J/G Tube

I know that there are no sane people in this world that are begging for a feeding tube. Perhaps a kid or two who is thinking about all the extra play time and the ease of clean-up, but no reasonable person would want a tube of any type sticking out of their body.

Unless, of course, it is necessary.

When Dennis had just the gastric tube, he suffered from acid reflux. He was continuously spitting up and vomiting. He stomach is much more settled with the J/G tube, but it is constantly getting plugged. The food is thick and sticky. It actually looks quite a bit like Elmer's Glue. I am sure, in a pinch, it could be used for glue. In the past week it has been plugged twice and last night it even turned off the feeding pump.

Yes, this is another one of those waking up in the middle of the night stories.

In the middle of a school dream, where I was one of the most ineffective teachers ever, the alarm started to beep. This time I didn't mind being woken up. I really hate school dreams.

I got out of bed and looked at the message - "No Flow." Everything was hooked up properly, the food was going through both the bags tubing and into the jejunal tube, so the only reason I could surmise for the alarm was that Dennis was plugged up once again.

Hot water works most of the time on getting the tube unclogged, but I need to push and pull the water in and out until a break through occurs. It took a while, but I managed to push to clog into his intestine where it could be taken care of through whatever way the intestine takes care of such things.

It's wonderful that Dennis gets all of his nutrition without having to fight with food. Actually, he would waste away to nothing if he was depending on food for his caloric intake. But why can't they make the canned nutrition less sticky? Or thinner? Or make the tube wider to accommodate what is going through it? And why in the world is it vanilla flavored?

It's not a big deal bringing him in to the hospital to have it replaced, but it could happen while we are on a trip, and that would be a fairly big nuisance.

By the way, Dennis slept and snored through the entire episode last night.


Until later,
Ann and Dennis

PS: I was injecting water into the tube on Saturday night, two days after this post, when it burst wide open. Sunday morning back to the hospital. This time they put a slightly larger one in, so maybe this will help? Time will tell, I guess.

Retired and Working

Yesterday I received a series of emails and phone calls regarding a part-time job. I really was not expecting to be recruited, but I wasn't taken completely by surprise.

I used to work under a federal grant umbrella within the Minneapolis district. Our over-all direction was to promote and provide training for safe schools. I worked with a small group that attempted to move schools towards a positive and preventative approach to working with behavior issues. Unfortunately, Minneapolis did not adopt the idea with any enthusiasm, and it faltered and petered out.

However, most of the state has embraced PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) just like the majority of educators in the country. The metro group alone (areas surrounding Minneapolis and St Paul) has 49 new schools this year, and 30 last year. Not surprisingly, they need more staff to train and work with new school staff.

What does this have to do with Dennis' MSA?

Nothing, I suppose, but it will provide extra income that I could use now that I have retired to spend time with Dennis. This is a very part time job, with flexible hours and dates. There are only 3 times during the year that I must be in town at a meeting.

Most importantly, PBIS is something that I really believe in, understand and can support without any reservation. School staff that have signed up for the training are usually fun to work with and motivated to make positive change. Within a few months of the beginning steps of implementation, schools are able to see positive change.

And, as my last entry stated, Dennis will be happy to get me out of the house more often doing something that I enjoy.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Thank You For Taking Ann Out!

A few days ago one of my girlfriends and I went out for a large part of the day. Dennis wasn't feeling well and neither was Raquel, but I really wanted to get together with Ann. So off we went.

Near Minneapolis is the 10th largest lake in Minnesota - Lake Minnetonka. We took a boat cruise around the lake, ate lunch at an Irish pub and walked around the touristy town looking at all the art shops. We topped it off with a glass of iced coffee and drove back into the city.

When Ann left, Dennis thanked her for taking me out of the house.

I have been hanging around the house too much lately, but I am enjoying being home. I do love to go out with my girlfriends, but I right now I seem to be home more often than out and about. I can sit on the deck, do my art, write, nap, read and just stare at the TV without any desire to leave.

I don't know if this is a phase or what. I don't even want to explain it to myself. I am just fine, right now, with being content at home.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Another Vacation

I can't quite believe this, but we now have two vacations booked and ready to complete. Not only will we be cruising the Alaskan coast in late August, but we will also be visiting London in late September.

We have decided to travel, rest 3 weeks and travel again. I don't know how long our energy or bank accounts will hold out, but we will keep on until one or the other says stop already.

