Road Trips

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, Gene glad that all went well. Barb was walking right after her surgery. That should be a good sign.

Lee's walker did not slide very well and this made it harder/more work to get around. I have previous experience with my Dad and Lee's Mom's walkers; So I fixed her walker. On the rear legs I put tennis balls on the feet. The rubber tips don't slide very well. Also I reversed the front legs so the wheels are located inside of the frame to give more clearance for going through doorways. Yesterday Lee walked around the block and today she went about one more block. She wants to get better or back to normal again.

It seems like every time that I go somewhere there are dozens of handicapped spaces and most of them are empty. After we got a temporary Handicap tag for Lee, all, of the spaces were taken and we had to park somewhere else. ["Murphy's Law"]

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by Gene

Thanks Rich and to all who have sent good wishes.

Barb had what to me was an impressive career in labs and my parents were a doctor and nurse, so we know more than the average person. Knowledge helps get you past the confusion better, but also can make you crazy as you contemplate the four people out of a 100,000 that had a nuclear explosion inside their knee (actually not a real thing). The system is set up so medical people don't have a lot of time to explain things in depth and they get used to that; some are so attached to patient "compliance" they don't want to talk much. The surgeon was very open and took time to discuss things but his PA got very defensive and thought our conversations were "contentious". We were asking questions, he didn't like how many there were, I guess. The doc was informed of that issue.

Little things will drive you crazy. We got a script for a Walker to be paid for by Medicare. We went to a medical supply house where they told us we needed more paperwork. Seemed to us the orthopedic practice should have known that and given us the paperwork in addition to the script. We called the practice and told them, the PA said everything had been sent. But then we talked to someone else who said the supply house only accepted hard copies with a real signature, not anything faxed or digitized and sent. Meanwhile someone else at the practice suggested we could buy one at Goodwill cheap—why have insurance?. We talked to someone at the hospital who said just wait until surgery day and she would make sure we got one delivered. The day of surgery she was not there. Then the next day the medical supply house called to say the walker was ready. When Barb picked it up she was told she could rent it per month out of her pocket and I can't understand why anyone would do that, but I guess they get more money. We never have found out if anyone put some pressure on. By the way the list price was $136 and I doubt Medicare pays more than $40 or $50 for it. It appears to us this should have gone smoothly—they all do this all the time, but maybe there was a new hire who screwed up things or just general incompetance. It doesn't give you confidence in anyone involved, including the surgeon, if they can't get this right.

I am waiting for the next two days of pain to pass and things to get better. I know it will take more time for Barb to feel really good and general weakness can go on for months. Healing takes a lot of energy and even though Barb is my trophy wife, she is not exactly young anymore and feels it. Anytime we get a cold or have some sort of thing done, we are surprised how much it takes out of us. So I just went to get a wastebasket for Barb to have next to her chair and after I got off the ladder to get it inn the garage, it felt like I pulled a hamstring. All I did was go up two steps and down two and my hamstring hurts? Proves my point about senior vulnerabilities.

I guess I've had a long enough break.

Gene

Glad the surgery went well! A smart move to use as few opiates as possible. Have been prescribed twice for kidney stones and root canal. Took one for kidney stones and decided Advil did just as well. So that was that.

It IS interesting that little niggling things that we used to shrug off now take a little longer. Was ripping up some decking for a handyman job I was doing and my hamstrings barked for three days.

Dana

[Gene]

One day I was at the gym years ago and was rushing through a workout to get to a Colorado Rockies game—maybe it was 25 years ago. I think I pulled a hamstring and it has nagged me ever since—and I was only in my 50's! Dana, I feel for you.

But this is not about me (too much). Barb went to PT today and was praised profusely on her preparation and her progress. But she has had pain break through a few times when she has taken less of the narcotic or just because it happens. This morning early she was unhappy, probably frustrated that she did not wake up fully healed (we all have dreams), but during the day an amazing transformation to happiness. Being praised by the PT certainly helped, but I have been praising her progress for days (I'm just her husband though). We were told there would be two difficult days after the first two and then it would start to get much better. Food is tasting better, I made a favorite meal (spaghetti, not too hard when she already made the meatball and the tofu balls and I made the sauce a month ago) and she ate is all. I know she's feeling better. Side effects like dry mouth and queasiness will be over soon we hope. Barb's big adventure went smoothly, a nap when we came home and so far things are unfolding as predicted. She hasn't taken any oxycodone and is cutting back a little on the narcotic (tremodole). I continue to spin around running back and forth, getting her stuff, staying with her when she walks and satisfying her every whim. I have had to learn how to dress her, though I do know how to undress her. She's doing more of these everyday things herself. Funny how putting on your shoes suddenly is something you are proud of. She really hasn't been very demanding, but sometimes I feel spent doing everything we both usually do.

