We are getting snow today. The projection is that it will continue to snow off and on all day and end by noon tomorrow. The forecast is for 2-4 inches, but if it continues like it is right now it will likely be more. Pretty much everything has come to a halt around here - schools and business closed, nobody out driving around, nobody out walking. I certainly have no plans to leave my house!

Helene - wow! I'm glad you were able to get treated but so very sorry you had to go through all that.

I just ordered hiking poles. One of the places we feed is at the back of a VERY long yard (with owner's permission). I really didn't feel comfortable yesterday slogging through the snow.

Our snow is melting and will probably all be gone by tonight. We may get more by the end of the week.

I need to put away my Dickens Village displays, but it’s a lot of work and I keep putting it off. DH likes them and thinks I should leave them up awhile longer, but I’m kind of tired or them since they’ve been up for more than 2 months now. Since inheriting his mother’s collection along with my own, it’s gotten to be a much bigger job to put them out and take them down. Many, many trips up and down the stairs!

We finally have DH’s shoulder replacement surgery scheduled for January 29th. I think he will stay in the hospital for the night following the surgery, then back home. He’s a very needy patient when he’s sick or in pain, so I am dreading the recovery period. And I found out today that my friend whose mother passed on New Year’s Day has scheduled her Celebration of Life service on January 31st, so I probably will not be able to attend. DH’s sister has offered to come out to help when he has the surgery but I’m not sure if she would be more of an irritant than a help. If she does come, that would allow me to attend the service. He has a pre-op visit with the PA on the 23rd, so we will make a decision about whether she comes after that visit.

My pt is going well. I didn’t realize I had soft tissue injury to my forehand. I thought the damage was to my finger and wrist. The therapist massages the arm and that’s when I realized I had tenderness in the forearm, particularly near the elbow joint. It makes sense that my whole arm was jarred when I fell. I never would have known the arm needed treatment if I hadn’t decided to do pt. So I think I’ll have big benefits from doing the therapy.

Helene610 wrote: »

My pt is going well. I didn’t realize I had soft tissue injury to my forehand. I thought the damage was to my finger and wrist. The therapist massages the arm and that’s when I realized I had tenderness in the forearm, particularly near the elbow joint. It makes sense that my whole arm was jarred when I fell. I never would have known the arm needed treatment if I hadn’t decided to do pt. So I think I’ll have big benefits from doing the therapy.

That's wonderful that p/t is being so helpful!

I did get my Dickens Villages put away this week. It was a lot of work but I was really happy to get it done. They had been up for more than 2 months, so it was time for them to hibernate again until next Christmas.

At this point I think we are not going to have SIL come down. She gets on both our nerves so much that we’d just rather not deal with her if we don’t have to. DH has his pre-op visit on Thursday, so unless there is new information that indicates a need for help, we will not ask her to come.

We had about 3 inches a week ago, but the last cold front only brought us very cold temps. Today it is warming into the 50’s so we are getting back to more normal temps for our area.

DH had his pre-op visit yesterday and is scheduled for his shoulder replacement surgery next Wednesday morning. While we are both dreading the surgery, he is also ready to get it done e because he’s so tired of dealing with the pain. I offered a bribe to keep him in the hospital a few extra days, but the PA said she was willing but Medicare wouldn’t be. I expect him to be a very needy patient, based on past experience when he’s been ill. I was surprised to learn that they are much more restrictive now on pain medication. New state and federal laws require that they can only prescribe a 7 day supply without seeing him to order a refill. When I had my ankle and wrist surgeries, they handed out the same pain medication like candy. I do think they needed to tighten up on that, but 7 days isn’t very long after a major surgery such as this. Fortunately, I have some of the medication left over from my wrist surgery, so if necessary I can give him some of that if we aren’t able to get into the doc’s office quickly if he needs more. An ice machine was also recommended for pain management, but Medicare apparently doesn’t cover it. Fortunately a friend who has had 2 knee replacements offered to loan hers to us, so I picked that up yesterday. The recovery period for this surgery is around 5-6 months. I am not looking forward to this, at all!

The regulations have changed for medications, so it’s not a Medicare policy. It’s a combo of state and federal regulations that require the doctor or PA to actually see the patient before ordering refills and they can only prescribe a 7 day supply at a time. The PA agreed it’s ridiculous, but she said all it would be is for him to come to the office, either she or the doctor walk into the room and say hello, I’ll send the prescription order in, goodbye. However, when you’re only a week out from a major surgery, it’s a real ordeal to get dressed and go to the office. Luckily, I have the same meds left over from my surgery that’s only 2 years old, so I think it will be fine to give to him if needed.

DH’s surgery went well. He has a nerve block that is keeping him pain free for up to 48 hours, by which time he will be at home. He is spending tonight in the hospital but should be discharged tomorrow. I came home an hour ago and will go back early in the morning so I can be there when the OT and PT departments come by. With his dementia, he isn’t reliable to remember what they tell him, so I need to hear and see what they advise him to do for his rehab. I didn’t sleep well last night, so it will be early to bed for me tonight.

That’s great news the surgery is behind you and was a success. Being with him when OT and PT visit is a great plan so you know what therapy he needs. Even if he didn’t have dementia issues it’s always better if two people hear the treatment plan. Will any therapists come to the house? My DH had that after his bypass surgery and it was very helpful. Good luck.

Home care sounds challenging but you’ll get through it. My DH had a visiting nurse come to the house a couple times a week for the first few weeks. Do that do that in your area? The physical therapist came to the house as well. One of the things I particularly remember was teaching him how to stand up from a chair without using his arms. I think the home visits made a big difference. I hope they offer you similar services.

Pam - major ESPs continue for both you and your DH. I can't even imagine what you're going through but am wishing you all the best.

That's great that you can still get some therapy to your home. Around here p/t has really disintegrated since the last time I needed it. This last round they sent me to was pretty much a joke.