I have dreamed for years of retiring and traveling. Dennis and I had hoped at one time to buy a condo in Mexico and spend our winters there. While we are not interested in that anymore, we still want to be out and about with people in new and familiar places. I only wish airfare was at the price range it was when we first started out fulfilling our travel fantasies.

For those of you new to this blog, my sister and brother in law live in London. We used to be able to stay with them, but they have a typical 2 story English house. Dennis can no longer do steps under the best of circumstances, so we will need to stay in a motel. Finding an accessible hotel nearby was no easy feat, but thanks to my travel agent, we found one a few miles from Jane and Ralph.

Dennis is already dreaming up the next destination. Stay tuned, folks.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Moose

We just returned from 3 nights on the North Shore of Lake Superior. We stayed in the small town of Grand Marias about 2 hours up the coastline. It was a beautiful drive. The town has suffered from our recession, and so many of the cute shops and restaurants were closed. One more sad reminder of how our economy has suffered.

One day we drove on the Gunflint Trail in hopes of sighting a moose. Dennis was in his babble, coughing and grunting mode for the entire two hour drive. Neither JoAnn or I could understand one word he was mumbling. Occasionally I would ask him what he was talking about, but it was not worth the effort to try and understand him. He was beyond participating in any real conversation.

I was driving very slow. One of the dirt roads we took had recently been graded. We felt like we were riding on top of a washboard. The second off road experience had not been graded, but instead was covered in rocks. There was no choice but to drive slow, enjoy the scenery and keep the eyes open for a moose.

We were just approaching a small body of water when Dennis said, "MOOSE!" Sure enough, there along the edge of the water was a large moose drinking water. The moose slowly took off when he heard the car and hid in the trees. We could see him hiding from us and we stayed for a while hoping he would return. The moose, however, took off for the woods after a few minutes and we drove on.

For the rest of the vacation we would tease Dennis with, "oooeeeeaaaa, uuuuaaaerrrrr, cough, cough, grunt, mmmmnnnnoooooouuuu, MOOSE!"

I am glad that he is such a good sport and laughed each and every day he teased.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

A Mini-Vacation

Dennis wanted to squeeze in another vacation before we left on our Alaskan cruise next month. So we are headed up to the North Shore of Minnesota for four days and three nights.

Our friend, JoAnne, is accompanying us on this trip. JoAnne is the gal that hosted my retirement party, worked with Dennis for a short period of time and has the garage that I am helping clean out. She also is the gal that helped so much with cleaning out mom and dad's place when we moved mom to Minneapolis last summer. She has been there for me so often that I don't want to begin counting how much I owe her. Thankfully, we both believe in the philosophy of "paying it forward."

So adios for a few days, and see you next weekend.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Hockey Pants

I mentioned a while back how much weight I have gained over the past three years. The good news is that I have not gained a pound since retiring, and perhaps even lost a pound or two. I think getting away from the stress of work, and I know that not eating school lunches has made a bit of difference already.

What does it really matter anyway. Where ever we go, Dennis gets all of the attention.  Rightfully so, I suppose.

Someone left a comment on a previous post asking about the hockey pants. They are actually one of the reasons that Dennis gets so much attention.

Whenever we walk, even if it is in the condo hallways, Dennis wears his helmet. If we walk outside, he also wears his hockey pants. They have great hip and rear end padding that protects him if he should fall. I know that you can buy padding that is made just for this purpose, but he had them around and they work. In fact, they probably work better because of the harder plastic padding. Sometimes he also wears his elbow and knee pads that are also left over from his hockey days. Believe me, no one is looking at me when we walk around the block.

There are many reasons Dennis garners all of the attention from others. Most of the time the attention is good. Some of the time, it is a bit harder to take. But even I will admit that I would stare at him long and hard I if saw him tottering down the road, a girl at his side holding him by his gait belt, dressed up in his gear. It is a sight to behold.

And yes, he often wears a matching jersey. Sigh....

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

New PCA

We decided to hire someone to come in for Saturday mornings to help out with Dennis. Since I am now retired, in many ways these seems a bit indulgent.

There are, however, several reasons that make sense for having someone come in on one weekend morning.

