Might have been incorrectly stated in the program guide or due to inclement weather, Jay could not fly to PA.. Jay does live in Florida and sometimes flies on his own. Weather could have been too iffy to get off the ground. There was also an event where a plane went down killing all 9 on board. Main roads were shut down. He is scheduled to be on today.

Babbette try Andrew’s website (www.procaplabs.com) as well as Amazon. Not sure if the products will be on sale, but worth a try.

Like karen16, I have found that using the customer service within Community to be most helpful. They go up and beyond the customer service phone call.

@sheba2011

Good Evening. Very cloudy here. Temps in the mid 70s with 85% humidity. Had a bit of rain earlier. Hubs is back on puree foods. Definitely not my fault this time around. The kitchen crew messed up and he has been couging on and off. The A/C is sporadic. When it’s cold I need a sweatshirt or two. However, Monday it felt like 80 degrees. Not comfortable. Ordered dinner from the Rehab kitchen. It was supposed to be warm. By the time it was served to hubs, his roommate and to me it was iced cold. The trays for dinner were on a huge compartmental tray on wheels. It sat for over an hour in ffront of the nurse’s station. I have no idea where the aides were. They all seem to vanish at dinner time. The nurse on duty became a waitress of sorts. Hubs and his roommate both needed a change in sheets, pillows, etc.. Neither of them had a cover for their legs. Hubs definitely needed a change in clothing. I made a phone call yesterday to social services. I will be there after lunch tomorrow. Have not been to the rehab since Monday.

How is your niece doing following the 2nd session of chemo. Glad her mom is with her. Have a great evening.

@sheba2011

Just walked in after seeing hubs. I picked up a salad while at Costco at their food court. It was absolutely delicious and ever so fresh. It was similar to their Caesar salad, but with added veggies. I also brought some tasty treats for hubs.

He was in his room and in bed when I arrived. His right hand was very shaky. Dropped everything and asked if he was cold. The answer was no. Then went looking for a chair. There was nothing available, so used his wheelchair. This time I took a good look. The bed sheets on one side of the bed was not there. You could actually see the mattress. Same for his roommate. His covers were all over the place and I wondered where his pillow was. Found the pillow behind his bed on the floor. I started from scratch. I could not fix the bottom sheet. I threw everything on to the wheelchair (covers). His feet were absolutely freezing. I straightened the bottom as best I could and then covered him. Shakiness disappeared as soon as he warmed up. It was raining pretty hard when I left the parking lot to venture inside the rehab. Thankfully, I was able to maneuver without being drenched. The A/C was on and I cannot begin to tell you how cold it was. Let’s just say if the temp was any lower, I could have had frost bite. Not kidding. Hubs roommate is experiencing tons of pain. He was in some sort of accident in which he had surgery on part of his lower back and the hip. This required complete reconstructioon of bone, ligaments and muscles. He keeps ringing for the nurses because the pain is so unbearable. Though he uses a buzzer and a bell, for some reason, no one comes to help. A number of times I have left the room to either fetch an aide or a LPN or RN. No one responds in a timely manner. I finally told him to contact the reception area and to ask for social services.l Today I could actually see what the problem was. He had two pillows on the left side that were no where near his hip or back area. Two more pillows at the foot of the bed not in any position. Though his son comes to visit, he has no idea how to make his dad more comfortable. I think tomorrow I may interfere and make a trip to social services. Their office is diagonal to their room. I remember when a couple of our friends broke their hip. They remarked that the pain was worse than child birth. Oh my !!!! There are quite a few rooms that are totally emptied so there is no reason why the nursing staff cannot check on their patients.

@sheba2011

Hi. I arrived at the rehab the earliest I have ever visited. I did make one stop for Southern Fried chicken and some other goodies at another local market. It was on sale and thus the reason for the stop. I also finally made it to Costco yesterday and it was a madhouse. One thing I purchased were the orange, yellow, brown, red tomatoes. These were a bit larger than the grape ones and oh are they ever delicious. So sweet. Hubs enjoyed them as well. But he went crazy with the Southern Fried Chicken. He mentioned they were the best he ever had. On our trip North or South we usually stop at a place for the Southern hospitality that is off the beaten path. For some reason, this did beat the taste and was so very crispy. The flavor sweet. The odor alone made you wishing you could stop the car for a small taste. It was a very difficult drive to the rhab. uckily it was in the back seat and in my carryall.

