Great News

I had my MRI an hour early (good thing I got there early). Different machine, more space. I got through it with my anti-anxiety meds and counting backwards. I felt close to falling asleep if it weren’t for the painfully pulled something that happened in my lower back right after I got locked in. I suffered for 30 minutes + 10 for the contrast dye, then 20 for the last scan. I was so happy when she unlocked the head cage!

An hour later I had my neurologist appointment. He didn’t show us the scans, but read from the report. No change! Excellent news!

Lola’s Diner cc 2008 - 2018

Mixed bag

A lot of very good things were said about my daughter at the meeting to talk about an apartment. That’s good. 

The 2 openings they have are in a building where 2 clients have “issues” and they are trying to figure out how to handle them. They wouldn’t elaborate, but I’m sure my daughter knows all about it because she has a friend in that building. They don’t want my daughter to be put in a bad or unhealthy situation. That’s good.

They bought a property in my town and expect to break ground on a 25 unit apartment building in March or April 2019. They purchased a property in a nearby town, it’s progress being they broke ground in March 2018 and expect to have it up and running 1st quarter 2019. So that means the new building in my town would likely be ready for residents 1st quarter 2020.

It’s disappointing for my daughter, but to be so close to home and live in a brand new building would be something she would prefer. It would also be easier transportation wise. Everyone would also be starting out fresh there. (Yes, my daughter did ask if she could move into the unit with 2 openings and then when the new building is done move there. They said no, it’s going to be all new people.) I know my spouse and I and her brother would love to have her closer. They expect to have a mix at the new building. Behavioral Health, Intellectual disabilities, and seniors. 

The meeting was jam packed with information. Each one of us, including my son asked some questions that appeared to be stumpers, but we did get answers.

Will I stop thrifting for awhile, since the wait is so long? We stopped at a thrift store on the way home. So that answers that. We got a couple of pieces of Corningware, and a Temptations set of canisters. She wanted to go retro in the kitchen, but I think we can work around that and still have it be retro/kitschy. My spouse picked up a favorite movie on DVD and a gift for one of the kids. Because cable tv is a lot extra and we’re not sure if it can fit in her budget, we have been collecting DVD’s, and DVD boxed sets.

My MRI never happened because they scheduled me on the wrong machine. They are squeezing me in tomorrow. The neurologist is 1 building over, so at least I won’t be racing across town.

My daughter has off work Friday so we told her to arrange to take that day off program. She needs to help get her furniture in the attic. The end tables, coffee table, 2 dining room chairs, and probably the dining room table (already disassembled) and 2 chairs. Then she can help bring the Christmas stuff down. It’s all on the kids to get this done because neither my spouse, nor myself can do any of that.

So now I have to psych myself up again for the MRI. I was all set, took my medication for claustrophobia, even started nodding off at after my blood work. I was rrready to go. I can do it! I have to. I’m anxious to find out the results.

Lola’s Diner cc 2008 - 2018

We have the apartment meeting on Tuesday

We finally have a date. Tuesday morning. I have my bloodwork and MRI’s in the afternoon. Fun stuff all day!

I really hope she gets approved. She’s really come a long way. I’m afraid if she’s not approved she will get very depressed. Not good.

It really would be the perfect time since they are bringing in a new client for her floor. That’s always super stressful. Who knows what kind of issues this woman has and who knows how the other housemate is going to react? The previous 3rd wheel was suicidal. I think she was invited to leave. 

It’s funny how all the housemates on the first floor all get along, no trouble makers, one does go off the rails periodically, but it’s mostly out of control screaming, no threat to her or anyone else. There’s always a wildcard on the second floor, which is wrong because the second floor is a privilege that’s supposed to be earned and it’s a stepping stone to moving to an apartment in the community.

My daughter already knows several people in the apartment building. One woman lived with her when she first moved into the group home. So she already has a friend there.

Please say a prayer, cross your fingers, wish us luck that she is approved to move into an apartment. 

I have homework tomorrow. I have to call Pace and find out how transportation will work because we’ve been told staff will no longer be providing work rides. Wish me luck!

Lola’s Diner cc 2008 - 2018

Passed!

Good gravy! I hurt. I thought my spouse and I were going to split the driving to reset the computer codes on the car. Nope, she didn’t sleep last night. She wanted to split ALL the driving last night, I insisted we don’t. She didn’t realize how long it really takes to drive that far...in the city.

