waiting out the storm (virus)

[MossRoad]

My MIL that lives with us for years literally goes nuts with twilight and full moons.
I hope somebody puts me out of my misery if I ever get that way.

Yeah, we all say that. However, we really don't know what the person is thinking inside. What are their thoughts? When my father was dying from cancer, he revoked his do not resuscitate order 3 times. His heart stopped, they'd revive him, and ask him again if that was his wishes. Went on for a couple weeks. I had a talk with him after the 2nd one. I told him "Dad, if you were my dog, I'd have put you down a couple weeks ago. What do you want?" He told me it wasn't so bad (as he was coughing up blood), maybe they'd find a solution, and to just follow his wishes until he couldn't speak for himself. So I did. Fortunately, after the 4th time, he said he'd had enough and was ready to go. And he went the next day.

With my father in law, I can see he is trying to say something, or tell us something, but he gets a very frustrated look on his face, and rubs his thumb and forefinger together a few times, and says "I can't say what I want to." So I kinda know he's still in there. He still gets enjoyment when people come over and looks at "all those people" several times a day (lots of family photos on the walls). He laughs hard at the people on Ellen's Game of Games. He enjoys watching Lawrence Welk on Saturdays. In the past he's said he doesn't want to live "like that", but I don't know at what level "that" is. I suspect it's the level he's at right now, where he can't take care of himself and is a burden to his wife. But, he took care of her 13 years ago when she had a liver transplant. Took care of her himself for 3-4 months in an apartment down in Indy. He was 80 taking care of a 67 year old. So my guess is my mother-in-law feels some responsibility to return in kind. They really do love each other. For better or for worse, and all that.

So, we continue to evaluate the situation as often as warranted, sometimes weekly, daily or hourly, and adjust our plans for him as needed.

 

[ultrarunner]

My MIL that lives with us for years literally goes nuts with twilight and full moons.
I hope somebody puts me out of my misery if I ever get that way.

As prepared as I am for most things not a lot of thought to my twilight years when it comes to care.

If I found myself in the same situation as Mom there isn't anyone I could count on as they would be long gone...

 

[ultrarunner]

Yeah, we all say that. However, we really don't know what the person is thinking inside. What are their thoughts? When my father was dying from cancer, he revoked his do not resuscitate order 3 times. His heart stopped, they'd revive him, and ask him again if that was his wishes. Went on for a couple weeks. I had a talk with him after the 2nd one. I told him "Dad, if you were my dog, I'd have put you down a couple weeks ago. What do you want?" He told me it wasn't so bad (as he was coughing up blood), maybe they'd find a solution, and to just follow his wishes until he couldn't speak for himself. So I did. Fortunately, after the 4th time, he said he'd had enough and was ready to go. And he went the next day.

With my father in law, I can see he is trying to say something, or tell us something, but he gets a very frustrated look on his face, and rubs his thumb and forefinger together a few times, and says "I can't say what I want to." So I kinda know he's still in there. He still gets enjoyment when people come over and looks at "all those people" several times a day (lots of family photos on the walls). He laughs hard at the people on Ellen's Game of Games. He enjoys watching Lawrence Welk on Saturdays. In the past he's said he doesn't want to live "like that", but I don't know at what level "that" is. I suspect it's the level he's at right now, where he can't take care of himself and is a burden to his wife. But, he took care of her 13 years ago when she had a liver transplant. Took care of her himself for 3-4 months in an apartment down in Indy. He was 80 taking care of a 67 year old. So my guess is my mother-in-law feels some responsibility to return in kind. They really do love each other. For better or for worse, and all that.

So, we continue to evaluate the situation as often as warranted, sometimes weekly, daily or hourly, and adjust our plans for him as needed.

Yes... Lawrence Welk... not so much a Mom favorite but there was zero tolerance at Grandma's when Lawrence Welk was on.

Each summer she made her pilgrimage to see him at Tahoe and would always talk with Myron Floren the accordion player... along with her other favorite Jim Neighbors...

Mom does like her own set of oldies immensely and with You Tube I can find a lot of them... but, they also get her heavily reminiscing... which can make her sad and she is typically up beat and driven... like the charge nurse she was for decades...

 

[k0ua]

Mom's home is on a bluff... no one is looking in from the living room which is in back... she has the most amazing view which is simply spectacular with city lights and the 5 bay area bridges... but she would rather look at tattered drapes than the view because someone could see in... it never was like this and most with similar don't even had drapes or curtains because the view is everything.