Dennis' hours have been increased from 8 hours a day to 12 hours a day. In this economy, people need to earn any money they can. I felt it was more important to give someone else a few hours than get paid myself. We hired a 20-something gal named Natalie who works full time, but is getting married soon. Her boyfriend is working an extra job and she wanted to help contribute, too. If we can give her a few dollars a month to help her out, while we get our needs fulfilled, so much the better.

Now that the altruistic part of me has been stated, here are all the selfish reasons behind the new hire.

It is a very, very long time between Friday at 3PM and Monday at 8AM. I am completely locked in and must be with him and available for him for the entire time. When my old body has had enough, I tend to get crabby and smart mouthed with Dennis. This is not great for our relationship.

I hate morning duty with Dennis. There, I have said it and it's out there. With a Saturday gal here, I only have Sunday morning duties, and that I can handle with grace.

I want to keep our relationship less about care and more about loving. It's much easier to love Dennis when I haven't had to do all of the medical parts first.

How selfish do I sound?

Okay, there are those of you out there that will say I am simply taking care of myself, and that is okay. I know this. I also know that I am still his primary care-giver, being with him, alone, for at least 14 hours a day. I am the one whose sleep gets interrupted by his wild dreams and positioning needs. But it still feels a bit self-centered to me.

There goes my direct route to heaven down the toilet.

Or maybe not.

I am trying to do what is best for both of us. Dennis does need 1-1 care 24/7. I know that I cannot do this alone and maintain my own sanity. I also know that if I am not in great shape, I am no good to either one of us. This is important for both of us.

Am I trying to convince you, my readers, that I am doing the right thing or am I trying to convince myself? Hmmmmm.....food for thought.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

A Little Nap

The new bed and mattress arrived yesterday. The delivery men assembled the bed in only a few minutes and picked up every trace of a recent delivery. I looked forward to a great night sleep last night.

Naturally, a sound sleep was not about to happen.

I slept soundly for a few hours when Dennis began to sink into his pillow. (Yes, he still sleeps with me and will not go into the medical bed). From then on it was "Aaaaa" Aaaaa" for the rest of the night.

Today Raquel and Dennis were off to the urologist for a catheter change and a trip to the Courage Center for a workout. I knew that I had enough time to watch my afternoon show, The Closer, and then I would go to bed for a nap. But the phone rang and it was an important call, so the nap got set back about 40 minutes.

I had just laid down in bed when Dennis and Raquel returned. Thursdays she leaves early, so she set him up and took off. For about 20 minutes, Dennis was quiet. Then the "Aaaaa" routine started once more. I yelled out that I was sleeping, but he kept right on with the calling. So I got up to see what was up. It was meds time.

After I gave him the meds he asked if he could come to bed with me. What could I say? Saying no was not a good choice, that would cause an argument and wake me up completely. Instead I said yes, but only if he promised to be quiet.

First he grunted. Then he asked for covers. Then he asked to be turned. Then he wanted his drool rag. Then he grunted and groaned loudly. Finally I asked him if he called this quiet and when he answered yes, I knew I had to give up on a nap.

I came to the living room and decided I might as well write a blog entry. In the background Dennis is giving me not so subtle reminders that he is still in bed and wide awake.

Grunt. Groan. Sigh. Sigh. Grunt. Groan. Grunt.

At least I got something done on this not so quiet day. I should also be tired enough to sleep through almost anything tonight.

One More Large Delivery

Today the new bed is arriving.

This is the bed that is replacing the bed that Raquel and I broke while it was in transit from one bedroom to the other. I am really looking forward to getting up off the floor and back into a bed that sits at a reasonable height.

In the meantime, the lift arrived and is sitting at the foot of the medical bed. Actually it's more of a looming over the bed - it's huge, awkward and ugly. It is not something that Martha Stewart would approve of in a bedroom design. Perhaps I should knit a cover for it?

I believe that we must have everything that a disabled person would want by now. We have all the smaller durable equipment - oxy-meter, blood pressure machine, a saliva suction machine, feeding pump, Dynavox - as well as the larger items - walker, manual and electric chair, lift chair, bed, lift, bed table - and all the repurposed items - helmet, gait belts, hockey pants and baby monitors.

I hope that after today we will not need any more deliveries to this address for quite a while. At least not for huge items that require us to get rid of something old to make room for the new.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Being Ann

My parents both had complicated names. My mother's was Avyril Maxine Peterson, and my father's was Robert Steinsland Osterhus. Actually, my mother got the worst of the deals after she and dad got married. This is probably unnecessary to say, but that is how the three of us kids ended up with one syllable first names; Paul, Ann, Jane.

