mathenymercantile

Journaling on my experience as a mixed media artist. I love trying new techniques. You might find anything from altered art like books, tip ins, ATC's, fat books, watercolors, scrapbooking, stamping, cards, antiques, potpourri. I hope to add items you enjoy for sale. I have been dabbling in art since I received my first box of crayons. I especially love the heritage or vintage look. judy

Name:
Location: central, Illinois, United States

Mother of two beautiful women, grandmother of 1 boy and 2 girls, caregiver to my Mother, artist. Our family includes 1 cat, and a land turtle. I have been mama to 2 ferol cat families.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

What's happening in my world.

I haven't updated my blog for awhile. I was working on The Color Workshop hosted by Sherre Hulbert which I will post at a later date. I learned so much doing the lessons. My Mother, Angie, lives with me.I have a very large house and she has hrt own apt upstairs, but spends most of her time downstairs. She's 85 and has COPD, Osteoporosis, Malecular Degeneration, and has lost most of her hearing but hides it as she is a good lipreader.In Nov and Dec she had pneumonia and became very frail and unsteady, It was taking a toll on her fragile body and she became nore dependant on me. During this time she started losing her voice. After a couple visits to a specialist it was diagnosed as a tumor on her voicebox and had to be surgically removed with approval of all her other Drs. So on July 30th she had surg. and it was a cancer. My daughter and I thought she would just be balistic when told but she took it quite well. Dr Klemons said if there was a good place to have to get cancer that was it as it doesn't spread. She was not allowed to talk and had to be on a soft diet.
Sge did exceedingly well. We went back to her Dr on Aug 6th and the pathology report showed he had gotten all the cancer. She was told she could talk 1 hr a day. On the way to the Dr I had to remind her to quit singing,lol. So we went out and had a nice lunch. When we got home she went upstairs and I came downstairs to my art studio to relax and unwind from the stress of the past week. Then my phone rang and Lifeline said my Mother was upstairs screaming and had pushed her Lifeline necklace. Surely they had the wrong person but I hurried to check.Before I even got to the top of the stairs I can see she has fallen and has a compound fracture to her wrist. I usually handle these emergencies well but I was in shock and it took me a minute to get it together. Her oxygen line had caught and she yanked on it and lost her balance.My daughter Laurie is an angio tech at the hospital and they let her come down to Emergency. So back to surg Mom goes to get a plate screwed in to her bone. We lucked out and got the best hand surgeon. Rah! After telling the nurse 5 TIMES Mom needed her Predizone and a breathing treatnent that night and in the morning I left because they wanted me to. Laurie called me in the morning before work to say Mom was doing well. I called the nurse and she said Mom would be released and was doing great, had breakfast and her meds. My brother Bob called to say he was headed to the hospital so I got my room ready for Mom and got her clothes and medical equipment. When I got to the hospital Laurie said Mom was wheezing because they hadn't given her her the nebulizer treatment or Predizone. I was furious!!! Bob and I got her home and I immediately gave her a treatment. Her nebulizer treatment was taking an hr and 15 min and Apria would not replace it bacause it wasn't broke. Mom had asked many times for a new one. So I took it with us when we went back to have the Dr check her arm.Apria said they wouldn't replace it because it still worked. I looked that lady right in the eye and said Well it'll be broke when I throw it through that window. She decided she'd give me a new one.So I tell her Mom's portable tank is almost empty and I need it replaced to get her home. She tells me to pull around back and a guy comes out, puts the tank in the car and starts to walk away.He said no one told him to switch it out and stood there while my other bro John figured out how to change it. She stays with that company because she like their oxy concentrators.
So now I have a little purple people eater (both arms are completely bruised) who can barely see, mostly lip reads, can't talk.,has a very sore hip, and a broken arm and so weak she's unstable on her feet. I have a pulled muscle in my neck and just found out I'm borderline diabetic and have high blood pressure.Yes and now I have to be 2 people with very little help.I'll get us through this.... It is so hard to be a caregiver.
I have been sneaking in some of the Olympics- I love them!!! Go USA!!!
I'll be getting back to my art when I can. I can't wait to get started on my technique pages. At least I have all my supplies. Well there's more to this saga but I have a dressing to change , clothes to fold and supper to
prepare. Forgive if I missed any typos.