Bob, it looks like Lee is starting to mend faster. I am sure she is very happy to be able to walk. We're thinking of you two as well.

Probably no football or an ironman race just yet (or ever). I hope to be able to take her out for a restaurant meal soon—I suggested it today, but she wanted to go home after I stopped at the PO and 2 supermarkets plus PT—that did tire her. I can't imagine how this would feel if you are 85 and healing takes even longer. And of course I hope to take her on a little trip by late August. She is focused on Nov. 4 for the second knee. I don't want to think about it, but hope the second time is easier.

[79nTOW]

So glad everything went well for Barb...and for you as well. I have been scanning the forums every day for an update. Take care of yourselves and each other. Predeta

[Gene]

Originally Posted by 79nTOW

So glad everything went well for Barb...and for you as well. I have been scanning the forums every day for an update. Take care of yourselves and each other. Predeta

Thanks. We are. Just watched part of a 2005 Neil Young concert—Prairie Wind. Very haunting and creative lyrics. The title song is about his father's dementia, something we see around us with more people we know. It is one of those taboos to talk about, sort of like it was a moral failure..

Now back to cable news—and total frustration with events. I can probably tie these last several posts together and have another newspaper column. Healing in my experience has great leaps and then you get stuck at a level for a while, just like the learning curve. Today was a leap...tomorrow, who knows.

[Goal15]

How’s Barb’s recovery coming?

Dana

[Gene]

Two weeks and a couple of days and Barb is using a cane and the walker is put away. She is getting more active every day, but PT hurts and tires her Tiring easily after major surgery is normal. After two weeks on call 24/7, I get a bit of a respite. She backed the SUV out of the garage today, tomorrow we take a short ride. Bruises are going way, swelling is almost gone, she already has very good range of motion. Preparation was essential to a quick recovery and PT after surgery will help her heal. All that is going well. But, at day 10 in the middle of the night, she started to have pain where her right lung is. As tired as we were, we figured out it could be a blood clot and they can be fatal. By 4 am we were in the ER. A CT scan discovered three small clots, a blood thinner was administered and fenantyl (!) for the pain. If you are getting a blood clot, this was the best of your options, but scary for a while. Barb being determined, the next day she did laundry—I could not stop her, had to help. Recovery takes many months and effects can be felt a year later, but progress is very good. A clot means they won't do the other knee for 6 months.

Slowly life returns to a semblance of normal. I am sure the other knee will have ti be eventually replaced and i hope we have learned something and will do this better. But we were well prepared, so maybe it will be just as difficult. Pulling a triple every day means 300+ hours over two weeks being attentive. Some nights were disrupted by pain or discomfort and so sleep was compromised. I am glad to help my wife in any way I could, but it does get frustrating and exhausting. I think it is better to be the caretaker than the patient, but both roles are hard. It does get better, but on day 3 or 4 when pain is the worst, telling yourself it will get better doesn't always help.

But now we are cooking together—coordinating what we do better than we used to. I don't have to watch her every moment when she walks fearing she will get wobbly and fall. She can get stuff on her own with a cane; that's hard with the Medicare basic model walker. And because the pain is subsiding, Barb is a lot happier. There ere days with no smiles, but even then she did the exercises despite pain and exhaustion. If I have surgery, I hope I do as well—I have been getting twinges in my right knee again, but just twinges.

[Gene]

Week three post op, Barb was doing even better and the exhaustion levels started getting better. Week four we slept a lot. Pain kept interrupting sleep for the first three weeks. Barb started driving and even went out herself for some things. And so it goes, faster healing at first, but it slows down and frustrations about not being perfectly healed start to show up. Now Barb is cooking again, doing laundry and at some point running into the exhaustion wall, sort of like a battery that suddenly dies. Healing from knee surgery is not for weaklings and being the caretaker is kind of rough too. They tell you full healing takes a year, though I think it can be shorter if you are in good shape and general health. It also helps to be young.

