Self Care 7/17

[cam]

I had no idea I missed posting last week. The days and weeks are completely blurring together. Anyway...



How are things going?

Challenge: Get some fresh air.

[cam]

It has been hectic here with a few rounds of house guests. I have also been solo parenting a lot. Add in a bunch of appointments, and here we are. I made some progress on a few projects around the house. I am hoping to finish those and start some others this week. LO and I had a water fight while washing the car. It was especially fun since we haven't been able to enjoy the outdoors much the past couple of weeks between weather and mosquito attacks.

[bugandbibs]

We found out this week that since DS doesn't have a formal diagnosis we only have 8 more OT sessions for the year as part of our benefit. So, now we have to try and stretch them out instead of going weekly. He would have unlimited with a diagnosis. It's frustrating. IMO, weekly OT has been the most helpful out of everything we have done and he has seen so much growth from the quick feedback and guidelines.

It's a million degrees here, so it's been too hot to spend much time outside. We are going to Disneyland next week and I am excited and anxious. I'm really worried about trying to navigate the parks and keep DS and DD2 from melting down and having a good time. I really want this to be a good time and not frantic.

[sahara78]

bugandbibs, good luck at Disneyland! I’ve wanted to take DD, but she thinks it will be too scary.

We went on vacation to central Oregon last week. It was so nice to get away from everything. My parents came, too, so they watched DD a few times.

It was hard to come me back to work; my boss is pretty awful, so I was dreading it. We also were told yesterday that our DD Services appeal hearing has been delayed because the county didn’t get their paperwork together. Ugh.

[auntie]

bugandbibs, liking in solidarity only.


Sucky week here. I've been getting my steps in most days. Sometimes on the hills in the park, sometimes in the expansive parking lot of the hospital.


Mother spent 5 days in the hospital with a COPD/Asthma flare. Turns out she had unilaterally decided to discontinue her steroid daily inhaler. Previously she discontinued her cholesterol medication because she had the "feels" about liver damage, her HBP meds because she needed a refill and the office left her on hold for 30 minutes and then there was that time two years ago when she stopped prednisone cold turkey because dad (who had dementia) said she was destroying their marriage. She had some symptoms of her arteritis returning, but the biopsy was negative. Alas, testing showed some significant issues with her carotid artery and aortic valve which are probably related to her cholesterol being untreated. Plus, her BP has been really high. Brain scan suggests she might have has a small stroke at some point.


While all of this is running in the background, she has decided to do a complete redecoration of the house she bought when she moved her when dad crashed and burned. Between doctor visits I got to hang out with the electrician while he replaced every single lighting fixture in the house, the appliance delivery guys and the plumber who had to move the gas line. I think one of her cabinets is pulling form the wall, so now I have to meet my contractor there tomorrow to sort that out.

Now that she's out, she's dragged me to the countertop fabricator and the furniture store. (Bitch bought herself a gorgeous Stressless chair) DS and I went over yesterday to help her with the delivery of an oriental rug that she inherited almost 50 years ago and is just now getting. Her sister used it all that time and it smells like cat pee- so now I have to deal with that.

Plus doctor's appointments. Four next week- liver specialist, surgeon, cardiology and her derm. Her rheumo thinks she might have some mild cognitive impairment and wants me to consider either going daily to make sure she takes her meds or putting her in an assisted living facility. I don't think she's quite there yet, she's always been super flakey because of her ADHD but maybe I have my head up my ass because I can't deal with another round of Alzheimer's.


DS and I unwrapped the room sized rug (that smells of cat pee) and put it in the dining room. I recently had my mother's vintage Tiffany style lamp hung over her new table and chairs which is smaller in scale than her massive old set from her house in MD. The lamp has a cat motif on it. DS told her "Hey Nana, your new rug matches your cat lamp and not in a good way."

[funchicken]

I'm really proud of how well DD1 has done with swim team this year, but I'm also glad that this is the last week. I'm the one who's been taking her to practice and meets and working the volunteer shifts because DH has been really busy with work. We had a meet last night with 700 kids from 3 teams, and I'm really impressed with how well DD managed her sensory anxieties in the chaos.

I'm going camping this weekend without kids, so that should fulfill the challenge for this week