I stopped in on Mom in the morning, before the weather moved in, but she was not to be roused. As of late morning Sunday, we're still waiting for them to open our beach back up, and for the owner to report on the condition of our rental. We're optimistic that we can get into the rental today or tomorrow.
Here in Alexandria, the storm was mainly just a lot of wind and water, but very little damage. Even at the water's edge in old town there was no flooding, because we were on the "back end" (western side) of the core of the storm. I spoke to Woodbine this morning, and they lost incoming calls, but not outgoing (they called me to let me know.) The technicians are working on the incoming call problem, but they did not lose power or have to evacuate.
I hope all of you on the U.S. East Coast will have or had a similarly easy time with Irene, and wanted to let everyone know that here in Alexandria she was only an inconvenience.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Well that was an interesting experience we all could have lived without!!
Quick earthquake report - everyone's fine. I called Woodbine as soon as I could get a line out and Estelle is fine. They felt the quake and had some shaking but no damage and they did not have to evacuate or move any of their patients or staff.
Dan and I lost a few pictures - everything fell off of the walls, dressers and end tables. Some of the books got shaken out of the bookcase. We had to evacuate our condo building for about 3 hours because they feared structural damage. There are some ceiling and wall cracks but apparently we've been pronounced sound enough to return.
And so I am back inside now cleaning up. Dan's building was also evacuated in DC. I still cannot talk to him by cell phone or land line but we can text and he will be leaving work shortly. Trains are not running well, however, so I don't know exactly when or how he'll be getting home.
Who ever heard of earthquakes in DC????
Quick earthquake report - everyone's fine. I called Woodbine as soon as I could get a line out and Estelle is fine. They felt the quake and had some shaking but no damage and they did not have to evacuate or move any of their patients or staff.
Dan and I lost a few pictures - everything fell off of the walls, dressers and end tables. Some of the books got shaken out of the bookcase. We had to evacuate our condo building for about 3 hours because they feared structural damage. There are some ceiling and wall cracks but apparently we've been pronounced sound enough to return.
And so I am back inside now cleaning up. Dan's building was also evacuated in DC. I still cannot talk to him by cell phone or land line but we can text and he will be leaving work shortly. Trains are not running well, however, so I don't know exactly when or how he'll be getting home.
Who ever heard of earthquakes in DC????
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Sat. 8/20/2011
I dropped in on Mom mid-afternoon, and she was wide awake when I got there. We talked for a while. I read her her mail, and told her what I knew of how everyone was getting on, which she punctuated now and then with "that's good." I told her about our upcoming vacation, and she asked how long we'd be gone. I told her two weeks, and she said it sounded lovely. Then she asked if I had any children, and we talked through the grown kids and my grandkids with Laura. She wanted to know their birthdays, which was a stumper, so I called Laura and got the inside, then passed it along (no birthdays until November!) But that reminded me that both our birthdays (mine and Laura's) are next week - so I reminded Mom of that. She asked me what she should get Laura, and I told her a sun dress would be nice. I told her I'd get Laura a sundress from her, and she said that would be good. I talked to her more about Nag's Head and some of the other Outer Banks towns like Manteo, Salvo, Cape Hatteras, etc. I've been back enough since we were kids that I don't remember the places that we did and did not stay the few times we went there as kids -- we were probably in and around Nag's Head most of the time. I told her now they have to pump sand onto the beach, and she said something about a bottle. I could not quite grasp the context - maybe finding a message in a bottle, maybe I should bring her some sand in a bottle, maybe she meant the big glass jar of shells she had back at her condo. So I asked whether I should bring back some of the nicer shells we find, for her to look over, feel, etc. She did not seem particularly sentimental about the prospect of such treasures, but I'll give it a shot anyway. Worst thing that can happen is she won't care, and that will be that.
We talked a little with friends on the phone, and Mom got drowsy - so I told her I'd come back tomorrow. She left with a hearty "I'll talk to you tonight" -- so I countered with "how about if I come by tomorrow?" And she said "Yes, even better." Sunday we'll call around to whoever's home, maybe read the paper (well, I may read it, and she may or may not listen), talk if she feels like it, and generally have as much fun as possible under the circumstances. I hope to talk to some of you then!
Dan
We talked a little with friends on the phone, and Mom got drowsy - so I told her I'd come back tomorrow. She left with a hearty "I'll talk to you tonight" -- so I countered with "how about if I come by tomorrow?" And she said "Yes, even better." Sunday we'll call around to whoever's home, maybe read the paper (well, I may read it, and she may or may not listen), talk if she feels like it, and generally have as much fun as possible under the circumstances. I hope to talk to some of you then!
Dan
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, 8/7/11
Yesterday (Saturday) was a non-responsive day. Mom was in her room, but wouldn't wake up for the bloody apocalypse, and that was that. Her nurse said she'd been sleeping much more and waking much less that week, which was worrying. Today I found her in a common area, where she was again sleeping comfortably (and unresponsively.) So I was not very hopeful.
I asked a nurse to wheel her back to her room, and the movement did the trick. At first she couldn't get the ol' speech centers engaged, or just had too much gunk in the way. At the moment, regrettably, that's a possibility, although they use a suction machine on her often to keep her mouth as clear as possible. On that front, at least the nurse said the lung secretions were not as copious, and her last x-rays came back clean for anything an x-ray would see. There was a fair amount of amateur clean-up today, but I don't think we need to discuss those details.
