Day 84 of Sheltering In

Friday. My daughter had her coronavirus test this morning at 11am and was told she must isolate for 72 hours. The nurse at the group home office said she would let the staff know they still needed to get my daughter her medication as prescribed. Staff refused to get my daughter her diabetes medication at 4pm. She is due for her mental health medications at 8pm. My daughter has contacted her Team Lead leaving her a voicemail. I texted her Team Lead. Crickets. This isn’t rocket science folks! Give my daughter her damn medicine as prescribed. Put the pills in a bottle or ziplock bag and toss it to my daughter at the top of the stairs. Call my daughter and tell her to go to the front porch and put that bottle or bag on the porch and watch my daughter through the damn window as she takes her medications. My blood is boiling right now. Are they forkin morons that they can’t figure this out on their own? They don’t need to rig a damn dumb waiter outside to a 2nd floor window, but they need to figure out SOMETHING! There are all kinds of ways to get her medication to her without being near her.

I 

may 

need 

bail 

money.

I had my PT Eval for my shoulders. Not only did they make me move my painful arms and shoulders in unnatural ways and take measurements, they also started PT. OMG! I hurt so bad right now. The situation at my daughter’s group home isn’t helping because it’s making me tense and making the arms, shoulders and back hurt more.

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Day 83 of Sheltering In

Thursday. No tests today for my daughter. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m just not gonna go there. I am fed up with the bs between the staff and the office...enough! My daughter is supposed to go for the coronavirus test Friday. I’ve explained the procedure several times and let her know that the swab is not nearly 12 inches long like they showed on the news. It’s 5” long, maybe a bit less. I also explained how far it goes and what it felt like so my daughter knows what to expect and doesn’t ruminate on it until the test. I talked to her several times today because of Nutjob issues. She didn’t once mention the test. 👏

I go for PT eval Friday. At least 1 of the people who worked with me when I last went there is still working there. So that’s cool. The receptionist called out to one of the therapists to see if they could fit me in Friday. The receptionist said my name and the therapist remembered me. All the therapists were kind of chatty. It was almost like having friends. (Wow that was pathetic!) It’s weird though because it’s not that big of a place, so with social distancing I wonder how many patients will be there. I’m looking forward to the tens unit and full back ice pack. I wonder if they’ll do that or just drape ice packs over my shoulders? I’m hoping for both. Last time I went for an extended period it was for my back and they also did heat/ice packs on my neck after the store accident. I’m hoping “the creeper” doesn’t work that location anymore. He was really creepy, let’s just leave it at that.

I almost had a fall today. I was able to stop myself. I was getting dressed, putting on a pair of chinos and I lost my balance and almost did a face plant. I stopped myself by putting my hand on top of the nightstand. I’m pretty sure I sprained 2 fingers. Right hand, 2 middle fingers. Not cool. I usually use my cane with my right hand. I can’t now because of some swelling and pain, which makes me unsteady. How do I know I sprained them? Because I can move them, so they aren’t broken. What’s with that logic? I’ve been hearing that since I was a kid. ‘It’s not broken if you can move it.’ I briefly contemplated going to urgent care, because now I can with my new insurance. But I didn’t because I really don’t want to go to a medical place with the coronavirus going on. When I got tested it was drive-thru, and the tech wore PPE head to toe, including a face shield. I didn’t need to get out of the car. The tech looked like Marty McFly in “Back to the Future” when he blasts Van Halen from his Walkman when he put 🎧 on his dad’s ears and makes him think he’s an alien. I didn’t need to go in the hospital, but if I went to urgent care, I would have to go in. 

I think my brother in law is coming over Friday to not mow the backyard again. If it would actually look like he trimmed the trees and bushes I wouldn’t complain. But it didn’t look like any yard work got done when he was here the last time. I can’t remember if he was here Wednesday, or Tuesday. 

