On my last post I wrote that I had something on one of my ribs. I had a CAT scan and took my friend Janet when I saw Dr. Tun in case it was bad news. I think I shut down and don't remember very much when I'm given bad news. It wasn't cancer. Phew! It could be calcium build up. To me, it still seems to be growing. We're not sure what it is. There was a spot that was deep. It is too small to do anything about that, so I will have a CAT scan every few months to monitor if there are changes. Anyway, I am relieved I don't have to deal with it now.
I visited my friends Mike and Marykay in Livermore. They have been through a lot with Mike having a stroke and their oldest daughter Libby had a girl while this was going on. Mike was home. He had been in an acute care hospital and then a Rehabilitation hospital for a month.
Michael had gotten out of the hospital over a week before. He is very clear, but weak because he had been primarily in bed. His speech is affected by not having moisture in his mouth since he cannot eat or drink. However, his wife Marykay made a mouth spray that Mike used to wet his mouth. He also had a sponge on a stick to wipe his mouth. These help. While I was there, Mike had speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy. The cover to the lungs is always open, so he is endangered by anything going down that side when he eats. It is possible there is a surgery he might try, but he needs to go to a major hospital like Stanford to find out and get physically stronger.
I worked on my art and Marykay took the role of Carol, my teacher. I was so fortunate to have her help. That was a good experience.
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| Libby, Marykay's daughter getting lunch for Ar |
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| Marykay feeding Esha Katherine, |
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| Marykay burping Esha. |
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| Mike with his grandson Ari He surrounded Mike with all his toys! So cute! |
Marykay and Mike were going to a meeting one night. I sent a message to my sister to see if she could get together with me. She was able to. Marykay, Mike and I were watching the news seeing flooding all around the area and I worried that my sister would be in jeopardy. I suggested it would be too dangerous for her to come, but she insisted we take the opportunity to see each other. So we did. We went to a restaurant for dessert. We had a wonderful talk. She thought I said my cancer was back when I thought I had put a qualifier on it saying "I think
my cancer is back." She did note that I have always found my cancers before the doctors did but hoped I was wrong this time. I hoped I was wrong too! And I was!
I got an invitation online to join Omada through Kaiser to learn how to eat better, exercise and get adequate sleep. This was because I was pre-diabetic. They sent a scale that gives them my weight directly, but I can see too. We are in a group online to encourage each other, we have a log to keep track of what we take in and what activity we do. Sunday March 5 it started. There is no cost to us. It is an active 16 week program. This program urged a healthy plate which would be 3 to 6 ounces of protein, depending what it is, one to three cups of vegetables, and healthy fat like avocado or olive oil. So i I would save grains, pasta or potato for a special meal. It adds a task to change every week. I lost 12 pounds in 8 weeks and they suggested I put another goal on, so I put down to lose 10 pounds in 16 weeks.
And, as I was going through papers to keep or throw away, I found a brochure from Kaiser for a program called Silver & Fit. It is like Silver Sneakers. I picked In-Shape where I will work out. I had used them years ago. There is no cost to me. So I think I'll look different in 4 months. I'm excited. It is the same as Silver Sneakers.
I also agreed to a half hour, two times a month for nine months to have a trainer make sure I'm using the equipment correctly. It is worth the cost to me. David is 21 years old, but he does understand how the machinery is to be used.
Then I got a call from Kaiser they would have conferences on healthy living and asked if I would attend something like this. I said yes and they will let me know when these start. By the way, I'm so impressed that Kaiser does this! This is so positive! I'm so glad I have Kaiser Permanente. So this conference is on line too. It is based on having multiple chronic health issues. I had been to the dentist and there was a new one there who told me to call her Dr. T. I asked where the other ones were. The one I like is still there but wasn't there at that time. Anyway, she gave me this story that I had osteoporosis in my jaw and cavities where going down to the roots and that I would need at least 10 teeth worked on. I was horrified because I had been going here for about 9 years and at least every 6 months. How could everything just fall apart at one time?! I asked my Facebook friends for advice and everyone felt a second opinion was needed here. Those who have had great experiences with their dentists shared that information and their names. I also called the dental insurance to find out about second opinions (they do cover) and how they pay. I will follow through on this, but I have a lot going on in the near future, so I'm going to wait on it.
Shelley's boyfriend Don made a gourmet meal for me a week after I got back from my visit to MaryKay and Mike. He is a chef by training. Shelley helped him as they went to several stores and a farmer's market for the freshest ingredients. I had shown him my raised vegetable garden and a recipe from Blue Apron. He said the key is the freshest ingredients. He's right! And I think a great chef helps!
