Sunday afternoon, the cleaner came. In the hour before, I took a nap. Somehow, during the nap, I hurt my right knee so that I was limping. I used the walker to relieve the pain. When we came out of the bedroom after she made my bed, I was pushing the walker down the hall. I was soooo tired! I came all the way back to my chair and realized the brakes were on. No wonder it was so hard to push!
She made my bed, vacuumed the hall and living room, and made scrambled eggs for me. I cannot stand long enough to cook scrambled eggs. There were no eggs! Catastrophe! So, I sent Tommy after eggs. She followed my directions, wanting me to be there in case she forgot what I said. When it was all done, she had scrambled nine eggs for me. I will eat them over a few days. I actually wanted to eat all of them right then.
Tommy has ruined my scrambled eggs twice, so I was not taking a chance on him cooking them again. However, thinking it over, I may sit and supervise him and give him another try. Monday, I will cook bacon, some for eating with the eggs, some for a tomato sandwich, and the rest to freeze.
Before she cooked, she did put away a few of the Christmas stuff. I have some cute pans to cook tiny breads in. I decided they could be stored in the skinny doors next to the stove. Why not? I won't have to unpack them to bake before Christmas.
Then, when she left and I had eaten my scrambled eggs, I took another nap. I slept eight or so hours, but I am not sure it counts if it is in disjointed sessions.
Monday, and I forgot to cook bacon. However, I did have scrambled eggs. Oh, well. I really do need to cook bacon for a blt, though. So far, I have turned on the dishwasher and made slaw. My energy level is so low, so low. Does anyone have Hashimoto's disease?
I have Hashimoto's. I will not take Synthroid as it is only T4. Armour doesn't work for me, either. I get Erfa from Canada and my doc writes a script for it. It dissolves under the tongue and bypasses the liver. T3 and T4. I have used it for years. I wish I had a cleaner that cooks, too.
ReplyDeleteTewshooz,
DeleteThat was all Greek to me. No one has offered me anything. But, those meds are good places to start. Thanks.
You were told you have Hashimotos and are on no thyroid meds? Google search is a good place to educate yourself so you know what to say to your endo.
DeleteTewshooz,
DeleteI was put on thyroid meds and not told I had Hashimoto's. I have told everyone who has ever treated me all I knew at the time. They had all doctor records. I complained about fat tongue, too much in my mouth, making me talk funny at times, and biting my tongue, exhaustion, swelling. Still, no one has addressed this. I am so disgusted. I really do not like the endo Tommy and I are both seeing. My appointment is the end of this month.
One doctor said he did not know swollen tongue was a sign of H. I sort of get a blank stare before doctors change the subject.
Yeah, well I had an endo walk out of his office while I was still talking to him. They are an arrogant bunch. There is a book called "Stop the Thyroid Madness". It is a lifesaver. Not all low thyroid is Hashimoto's. Also, do not allow any medico to bully you. I had better care with a good family physician, especially if you educate yourself and know what you are talking about.
DeleteTewshooz,
DeleteThe doctors who work at AFC have helped me the most. I wish I could find those doctors as they often move to practice closer to where they live.
The first endo I went to was all over me. The first thing he did was examine my ears and was leaning and rubbing all over me! He was leaning so hard he hurt my shoulder and lower back.
I will check out that book. Thanks.
I wasn't aware you had Hashimotos; no fun that
ReplyDeleteYes it is easy to ruin scrambled eggs; by now I have to make them myself or they won't be done properly which is 'my way'
Urspo,
DeleteI went to endocrinologist for three years before he accidentally told me. He had seen me for three years without telling me.
Yes, yes, yes! My way! I don't care what anyone thinks about my way, it is the only way I will eat them. We will have to trade 'ways'.
I never cease to be amazed at how lousy your health care providers seem to be. Have you considered reaching out to your county's Elder Services for an advocate to accompany you to appointments?
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine eating scrambled eggs, or any eggs, really, that have been reheated days later.