I sent the keys to our contractor. He was supposed to be at the house either Wednesday or Thursday. I have not heard a peep. My neighbors have seen the damage and they said I should take a look and stay for as long as it takes to empty the house. However, I have a situation here on two things. One I need to have surgery on both ears and though I thought I could hang on for a bit, I am finding the hearing ability is getting worse. I hear sound, but sometimes cannot make out what people are saying or asking. I have been putting this off mainly because of my allergy to sulfites and anesthesia is loaded with it. I am scared to death that I will not be able to wake up. Before I knew I had a sulfite problem, I had surgery. After the surgery I was placed in recivery. It took hours for the nurses to wake me. They were really concerned and so was my hubby. Six weeks later we were in South Korea and we had dinner out. We unpacked when we
returned and then went to bed. During the night I awakened and found my face was swollen and so was the inside of my mouth. Luckily I had packed Chlortrimetron and Benedryl. But it took 24 hours for the swelling to go down. Little did I know then what the problem was. It took years. One day I decided to try the computer and wrote out the symptoms. An allergist so happened to have the same symptoms and he had written something online that opened the door. I have a list of foods that contain sulfites. Not only is it in foods, but also found in clothing, shampoos, conditioners, cologne, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.. Today, I read almost every label. I have no idea how much my body can take. All I know if its too much, I get a feeling like I will pass out. This has happened numerous times at the Rehab. Anyway, long story short, I will need to bite the bullet and see if the surgery will definitely help with the hearing.

As far as staying for any length of time in New England, not feasible. I am concerned that my husband may have problems if I’m not there. I was gone four days to get ready for the Electrician. I don’t dare say how my husband reacted when he saw me Thursday afternoon. He was sound asleep when I arrived. I decided to let him sleep. When he awoke in time for dinner he could not talk. His mouth was very dry and I was able to give him some water (nothing was by his bedside). He also could not speak. He grunted. Was it because of a sound sleep or did he have a mild stroke. Not sure. He has been fine these past two days. I am watching like a hawk.

@sheba2011

I am posting almost at midnight. Had a real bad sulfite attack and after taking the meds fell asleep. Yes, I did see hubs. He was sound asleep when I arrived. My day started off OK. However, there were some pitfalls. My phone was ringing off the hook so to speak during the morning and afternoon. Most were political. I was watching the clock since I wanted to make a stop at Costco. Their warehouse is approximately four miles from the rehab. However, I never made it. I opened my purse for the housekeys and the car keys. Housekeys were front and center. Car keys not in there. Took my purse completely apart. Nothing. Took the bag I normally carry and emptied. Nothing. Couldn’t figure what I did. Went to the carport to see if the keys were there, all doors locked. That’s when I realized that the key had to be somewhere in the house. Two hours later keys found in a pant pocket in the laundry room. I had done a hubby mishap. The last time I had used the keys was Monday. That was the day prior to hearing from my neighbor. But Monday was the day I rushed to get the closet and the rest of the area cleared of everything so the electrician could do his job Thursday morning. I did not see hubby from Sunday until today. That wasn’t the only thing that happened. I kept thinking that today was the 30th. Marked everything as the 30th. What was I thinking. It is now the 30th. “Mia Culpa.”

Hubs mind was out in limbo today. He could barely talk in the beginning, but after being fully awake, he was his old true self. I left after he fell asleep. He had chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and a couple of veggies. Two desserts. It was actually my dinner that I had ordered. He never ate his regular meal. That was OK by me. He had no problem swallowing. Excellent sign that the esophagus was working as it should. ❤❤❤

Found out today that hubs new roommate is also from Ct.. The visitor is his son. Evidently the buzzer in their room for either the nurse or an aide is not in working order. In its place is a bell that you push down on to make it ring. Nostalgia time. Same typ;e of bell that my mom used when working with dad at the pharmacy and retail end. She would use the bell for questions or to call his attention to a customer. In those days there were no cellphones and no intercom. Dad used it when I made surprise visits from school and college.

@taci

I read your post yesterday. I had a similar situation when I was single and going to an appointment after work. The area was always one I enjoyed and one I used daily at lunchtime to visit the nearby museum or to shop at the local department stores. It was a safe place even though it was a park with many trees and greenery. However, on this particular day, it wasn’t safe. In those days I enjoyed wearing spiked heels. I heard footsteps behind me. I was frightened. Though the walk was an even pace, I picked up a little bit of speed and so did the person behind me. I felt the person’s breath and then I kicked backwards and hit him in the right spot. I took my shoes off and ran. Luckily, my uncle’s business was nearby and I was able to get into his office and I explained what happened. My appointment was cancelled and my dad picked me up and that’s the end of that story.

Today, there are many products on the market. I mentioned them in my post today. One is pepper spray and another is a siren that goes off. These are gadgets that are not heavy and can be kept in a pocket or in a “belly” bag. I’m not going to say backpack because you will need to bring it forward and that may not give you enough time to grab something. Learning self defense is not a bad idea either. We live in a crazy world. You must be ready for anything. Carrying a bat not a good idea when you are on a hike. Too heavy. Having a friend or two who enjoy the hike as much as you do may be safer. Doesn’t matter where you live as long as you find what you need. But remember, your mother in law is in California. Make sure that your hubby is on the same wave length in case of an emergency.

