Smart Red
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2012
- Messages
- 11,303
- Reaction score
- 7,395
- Points
- 417
- Location
- South-est, central-est Wisconsin
My garden is still mostly unplanted. Even some of the early seeds are in their bags rather than in the ground. Several reasons for this:
We had two weeks of on and off rain with cold (40-50s) temperatures and wind that kept me out of the garden.
Those two weeks of not working in the garden, but not being able to mow either have caused tall grass to become a higher priority than the garden simply because it has to be done NOW.
A perfect time for the riding mower to fall ill. It has an appointment for a check-up on June 9th so I am stuck mowing (and mowing and mowing) by hand.
Two weeks ago yesterday, DH attempted to join TEG's gimp club. He smashed his finger tip, broke the bone in at least 3 pieces, and cut below his fingernail clear down to the bones. After removing the nail and stitching the pieces back in place he was sent home with a tetanus shot and antibiotics to prevent infection.
Last Saturday, DH began having problems wetting himself. Once he felt the need, he couldn't stop it. This included 4-6 trips to the bathroom each night and another underwear change each time. Monday, I had my skin-check (thanks to @Nyboy). Everything was fine, thank you, until I got home and found DH had diarrhea so loose and heavy that he couldn't make it to the house on time. For the rest of that day, it was one complete wardrobe change after another. I kept the washer running just to keep him in clothes.
Then after one more unsuccessful trip to the bathroom, he fell (in the mess) and couldn't get up. He refused my help and ordered me out of the room. It took over 30 minutes for him to get up by himself because he was so weak and dehydrated.
I called son and we got him into the car and to the emergency room where it was discovered that he had an infection CAUSED by the antibiotics I had forced on him after his finger accident. Two nights and most of three days in the hospital brought about a great improvement -- to all of the above problems. It seems the extent of the infection called Clostridium Difficile (or C. diff) was so serious that his whole body was beginning to shut down.
Of course, until we got to the ER, we didn't know what he had or how contagious an infection it was. Yes, you can read that last sentence to mean I now have C. diff, at least the early stages and am trying to get care well before it gets as bad as DH's was.
I did stop home twice for a short time to check on the animals and change clothes. Once I noticed the tomato plants beginning to droop and 'saved' them with a timely watering. I had planned to get them planted today, but ended up spending most of the day playing phone tag with the doctor's office getting a head start on my treatment.
By the time I got back to the hospital, DH complained that a gang of nurses had mistreated him and threatened to put him in jail. While I did notice the new bandaging on his IV arm, I figured the story was more caused by his illness and disorientation than credible. Then DH decided to get out of bed and use the bathroom. Loud "beep, beep, beep" filled the room as the bed alarm sounded and 4 prison guard-sized women rushed into the room after him.
It seems as soon as I left, he began tearing out the IV and getting dressed to go home. It took the four women to control and quiet him. I had told the floor nurse that I was leaving for a short time and that he needed to be helped back into bed. I didn't wait, but left quickly so as to get right back. I was then informed to let the staff know if I was leaving so they could arrange for a "sitter".
It is heart-warming to realize that DH trusts me so completely, but not that he is quite so dependent upon me being around constantly. I haven't been to the grocery store since the week before he hurt his finger. I can whip up a meal using staples, but lots of the extras he likes have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Now I am not sure I can make it through the grocery store.
It has been a labor of love, but still a very trying one, to keep DH following the hospital rules and repeating over and over and over why we were there, what was wrong, how the treatment would help us, and why we couldn't just leave and go home.
At home, DH is so much better and his dementia seldom causes problems for us. At the hospital he didn't recognize anything or anyone. Add to that he was so severely dehydrated that he couldn't think properly. It is not a situation that was easy to manage.
Now that we are home and he is feeling better and stronger, he was outside helping DS with the mowing, hoeing, cleaning up in the yard, and doing something.
Some time ago, DH had me promise that if he got sick, I would insure that there would be no doctor, no ambulance, no hospital, and no medicine. I rather feel I have broken that pact twice now -- once with the finger and once with the ER visit. Either occurrence could have been terminal, but both were easily correctable. I tell myself that I could honor his wishes if he were diagnosed with an incurable health issue, but I am afraid that I might not find it possible. I love this man so much -- this man who is leaving me a bit each day -- and I know it wouldn't be fair to him to keep his body going when his mind has gone.
