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Well, where should I begin this week’s update . . .
Post surgery physically went pretty well for my father with a couple minor exceptions. The major problem was something called sundowners. I have never heard of this before, but it is very much like alzheimers except that it literally shows up with some people when the sun goes down and when the sun goes up they are back to themselves again. The nurses didn’t seem too concerned with it, but after it continued after 48 hours I started to get more concerned. After doing some research I had reason to be concerned, but also thought all the activity that goes on in a hospital setting was probably was making it worse. My grandmother (my father’s mother) had alzheimers and have thought over the last several years that he was showing early signs. I’m honestly not sure whether this will continue or not or progress. We will just have to wait and see how he does. During one of his bouts of sundowners someone apparently told him he was being sent to a nursing home because the nurse called at 6:00am one morning because he was agitated. So, they tell someone obviously having some confusion anyway that he is going to a nursing home–heck, I’d be agitated as well. This is apparently something that is pretty common–your not sick enough to stay in the hospital, but you aren’t ready to go home either, so you get to go to an extended care facility (nursing home) on a short term basis. Well, that makes sense, but try convincing a 79 year old man who is already having problems with reality and whose mother died shortly after going to a nursing home in the 70’s this is a good idea. Even harder to try to get my mom’s head around the idea.
So, we find a good facility right in Marshfield and we are ready to go, but we don’t know just yet when he will be discharged. One moment the surgeon is saying he isn’t ready to be discharged yet and the next minue the physical therapist is saying “good luck.” We find out mid morning Friday he is in fact being discharged (he is already all set up with a room at the extended care facility) but I’m at work and don’t know any of this. I find out the nurses or whoever has convinced my 75 year old mother that they don’t need an ambulance to transport my father because after all their insurance only will pay $200.00. Well that is just great, send a 79 year old man who by the way needs 3 men to help him into my mother’s jeep liberty and just send her on her way. Mind you, my father is still in his hospital gown, still has a catheter in and has just had open heart surgery the Thursday prior! What if something would have happened on the way to Marshfield?! Well, thankfully all ended safely, but good grief!
Since being at the new facility, my dad seems to not be having the sundowners as bad, though he still does seem confused at times and more so than usual. I’m honestly not sure he will ever completely go back to how he was. He had a low grade fever on Saturday, but that improved by the afternoon. Other than that, he is walking better and sounds better and we just hope after the next 20 days he will be back at home with us. They are getting to work on the physical therapy this week!
Saturday morning. My usual routine on the weekends is to get up a little later than usual. I feed Clarissa and Ra and let them out to do their business, get the coffee going and then head to the barn to feed everyone out there. Clarissa is usually barking at something in the mornings, but Sat. was different. She ended up coming right in, but I should have known something was up when she was barking in the direction of the barn and paddock. So, I head to the barn through the garage and usually Roxan, Sally and Ruby are all waiting for me. Not this morning. Hmmm wonder what is up. As I start walking toward the paddock I see Roxan trotting around in a bit of a frenzy and again I think, hmmmm that is weird. As I get closer I realize that the gate closest to me is not right. It is no longer attached to the post where it swivels and sort of leaning there diagonally. In a split second I realize what has happened turn my head and there goes Sally and Ruby down past the indoor arena. Well, CRAP! As I run to get their halters thinking the whole time gosh I hope they don’t run down the driveway and onto DD–wouldn’t that be fun LOL Our property is completely fenced with the exception of the driveway. Well, they cut in front of the indoor facing the road and then made their way back toward me down the other side. They came running right to me (as if to say look what we did mom!). Fortunately they are both really easy to handle, so no problems getting them and walking them both into the front pasture until I could go get Roxan and put her with them so she would settle down. Dee came out when she saw they were all in the front pasture–we fixed the gate and then got them all back in the paddock again. Let’s just say they were tired most of Saturday LOL No one suffered any serious injury, though I guess Ruby decided that she might like to try the gate out as wardrobe, or maybe she thought she needed to do some remodeling for me–the most important thing was no one was hurt seriously and Sally didn’t have a scratch on her–how she managed to get out without a scratch is beyond me. Ruby scraped up her neck and knee a bit, but is fine thank goodness! Hopefully Ruby has learned her lesson about sticking her head through the gate!
Sunday. Fortunately nothing dramatic, but we did get a new visitor. Early in the evening, a beautiful german shorthair mix came to visit us while we were watering the garden. Think she might be part black and tan coonhound as well.
We are calling her Maggie and anticipating she will be staying with us. Our area is pretty bad for dumping dogs/cats though our neighbor up the hill usually has them all come to their property. We’ve only had one stray dog besides this one in the past year and a half and the first one took off before we could try to care for her. Well, our visitor yesterday looks like she may be having a permanent home if we can’t find her family which I’m sure we won’t. She looks like she was dumped. No collar, covered in ticks, skinny and several scratches and scrapes like she may have had a few tangles with something. She is so sweet and really still a puppy–maybe only 9 months old.
Things usually aren’t this eventful for us, but this past week sure was packed with adventures! Hopefully enough for the rest of the year!
We sure got spoiled last week with temps in the 80s and cooler nights, but the heat has returned. Can’t complain–I’ll take it any time over the excessive heat we had last year.
Hoping next week’s update will be more horsey.
Toni