Tom's Diary

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  DONE.

Log

08:45 AM: I’m up.

09:00 AM: Sister Jojo just called; wanting to go shopping this morning as well as to visit Mom.   Since we need lots of groceries to restock the food supply here now that I’m back home, I eagerly agreed.

09:45 AM: Sister Jojo arrived and we left for Altoona.

12:00 PM: We left Mom and went about our   shopping trip.

02:05 PM: I’m back home now from   today’s shopping trip,  putting the groceries away.

03:20 PM: iPodded, and just walked around this house alone.  I’m already looking forward to [Emmy's] next visit.

03:30 PM: Nap time.

06:30 PM: I’m awake again.  I have a lot of blogging Facebooking to catch up on.  So I’ll work on those activities this evening.

09:00 PM:  Blogged and iPodded a bit.

10:00 PM: Sister Christine and husband Rich stopped by to chat for twenty minutes or so.  I enjoyed the company.

10:30 PM: Talked with [Emmy].  Her cold is a little better — less sniffly and more normal-sounding voice.  But she’s got a little ways to go for complete return to health.  She’s not coming tomorrow, to allow herself more time for rest.

10:35 PM: Completed   this week’s site backups.

11:55 PM: Watched the 2010-07-10, 2010-07-11, and 2010-07-13  episodes of   NBC’s Nightly News.  Bed time now.  So good night, and I’ll write more tomorrow.  Sweet dreams.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

• Get-well card for Mom from a dear neighbor friend.
• Prescription FAX forms for Mom’s mail-order pharmacy.
• Balance transfer offer from Chase Bank.  Not at this time.  Thanks.
• Balance transfer offer from Capital One Bank.  Not at this time.  Thanks.
• Copayment bill for Mom’s Altoona Hospital visit in June.
• Credit card offer from Bank of America.  Not at this time.  Thanks.
• Consumer Reports magazine for 2010-08.
• Overdraft policy change notification from my bank.  I opted out of such protection.
• Auto insurance offer through Mom’s credit union.  Not now, thanks very much.
• Incorrectly addressed Misc. mail.
• $100 coupon for Google AdWords.   However, I can’t use this since I already applied one of these in July, and the offer is only one discount per customer.  Darn. 
• Mom’s summary of medicine coverage this year so far.
• Privacy policy from Misc. credit card company.
• Bellwood Antis News publication.
• Bed Bath & Beyond $10 coupon.
• Sewage Bill.
• Wolf Furniture sale information.
• American Express card offer.  Not at this time, thanks.
• Misc. bank statements and papers.
• PNC Points enrollment offer.  No thanks.
• Life insurance offer.  No thanks.
• Deposit slips for proceeds from the   WPSBC Alumni Association   2010 convention.
• Notice from Mom’s local pharmacy about a change they’re making to the types of insulin they carry.
• Platinum business rewards credit card offer from M&T bank.  Not at this time, thanks.
• Whole life insurance offer from Mom’s checking account bank.  No thanks.
• Credit card offer from Discover.  No thanks.
• Thank-you letter from Mom’s auto insurance company for her continued loyalty.
• Information on how to maximize benefit of Medicare Part D coverage.
• Whole life insurance offer from Cuna Mutual Group.  No thanks.
• Misc. bills (2).
• Promo Only’s Country Radio music series; the 2010-09 issue.
• Promo Only’s Urban Radio music series; the 2010-09 issue.
• Promo Only’s Mainstream Radio music series; the 2010-09 issue.
• Seminar invitation on shoulder health.
• Advertisement from Tussy Landscaping.  Not at this time, thanks.

Related Posts

• Mom’s Status: 2010-08-28
• Shopping Trip: 2010-08-28
• Today’s Diet: 2010-08-28
• Weekly Backups: 2010-08-28
• Weight Loss: 2010

Weekly backups of all my blog sites completed.  Backups were not taken the past few weeks as I was out of the office. 

• Databases size: 14.5 MB.  That’s an increase of 800 KB from the last measurement of 13.7 MB almost a month ago.  The record database size is now 14.5 MB. 
• Total data backed up: 92.5 MB.  That’s down 5500 KB from 98.0 MB at last backup.  Note that this figure includes all databases, site code, static pages, and log files. The record amount of total data saved in a weekly backup remains at 98.0 MB. 