Like most names, people have taken advantage of even 'Ann' as a way to tease, delight or be a bit rude. I don't suppose any name is immune to being twisted and turned into something different.

But the only thing that ever bothered me was when someone was saying "and" and I would hear "Ann." Mostly this happened at school. The teacher would be lecturing and saying something dull and useless, and then he would say "and.........?". Hearing "Ann.....?", I would answer, "Yes?", and everyone would stare at me. Oops, caught day-dreaming again.

Sometimes my siblings would also take advantage of 'Ann' and 'and'. There was always a bit of delight when a Christmas gift tag said "Paul And Jane". Ha. Ha. Ha.

Now I am facing another way the name Ann is giving me something else to dismay me.

Dennis' grunts are becoming more and more easily mixed up with my name.

As Dennis' speech deteriorates, many words are becoming simply vowels. For a long while my name was "Annnnnnnnnnnnn...Annnnnnnnnnnnn...Annnnnnnnnn", but now it is simply "aaaaa..aaaaaaaaa..aaaaaaaaaa." This is not easily distinguished from "Ehhhhh...ehhhh...ehhh" or "Uuuuuuu...uuuu...uuuuu".

So I find myself getting up and checking on him even more often that he actually does call me. Last night I was up twice only to figure out that he was just grunting in his sleep. This afternoon, I checked on a grunt more often than I checked on his "Ann".

And that's what life is like being Ann.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Medical Bed

Dennis' medical bed is coming tomorrow. Unfortunately, it will not fit into our existing bedroom. And Dennis does not want his bed in one room and my bed in another. This meant that we needed to switch up the two bedrooms in our condo. His office would become our bedroom, and our bedroom would become his office.

Raquel and I spent Monday moving furniture, electronics, books and all of Dennis' other collections out of his office and into the living room. Then we moved the bedroom furniture into the office. I should say we tried to move the bed frame, but it broke apart as we were moving it. It was from IKEA and had already been through one disassemble and reassemble, and it didn't feel like doing it again.

So I need a new bed, too.

And a new body.

We had to carry the frame down two floors to the garbage area. That took four trips of carrying pieces of pressed board and metal down the hall, to the elevator and then across the garage to the dumping area. We filled up the dumpster and started piling up the rest of the bed next to the dumpster.

Then the dresser decided it had been through enough, too, and fell apart. Again, we hauled and tossed furniture that was being very uncooperative.

Of course, no one could be without the Internet, so I hooked up the computer in the new office as Raquel hooked up the TV in the new bedroom. It was quitting time - I was on the verge of crying for the first time since I retired last month.

But I couldn't relax. There was stuff piled up all around me in the living room. The new bedroom had a mattress on the floor and felt ugly. It was too hot and humid to sit on the deck for very long. I needed my tranquility back again. It wasn't going to come Monday, or Tuesday either, I found out.

Monday night Dennis talked in his sleep all night. Tuesday he started to "boss" me around. I left the house for some shopping therapy before I took one of those cords from one of the electronic devices and wrapped it around his neck and tugged hard.

A couple of hours later I felt better, but there would be no more moving on Tuesday.

Today is Wednesday, and Raquel is finishing up the office. We are all rested and feel much better. Tomorrow the medical bed will arrive, and we will see what needs to happen next in the bedroom. That will not be until next week however. I have enough bruises for this week, thank you very much.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

G/J Tube Problems, Again

Once again, the "J" portion of Dennis' tube is clogged. It is just too narrow for the thick, sticky food that we are suppose to use. This time, when I tried to unclog the tube, a balloon formed. It was fun to watch, but not as much fun to try and fix.

So, today we are back at the hospital once again. The staff will assess the problem and either put a new one, the same style, back in or give him a separate tube for the gastric another for the jujunal. I imagine that Dennis is hoping for the first because it is an easier change. I am hoping for the second, but this will mean one more hole in Dennis' abdomen. It will also be a bigger surgery, and more recovery time.

I guess all we can do is wait and see. Perhaps the nutritionist will be able to figure out another alternative.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Time on My Hands

Dennis has another bladder infection. After two days of bed, antibiotics and lots of attention, he is finally feeling better. I worry whenever he gets sick.

But I had plenty of time on my hand and accomplished two big tasks.

