Dad's Day....

Dad was off to the Senior Center this morning. He got up early and was already getting dressed when I got up. He had already shaved and put in his teeth and was raring to go...until I asked him why he got up so early....{7:30am} Then he said he thought it was 8:30....darn! But he stayed up anyway. He wanted something soft because his lower teeth are hurting his gums...guess that knife carving didn't help them after all. haha
So I made him some hot oatmeal and he made noises all though it because he said it was so good. He is a cereal man for sure. He has to have that morning cereal. I add fruit to it each morning though. Some fresh orange slices or applesauce, bananas or just orange juice.

So he spent the day exercising, eating a great lunch he says and then painting a tree poster for the center. Half the paint he got on his shirt and hand though.

He always has a little gossip about the people at the center. Some I can repeat and some I can't. haha He says there is this one lady there that is sort of flirting with him but he says he has a girlfriend and he is not about to get involved with another. hahahaha I love it. So Louise should feel comforted if she knew that.

Tonight when I was helping him get ready for bed he was telling me that he couldn't figure out how to unbuckle the fanny pack that I have him wear to the center. He says, "I am dumber than a box of rocks." That's something I have heard him say a lot over the years. I started laughing. I asked just how dumb WAS a box of rocks...and his reply was pretty dumb. So as he is getting his teeth out and brushing them I had been trying to open his new razor package at the sink....then he blurts out...."You must be as dumb as a box of rocks." So we both started laughing and I said, The nut don't fall far from the TREE, PAW!"
Time for bed....I was too tired from helping Rod in the yard to laugh anymore.
Once in bed I started his New Testament CD so he could fall asleep listening to it. He is on CD # 7 and I think he falls asleep within 5 minutes of each one's start. HAHA. I should tell him there will be a test on those books.

Here's a photo of Dad right before I left the exercise room this morning. I said smile and I got that forced grin he likes to give. A friend of mine made a comment after seeing the photo tonight that he thought he looked ten years younger than the first photo of him when he first came here. I agree. His spirits are high and he is enjoying each day I think.

He is ready for a visit home too though. He stays in contact with his friends and they call and send cards and letters weekly and that's a good thing for Dad.

Dad and his jokes...

This week was busy....off to the Senior Center 3 times this week. He has made some friends there and looks forward to going to visit on the days that they are there. He seems to know the schedule of some of the other people. He does his exercise with the group each time he is there PLUS the PT here at the house twice a week. There are some days he is not up to par and this week he has been a little slow in moving. No doubt that it's the weather because we have had some ODD weather for this time of year. It's about to change and by next Wednesday it's to be 80 degrees! AT LAST! Dad was telling me that when I get outside to finish raking the leaves he wanted to come out and help me rake them. I think that is a little ambitious on his part but I will put him to work because he does feel the need to be helpful. I have him help me do stuff around the house even though he is slow at it...keeps him busy.
So last night we came home after TOPS instead of going out to eat. I had made potato salad and baked chicken and Dad was "worried" about that. haha
His weight is up to 164 pounds and he is on HOLD. So we are eating less and I portion it out for all of us. I lost 3.5 pounds this week and Dad gained 3 last week! ha So he is vowed to slow it down and in the same breath.....told me that there is one thing he would like and that was chocolate covered raisins...OH GEE WHIZ! So I did find him some lower calorie ones at Walmart yesterday and told him that's ALL the chocolate for a month! He laughed. He says, “How many more days in the month is there?" *sigh*

So we are sitting down in the living room last night....Dad still had ONE more Russell Stover Candy that Ted had sent him. I told him Thank goodness they are gone cause they were driving me crazy not to get into them! Then he starts to get up and Rod was getting up to help him and he hands the candy box to Rod and says, "Here, you can have the rest of them." Now Rod had not even heard Dad and I talking about the candy as the TV had his full attention. So Rod opens the box and sees it empty and Dad starts laughing!!!

