Still here, decided to just start new thread

I did get her to an opthamalogist and she is getting glasses.  Apparently she has had cataract surgery and didn't remember it.
I did get her started on a good liquid vitamin and mineral supplement, we take them too.  She says she is, no way to tell but
she likely is doing that.  It sure can't hurt her.

But I'm backing off, not arguing with someone about going for a checkup.  Surely one day she will have to go for something
and I can get them to do bloodwork and a good checkup.  She has broken several bones through the years so could happen again.

Lack of social interaction and intellectual stimulation is a brain cell killer for any age group.  This could have led to help now, perhaps, later stepping
into assisted living and having a quality of life.  As it is I imagine it will just be directly to a nursing home in time, but who knows she
may make it there many more years.

Today we are off for Sue Anne a doctors appointment, she fell some years back and injured her tailbone, for some reason it has
been killing her again so need to check on that and a few other things.

My husband will be in the 4th, looking forward to a few weeks with him home.

Hey I found a device I can use maybe some others.  You have a small remote and then you put a receiver piece on each of your car or
motorhome keys.  Keep the remote in one place if you can't find your keys click it and it will beep back from up to 50 ft away.  I'm
going to get one and put it in her purse so when she thinks its stolen or lost she or we can find it.  I'm getting me one too.

Life is to short to let someone else who doesn't want help drag you down.  It may for a short time but I'm not letting it happen for long.

Everyone have a great day, I intend to.

Sue Anne goes for an MRI on her tailbone area Friday.  I kind of wonder sometimes if she is just wanting painkillers.  She didn't expect it and the doc taped on the area where she says it hurt and she almost jumped off the table.  It got the doc and I too so I don't think its a ruse.  Hope its nothing serious.  I'm still thinking weight loss and exercise, of course that is difficult for us to.

Got a call from Fleetwood today, they can get me a new water tank for $550 and $150 shipping, will take about 3 weeks.  I'm surprised
actually, you can't say they don't give good service even to someone with a very old motorhome.  In looking at having one made its
about the same cost so will see what Tom wants to do.  I don't think we will get it in time for him to install it though.

I'm thinking of taking Sue Anne today and us going for a drive east of here, haven't been that way for well 30 years I guess.  Just the car today.
If it truly gets 71 tomorrow, going to get the motorhome out and see if I can wash it.  It needs a wax job this year, has done very well but its time.  Wanted to do it last year and just couldn't get everything done to make it happen, then got to hot.

Problem is Tuesday back to high of only 59.  I am chomping at the bit for warm weather, to be able to open doors and windows, and get outside to
work in the yard.  I have a bigger list then time for awhile.

Please warm nice weather get here soon.  Tom says don't worry when I'm home it will be nice, yes, it generally is.

All of you have a great day today!

I got MIL started on liquid vitamins around the 20th of the month.  I got her some with larger percentages of supplements then normal for the first month.  I know she had to be deficient in everything as mainly I saw her eating frozen pizza and drinking tea.  I imagine she has eaten like that for a long time.

I noticed last year at this time she was still handling her taxes and everything pretty good but this year didn't even know she had to file.

Maybe its my imagination but seems like the last few days she is more coherent, not repeating herself constantly, and seems to understand more when I talk to her. The one item with a very high dosage was the B complex vitamins.  If its helping her this quickly she is very deficient.

We will see if it continues, she tells me she is taking them.  I told her today I could see a difference in the repeating of things and in remembering things better.  Well encouragement can't hurt either can it?  But the one difference I note is she is not so lethargic, she sounds more like her old self.
Like I told DD this won't cure anything, but if I can get her better later perhaps I can still get her in for at least bloodwork.  So there seems to be hope, I'm also hoping her appetite will pick up and perhaps she will eat better.  I hope this truly is helping, in looking back at my mom I think she had the same issue.  Sadly the internet and all this information though some is false is a wonderful source to find out things we used to never know.  I would rather see her at home then elsewhere believe me.