I booked a late August cruise for the interior of Alaska. Dennis and I were in Alaska a few years back, and were in awe of the glaciers. The sounds they make when they melt and crash into the ocean is indescribable. We also enjoyed the laid back atmosphere. Now we are looking forward to seeing other parts we have not yet seen. Even better, Raquel will be joining us to help out with Dennis.

I also finished a painting. Raquel really seemed to like it, so I am giving it to her for her birthday. It was fun to give away something that I created and the recipient likes.

It's angels in the night. And while Raquel is not here during the nights, she is an angel in our eyes.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Courage Center

Dennis works out at the Courage Center as often as possible. Some weeks this translates to one time, better weeks he manages to get in three workouts. Here is a picture of him at the gym.

And that is all for today.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

A Vacation Story

One of the more interesting days in Boston happened on the day that the four of us (Jane, Ralph, Dennis and I) decided to take a cruise down the river Charles. It's a great, informative, hour long trip that hits many of the highlights of what makes Boston so special.

We had decided, fairly early on in the day, to go to the to the top of the Pru (Prudential Building in Copley Square) to take in the view from the top. We were educated along the way about the stories of Boston from the beginnings until today. Most interesting fact learned? Much of Boston is built on Land Fill. That left me feeling a bit queasy about standing on the 50th floor of a building.

After the Pru, we began to make our way to the dock for our boat. We couldn't find a taxi that would take the four of us, plus a wheel chair, so Jane and Ralph took off in the first taxi that came along. Dennis and I were told to head to the Fairmont hotel, where taxis cued up on a regular basis. This was a short couple of blocks away, and even though we were a bit late, we charged over there with lots of hope of tagging a taxi. The first taxi in line was driven by one of the worst of the Boston lot of drivers.

As I asked him if he wanted a fare, the driver looked at Dennis with disdain. I should have turned to another driver, but I have been taught the rules of queuing taxis and knew that we were to take the first in line. He finally allowed me to work Dennis into the back seat, unpack the gear that we carry on the back of the chair, load the chair and the gear into the trunk, when he decided he would not take us. The chair wasn't a perfect fit.

I can swear like a sailor given the opportunity, and I am very defensive when it comes to Dennis. I told him he would take us, but I lost the battle. All of a sudden he did not know any English. So I asked him to help me and take the chair out of the trunk. He refused. I swore more at him, asked for his name and licence number, and swore a bit more. Then I moved to get Dennis out of the back seat and he started to fall. I yelled again for help, and finally the other driver came over and helped me get Dennis back into his chair.

In the meantime, Jane had been calling me on her cell telling me her driver was hopelessly lost. I had shown the driver the exact location on my Blackberry before they pulled out. When he got lost, Jane had used her IPhone to show him again. But he was still lost. It looked as though none of us would make it to the boat on time.

With the help of the Fairmont staff, we were able to snag a cab and finally met up with Jane and Ralph a few minutes after the boat pulled out. They were gracious and let us change our reservations to the next ride, which gave us an hour to settle down, chill out and enjoy the River Charles. This is a picture of my sister (on the left) and me overlooking the River Charles. Please note that I am smiling and no longer cussing like a madwoman being undone by a taxi driver.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Thick-It Tips

When ever we go anywhere, we always take thickener along so Dennis is able to drink. Dennis loves, loves his Coke and will also order a beer with dinner. Usually I ask the wait staff to fill the glass only 3/4 full, but that ends up in a confused look and always an explanation. So, if it is a beer, I will usually just drink the top off the beer. For Coke, I always go through the explanation; I dislike Coke as much as Dennis' loves it.

While we were on the cape, I trained Ralph to drink the first third of the beer. By the time we met up with Hamed and Ashley, Ralph was completely in the habit of helping out and did it automatically. While Ralph was drinking, and I was adding thickener, Jane was explaining to Hamed about why Ralph was drinking it and my assertion that every beverage reacted differently to the thickener.

Hamed then proposed a research study - Dennis and I could travel around the world testing different beers and how they responded to the thickener. While every beverage acts different to the thickener, every beer (in my humble experience) also reacts differently. So why not research the project, and save other thickener folks the messy problem of cleaning up a goopy, slippery and sloppy mess?

Sounded good until we figured the market for this research was probably low, and I really don't want to work for the government again, in any capacity - way too much paperwork. But, I could share my experiences with you.