In any event, her eyes opened and she recognized me when we got into her room, and after a time-out while the nurse hooked up the g-tube to the feeding pump, we had a nice conversation. She was much more with it again today, and we were able to talk to the English relatives (Herschel was there, and she'd been asking about him, so it was wonderful to hear his voice.) We also spoke to Meryl up in Jersey again, but couldn't reach Viv.
We talked about everyone's vacation plans, and I reminded her about the Outer Banks, where we'd also gone as kids. It seemed to be an engaging topic, and I talked to her about our upcoming beach trip -- which she followed much better than topics like "what's going on in the world right now." I told her I had pretty happy memories of the Outer Banks, except the time when my shoulders got sunburned so badly I had shoulder-pad size blisters on both sides. She remembered that and said, "oh, that was terrible. Be careful this time."
I also mentioned that the place was my favorite beach - you can keep your sugar-white sand and clear blue caribbean waters. I'll take the murky chilly atlantic and the threat of a Noreaster, as long as I know the ghost crabs and the dolphin pods personally. I asked her if she liked it there, and she said yes... I said "but then, you were always breaking up the fights and making the sandwiches," and she actually laughed. "It might be different," was her way of putting it.
After talking to some friends on the phone, I switched on the TV, to see how Mom feels about TV. Evidently, about the same. It didn't matter whether it was crocodiles, volcanos, or mobsters, she zoned out pretty quickly and pretty thoroughly... I woke her enough to let her know that I'd leave it on the news channel (CNN, I'll be damned if I'll leave it on Fox for her to be propagandized,) and that I'd have to go to get our shopping done.
I do worry a bit. The last time we left it on, she became convinced one of us was dead in a terrible accident. But that could well have been a UTI talking, so we'll see whether any more confusion results. She really doesn't seem to be riveted by it, but who knows.
Best until next week,
D
I asked a nurse to wheel her back to her room, and the movement did the trick. At first she couldn't get the ol' speech centers engaged, or just had too much gunk in the way. At the moment, regrettably, that's a possibility, although they use a suction machine on her often to keep her mouth as clear as possible. On that front, at least the nurse said the lung secretions were not as copious, and her last x-rays came back clean for anything an x-ray would see. There was a fair amount of amateur clean-up today, but I don't think we need to discuss those details.
In any event, her eyes opened and she recognized me when we got into her room, and after a time-out while the nurse hooked up the g-tube to the feeding pump, we had a nice conversation. She was much more with it again today, and we were able to talk to the English relatives (Herschel was there, and she'd been asking about him, so it was wonderful to hear his voice.) We also spoke to Meryl up in Jersey again, but couldn't reach Viv.
We talked about everyone's vacation plans, and I reminded her about the Outer Banks, where we'd also gone as kids. It seemed to be an engaging topic, and I talked to her about our upcoming beach trip -- which she followed much better than topics like "what's going on in the world right now." I told her I had pretty happy memories of the Outer Banks, except the time when my shoulders got sunburned so badly I had shoulder-pad size blisters on both sides. She remembered that and said, "oh, that was terrible. Be careful this time."
I also mentioned that the place was my favorite beach - you can keep your sugar-white sand and clear blue caribbean waters. I'll take the murky chilly atlantic and the threat of a Noreaster, as long as I know the ghost crabs and the dolphin pods personally. I asked her if she liked it there, and she said yes... I said "but then, you were always breaking up the fights and making the sandwiches," and she actually laughed. "It might be different," was her way of putting it.
After talking to some friends on the phone, I switched on the TV, to see how Mom feels about TV. Evidently, about the same. It didn't matter whether it was crocodiles, volcanos, or mobsters, she zoned out pretty quickly and pretty thoroughly... I woke her enough to let her know that I'd leave it on the news channel (CNN, I'll be damned if I'll leave it on Fox for her to be propagandized,) and that I'd have to go to get our shopping done.
I do worry a bit. The last time we left it on, she became convinced one of us was dead in a terrible accident. But that could well have been a UTI talking, so we'll see whether any more confusion results. She really doesn't seem to be riveted by it, but who knows.
Best until next week,
D
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Thursday, August 4. 2011
Briefly, Estelle continues to have trouble with a cough and the resulting secretions. Because the cough continues unabated the doctor is starting her on another course of antibiotics. This time she will be getting a 7 day course of Leviquin along with her breathing treatments and numerous attempts at suctioning. Another chest x-ray will be taken this afternoon and they will call us with the results.
She is also having some trouble with intermittent blistering on various areas of her body. It is hard to tell what is causing this. They come and go and never seem to occur in the same place twice. It could be a simple heat rash - the temperatures here have been record breaking or it could be some sort of infectious process. They are scrupulous in searching her for them and as soon as one is found they treat it topically and aggressively and it seems to keep them from spreading or becoming worse. It is a bit worrisome that they keep cropping up, however, and I'm considering asking the doctor to culture one the next time it happens just to rule out infection or more MRSA.
All-in-all, things remain unchanged.
She is also having some trouble with intermittent blistering on various areas of her body. It is hard to tell what is causing this. They come and go and never seem to occur in the same place twice. It could be a simple heat rash - the temperatures here have been record breaking or it could be some sort of infectious process. They are scrupulous in searching her for them and as soon as one is found they treat it topically and aggressively and it seems to keep them from spreading or becoming worse. It is a bit worrisome that they keep cropping up, however, and I'm considering asking the doctor to culture one the next time it happens just to rule out infection or more MRSA.
All-in-all, things remain unchanged.
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