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-08-28

Summary

Mom was transported from Pittsburgh to Altoona yesterday.  But so far today, her mood is the same as yesterday.  She’s alert but still anxious and a little sad. But she’s definitely happy to be residing closer to home now.  She’ll remain at the Altoona nursing care facility at least until the current course of antibiotics is complete (late September, 2010).  After that, whether she comes home or not will largely depend on how strong she becomes and whether she can regain use of her legs.   

Pending Objectives

• Order podiatrist for regular checkups on Mom’s feet.
• Secure a private room for Mom.
• Track Mom’s extreme weakness and loss of feeling in legs. IN PROGRESS.  Preliminary indications are that she has significant nerve damage in her legs that may or may not heal.  But I must get a more complete assessment from her doctors today.   
• Monitor Mom’s overall pain status.  We’re looking to get her pain stopped.  IN PROGRESS.  Her pain has been steadily decreasing over the past week, and they’re supposed to have restarted her neurontin.  I’ll check that today.   
• Track the dissipation of Mom’s pelvic hematoma.  IN PROGRESS.  This “blood lump” is shrinking, doctors say. 

Completed Objectives

• 2010-08-27: Get Mom strong enough for transport to a facility closer to home.  DONE.  She now resides at Altoona Center for Nursing Care. 

Log

09:45 PM: Heading for the nursing care facility now.  Details of that visit follow:

• 10:10 AM: I Arrived along with sister Jojo, who noted that the swelling in Mom’s legs and feet is noticeably down from last weekend.  However, Mom thinks her legs feel very “hard.”  It’s probably just her bone, made prominent now by the reduced fluid in her thighs and calves. 
• We gave her her cell phone. 
• They read blood sugar values after meals in this facility.  Mom’s blood sugar this morning: 258.
• They perform weekly blood work evaluations on Mom to monitor for infections, blood thickness levels, et al.
• She needs her regular (long distance) glasses, and an extension cord for her cell phone. 
• She’s worried today.  Nurses are looking into starting meds to take the edge off of her situation.
• She really wants a room by herself.
• 11:30 AM: We’re leaving now.  Sister Jojo will likely visit her again tonight, and the twins will likely visit tomorrow. 

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-08-28

I keep this food diary to stay aware of just how many calories I’m eating daily, with the hope that it decreases the likelihood that I’ll overeat.    It seems to work, so here we go with another day…

Today, I consumed the following items:

• Herbal tea throughout the day. 0 calories.
• 12:30 PM: 1 multi-grain bagel with cream cheese.  500 calories.
• 12:30 PM: 1 large Dunkin’ Donuts decaffeinated coffee with half & half and hazelnut flavoring.  100 calories.
• 02:30 PM: 1 large bowl of Cheerios with organic skim milk and raisins.  800 calories. 
• 07:30 PM: 1 bowl of cherries.  200 calories.
• 11:15 PM: 1 bowl of oatmeal with Parmesan cheese.  500 calories.

Total calories: 2100.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Other Food Diary Entries
• Today’s Business: 2010-08-28
• Weight Loss: 2010

12:00 PM: After visiting Mom at the nursing facility, sister Jojo and I shopped at Sam’s Club, and I bought the following items:

• Blueberries (1 large pack).
• Cherries (1 large pack).
• Beef tenders (1 pack).
• Pork roast (2).
• Garlic salt (1 large canister).

Total cost: $58.29

12:50 PM: Next, we went across the lot to Wal Mart and picked up the following items for here at the house:

• Philadelphia cream cheese (14 packs).
• Charmin Ultra Mega Roll bathroom tissue for [Emmy] (48 rolls).
• Cheerios cereal (3 large boxes).
• Organic skim milk (2 gallons).
• Diet caffeine-free Pepsi (6 liters).
• Friskies cat food (47 cans).
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Butter Weaver popcorn (3 boxes, 24 bags each).  2 of these for [Emmy].
• Onions (2).
• Bell peppers (4).
• Bananas (1 bunch).
• Peaches (10).
• Unknown item ($9.49)

Total cost: $163.43

Grand total: $221.72

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-08-28

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  Sister Jojo is performing this until I return home.

Log

07:00 AM: I’m up.  [Emmy] got a nasty cold yesterday, and now my big concern is that I’ll contract it and give it to Mom during my hospital visits.  Hopefully, since I just got over a cold back in March, I’m still strong enough to fight off this one. 

