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I don't talk about tQ's family because that is her job, but she's a bit busy. Her Step-Father Gene has been in a period of decline for the last several months. Around Christmas he was sent to a nursing home because tQ's mom could no longer care for her on her own. He suffers from a variety of health ailments along with the beginning of Alzheimers/Dementia. Recently, he was back in the hospital where he did the trick of trying to get out of bed and had a bad fall. Sadly, rather than sending him back to the nursing home, they will be sending him to hospice because of his continued degradation.
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He might get better or more attentive care there. Some people improve on hospice, or last longer than expected, so that's a possibility. It's also well covered by Medicare, which can be a help.
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Ouch. Hospice. Sorry to hear.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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I think it's harder on tQ's mom at the moment. Because of Covid restrictions she can't be with him. She was lucky to get an hour with him today.
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That must be really hard.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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Meanwhile back on the West Coast, my mother is at Kaiser. They found E. Coli in her urinary tract. Plus a couple of other infections. Stay tuned.
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oof. sorry to hear.
is tQ eastbound?
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Not yet. Two of her step-sisters are there at the moment and that's all tQMom wants. tQ should head out on Friday or Monday. She's plans to stay for many weeks.
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So, here we are. My mother's doctor has informed my mother that she has an enlarged ventricle and she needs surgery to repair one of the veins that is on the precipice of failure. It's one of those cool surgeries that follows a vein (artery?) up from the groin to the heart to do the repair. According to the doctor, if she doesn't have the surgery, she will die. I'm guessing the sooner rather than later is implied since we are all going to die.
My mother has opted not to have the surgery. She has been deathly afraid of surgery since she was young and avoided any until very recently when she had her first surgery. Plus, she will also be 88 in just a couple of months and who know how long this surgery will prolong her life.
So, here we are. A time frame has not been given. But already my mother tires easily and has difficulty breathing. And as much as my mother drives me crazy, the thought of her not being around any more is weird.
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That is a heavy thing to deal with.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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Yeah, tough call.
My mom has lots of dental issues. Her dentist recommends implants but my mom doesn't want to go into surgery. But that hardly compares to a heart artery. My mom can just eat soft foods.
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Echoing DM, that is difficult. Of course there's no convincing old people. I wonder what the life expectancy for someone with the condition is. That would at least give you some idea of how this is going to go. Of course it might not mean anything - my mom way outlived the predictions for her congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
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They stopped giving those life expectancy prognosis for two reasons. People outlive them and make the doctors look bad or they up and die when they are supposed to.
We shall see.
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She might be at a point where the surgery is more traumatic than the malady. That was something we contemplated when my mom got her knees replaced. It’s the guiding factor in her rejection of dental implants (and I support her here - feels like the dentist just wants to make money). But like I said, can’t compare dentistry to cardiac.
One of my uncles had heart issues and denied treatment because he became a Jehovah’s Witness. Then he left that to get a facelift. Note that my uncle wasn’t particularly handsome so that act of vanity was weird. But then he went to China and married a gal a third his age and brought her back to Hawaii. My family went nuts but she turned out to be really sweet. He passed of heart failure, but many years later.
Hoping the best for your mom here, Greg. At least she’s still coherent, as much as she’s ever been, right?
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Nurse Sister Stephanie talked to my mom's doctor. He doesn't know which will be harder on my mother, either, the surgery or the valve decay. She's not going to have the surgery at this point.
That doesn't mean she won't be having the Basil Carcinoma surgery today. They are removing it from her chest.
Since, tQ and I are both vaccinated and it has been almost ten months since I have seen my mother, tQ and I will be traveling to Saratoga on Saturday to celebrate mother's day with her. My visits release some of mother's craziness at this point which is good for the sisters. That is unless we get into some odd fight. But we'll see.
My mother has decided to make the day extra special by celebrating my birthday on Sunday as well. We are doing that because my mother doesn't think she will be alive to celebrate my actual birthday on June 26. Roberta called to find out what sort of cake I would like. Granted, I was visiting my mother because of her frail health, but I'm not so pessimistic as to think she will die in the next 30 days. Good times!
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
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