I fell yesterday, I have bad feet and do often, really twisted my bad ankle, was on crutches, Sue Anne really helped me.  I did the RICE deal you are supposed to do.  But to me in things like that nothing better then Epsom Salts, did a soak last night and elevated the end of my adjustable bed which also helped I'm sure. This morning I'm able to walk on it carefully but no crutches.  I thought I had broke it this time but all the ligaments and such are so stretched out they likely didn't break, its bruised pretty good.  Yesterday was a beautiful day as is today and I was going to wash the motorhome.  Well that' didn't happen.  So I'm going to see if I can get it back in the garage as its nothing but rain the rest of the week.  Likely I shouldn't be up on it with no one here anyway so hopefully I will be better and Tom will be home when I wash the roof, been almost a year since that was done. I have to use the right foot for the accelerator and brake, so will see if I can do that or not. 

First beautiful day, I had all these plans this week of things to do outside, that went up in smoke, durn.  But any day we are still getting around is a good one, so not really complaining.

Carolyn...I grew up in Indiana and the weather was one of the reasons why we left.  During Jan, Feb and March I would get so depressed with no sunshine.  I'm much happier in California!

I'm talking to Tom about either buying a winter place in Florida or me going down for 3 months in the winter, Jan to end of March, unless the weather warms up.

We looked at the house in summer and this picture shows the beautiful weather.

We should have looked on a night like this, brrrrrrrrr
Or this, I think it was 11 below that day.

I had forgotten how bad winter gets after being gone for 30 years.

I thought it was an April Fools joke but nope.  Did you know Anderson Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt?  Now isn't that something, he seems so down to earth and all who would have thought.

Carolyn,
about sublingual B complex.
Pernicious Anemia runs in my family, vitamin's B are not absorbed properly from food. An intrinsic factor is missing from the digestive juices. Your liver can mask it for years with no symptoms, massive amounts of B stored in the liver. Sublingually, it bypasses the stomach. Goes straight into the blood under the tongue.
Anyway, the sublingual B will likely mask the deficiency in the bloodwork. Your description of the symptoms before and the immediate reaction after taking a dose is familiar in our family. I didn't put it together until now. Be sure to inform the Dr. so he doesn't miss it. She may be better off with the shot every two weeks if she's sorely depleted.

Bill

A friend's mother-in-law (92) lives in an assisted living facility.  She would get very lethargic, not remember things and didn't want to do anything.  This was not like her M-I-L.  Friend found out her M-I-L was not drinking enough water/fluids...such as Gatorade, juice and water!  She told her M-I-L she would be in a nursing home if she didn't take the responsibility of drinking lots of fluids...what a change now that she drinks at least a couple bottles each day!  I thought of the same things with my 95 year old mom.  She gets that same way if she doesn't drink about 32 ounces of flavored water during the day.  Not always easy to get her to do it, but reminded her of how she gets when she doesn't.  Has made a significant difference in her.

Well yesterday was bad, she must have asked me 50 times when Tom is coming home.  But she did do something unusual, she went to Sullivan
with me and decided she would get for lunch what Sue Anne did.  I never see her eat much of anything when I am around.  She ate a cold cut combo and drank a soda, and actually ate the whole thing.  I think getting food down her will help also.  I bet she was better again for awhile after that.  I really hope she is taking those vitamins and minerals, they sure won't hurt her.

Getting her to a doctor, I can't.  Maybe Tom can get her to go.  It's just ridiculous I know, trying to help someone that won't let you.

I sprained my ankle again I think, its been since Monday and I'm in pain.  I'm having some custom blinds installed and they are coming earlier
which is good.  And various of us ladies are cooking for prisoners doing work in our small town so I'm taking soup and peach cobbler up I made.
I had Vicodin or hydrocodone left from my last injury so took those but the pain is making me sick at my stomach in between.  I'm going to go
up to the minor emergency clinic and see if its sprained or broken. I've read for some reason if you break a bone it will sometimes do that, never
broken anything before, just bad sprains. Tom thinks it could be.  And of course I have to drive to Indianapolis to get
him tomorrow so can't do a boot or anything on it or couldn't drive.  But if it is he and I can either stop back on the way home tomorrow or Saturday
and get something done if need be.  Of course my doctor is out of town on vacation, she is only in this office 1 day a week anyway.