We went to Jumbo CG in the Grand Mesa NF last week for a three night getaway. This is one of those FS CGs that have been leased to developers who put in electricity and charge far more than they used to charge. But we had cable TV, internet via phone hotspot and AC, so we were not deprived. It has been record setting hot around here lately, so AC was nice even at 9,500'. I was a bit worried how Barb would do on the steps but is doing very well on them. We have three plus our own fourth one because the bottom step is pretty high. With a healing knee I was worried shaking steps would throw off her balance. All was fine. We slept and ate and slept and did some mild hiking. Recovery is going well, but I have had enough of it and know that there will be more. Looks like the other knee is to be done in January and there we go again.

That means next April's visit to Bluff will mean she is only 3 months after second surgery, so hiking will be mild again. I can sit around and be lazy and we can still have fun. We leave for Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Bluff on a two week trip starting near the end of Sept (10 weeks post op). I had to do most of the work getting the trailer ready last week, so I hope Barb's strength gets better, because as she heals, I keep getting older. I thought I'd be painting cabinet doors and drawers by now, but major surgery changes things.

I greased the wheel bearings. These are Dexter Ezy Lub (spelled something like that) and to do them I had to jack up one side then the other, pry off the dust cover and then a rubber seal and attach a manual grease gun to a zerk on the hub. Kind of simple. Pump while rotating wheel until new grease comes out and it helps if the new and old grease are different colors. It seems to take lots of grease. Four wheels seemed to use up most of the cartridge. A lot of grease to clean up and bring a lot of paper towels and then some more. I can assure everyone that pulling a floor jack across gravel is meant for young people. I did it, but wished I hadn't until I thought how much fun cranking a bottle jack up while under the trailer would be. They tell you to do this very often, more often that Airstream recommends for repacking, but I never did the Airstream that often and am just as bad about this. think the recommendations are extreme and have had no problems so far. I do wonder when you check the actual bearings to see how they are holding up.

[Fly at Night]

Just checkin' in to see how both of you are doing.

Hope the road to recovery (and the open road in general) keeps both of you well and happy.

[Gene]

Healing goes slower and slower, but continues. So much energy goes into healing an insult to the body that stamina for the rest of life is compromised. Barb goes well for hours and then, like a lithium ion battery, boom, the reserves are gone and it is time to sit, possibly doze off and be a slug. Depending on how much she does, it can happen in a afternoon or evening, but it usually happens. Next day the battery is recharged and off we go. My right knee is giving me twinges and I really, really, don't want surgery, so I have to strengthen it more.

Three and half weeks to another trip and I hope Barb will be able to help more on preparations. I can do most everything for both of us, but then I am exhausted. She is now walking down the steep driveway to get the paper some mornings—very slowly.

We got to handle a sample prosthesis. I seemed to weigh about 1 1/2-1 3/4 lbs. Barb says it sometimes feels like a bowling ball in her leg, but it isn't that big or heavy. The orthopedists say it there isn't that much bone removed to install it, but it is plenty to us. The bottom half goes into the marrow of your tibia and the upper part caps the femur. In between is the new joint. It is a loss of something of yourself and that is kind of sad and weird. The first time I had a dental bridge installed I felt like there was an alien in my mouth—I got used to it and I'm sure Barb will get used to this too in time. She made the pre-op appointment for her right knee and sometime in January will be the next surgery.

[Gene]

Preparation for this trip was kind of crazy, but then it always is. Barb continues to heal well and is going out on her own more and more. Stamina is increasing. She has been able to do much more than she was for our short trip camping a month ago. We are past 10 weeks since surgery and now Barb's other knee seems to be the weak and failing one. Barb was bowlegged and that did not help her knees function. It took an extra half hour to straighten her leg in surgery. I never noticed she was bowlegged—all I saw was those long, long beautiful legs. And when we met 33 years ago, she was not nearly as bowlegged (what would they be like in 20 years?). Now she has one straight leg and the other one needs help. It will get it on January 13 and we go through this one more time. She will be at the same place in early April that she is now and since we often go to Bluff in late April, she may be able to hike a bit more.

I have plans for Bluff and Anasazi hunting in a week—places close to the road, places to see from truck windows, seeing people we know now in Bluff, and relaxing with our friends. Sounds fine to me.

