Dementia for 2

I recently read an article on MSN.com that possibly gives new hope for those suffering from Alzheimer's.

Apparently, a drug that is used to treat certain skin cancers and has shown great hope in the field of Alzheimer's research. Unfortunately, scientists have been able to "cure" Alzheimer's in mice before with no results in human testing.

Since this drug is already FDA approved, maybe they will be able to start testing in humans in the not too distant future.

The article link to the article is below.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57374685-10391704/cancer-drug-reverses-alzheimers-disease-in-mice-hope-for-humans/

There are times when I really long to carry on a meaningful conversation with my grandmother. Sadly, I have not had a moment like that in several years.

Sometimes it takes a great tragedy to bring about a moment of clarity in our lives. My grandmother has recently suffered such a tragedy.

Last week she fell out of her wheelchair and fractured her C1 and C2 vertebra's. She also has a huge bruise over her right eye along with stitches above her right eye and scalp. This type of break is typically know as the "Hangman's fracture"

She spent 3 days in ICU which was very hard on all of us. Because of her age, she is not a candidate for surgery or a halo vest. They did fit her with a collar to keep her neck from moving for the next 6 weeks.

Because this happened in the nursing home with the aid in the room, we made the decision to move her to another facility. My mother also spoke with a lawyer today.

The new facility is 30 miles away so it will be more expensive to go and see her what with the price of fuel these days.

The biggest concerns are with her skin. Because this collar/brace extends down her torso, we are concerned about infection due to moisture getting trapped inside the brace. Granny also has a cold and we are concerned about pneumonia setting in since she is confined to her bed until at least the end of the month.

I have not been able to see Granny since she left the hospital. I am hoping to get to see her this week. My sister has been able to make the drive with mom twice this week. On both occasions, Granny was very coherent. She spoke about her youngest daughter and how much my sister resembled her. This conversation prompted my sister to call our aunt and relay the conversation to her. I truly hope it will help my aunt put some of the past behind her once and for all.

The second conversation was only 2 words. They were turning my grandmother to clean and check her out and she told my sister "I'm scared." These words really break my heart. My grandmother has been through so much in her life and I cannot bear the thought of her being scared. How can you possibly comfort someone with this type of fear? What words can ease their physical pain and emotional distress? Just because she is speaking coherently does not mean she will understand what you are saying to her.

I am very afraid for my grandmother right now. I am helpless in this situation and I am not sure I can mask my own fears from her when I see her. I really want to just go up to this nursing home and go off on everyone I come in contact with. This was senseless and unfortunately we may never know what truly happened.

I know I have to keep all of this in check not only for Granny but, my mom as well. She needs me to be clear headed and strong for both of them right now. Thank God my sister and I have mended our own relationship so we can take turns with all of this.

I will try to keep posting updates about Granny's well being but it is so emotional for me right now that I am not sure I can be right on top of this blog.

I appreciate any insights any of you may have and would ask that you please pray for my grandmother.

I have not written about Granny in a while, so much has been happening that I really don't know where to begin. Maybe I can just number them in no particular order.

1. Shortly after I started recovering from pneumonia, my grandmother contracted pneumonia. Since she has received the shot to prevent this, we were surprised that she became ill. Mom had her admitted to a different hospital farther away from home this time. It was discovered that Granny aspirates on thin liquids such as water, coffee, etc. Hence the bout with pneumonia. The doctor prescribed a thickener for her liquids so maybe this will help.

2. Since no one can care for your family to suit you, there are always problems with Granny's care. Since mom is no longer working, she is spending most of her time with Granny and this issue has come to the surface. There are serious issues with more than one aide and mom has tried to resolve them in such a way as to allow at least a civil relationship. However, not everyone is this mature. This has led to a letter writing campaign followed by numerous phone calls. The outcome is still undecided but, I am worried about both my mom and grandmother.