I used to go the hospital ER for things like that, but the last few years they hit me with a thousand or two thousand dollar fee, for some reason
I guess his insurance has decided none of these things are emergencies.  Same with falling off the trailer and hitting my head on the concrete.  Ok, what is an emergency then?  Crazy, its just crazy. So we have good minor emergency clinics and will just use them, to bad its 30 miles to get there.

And we are getting a rainstorm and a half here, I can't see across the back yard right now. I think lately I need to call this the "whining thread".  Better sign off looks like we could lose electric.

I worried about the basement flooding if I were gone for a month or two and we lost electric.  He found a neat setup, a sump pump with a battery backup.  It also has a double pump, he said might as well as you never know one could fail, one is above the other so if the water got up to high 2 kick in and the battery will provide continuous running for up to 7 hours if we lost electric.  The seller said it never flooded, no evidence we saw either but she said one time they lost electric and were panicking as it came up real high in the sump hole.  Tom doubled the size of the drain also so I think we are good. Seems like there is always something.  And the TV just went off again, to much rain on the dish I guess.

I'm not sure whether to get excited or not.  Hubby just replied on my email that he was on leave till October 24th?????  He was supposed to go back
April 24th, wonder if it was a senior moment.  I hope not, I would LOVE to have him home that long.

It's very possible, on that particular project its been on and off for years, he was there 3 years ago and they closed the job, the country runs out of money periodically.  If so he may have volunteered to come home for a bit, God knows I could use his help and there is so much to do here I'm sure he wants to get at it.

He is flying out today so I may not hear back, that was the only thing he said.  I'm thrilled either way.

I just notified him though, they either need to continue his insurance which they usually do or we need to take medicare so we won't get penalties.

Went to minor emergency clinic, saved thousands versus an ER.  Got xrays, he said amazingly no broken bones, but pretty tore up.  He gave me a shot of torodol?? and said that should help me have a comfortable night.  So far its took down some of the swelling and he gave me some pain pills.  I hope it is good tomorrow as its been killing me today. 

When they have ankle replacement surgery that is more then 30 to 40% successful, say 70, I will be in line.  My podiatrist in Houston and I discussed it but he said it just isn't perfected enough yet, he was a prof at Baylor.  I hope they do in the next years as my feet are breaking down and I fall way to much.

You might have to go to something like this  http://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Adjustable-Ankle-Stabilizer-Black/dp/B0027VKR5S/ref=sr_1_17?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1396583310&sr=1-17  or this  http://www.amazon.com/ASO-Ankle-Stabilizing-Orthosis-Medium/dp/B000TGUN7A/ref=sr_1_7?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1396583310&sr=1-7  plus either high top, lace up boots or sport shoes.  Especially when you're working on things.  That's what both of my adult sons had to do. 

I have both and multiple other styles, doesn't take long before they get very uncomfortable.  But yep I wear them quite often.

I did good today.  The shot took the swelling down bigtime.  Tom drove home.  Tonight I soaked it again in Epsom salts and its swollen some but overall so much better I'm thrilled.  I'm trying to be very careful walking.

I have orthotics in my shoes.  I found a pair of very rigid Eccos in Vegas at the Big Mall.  I tried them on and they held my feet so rigid best shoes I ever got, I told him I'm wearing them and have ever since, think they were close to $200 a pair, I don't care.  Was on the internet and found 1 other pair, they are a discontinued style they tell me made out of Kevlar and ordered them for a backup.

I have never found any like them in all my years, generally I will break a pair down in just a few weeks, these won't.  If not for them I would have been in a wheelchair all week.  I may have to start wearing them in the house, but I hate wearing shoes inside, if I had had them on, this likely would not have happened.

There used to be a place in Vincinnes that made shoes, even as a child my feet were bad, I think mom had me one pair made but they just couldn't they were so expensive.  Need to check it out, but for now these will fill the bill.

Tom is home, hair cut, had been 13 weeks, he looked rough, showered, fed, home made veggie soup and cherry pie.  He tucked in and is sound asleep.  He is tired from this trip but nothing like from Indonesia.  It's sure nice to have him home again, I'm making his list!  He will do what he can.