Our 275 mile drive to Pueblo was exhausting. Barb did almost as much driving as usual and we both, especially me, were wasted by the time we got to the CG. We are still catching up from the events of recent weeks. After we settled down, I opened the freezer to get something and an ice tray flew out spilling ice cubes all over the floor. Earlier I had warned Barb to open the door very slowly because the freezer was packed and things would possibly fly out. She reminded me of that. Then I dropped a squirt bottle of hand lotion and the bottom broke off (cheap bottle from a dollar store)—so I had blobs of hand lotion all over my hands, pants and the small Navajo rug we decorate the trailer floor with. I had to hold the slippery bottom to the rest of the plastic container and told Barb where the duct tape was. It seemed to take her hours to find it while more lotion seeped out. Finally I was able to duct tape the thing together. You can't rip a piece of duct tape off with hand lotion all over your hands, so Barb had to do that. These are the things that happen when you are too tired.

A pleasant day here and I can prepare another column I write for the Grand Jct. daily paper. Barb went to see her parents. Yesterday we took them to Costco in Colorado Springs—it is a big event for them at 94. Barb's father's birthday was yesterday too. We went out to dinner at a restaurant they like and we think is going downhill. He'd probably prefer to get a burger at a cafeteria, so the compromise is we go to a mediocre restaurant. Kind of strange how these things work out.

Looking forward to Santa Fe and the rest of the trip. The campground is owned by a young couple who bought it several years ago and are fixing it up. It was long ago a KOA. it is pleasant and well kept and Nancy, the wife, runs it while her husband, Matt, fixes stuff when he can because he has a full-time job. We used to go to the KOA north of Pueblo, but it was getting badly run down, so although Haggard's farther from town, it is a far nicer place (maybe the KOA has been fixed up—we don't know). Now that we travel less and spend more time at some CG's, we get to know the owners and that is good for us and them when we find the right place to go.

Time to wash the dishes, write a column and try to follow the news at the same time—the news is quite disturbing, even more so than the last several years of tumult. Hard to get away from it though I feel overloaded some days. When this is over, maybe sooner or later, it will seem so quiet.

[Gene]

Tomorrow we start the best part of our trip, a week in Bluff with friends. But so far we have visited with 6 relatives and 2 friends, bought of ton of stuff at Costco and Trader Joe's, stopped at Camping World to replace leaky water hose and found two nice chairs there at less than half price (one old $8 chair broke the arm rest—the plastic on these cheapo units is finally deteriorating after 15 years). The truck and trailer are probably so heavy we will leave ruts in I-40 tomorrow.

We tire easily and sleep late some days and take naps other days. We have been visiting Santa Fe for more than 30 years, sometimes 2 or more times. So I guess we have been there 75 times or so. The traffic gets worse, attitudes in some stores also get worse as affordable housing is only a dream and priced are high. We did walk round a bit near the plaza, but Barb exceeded her daily efforts that day and spent the evening passed out on the sofa. I got her up at midnight after I watched a film noir movie (Bogart's last one—he was dying then—"The Harder They Fall").

Since the bargain CG was booked up, we made reservations at Los Suenos out on Cerillos. You have to turn in where there is a sign for an older condo complex and then immediately have to choose a fork and can't see where the condos are and where the CG is. The instructions from Los Suenos did not mention a fork. You can guess I made the wrong choice and was trapped in a place with narrow roads, lots of cars parked, no exit, and finally stumbled on an area without so many cars. Abut 40 minutes later I got the rig turned around and had put a hole in the bumper from a hitch part. I was not happy when we got to the office and they gave us an upgrade to a pull thru. Only after we were set up did we look up and see a tree over the satellite antenna. Being tired and angry leads to mistakes. I went to hitch up and move the trailer and couldn't get the coupler to lock on (Airstream does have a better coupler, or used to, perhaps). I jerked the truck and the jack came off the large pieces of wood under it (the jack shaft it too short). Barb was convinced we were doomed. I got out the bottle jack I had for emergencies, jacked up the tongue, hitched the trailer (coupler worked this time) and moved it until we got all channels. All this ended up taking 2 1/2 hours. The leaking hose bathed me in the face twice when I disconnected the power to move the trailer. How lucky I was to be cooled down with one thin stream of water which managed to find my face! Later is leaked worse and I had to replace it. Los Suenos should be called Las Pesadillas. I think other things have gone wrong on this trip, but I can't remember by now.

