What's Happening In Your Life?

[DivineDon]

Best wishes to everyone with whatever you're going through. I know what it's like to have a horrible year but as my favourite man says 'time passes and things change' and they do - so here's wishing everyone a more stressfree time ahead.

[Glennsallnighter]

Thanks DD - Much appreciated x

[AlreadyGone95]

College application has been submitted. I had everything that was needed except the Compass test. I should receive an acceptance letter in the mail in the next few weeks(with next week being Thanksgiving, I'm pretty sure it'll be the week after next). Once I get it, I'll take the compass test, which will be before the end of the year. *breathes a small sigh of relief* The first step is done. Now on to the next.

I don't think that next year will be stressfree, but it'll be a different kind of stress. I'll just have to learn how to deal with it.

[EaglesKiwi]

I've had a frantically busy year, with very little time to check in here. Fortunately more ups than downs (including passing my first university paper - at the age of 43!!), but the downs I have had have taken a lot of time to get my head around.

Going to see Fleetwood Mac tomorrow night, and I am sooo looking forward to it.

Best wishes to everyone, even if I am not posting on here I am thinking of you all.

[EaglesKiwi]

College application has been submitted. I had everything that was needed except the Compass test. I should receive an acceptance letter in the mail in the next few weeks(with next week being Thanksgiving, I'm pretty sure it'll be the week after next). Once I get it, I'll take the compass test, which will be before the end of the year. *breathes a small sigh of relief* The first step is done. Now on to the next.

I don't think that next year will be stressfree, but it'll be a different kind of stress. I'll just have to learn how to deal with it.

Best of luck, AG.

[Brooke]

Hang in there, EK! And have fun seeing FM! It should be awesome!

[AlreadyGone95]

Thanks EK! Hope you enjoyed the Mac show.

My only remaining grandfather(pop) continues to go downhill. He spends almost all day in bed. He doesn't eat much(he is very underweight), and we believe that he has dementia. He had a big stroke about 3 years ago. He has a hard time walking, talking, and hearing. He feels left out because he can't do the things he used to. That causes him to throw fits, and try to do things that he doesn't have the ability to do anymore. A few weeks ago, he came outside in socks and without his cane to help my mom and I get the groceries in. He was stumbling around like he was drunk. I was right behind him in case he fell. Luckily, he didn't. In 2 weeks, he'll be 92. I hate seeing him like this. He's getting to be too much trouble for my grandma (shorty) to handle.

Here's for a better year next year for all of us!

[Glennsallnighter]

You have my sympathy on this AG. My Dad who is nearly 90 is in that situation. My mother who is in her 80's is either incapable of looking after him, or unaware that he needs more help than he is getting. In the last week or two we have organised a carer who would help him but she wont let the carer in!! She thinks he is capable of dressing,shaving etc himself but realistically he isnt. Like your grandad I have called up to see him in a pyjama top with his trousers and a pullover on (inside out and or back to front), and in bad need of a shave and hair cut. My brother and I are afraid she will cancel the carer. If she does this and either of them have a fall or become ill it could put them boyh in nursing homes. But try as we will, my mother will not listen to us.

[AlreadyGone95]

My grandma realizes that she can't take care of him and the house. My mom goes over twice a week to clean and get medicines and groceries. My uncle(the one I mention alot) goes over at least once a week to do the outside work or the harder inside work, basically whatever needs to be done. I help out when needed (walk the dog, fix the tech problems etc) (we all live less than 15 miles from each other, so it's a good system as she helps us out in return) My grandma has several health problems that make even doing a load of laundry too much at times. She's over a decade younger and still of sound mind. She tries to get him to understand that he needs to take it easy ( ), but he's stubborn. That's the main problem. He doesn't want to (or can't) realize that he isn't the man he once was (hard pill to swallow). There has been talk of him moving in with his younger son in Texas, but I don't think that he could handle a flight or a long car ride. A nursing home is a last resort because it'll use up all of his income and my grandma wouldn't have enough left to survive on.

For the most part, he can still dress himself and do the basic hygiene things. He can't do things like use the microwave (he's burned up 2 of them in 3 years) or cook. My grandma has to cook for him or buy lunch from one of the local restaurants. The problem is getting him to eat. Due to his very poor upbringing (sharecropping during the great depression), he only wants certain foods. Even then, he eats so little. The phrase 99 pounds soaking wet isn't far away from reality. He also falls a few times a month (no injuries yet), but I really think that he needs to be someplace else.

GA, I wish you luck with your parents. Their stubborness is great at times, but then it can be their downfall.

[Brooke]

It's so sad to see our parents and grandparents go through these things. We moved my mom to an assisted living place on October 1st and she is still asking why she can't go back to her apartment which she hated because it was so boring. This place is much more convenient for me, one of my brothers, and most friends to visit her and she has more people around on a daily basis to talk to. The administrator called last night and is telling us that she is being rude to everyone and takes food from others if they aren't in their seats at meal times. She also tells us that she hasn't had any medication since she got there. She's a bad diabetic and has heart disease, so she has to have her meds or she'd be dead by now! She was never like this! She has some signs of dementia, but I'm thinking it's getting worse. She denies doing these things. We also told her that her next stop is a regular nursing home because all of us have jobs or commitments and can't take her in because we can't be there to give her her meds or watch what she eats. And she doesn't have to money to pay for help. We will be having another talk with her tomorrow, but I don't think it will do any good because I really don't think she knows she's doing these things. Very hard situation.