Sunday, January 9, 2022

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Tonight's picture was taken on January 28, 2009. Mattie was back in the hospital and as you can see a lot was going on right in the middle of the pediatric hallways! Mattie was having a physical therapy session. What you may not know though, was the person sitting down was another family member. So she had nothing to do with us. The couple walking down the hallway were also parents of a child in the hospital. Again nothing to do with us. Then there was a man standing on the right. That was Mattie's psychiatrist, you have Anna, his physical therapist, pulling the IV pole and for the life of me, I have no idea who the woman was next to Anna. Who she was observing Mattie. I love when hospitals talk about HIPAA. All I know is when living in the hospital, all of this is truly meaningless. Or at least it was to me. My focus was Mattie and I could care less who knew what about us!

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 60,062,077
• Number of people who died from the virus: 837,504

In addition to everything else I am managing, I am also balancing my dad's IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). If you haven't experienced caring for someone with IBS, all I can say is it's a handful. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects up to 10–15% of adults. It has a significant worldwide prevalence. Although IBS is not associated with an increased risk for life-threatening illness, it is associated with a significant health care and economic burden. Studies have shown that IBS patients have an increased number of outpatient health care visits, diagnostic tests, and surgeries. IBS can also severely compromise a person’s quality of life. IBS is second only to the common cold as a cause of absenteeism from work.

Since I landed in Los Angeles on November 18, I have been with my dad daily, 24 by 7. Since that point, his IBS has been under control. I did visit his gastroenterologist before leaving LA, and in order to manage my dad's situation, he takes Metamucil (large quantities) daily. That may sound counterintuitive, but natural fiber helps to manage his form of the situation. However, what I have observed is that my dad's IBS is VERY VERY connected to his emotional state. If he is nervous, anxious, and worked up, he will have a terrible bout of IBS. Which leads to diarrhea like you have never seen. It is explosive. 

My dad has worked himself up this morning into a silly about the fact that Peter was flying to Atlanta today for a week. Peter has a work trip and my dad has been asking A LOT of questions about this trip all week. But today was travel day and my dad's anxieties increased big time. I could tell this as soon as I woke him up and helped him shower. 

Soon after breakfast, my dad wanted to get up to go to the bathroom. But it was too late. Poop was all over him, the floor, everywhere. It was overwhelming and my dad can't stand long, balance, or help in the process. Of course I started to get hysterical. Not because he was making a total mess, but because I have told him time and time again that Peter's leaving isn't a problem. That he is coming back and I am not going anywhere, and I AM THE ONE meeting his every need. My dad doesn't like when I raise my voice, but as I told him today, I am only human, and though I manage A LOT there are times, where I too get overwhelmed and it comes out as yelling. 

Fortunately for my parents I am not squeamish and have no problem managing poop, vomit, and other noxious issues. But I am quite sure that not every child could handle what I face with my parents on a daily basis. In any case, my dad has been out of it for the rest of the day. The bout of IBS totally wore him out, and managing his daily anxieties and pervasive cognitive and physical issues are enough to wipe out an army.