FarmerChick
Super Self-Sufficient
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so glad your trip was wonderful! Nothing like a good time camping...and the young horse sounds like it is coming along great!!!
AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition
- Thread starter AL
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #1,362
AL
Almost Self-Reliant
So my mom has been in the hospital for the past week or so... they finally sent her home even though she is completely unable to stand on her own (she was in for her congestive heart failure but they totally mutilated her knee that she fractured last month). She is really overweight so my 78yr old dad can't help her and I am limited in the help I can give. We pretty much begged for them to send her to rehab - they said if we need help to call the fire department! 
I've been busy every second I have been home and when I wasn't at home I was at work. It feels good to pause but I have to go tend to my poor little bullied hen, Pat the buff brahma. She has free run of the backyard generally, but today I shut her in the rooster run and let all of the other chickens out. Evidently the wind blew the gate open (because I failed to latch it) and poor Pat got cornered by the whole flock. I dont' know why even the other hens gang up on her.
I put her in the big wire kennel with soem straw, water, feed, BOSS and pulled pork
I've been busy every second I have been home and when I wasn't at home I was at work. It feels good to pause but I have to go tend to my poor little bullied hen, Pat the buff brahma. She has free run of the backyard generally, but today I shut her in the rooster run and let all of the other chickens out. Evidently the wind blew the gate open (because I failed to latch it) and poor Pat got cornered by the whole flock. I dont' know why even the other hens gang up on her.
I put her in the big wire kennel with soem straw, water, feed, BOSS and pulled pork
snapshot
Farmwife
That poor little girl!!!!!! Wonder why they bully her? She seems ok this eve?
I do hope you can get your mom in rehab soon. I'd think it would be very good for her!
I do hope you can get your mom in rehab soon. I'd think it would be very good for her!
Farmfresh
City Biddy
GRRR ... those hospitals! We went through the same garbage when my dad started having all of his problems. You need to contact the hospital patient services. File a grievance. There are lots of people out there set up to act as protectors for the patients - contact them.
Your mother's care and health need to come first. If they can't keep her in the hospital they could at least help you find a nursing facility where she can rehabilitate as she needs to.
Your mother's care and health need to come first. If they can't keep her in the hospital they could at least help you find a nursing facility where she can rehabilitate as she needs to.
- Thread starter
- #1,365
AL
Almost Self-Reliant
I don't know why they are so mean to her - Poppy the rooster will zip across the full length of the yard to flog her and a couple of the hens will gang up on her as well. Poor Pat just lays there with her eyes closed and takes everything they throw at her. When she sees me she runs as hard as she can to get to me - sometimes she will literally jump / fly into my arms.
She does wheeze sometimes when it is extremely hot or after the big flock has assaulted her - so I don't know if they sense she is sick or something? But she is the sweetest little hen I have ever had, so she will be sitting fat and happy and they can all be sent to the dumpling pot! my poor sweet Pat.
My mom. I don't know what is going to happen there. I have sent very angry, but polite, emails to the CEO and the Manager of Patient Care and Safety. Since it is the weekend I figure it will be another day or 2 before I hear anything.
I told my mom if she doesn't make more progress over the next couple of days we are going to have to call an ambulance to come take her to the ER (at a GOOD hospital) and hopefully they can help her get to a rehab. She is at a point where she can stand with her walker for literally just seconds. That is the only way we can change her nasty sheets so she doesn't have to lay in her own filth - she can't get up to go to the bathroom.
. I just don't know.
Yesterday she told me she was getting scared and depressed. I have never in my life heard my mom admit to depression.
She is still very alert and coherent, so I am trying to respect her wishes for a while longer about not going to the ER - but this isn't going to go for long. This morning I made her a real breakfast (my dad does cereal lol) of eggs, bacon and toast and served it on a bright green real plate instead of a paper one. I made her coffee how she likes it and sat with her a few minutes while she ate.
We changed her sheets and I let Rio go back to visit her.
I will use my lunch hour tonight from work to go get a pork roast and some veggies ready for the crockpot tomorrow. I think I am going to take the potatoes back to her room and ask her to help me peel them so she can be involved - she has always kind of found her identity in cooking for and feeding people (thus me having weight loss surgery and her being too heavy to stand).
I am really worried and exhausted.