3. Mom is trying to see if Granny qualifies for Medicare Home Health Care. Since the qualifications are very specific, we are not sure if Granny is even in the running for this. Mom is going to make some calls and try and set up an appointment with Granny's doctor to see if this is a viable option. Since Granny needs so much equipment, lift, hospital bed, wheelchair, etc. I am not sure all of this will be covered by Medicare. I don't know if you can rent any of this or what the cost will be. Mom thinks this will be the best thing for both she and Granny but, I worry that she may not be thinking this through.

Overall, Granny is doing very well. Since her discharge from the hospital, she has been a little difficult when it comes to taking any medication. She just flat out refuses to take any if mom is trying to give it to her. No one has figured out what is going on with her concerning this yet.

Yesterday she was talking to people in her room that were not there. This is a new development and does have us a little concerned. I do hope that when mom goes to visit her today, she will be more like herself. I know a lot of people say that their family members experienced similar things shortly before they passed on. However, my father in law talked with people for months before he died. I am not as concerned as mom but then again, I have dealt with Granny's "spells" more than mom.

I hope you all have a great weekend and hopefully I will have better news in my next post.

My grandmother turned 95 on the 2nd of this month. I have been so ill that I have not been able to function let alone update ya'll on her health. I am hoping this round of antibiotics will do the trick.

I think this is the first year that she did not even realize it was her birthday. Due to my illness, I have been unable to visit her for almost 3 weeks now. I do miss seeing her smiling face.

I am not sure if this lost recognition is a step towards another faze in her Alzheimer's or not. Mom brought her a cake with balloons and really made a big deal about it. She and a few of Granny's favorite aides sang Happy Birthday to her but, she still was unable to comprehend that it was her birthday.

Mom seemed to take it in stride, but, I am having difficulty accepting this "new" Granny. She has ALWAYS known when it was getting close to her birthday. She would tease me for days before the event about how "young" she is.

I know that I have to deal eventually but not today. Today, I am just trying to get well so I can sit with her and have some fun with her for just a little while longer.

Mom and I have been battling health issues that would be contagious to Granny lately so it has been a bit since I have been to visit her. My sister has been trying to pick up the slack.

Mom has HFM,and I have poison ivy. during all of this my sister developed pink eye. I told my brother in law he should take a photo of us posing as the 3 monkeys.



Apparently, Granny also had pink eye. Since mom and I were unaware of the signs of this, it is good that my sister contracted this while she was helping with Granny. She is the one that knew what she was seeing and made sure Granny received the proper medical care.

Sis has been helping keep Granny in clean clothing and the like. She also disinfected her room since I have been unable to get up there. While she is with Granny, her every move is watched. Granny has not spent a lot of time with her so she is not sure just exactly who she is. Sis called during one visit and mom spoke with Granny via phone. I think that Granny knew she was speaking to mom because she said, "That woman is here again." I think that is so funny! I can just see Granny watching my sister's every move and not saying a word. I am sure that when she left Granny took inventory of her stuff.

My poison ivy has cleared up enough that I was able to go and visit yesterday. She really looks good and we had a great visit. We did the mani-pedi thing and she really enjoyed teasing me.

I think I am going to call "That Woman" today and let her know just how much it means to mom and I that she took the time to help during all this. We are not sure just when mom will be able to go and see Granny again maybe another week or so. They miss each other terribly and I know that mom will be glad to be done with this illness so she can get back to being momma.

I am sorry to say Granny's daffodils did not last as long this year as they did last year. I think maybe this crazy weather we having been having had something to do with it. I am hoping to have more for her this week. The weather here is really strange this time of year anyway and it seems to be more so this year than any other.

My grandmother grew up in a very poor house. She really never had any real toys that she has ever spoken of. In her later years, she started collecting porcelain dolls. She used to tell me that she never had any dolls as a little girl so she bought them now. I try to buy her at least one new one on special days. If possible, I buy more. She has enough now that we can switch them out and she feels like she has new dolls.