08:15 AM: Heading in to the hospital to visit Mom.  Back later.

12:05 PM: On the way back to [Emmy's] from the hospital, I visited Dunkin’ Donuts for my usual decaffeinated coffee with hazelnut flavoring.  Total cost: $2.09.

12:45 PM: I’m back at [Emmy's].

03:10 PM: Just received word that doctors are discharging Mom from UPMC this afternoon.  So I’m on my way to her room there to catch a ride in the ambulance back to Altoona with her. 

03:45 PM: I’m at the hospital for my second and last visit for not only today, but hopefully for the foreseeable future as well. 

06:00 PM: The ambulance is all packed, and we’re leaving now for Altoona.

08:20 PM: We just arrived at the nursing facility in the Altoona area where Mom will convalesce for at least the next month. 

09:30 PM: Sister Christine and husband Richard met me at Mom’s new location.  They helped get her all settled in, and we hung out in the 1st floor lounge, catching up.

10:00 PM: Christine and Rich brought me back here to the home office. I found however that my WiFi system is not working.  Investigating…

10:20 PM: Looks like a failed power supply was the cause of the WiFi outage.  I replaced it and all is well once more. 

01:00 AM: Watched the 2010-07-18 edition of NBC’s   Meet The Press    news show while unpacking. 

02:15 AM: Watched the 2010-08-27 episode of   The Young and the Restless   on the DVR.

02:25 AM: Heading to bed, in my   own   bed.  More tomorrow.  Good night.

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts

• Mom’s Status: 2010-08-27
• Today’s Diet: 2010-08-27
• Weight Loss: 2010

Summary

Mom’s mental state really hasn’t changed much from yesterday.  That is, she’s alert but anxious. But the neurologists say that there’s no reason to think that Mom’s reduced leg control is permanent.  Though they can’t promise that she’ll completely recover her range and strength of motion, they did suggest that she’s likely to improve significantly in the coming weeks. 

Pending Objectives

• Track Mom’s extreme weakness and loss of feeling in legs. IN PROGRESS.  Preliminary indications are that she has significant nerve damage in her legs that may or may not heal.  But I must get a more complete assessment from her doctors today.   
• Monitor Mom’s overall pain status.  We’re looking to get her pain stopped.  IN PROGRESS.  Her pain has been steadily decreasing over the past week, and they’re supposed to have restarted her neurontin.  I’ll check that today.   
• Track the dissipation of Mom’s pelvic hematoma.  IN PROGRESS.  This “blood lump” is shrinking, doctors say. 

Completed Objectives

• 2010-08-16: Find out if that “flapping object” was present in Mom’s heart in her 2008 echo cardiograms.  DONE.  It was not present.  This is a new development since 2008. 
• 2010-08-16: Get council on results of the 2010-08-13 mid section CT scan and arterial doppler study. DONE.  Mom’s bleeding has lessened.  They plan on doing another CT scan tomorrow to check progress. 
• 2010-08-17: Establish physical therapy for Mom; per her cardiologist’s recommendation.  DONE.  She should have her first session either today or tomorrow. 
• 2010-08-18: Seek counsel on results of the 2010-08-17 (yesterday’s) mid section CT scan; once it’s done.  DONE.  This test revealed a hematoma.  See details about this elsewhere in this document. 
• 2010-08-20:   Find out what the liver doctors think of the spot on Mom’s liver. DONE.  Her liver is okay; no obvious recent deterioration.
• 2010-08-23: Get results of today’s echo heart pictures test.  DONE.  Results were very good.  So no surgery at this time is required, and Mom will receive antibiotics for the next several weeks to get rid of the rest of the MRSA infection.
• 2010-08-25: Get Mom started on her neurontin (gabapentin) med again to further reduce the pain in her legs by squelching that pain that is due to diabetic neuropathy. 
• 2010-08-27: Get Mom strong enough for transport to a facility closer to home.  DONE.  She now resides at Altoona Center for Nursing Care. 

