A really long day at work...but I started and ended my work day with calls to my parents. I do a morning check in and a dinner time check in.
Dad continues to experience the nerve pain in his back. Mark went over today and then called me later to let me know how it is going. He said that Dad was having trouble feeding himself. I think this has more to do with the macular degeneration in his left eye than anything else. It is hard for him to aim his utensils when he essentially is blind in that eye. When I spoke to Dad he said he felt a little better...but that doesn't mean too much. He moved from the bed to the chair in the middle of the night. He needed help dressing again this morning.
Mom is still experiencing nerve pain from the shingles. She was able to talk to me for a longer time on the phone today. She had been thinking about what kind of dinner she wanted for Mother's Day. She requested a family style chicken dinner for the Alki Homestead. This is a great restaurant that I took them to several years ago. It is a good sign that she is feeling like having a special meal.
Part of what I do everyday is look for clues that let me know how their lives are going. I am getting better at understanding when they are really engaged and when they are not engaged. I know when they need me to move in and help...and when they want to do it themselves. I feel that we are engaged in a delicate dance of interdependence. I want them to be able to live on their own as long as possible. This last few months has been a real challenge for all of us....but we are taking it day by day and doing the best we can.
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The last two days have been long and hard days at work. I still have 9 boxes of everyday cards, 5 boxes of Mother's Day cards and the complete reset for Father's Day facing me!
Talked to Mom and Dad twice today. Dad says he is slowly beginning to feel a little better. Mark went over today and fixed their shower curtain rod. He also offered to get Dad some pain relieving medicine at the drug store. I will probably see them first, so I will take some over. The back and body pain reliever I took over isn't strong enough.
Mom seems a little better..she is able to talk on the phone now. She was able to shower and wash her hair this morning by herself.
I am planning on going over on Mother's Day and taking a nice lunch over to them.
I need to keep taking good care of myself....as they really are depending on me for many things now.
Talked to Mom and Dad twice today. Dad says he is slowly beginning to feel a little better. Mark went over today and fixed their shower curtain rod. He also offered to get Dad some pain relieving medicine at the drug store. I will probably see them first, so I will take some over. The back and body pain reliever I took over isn't strong enough.
Mom seems a little better..she is able to talk on the phone now. She was able to shower and wash her hair this morning by herself.
I am planning on going over on Mother's Day and taking a nice lunch over to them.
I need to keep taking good care of myself....as they really are depending on me for many things now.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Sunday, May 6, 2007
May 6, 2007
Finally committing to starting a blog. I am working with a life coach on what my next steps should be towards a happy and useful career. I have already been a librarian and an internal organizational development consultant. Not wanting to return to school for a third master's degree, I have been working with my coach to identify my strengths, my interests...and dare I say it...my passion in life.
Right now my life is pretty focused on my parents. They have recently returned to the city I was born in to live. We finally have them settled in an apartment they like in a nice area of town. Unfortunately, they both are having health issues...back pain and shingles. I have wound up in the ER with my Mom...have taken her to a series of doctor appointments. Tomorrow I take my Dad to the doctor about his back pain. In the midst of all this I have noticed that I have a gift for working with my parents. I am acting as their advocate, translator of the current culture, the one who calls the doctors, the one who calls several times a day to check on them. Sometimes it is overwhelming...but mostly, I feel good about helping them take care of themselves. I notice that I feel that I am accomplishing something that makes a difference.
I have been talking about this with my life coach and she said that I was compelling, authoritative,and passionate. This is the moment when we began talking about me creating a blog to test the waters with my idea of being a coach for senior citizens and their families. So..there it is...I have put it out in the world. I would love to hear what others think about in terms of working with elderly parents and ways to be of assistance to them.
Bonita
Finally committing to starting a blog. I am working with a life coach on what my next steps should be towards a happy and useful career. I have already been a librarian and an internal organizational development consultant. Not wanting to return to school for a third master's degree, I have been working with my coach to identify my strengths, my interests...and dare I say it...my passion in life.
Right now my life is pretty focused on my parents. They have recently returned to the city I was born in to live. We finally have them settled in an apartment they like in a nice area of town. Unfortunately, they both are having health issues...back pain and shingles. I have wound up in the ER with my Mom...have taken her to a series of doctor appointments. Tomorrow I take my Dad to the doctor about his back pain. In the midst of all this I have noticed that I have a gift for working with my parents. I am acting as their advocate, translator of the current culture, the one who calls the doctors, the one who calls several times a day to check on them. Sometimes it is overwhelming...but mostly, I feel good about helping them take care of themselves. I notice that I feel that I am accomplishing something that makes a difference.
I have been talking about this with my life coach and she said that I was compelling, authoritative,and passionate. This is the moment when we began talking about me creating a blog to test the waters with my idea of being a coach for senior citizens and their families. So..there it is...I have put it out in the world. I would love to hear what others think about in terms of working with elderly parents and ways to be of assistance to them.
Bonita
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