This past Christmas I bought her four dolls from a friend of mine. They have been in her room since December. Last week while we were talking, she notices the dolls. She starts talking about the new dolls and telling me they were new. I cannot tell you how nice it was to have a conversation with Granny that we both could participate in. Usually, I talk with her but she isn't able to follow the conversation that well.

I have thought about this a lot this week. There has been so much bad news in my life lately and more seems to arrive everyday. I am very thankful that God gave me this little ray of sunshine through my Granny.

CNN recently put out an article stating that HALF of all Alzheimer's cases are misdiagnosed.

While the only way to correctly diagnose Alzheimer's is after death, this article does offer some new ways that can possibly help those of us that are concerned.

If your loved one is taking drugs for Alzheimer's in error, the good news is this will not adversely affect their care.

Since progress is being made all the time concerning this disease, there is hope that one day this will be diagnosed much earlier for the benefit of all of us.

Since hubs and I have had to go down to one vehicle, I am not able to go anywhere on my days off. I have been keeping up with Granny via my mom. For the most part, she has been doing very well hence the lack of posts concerning her.

I was able to go and see her for a bit yesterday. She was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her. Mom was also there as was the Nurse on duty. Once again, there are issues with Granny's health.

We have been very blessed in this area this year. Granny has not been in the hospital and her overall physical issues have been at a minimum. She has an aide that truly cares about her and that makes all the difference in the world. But, we all need a break and I must confess that mom and I both cringe when we know that "T" is going to be off work. It is a crap shoot on which aide will be taking care of her for those 2 days. I think that some of us forget that we will need someone to take care of us in some fashion at some point in our lives. We teach others how to treat us. While Granny is not abused, there are things that are consistently cropping up.

Lately her eyes are starting to become irritated. We are not sure if this is an infection or something that can be taken care of with over the counter remedies. They have started using antibiotic drops in her eyes and are following that up with what is called "eye scrubs". Hopefully, this will clear up any infection she may have or prevent one from starting. Since this will be done 2x a day, we should see an improvement rather quickly.

The other issue is her posterior. This has been an ongoing issue and I am sure will continue to be one. Since granny is no longer mobile, sitting or laying for long periods is a major factor is this dilemma. This time it does seem to be worse and mom has spoken with the Doctor about this. Another problem is that everything is on a schedule and if there is a kink in the chain, it is very difficult to get someone to break their routine to help. While I realize that routine and schedules are important, I don't know of anyone that would like to sit in their own urine or feces for an extended period of time just because it isn't time for them to be checked. Part of this problem could also be my grandmother. She is very particular about the people that take care of her in this arena. If she isn't happy with them for whatever reason, she will not tell them she needs to use the restroom. So knowing this, I cannot blame any one event or person for her current condition. I do hope that we are able to take care of this before it gets to terribly bad.

I feel that Granny is still getting very good care and that she is happy. I would say that overall the aides in this facility are hard working, caring people. In any type of environment you are going to have a few "bad apples" and a nursing facility is no exception. I try to remember this every time I go see Granny. It can be difficult to keep the right perspective when someone you love is not getting the type of care you feel they should be getting. I don't think that anyone will ever be able to care for Granny exactly like we think she should be and I try not to be harsh with anyone concerning her. I realize that she is MY grandmother and just another patient to them regardless of any attachment they may have to her. But there are times when this is a difficult thing to do.

Since my previous post citing the problems we have been having finding a Realtor, God has been so good to provide one for us! I had totally forgotten about a guy that I used to work with that is now in the real estate business.

Once I was able to get in contact with him, he was eager to take on our house. He did tell me that he just sold a house using a program that is similar to ours and it took 11 months! I am not sure how long it will take to sell our house, but I am trying to get myself prepared to wait a while.

He did ask me if hubs and I had considered filing for bankruptcy to force the bank to remodify our loan. While we did discuss this, we decided that we just were not willing to go that route.