Dad always says his teeth don't fit....it's not really the teeth, it's DAD! So he is always whittling them down with his pocket knife. So he is on the couch later last night and asks me if I know where his pocket knife is.....yep, sure do. He laughs and says,"Is there anything you didn't bring and shakes his head." haha So I said, But you are going to get it....hahaha You will slice your arm off!" He says I gotta fix these teeth.

Oh here we go again. So I told Rod to get the knife and where it was with full instructions on how to find it. hahaha {again Rod was not listening to Dad and I talking right there in the same room} So Rod comes back with the knife....and says, Why do you want this?....and I said cause Dad wants to cut down his teeth! You should have seen the look on Rod's face. Dad even started to laugh. Like DAD should have a SHARP KNIFE IN HIS HAND! Okay, yah have to give him some rope here.....he is 89, shakes some....but if you don't give him the knife he will search the drawers for something sharper! ha So I said, Okay, tomorrow after you are rested and you have bright light in the kitchen you can carve your teeth! He agreed. He couldn't get the blade to come out stating that it had been in there too long and was stuck. ha No DAD, you are THAT weak! lol I didn't say a word but Rod got up to open the small blade for him.
Next morning he got up and fixed them with me standing by with a towel and the phone ready to dial 911! haha Not really but made the story sound good!

Hot then Cold....

I didn't believe we were going to get snow today, let alone a darn blizzard. This is ridiculous and I can't say how many times I complained because MY FLOWER BULBS WERE BLOOMING! I am so mad. They were the best they have ever been and then THIS. I cut them as fast as I could so we could at least enjoy them inside. I just can't believe it. When Rod brought Dad out to the kitchen table this morning and he told him to look outside, Dad's eyes got big and said, OH LOOK AT THE SNOW!! haha It's been snowing ever since and it's now 2pm. I can't even think about it right now.
So garage saling was canceled. Rod started a fire and we are staying warm in the living room...well, they are, I am in the office.

So Dad got a nice long letter from Aunt Cleora and she was excited to get her Valentine's Day package in the mail with all the goodies we sent. I am not a keeper up with the birthdays anymore and sorry that I forgot her birthday on the 12th. So I will tell Dad to call her this afternoon. I make suggestions for him to call people "on his list" but he waits long enough to forget and then by that time I have forgot what I told him. lol Oh well, if they miss him long enough, they will call I guess. We stay pretty busy around here to keep track of it all.

The weather was so wonderful yesterday...it was 71 degrees and we just had to get out of the house for awhile. Dad just loved the warm sun on his head. Dad and I left after his bath gal came and went to Freddie's for lunch and then onto Mardel's book store so Dad could get the New Testament on CDs. We tried them out in the sound booths first before he made up his mind. They had a lot to choose from. I had made him the NT on cassettes a long time ago but he wanted something that I didn't have to mess with turning over all the time....so we went to CDs. Dad is moving right along with all these technological changes. lol
I play them on his DVD player and he listens to them through the TV in his room when he lays down at night. I told him that as soon as I put them in he will go to sleep and that's EXACTLY what he did last night. LOL Oh well, maybe he will hear them subconsciously.
Dad has what he had been craving and that was...a sauerkraut weiner, Chicago style. He later had a hot fudge sundae. Back home we went where Rod was already home. I went outside to rake some leaves for as long as my legs and back could take it and then came inside to find both of them what else but ASLEEP with the TV on.

So we stayed home last night and watched TV while I worked on organizing some of my stuff AGAIN...it never ends. Dad stayed up until 10pm and then said he thought he would go to bed. Oh he did do his excercises in the kitchen around 7pm.

So I am catching up to today. We are just taking it easy today again. Well, the two in the living room are. I have wash and a house to clean and take care of. lol At least I get to watch some Red Skelton movies in my office today to catch up to the ones that I got at the library. Dad likes the Red Skelton movies as well. He came in the office yesterday morning to watch them with me before he got his bath.

I added a new top photo of him today in front of the fireplace again. Looks like we are going backwards instead of getting into SPRING.