And guess what the first things he did today for Sue Anne and I?  He changed the oil and filters on the motorhome and generator.  Then he adjusted the windshield wiper on the passenger side that the RV place I took it in Florida said could not be adjusted so it doesn't go past the glass and around the outside when turned on high.

He checked the battery cable I thought was loose, nada.  I had heard air escaping I thought from the system, it aired up, stayed up, no hiss or anything. Pressure was up to 115.

Of course the clicking in the bedroom that drove us nuts not a peep out of that.  I had heard it the other day so turned everything off, but nothing today. Why do you NEVER hear these things when someone is here to fix them?

He is going to grease everything tomorrow, check and cut the slot out so the new furnace scoots back, its off just a fraction.  I don't think he can adjust the water heater air as its still winterized.

And I learned some things today, Tom assumed I knew, and I'm saying how would I know these thing, so feel totally stupid, sigh. :-[ They apparently are very basic to diesels.  I would look at the water tank on the engine and if below minimum would put antifreeze mix in it and I was getting overflowing from that plastic tank.  He says you see this little bubble over here, if that bubble is empty the radiator needs water but pay attention to the tank too if its empty.  I didn't know that, I says you never told me that before, he said I thought you knew, well no.

And I said there is oil on the engine is there something wrong someplace?  He is looking at it, he says you do know that when you pull the dipstick on the oil to gauge it that when you put it back you twist the piece as its like a thermos top and locks it in? ???  I said no, I just push it back in, he says dear that's why you have this oil on the engine, he said its spitting it out.  He says by the way the same deal on the transmission dipstick, no I didn't know that either. 

Well, here we are, he is familiar with all kinds of engines, I'm thinking I know more then I do.  I guess I learned 3 important things today.  So I'm asking well what else do I need to know that I don't.  He says you check your front oil hubs, I says not often. 

We are hoping the new water tank gets here in time for him to install it.

And here it is April and having to dress warmly to do this stuff.  Wonder what else I need to know, that I don't about this thing.

He is going to fix the magnet that came off my screen door.  See if he can move the box for the TV to one of the middle slots where the tape player used to be instead of on the side.  Put the door back up on the passenger side above Sue Annes head we took off for the new latches.

Another thing I did, is one day I gauged the oil and decided I needed to add some, it takes forever for it to run in when its cold. I was adding some and not paying attention, it overflowed all over the place, another lesson learned.  Hubby said if you have to add any it has to go in really slow, needless to say I made a mess.  I sometimes wonder if I will ever get all this stuff. I do not have these issues in the other vehicles, its all so much easier.

We are discussing a newer motorhome with slides, or perhaps a place in Florida instead.  I doubt we do either but these do come up
in conversations with no decisions.

Other then that life goes on.

Tom fixed the furnace, had a new one put in and it was not straight, the repairguy said it needed a slot cut for the wiring plug to fit in, he said

it was the closest fit he could find for it.  Tom unplugged the wires, shortened them and went inside the furnace to plug instead of outside, straightened the furnace and that was it.

He just went back out, my microwave is loose, he is going to see what he can do to fasten it firmer. I hit some rough roads out west that beat the heck out of us, only thing I saw loose.  Also grease the coach and remove the old fresh water tank.

Lot of progress in a couple of days.  He thinks its ok to dewinterize now, if so we can check out the water heater air adjustment.

I want to take it for a drive in a few days to see if we can get the clicking to start so we can find it. It's an aggravating sound, can get rid of it by turning off the coach button, maybe we reset something when we turned it off and on. Who knows.

Carolyn,

On our first MH, a 1994 HR Imperial diesel, the microwave came loose from the wall on some really rough roads in PA on our second trip. I took it out and decided that the wall brackets just weren't strong enough for highway use. I took the microwave to my plant engineer and had him weld two #8 grade nuts to the top (after drilling a hole to allow the bolt to go into the microwave a little bit). I then re-installed the micro on the wall and drilled holes in the base of the cabinet above and bolted the microwave to that cabinet. Microwave mount held up for almost 90,0000 before we traded it in late 1999. Actually saw that motorhome on E-bay a couple of years ago and from the pictures the microwave was still fine.

ken