When we had a visit from a friend now living in the Duke City, she couldn't find her indoor glasses and was going to have to go home before dark. Barb eventually found them and so we went off to the Chinese restaurant she had recommended—it was closed! But there was a pretty good Thai restaurant about 200' away and we finally got to visit some more with our friend. This are some of the other things, but there were some others.

Our big trip seems more like a test of our resolution and strength. We have so far done everything we planned plus find those bargain chairs.

But we carry on and push through. We are all gassed up for tomorrow, will take a different route (there are three alternatives and they all take about the same time) and hope we get there easily after dealing with I-40 traffic. Our route north takes us on what used to be US 666. They changed it to 491, but perhaps that won't help.

[Gene]

I just looked at sentence from my last post and it read like a deranged person wrote it. I guess that is true, but I suspect I was in a hurry too.

We are back and have been unpacking, winterizing (the temp fell like a ball of ice into the low 20's after a hot summer and early fall), catching up, seeing docs, blah, blah. We had a good time relaxing and exploring with our friends from Crawford. We went to Hovenweep NM since there were ruins that we would be able to get to easier. Barb hiked a mile without too much of a problem, but my back was really hurting. We made it though. Another day we searched for the Arch Canyon ruin. We had been there a couple of years ago, but couldn't find it. The area was overgrown from spring rains and some of my passengers cannot handle 4wd roads. It was only a short distance I think, but I didn't want to leave them and come back and leave again or whatever.

I had found out there were pictographs on Walnut Knob, a big rock on a hill above that area. The only access except cross country was a bad road that had not been maintained in years and had wash outs at every place water would run down in storms. But it was a trail—perhaps half a mile or maybe longer. The elevation gain was 250' or so (25 stories) and brought us even with Walnut Knob with a hundred yard walk across slick rock to the Knob. We went up really slowly, had lunch, and then looked for the rock art. It looked as if there was a lookout there—there was rubble, potsherds and rock art, mostly pecked into the Knob where a large piece had broke off and left a flat area between the rocks with good views of the valley and the entrance to Arch Canyon. The trip down was very hard with joints and vertebra banging against each other. We moved very, very slowly and finally made it to the truck.

So we had a discovery, reacquainted ourselves with Hovenweep after thirty years and exhausted ourselves plus could not find a usually easy-to-find ruin. Other than that, we ate, slept, talked, visited, slept some more, nursed our weary and banged up bodies and enjoyed ourselves. Hope to get back next spring.

Now back to house projects, dreaming of travel and knee replacement #2. By this time next year Barb should be in great shape, I will be a year older and have entered a new decade, one that most people don't get out of on their feet. I had two facet blocks a few days ago and my back seems to be doing a bit better. Since my spinal orthopedist doesn't do neck blocks (specialization gone looney?), I have to see another doctor. I have arranged to see the lower back guy sooner, before the facet blocks wear off (I hope) and need to look into another kind of nerve treatment that a friend who is a doctor in BC suggested I check out. I waited over 2 hours with hardly anything done to get the facet blocks. I am not patient about waiting and waiting for doctors. I saw a different doc the day before. We both see our internist this week. Barb sees a doc and a chiropractor next week. I guess when it ends, so do you.

Next on my perpetual remodeling is some cabinet door and drawer painting plus installing hardware on them, then replace the public bathroom countertop, backsplash, sink and faucet. This is half the work the master bath was, so that is good. We painted this room years ago and did the trim, so aside from replacing the toilet paper dispenser, that room would be finished until I get some idea that I hope I will forget right away. Some time next year is tiling the shower floor, replacing the shower doors and starting in on a very complex project in the shower/tub complex—there are two shower heads and a tub with a third shower and tub filler that have some bad looking cultured marble and tile. Taking out the tub would be an experience that insures a legend no one wants to hear, so I will cover the top and outside face with tile to hide the "marble" and then redo the walls. And there's painting the guest room too—some day. The basement bath could have a new countertop, sink, etc., some day, maybe....

Life is busy. It used to be busier, so this feels slow to me though. Back to work.

[Jim & Susan]

Gene, been following along for these many months without much comment, but love your stories. A light at the end of the tunnel story for you.