Remarkable Before and After

Dad was getting ready to leave for the Senior Center today and I just happened to dwell on his remarkable change when he was putting on his shoes.
So I decided a before and after picture would be good to show to really see the huge difference in just his facial expression in the last 3 months.
One of the KEY elements to his improvement was Dr H's advice and prescription. Just ONE prescription that really kick started Dad's recovery.
Dr H prays with Dad each time he goes and of course, that impresses Dad.
Dad finally believes me when I told him the Dr he had in Indiana just wasn't doing what was BEST for HIM! That attitude that many doctors and the medical community has of oh well, he is an 89 year old man and lived a good life just doesn't do it for ME!

Dr. H believes that you have a right to a good life whether you are one day old or 100 years old. That's why I like Family Practitioners the BEST!.
I did think that a Doctor who dealt with the elderly would be the answer but I don't anymore.
They see TOO much of the elderly and become so desensitized to their needs.Pass out the meds without even getting to know what the patient needs or doesn't need. I often think about how many people in nursing homes and assisted living are so overmedicated and don't have advocates like Dad has. It's rather sad. Just give them a pill to shut them up and soon it will be overwith. We all will get there one day and I am learning a lot about what I will want and won't let them do to me.

I see why Dad became despondent and didn't want to live....his Doctors in Indiana didn't help him at all. Not to say that Dad will stay like this forever....he will leave us one day, sure....but as long as he is able stay like this and enjoy life, then so be it.

Firsts for Dad

Yesterday the three of us went to the movies with Amy and Monica. I had been wanting to see Alice in Wonderland anyway. I figured Dad might get a kick out of it as well. Rod didn't really want to go but it being his birthday I didn't want to leave him home alone so I sorta talked him into it. I needed his help with Dad anyway. We got to the IMAX theater and inline I soon realized that this wasn't going to work with people shoving their way to the seats....so I left the line and asked the girls at the concessions to get me an usher to let us in first....and they even got me a chair for Dad to sit on in line. They did get us in first and that was just great. We had our popcorn and drinks and our 3D glasses and we were all set. Dad started eating popcorn like there was no tomorrow. haha It was funny...I asked him if he came for the POPCORN only and he laughed. The movie was great.....the 3D was awesome at this HUGE screen at the IMAX. The funny thing was when these objects started to fly around they come at you like it's going to hit you and both Dad and Rod DUCKED at the same time and I nearly choked on the popcorn laughing. It was a GREAT Movie and one that I will want to buy when it goes cheap in the stores. lol When we got out of the theater we got to go through the exit no one uses...I told Dad he is great to take along for first class treatment! haha I looked around the theater and no one else was handicapped...and I thought for a moment what a shame that people like Dad don't get to go out to these places and have fun with the rest of them. I told Dad that this is the time of his life he should be doing those things he missed early on just to say he did them. Going to the movies like this and then out for a meal for Dad is a big deal. He never much treated himself to these things and he and Mom should have. It's a common thing for us but for Dad it's huge. So we left later and went to the Bros Hooligan for a nice meal. Dad liked it but he said the pork chops were tough. haha It's always something with Dad. I tried them and they were fine. It's DADS CHOPPERS that are hard to chew with. Like I tell him, you should have taken better care of your gums and you wouldn't have this problem. haha I have all my teeth and by George, I have learned there is no way I am letting my teeth go after seeing what everyone that has dentures struggle with. NO WAY! I learned from them. So after the meal we say goodbye to Amy and Monica and head on home....on the way out of the parking lot Dad looks across the street and says, "Oh there is a Papa John's." Rod laughed and asked if he wanted to go by there for a snack? haha Dad and FOOD...they are best friends. He says he has got to watch it now. So we get home, relax a bit and Dad goes to bed by 10pm. We set our clocks ahead and lost an hour by morning. Dad got up around 2am to use the bathroom, I helped him. He is walking so well that I have been letting him walk without the gait belt and I am just behind him, not hanging on. So by 5am I hear the alarm on his bed and by the time I got up, he was in the bathroom already. He didn't have his cane and I gave him the usual lecture....then back to bed he goes. He woke me up with,"WENDY, where's my shirt?" LORD....I get up, walk in his room and he is getting dressed and found his shirt in the DRAWER???? Duh, Dad! haha He has one arm in the shirt and the other arm in the head hole....lol It's too funny and then he starts laughing cause he has his arms caught....so I joke and then help guide him before he becomes entangled worse. He gets his socks on alone and I said, Okay, you come out to the kitchen when you are done. This is your first long walk so you best think before each step and don't rush. So he comes wizzzzzzing by Rod, {unlike what I TOLD HIM TO DO} and I saw him....DAD, slow DOWN or I am going to take your cane away. hahaha So he does and comes to the kitchen table....eats breakfast of cereal and honeydew melon. After eating he starts his morning exercises....and then I took the video below.