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| Shelley and her boyfriend Don, a fabulous chef! |
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| Shelley and me at Don's home |
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| Cheese and Crackers |
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| Sword Fish and Corn Reliish |
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| Appetizer - Prosciutto and goat cheese |
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| Sauteed Scallops |
Though, I really like my Blue Apron and even if I don't get it right all the time, it is still delicious! However, I had to cancel it because Omada wants us to make meals that do not include starches. I can tell you I found it painful to drop Blue Apron! Very tasty meals! Maybe what I have learned from Blue Apron will help me with my Omada meals. I was wanting to make a meal with Blue Apron when Evelyn comes for dinner, but I'm not going to be able to do that. We had it planned for the end of the month but we need to reschedule it. I'm not the only one with a busy schedule!
I went to see my friend Barbara who lives with in Seal Beach. Her caregiver needed to leave for a few days to take care of personal business so I agreed to stay with her during this time. She has dementia. I took my art to do there.
Her caregiver left notes about when to feed her dog and cat. Barbara took responsibility to do this. This was difficult because she wouldn't remember if she fed them or not, did she walk the dog or not. I wish I had been on top of this from the beginning because, I would have made a check list that needed to be marked off to show it was done. I would mark it because she wouldn't remember if she did or did not do something. So really, I have no idea if we overfed the animals or underfed. I do think the dog got lots of walking.
On the first day I was there, she thought she misplaced her car keys and her cell phone. It might have been lost before that day or on that day. I couldn't tell. I think I'll get her a tag for these items so we can look up where it is.
Barbara had told me each time I visited about this soup kitchen on skid row in Downtown Los Angeles where she volunteered. The people who started it set up this outdoor garden with picnic tables, a fountain and many plants. I told Barbara we would go there. She was excited. Though Barbara called to say we were coming, they had very little for us to do. They had many volunteers on a Saturday. They probably need more volunteers on the two weekdays they have food, Tuesday and Thursday. It is run by the Catholic Workers of Los Angeles. There were two women from Upland who volunteered because one of them wanted this for her birthday. There were also people who initially did this as their volunteer experience through high school and continued after high school. There were also people from other countries who did this when they came to the United States. We wiped down tables and picked up trash, though most people eating there took care of their own trash.
There were some people who were mentally ill who made loud outburst. People would go to them to calm them down. I saw lots of tents on the sidewalks clumped in areas. It was a different experience, but I never felt threatened here.
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| Many homeless on skid row in Los Angeles had tents. There were streets all around this soup kitchen where people lived. |
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| This soup kitchen was unique. It was in a garden- trees, bushes, flowers birds, water feature which added to the ambiance of this setting. |
Barbara and I went out to lunch one day on Main Street in Seal Beach. That was a nice experience.
We also went to the Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster. I needed a couple of items so I had an excuse to go. And for Barb, we got an adult coloring book, colored pencils and a pencil sharpener so she could try that out. I showed her my art books that I used at home. I'm going to think about getting her one she could use as a guide. She was excited about trying this. I'll be seeing her shortly, so I am taking supplies to her.
Here are a few pictures I worked on:
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| Weathered painted wood |
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| Parrot |
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| Rooster |
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| Gorilla |
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| My daughter Shelley |
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| Shelley and Judie |
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| Marti and Claudia |
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| Judie and Vicki |
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| Pamela and Marti |
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| Pamela and Stephanie |
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| Me |
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| Me, Claudia and Ethel |
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| Claudia and Judie |
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| Judie |
I ended up getting a bug at Easter and did not get together with my kids. I slept a lot and ate very little. However, they did have a good time, and I'm glad for that.
I got together with my Stepmom Kate, the weekend before her birthday. We want to the Huntington Garden and Museum and ate lunch there. They have a cafeteria similar to what they have at the Getty Museum. Lots of choices and I was able to eat according to my diet. We also went to A Noise Within, a classical theatre in Pasadena. We say King Lear. Both Kate and I had difficulty hearing it all. Most people were obviously responding to the dialogue, so I think it was us. I read the play years ago, but I need to re-read it. They tied the story into the problem of dementia. I have people close to me dealing with this, so I'd like to get this a little better. Before I left for home, we went to Green Street Restaurant. It is like a very nice coffee shop. We had breakfast before ending our visit. Here is a selfie I took of Kate and me while we were at the Huntington Garden and Museum.
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| Kate and Me I look like I have a swollen jaw, I don't. I think it is the angle I took this picture |
I saw an article about three things you learn when your mother dies on Upworthy:
This is a very good article about letting others know on sites such as Facebook about someone else's death. I couldn't state it better than this article.
There is a point where treatment really no longer makes sense! Here is an article about that.
That is what I have. It has been busy! I hope you are doing well. I'll see you next month. Rachel
