Praying For All My Friends Today with Colds, Flu & Pneumonia

This time of year can be pretty rough on your system. Flu often leads to pneumonia and it takes months sometimes for your body to recup. Pneumonia is very dangerous so don't take any chances. See a doctor.
Once you begin to recover, don't push yourself. Drink plenty of liquids, get plenty of Vitamin C and rest. See The Mom Squad Blog (Thurs. Feb. 28) at www.955thefish.com for more helpful hints to ward off colds and flu. Blessings to you all.

Creativity Combats Confusion

I have been my Mom's full-time caregiver for 3 years and 3 months now and part-time caregiver 7 months prior to that. I have seen the gradual affects of Alzheimer's and have had to make adjustments accordingly. It is always my objective to keep Mom happy, healthy and safe but some days, she attempts to fight the status quo. I pray a lot for the strength to handle this situation but on difficult days (like yesterday), I go into extreme prayer mode. I do not want her to become frustrated nor do I want to be frustrated. Some days she forgets she is in her own home and begins to put on layers and layers of clothing. She says quite forcefully, "I am going home now." Sometimes a simple reminder that she is already at home helps. Her facial expression changes as if a light bulb has been turned on and she begins to look around. Then she responds, "What am I thinking, of course I am at home." She will then repeat her address over and over a few times, remove the clothing and pick up a book or sit and enjoy a TV show. Other times it is an entirely different story. Here is where the creativity comes in. When she won't remove the clothing or allow me to remove the clothing, I simply say, "Mom, are those my sweaters?" She will immediately begin to take the excess clothing off. In her mind she is still very independent and she KNOWS she has always been able to afford her own things, God bless her. She KNOWS she has her own clothes and does not want to ever bother things that belong to others. Then once she removes the many layers of clothes and moves to the closet for coats I simply say, "You know Mom, in order to go home, you have to have a good breakfast." She always spoke to us about the benefits of a good breakfast so those words seem to trigger something. Once she sits down to eat, I can administer her morning pills. I must call these the "morning vitamins" because she can relate to vitamins but she refuses to relate to the words 'medication' or 'pills' as she has been against that concept all her life and never needed any basically until just before the onset of the Alzheimer's. One of the meds, helps to keep her calm. I usually give 1/2 with breakfast and 1/2 with dinner just because that normally works well. But on the days when she starts out being a little rambunctious, I administer the entire pill with breakfast. Then usually, the rest of the day is great for the both of us. So if you are a Caregiver or become one, I encourage you to be prayerful, patient and by all means, creative. Call upon others to give you a break if you begin to feel overwhelmed. THANK YOU RANDY FOR GIVING ME A BREAK YESTERDAY AND TO YOU AND PHYLLIS FOR THE HELP ON TUES. & THURS. Caregivers are a blessing and God sees all you are doing for your loved one so be encouraged.

Daughter Gets a New Doo

My youngest daughter, Beranda, is one of the most adorable people I have ever known. She is beautiful inside and out. She and I are forever changing our hair-doos. We like wearing it long so we can have style variety but due to breakage, etc. periodically we need a trim. So here she is, wearing it shorter than EVER but still looking magnifico! You go girl!!! By the way, this will be the first year Beranda will be eligible to vote so she is really excited! She is listening carefully to what each candidate has to offer and Saturday we had the opportunity to see Senator Obama in person and he shook Beranda's hand. What an experience for a first-time voter!

I Give Up

After trying many things this week to deter the skunks, it has only aggravated them soooo this morning I called the Animal Warden. From what my nephew told me, they will come out, set traps and take them away once they are caught. I have to make sure my little Chewchy does not go into the area but I truly am PRAYING this nightmare will be over real soon. Blessings.

The Battle Between Me & Pew Wee Continues

It is incredible to me how everything that God created has a purpose, a plan and the instinct to survive. Skunks are here for a reason. I just don't know what that reason could possibly be! Just like clockwork, there they were again at 4am Tuesday.

This time they were surprised by a large wooden frame I had placed in front of the trellis and up over the siding. I could tell they were puzzled and for sometime they displayed their anger by further spraying the area and the stench is what actually woke me up. BUT in visiting the scene of the crime, I noticed they had found a way to still get up under the frame and had actually dug a pretty deep hole, so its ON TO PLAN B (imagine that being said with an echo affect-hahaha). In speaking to a Home Depot rep, he highly recommended pouring vinegar around the area and then distributing moth balls along the perimeter of the house. I can hardly WAIT for them to come to see my next move. I'll keep you posted....The Bible says, "Count it all joy." smile

Skunktus Interruptus...