Log

08:25 PM: Heading for the hospital now.  Details of that visit follow:

• 08:55 AM: I arrived.  Mom is partly awake and worried about the ramifications of partially paralyzed legs.
• 09:05 AM: One of her IVs began beeping.  Her nurse came within a couple minutes.
• Mom appears to harbor moderate pain levels today in her legs and hip.  But again, she refused pain meds.  I guess she wants to be as alert as she can as well.
• 09:20 AM: Nurse emphasized that no official results from yesterday’s EMG nerve test have yet been entered into Mom’s chart.  in fact, the doctors have not yet fully analyzed the data from that test. 
• 10:20 AM: Mom’s day nurse came in to measure her vitals.  Temperature: 98.5, oxygen: 98%, and blood pressure: 127 / 64.  Her heart and lungs sound okay, and they returned her potassium dosage to 20 MEQ per day.  They had been giving her 40 MEQ the past couple days at least, to correct a low-potassium condition that appeared in her blood work earlier this week. 
• The nurse, with assistance, also positioned Mom higher in her bed. 
• They’re looking for physically smaller potassium pills for Mom because she complains of choking on the 20 MEQ ones, even when broken into halves.  Tomorrow, instead of one 20 MEQ pill, they’ll give her two 10 MEQ pills.  These are somewhat smaller and thus, should be easier to swallow.  We discussed a potassium powder option.  But this requires more water to ingest than the pill version would, and since Mom must limit her fluid consumption, this particular option may not be good for her. 
• 10:55 AM: She talked to a couple of her friends on the phone, along with her PCP’s office.  She asked Cathy about what she thought the best place for Mom to convalesce in the Altoona area would be.  But we god no options from her besides the places we’ve already investigated. 
• 11:20 AM: Still no doctors have yet visited Mom today.  Nurse says that on Fridays, they have numerous meetings to attend before making their patient rounds.  So we’re not sure when we’ll get to talk to them.  However, I left my cell number with the practitioner, and she assured me that they’d call sometime this afternoon once they’ve had a chance to thoroughly review Mom’s EMG test results. 
• No visit yet from any psychologist. 
• They’re starting Mom on small doses of neurontin.  They don’t want to immediately resume the dosing she practiced prior to this hospitalization, so as to avoid plunging her back into delirium. 
• 11:55 AM: Physical Therapy arrived some time ago, and they’re helping Mom into the stretch chair.  I’m leaving now.  I may visit later today, depending on the information I receive this afternoon from Mom’s doctors. 

02:50 PM: Just got word that they’ve decided to release Mom from the hospital here in Pittsburgh today back to a facility in the Altoona area.  I’m riding with her in the ambulance and so, am heading out the door here in a few minutes.  More later, once I get home. 

• 03:45 PM: I arrived at Mom’s hospital room for the last time this stay, and we’re waiting on the ambulance crew.
• The nurses are busying themselves gathering up Mom’s belongings, cleaning her up, dispensing her meds, and getting her ready for transport.  Some of them are saddened by Mom’s departure. 
• 04:15 PM: She’s pretty much ready now.  The ambulance is supposed to arrive sometime between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. 
• 05:00 PM: While we waited, Mom and I watched TV and chatted about life, liberty, and growing old.    I tried not to linger on the latter topic however; wishing not to heighten her anxiety.
• 05:15 PM: The ambulance crew arrived.  They and the hospital nurses worked together to transfer Mom from her hospital bed to the transport stretcher. 
• 05:55 PM: They’ve taken Mom via elevator from the hospital proper to the loading area outside.
• 06:00 PM: We pulled away from the hospital and are on the way back to Altoona. 
• 08:10 PM: We’re getting close to Altoona Center for Nursing Care.  Had a nice chat with the ambulance driver about his home town, Seven Springs ski resort (which he grew up living only forty-five minutes away from), his career, and my career aspirations.  Both attendants treated Mom with respect and compassion.  I told him of the wonderful time had when I visited Seven Springs in 1978, and my little story of my first passionate kiss with [First Love] that weekend.  He talked of the near-constant road construction along route 22 and how much of a pain it is to drive through.  That road’s always like that.  In fact, I remember no time when there wasn’t construction going on somewhere on that road between Pittsburgh and Altoona over the past forty years.  He chuckled and grinned; it’s been the same for him.  Nice fellow.  I enjoyed talking with him.
• 08:20 PM: We arrived at Altoona Center for Nursing Care just now.  Ooops.  But unfortunately, there’s no private room available for Mom.  She’s not going to like that. 
• 08:45 PM: the ambulance crew just unloaded Mom onto her new bed; she’ll reside here for at least a Month, until she’s finished with the current run of antibiotics. 
• 08:50 PM: Sister Christine and husband Richard just arrived.
• She says the bed at this place is more comfortable than the one in Pittsburgh.  She didn’t care too much that she couldn’t have a private room; she’s just happy to be back in the Altoona area.
• 09:30 PM: Verified that the nursing staff here has Mom’s current med list from UPMC. They know about her antibiotic and insulin requirments, and the physical therapy she must have.  They’re on the ball here.  In fact, they already had Mom’s name on her room door and drawers before we arrived.
• 09:45 PM: She’s a little sad, and I couldn’t help thinking how we’ve come full-circle now.  Forty years ago, it was she who was comforting me when she had to leave me at WPSBC for my first week, as she unpacked my suitcase into my locker in 1970.  Now, here I was, in 2010, doing the same for her as I put her clothes, tooth brush, and other essentials away into the little space set aside for her. 
• I hate leaving her here, “by herself.”  But unfortunately, I lack the skills and temperament to adequately care for her at home.  Hopefully in six weeks or so, she’ll be ambulatory enough to live at home again. 
• 09:45 PM: We’re leaving now that Mom’s all settled in.  Some of us will visit her again tomorrow. 

