two large fans trying to circulate the air.

Never hurts to keep an extra in your pocket

3 Positives:
BLTs the first of the season
a little more sleep than the night before
Even though yesterday’s studio time didn’t turn out as hoped, It was a good attempt.

Our Journey Notes:
Second Shingles shot in the books for me. Vaccinations done until fall. Arm is hurting a lot — it wasn’t a gentle stab.
T has today and Monday off. Pre-registration for the surgery on Monday completed. They didn’t ask for payment during that process, so assuming we’ll get that on Monday when he checks in at the surgical center. This site is more expensive than the other – but is closer to the dr’s office. Let’s hope they have the correct paperwork this go round. A previous time, wrong name and wrong insurance.

You have more power than you can imagine

3 Positives:
Lunch with 2 sisters and friends – it was fun
Envelopes and inserts printed and ready for the stack of cards – the personalizing has begun
New bday card ready to try out. We’ll see how that goes…. LOL

Our Journey Notes:
T signs consent forms this morning – surgery is on Monday. Let’s hope this procedure works and we can then focus on getting the right eye cataract done and some new glasses that hopefully, will help him read screens and pages in books again.

No additional word from the dr yet on the referral for the Spinal Orthopedist following the MRI last week. I guess I’ll wait another week and touch bases with the dr and have them press the button again on the referral if I haven’t heard anything by next Friday. I don’t imagine that I’ll get an appointment before September. So, in the meantime….

Be kind to yourself

3 Positives:
another birthday card completed
design for July cards finalized — need a quick print this morning to make sure it’s right
spent a bit of time sketching and coloring in Procreate late last night — a great way to relax

Our Journey Notes:
Dr called to discuss the results of the MRI. Neuro has been pushed back a bit longer, feels that a Spinal Orthopedist is the next step to treat the current issues. He was to have his nurse get that started ASAP. New problems were abundant yesterday, not so much overnight or this morning. Not sure why I had such a bad morning yesterday – lots of balance and vertigo issues. I’ve had a couple of similar spells in the last few weeks, but yesterday was BAD. Let’s add Lheritte’s Sign and arthritis in two areas of my cervical spine to the “getting old sucks” mix for me. Brain scan is in the future if the vertigo and balance issues continue/worsen between now and the appointment with the new specialist. Those possible dx do scare me. Not what I wanted to hear or have to think about at this point in time. In the meantime, while we wait for that referral to go through, we’ll hope that things will clear up and I’ll not have to worry about the brain scan for a long while.

make EVERY day a RAK sort of day.

3 Positives:
migraine meds worked, sort of
2 hour nap
a little time in the studio

Our Journey Notes:
T used his walking stick yesterday. He said it was a help

Needing a little more support on the short term stuff. Sometimes the notes/lists aren’t quite enough for some of those things. Thankfully, T and A are okay with sharing a reminder — no did you forget statements, just a quick driveby as a reminder. That seems to help when it’s stuff that needs more immediate attention. We do have a couple on today’s list, so hopefully, by this evening, all will be taken care of. I have to have T’s phone for a couple of them, so those will have to wait until after he gets home from work — and before he starts listening to his ebook for the evening.

have courage…

3 Positives:
24 Teacher Appreciation tags for June designed, cut and assembled
A little reading time
heard back from 2 of the boys on their birthdays

Our Journey Notes:
Allergies, cold or pneumonia? I’m hoping for the middle and not the third. Feeling a little better this morning. MRI canceled for this week with hopes that by next week, the coughing will have subsided enough I’ll not be coughing and hacking up a lung every five minutes and can go to the rescheduled appointment. Hoping to be on the downside of this thing, whatever it is. No fever, just a nasty cough and lots of normal allergy symptoms. Need to catch up a little on the “lists” for the week – there are a few things I can’t let slide by.

T has another eye post-op tomorrow. Doing what we can on this side of things in hopes we’ll get a little good news or a more definitive answer on what the future may look like for him.

inspire

3 Positives:
Finished all the Father’s Day cards yesterday
some comfort food for dinner
printed pics for May and June folders – quite a few projects completed all in all.

Our Journey Notes:
24 hr allergy med is working for about 8 – 12 hours. I guess I need to talk to the dr again and see what he recommends next. Also back on the insomnia wheel again. 2 nights in now, but hopefully, this cycle will be a shorter one than the last. A and T have been really good at reminding me of things the last couple of days. It’s been very helpful. Things haven’t been sticking much since my sleep cycle has been interrupted again.

T has two appointments this week. Monday for blood draw and Tuesday he meets with the dr and gets some new scrips for the pharmacy. Late work starts on both those days. He goes back for another eye post op the following week – not sure if he’s taking a vacation day for that one or not.

treasure the simple moments

3 Positives:
cards for the first week in June are ready for mailing – a day in advance
cutting Father’s day and the rest of the month’s bdays today
no change in meds –

Our Journey Notes:
T is having headaches from eye stress. They are now daily. He went to bed early last night after his last dose of drops for the day and taking the rest of his meds. Hoping he won’t have a headache when he gets up this morning. Change in weather in the offing.

No change in thyroid dosage according to the dr. Figured that was what he would say. No other recommendations at this time. I have a feeling he may want to talk after the MRI results are in late next week. I’m changing the dosage on the vitamins – half dose and see if the symptoms I’ve had previously return — If not, we’ll continue on that track. Still have another 2 weeks off of them so I can do the Dexa scan.

I did get yesterday’s “new” list completed for a daily to-do. Including cleaning up T’s email account. 22k unread emails dating back to January of 2025. It will need another purge next month and each month following to keep things down. So, it’s on the monthly to-do list now. We’ll see how this rolls out with another monitor on his computer. His laptop monitor just doesn’t quite adapt to the size he needs to reads a little more easily.

5.27.26

3 Positives:
Cut and assembled 3 bday card fronts yesterday. 23 cards now ready for final assembly and envelopes.
Made a chicken enchilada casserole for dinner. It was yummy with just the right amount of spice
Bloodwork results came back — numbers look a little better.

Our Journey Notes:
T is feeling a bit better. Still trying to find the right med(s) for his allergies. His cough has loosened up a lot and isn’t as dry (from the cold). He has a bit more energy as well in the mornings. Not a lot in the evenings — he spent most of his evening chilling in the living room (sleeping) before I called it a night for both of us.

I still have lots of fatigue and a few other things going on, but overall, feeling a bit more human. Should be hearing from the dr sometime today or tomorrow about the bloodwork results (numbers were a little more in the “I’m comfortable with them” range). I hope it’s sooner rather than later as I need to refill this prescription or have it switched to a new dosage as I’m nearly out of pills and need to change the dosage on the vitamins. Requested a new scrip for the migraine meds yesterday. Hoping to get that filled by Friday. MRI next week and the Dexa scan the week after.

what is your message?

3 Positives:
2 cards finished — I like the second one better
T’s feeling a little better than the day before
cutting die arrived just in the nick of time

Our Journey Notes:
T’s eye appointment didn’t go quite as hoped. No discussion about future procedures other than a return appointment to clip another stitch or two in the left eye as the needle flap lift (last week) didn’t stay open. Dr asked T to continue to do the massage technique and its likely that he’ll have to continue to do it for the long term to keep the pressure down in that eye until they get this flap to work correctly. He has another appointment next week to clip another stitch or two to see if that will help. (The big question is how many stitches did he put in? He’s already clipped 3 in this eye if not more)