Hubs and I are hoping that this will be a fresh start for us and that we can finally get on the right track once and for all. I know that I am tired of dealing with all this stuff day after day. We do have some realistic goals set for ourselves and we are going to have to make plenty of sacrifices to reach them. But, they are not unattainable goals and in the end we will have paid our debt and that is going to be a very good feeling!

While we don't have mountains of debt, for us it is a lot. Especially when you factor in the fact that he was without steady work for 2 years. I think this is going to be a lot harder for him than for me. But, we are on the same page with all of this so hopefully, he will get with the program without too much fuss.

Now, on to Granny. She scratched herself up pretty bad in her sleep last week. Mom or I do her nails once a week. We have to cut them very short to keep her from doing just this thing. But, no matter how short we cut them, this does happen on occasion. At least there is no infection and she is healing fine. While I was there she started fussing about her bed. Apparently, they did not make it up to her satisfaction. So I remade the bed for her. She likes to make sure that the sheets are very straight and that they are not longer than her top cover. So she is taking her foot and using it to point out to me what I need to fix. Once I got it all straight, she wants me to hug her and she tells me how much she loves me and that I better not tell the others. How funny is that!

I must say that at least on the housing front, things are getting in order rather quickly. I am not sure that I am as ready for all of this as I claim to be, but, I am trying to remember that no matter when everything finally gets settled that I will be in a better place on many fronts.

Today's post comes from Eric Stevenson. I am not sure if he has a blog you can follow since we have only spoken via email. However, he was gracious enough to leave some contact information if you would like to discuss some things with him. So, without further ado, here is today's post.

It seemed ridiculous. My dad must have been in his early forties when he changed his diet. I
stared at his meal choices with disgust, refusing to partake in his bland diet of fish, veggies, egg
whites and dry whole wheat toast. “Why are you doing this to yourself, Dad? You’re not even
old yet!”

But my dad paid no mind to our confusion. His doctor had said he was a couple points above
a healthy cholesterol level, and that was all he needed to hear. For him, preventing cholesterol
problems was way better than letting the problems get out of control.

Prevention is always better than suffering the consequences of poor health later on. Though
prevention for dementia may be difficult, being aware of warning signs for dementia and other
illnesses can lead to a better experience.

Dementia
Because there is no known cause of dementia, prevention is difficult. But patients can fight
back, especially during early stages of the disease. Studies show that a natural nutritional
supplement, galantamine, may improve cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia
patients. It may also increase their independence, specifically in daily activities.

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma symptoms are often too subtle to be identified as such. The lung cancer is
caused by asbestos and is latent for 20-50 years after exposure to the mineral. Because of the
latency, mesothelioma life expectancy is short. Avoiding asbestos in older buildings may lead to
the prevention of the deadly cancer.

High Cholesterol
High cholesterol usually has no signs and no symptoms. To be sure if you have a healthy
cholesterol level, visit a doctor and ask for a blood test to check those levels. As far as diet,
avoid saturated fats and carbohydrates in excess. These can raise cholesterol levels. Eating
fiber and maintain a healthy wait can lower cholesterol.

The best way to stay healthy is always to prevent illness, rather to recover. Being healthy is
often a greater miracle than being healed. Keep your mind and body sharp by keeping up with
these and other prevention tips.

By Eric Stevenson, a health and safety advocate, for questions about this article please feel free
to contact him at epicsurvivor@gmail.com

There have been some changes in my grandmother's care that are causing some concerns for mom and me.

An aide that had been fired over the summer has recently been rehired. This is the same aide that would leave my grandmother sitting in her own feces for long periods of time. I personally approached the Director of Nursing about this issue. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with this issue or other issues, since she was let go. Now that she is back, we have to be ever diligent in certain areas. I hope that she is a better aide now but I am apprehensive nevertheless.

The other issue is bruising. My grandmother has a bruise on her cheek. We are not sure how this has happened but we do not think she is being abused. There are many ways this could have happened and we are trying to rule out the obvious ones. We know she has not fallen, because the nursing home is very prompt in letting us know if Granny has fallen.

