Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2008. It was only six months before Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. We were SO SO naïve back then, as it never crossed my mind that children get cancer and die. To me, Mattie looked like the picture of health and was out and about with us enjoying nature. This was typical of our weekends.... as we knew Mattie thrived and was one with nature, fresh air, and exploration.
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 73,357,903
- Number of people who died from the virus: 878,128
I woke up this morning, got myself showered and dressed, and then began my chores. I did not make breakfast this morning because I was taking my parents to the doctor for a blood test and a urine analysis. Therefore my parents could only have water, tea or coffee (without sugar and milk). I made my mom a thermos of hot tea and while she was drinking it, I went upstairs and got my dad up, showered, and dressed.
I give myself credit for remembering to catch my dad's urine at home (in a sample cup). This spared me for having to juggle this at the doctor's office where it would be much much harder. So I literally put my dad's sample together, and left it outside in the cold, while showering him. We left the house at 10am to head to the doctor's office. But literally I have to get up very early in order to make all of this happen! Meaning it just doesn't happen without a great deal of planning!
I wasn't sure how it would go at the doctor's office, but the doctor's new phlebotomist is lovely. She worked with my dad first, and though it was hard to find his vein and draw blood, she did it. Thankfully I put a short sleeved undershirt on my dad, because trying to roll up his sleeves and maneuver him is difficult. After he was done, I moved my dad to the doctor's lobby to sit in a chair until my mom was done. While my mom was giving her urine sample, another patient showed up for blood work. I literally told the patient that my mom was next and she had to wait. She handled that well. Since I was juggling both my dad and my mom, apparently the phlebotomist found me helpful. So much so, that she sent me into the hallway with a post-it note to ask the next patient to write down her name and birthdate for the record. A riot no?
We managed all this testing in about an hour. After which, I got my parents back into the car and we headed out to lunch. I figured they would need to eat soon there after because they had no breakfast. Before going to lunch, I got to the Foundation's post office box and picked up mail! To my surprise several checks were awaiting my arrival. I try to check the box every two weeks now. It is an effort because I do not live close to the post office anymore and of course I have my parents in tow. But this is a fantastic post office, with people who look out for me and the Foundation. So I am NOT moving our PO Box!
Don't you know it, as soon as I walked in the door at 3pm, Sunny greeted me and wanted to GO FOR HIS WALK. Coming home is never easy because I have to get my dad into the house, help him get his coat off, manage any bathroom needs, and then get him to his chair. Literally my dad wants instantaneous support that I can NEVER meet my own needs. Meaning I am helping him while holding bags, balancing the dog, and wearing my coat!
I can't go out to eat with my dad without bringing a bag filled with stuff in tow. Things like tissues (as he gets a sneezing fit when his stomach is full), garbage bags for tissues, jam for bread (as he can't eat butter), red wine vinegar (because not every restaurant has it), ketchup (because he uses a ton), cookies (because he wants dessert but never anything on the menu), wipes, depends, and the list goes on. While at the restaurant today, my dad wanted to go to the bathroom. He can NO LONGER manage this alone. Besides the fact that he can't find the bathroom, he no longer understands the sequence of things to use the bathroom effectively. Therefore, I have to take him and help him every step of the way. Fortunately for my parents I have a strong constitution and have a history of caregiving for people. My dad has Irritable Bowel Syndrome too and today alone he had three bowel movements. The thing is you can't predict when they will happen, but by the time he realizes he has to go it is a major emergency. So much so that adult undergarments can't hold back what comes out!
Any case, by the time I got home I was tired. But of course couldn't stop working. The dog needed to be walked. While walking Sunny, I met two of my neighbors on the next street over. They were out walking and they took a liking to Sunny, because they once had an Australian Shepherd. Long story short, the woman in the couple was telling me that her father died last year and was his caregiver (though he lived in a facility). She mentioned that now her health is failing and she is recovering from surgery. I explained to her that my parents are living with me, but I did not go into detail. One thing is for certain, having a dog truly helps you meet people.
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