Susan had her left knee done last October (a year ago). Right knee in June of this year. She progressed well had had minimal problems, except for a weird reaction to one of the pain killers after #2 replacement. Almost like a bee sting....swollen face, etc. Doc took her off that one and all was well in a day.

This past weekend we traveled to the Asheville area to visit number two child and her family. Hiked up to a small hill (by New Mexico/Colorado standards). Seven-tenths of a mile up from about 5200 feet to 6000 feet, give or take. Susan came thru with flying colors. Slow, but "GO BABY!"

I was worried the whole way she would stumble or have issues the next day. Zero problems up or down and no medicine involved before, during or after. Slow, but steady and success at the end.

Sometimes, the plan really does come together.

You guys keep going. It's what keeps you young, despite the "bumps" in the road.

Jim (and Susan)

[Gene]

Jim, thanks for the encouraging words. Barb continues to get better and better, though we saw a vascular surgeon yesterday about blood clots. He found another one, though we don't know if it was the result of knee surgery. Only 1.5% of knee surgery patients get blood clots so I have a special wife. This clot is in the left subclavian artery—feeds the left arm and affects blood flow to the back of the head. She has no symptoms, but a small stent placed there could eliminate any danger. First we get new images and she has another CT scan coming. This doc also suggested a "filter" (another type of stent) to prevent any other blood clots from the second knee surgery moving into her lungs or elsewhere—it would be in for a month.

Stents go in pretty easily and have, so far as I know, few problems. They (one for the subclavian artery and one temporary filter) would inserted through the femoral artery where it is easy to access in the upper leg. It all sounds good on paper. We'll have consultations with the orthopedist eventually about this too. It never seems to stop—the doctor parade.

Meanwhile, a horrible thing has happened—I seem to have a cold. Not a really bad one (so far), but a cold is enough a bother that it just messes up your day. I don't feel so good and one reason is I get very little done because I don't feel good. I can't wait for Barb to get it because we share everything. I'd rather have it twice as long if that meant she didn't get it. After all, who wants to listen to someone complain about their cold?

Since our neighbor had her second knee job this week, her husband is not available to help with the roof cover. Barb can't climb up there this year and I am too unsteady on my feet for that too. I can walk very fast for limited distances, but balance on ladders is not my strong point—then when I get up there, I must not look down. Also my back had a flare up last week which for a few hours made it hard for me to walk—I had anesthesia injected into two facets of L5 (bottom vertebra) and sometimes before it really takes affect, the extra fluid injected can cause more pain for a short time. I am guilty of thinking I will get younger through some magical process and will be able to act just like any 20 year old. My standards are those of a demented person, but apparently necessary for me to keep moving forward. The adventure of old age requires a lot of patience, some self deception and stubbornness.

After a very wet winter, we are back in drought. The climate here gets crazier all the time. This is one part of the country where temps have gone up much more than the average, so mornings are substantially warmer and heat waves last longer. Hardly any rain falls (.02" this month so far) more often than not. Will this area become so undesirable because of heat and drought that we should think of moving far north? I wonder how people will be able to live in Phoenix in 30 years? It is unlikely I'll ever know how it does work out, but Barb might. We live in the high desert, but the desert appellation is applied to an area which has had enough precipitation that it is more dry and not quite a desert. I think the break point is 9"/year, but we may get a little more way up above the city. Nonetheless, we still have desert plants and terrain. All the changes predicted 30-40 years ago have come true, except it is happening faster than predicted. In 30 years, grandparents who were parents now will have to face their grandkids when they ask "what did you do about the climate?" I have been a septuagenarian for 9 years now and now facing another big, no, enormous, birthday next October. Thirty years from now I doubt at 109 I will care about the climate, but my trophy wife won't even be a hundred yet. I have a friend who has a T-shirt with the message "I didn't think old age would come this fast". He's young—only 71. The shirt is right—how did this happen and why did it happen so fast? Anyway, better visit NYC and Miami before you have to see them on a scuba diving expedition.

Time to do something despite my stuffed nose, sinus headache, sluggishness and general ineptitude.

[DMP]

Hi Gene, Just wanted to say your writing makes me smile, as we all are or will be part of that “where did the time go” gang! Denial is my go-to coping mechanism too
Do take care of your cold. I like chicken noodle soup and hot lemon/ginger tea. Your body is telling you to rest- go ahead and listen. Projects will always be there!! Here’s hoping you feel revitalized soon...
Pam

[Gene]

Thanks DMP. It is just an ordinary cold, but of course all men’s colds are serious and of unending misery. Unfortunately, if your immune system gets weak enough, I guess a cold could kill you, perhaps by leaving you susceptible to pneumonia. Sometimes a bad cold makes me wish it would either kill me right now or just end and let me feel better.