Nothing I like more than looking our from the easy chair and then as the sunsets everything is locked up tight... ;-(

I know, It would drive me up the wall too. But the drapes HAD to be closed. She ran all over the house, even rooms no one was in and closed drapes. Of course she never remembered to open them next morning, Some of the house plants suffered plenty if we didn't think to go into vacant rooms like the downstairs library and open up the "dang" drapes. I got to the point where I jammed the mechanism on that one so she couldn't close them. You have to think in terms of a 2 year old in the house. What CAN they tear up? Until you brought this up, I had forgotten the "drape war" Now most of our drapes stay open 24/7

 

[ultrarunner]

I know, It would drive me up the wall too. But the drapes HAD to be closed. She ran all over the house, even rooms no one was in and closed drapes. Of course she never remembered to open them next morning, Some of the house plants suffered plenty if we didn't think to go into vacant rooms like the downstairs library and open up the "dang" drapes. I got to the point where I jammed the mechanism on that one so she couldn't close them. You have to think in terms of a 2 year old in the house. What CAN they tear up? Until you brought this up, I had forgotten the "drape war" Now most of our drapes stay open 24/7

I have locked rooms and areas not needed... this has saved me immensely... when something is missing I can rule out looking in the garage, downstairs, guest room, guest bathroom, etc...

They say you can't teach a dog new tricks but I have become much better at hide and seek.

In all seriousness... there is a key fob that works with smart phones to locate missing keys... my then 16 year old nephew bought the set and it has been a godsend...

I have them on keys, pocket book, hair brush all of which would go missing daily... especially the hair brush.

Items that cause anxiety get moved to the locked guest room... really helps... it would seem too much of anything like the Costco pack of toilet paper or cans of soup are causes of anxiety… had I put the Freeze Dried camping rations in the guest room I would still have them.

By the way... I bought the Progresso when it was on sale for a $1 a can in multiples of 5 and the Costco paper when it was on sale... just buy the big package knowing it is good for a year...

I make maybe 4 trips a year to Costco... so bulk buying suits me fine.

Reducing the square footage/un-needed space helps in waiting out the storm...

 

[ovrszd]

It's worse than "child proofing" a house. Because it gets worse, not better.

 

[gsganzer]

I've been getting a bunch of small projects done. I trimmed all the low branches around the pasture and yard.

I weed whacked the long fence line with the neighbor and raked up all the leaves that had piled along the base on their side. Then I sprayed the fenceline with roundup. Next time I build a woven wire fence, I'm leaving a small gap at the bottom and I'll run a high tensile wire in that gap. Then it would be a whole lot easier to weed whack and maintain. Weed wacking a woven wire fence line is a colossal pain in the backside.

Now I'm working on modifying my welding machine skid. I mounted my Lincoln Ranger and oxy/acetylene bottles on a skid, when I bought it, that I can fork on and off my truck. But I never liked the way I originally mounted the cylinders. I'm modifying it so the bottles are at a 45 and I can install some "in-service" caps and permanently plumb the regulators. I found a oxy/ace hose reel in closeout a while back and I think I can mount it on the corner of the skid. It'll make it a whole lot easier to do quick projects. I think I'll also have some room to mount an ammo can for small items.

If the weather cooperates tomorrow, I'll get a burn permit and torch a huge brush pile that's accumulated over the past year or two.

I could really use a trip to TSC and Lowes for some other projects, but I don't feel like risking it. I could also use some more beer, I'll probably risk it for that, a man can only take so much hardship and has to draw the line somewhere.

How the heck did I ever find time to have a real job before?

 

[flyerdan]

If I'm reading right, I don't think you'll want your acetylene cylinder to be at a 45 degree angle, it could draw up acetone into the regulator and bad things happen. They recommend letting one stand for 24 hours if it has to be transported laying down.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^ Yes, very important and covered first day of welding class as well as draw-down rate for size cylinder used.

 

[dragoneggs]

Mom's home is on a bluff... no one is looking in from the living room which is in back... she has the most amazing view which is simply spectacular with city lights and the 5 bay area bridges... but she would rather look at tattered drapes than the view because someone could see in... it never was like this and most with similar don't even had drapes or curtains because the view is everything.

Wow, where is she... Bernal Heights? I didn't know there was such a spot!