I can’t remember shirt lately and it’s terrifying me. I mean nearly every conversation lately I start talking and stop mid sentence and can’t remember what I was going to say. Sometimes it will come to me in a minute or three, other times I just can’t remember anything about what I started talking about. Yesterday I wrote and sent a fairly long email. I went back to read it later to my daughter and multiple sentences made no sense, words out of order. I was getting interrupted a lot, so perhaps that’s why it makes me sound like an idiot. I mean, my blog posts lately haven’t been like that, right? 

When I made all those calls to my new insurance on Wednesday someone told me that due to the coronavirus, no referrals are needed for specialists. If I have enough time Friday I think I will call again and ask. If it’s true I’m going to call the C Center and see if I can get my checkup scan this month instead of waiting until December. 🙏🏻 I can do that.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020

Day 82 of Sheltering In

Wednesday. The storms yesterday were awful. Tornados close to us.

Another day on the phone with insurance. Still no callback, and the 3 different people I spoke with in customer service had no idea what to say. The pharmacy department is the only one I got correct information from the first time I called them. Customer service on Monday gave me all ophthalmologists phone numbers. I specifically said I’ve already had my annual exam, I need an optometrist so I can get an exam and new eyeglasses. I was emailed 3 pages of doctors. Since I was on the phone all day I didn’t have a chance to research them. Monday I was given 6 places to call for a specialist. I googled each one and checked them out in HealthGrades, WebMD, and Vitals. All of them had horrible reviews. I talked to customer service today, the person said they would email me a 15 page list of in network doctors. I never got it. I got the Optomotrist list in less than 5 minutes. I checked my spam folder, wasn’t there either.

I may be doing a porch drop of my daughter’s clean laundry, new shoes, and magazines. I give her my magazines when I’m done with them. She reads them and then cuts them up to make collages. I have a bunch of subscriptions I got free with AARP rewards points. She has to go for chest x-rays, the coronavirus test, and some other test. Yup, our doctor wants her to have the test. Her asthma has been bad and he’s thinking she may have bronchitis, but wants to rule out the coronavirus. I’m not saying anything to the in-law who told me ‘I hope they don’t tell you that you’re positive just so they can increase the coronavirus numbers.’ I was also told by this person that the coronavirus is a hoax. Tell that to some people who had a family member die from the coronavirus. And don’t tell them their loved one really died of something else and coronavirus was listed as cause of death just to increase the coronavirus death toll. Honest to God! I could have sworn this person was intelligent. This person is going off the rails and I hope won’t need to be hospitalized. My wife concurs. I stopped watching their Facebook Live posts because I couldn’t take watching because this person clearly is one taco short of a combo platter. I think it’s safe to say I am somewhat of a lay person expert on the subject, having watched my kids have breaks, and that other person. It’s not pretty, and believe me when I say, I can tell by watching this person. If you want to know what this person most likely has, PM me, or put leave your email address in the comments and I will send a reply.

My daughter found out that IDPH has announced that day programs will remain closed through August 31, 2020. It did not specify that the lockdown will also continue until then. Wow! Just wow! But it may be very likely.

I will likely hear from the Director or Asst Director on Thursday because I sent an email about what’s going on at the group home my daughter is at. Someone stole 3 boxes of my daughter’s albuterol vials, leaving her with zero. She badly needs to use her nebulizer because she has had bad asthma attacks and probably has bronchitis. Well, either stole or gave them to a housemate that has asthma. If they were expired, then my daughter should have been notified so she could get refills. I’m betting on one of the first 2. 

Nutjob continues to terrorize my daughter. Yesterday Nutjob was kicking my daughter. Nutjob screamed at my daughter saying she will come pounding on her bedroom door in the middle of the night tonight.

