Carpentry work just two weeks ago

[Lew Hodgett]

----------------------------------------- I can relate.

My mother suffered a compound fracture of her lower leg at 102.

As the doctor said, "This will be a life changing experience."

---------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------- Not good is an understatement.

-------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------- Can relate, sold mom's place since it was wintertime in Northern Ohio, I lived 2,500 miles away and couldn't take care of the place.

------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------- That's good.

Mom wouldn't do therapy and she ended up bed ridden.

---------------------------------------------- This is a sad state

------------------------------------------- You are fortunate to have a safe facility available.

--------------------------------------------

I supervise their

-------------------------------------------- BTDT.

------------------------------------- I

=========================== You do what you can do.

-----------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------- Attitude is a tough thing.

My mother had an unbelieveable attitude; however, when she turned 103, it was as if she put one last hash mark on the wall and seemed to say, "I'm done".

She lasted less than 90 days.

--------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------- I'm sure they would be happy knowing you are still able to learn from their experience.

------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------- LOL

------------------------------------- Just remember:

You wake up every morning, you feel those paddies hit the floor, and both lungs are working, you have a shot at a new day.

Everything else is bonus money.

Take care.

Lew

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:53:23 -0600, the infamous basilisk scrawled the following:

Condolences, basilisk. I hope you got to visit with him in his latter days. I got to say goodbye to my dad the day before he died. That really helps when you lose someone.

90 and building a house. Wonderful! May we all be as lucky.

Celebrate his life!

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:34:42 -0600, the infamous Swingman scrawled the following:

Wreck, before the break. Did you ever make plans from those pieces. (I asked back then, too.)

[Larry Jaques]

On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:15:22 -0800 (PST), the infamous " [e-mail]" scrawled the following:

Robert, isn't there a way you could take him home (to your shop) for a day, or part of one? Figure out a small project he could do from a wheelchair and make it happen! He'd love it.

Perhaps ask your sister to do the same (shopping trip?) for your mom that same day, so they each had new stories to share when they got "home" that evening.

Just a thought.

[Leon]

I suspect that his perscription was to work himself to death, rather than sit back and watch life pass you by and waste away.

[EXT]

That's not the way I want to go, I saw my father-in-law take 8 months to die, little by little bit, in a nursing home. We tried to care for him in our home over a weekend. Just about killed our backs lifting him up from bed so he could go to the bathroom. We just couldn't do it for more than the weekend. Now I am in my 70th year, and hope that I go fast. Fast is hard on the survivors but at least it is over and done without guilt and remorse.

[Lew Hodgett]

Nursing facilities use what I laughingly call an electrically operated "jib crane", to lift people either from or back into bed.

Not something you are likely to have at home.

Lew

[upscale]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:40:12 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"

Up here in Canuck land, many facilities use a device called a Hoyer lift. Various models are available with a sling lift. It actually works quite well, as long as it's charged up. Not really all that expensive either relatively speaking.

The used it for me this past pre Christmas season until I got enough strength back in my legs. They're also available for rent and well within the purview of the home user.

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------ Same widget.

Lew

[Doug Winterburn]

It took SWMBO over a year to recover from a ruptured disc from "helping" her mom out of her wheel chair. And there were trained staff at the nursing home to help. Sometimes instinct is harmful.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:40:12 -0800, the infamous "Lew Hodgett" scrawled the following:

My HF 1T crane is _just_like_ those, but not nearly as fancy as a Liko or Hoyer. It's far cheaper, tho.

[Mark & Juanita]

Condolences; prayers for your family in their loss. Sounds like he had a good life and was able to do what he wanted to be doing throughout -- that's a blessing.

[nailshooter41]

He doesn't have the dexterity to do much of anything anymore. For example, he told me that the women folk in our family had taken his pocket knives from him, and now wouldn't let him have one for fear he would cut himself. He raised me as he was raised, and that is with a pocket knife in my possession at 6. (Yes, I cut and stabbed myself a couple or three times, but he figured everyone he knew learned how to use a knife from that experience... I did!). So he took me aside when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and told me he wanted a nice pocket knife. So I got him one. It was an easy pulling Stockman with no blade locks, and he couldn't get the knife blade open. Try as he could, he was humiliated that he couldn't get his fingernail into the nail nick, hold the knife, and get it open. Once he got his nail in the nick and got it partially open, he tore his nail off.

I know that hurt like hell, but nowhere near as much as the pain of that embarrassment.

Additionally, his incontinence requires additional nursing staff for cleaning after the the fact. He never knows when he will have a full load, or when his Foley bag will need emptying. Although I have cleaned him up more than once, he is uncomfortable being far away from his nurses and their care.

My Mom is still a delight, but if you have my Mom, you have to have my Dad. My can take her out for dinner or shopping, but if I do he won't talk to me for a month. Mom and me had some nice evenings when he was in the hospital as I could pick her up and take her out to eat (the more out of the way place the better), or bring over dinner and a DVD, and we could talk about old movies and stuff she and I both like. She is a very small rural town, and for her the simple pleasures are the best.

Unlike basilisk's people who are to be admired, mine have been rusting out for years. At this point, although I am in the middle of managing things they should have taken care of themselves years ago and have come to the conclusion they will just continue to rust out until they are finished.

Those were good thoughts, though.

Robert

[LDosser]

Not the best thing to be thinking about, but do they both have advanced directives with do not resuscitate orders? If they don't, it might be nice for someone on the staff of the care home to discuss it with them.

[jim]

My uncle, a dentist by trade was still enjoying woodworking / home repair up till he passed away at 101. He could put an arse back in a cat.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:57:33 -0800 (PST), the infamous " [e-mail]" scrawled the following:

OUCH!

Suckage.

Very cool.

I hope for an instant burnout someday vs. rotting in hell for years. My body and I have an agreement. I won't let them resuscitate me and it won't fight for a lost cause. I want to stay healthy, and if I can't have that, trade my body in for a new one, perhaps one with fewer karma points. ;)

I try! Well, just go love 'em!

[Larry Jaques]

On Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:44:07 -0800, the infamous "LDosser" scrawled the following:

I need to renew mine, and maybe get that DNR tatoo on my forearm.