Family Stuff

[fabrisse]

Dad is anemic again. For the first time in nearly two decades, he's come up as diabetic (borderline) in his blood work. And for something brand new, his kidneys are not working properly. That's all the doctor said, no specifics.

Mom is going to physical therapy for her heart three times a week. She's told the nutritionist to shove it when it comes to not eating red meat -- or even limiting it to twice a month as I now do. The people in the therapy with her, with only one exception, are all people like her. They hold the diet advice in contempt, and I don't think there's a word strong enough for the loathing with which they greet the therapists' insistence on either meditation or relaxation work. Mom's been fun.

Sis is doing well. She's recovering nicely from her shoulder surgery. Last night she was able to pass the salt across the table. We gave her a round of applause. Her basal cell surgery is on Tuesday. We're hoping it goes well.

edited to add: Scout was taken to the vet today. What we thought was a mole, wasn't. It's being biopsied. Dammit. Even the dog's not entirely well.

Comments

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{ hugs you }}}}}}}}}}}}}} Hope your dad recovers soon, but we all know that diagnoses like those aren't likely to go away, even with a decent diet.

And speaking of decent diets, and your mom. Been staying the hell away from this topic, so all I have to say about hers and the other patients' resistance and that's "Resistance is Futile." Those PT people aren't just talking out their ass, as you know. ;)

Hugs and well-wishes for your sis. I so know that one and I hope it doesn't take her as long as it took me. In a few weeks' time, however, I'll be let go from the doctor to go back to work. I don't have full use but I'm not in any pain. Unless I try and throw a ball or something. Now comes the scary part in trying to get a settlement for loss of use as well as trying to find work after fourteen months off. I stupidly gained weight so nothing fits right. I'll have to see if I can get some sort of vocational training and financial support. Don't know if I can get it, but I can ask.

Anyway, aside from your family, hope *you* are doing well, sweetie. {{{{{{{{{ more hugs for you whether you are or not *g* }}}}}}}}}}}

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Pretty well. And hugs are always appreciated.

Sis is icing fairly frequently, but her bicep keeps getting inflamed. It actually feels hot to the touch and puffy. They're trying her on a new medication to help with it, but other than that she's doing pretty well. In another six weeks they may let her go back to Curves.

I'm worried about Dad. I'm even more worried because Mom's resistance to good diet is putting him at risk. There's only so much I can do without interfering.

So far, I've asked that we not have meat the three times a week we eat at their house for MY heart. Mom snipes and grumbles and snipes some more. It hurts a bit. But we get fish, zucchini casserole, and tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches (all right the last is not optimal, but she's trying) instead of chops all the time. The one weekend when we were due to have a meatless spaghetti, though, Mom put my sauce to one side and added two pounds of hamburger to the sauce for the rest of the family. *sigh*

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

*sighs back* I'll keep most of my thoughts to myself except that I worry with you. And I'll do my own prayers for your dad.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It means more than I can say.

[thorbol.livejournal.com]

Hugs from me too!

As you might expect, I understand thoroughly your mother's reaction to the dieting notions. For me, a week without red meat is like the Bible without God. It probably wouldn't be if I could tolerate more than two vegies, or more than zero fruits. And of course, it means I have to work harder on exercise, which I only sometimes do.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

True. But I've never known you to be actively rude about it.

If Mom said even half the things she claimed she said to that poor nutritionist, she was rude in the extreme.

Once the ice is gone from the sidewalks, I'll bet Bessie can get you out and about. *G*

[thorbol.livejournal.com]

You're right: to my knowledge, I was never rude to a nutritionist or anybody serving even momentarily in that role.

We've had some mighty cold days, but Bessie and I have indeed been out and about. I've also started using our rebounder for short bursts of exercise.