Then I figured I could pass on other coping tools that we have discovered, used, and what value we found in any of these tools.

So, Number One Tip - Using thickener in beverages

• No ice. None. Nada. Not one bit. As it melts, the thickener
• Orange juice needs very little thickener - it keeps getting thicker and thicker
• Use a whisk to mix - it goes much faster and the consistency is more even
• With fizzy beverages, start with a glass half full and add thickener. Then add more pop with the head goes back down. Add more thickener if necessary and never fill the glass full until you are done adding the thickener.
• Use half flat fizzy drinks if possible to start the process. Finish off the drink with a freshly opened drink.
• Wines thicken nicely and there is no overflow problem.
• Treat beer as you would pop - but remember, all beers are different. Go slow when adding mix.
• If your doctor tells you to use thickener, do it. It may just save your life. 
• There are many on-line dealers for Thick-It and if you purchase in bulk, it's not all that expensive.
• Carry a small container of thickener where ever you go.

Do you have any suggestions? Do you have questions that we may have an idea about? Please feel free to email me or drop a comment. I am ready and willing to share or ask around.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

The Lift

The last time a social worker came to assess Dennis, she decided we needed a lift to help move Dennis from one place to another. Yesterday a representative came out to show us how it works, before he started the insurance paper work process.

"I hate it, I hate it, I hate it," Dennis yelled throughout his visit.

The man understood. He told me he generally gets that reaction from customers.

I ordered it, anyway, much to Dennis' chagrin. "It's for me, not for you," I told Dennis. I explained it was for my back, the PCA's backs and to help prevent any further bruising of my body.

"It's out of the dark ages! It's barbaric. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it."

I do too. It's huge, it's a lot of work, it's ugly and it takes up too much room. However, I know even if we do not need it right now, we will need it soon. And since the wheels of government dollars runs so slowly, we should take it when it is offered, or we may not have it when we really do need it everyday.

If the days do not come when we need the lift, it will most likely mean Dennis isn't around anymore. I know enough about this disease to be assured that this will be the case. I don't mean to be maudlin or even discouraging, but it is a fact that Dennis isn't going to become easier to move and position as his disease progresses.

So, in a way, we are stepping back to the dark ages. We are dependent on what is available, and the lift is not the most innovative pieces of equipment I have seen. It's not computerized, it's not even operated by batteries. Some days we simply need to be grateful for what is at hand, even if it isn't up to our normal standards.

Until late,
Ann and Dennis


(View the video above if you want to see what this looks like and how it works.)

Vacation

We are back home from our Massachusetts vacation. We had a few bumps along the way - airline related, mostly - but all-in-all, it was a successful vacation.

We met up with my sister, Jane and my brother-in-law, Ralph in Boston. Ralph was such a sweetie and did most of the pushing while we were in Boston.

Dennis carries a helmet everywhere he goes for when he walks, which he does try to do occasionally. You can see it hanging on the back of his wheel chair.

It was great to spend time with my sister, since she lives in London and we do not see her often enough. Jane and Dennis get on quite nicely, and he misses her as much as I do.

After Boston, we went to Cape Cod for four days and met up with Dennis' sister, Donna and brother-in-law, Louie. We haven't seen them for two years, and as much as I had tried to warn them about Dennis condition, they were still a bit overwhelmed, but happy to see us, too.

More later. I think I can find a few more pictures to share.

Until later,
Ann and Dennis

Weary on Sunday

This morning Dennis went to the hospital once again, to have his J/G tube replaced. Although all went well, it's difficult to not feel defeated some days.

Yesterday....

Dennis couldn't eat. Dennis couldn't move. I was snappy with him. Jane and Ralph came over to drop off a pie for Dennis (you have NO idea how much this man likes his pie), and Dennis was on the toilet. An hour passed and they left. He could not eat the pie. Not one teeny tiny bite.

He couldn't move well all day, Sunday. No matter how many meds we poured into him, he was stiff and immobile. He finally went to bed at 6PM. He was groaning and moaning, as is often normal, when I heard a big THUNK. He had fallen out of bed, face first.

No harm had been done, once again, but two falls in one week is a huge set-back. This can't be happening, once again.

But tomorrow we are off for a weeks vacation - Boston and Cape Cod, with family. Hopefully vacation will pick both of us up once again.

So, until much later,
Ann and Dennis