The last few doctor appointments Mom has had I have sent her on her own. Frankly they have become very routine with just about the same things asked, said, and gone over. Therefore when Mom had a doctor appointment with the family doc the other day I didn't think much of it, honestly figuring if anything popped up crazy the doctor would call me. Well the family doctor didn't call me but sent Mom over to the cardiologist. The cardiologist started running tests which Mom brushed off as no big deal, they are just checking me out. I stupidly thought that they were just being a little over-cautious and kept trucking.
I was wrong.
When I got off work the other day I had a message on my phone from Mom to come by "We need to talk". I was worried as I did know that they had called her in after running a test and she wouldn't let me go with her. Quote "I'm a big girl". Well the "big girl" had evidently passed out a couple times and her heart arrhythmia is getting bad enough to cause these episodes. Mom never told me for fear I would make her move out of her house. The doctor and the nurses crawled all over her for not telling me, for not bringing me to the appointment and so on and so forth. Now, with Mom's consent I am now handling the scheduling and understanding of her heart condition, which frankly I have to dumb down to a 10 year old level for her. Last week I spent an entire day at the cardiologist office while they ran some more tests that indicated a possible blockage. I had to call into work because it became apparent I wasn't going to make it there. Week after next Mom goes in for a heart cath. She's actually freaked out enough to try and quit smoking.
Honestly, I can't get too emotional about it. I'm worried of course, but I just see this as the beginning of long downhill of health decline that I knew was coming. I'm glad she's nearby so I can manage things, and frankly I feel the healthcare here is far superior to what was available in her area. I worry about the nightmare of medical bills. The hospital has been terrific with their charity program, I have applied for the state medical program but haven't heard from them. I worry that her small nest egg will keep her from that - she might be better off it was gone. I'm sure just the amount of tests in the last couple of weeks would easily eat it up. "Obamacare" isn't a help yet as even if I could get her enrolled it won't kick in until the start of the year, though I suppose I should try to navigate that website and see what's available.
Thanksgiving I have refused to cook. I'm trying to find somewhere to make reservations. Hubby leaves for France the Saturday after, with the amount of stress dumping on me I'm not adding a turkey to it.
WINNIE'S LITTER Just a little blog of the ins and outs and ups and downs in the life of a mom.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Camping Stories
Inspired by my blog pal Lyn over at Duck and Wheel with String thought I'd share a camping story or two with you.
Over the years Hubby and I, then later with the kids have camped a fair bit. The easy camping trips where nothing goes wrong seem to fade away in our memories but the ones where misery strikes stick with us for years. Like a bad vacation I suppose.
Back in September of this year the Cub Scout pack got adventurous and decide to organize a campout for the entire pack (around 30 kids and their adult and sometimes siblings) I had planned on a tent with the group, until the weather turned and the lows at night were going to be somewhere in the 30's. Frankly sleeping cold in a tent when I have a camper in the driveway seemed crazy. I therefore packed up the camper and drove it to the nearby state park where we were having the campout and purchased the last electric site for the weekend. Oh, one little fact that my husband was in France this week didn't really deter me. The campout was officially for Saturday night but I took the camper out on Friday evening to get set up and have a little quiet time before the cub scout stuff began. The day went pretty much as planned and with some shuffling around with Sonny Boy who had football games and such it was going well.
After the scout activities ended around 9:00 pm I hustled the kids back to our campsite and tucked them into bed, watching the two of them fall deep asleep faster than you could humanly think possible. I lie there dozing and listening to the drunks a campsite or two over wishing they would settle down but they weren't too bad. Soon I heard a guy start yelling across the campground, "Shut-up" and assorted other demands to be quite. I was glad of this because the drunks were getting a little annoying. Less than five minutes later the guys starts yelling again " I said shut the F--- up!" and the rowdy campers start exchanging words with him - loudly. By this time I could tell it was escalating quickly and start calling the park number to try and get the ranger. After a lifetime of menus I still couldn't get a person so I hung up and called 911. While I'm on the phone with the 911 operator I hear the guy yell "I'm a cop and you better believe I have I weapon" I relay all the information to the operator as a now wide awake Sonny Boy listens to obscenities fly and peeks out the tent ends of the camper. When I hear the weapon remark I make Sonny Boy get into the floor of the camper to at least put a layer of fiberglass between him and anything that might go flying. I remain peeking out the window and see officers approaching past my camper with weapons drawn sneaking up on the melee going on 2-3 campsites down. Soon I could hear that they had the screaming "cop" handcuffed and they pulled a squad car up and loaded somebody into it and a few minutes later an ambulance comes into the campground and treats somebody as well. Igor happily conked out like a comatose log slept through the whole thing. (to be fair I didn't make him get out of bed as he was asleep on the dinette which was below window level.)
It's always an adventure camping let me tell you. Thanks Lyn for giving me good fodder for the blog.
Over the years Hubby and I, then later with the kids have camped a fair bit. The easy camping trips where nothing goes wrong seem to fade away in our memories but the ones where misery strikes stick with us for years. Like a bad vacation I suppose.
