A Mothers Love 2

It's charging night so while I'm still it's a good time to write.  I made an appointment today with Dr. G. because I'm still having trouble with my battery site.  Maybe my butt wasn't the best place after all.  It seems to be getting worse instead of better.  You know I'm a "why" person, I need an answer.  During this weight loss period I hoped to get rid of some of this belly fat.  No such luck, I loose some of my butt.  I'm thinking that's the problem, I'm loosing my padding back there.  Of course their super busy and I was specific about what office (they have 3) and particular days I wanted so I don't have an appointment until late October.  It would be nice if it would just go away and I won't have to go.  Positive thinking....

I titled this post A mothers love 2 because it's about my mom instead of my child.  Let me tell you a little about my mom.  For as long as I can remember my mom has been taking care of people, and family in her life.  She is a kind, nurturing, gentle, hard to anger, and friendly person.  God has blessed her with the ability to care for sick people without feeling burdened.  There were times during her trials of caring for who ever it was (there has always been someone) that I felt she was held back from things in her own life that she needed to be a part of but the sick person had to come first.  She has always put others before herself.

It would be a very long post if I went back and told you about every person I can remember that she took care of.  I have to mention my Grandmother.  Her mom.  My mom has 3 sisters and for whatever reasons at that time in their life they were not able to help my mom much.  After my grandmother's stroke my mom took her home to care for her while still working.  She drove a school bus.  For a long time an aid would come while she was on her bus run and then my mom would have to come straight home so she could be there for Maw Maw.  There were many nights she went to work on little sleep from getting my grandmother up in the middle of the night to bring her to the bathroom or whatever it was she needed.  I can still remember my grandmother ringing her little bell.  Thats what she did to let my mom know she needed something.  

At some point my mom with not much help got to the point she couldn't keep up with caring for her.  She couldn't find help on week ends and it got harder and harder to take care of her meds, special food she had to have and whatever else came along with caring for her.  It broke my moms heart but she had to put her in nursing home.  As many elderly  people do she went down hill after being in the home.  If my memory serves me right at about a year she brought her back home with her and she died just a few short months after.

Right now she is helping care for my great aunt.  She is my moms fathers sister.  There were 13.  The youngest was a set of twins.  My aunt is one of the twins and the last living.  She turned 93 in March.  She is almost blind and has alzheimer's disease.  Her husband is 92 and does the best he can to take care of her.  She is always calling on my mom for help.  My mom has spent so much time doing things for her.  This has been going on for the past 5 or 6 years now.  She takes her places when she wants to get out of house.  Since she has gotten sicker the past couple of years she doesn't mean to but makes my mom feel sorrow.  My mom may have spent the day before with her but she can't remember her being there and she begs my mom to come back.  There are about 30 minutes from each other and my mom has dropped everything when she's called crying wanting to see her. While on the subject of my aunt I might mention that her twin brother was diagnosed with cancer and in the end my mom brought him to her house to care for until he died.  This was several years before my aunt starting getting sick. 

For just about the same amount of time she has been helping care for her sister.  The second sister to fall ill and my mom care for.  My godmother had breast cancer and in the end it was bad because it spread to her lungs and she developed pulmonary fibrosis.  Her oldest sister has alzheimer's disease also.  She has 3 children but seems they are busy with their own lives and just don't have time for their mom as sick as she is.  So, guess who does.  Actually doesn't, but spreads herself all around.  I probably sound like I'm angry about this.  I'm not.  I just wish my mom hadn't spent so much of her life caring for someone else.  She talks about things she wants to do in her life but I fear for her she'll never get to.