My housekeeper, who we had when we had the 3 littlest in diapers at the same time, used to prepare food for us. I would tell her what I planned for meals for the week, and she would prepare it, but I never supervised her per se, because she was a good cook. Basically, she and I would batch cook together. We would prepare lasagna, meat loaf, burritos...things like that, but not cook them. I would keep them in the refrigerator and just have to pop them in the oven. It was nice to be able to just preheat an oven to 350 degrees, put something in, and have dinner 30 minutes or so later, that didn't come out of a box, or have an obviously reheated taste! Now, the tables have turned as I sometimes join a friend to help her prepare meals for her clients. (She does elder care.) Her lasagna is the best I have ever had, hands down, btw. Even when I follow her recipe to the letter, I still can't reach her level!
Meg,
DeleteI have had good healthcare providers, but don't have complaints. I thought maybe Tommy thought I was nuts with the tales I told him about what doctors said. So, I had him go in with me in order to witness the madness or intervene. He has my permission to speak up.
There is no such service here.
I do not heat the eggs, just get the chill off them. They are really good. Tommy has nuked them to death and now knows how many seconds to heat them, so they are palatable, and the taste and texture is like just cooked scrambled eggs.
The closest we come to batch cooking is the dinners in the oven for later meals.
Your town or county should have a commission on aging. Have you ever looked into it? The services you can receive are things like help with filing paperwork for Medicare services (like getting Tommy's Dexcom covered), help with social security paperwork nutrition services (meals delivered) . They also should be able to refer you to private caregivers (housekeepers, meal preparations, help shopping, and medical assistance (help bathing, organizing meds, rides to appointments, and advocacy in the appointments.) I can't believe Alabama doesn't have that in its municipalities.
Deletemeg
DeleteI have used services by commission on aging. In what state do you live?
Here is a list of services available in our county.
Deletehttps://mowjeffco.org/for-clients/resources-for-the-elderly/
Nothing there applicable to me.
DeleteAnne- that's only Meals on Wheels...they operate out here too, through the United Way I think. Their meals suck,(which is why my friend, who is also a retired medical professional, offers cooking services with her visits.) What I am saying is that there has to be a commission on aging, or elder services department within the municipality which, while it might not OFFER services like MOW , home visits, accompaniment to doctors appointments, cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc, it keeps a referral list, or a registry of approved caregivers who DO provide these services, and lists what their rates are. My friend, when she retired, registered with the local senior center as a caregiver, and that is how she received her clients...the clients called the center looking for someone to, among other things, come regularly to, take them shopping, take them to appointments, do light housework, etc. My friend also still has a licensure which allows her to do additional things. All her visits, even if it's to drive someone to Costco, include vitals, and a review of prescriptions. Her rate is $35/hour, with a minimum charge of two hours. It's the same rate that a national company like Visiting Angels charges, but instead of almost half going to the company, this all goes the caregiver. The only thing the senior center here does in this capacity is run a background check on all its caregivers on its registry before approving them for referral. Caregivers pay a registration fee which covers the cost of the initial background check, and are notified once they have been added to the list. The registration fee is due every two years (in order to renew the background check.) The list contains name, address, services offered, fee, availability and any additional licensure the caregiver might hold (Occupational therapist, RN, perhaps even manicurist). When a potential client calls the center requesting a referral, the center matches their needs with the registered caregivers, and gives them the contact info.. They then call the caregiver to schedule a meet and greet. Most clients usually bring bringing a family member along. I would imagine your municipality offers this service within its senior centers, for all it may not be advertised.
DeleteBe advised: This list also black balls not only caregivers for substandard care, but clients for things like failure to pay, repeated cancellations, improper representation of duties etc. In all her time on their referral list, my friend only reported two clients, one, because he was beyond the scope of her care, and needed medical referral the other because she repeatedly cancelled on the day of and then balked at paying the minimum two hour fee.
All in all, in the years since she started doing this, my friend has enjoyed the work. She becomes close with her clients and their families. I enjoy going along with her to help out!
Always have someone go with you to a doctor's appointment. Always.
ReplyDeleteTewshooz,
DeleteWhen I started going with Tommy, things improved. I heard him tell Tommy to take the med and if he feels better, then continue. I interjected that Tommy never feels off with diabetes issues. He sort of looked at Tommy and said goodbye to Tommy. You know--I am interfering woman. Well, he is safer now, stresses me less, and does not scare me when driving. This is the longest he has ever gone without needing EMTs to come here.
And, he is hearing crazy things said to me.