God is good. We can handle this. No one ever said life couldn't be tough. Every day is a blessing and a gift.
We had two weeks of on and off rain with cold (40-50s) temperatures and wind that kept me out of the garden.
Those two weeks of not working in the garden, but not being able to mow either have caused tall grass to become a higher priority than the garden simply because it has to be done NOW.
A perfect time for the riding mower to fall ill. It has an appointment for a check-up on June 9th so I am stuck mowing (and mowing and mowing) by hand.
Two weeks ago yesterday, DH attempted to join TEG's gimp club. He smashed his finger tip, broke the bone in at least 3 pieces, and cut below his fingernail clear down to the bones. After removing the nail and stitching the pieces back in place he was sent home with a tetanus shot and antibiotics to prevent infection.
Last Saturday, DH began having problems wetting himself. Once he felt the need, he couldn't stop it. This included 4-6 trips to the bathroom each night and another underwear change each time. Monday, I had my skin-check (thanks to @Nyboy). Everything was fine, thank you, until I got home and found DH had diarrhea so loose and heavy that he couldn't make it to the house on time. For the rest of that day, it was one complete wardrobe change after another. I kept the washer running just to keep him in clothes.
Then after one more unsuccessful trip to the bathroom, he fell (in the mess) and couldn't get up. He refused my help and ordered me out of the room. It took over 30 minutes for him to get up by himself because he was so weak and dehydrated.
I called son and we got him into the car and to the emergency room where it was discovered that he had an infection CAUSED by the antibiotics I had forced on him after his finger accident. Two nights and most of three days in the hospital brought about a great improvement -- to all of the above problems. It seems the extent of the infection called Clostridium Difficile (or C. diff) was so serious that his whole body was beginning to shut down.
Of course, until we got to the ER, we didn't know what he had or how contagious an infection it was. Yes, you can read that last sentence to mean I now have C. diff, at least the early stages and am trying to get care well before it gets as bad as DH's was.
I did stop home twice for a short time to check on the animals and change clothes. Once I noticed the tomato plants beginning to droop and 'saved' them with a timely watering. I had planned to get them planted today, but ended up spending most of the day playing phone tag with the doctor's office getting a head start on my treatment.
By the time I got back to the hospital, DH complained that a gang of nurses had mistreated him and threatened to put him in jail. While I did notice the new bandaging on his IV arm, I figured the story was more caused by his illness and disorientation than credible. Then DH decided to get out of bed and use the bathroom. Loud "beep, beep, beep" filled the room as the bed alarm sounded and 4 prison guard-sized women rushed into the room after him.
It seems as soon as I left, he began tearing out the IV and getting dressed to go home. It took the four women to control and quiet him. I had told the floor nurse that I was leaving for a short time and that he needed to be helped back into bed. I didn't wait, but left quickly so as to get right back. I was then informed to let the staff know if I was leaving so they could arrange for a "sitter".
It is heart-warming to realize that DH trusts me so completely, but not that he is quite so dependent upon me being around constantly. I haven't been to the grocery store since the week before he hurt his finger. I can whip up a meal using staples, but lots of the extras he likes have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Now I am not sure I can make it through the grocery store.
It has been a labor of love, but still a very trying one, to keep DH following the hospital rules and repeating over and over and over why we were there, what was wrong, how the treatment would help us, and why we couldn't just leave and go home.
At home, DH is so much better and his dementia seldom causes problems for us. At the hospital he didn't recognize anything or anyone. Add to that he was so severely dehydrated that he couldn't think properly. It is not a situation that was easy to manage.
Now that we are home and he is feeling better and stronger, he was outside helping DS with the mowing, hoeing, cleaning up in the yard, and doing something.
Some time ago, DH had me promise that if he got sick, I would insure that there would be no doctor, no ambulance, no hospital, and no medicine. I rather feel I have broken that pact twice now -- once with the finger and once with the ER visit. Either occurrence could have been terminal, but both were easily correctable. I tell myself that I could honor his wishes if he were diagnosed with an incurable health issue, but I am afraid that I might not find it possible. I love this man so much -- this man who is leaving me a bit each day -- and I know it wouldn't be fair to him to keep his body going when his mind has gone.
God is good. We can handle this. No one ever said life couldn't be tough. Every day is a blessing and a gift.
The guy was really patient and kind, tho, with Dad. But it didn't work out.