My brother in law is coming over to not mow the backyard again. Yes, you read that correctly.  He bought a bunch of stuff for my daughter’s group home. Socks, colored pencils, and he was going to pick up a few more things I suggested. (He asked me, I wouldn’t suggest if he hadn’t.) I told him sunscreen, poster board, construction paper, coloring books, acrylic paint, wood crafty stuff to paint, bandanas, and hats. The bandanas and hats are for keeping cool outside in the heat. He was going to donate some stuff to the homeless shelter he stayed at for over a year, but they won’t take donations, so he wants to donate to my daughter’s group home.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020

Day 81 of Sheltering In

Tuesday. Never got a callback from care coordinator today. I answered every unknown call. I got Health Insurance Scam, home security system, car warranty scam. I got a call that most definitely was not BCBS. I don’t think they cold call to sign people up. I don’t know what the company was for home security, but we have that taken care of, and it’s likely a scam anyway. Car warranty, definitely a scam because my extended warranty barely started, so it’s not about to expire. I hate having to answer scam calls because I’m expecting a call from someone unknown, from somewhere unknown.

Ortho PA appointment today. Both shoulders, but they won’t look at both in a single appointment. I thought it was body part, and that’s why I have an appointment for my knee next week. The x-ray tech did not disappoint. My worst arm was moved in ways a well arm never is manipulated, and bonus, she had to do 8 times instead of 3 because they came out too dark and had to be redone. Grrr.

My daughter had a televisit with our PCP because she has been having asthma attacks too frequently. Staff refuses to allow her to use her Nebulizer. She is supposed to use it 4 times a day when her asthma is bad. Dr is faxing the office tomorrow to get them to follow his orders and take her for x-rays and testing. His tech conference called me with my daughter and said that he may need to call over there. Also, she needs a chest x-ray and something else, but staff refuse to take her and if I do it she will have to stay at my house for 2 weeks. Oh, bonus, dr wants her to get tested for the coronavirus. I get it, he wants to rule it out before he started treating her, probably for bronchitis. If staff hears she has to get tested they will isolate her again. #%$&@ Grr! 

My wife and son aren’t getting along, I don’t need my daughter thrown into that mix. Especially since she’s having issues breathing. I am so stressed from intervening, it’s no wonder why my IBS is acting up. I get she is in pain. She usually stays home all the time so I don’t know why she won’t take her medication.

Funnel cloud sighting, warning until 8pm. It better move along and skip where I live. I cannot handle another tornado causing damage to my home again. I just got the freezers filled with food the end of last month. If I lose that food, I will lose it. 2007 tornado whipped through our backyard knocking out power for more than 4 days, and a lot of damage done to my house, garage, and sheds. 

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020

Day 80 of Sheltering In

Monday. Laundromat day. Then I was on the phone with my new health insurance. I have an appointment at an out of network doctor (I’ve been seeing over 10 years) Wednesday. The insurance needs to do coordination of care paperwork to allow me to continue seeing this doctor until I find another. I got transferred several times and ended up being told someone from that department would call me. Apparently this is rocket science. Grrr. 

I’ve been sick with IBS issues for the last 5 days. My  stress level is high.

Brother-in-law was over. Guess what? He didn’t mow the backyard. He did something with my Eucalyptus bushes. I’m hoping he didn’t do a hack job. I wanted them trimmed heavily. I did not want it cut off at ground level. I’ll go take a look Tuesday. Anybody want any eucalyptus? I’ve got a large supply.

Tuesday I go to the orthopedic doctor for my shoulders. I am not looking forward to it. I know they are going to aggravate both shoulders and the tendons all the way to the wrist. Not my first rodeo, I know how the tech manipulates my arms to get the x-rays. Then the PA will test strength and range of motion. 

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020

Day 76, 77, 79 of Sheltering In

Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The days just all run together.

Protest in J Town Friday. It was actually quite near my daughter’s group home, so I was not going near there. My brother in law came over to do the front lawn. FIVE hours and it looks like it hasn’t been cut for 2 weeks. Dang it all! Lower the deck, I don’t give a shirt if it gets scalped, I actually prefer it because sometimes we get so much rain it grows too fast. Scalp the front and side and it should take an hour and a half with the walk behind mower. If the rider was working it would take a half hour. If the rider were working I’d mow the damn lawns myself. Front and side yards look like shirt because they look like they need to be mowed right after he does it!