I mentioned back in April when I started this blog that my mom was having pain in her leg.  Now you have to know my mom, she never complains.  I was amazed that she even told me about it when it started.  Since April she's seen a few different doctors.  Both of her legs hurting now. The pain was diagnosed as Sciatica.  Sciatica causes pain to radiate through your buttocks into one or both legs.  She's had an injection 3 different times.  The latest news is the specialist recommends a laminectomy.  Not as invasive as the surgery I had but painful none the less and some recovery time.  They will remove part of the lamina above and below the affected nerve.  Hopefully she will be pain free after this procedure.  I can see it now, she won't want to bother anyone or have anybody troubled to take care of her.  Not that it will be any trouble.  

Over the last 3 years my mom has come to Baton Rouge multiple times to stay with me while recovering from a surgery or procedure.  Matter of fact, with this last surgery she had her first injection just 2 days before my surgery but still came to care for me.  Since my dad passed in May of 2011 she has been working to make ends meet. He had CHF and she was caring for him as well.  She sits with a elderly lady that has alzheimer's disease.  I don't see how she does it.  She has some other health issues also.  She'd never tell you about them, I have to ask.  I worry about my mom taking care of herself because she is so busy taking care of everyone else.  I've had so many people in my life tell me when I mention my concern that it is what she was meant to do.  It takes someone special with a gift of patience to care for people who are sick and my mom has it.  God Bless her.  Her surgery is next month.  I've already discussed with her coming to my house after for recovery.  At least the first 3 to 4 days.  She'll put up a fight I'm sure.  I'll keep you posted when the date gets here.

I finally finished the painting I was working on.  I think it's time to pick up the paint until after the new year.  I need to clear off the other half of my table again so I can put my table cloth on and put out the fall center piece. 

Maybe I should have taken in two photo's.  Top half then bottom half so it would be close enough to read.  I know what it says and I can't read it.  lol  I'll try and get a betty one when I hang it in the play room.

It's been so warm this week I was able to spend some time in the pool this afternoon.  The water was so warm.  I'm dreading the day it's to cold to get in the pool.  I've been coming back to write as the night has progressed on. Lord please don't let me have two painful areas.  I'm pretty uncomfortable, I may be calling to beg for an earlier date :-(

GNA....Theresa

   The things you take for granted someone else is praying for. 

Sunday blues

So here is how I start every morning to get moving and of course the stimulator.  This week has been particular challenging.  When you deal with chronic pain and add emotional pain it's not good.  If you take a look at my week of exercise you would question my reasonings for say such.  I'm a little concerned about weigh in tomorrow morning.  I've had plenty exercise, but have not eaten as well as first two weeks.  


I pushed myself to walk more and harder this week because of the emotional stress I'm under because I know exercise can help that.  It's a double edge sword though because the added exercise has my back in a huge flare up.  My emotional side has had me comfort eating and I hope it doesn't show on the scale.  I'll be so disappointed.  I have only myself to blame.  I'm hoping that the added exercise balances out the added eating.  I'm in my points range, I didn't go over.  I still have 5 left for dinner, 22 weekly remaining ( your bonus) and 9 activity points unused.  This sounds good to all you readers who understands WW's but compared to two weeks, it's not.  Even though I ate low point foods, I didn't eat the veggies I need and my protein was low.  We'll see what tomorrow shows.


I'm in bed blogging while my husband is outside grilling.  He's been hard at work since Friday getting things ready for the pool to be installed tomorrow. ( I won't be here and that's probably a good thing)  Plants had to dug up and temporarily put in pots until the deck is up and we see where we want then.  He ran the electric line from the shed to have that all ready.  Lowe's delivered the decking materials Friday and there they sat in our front yard when I came home.  Of course I was wondering how in the world will he get that to back yard?  Hours of hard work, breaks in between and over a course of several days he carried it all to the back.  Piece by piece, thats how.  It already looks a disaster back there.  Everything out of place.  


Yesterday I had to give in to lying down for an hour two.  Combination of a lot of things,  but another was the pressure from the threat of rain.  None came, but it was dark and lightening and Dallas and I both can tell you when that is near.  Before you can see or hear it coming.
I've decided I must have a better week of eating because I need to rely on my new depression medication to help me with increased serotonin levels this week and cut down a bit on the exercise.  Maybe three days then I'll try increasing again after that.  My back is definitely letting me know I'm doing to much.  Here's a look at my week of walking.