What is making me angry about this situation is the way the nurses on duty act about this and other things that have come up. They do not document any thing in her chart. When you go above their heads with an issue they always seem to either A) not be aware of it or B) claim to have noticed it but have not documented it in her chart. I just don't understand this at all. This facility has 4 wings. They have 2 nurses on duty at all times. There are more during the day and also during the week. So I would estimate that you have 1 nurse for every 20-25 patients. Then you have the CNAs. There are a minimum of 2 per wing. So how can you not notice a bruise on someone's face? How can you be so negligent as to not document it? When it is brought to your attention, how can you be so bold in defending your own wrongdoing?

I am getting tired of the "I will check into it" game. This is a stalling technique that just isn't going to work with me anymore. I don't want to get ignorant with these people because my grandmother lives there and I fear what will happen to her after I leave. I don't think anyone will hurt her but, I do think they will not take proper care of her needs.

My mom has been talking with the Director of the home but I don't know what is going to happen. I make short visits to check on Granny when I get off work in the early AM. I have not been making as many as I would like, so I will be doubling my efforts there. I hope this is enough to ensure my Granny is taken care of, but I just can't help but worry.

Today my mother came for a visit. I thought that this would be one of those sit around the table, drink coffee and chat visits. Needless to say, mom had other ideas.

I have stressed in past postings the importance of correct paperwork concerning your loved one. But this is one piece of paperwork that I have neglected. I think the reason is because I don't want to face the mortality of my grandmother. So today mom and I sat down and wrote a rough draft of Granny's eulogy.

I honestly don't know how we got through it. I still have to rewrite it and get her final okay on it. I am sharing this because mom and I realize that after granny passes we will be in no condition to take care of this. We both felt it best to take care of it now so that when that time comes, we have prepared as much in advance as possible. I know this may sound morbid to some, but, we recognize that grief is going to overcome us. Mom and I do not want anything left undone.

If you have a loved one that is suffering with any illness this is an issue you will eventually have to face. Since mom and I are the closest to Granny we felt we could do this in such a way as to show granny's love and compassion without stirring up any bad emotions.

I would hope that some of you dealing with a similar situation would at least consider taking care of this now. Enough said.

Due to recent financial struggles, we have decided not to buy gifts for everyone we usually buy for this year. Since this is happening to many, I am sure we are not alone in this decision.

Having said that, there are a few that we will be trying to buy something for. We have discussed this with our immediate family and they have agreed not to buy for us either. Somehow, I don't think our mothers will adhere to this. We are going to help out a little with our grandson's Christmas in lieu of buying for the kids.

I know that we will get our parents something I just don't know what. That just leaves my grandmother.

I struggle every year with this. Since she is in a nursing home, her personal space is very limited. I also have to consider her Alzheimer's. Personal photographs that I could restore myself are out of the question. She no longer recognizes anyone so any enjoyment she may have gotten from this in the past is gone.

I thought of buying her new pictures to hang on her walls but, I have not been able to find anything affordable. I am thinking of getting her a new outfit. Mom says I shouldn't because it will just come up missing. Which brings me to a new issue.

We have signs posted around Granny's closet specifically stating that the family will do her laundry. The main reason behind this decision is the type of detergent used in nursing facilities. Any large facility that does a large amount of laundry, uses the least expensive detergents to offset costs. The problem is that these are very harsh detergents that leave your clothes stiff and quite rough. As you age, your skin can become quite thin and sensitive. Since my grandmother has sensitive skin to begin with, this just adds to her discomfort.

Even with the signs they still do some of her laundry. We have spoken with the person in charge of laundry, the Director of Nursing and the Director of the nursing home about this to no avail. My grandmother has had several things come up missing. The most recent items are 2 pair of pants that mom purchased for her withing the last 3 months. After several visits to the laundry room to try and locate them, she finally went to the Director. So now the nursing home has to pay for the clothing.