Dad's Trip to the Doctor

The day started out with PT coming at 9am. Mark said that Dad was going to move onto the harder exercises because he is doing so well with these last ones he has been doing. Dad would rather hear he no longer needed exercises at all...lol
So after that I made breakfast and then we left for the doctor's office.
Dad weighed 164 there....but I think that was a little high with his heavy sweater on and his shoes....but the other day at the Senior Center he weighed 158. That was more like it. The nurse could hardly believe that he had gained that much in a month. Dr Holte was very pleased and told him to slow down now. haha Dad said he can't help it cause the food is too good. So we laughed about that and moved onto his meds and where we were going from here. Dr told him that he didn't need to come back again for another 2 months. He told Dad that he had a very good nurse and how lucky he was.....at first Dad didn't get it cause I am not a nurse....then Dr pointed to me. lol
Oh it was a combination of things. Dad had to WANT to get better too. The Remeron was KEY to the beginning of the changes. I just implemented them. Okay, so I coherced Dad to follow orders. LOL

Dad and I left the doctors and stopped by the Walmart Neighborhood Market. We got some fruit and veggies and went back to the house. He had a plate of fruit {tangerine, kiwi, and sliced apples}and prune juice for a snack. Then he visited with the nurse that came at 1:30pm. She marvels every time she comes the unbelievable change in Dad. She said she wished all her patients got the care Dad got. That's always good to hear. Dad does help make it easier too. He tries.
The weather is getting better each day. Today was over 60 and Dad just wore a sweater and was fine. I told him I can't wait for him to be able to sit in the sun outside and soak up the heat while I rake leaves.

He is resting in the living room with Rod right now. Tomorrow is Senior Center Day.

First time shaving in months

At Dad's request this morning, he shaved himself....he shakes very little now. He says every few electric razors shaves he has to shave with a blade in between. So that is what he did. He did fine too. I left him standing there with his knees up against the cabinet while I got dressed. He says even a long time ago he would lean on the cabinet to keep his balance. It's important to his mental well being to be allowed to do these things on his own BUT I still linger nearby. The more independence he gains the better he gets physically. I brought the important items with us that I KNEW he would use again, such as his shaving brush. He asked this morning if I happened to know where it was....and to his surprise there it was, in the drawer. He had a big old smile on his face. Small things mean a lot when you are coming back to the real world. Dad forgets most of the things that happened in the days when he had so much trouble getting around. He is in the NOW. A good place to be.
Here is a photo of him shaving for the first time in 7 months.