Saturday my brother in law came over to mow the back yard. Mmm, not so much. He bought ANOTHER gas weed whacker and played with that for at least 5 hours. Back yard is still not done, trees are not trimmed (he promised that several years ago). My electric chainsaw works just fine, but he wants to buy a larger gas chainsaw. It’s not necessary, but if it will get him to trim the darn trees, then do it already! It’s his money he’s spending, not mine. 

After he left my son and I went to the bodega for veggies to make tabuleh. Ever since I tried the recipe from Pinterest I’m making it about every other week.  After I got back my wife went to pick up a gyros plate for my son and I to share, and I had the leftovers for lunch on Sunday. This non-chain restaurant is very generous with portions. We always order extra pita bread and extra tzatziki sauce knowing we will get 3 meals out of 1.

Sunday morning my son and I ran to Walmart to pick up what my daughter wanted, then picked up a taco plate on the way to drop them at her group home. I got there and there was a woman in a car in the driveway. My daughter told me that was their daytime staff. My daughter took her items from Walmart and her takeout, then brought her laundry down and loaded it in the Buick. Both washing machines have been out of service for 2 weeks. A repair person came midweek, but after other ladies tried them, found out they weren’t working properly. Guess who has to go to the laundromat tomorrow? I’m thrilled to have the honor! 

We stopped at The Jewel. Yes, it’s Jewel Foods (Albertsons), but we all call it The Jewel. Just went for a few items. While I was there my daughter called very upset. Nutjob was threatening my daughter, ordering my daughter to do Nutjob’s chores, threatened to throw away my daughter’s leftovers, and blocked my daughter from retrieving her leftovers to take to the 1st floor fridge so they would be safe. I asked if my daughter talked to staff. She replied no, staff was STILL in her car. I asked when that staff person started work. 9am. I asked if that person went in the house at all, she said no, she had been in her car the entire shift. I asked if she called the Team Lead. She said yes, but got no answer, same with On-Call. That was it. I had enough. I called the Team Lead and left a scathing message on her voicemail, then started typing a text to her when she called me back. Whenever she calls me back she makes like she didn’t listen to the message. She’s so fake. Anyway, I went all over everything with her. I also told her how staff had been in her car the entire shift. I asked her what her employer would think of that, paying a staff member to sit in her car. (I am not afraid to call her, the Asst Director and the Director when there are serious issues. At least 1 client in that group home requires constant supervision because she is known to run away, and self harm. If staff has to leave to pick a client up from work (none of them are working due to the lockdown), or run to the store, that 1 client must accompany the staff because she is not allowed to be home with no staff. The Team Lead said she would call that staff person as soon as she got off the phone with me, then she said she would call Nutjob and set her straight. That staff person needs to be terminated. Her entire job is making sure all the clients are safe and don’t harm themselves or others. I’m going to have my daughter text me in the morning to see if that staff person is there, and if she is in the building doing her job. If she’s there, I’m contacting the Asst Director and Director. I’m sure the Team Lead won’t even let them know about that staff member being in her car nearly her entire shift. 9am-3pm is the shift. I spoke with the Team Lead at 1:45pm. Since she called that staff person after we finished talking, that basically means that staff person worked less than an hour and 15 minutes, and jeopardized the health and well being of all the clients at my daughter’s group home for 6 hours and 45 minutes. 

After I got home I started dinner. A favorite that my wife has had a taste for, but we can’t travel for it, so I got a copycat recipe off Pinterest for La Hacienda Wet Burritos. I never had Wet Burritos before. They were  awesome, and my wife and my son loved them. Monday and Tuesday my wife will have to do dinner. Monday is laundry day and Tuesday is Orthopedic doctor for my shoulders. I can guarantee x-rays, and manipulation which is gonna hurt like hell. I have an appointment for my knee next Tuesday cuz you can never do 1 appointment for 2 body parts, even though it’s the same doctor. Whateves. It gets me out of the house. 

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020