I don’t even remember how many times I went past the mall that the testing site is behind. I still had 30 miles to go and not a lot of time so I hopped on I55, got off at the next exit, got back on and exited where I started. Rinse and repeat. Lol! Then I went for the test. I beat the last day of the month, last hour before closing rush. Only 1 car ahead of me. I figured I had enough miles put on, I had topped of the tank with premium gas before I started. I sat in the booth, fingers and toes crossed and said a prayer. I was concerned because it seemed to take longer than the car ahead of me. I PASSED! Turns out the reason mine took longer, was because my PASS paperwork had to print. The guy ahead of me failed and had to pay for an extension in the office while I paid for my registration. 

I know what you’re thinking. Lola! Why do you wait til the day before to get the car fixed and then the last day to get the emissions test and pay the registration? Money. I had a car repair the month before (power steering pump) and a new battery for the Pilot. And the repairs yesterday. I had to make sure I made it to the end of the month, and had enough. Technically there is no registration late fee until 30 days after the plates expired. I’ve paid it the next month more times than before the expiration date. Yes, I risk getting pulled over and getting a ticket, but the last 2 times I was late I got pulled over and schmoozed my way out of them.  Not bragging, it took a lot to accomplish it.

Tomorrow my spouse is putting the sticker on. My son had to little old lady walk me from the car to the house. I barely made it up the stairs when I got home.

So I took a muscle relaxant and am icing my back. Pain meds will be around 10:30, in the hopes that they help me sleep more than 2 hours. (It worked yesterday!) Good thing I did go to the doctor yesterday. The PT staff told me I couldn’t use ice or heat because of my skin infection. Wrong! Doctor said as long as there is a cloth between the ice pack and my skin I can do ice or heat. And I found out I lost 9 pounds since my last visit. Yay me!

So I’m just going to chill and watch Christmas movies. I started watching them a couple days before Thanksgiving. Trying to up my mood. 

Lola’s Diner cc  2008 - 2018

Yeah I’m here

I had my first day of PT in 4 months. EVERYTHING hurts. I’m going to a different place. I briefly went there before and didn’t like it, don’t like it now. I like the chain PT place, but this is what my new insurance pays for. The “exercises” just aren’t “right”. The movements and the way they had me use the Pilates Ring is not right. It’s supposed to be used to build up the abs. The way they showed me to use it today does not affect my abs. If it did my abs would be hurting. They aren’t. And the ab pain would be mild to moderate. But my back and shoulders feel like they thought I was Stretch Armstrong and they pulled my arms and back too much and tied me in a pretzel knot. My lower back is burning. Burning is not good. Dr Google does not say good things about lower back burning. If I sleep tonight and still feel it in the morning I’m going to call whichever doctor I can get ahold of, back doctor or PCP. 

After PT I went to pick up my spouse’s prescriptions at CVS Target and bought a microwave oven. I just didn’t stroll in and grab one, I researched a lot online. I spent less than $100 and it’s the same size and wattage as the old one.

It matches the fridge and the toaster oven/convection oven. So most of the kitchen is stainless steel and the rest is Bisque. It all works so I’m fine with it. 

Time to take some serious pain medication. I really hope Dr Google is wrong. 

Update:

The pain medication got me to fall asleep.  I did not take 1, I took 2. The Rx label said 1-2, I never noticed that. After about 2 hours I was awake and painfully tossing and turning. No more sleep and every time I got up for the bathroom I did the hunchback walk because I couldn’t stand up straight. I called my PCP when they opened at 7:30am. He is on vacation so I made an appointment with another doctor in the practice. Normally they don’t do that, but when the receptionist asked why I needed to see a doctor she kind of quietly gasped. So my spouse just called and told me what the PT staff said. They claim the burning means it’s healing. I don’t know what kind of crack they are smoking, but they need to put down the pipes. I’ve had this before, it means damage.

Update 2:

The car cost less than the estimate, but there’s bad news. Catalytic Converter, 1 bad strut, and something my spouse can’t remember.

The doctor I saw didn’t want to do a CT scan or order an MRI. He adjusted how I take my current pain meds (more often) and told me to follow up with my usual doctor end of next week. And no PT unless I get cleared for it at my follow up.

Lola’s Diner cc 2008-2018

How can I live without a microwave oven?

Today I was told that yesterday our microwave oven exploded. Well, not exploded, but end result is the same. LOUD sound, not working. That happened yesterday morning, so my spouse left it unplugged since then. She plugs it in tonight, it sounds like a microwave oven aircraft carrier. She unplugs it. I say I’m going to go check to see what’s on sale. She says, well let’s try it again in the morning. I’m not even joking!