Lunch @ The Amish Cheese House

We finally got around after breakfast Saturday and drove to the Amish Cheese House in Chouteau. We had lunch there....great chicken noodle soup with a homemade sandwich, the BEST potato salad and a drink. Dad enjoyed it all he said. Then we shopped, had some free samples of homemade fudge and then off to the bakery. We got a few items. Dad wanted to send some post cards to a few friends so we got 3 and I wrote them up. We were on the look out for the PO....in the process we went through town and apparently Rod slowly coasted through a red light at a 4 way stop. I never saw it myself....Dad didn't either. So the cop stops us and explains the situation. He asked us where we were from....Rod said Tulsa...then the cop where we were going and Rod said to the PO....Then this smart ass cop said....Don't they have Post Offices in Tulsa? Well, we WERE in Chouteau. The cop saw an Indiana plate and thought, HMMMMMM I can make the city a hundred bucks and so he did....$114 to be exact. Needless to say the mood went somber. We found the PO though and then we got the heck out of that town. I don't think we will be in a hurry to return.
I do think I will write a letter to the Mayor, if there is one, of this little town about what the cop said to make us feel real welcomed.
I might just send it to the newspaper in fact. I have never done that but it might be a good idea.
We got home and we all were tired and ready to sit down for the evening and take a nap. At least Dad and Rod did. I went to the library and to the video store. We later watched some movies I rented. One of them was UP....and believe it or not, Dad stayed awake for about 95% of the movie. I think he and Rod both liked it as well as me. I had seen it before with Kiara and it did make an impression with me. I understand why it was nominated for an Academy Award. I will watch and see what happens to it.
Sunday...
This morning we were planning to go to the buffet in the Radisson but Rod is sick. I didn't know he had a fever yesterday....he never said a word about it until today.
So we will plan to go when the weather is even warmer. Oh it is nice here today....I have a few windows opened at last. I almost forgot what it felt like. To be able to open the windows the first of the Spring time is surly liberating.
We had eggs, Amish rolled butter and Amish bread for toast this morning. We bought Amish Apple Butter to put on toast. Dad loves that. Oh and a tamale left over for each of us. Dad and Rod had hazelnut coffee and I had a nice cold glass of milk.
The black birds were covering a big section of the back yard this morning.

I got Dad two big books on birds at the library yesterday.He was glad to have them to find out some of the birds here he is unfamiliar with. I told him that he will have a big show each day if the orange orioles come this Spring like they did last year. Won't be long. We will have to stock up on fresh oranges for them.
Dad and Rod are in the living room watching the race....well, Rod is watching and Dad is mostly resting opening his eyes now and then. They are both helpless....Rod asked me for something to drink and Dad asked me for his orange twists candies he bought yesterday. Tough to be a MAN....yeah right!

Busy couple days...

Dad spent Thursday at the Senior Center as usual. He likes the Bible Study and says the teacher "does a decent job." "She seems to know the Bible pretty good," she adds. He had a good day he said and they had two cakes this time. He got TWO BIG PIECES. He went on about several others in the group and what they did. Dad gossips big time about the old folks and workers there. It's interesting to hear him talk and give his interpretation of the day's events. He went outside with the others to the back yard to get some sunshine. We had TOPS meeting that night and we all go while Dad sits with the other guys and talks. He seems to like to go and looks forward to joining in with the stories.
After the meeting we went to Mazzios for salad and pizza. Dad said he never did that before and he sure liked the fresh salad there. Chris went with us as he usually does. We got home about 9pm. Dad got ready for bed and slept all night till about 6am. He had to go to the bathroom...but before he left the room he told me there was rushing water under his bed and he could hear it. I assured him that was not so and he said he wanted to see....I told him we would go to the bathroom first and then come back to see. When he got back to the bedroom he had forgotten about the water and returned to sleep until it was time to get up for PT. He is working well with Mark and the therapy. Crystal the nurse came at the same time. She and Dad get along very well and she makes herself right at home and sits down with Dad in the kitchen and he offers her chocolates. I am usually somewhere else giving them time to talk but Dad told me about the chocolates. He told me she ATE THREE! lol Dad has always counted things like that.
After she left we went to the podiatrist for a recheck....after that we came home and Dad ate some lunch and took a nap until Rod got home at 3pm. We left for the optician where it had been decided to get a new pair of glasses. We took him to our optician with his new prescription. She also saw how they had made a serious mistake on the lenses without me even telling her. So she did her best to adjust them even better than the gal before....but Dad said he wanted to get the new lenses. Becky also pointed out that he really got the wrong frames...and we did see what she meant with the broad nose bar when Dad has such a narrow nose at the top. Dad asked her if she had others that would fit better and he tried on about 7 pairs and found a silver toned pair he really liked. I told Becky not to show him the price and let it be a surprise. haha He laughed and told Becky that I said he was to spend some money on himself and not look at the price. He agreed that wasn't a bad idea FINALLY. So we ordered the glasses and this time she said she would see that they got this pair right for him. Oh he flirted with her after she told him he had the prettiest blue eyes. haha It was so funny and we all had a good laugh about Dad's comebacks.
She even gave Dad a big tootsie pop. haha OH and a blue balloon to match his eyes.
What a ham.
We went to pick up my computer which was being fixed, then off to Sonic to get some shakes...then to Walmart to pick up some roasted chicken. Rod had to stop for tamales too.
So back home and we got something to eat and then settled down in the living room to watch Public Enemies. That's four times for me and twice for Dad and once for Rod. I am a fan of these sorts of movies and love the era of the thirties. Dad likes to see the cars. So he spends his time guessing the year of the cars and remembering the headlines and stories about Dillinger. Fascinating character of the 30's. Dad being 13 at the height of the bank robbing of Dillinger and others he remembers the stories in the papers and the talk about him. Dillinger spent a lot of time in Indiana and that made it even more the talk about town in Dad's teenage years.
Dad was ready for bed at 9:30 after his epsom salts foot soak.
He got into bed after all the pills, teeth out, trip to the pot....and face washed....he HOPS into bed and starts singing "Riding off into the sunset..." He smiles at me and says goodnight. He seems content. I like that.
Goodnight Dad.