There are other things that seem to "get lost". Lotion, candy, drinks from her dorm fridge, and OTC medications that we have purchased. All of these items are clearly marked with her name in permanent marker.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying any employee is stealing. Residents there are always going into one another's rooms. They forget which room is theirs and wander into another room. My grandmother has done this on several occasions and has made it back to her own room with items that did not belong to her. Mom and I always try to find the owner so we can return them.

The laundry issue is totally different. Even though I know that any new outfit I may get her could possibly come up missing, I still want to get her one with some leopard print on it.

Granny had such a good time for her birthday! I took way too many photos as usual.

My friend Liz did a fabulous job on her cake. So much so that Granny though the flowers were real and kept trying to touch them.



There were many photos of Granny with all of her family and friends but I don't want to bore ya'll with all of them so here is the "5G" minus my daughter "B". I am also putting one up of my sister and her family. I have not seen all of them together like this in a long time.






She received many gifts. Mostly candy and snuff her two favorite gifts! But, my kitty was the one she wanted to hold. My sister also got her some beautiful fresh flowers which Granny loves to get.





I kept trying to get Granny to smile so I could take her picture but she just refused. I don't know why she always wants to give me the serious look but she does. The important thing is that she had a wonderful day and many were there to share it with her.

Granny will be 94 in just a few weeks! I can't believe it has been a year already. Where did the time go?

We are throwing her a party at the nursing home this year. This is the first year that I have not been able to take her to mom's. It has been really hard for me to accept the fact that I can no longer just go and get her anytime I want. It doesn't seem to have affected Granny and that is what really matters.

Mom is having her party on a Saturday so everyone can attend. I am hoping to get the day off without playing hooky. This will be the first time my sister and I have attended a family function together in over 5 years. I am very apprehensive about that aspect of the whole thing. I really don't want to do or say anything that will hurt my mom or my granny.

Granny will be so surprised when we have her party. She just loves all the attention and will be excited to have all of us there I am sure. I have not decided what to get her yet. Since she has such limited space, it is very difficult to buy for her these days. I am thinking of buying her some new pictures for her room to change it up a bit.

I should be able to post some pics soon so ya'll can see how great my granny looks.

Hope everyone has a great week and I will try to post more soon.

I know the photo I chose is an alternative to a Christmas Tree, but, Granny would love it.

I have had a pretty uneventful summer. I am very grateful for this. So much is always going on in my life that I welcome any break!

My mother on the other hand, has been busy as a bee:) We still don't know anything definite about her back. She is wearing a brace right now in the hopes that this will help. To be in pain day after day, is frustrating on many levels, some of which I can only imagine.

She and my sister have been seeing more of each other this summer also. This is a very good thing for both of them. I am not sure if they will ever talk about what happened between them, but, to be talking and visiting at all is a gift from God. My niece went to visit her today. Mom was very excited about their visit. I am hoping that "K" will develop her own relationship with mom and see some things for herself. She is a young woman now so she should be able to form her own opinions without too much outside influence.

My grandmother is doing quite well. She has had a very eventful summer also. My uncle came to visit her and although she did not recognize him, she did enjoy the visit. Mom goes to see her regularly and I try to go as much as possible. I want to go more often, but, it is harder for me to go see her these days. I just cry when I leave. Even though she is always happy to see me, I know that she is in her own prison and that I will never see the grandmother that I love so dearly again.

God continues to bless my family despite my own lack of faithfulness to Him. I find myself looking for nonsensical distractions so I don't have to face this fact about myself.

Please continue to pray for my mom and sister. Their relationship is so fragile right now. I am hoping that they continue to grow together and move forward in a way that will bring glory to God.

My grandson loves to visit with my grandmother. He is quite the little entertainer when he goes to see her. He dances and sings for her along with telling her what to do. She loves his visits.

I am glad that he enjoys going to see her. He is 8 now and has been with her for most of his life. He will have a lot of sweet memories to cherish later in life.