Back in September of this year the Cub Scout pack got adventurous and decide to organize a campout for the entire pack (around 30 kids and their adult and sometimes siblings) I had planned on a tent with the group, until the weather turned and the lows at night were going to be somewhere in the 30's. Frankly sleeping cold in a tent when I have a camper in the driveway seemed crazy. I therefore packed up the camper and drove it to the nearby state park where we were having the campout and purchased the last electric site for the weekend. Oh, one little fact that my husband was in France this week didn't really deter me. The campout was officially for Saturday night but I took the camper out on Friday evening to get set up and have a little quiet time before the cub scout stuff began. The day went pretty much as planned and with some shuffling around with Sonny Boy who had football games and such it was going well.
After the scout activities ended around 9:00 pm I hustled the kids back to our campsite and tucked them into bed, watching the two of them fall deep asleep faster than you could humanly think possible. I lie there dozing and listening to the drunks a campsite or two over wishing they would settle down but they weren't too bad. Soon I heard a guy start yelling across the campground, "Shut-up" and assorted other demands to be quite. I was glad of this because the drunks were getting a little annoying. Less than five minutes later the guys starts yelling again " I said shut the F--- up!" and the rowdy campers start exchanging words with him - loudly. By this time I could tell it was escalating quickly and start calling the park number to try and get the ranger. After a lifetime of menus I still couldn't get a person so I hung up and called 911. While I'm on the phone with the 911 operator I hear the guy yell "I'm a cop and you better believe I have I weapon" I relay all the information to the operator as a now wide awake Sonny Boy listens to obscenities fly and peeks out the tent ends of the camper. When I hear the weapon remark I make Sonny Boy get into the floor of the camper to at least put a layer of fiberglass between him and anything that might go flying. I remain peeking out the window and see officers approaching past my camper with weapons drawn sneaking up on the melee going on 2-3 campsites down. Soon I could hear that they had the screaming "cop" handcuffed and they pulled a squad car up and loaded somebody into it and a few minutes later an ambulance comes into the campground and treats somebody as well. Igor happily conked out like a comatose log slept through the whole thing. (to be fair I didn't make him get out of bed as he was asleep on the dinette which was below window level.)
It's always an adventure camping let me tell you. Thanks Lyn for giving me good fodder for the blog.
Friday, November 8, 2013
The Gender Gap
I'm sure everyone (all three of you who read this) has seen the statistics that show a woman earns like 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Women seem to have a harder time climbing the corporate ladder, women do more housework than men. The list seems endless as to how men and women are not treated equally in the world.
I'm going to talk about another inequality, one I've never seen on the news or Oprah. It's the Hunting, Fishing gap. Some might call it a Hobby Gap, but in my world I most commonly see it related to hunting and fishing.
In many parts of the country Deer Season is a national holiday for men. Rural schools close for a day or two, camo and bright orange catch your eye at every corner and caravans of campers, and loaded pick-ups go to the "deer woods".
Deer Widows often have nights out when the men depart, but for the most part the wives are at home going to work, and keeping things running as always. The only difference for a non-hunting woman between deer season and not, is watching the bank account deplete and dealing with the hassles of life without a back-up or help.
What chaps my hide (and other deer widows I know) is that there is no equivalent for women. Women rarely get to just take off, and leave. The good Lord knows that if I decided to leave for a week it requires much more than just packing my clothes and leaving. I must make sure all the laundry is done, there is a clear calendar, not just for me but for the rest of the family and if there are things on that calendar it's clearly marked and explained and a dozen other things taken care of because frankly we all know who runs the household. Don't get me started on what you come home to find in the wake of being gone for more than three days as well.
Honestly Hubby is a really good guy. I'm just REALLY peeved to see the large amounts of money and time spent trying to kill an animal. IF Hubby kills a deer this year that "free" meat will have actually cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 a lb. yeah, lobster is way cheaper. This irks me when I go the grocery store and buy the generic because it's 15 cents cheaper and I don't buy the nice handbag I've eyeballed because it's "too expensive".
My next husband will not hunt or fish.
I'm going to talk about another inequality, one I've never seen on the news or Oprah. It's the Hunting, Fishing gap. Some might call it a Hobby Gap, but in my world I most commonly see it related to hunting and fishing.
In many parts of the country Deer Season is a national holiday for men. Rural schools close for a day or two, camo and bright orange catch your eye at every corner and caravans of campers, and loaded pick-ups go to the "deer woods".
Deer Widows often have nights out when the men depart, but for the most part the wives are at home going to work, and keeping things running as always. The only difference for a non-hunting woman between deer season and not, is watching the bank account deplete and dealing with the hassles of life without a back-up or help.
What chaps my hide (and other deer widows I know) is that there is no equivalent for women. Women rarely get to just take off, and leave. The good Lord knows that if I decided to leave for a week it requires much more than just packing my clothes and leaving. I must make sure all the laundry is done, there is a clear calendar, not just for me but for the rest of the family and if there are things on that calendar it's clearly marked and explained and a dozen other things taken care of because frankly we all know who runs the household. Don't get me started on what you come home to find in the wake of being gone for more than three days as well.
Honestly Hubby is a really good guy. I'm just REALLY peeved to see the large amounts of money and time spent trying to kill an animal. IF Hubby kills a deer this year that "free" meat will have actually cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 a lb. yeah, lobster is way cheaper. This irks me when I go the grocery store and buy the generic because it's 15 cents cheaper and I don't buy the nice handbag I've eyeballed because it's "too expensive".
My next husband will not hunt or fish.
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