Dad is really funny....

Now Dad would shake his head at me if he knew I wrote this but I mean.....it's funny....short and sweet.

Dad and I are watching Public Enemy....with Johnny Depp.
Just in Dad's era movie...and there's a love scene...Johnny and Billie....and as Johnny is kissing Billie in the bedroom....Dad says,"He's ready for action"....with a big grin.
I mean you have to laugh.....never too old to remember.

Dad doing his Cha Cha Cha

Dad saying Hi to Everybody

Dad having a snack today

Dad's really been doing good. He is exercising, working with his PT as well. He does his exercising on his own each day. He is eating very well. He tells me it all tastes good and he looks forward to dinner. He knows I am going to make something good I guess. He eats salads, lots of veggies, as well as broiled pork chops, like we had tonight. He can chew now without pain from his teeth. I say it's because he has had a lot of protein which is healing those gums. I told him before about eating protein and now I think he believes me. He actually has lost a pound but because he is no longer getting WHIPPING CREAM! ha I told him that was only to gain weight fast...so he has tapered off with the weight. He says he likes where he is at in his weight. So we will work to keep him there. It was really amazing watching Dad eat the pork chops tonight. They were moist but before all the changes Dad would no way be able to have eaten anything like that. That tells me just how much he has improved.

Tuesday evening...

Everything is going pretty well here. Dad hasn't had any real serious dementia for, well, since the last time I posted an incident. Oh he sees a cat in my dollhouse but that's nothing. He sees that little boy on occasion that has red hair by the way.
He is working with the PT guy, Mark, who is great, two days a week. Next week it changes to Wednesday and Friday. He is set up to get a bath twice a week from home health at my request. She will come on Wednesday and Friday. Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays, Dad will be at the Senior Center. He seems to be getting more relaxed going to the center since he is getting used to everyone. I notice that Dad takes some things he hears at the center too seriously. He takes what he hears and turns it into something else. So I tell him to relax, have some fun...this isn't a contest between the Seniors there. haha He told me last Friday about this guy next to him getting a piece of Birthday Cake bigger than his. The gal that gave him the "smallest" piece didn't like him, he said. I listened to his story...let him get it all out and then I said...."But Dad...who do you think in that group of Seniors has a daughter at home that makes them homemade desserts and cakes as he gets?"

He laughed and said, no one probably. haha Then he wanted to know what was for dessert tonight.

Dad got his Vitamin B shot today. I have the nurses that come to check on him weekly do that.
Dad talked to Louise yesterday. Everytime he talks to her he always says he just lays around and sleeps all day. hahaha I always ask him after he gets off the phone with her why he doesn't talk about all the things he does and he says he can't remember what he does. haha