Hi Everyone. Sorry for no posts except from my phone and later from my tablet which I have to carry a backup power supply and cord with me now to doctors appointments as my old pad has a battery life of less than 10 minutes. A new Ipad is not a priority for our money right now even the cheapest one. Ron needs heart surgery, Ron needs cataract surgery, I need both new glasses and cataract surgery, and the van still has an oil leak. Plus Kamyk has basicly given up and slipped into depression. He had an apartment open up that he needed first/ last / and security for which came to $900 a month. It was government-subsidized housing. But because he is in long term care now the nursing home took all his SSI, leaving him with no money. Plus he no longer gets physcial therapy so he is slowly losing the ability to walk again. His sister started a go fund me but he forbade her to tell me about it. He felt we had all done too much for him and did not want me or you people to think he was trying to milk us or be greedy.
In a way I am glad he did not tell me until it was too late because I worry that as he can’t walk well, doesn’t drive, and did not know how long it will take to get his SSI back, that he wouldn’t be able to care for himself and so would be homeless in two months. The nursing home he is in is really nice compared to the last one which was abusing him emotionally, physically, and even sexually because the nurses decided he needed Jesus in his life and he rejected that being forced on him. So they were going to abuse him until he relented and came to their Jesus. This one gives him his medications on time, changes his ostomy bag or helps him do it, and they have been nice / kind to him. I understand his frustrations having to share a room with another person and basicly having no privacy but… the US government / wealthy don’t care about people in a land where profit is king.
I got up at 4:20 to feed the cat who when he thinks he needs food howls to get one of us up. I decided to stay up and watch the recorded news that I did not get to watch yesterday. I was not well at all yesterday, highly stressed which has been the situation for a while. My doctors were clear and Ron reminded me that my body breaks down under stress, and I am to be under as little stress as possible. That is not possible and has not been for a while. When I woke yesterday it was already much later than normal for me. Ron said he could tell I was having a bad night, I was highly agitated. I had gotten up at 2 am with a huge contracture, a “cramp” in the large side muscle in the upper part of the leg. I managed to get out of bed but couldn’t straighten out my leg. I spent 30 minutes moving around the bed holding on to the dresser and the end of the bed, leaning over to put weight on the leg, then removing it. Eventally I got it to touch the floor and hold some weight so I limped to my office and got a cane, then went to the bathroom which was a critical need by then. Ron never woke up and was upset I did not wake him. Not much he could do that I did not know to do myself.
When I got up with Ron at 7 I still couldn’t move or use the leg which was being electrified from the knee down, I couldn’t bend the leg due to the muscle still hurting from the cramp. I was swinging the leg forward and walking “peg legged” with a cane. Ron realized something was wrong and had me take my blood pressure and pulse. My blood pressure was extremely high. My pulse was also far too high. So high he asked me to take another dose of my blood pressure and heart rate medications. Ron had me sitting and checking it every ten minutes. It was not coming down and the first news show I started watching made it worse. So as I as them recorded I went back to bed until noon.
The reason for so much stress is Ron. He had his new medication Saturday that opens the arteries so he was better Sunday, but all day friday and Saturday I had to watch him and deal with him. He was exstrememly forgetful, unable to work his computer, he would sit in his recliner and fall asleep even during a conversation. He has bad sleep apnea and so he has to have his CPAP machine anytime he goes to sleep. But even in the bed he was forgetting to put it on until reminded. I offered to move it out to his chair but he would promise not to fall asleep as he just wanted to watch a few things on TV, 2 minutes later he was asleep. I would make him go to bed and I stay there until he had his CPAP on. I don’t dare let him drive like this so I am doing all the driving and shopping now. I am doing the dishes so he doesn’t exsert himself and the last time he washed the dishes he put everything away in the worng drawers not even realizing he was doing it. So yesterday afternoon while he slept I did the dishes. He cooked a porkloin last night so I have a bunch of dishes to do when I get home. I did pick everything up and rinsed everything off / out so it should be easier than it could have been.
I have a doctor’s appointment this morning and I have to go with Ron as you can see to his new heart surgeon on Wednesday morning, which I have to look up and see where he is. I am tired people. I went to bed at 5 yesterday but kept getting up to check on Ron as he was in his recliner and I wanted to make sure he was not sleeping. Care of the cat has totally fallen to me now. I asked him if he could clean the cat litter box before he came to bed. He assured me he would so I went to bed. And he did not do it as he forgot. I did it when I woke up. Randy is sick after just having surgery, his parents are both sick / ill. Ron is teetering with the same thing that killed his brother-in-law. And I am worried and scared.
When I get the dishes done today I will try to get to the wonderful comments and reply to somethings Ali posted which I appreciate. Ali has really stepped up and is posting more to give everyone something on the blog to read and engage in. I can’t say how much I am grateful for that. Got to go. Hugs
Scottie's Playtime 
Scottie, no worries, please, about my posts or any of that. You enjoy the comments, engage with those whenever you have the time. Mostly, save your energy for your time there at home. Everyone has only a certain number of spoons, and it sounds as if you give away far more than all of us here on the blog may have if we put them all together! Seriously, if there’s a time for self-care, this is it. Take care of the duties you need to take care of there in your home, so you can relax and even sleep a little bit. Take care of Ron and Tupac, and enjoy the time you’re spending with them, whatever you’re doing with them, even the litterbox. (I know; “Enjoy the litterbox? Have you ever cleaned a litterbox?” Yes, but they were shelter kitties to whom I was not as attached as to a pet in my home, where the smoke detector just went off! Holy cow, back in a minute.) OK. No idea what that was about, but anyway, my point being I could make fun of the litterbox to the kitties because they weren’t my kitties.