I certainly do need a rest and am actually spending part of the day being useless. I also write friends and post here, so that enables me contact with the outside world, though we happily went out for breakfast yesterday morning and did grocery shopping. Barb did most of it (no, she didn’t chew my food for me) and after being her caretaker for weeks, it felt strange because I am worrying about her right leg holding up while she waits for her next knee job.

Since any family we have is far away, having a partner is really important when you age. There are lots of options for senior living, but most seem to be rather ugly or too expensive or advertise deceptively or generally seems like something to avoid. With many seniors now having no children, we have to build close relationships with other seniors and help each other. But if we are too old to take care of ourselves, how can we help our friends? Then there is taking care of a house. I do just about everything myself because I can and because hiring “professionals” too often means sloppy work or they don’t do what you ask. It also costs more money than I want to spend. I can’t trust my balance on ladders or the roof anymore. Taking care of our driveway in the winter is of concern to me. A small tractor with a plow is expensive for something you only use a few times a year. With persistent drought, why buy one as there is less and less snow? I suppose I could hire someone, but I can still do it myself with my snow blower. Despite being self propelled, it is hard to use, especially going up a steep hill. So I don’t want to spend money, don’t want to hire someone and after blowing snow, feel wrecked. I never thought I would back myself into an debate like this. And with two tough 4WD vehicles I am clearing the driveway for the UPS driver and my neighbors. Last year the local UPS garage refused to put snow tires on the truck delivering up here and the driver had to walk up our driveway, thereby spending much more time making deliveries and probably getting overtime. Great decision. One time I happened to see him walking up and I went part way down to meet him.

The cold is ending with ugly stuff draining from my sinuses and lungs. The next project is waiting. Little things need to be done too. I will bravely set a mousetrap (our annual invasion seems to be ending, but vigilance is important), maybe vacuum the dining room rug (my job, Barb gets the rest) and then a little more rest. I am keeping an eye on the clouds which stretch back into Utah and far north as well—we can see storms coming from far away up here, but they often fail to leave an rain or snow when drought rules. I keep wondering how Type A’s deal with old age? Is watching the clouds enough?

[Hittenstiehl]

I think this perfectly describes the inevitable time we are all headed towards.

"The adventure of old age requires a lot of patience, some self deception and stubbornness"

Very well put.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, My formula for staying well is basically two things; Stay away from children and old people. But Lee says "We are old people." I say old people can be those in their 50's on up that have really aged. For us it's just a number.

Like Gene, I do a lot of things around our house by myself. I can afford to pay someone, but why would I pay a professional to do a lousy job. We know what we want and I know how to do it. And yes, I have had contractors to the house to give me estimates and they want to change things from what I asked for. I put up my own fence with my three piece folding gate. The contractor wouldn't / couldn't do it my way and wanted thousands for what I did for hundreds.

It's just Bob and Lee; No nearby relatives to help. We do our best as long as we are able.

I have a snow shovel and it has only been used for picking up leaves that I raked. We get very little snow here. Maybe this year I can use my snow shovel on snow. I did buy an ice scraper and snow brush, recommended by Gene, and have used them a few times.

[Gene]

Absolutely stay away from children and old people, but the only people we know around here are old. We see 7 different docs this month and after seeing the dentist today, I will be buying him some nice things. Because this area has a lot of retirees, there are a lot of old people out and about. Either younger people don't eat, eat put all the time, or grow their own food, because the grocery stores seem to be filled with geezers.

The cold is getting better and never really was very bad, but wore me down. I want to see friends instead of dentists, doctors and grocery checkers. We plan to go out tonight to listen to music, but right now it is 23˚ and snowing horizontally. Not a pleasant thought and perhaps all our old friends won't be there tonight because they are sick too?

I'd better check to see we have at least one snow scraper in the SUV and prepare myself for being cold. I'm not one of those seniors that turns the thermostat up to 80 yet, but the cold does feel colder.

Bob, I hope Lee is gating near or at normal and you are getting some rest from being caretaker.