@sheba2011

For Halloween I did not serve candy. Instead I purchased the small bag of popcorn and chips from the warehouse which in our area was only BJs. I thought of snacks rather than chocolate for school days. I also thought of fruit, but back then just like today, you never knew what was inside. And with today’s prices, you may want something more practicable. The kids may not be happy, but the parents will be knowing they won’t need to make a trip to the dentist. At least not today.

Yes, I saw your post pertaining to the train. I don’t think this train has the luxury one sees online. This is only a 15 hour trip or so. Not 24 hours. People mentioned it is an old rickety train ride. It still would be better than driving through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, etc. etc.. I was able to reach our contractor and will get an idea of what is what either tonight or tomorrow. Even though I have the eustachian tube problems, I am afraid of heights and afraid of falling if there is nothing to hang on to like changing light bulbs. Flying scares me more. Hubs used to say to think the clouds are like rooms. Ha!!! There is nothing beneath those clouds and falling as I said, scares me even more. I take two Dramamines to sleep through the entire event.

I went to bed early last night and awoke at 3 am to make a path to the panel. The electrician was here before 8 am. However he mentioned that putting the A/C to 80 does the same thing.He was here for an hour and he checked the thermostat and everything is working the way it should. At least that’s one thing off the list. The other side of the coin is I will test both things and see if one is better than the other.

Sorry to hear what Taci went through a couple of days ago. Very disheartening. Carrying a weapon like a bat may not be a good idea. It could lead to a worse altercation. I have a couple of things that I carry in a pocket and that is an alarm where I hit a button and the sound is horrid. It is very loud, and could scare an intruder. The other is pepper spray. There are many things on the market that could help in these situations. Even karate.

I haven’t made any plans yet. I need to tell hubs what is going on and then we’ll see.

Take care and have a nice afternoon and evening. I do enjoy the extra hour since daylight for us is after 8am. This way I can have an extra hour in the am to do the tasks before seeing hubs. By the middle of January, you will notice the days becoming longer.

@sheba2011

I finally was able to reach our contractor for our home North. I have also contacted an attorney. Not sure if I mentioned that the oil company did not add the necessary additives to keep our heating system going without a problem year round. Our next door neighbors were kind enough to send pictures and they are not pretty. More damage than I was seeing from the outside. I do need to get to both homes and flying is not an option. I am looking at using a train which goes from Orlando to Virginia. The cost would probably be either less or about the same what with the cost of gas and motel stays and then of course a meal. On the return will probably drive the 1400 miles +. I just wish that there was a way to include hubs.

I am running a bit behind schedule due to the above. I have informed the rehab that I will see hubs tomorrow after the electrician is done. The humidifier needs to be in working order before I can make plans. Too bad that Spectrum is not in either locale.

@sheba2011

This month has certainly flown. Maybe it’s because the days are shorter. Or, perhaps, we are pretty busy and hardly notice what day it is. And in all honesty, I had to turn the computer on just to check the date. And to think orthropedic surgeons turned hubs down because he didn’t know the day, date or year. Funny, I knew the date and day because it was supposed to be surgery day. Of course, if I didn’t own a computer I would never know .

Dawn is working wonders on our pantry. I still have a tiny bit of a mess on the edges of two shelves. Will work on those this evening and then start putting things back where they belong. The area to the front door will now be cleared. Next is the tall cabinet which is part of the Master Bath. Both cabinets should make it easier for me to find items so there are no duplications

Tppl a breal amd wemt tp Sams Club for gas. Sticker shock at the pumps and in the warehouse.
As for purchasing candy for Halloween. We seldom see anyone trick or treating in the neighborhood, so left the candy alone. No, I didn’t buy any for myself.

There is no moon tonight and no stars. We have cloud cover. Temp is in the low seventies as I type. The humidity is 90 something percent and it’s breezy. Higher temps, higher humidity and higher dewpoints are on the way. Oh well, this is Florida which takes after New England.

Great to see shoelady’s post last night. I hope everyone is OK.

Have a wonderful evening .

@sheba2011

Busy day. Recycle and garbage out at the end of our driveway. I still found a few more things, but will see. I am back in the kitchen trying to clean the mess from a couple of cans exploding. I’m using Dawn with hot water in a plastic bottle with a spray. I’m hoping this works, and if not, will try other things such as Vinegar and also Baking Soda and Powder. Not sure yet which one will do the job.

I saw hubs yesterday. Met him in the dining room where he had just finished his meal. He had asked for a grinder a few days ago and I ordered a meatball sub with peppers, onions and cheese along with French fries. The meal arrived just as I entered the Rehab. Well, I have no idea what he had for dinner. Suffice to say he ate the entire grinder and enjoyed all of the fries. Me, I made a snack when I returned home after 9pm. I’m glad t hat he enjoyed the meatballs along with everything else. I have yet to see meat on his plate. It has been mainly chicken. I noticed that he perks up when he eats right.