This past weekend he decorated her window for the 4th of July. He also took his ukulele with him and sang "Clementine" to her. However, he substituted her name in the lyrics. I think Granny gets a bigger kick out of his behavior and facial expressions than his actual singing.

For some reason unbeknown to me, my aunts/uncle would never let their children spend any amount of time with Granny. Consequently, they have no great affection for her. This is a very sad situation to me. My children are in their 20s and they will still lay in the bed with her just to feel her caress them. They often speak of the summers they spent with her when they were young. I wanted my children to love my Granny as much as I do and they have allowed mom and I to pass this along to our grandson.

When he climbs in her bed and puts his little head on her chest she is truly happy. Times like that are truly unforgettable to me and as my mom puts it, "Good for her soul."

I really like the Dr OZ Show. I go to his website often for healthy recipes to try to change my very southern diet.

Recently, while viewing his site, I saw and article that suggests that Type 2 Diabetes may bring on Alzheimer's Disease. I have never heard this so I decided to do a little research on my own.

As it turns out, there may actually be a link between Type 2 and Alzheimer's. Not everyone that has Alzheimer's has Type 2 Diabetes. My grandmother does not have it. But, there is a link and scientists are looking into the medications that help Diabetics as a possible aid in helping those with Alzheimer's. I found an article dated 2006, from the New York Times that discusses this a little more.

In some medical circles, they are now thinking of calling Alzheimer's Type 3 diabetes. Since proper diet and exercise can help with the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes, this is all the more reason to watch what you eat and to get off the couch.

My grandmother now has a photo of her mother taken with my sister and I when we were teens.

She is very excited to have this photo out where she can see it everyday. She has always had this photo, but, recently, mom put it in a frame for her. While she was looking at it yesterday, she asked about her son. Mom called him up so they could talk. She was actually able to carry on a conversation with him.

I don't think my uncle realizes what a huge thing this is, but, my mom most certainly did. My mother has been really blessed to be able to be around granny when she has these moments. They are so few and far between these days.

Overall she is doing well. Her incision is healing nicely from her last trip to the dermatologist. My sister has been spending more time with her also. I am hoping that she and mom can continue to mend their relationship by spending more time together with granny.

My project is starting to wind down so I will be able to pick back up the things that I have not been able to do for the past few months. One of the things is spending more time with granny. I do miss her terribly and hate that I have been so sporadic with my visits.

I have an old photo of my great-grandmother when she was younger that I am going to frame and take to her this week. It is one of the few photos I have of her. I think I got it from granny so I know she will be very excited to see it again after all this time. She has many photos of her family with her, but, since most do not have names written on the backs, she doesn't remember who they are. Mom and I have gone through them and tired to correct this, but there are so many!

It is a good idea to do this with your photos. You can buy pens at Wal Mart that do not harm the photos. I did not realize how important this would be until granny started asking me about her own photos.

As some of you may know, I am the "Dumpster Diva". Since I periodically throw newspapers for a friend, I always check out the trash. I have been able to accumulate quite a collection of things from this.

Last year I able to get many house and yard plants, large flower pots, a patio table and chairs that my daughter has since taken and many other items.

This year I have gotten yet another patio table and chairs that I gave to my grandson and his mom, and a few other patio items that I have kept.

I also got a whiskey barrel for my mom. There were 3 of them but I was only able to empty one of them and put it in my car. In the process of doing this, I skinned my knee up pretty bad. I don't know if any of you have ever tried this but, a whiskey barrel full of dirt and rocks is HEAVY. I am not a big or young woman so this was no small feat.



I was able to go and visit my grandmother for a bit yesterday and showed her my injury. When she asked me how it happened, I just told her I was moving a whiskey barrel. All she heard was the word whiskey. She immediately yells, "Good! That's what you get dammit!" I had to laugh since she obviously thought I had been out drinking and had hurt myself. You should have seen the look on her face. It was too funny. I even got the finger pointing at me and everything.

She is doing really well and is almost always in good spirits. I do miss her terribly and look forward to spending more time with her in a few weeks.