Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Canada Post and community Mail boxes - Lock fix
Last year we were moved from door-to-door mail to using a community mailbox. It wouldn't have been all that bad, but, the locks were NOT made for Canadian winters. Any time we got precipitation that melted the water would get into the lock and then when it got colder it would freeze. The lock would freeze so hard even lock deicer would not work the first time. It would take three to four applications of the fluid and a lot of swearing before I could get into the lock. It was so bad here in Ottawa it was difficult to find lock deicer as the stores would sell out in several minutes. I went through several bottles and at times I would go a week before I could get access to my mail. Canada Post finally acknowledged the issue and in the next several weeks they will be replacing the locks that "is less likely to freeze". Still don't believe them until we get winter weather, rain and freezing rain and I can get into the mailbox.
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Things I learned and still learning about being a caregiver.
This is just a short personal story of my being a caregiver for my wife. Nothing fancy or very organized, just a quick summary what we went through when my wife had a stroke. A quick summary of the process and afterwards and the things I learned (some the hard way).
After almost a month she was transferred to the Bruyere hospital for rehab. The staff there are great and pushed Jane and really encouraged Jane to push herself for recovering from the effects of the stroke. At this point I was back at work and lunch hours I could walk to the hospital and then spend evenings there with her. All that time I was helping her work on her various exercises she needed to do. We also were able to go outside for short walks and the staff encouraged that. At the end of the night I would take the bus home and like before I was so exhausted that I could barely walk.
On the 12th of November she was discharged as she could do a lot of basic tasks on her own without assistance. They were little things like going up/down stairs, dressing herself and making a sandwich. We then followed that up with several more months of physio therapy twice a week. At that point I could work full time at work without worrying too much about her. When I got home I would then prepare the meals, clean up the dishes, do some of the housework and other tasks. Again, at the end of the night I was totally exhausted, but, I thought it was just the workload and stress. Weekends were spent doing running around for food and other tasks that had to be done. I also was taking time off during the weeks for all of her doctor appointments helping her get to where she had to be and then back home.
All through this I was going non-stop with no time off for myself. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, helping her with the basic needs, doctor appointments. My normal day started at about 06:00 and I was busy most days until 23:30 and on most nights 01:00 in the morning. I thought I could do this, but, my body decided it had enough two weeks after she got home. On a Saturday night I experienced chest pains that radiated out to both arms, sweating and nausea. All the symptoms of a heart attack. I did call 911 and the paramedics couldn't see anything on the monitors, but, when I explained my family history they quickly took me to the emergency room. The doctors there are great and they had me wired up for just about everything. It took a few hours, but, the figured out that it was just stress and one other problem that I didn't know I had and ignored the one sign. The big clue was I was almost always tired. Seems that my blood sugar when I was in emergency was way over 14, I was a diabetic and didn't know it. I knew years before I had gout, arthritis and kidney stones and adjusted my diet and lifestyle for that. My family doctor had more tests done and confirmed that I was diabetic. He had a list of things for me. Pills for the diabetes, lose more weight, eat a bit better and rest. He explained that I needed to feel less guilty for taking some personal time off while caring for my wife.
That is the hardest thing for me to do. I still feel guilty taking personal time off to watch a movie, read a book or check out what is on the internet, but, I am feeling a lot better now that I am getting proper breaks and rest. I also learned to prioritize what is needed and what is nice-to-have. The house isn't perfectly clean (like before), but, it is clean enough. Laundry doesn't need to be washed, dried, folded and put away on the same night, it is OK to let the clean clothes sit in the bin for a day or two. I don't have to cook massive gourmet meals every night of the week, some nights ordering out is a treat and I get to have a short break for meal preparation.
Another thing I learned is to keep track of what my wife can and cannot do. When I see her doing something new I let her know and the positive feedback encourages her to keep working. It is slow, but, even a simple thing like picking up a kleenex with her left hand was a major accomplishment. Even after a year she quickly tires out, but, we are now going out once a week where she can walk 15-60 minutes and talk to people we know. It is a small thing, but, she loves doing this and comes back home feeling accomplished. There are those who don't quite understand and thinks she can go non-stop now for hours without a problem and is just faking it. Trust me, it isn't faking, the last time we had a major outing (grandchildren bithday party) she forced herself for almost four hours and then was completely exhausted for the next two days.
