A Wandering Husband

Jim is driving me nuts with his wandering. I bought an audio monitor so I could hear him, but he manages to get up from the bed or couch without his walker and take a stroll into the (hard) tile-floored powder room without me hearing a sound. He can even take these wanders with me in the same bed. Why he won't call my name I don't know. I even tried to set up a "baby gate" by blocking his access out of the bed with the wheelchair, and he managed to move that, get into and out of the bathroom, and sit back on the end of the bed without me hearing him. We had quite a squabble tonight about his "neediness" without asking for help.

I've been on the Internet trying to find a motion detector or personal alarm. I found a great Alzheimer's site for products, but with my damned dial-up networking, I couldn't get into the catalog. Had to order a land-based catalog.

I have 2 DRs tomorrow for myself. At 7:30 am is the radiation oncologist. After I recovered from the radiation burn, my skin felt good for about a week. Now the scar tissue is really forming on the right side and I feel like I am wearing a sports bra 3 sizes too small. I would love to take Percocet for the pain, but it knocks me out, and I can't be knocked out unless Patrick is here. So I only get a Percocet one time every 2 days.

No I take that back. I just went to take 2 Ibuprofen. Where is my head? Hope the IBU don't knock me out so much I don't make the appt. Oh, well, if I do, no big deal. This is a large office with a small client list. I can get in somewhere else on their schedule in a heartbeat. I also am concerned that I will be leaving Jim alone for 45 minutes.

Then at 2:30, I see Dr. Boob, the reconstructive surgeon. It's our final "meet" before surgery. He wants to put another 60ccs in each expander (although with the pain and swelling on my right side I'm not sure we are going there), so that he has some "extra skin" for the implant surgery on February 9. Jack, the fellow from the DE Hospice visiting (Transitions) program is supposed to be here at 2 to sit with Jim while I am gone.

I got a written notice from Dr. Boob's office about my surgery. It's not going to be in one of the surgicenters. It will be (again) in the Wilmington hospital OR, so I get to see all the same ole nurses and aides I have grown so fond of. (I always get a new permanent marker when I have to write YES and NO on my surgical sites. This time, they both will be YES.) Dr. Boob's office promises that the surgery will continue to be outpatient, and that I should be released around 6pm that day. I am thinking about taking a bus or cab there for my 1:30 check-in, and trying to find a friend to pick me up ~6. The hospital will not allow me to take a cab home. My brother Dave will be here, but his main job that day is to watch Jim. I may rethink that; I may ask Patrick's agency to send someone in for 3 hours to watch and feed Jim while my brother gathers me up from recovery and discharge.

I haven't been able to get back to PT since early last week, and the cording in my arms is driving me crazy. Maybe PT Bruiser could make a home visit? I don't think I qualify because it's not my immobility, but maybe she can work something out.

I am so sorry I ramble on. But this is like journaling for me, and very cathartic.

Best to all!