July 18th-29th

The first day you notice I only walked 0.56 miles.  I was so excited to try out this app my daughter told me about.  I got started and was on the back side of the loop and it started to drizzle and I was praying I could get around to beginning before any hard rain came down.  No such luck.  The drizzle quickly turned into a very hard pour and the others had started running to the pavilion and I, for the first time since surgery, decide I better at least try to jog to the pavilion.  I didn't want my i phone getting wet.  I had placed it under my shirt.  (I've since bought an armband but was walking with it in my hand at the time) No can do though. I felt every little bone, muscle and nerve as I started to jog.  It felt like my incisions were going to burst open.  Nope, your going to get drenched.  I did the fastest walk I could to get over there.  I'm sure the others were wondering what my problem was.  It went on for 20 minutes.  No letting up at all. The wind was blowing so hard that even the people that were dry before were soaked like me.  You couldn't find a place to stand under the pavilion that you weren't getting drenched. 


By the time it let up I was still worried about my phone and a nice lady I'd been talking to jogged to her car and got her umbrella and came back and walked me to mine. (I had told her why I couldn't run in from the rain)  ANyway, all this info to tell you why it was 0.56 miles on day one. Didn't want you thinking I improved that much in one day to the next.  Ha ha.


Notice on July 28th I had a personal best.  Want to know why?  I called my mom to talk to her while I was walking.  The run keeper app updates you however often you set it to and even when your listening to music you can here her update your status.  It says time walking, distance and pace.  For some reason I couldn't hear this while I was on the phone.  It was faint, and I'd definitely lost count in laps.  Shame on me for being so far behind in catching up to my mom. When I was starting to hurt so bad I was having trouble talking and walking I decided to stop having no idea how far I'd gone.  We continued to talk through my leg stretches and after I was home.  Only when I was off the phone and looked at the app did I know how long I had walked.  I was feeling it though.  I didn't really think I could overdue walking.  They want me to walk.  But I did.  I know it because I'm back there again today :-(
Having to rest in bed for a short time to finish the day.

Pretty cool, works by GPS, this is walking path 

This is my neighborhood. The green dot is my house where I started.

Thanks again B.  You made something painful, but a must do, a little more fun and challenging.  Her and I are street buddies and she can see what I've accomplished and I can see her runs and paths.  It's great for if you have a long distance companion and want to encourage each other this way.

And last but not least, below is my latest attempt at a pinterest idea.  I've been wanting to do a Family Rules for some time now and had my eye on one I pinned on "wall art" awhile back.  Then I came across something similar to this one.  A bit different that first idea.  The "real one" is also on my "wall art" board  if you want to take a look at how the professional one looks.  It was done through tears, notice the crooked lines. I painted over and tried again, but was still crying so what can I say.  It has feeling and will hold memories.  My husband appreciates my work and that counts for a lot.  <3.  I also painted several other things this weekend.  My therapy, a weekend of much needed therapy, hence why so much was accomplished. 

God Bess, and sending good thoughts for everyone suffering from any kind of pain.  Physical or mental to have a peaceful week. 

Something to do

My latest painting.  I think I have one other I did on here.  No big deal just something to do.  I got this idea off of pinterest.  My kitchen is red and black and cabinets are white so that is where the color choices came from.   The one I saw done, lines were not exactly the same, were in shades of blue.  My favorite color, but no where to put one in blue :-(

Really sore from the swimming yesterday.  Feels like I been hit with a two by four but I know its a good hurt.  I have to believe that.  Another day of rest today.  I've been consistent with every other day.

I have take on a job of watering for my neighbor while they are on vacation and it is a big job.  I start this evening and it will take some time.  It will be a little like exercise.  lol