The Story
September 15th, 2015 at 07:00 she had a stroke. She was lucky as both my daughter and myself were at home and we recognized the signs and called 911. They did a quick assessment and then transported her to the Civic. For the first week she was in the ICU and I was not totally sure if she would survive let alone how much function she would have afterwards. She lost the ability to speak or swallow and complete loss of voluntary movement on her left side. For that period of time I was in the hospital with her almost 24 hours a day. I was home only long enough for a shower, shave and change of clothes. The staff at the Civic were great and had a chair that was fairly comfortable for me so I wasn't too far away and could nap at times. When she was stable she was transferred up to the neurology floor for the next several weeks. At that point I could go home for a few hours of sleep, do basic chores around the house (like getting meals for our teen-aged daughter). I was still spending most of my time there. I observed what the staff were doing, how they did it and why. The staff were also willing to explain things to me as I was more than willing to learn. With that information I was able to help assist my wife in the basics of recovering use of her hand, leg and voice. I will admit it was long, frustrating at times and very tiring. Most evenings I would go home barely able to walk and didn't think anything about that.After almost a month she was transferred to the Bruyere hospital for rehab. The staff there are great and pushed Jane and really encouraged Jane to push herself for recovering from the effects of the stroke. At this point I was back at work and lunch hours I could walk to the hospital and then spend evenings there with her. All that time I was helping her work on her various exercises she needed to do. We also were able to go outside for short walks and the staff encouraged that. At the end of the night I would take the bus home and like before I was so exhausted that I could barely walk.
On the 12th of November she was discharged as she could do a lot of basic tasks on her own without assistance. They were little things like going up/down stairs, dressing herself and making a sandwich. We then followed that up with several more months of physio therapy twice a week. At that point I could work full time at work without worrying too much about her. When I got home I would then prepare the meals, clean up the dishes, do some of the housework and other tasks. Again, at the end of the night I was totally exhausted, but, I thought it was just the workload and stress. Weekends were spent doing running around for food and other tasks that had to be done. I also was taking time off during the weeks for all of her doctor appointments helping her get to where she had to be and then back home.
All through this I was going non-stop with no time off for myself. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, helping her with the basic needs, doctor appointments. My normal day started at about 06:00 and I was busy most days until 23:30 and on most nights 01:00 in the morning. I thought I could do this, but, my body decided it had enough two weeks after she got home. On a Saturday night I experienced chest pains that radiated out to both arms, sweating and nausea. All the symptoms of a heart attack. I did call 911 and the paramedics couldn't see anything on the monitors, but, when I explained my family history they quickly took me to the emergency room. The doctors there are great and they had me wired up for just about everything. It took a few hours, but, the figured out that it was just stress and one other problem that I didn't know I had and ignored the one sign. The big clue was I was almost always tired. Seems that my blood sugar when I was in emergency was way over 14, I was a diabetic and didn't know it. I knew years before I had gout, arthritis and kidney stones and adjusted my diet and lifestyle for that. My family doctor had more tests done and confirmed that I was diabetic. He had a list of things for me. Pills for the diabetes, lose more weight, eat a bit better and rest. He explained that I needed to feel less guilty for taking some personal time off while caring for my wife.
That is the hardest thing for me to do. I still feel guilty taking personal time off to watch a movie, read a book or check out what is on the internet, but, I am feeling a lot better now that I am getting proper breaks and rest. I also learned to prioritize what is needed and what is nice-to-have. The house isn't perfectly clean (like before), but, it is clean enough. Laundry doesn't need to be washed, dried, folded and put away on the same night, it is OK to let the clean clothes sit in the bin for a day or two. I don't have to cook massive gourmet meals every night of the week, some nights ordering out is a treat and I get to have a short break for meal preparation.
Another thing I learned is to keep track of what my wife can and cannot do. When I see her doing something new I let her know and the positive feedback encourages her to keep working. It is slow, but, even a simple thing like picking up a kleenex with her left hand was a major accomplishment. Even after a year she quickly tires out, but, we are now going out once a week where she can walk 15-60 minutes and talk to people we know. It is a small thing, but, she loves doing this and comes back home feeling accomplished. There are those who don't quite understand and thinks she can go non-stop now for hours without a problem and is just faking it. Trust me, it isn't faking, the last time we had a major outing (grandchildren bithday party) she forced herself for almost four hours and then was completely exhausted for the next two days.
Lessons I learned (some the hard way):
- Proper nutrition for the person who had a stroke, but, also for yourself as a caregiver.
- Time off to rest and recover. If you don't take some time for rest your body will tell you enough and then you need a caregiver yourself. It does not have to be a lot. For me an hour or two most evenings helps with the rare day off.
- It is stressful, physically and emotionally. You need hobbies and time to do the hobbies.
- Feeling guilty is normal. It isn't selfish to want a bit of 'me' time.
- There are resources available, use them! They are there for the stroke victim and for caregivers.
- Spread out the workload if you can. You cannot be there 100% of the time.If friends and family want to help, and, can help let them!
- Be patient with the stroke victim. It takes time for them to relearn how to make things work again.
- Be prepared for a lot of appointments. Physiotherapy, family doctor, neurologists, eye specialists to name a few. I was surprised by the number of appointments, usually 1-2 a week at the start and slowing down to 1-2 a month after about 6 months.
- Plan ahead. For appointments have a plan on how the person gets to and from the appointment (even if it is just you). Let the stroke victim know ahead of time so that they are not stressed about that portion of the appointment. Ask them ahead of time if they have any questions, problems or concern and write them down for the doctor or physiotherapist.