ETA - we had our first frost last night!! I covered my little raised bed of cabbage and broccoli with straw and then a sheet. I'll have to remember to cover them again when I go home to cook. And with early frosts I have to dig out the bucket and apple juice to make sure my old mare gets plenty of hydration.
drama drama
She does wheeze sometimes when it is extremely hot or after the big flock has assaulted her - so I don't know if they sense she is sick or something? But she is the sweetest little hen I have ever had, so she will be sitting fat and happy and they can all be sent to the dumpling pot! my poor sweet Pat.
My mom. I don't know what is going to happen there. I have sent very angry, but polite, emails to the CEO and the Manager of Patient Care and Safety. Since it is the weekend I figure it will be another day or 2 before I hear anything.
I told my mom if she doesn't make more progress over the next couple of days we are going to have to call an ambulance to come take her to the ER (at a GOOD hospital) and hopefully they can help her get to a rehab. She is at a point where she can stand with her walker for literally just seconds. That is the only way we can change her nasty sheets so she doesn't have to lay in her own filth - she can't get up to go to the bathroom.
. I just don't know.Yesterday she told me she was getting scared and depressed. I have never in my life heard my mom admit to depression.
She is still very alert and coherent, so I am trying to respect her wishes for a while longer about not going to the ER - but this isn't going to go for long. This morning I made her a real breakfast (my dad does cereal lol) of eggs, bacon and toast and served it on a bright green real plate instead of a paper one. I made her coffee how she likes it and sat with her a few minutes while she ate.
We changed her sheets and I let Rio go back to visit her.
I will use my lunch hour tonight from work to go get a pork roast and some veggies ready for the crockpot tomorrow. I think I am going to take the potatoes back to her room and ask her to help me peel them so she can be involved - she has always kind of found her identity in cooking for and feeding people (thus me having weight loss surgery and her being too heavy to stand).
I am really worried and exhausted.
ETA - we had our first frost last night!! I covered my little raised bed of cabbage and broccoli with straw and then a sheet. I'll have to remember to cover them again when I go home to cook. And with early frosts I have to dig out the bucket and apple juice to make sure my old mare gets plenty of hydration.
drama drama
Farmfresh
City Biddy
It sounds like you need to get busy and get your mom into a care faculty. They will have the equipment and the training AND the extra hands. There is no need for her to feel all down and depressed like she is getting in this situation.
I wish you the best of luck finding a great place for her to heal and get back on her feet.
I wish you the best of luck finding a great place for her to heal and get back on her feet.
- Thread starter
- #1,367
AL
Almost Self-Reliant
Well my mom was discharged from the hospital on 10/27 and we spent the next 8 days figuring out ways to clean her and her bed with her only being able to stand 15 seconds max. Friday 11/4 she was so weak she was unable to stand at all, and she had diarrhea (sorry). With us trying to clean her up, get her clean sheets and a clean gown she was totally exhausted, winded and weak. (ETA - when her sugar was checked it was like 58... she is insulin dependent diabetic, but had just eaten so we didn't think to check her sugar).
We called an ambulance and went to a different hospital. She was admitted and the ER staff and hospital staff have been wonderful! The guys all call her sweetie and baby girl... the girls bring in pics of their kids.... just wonderful. And the doctor!! A young black man with a slight accent (I think maybe South African?) and he is so sweet and thoughful and a good doctor!! He saw her Saturday morning and told her THEN that he was going to keep her until Monday or Tuesday and then send her to rehab for 7-10 days.
He said today that he was still surprised the other doctor didn't send her for rehab after she had been in a hospital bed for 5 days straight, 24hrs a day. He was able to get rehab approved because of the other hospital stay! He said he isn't even that concerned about the heart stuff, that her moving around will reduce a great deal of that. Crazy.
She had Lasix given via IV while she was in the other hospital, then dieted the week she was home, then some Lasix IV in the ER.... she lost 36lbs between visits!!
In other news - I haven't been around my little garden much. I checked on it today and everything seems to be doing ok. Our lows are supposed to be in the 50's for the most part... I think 38 on Tuesday night? (or Thursday.. forgot). I have a cattle panel I bend over the raised bed and put a sheet over it to keep frost off of my veggies.