This really sux because the car is going in on Thursday. (It’s going to cost $240 to fix. We have to drive it for 150 miles so the computer resets before I can take it for the emissions test. So that’s, $50 in gas, maybe more? And we have nowhere to go, we’re just going to be driving around. Yes, I Googled. (It sounded whack, I had to check.) The OBD (on board diagnostic) has to reset by driving the car. 

I looked on all the store apps I can think of:  Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy, BBB, Sears, Kmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, JC Penney, Macy’s. I can’t think of anything else. 

Walmart store won’t show the prices. All the other stores did not have any of the items I wanted in store, so I would have to ship to store or have it delivered in a WEEK! I can’t wait a week to microwave food! 

Here’s my post from January 2012:

http://lolasdiner.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-long-can-you-survive-without.html?m=1

So my microwave oven lasted almost 6 years. There is no way I’m waiting 2 weeks like I did for that one!

If it’s not one thing, it’s another...and another...

Lola’s Diner cc 2008-2018

Apartment please! Please?

I am a nervous wreck since Tuesday. My daughter had her 6 month meeting. This was just her semi-annual meeting, not, “The Apartment Meeting”.

The meeting Tuesday went well. I can even say it’s the best meeting yet. Well, it should be, time and all. There’s always room for improvement, and just like any “review”, even if things were near perfect, they will turn the most infinitesimal thing, into a thing just so they can give you a demerit. (That’s always been my experience.) So what was it? When she asserts herself in situations with the sole housemate on her floor she doesn’t speak loud enough to be heard. I take issue with that for several reasons: 1) my daughter speaks in the same conversational tone as she does with anyone, 2) it’s not my daughter’s fault that her housemate claims to be hard of hearing, 3) if my daughter were to raise her voice, a verbal fight would ensue, and my daughter would not feel safe. So she got points for asserting herself, but...it’s bs.

So at the end of the meeting, even though I told my daughter NOT to do it, she asked what her chances were for getting into an apartment. So they brought up how my daughter doesn’t do all her chores, all the time. It’s mostly because she goes on home visits on the weekend because no staff will drive her to work, and on Fridays they pick her up over 3 hours late. No joke. The other reason is because her sole housemate doesn’t always do her chores, so...wait for it...”it’s not fair!” Life isn’t fair. She’s never going to do her chores all the time so don’t get yourself in trouble for not doing chores. And yes, if she doesn’t sweep the kitchen on her nights there will be more to sweep for you. Suck it up buttercup. Things won’t change until my daughter gets into an apartment and she can’t get into one if she doesn’t do HER chores. 

So I’m talking until I’m blue in the face. This “fair” thing drives me bat crap crazy. Both my kids do it at my house. “It’s not fair.” If life were fair we’d all win the lottery.

I’m also trying to delay “The Apartment Meeting” so my daughter has an opportunity to turn things around. Tuesday night I stayed up late and wrote out “Apartment Success List” index cards, took photos of 

them and sent them to her. Yes, I’m totally nuts! Who does that? A parent who wants their disabled young adult kid to succeed. So, yeah, that’s me. 

One of the cards said “Make your bed right after you get up. Snap a photo and send it to me.” The first day was a fail. She forgot. I wanted the photo to make her accountable and see what her idea of a neatly made bed is. The next day I get a photo of her bed made, kind of sloppy, and it looked like she was in it! She’ll kill me, but you have to see it.

Doesn’t that look like a body in the bed? Black pants, white foot? Ok, not really foot, but at first glance! Where did she get that many pillows that she thought  to stuff them under the comforter long ways? 

We had a good laugh anyway. So after she gets back from work she will be learning how to make a bed neatly...even if you have 12 pillows. Lol! We will also go over the index cards.

It really isn’t fair if they say no to an apartment now. Now is the time. Make it now before her housemate sucks the soul out of her. The verbal abuse, slamming doors, in the face yelling, threatening, screaming at all hours, barging into my daughter’s room without knocking, almost causing falls on the steep staircase...that all disappears with an apartment. The ‘she’s not doing her chores, why should I do mine...it’s not fair’...that all disappears with an apartment too. And, our family, are willing to do everything we can to help make it a success for her. How many other clients can say that?

Maybe I was wrong to get her living room furniture (free and super cheap used. Salvation Army was good enough for my first apartment. I’m not an heiress here.) She knows about that stuff, and my old dining room set. I also got her a lot of kitchenware and home decor stuff that she doesn’t know about. I stopped looking for stuff. I look at the Black Friday ads and think, wow, that’s a deal, I should take her to get that. I feel like the more I do, I’ll jinx it. It’s stupid I know, but I’m weird like that about things sometimes. 

TMI?

Lola’s Diner cc 2008-2018