- Track their medications. Know what they are taking, dosage and when it needs to be taken. Familiarize yourself with some of the side effects so you are aware of what they are and watch for them.
- One of the things for medications is order my wife's refills a month before they run out. It may be a bit ahead of time, but, things do happen and that way we don't panic as there are sufficient medications at all times.
- If the stroke patient was a smoker be prepared for the withdrawal. My wife was a heavy smoker before her stroke and she is now smoke free. The first few weeks in the hospital she was so heavily medicated that we were spared most of the symptoms. After that she was moderately 'moody' for several weeks following that period. For almost a year she was coughing up a lot as her lungs were cleaning out the crap that built up over the decades of smoking. One of the benefits is that she now tastes food more and things she didn't like before she now likes!
- Never take anything for granted. Every day is precious and should be enjoyed to the fullest.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Why do politicians think we serve them?
From the way politicians act and talk they "know" more than us and they are the only ones who have the only right answer. If we disagree they tend to put us down or insult as we don't know better than them. They listen to 'elite' experts who advise them and then pompously inform us of what is right and what is wrong and things will go to hell if we don't follow them.
A good politician does not and should not use fear, hatred, intolerance to push society in the direction they want. They should be leading by example, inspire us to be better, listen to ideas and opinions that differ and to help improve society as a whole. Sometimes they need to tell us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear and not be afraid to tell us NO.
We need a way to make politicians accountable to the people again and make the people responsible to make informed choices and ensure that those we elect to make policies and laws that will do that and keep electing those who do so and to FIRE those who do not. A start has been made by minimizing the role of money from businesses, the rich and unions. Make the politicians go to the people to fund their campaigns by limiting how much each person can give. Also limit the personal funds a politician can use as the ultra-rich can self fund their campaign and 'buy' their way to office. Those with money, businesses, special interest groups and unions will scream that it is undemocratic and other bullshit reasons. They will be afraid of losing their undue influence and control and let the ordinary citizen regain their rightful control of the process.
I am reading (and re-reading) the federalist papers. Even after centuries the messages in the document is still relevant today. This should be required reading by all politicians, even here in Canada as the ideas then still apply today.
At times I despair when seeing/reading about laws that politicians are wanting to enact. I don't know if they are playing to fear or are ignorant about the constitution of this country, or the constitution of the country where they reside. Too many also display a lack of knowledge about basic economics. Would it improve our politicians if they prove a basic knowledge about the constitution, economics, law, our political processes before running for office? New citizens need to take a citizenship test and that would be a good starting point for politicians to demonstrate their basic knowledge of our country and political processes.
A good politician does not and should not use fear, hatred, intolerance to push society in the direction they want. They should be leading by example, inspire us to be better, listen to ideas and opinions that differ and to help improve society as a whole. Sometimes they need to tell us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear and not be afraid to tell us NO.
We need a way to make politicians accountable to the people again and make the people responsible to make informed choices and ensure that those we elect to make policies and laws that will do that and keep electing those who do so and to FIRE those who do not. A start has been made by minimizing the role of money from businesses, the rich and unions. Make the politicians go to the people to fund their campaigns by limiting how much each person can give. Also limit the personal funds a politician can use as the ultra-rich can self fund their campaign and 'buy' their way to office. Those with money, businesses, special interest groups and unions will scream that it is undemocratic and other bullshit reasons. They will be afraid of losing their undue influence and control and let the ordinary citizen regain their rightful control of the process.
I am reading (and re-reading) the federalist papers. Even after centuries the messages in the document is still relevant today. This should be required reading by all politicians, even here in Canada as the ideas then still apply today.
At times I despair when seeing/reading about laws that politicians are wanting to enact. I don't know if they are playing to fear or are ignorant about the constitution of this country, or the constitution of the country where they reside. Too many also display a lack of knowledge about basic economics. Would it improve our politicians if they prove a basic knowledge about the constitution, economics, law, our political processes before running for office? New citizens need to take a citizenship test and that would be a good starting point for politicians to demonstrate their basic knowledge of our country and political processes.
Friday, 9 September 2016
It is almost good enough, can we make it better?
Things are good, but, can we make it better? I have a few other blogs, but, the main one for Linux & tech I have been using for things other than that subject area. This blog will be on life in general where they don't directly touch on Linux, Windows, gardening, gaming and technology.
There are those who will say posting in Facebook and/or blogs don't make a difference. I disagree with that, if we don't discuss what is happening, debate what is happening then nothing will change. Will this make a difference, probably not, but, it is a start where I can discuss/comment/suggest things and maybe get feedback.
There are those who will say posting in Facebook and/or blogs don't make a difference. I disagree with that, if we don't discuss what is happening, debate what is happening then nothing will change. Will this make a difference, probably not, but, it is a start where I can discuss/comment/suggest things and maybe get feedback.
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