Pat the bullied hen is healing up pretty well, and now 4 other defectors have joined her. My EE, Faye, the dark brahma Crazy Agnes, my fake JG Annie and one of the psychotic BOs have decided they like the celibate life Pat leads (besides, she gets all teh good treats). If I don't round them up before work, they sleep on my back stoop. I carry them 2 at a time to Pat's run and put them in her shelter with her. I guess Poppy the rooster is the ring leader in beating Pat, because these 4 do fine with her.
I put some straw down on the shelter floor for them. One day this week I need to go put up a roost so they can get off the ground.
My rabbits are doing fine. I love the bigger hutch for the dwarfs, but they insist on peeing in the house part! I may try putting them in the other cage and letting the big rabbit have a go at the hutch. The big rabbit doesn't have a box yet, so I put a thick layer of straw in one end of the cage. He loved playing, scratching adn rolling in it.
I work with my Buddy horse most days. He leads very politely now and I lunge him for about 5 minutes each direction - 2min walk, 2 trot and 1 canter... then a cool down walk each direction. Then I lead him to his tie out pole and groom him and leave him standing for a while. Once he settles and is waiting patiently, I take him back to the barn and feed him and Skye. Buddy is still getting Equine Jr in hopes it will fuel his little bit of growth time he has left. I also give him a supplement called "Muscle Up" so hopefully even if he doesn't get much taller he will bulk up some and I won't look ridiculous riding him.
We called an ambulance and went to a different hospital. She was admitted and the ER staff and hospital staff have been wonderful! The guys all call her sweetie and baby girl... the girls bring in pics of their kids.... just wonderful. And the doctor!! A young black man with a slight accent (I think maybe South African?) and he is so sweet and thoughful and a good doctor!! He saw her Saturday morning and told her THEN that he was going to keep her until Monday or Tuesday and then send her to rehab for 7-10 days.
He said today that he was still surprised the other doctor didn't send her for rehab after she had been in a hospital bed for 5 days straight, 24hrs a day. He was able to get rehab approved because of the other hospital stay! He said he isn't even that concerned about the heart stuff, that her moving around will reduce a great deal of that. Crazy.
She had Lasix given via IV while she was in the other hospital, then dieted the week she was home, then some Lasix IV in the ER.... she lost 36lbs between visits!!
In other news - I haven't been around my little garden much. I checked on it today and everything seems to be doing ok. Our lows are supposed to be in the 50's for the most part... I think 38 on Tuesday night? (or Thursday.. forgot). I have a cattle panel I bend over the raised bed and put a sheet over it to keep frost off of my veggies.
Pat the bullied hen is healing up pretty well, and now 4 other defectors have joined her. My EE, Faye, the dark brahma Crazy Agnes, my fake JG Annie and one of the psychotic BOs have decided they like the celibate life Pat leads (besides, she gets all teh good treats). If I don't round them up before work, they sleep on my back stoop. I carry them 2 at a time to Pat's run and put them in her shelter with her. I guess Poppy the rooster is the ring leader in beating Pat, because these 4 do fine with her.
I put some straw down on the shelter floor for them. One day this week I need to go put up a roost so they can get off the ground.
My rabbits are doing fine. I love the bigger hutch for the dwarfs, but they insist on peeing in the house part! I may try putting them in the other cage and letting the big rabbit have a go at the hutch. The big rabbit doesn't have a box yet, so I put a thick layer of straw in one end of the cage. He loved playing, scratching adn rolling in it.
I work with my Buddy horse most days. He leads very politely now and I lunge him for about 5 minutes each direction - 2min walk, 2 trot and 1 canter... then a cool down walk each direction. Then I lead him to his tie out pole and groom him and leave him standing for a while. Once he settles and is waiting patiently, I take him back to the barn and feed him and Skye. Buddy is still getting Equine Jr in hopes it will fuel his little bit of growth time he has left. I also give him a supplement called "Muscle Up" so hopefully even if he doesn't get much taller he will bulk up some and I won't look ridiculous riding him.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
SO glad that your mom is finally getting the care she needs. That is an answer to prayer! Hopefully with this new doctor on board and the rehab she will continue to feel better all around.
2dream
Flibbertigibbet
Sorry you have been going through such tuff times with your Mom but sounds like she is getting the care she needs now.
Hope she is better soon. And from one caregiver to another - be sure to take care of yourself.
Hope she is better soon. And from one caregiver to another - be sure to take care of yourself.