The weather was quite blustery here during the night and a family of skunks wanted a place to hide so they attempted, at 4am to pull the siding off the back of my house, along the wall of my bedroom right where my headboard is. This had happened previously but it had been a while. After the last time, I found a piece of wooden trellis and placed it along the back of the house and pushed the grill against it. Last night, they were relentless. They were jerking the trellis back and forth and banging against the wall. First I banged back hoping to frighten them, but that did not work. Then I got my flashlight and shined it through the bedroom window but that just seemed to make them work more fervently. So I got bold and opened my bedroom window so I could shine the light directly on them but they said, "Thanks lady. Now we can see exactly where we want to burrow." So I had to do something I hated to do...I woke my son, Micah. Now Micah loves the Lord and I think next in line is sleep. He brought me one of his air rifles and I began to do a bit of target practice. On one hand, that was a good thing because the skunks ran. On the other hand, they ran toward the front of the yard, where my sweet little companion, Chewchy (See photo on 2/1 posting) was relieving himself. They sprayed him and he ran into the house doing a weird dance of sorts. Falling down on the right, then the left, rubbing his face on the carpet and franticly spinning. I grabbed my rubber gloves, put him into the bathtub, covered him with Scope Mouthwash (HA - I did not have tomatoe juice and I wasn't about to use my Classico Spaghetti Sauce). Then I bathed him in antibacterial soap. It worked pretty well. It took about an hour for me to return to sleepytown but what a wonderful sleep it was. Sometime today, I plan to do a bit of research to find out what I can use to encourage my furry striped 'friends' to stay away from my home. Have a precious President's Day!

Laura's Home...What An Amazing Place

The longer I live in Cleveland, the more I am amazed by all it has to offer. There are so many people that need a fresh start and there is an amazing place called Laura's Home, that provides that fresh start. It is a part of the City Mission that houses women and their children. This Christian organization receives no government funding, yet funds that come in via private sources and companies, provide a clean, bright facility, 3 meals daily, job resource training, daycare and much more. You would be so impressed by the loving atmosphere. I hope you will take the time to tour this marvelous facility, make a donation and make a difference! For more information, call (216) 472-5500.

Where Are They Now????

There are so many people from high school that made a wonderful impression on my mind. I have not seen these people in 30+ years but still, after all these years, I think of them and wonder how they are doing. Are there people from your past that you would like to see again? I lived out of town for most of my adult life so I never received info about our high school reunions. I wonder if anyone from my past thinks about me. I made a list of 20 today and I am going to try to reunite, without paying for a class reunion website membership. I'll keep you posted.

Election 2008 - Have We Grown As A Country?

As a youth, preparing to vote for the first time (about 100 years ago), I asked my Dad what his voting strategies were. I will never forget these words, "Baby, politicians are relatively all the same and a lot of them are crooked. But the bottomline is as a citizen of the United States, the right to vote is a privilege so don't take it for granted. Listen to all candidates and determine your voting strategy not by party, but by what the candidates stand for, and how what they stand for will affect your life." I'm not sure if my Dad would have envisioned a woman candidate or a candidate of color but based on the intelligence of his voting strategy I know he would definitely encourage EVERYONE to vote...not based on a person's gender, nor on the color of their skin...nor their political party BUT WHAT THEY STAND FOR AND HOW THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE! I pray that America has grown at this time in history and will continue to grow to be a wise and intelligent nation valuing all people, for many have contributed to the building of our great nation and there is no better time, than the present, to embrace diversity.

Experience a New Way of Waking Up

Some people hop out of bed in the morning raring to go. Others can be groggy and get up with an unwillingness to start the day. I've been doing something a bit different lately and I must admit I feel better for taking the uninterrupted time with myself AND for myself. Some of these suggestions are a combination of things I have read about lately and seen on television; some I already did but together, I feel they make the complete package. All in all give yourself about 10 minutes....longer if you desire.

1. Take a moment to greet God. Thank Him for your rest and whatever else comes to mind. Discuss any concerns with Him and by all means commit the day to Him. As the Bible teaches us, His yoke is easy and burdens are light. So attach yourself fully to Him and lay all burdens down at His feet right there from your bed before your feet even touch the floor. No problem is too big for God! Ask Him to prioritize your day. You'll be surprised at the results.

2. Take several deep cleansing breaths. Inhale through the nose (produces niacin I believe, which we need) and exhale through the mouth.

3. Do the "Ooooommmm" chant a few times. This opens up and helps to clear the sinuses.

4. Stretch, in the bed and again once you stand up. Deep breathing coupled with stretching does wonders for your body.

5. Hug yourself (I love hearing my aqua aerobics instructor, Estella, say this). You deserve it. Remind yourself how important you are to YOU. Give all extremities that you can reach a tiny massage. Then reach behind you and with your fists, GENTLY pound the kidney area. Dr. Bob from Cleveland Clinic indicated on Oprah that this increases the blood flow there and helps them to function more effectively.

The Bucket List

When I heard of this new movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in which two older men, make a list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket, I laughed. Then I thought, "Hmmm, that's not a bad idea." And though no day is promised to any of us, how nice it would be to actually create a list like this before getting too old. So I have decided to create one. Why don't you do the same and let's keep in touch to keep each other accountable. I have already begun, as my New Year's Resolution, to do new things, meet new people and go new places so this is right in line with that. I have always wanted to go back to college, take trips to Spain, Jerusalem and Alaska and take all 3 of my children on a cruise, so I am going to really begin to pray about these things and try...NO...not try, I am going to make and take definite steps toward my Bucket List. It may take some time but focus is key. God bless!