Well, I have to go buy another smoke detector. I wrote a bunch of words up there to help distract you, but one of my bugaboos is a house fire, having survived one, so I need to get a new one because this one is not functioning properly, and according to the manual should be replaced. Even though it’s not ten years old… anyway, Scottie, none of anything is your fault. Please don’t worry about us, just come see us when you can. We love you. Take good care. -A.
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Well done for all your hard work Ali.
Sorry I haven’t be stopping by recently (Long story…..or maybe a collection of short stories).
Did you get a good smoke alarm?
Best wishes
Roger
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🤣 I have 3 (or more?) of yours saved in my Inbox to go read! No worries.
Yes, I got a new version of the one I had. They’re supposed to last 10 years; I got about 3 out of the one I replaced. Still, fine with me. And now there is a new one that should last 10 years. As long as it works!🤣
Thank you, Roger, I appreciate it! All is well. I was trying to distract Scottie with lots of words, but got interrupted by beeps! I know he appreciates everything all of us do, by reading here, and our comments, etc. So, thank you! I know he’ll be back around to thank everyone again, too.
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Hi Ali.
I’m glad you found a new smoke alarm, here’s hoping it is dependable, but that you do not have to rely on its for real.
I admire you both for your hard work and stalwart determination to Keep On Keeping on. You are members of the true Patriots of the USA. Keep on.
And, if you are reading this Scottie. Our best wishes and hopes for you and Ron – Roger & Sheila UK. 🙏🌈
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Hi Ali. You are a grand wonderful person and I am not sure how you keep doing it. To have such a great outlook and positive nature is a blessing I can only imagine. But I am genuinely grateful for you sharing that outlook with me as I really need it now.
I had to laugh at your mention of spoons. The first time I heard of such a thing was Kamyk telling me I needed to hold back some of my spoons that I was going through them too fast and it was hurting me. I had only recently met him and had no clue what he was talking about. So he explained it. Now you are repeating the same things he told me then.
Today is the first day I have had off in I can’t remember. Diane and Ron went out to get Ron’s blood work done which he did not do, then eat breakfast, then shop, eat lunch out, then get groceries, then come home. I have managed to get so much done on the blog with both posting and replying to the wonderful comments. Yes I do love the comments. For me it is a conversation, a discussion.
Last night as I was finishing the last load of a day of laundry. I had done all the work around the house, I couldn’t stand upright, I could barely walk and was holding on to stuff. Ron came into the room and gave me a hug. He said thank you. Thank you for all you are doing I do see it. I realize now you are doing it because you love me and want me to be OK. Don’t know whether his sister said something to him or not. But I simply said I am glad, I do love you and I want us together forever. Then I went to bed. I slept late for me. But I am still so tired. But I feel so much better. I got back to my blog I love so much, and I got to reply to comments I love so much. But tomorrow. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my primary care and he is going to freak out about the labs.
As for the cat box I have to tell you about the new cat. Our other cat we recently had to put down was very large and neurotic. His pees were lakes and his poops were messy horribly smelling things that were toxic to nature. We went through a lot of litter and litter bags. Tupac is totally the other way. Yes he is incontinent, but he leaves little poops that we give him fiber to keep small and soft. He does try to pee in the box and his pees are small little balls he covers. He uses so little litter and so few bags it night and day from Odie. Sadly what he saves us in litter he costs us in laundry as where he lays to sleep he leaks so we have almost daily towel washes but still, when I get into bed and he presses up against me, I know the risk. And I gladly accept it.
Sorry to hear you went through a fire. That has to be scary and devastating. Please take care of yourself and your family. We all need and depend on you so much. You are a grand light in the world and the world would be much darker without you. Hugs
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Kittie dipes. Seriously. I got some for Maggie when she was here, as she was a constant stream. I know they make them for kitties. Just get them. It’ll help.
(blush) on the rest. I do whatever I can to help, no more or less than anyone would do. You would do it.
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Hi Ali. I am not sure if I want to try to put a diaper on an elderly grumpy cat with super sharp claws and a very sore damaged end of his spine. I value my hands and face as I don’t heal as well as I used to. But thanks for the suggestion. 😜😝😛😋😀😁😂😉 Hugs
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Hi Scottie
You, Ron and your friends have our deepest sympathy and concern in these hard and difficult times. That you are able to carry on with your blog astounds me; way beyond my abilities.
Sheila and I will be thinking of you, hoping for a turn around in your fortunes. Would that we could offer some material help to you.
We are here though, and you matter to us.
Our wishes and hopes to you all.
Roger and Sheila
🙏🌈
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Hi Roger. Thank you for your kind words. But in truth I failed horribly at keeping up with the blog. I was burning the candle at both ends and the sides to keep everything going. My recent lab tests show how badly my body is handling everything. But it is OK. The great thing is Ali and Randy have have stepped up to post while I struggle with the situation at home. Ali has risen to the challenge amazingly. She has not only increased her posting but also done so while remembering to post about the marginalized people I wanted to give a voice to. Randy has posted more recently knowing how underwater I am, and he is doing it while not feeling well from recent serious surgery due to an infection. The people like yourself who come here and comment are also a source of strength. I may not have read them when you commented and I may take a while to respond. But they still give me strength, hope, and a light in the darkness of my days. Thank you. Hugs
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Hi Scottie.
No, my dear friend, I will not buy into any ‘failed horribly’ stuff.
It is a question of doing the best you can, any you can, when you can. If you are unable for one reason or another to post up, then that is Circumstance, no more, no less.
Ali and Randy are doing sterling work for you because you are who you are Scottie and the three of you vibe together; which is a joy.
You and Ron look after yourselves and each other as best you can. The blog can wait if it has to,
Best wishes, thinking of you guys,
Roger & Sheila
🙏🌈
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