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-08-27

I keep this food diary to stay aware of just how many calories I’m eating daily, with the hope that it decreases the likelihood that I’ll overeat.    It seems to work, so here we go with another day…

Today, I consumed the following items:

• Herbal tea throughout the day. 0 calories.
• 09:45 AM: 1 Ensure strawberry-flavored health shake.  350 calories.
• 12:00 PM: 1 extra large Dunkin’ Donuts decaffeinated coffee with cream and hazelnut flavoring.  100 calories.
• 01:30 PM: 2 bowls of Cheerios with organic sugar and organic skim milk.  800 calories.
• 11:55 PM: 1 bowl of oatmeal with Parmesan cheese.  500 calories.

Total calories: 1750.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Other Food Diary Entries
• Today’s Business: 2010-08-27
• Weight Loss: 2010

Today’s Activities

• Shower.  DONE.
• Cat duty.  Sister Jojo is performing this until I return home.

Log

06:55 AM: I’m up.  

08:00 AM: Heading in to the hospital to visit Mom.  Back later.

08:35 AM: Stopped in at the Forbes Avenue Dunkin’ Donuts in Oakland for my morning decaffeinated coffee, hazelnut flavored, with cream.  Total cost: $2.09. 

11:10 AM: Leaving Mom now for a little   shopping trip; heading for CVS Pharmacy to pick up some supplies for [Emmy], and to Penn Station for a couple of Philly cheese steak subs for our lunch. 

11:55 AM: Just paid for Philly cheese steak sandwiches for lunch at Penn Station.  Total cost:  $18.17.

12:15 PM: I’m back at [Emmy's].

01:30 PM: I multi tasked; I blogged while watched a bit of the news and today’s episode of   The Young and the Restless. 

04:00 PM: Blogged and napped this afternoon.

07:30 PM; Talked with Mom and sister Diane on the phone; comforting Mom and updating sister Diane on Mom’s condition.  All the while, the local and national news played in the background. 

08:30 PM: Talked Mom’s friend Deb, and per Mom’s request, asked her to call Mom.

10:45 PM: IPodded and read a couple reviews on Bob Welch’s   French Kiss   album.  More than the music itself, I purchased this album to get a large picture of the painted but revealing woman groping him with her tongue. 

11:45 PM: Watched local news and David Letterman’s monologue.  But my makeshift bed on the floor is calling me inward now.  Another busy day tomorrow; lots of questions to ask of the doctors about this latest wrinkle of nerve damage in Mom’s condition.  So good night, and take care.  More tomorrow. 

Tom Hesley

Received Mail and Shipments

None today.

Related Posts

• Mom’s Status: 2010-08-26
• Shopping Trip: 2010-08-26
• Today’s Diet: 2010-08-26
• Weight Loss: 2010

11:30 AM: Headed to CVS Pharmacy and purchased the following items:

• Kleenex (2 boxes) for [Emmy]
• Cold-Eeze cough drops (2 boxes) for [Emmy]

Total cost: $21.64

11:50 AM: Next, I hit the Penn Station restaurant and bought the following items for lunch:

• Philly cheese steak sandwich (2)

Total cost: $18.17

Grand total: $39.81

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Today’s Business: 2010-08-26