It's Just A Routine Surgery....

I had a hysterectomy about 8 years ago. And there was nothing routine about it. I truly needed this operation as I had begun to experience great difficulty at times. But I remember watching my doctor's mouth as she said the words "Routine Surgery" and "Of course, there could be complications with any surgery but puncturing your rectum or infection happens to maybe 1 in 20,000." I was told after the surgery I would be allowed to go home if my temperature was normal and if all bodily elimination functions had returned. After the surgery, I did not feel well. I had a fever of 101 and I could not have a BM, but wouldn't you know it, the nurse said those are just general rules and my doctor felt I could go home. Eight days past and the problems persisted. I consistently kept my doctor informed and the day before I was to go for an in-office checkup, I had a BM and my fever immediately vanished. OH I WAS SO GLAD and at the appointment she assured me that's how it goes sometimes. Well the next day or so (a Friday), I went to bed and for the first time since the surgery I felt great. I was still moving around gingerly but that was to be expected. I slept like a baby that night and when I woke up, I took a nice deep breath but something was terribly wrong. I inhaled the worst smell of my life and as my hands moved to my abdomen my jammies were soaked with a thick fluid. Technically my abdomen had become infected and the incision had burst open. The doctor's office called back and told me to go immediately to the hospital, that she would clean the area and send me back home...not to worry. An angel met me in the parking lot. She was a nurse that had actually experienced the same thing I was going through. She opened the car door and put her nose (I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE SHE DID THIS)...put her nose near my abdomen and took a whiff. She said, "You've got salmonella. She is NOT going to just clean you up and send you home! She's got to operate." I guess the doctor had spoken to her before I got there. Sure enough the area had to be completely opened and another surgery was performed. I was so out of it, I had forgotten what day it was. On Sunday, the doctor entered my room crying. She said, "I'm sorry but you're dying. Your organs are shutting down and unless I can come up with some type of aggressive treatment, you're not going to make it. Your family has got to get here and I am having trouble reaching them." The entire time she was sobbing and trying to explain through her tears, I felt an extreme level of calm and I said, "Please give me a moment to pray." She yelled, "YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PRAY!" I responded, "I have time to pray if I have time for nothing else." She left the room. After praying I tried several times to reach my family and when I finally got through, they said, "We were at the alter praying for you...It's Sunday ...We are in church." What a blessing it was to hear that. The aggressive treatment took place which started with a blood transfusion. Four or five months later, after daily home care, having a stint to my heart inserted, and having to go through excruciating pain several times a day as the dressing had to be changed in the deep, wide hole that existed, I began to walk again. The doctor said the instruments in the operating room must not have been sterilized during my first surgery causing the infection. TO THIS DAY, I THANK THE LORD FOR BRINGING ME THROUGH THAT SITUATION, FOR ONCE AGAIN, PROTECTING ME. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN HEALED ME. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL!!! And the hole is completely healed to the point one would never even know I had surgery. It was a devastating time for me and my family that I had nightmares about for years. God is Great! I heard Thelma Wells tell a similar story at the Women Of Faith Conference in Cleveland in 2007. I believe these mishaps happen more than doctors are willing to admit. If you are told that you need surgery of any kind, here are my suggestions:
1. Pray about it. Let the Holy Spirit inside you strengthen and guide you.
2. Discuss the pros and cons with your family. It affects them too.
3. Hope for the best but be realistic about the worst.
4. Do your homework. Get a 2nd and even a 3rd opinion if you wish.
5. If you are working, make sure you know what your health care and leave of absence options are.
6. Inform your pastor and prayer group for spiritual support, visitation and other needs you may have like meals or assistance with your children.
7. And definitely inform neighbors because in an emergency, these may be the people closest and able to respond the fastest. (The Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor as thyself...there's are many reasons for that).

Pictured with me are a few of the wonderful Women of Faith: Patsy Clairmont, Thelma Wells and Sheila Walsha. Each of them have quite a story to tell. If you have never attended a WOF Conf. I hope you will in the near future.

My Faithful Companion

I have always loved animals and pets can add such a tenderness to one's life. I'm sure you have heard that pets are now being brought into nursing homes and hospitals so seniors and children can interact with them. They find the interaction can lower blood pressure and give hope to those suffering with serious illness. Unfortunately, some people have serious allergies and cannot experience that love. But pets are definitely a sweet little gift. They have personalities and we can learn from them. Pets can teach a child responsibility, as well as, how to focus, be more caring and even how to deal with loss. I will never forget my first dog Sheppy. He was a German Shepherd-Collie mix, super intelligent and very human-like. He cried when I cried. He would drape his large body over a swing and do his best to swing along side me. He passed away when he and I were 14 and I was heartbroken but the time we spent together was priceless. Above is a picture of my current little sweetheart, Chewchy. He is a precious gift...smart, intelligent and so loving. Before getting a pet, do your research to get the right fit for your family. Keep immunizations up-to-date and perform regular hygiene care. Consult experts at your local vet or pet store if you have questions. "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your Dog. Your are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion" - Mark Twain