Guess I will take a look at the pantry shelf. Tomorrow I will be returning to the Master Bedroom to finish what I started. I have a six shelf cabinet that needs a good cleaning. Everything that was inside is now on the floor. I will be looking at the expiration dates before returning it to a shelf. At least now I will be able to see the duplications. I removed all the towels and they are now in the laundry room waiting for the machine to do its thing.

Hope you three enjoy your evening and the moon. It was very windy today with temps in the mid 80s. Not sure if we hit the 90s. Too busy to check. Still no rain in sight. I will be treading lightly on that thought. Definitely being cautious on what I wish for.

@sheba2011

I hope shoelady is OK. I think before she took a leave she was going for tests before seeing her physician. Also her husband hasn’t been well and whatever bug he had she caught. But then with all the hurricanes hitting CA, I wonder if sis returned to check on things. That would mean shoelady is staying with her mom until sis returns. Then again there is so much going on in PA. weather wise. In other words it could be many things hitting all at once.

The bedroom is a huge disaster. I actually didn’t want to tackle it until the kitchen was done. However, with the new A/C the State requires an Electrician to check the panel to make sure that the humidifier will work with it. The humidifier that I have was here in the house when we purchased it and has done it’s job prior. I was using the humidistat to try to save on our bills. I would put the humidistat at 80 degrees and the temp at 60. I only used it when I would be gone most of the day or when traveling between our houses. Of course our humidity this year was very high outside and this reflected on our home as well. Anyway, the panel is in our bedroom from our former owners. Never thought of changing it until now. Long story short, I had completely emptied the huge cabinet in the bathroom area where we kept the towels for both bathrooms and also for items that we bought extra of when the sales were good. So, those items are in the sink and on the floor. I have three bags completely full for garbage and recycle on Monday. Then the desk is piled high with paperwork that I went through today. I completed one side and the shredder has been very helpful. I have the other side to do. This desk will be demolished before hubs returns. I am toying with the idea of putting our dresser in ‘it’s place in order to give hubs extra footage for either the wheelchair or a cart. As I look at things right now, he doesn’t have anyway to get in and out of bed. I also noticed our beside tables are too large for the space. I need to have room for a hospital bed (which is just a bit wider than a twin) and a twin XL for me. I have the wall space for both. And, if I can find a three
drawer night stand half the size of what we are now using, we will have the space. I will also need to have the Electrician return to rewire the area for the necessary outlets. Thus the reason why I put this room on the back burner. And because this room was to be later, I brought in tons of boxes and marked each one for which room. I even had boxes lined up in his closet on top and on the floor. The ones on the floor I removed today. Talk about an aching back……No, I’m not done. But a huge dent has been made. Sometimes I feel another home may be better. The newer ranch homes in Florida have easy access to the front door (no steps) and the bathrooms are also handicapped accessible. This is one of those times that I wish my real estate person was alive and well. He passed a year and a half ago. This also came as a shock. He tried to reach me, but did not leave a message. I was with hubs at the time. I have no clue as to what occurred. But, he did teach me well. Nicest person.

@shoelady60

I am hoping you are with your mom and feeling ok. Miss your banter with Sheba and the wine or others at the end of the day. Hope all is well with everyone. I know you are taking each day as it comes. Hang in there.

@sheba2011

I am taking a short break from KP. What I should say it is a slight detour to the Master Bedroom. I have an electrician scheduled next week to make sure that the humidstat can be used with our electrical panel. The outside work is done. He is scheduled for early Wednesday morning. So, I am working on clearing the huge two mounds of papers on the desk. In a sense this is a good way to get ready for tax season. I started on this project last night and one mound is almost done. Most of the paper stuff will end up in the shredder. I hope to have this detour completed by the weekend.

I was with hubs this afternoon and left around 7:30pm. He had dinner in the dining room and was in good spirits. He actually looked good. On the return to his room following dinner I noticed that there is no lanai. It has been completely dismantled. The tiled floor is no longer, just dirt/soil underneath . There is a huge note on the door stating it was time for some serious renovations. Looks like the courtyard is part of the renno. Meanwhile, they are also working on the A/C.. So the tools of that trade are scattered between what was the lanai and the courtyard. It looks like the entire place is now getting a new facelift. Be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Now back to the desk and the filing. It is 69 degrees as I type. It is humid, but nowhere as bad. In other words, it’s OK. We have a slight breeze. No rain in sight for the nex t week or more. No, not even a brief shower. Oh well. Lesson learned a few years ago—-“Be careful what you wish for.”