stress management

Mom is doing better today, in terms of mood and pain management and participating in her rehab therapy. Her blood sugar is still not under control, though. My sister, E, finally went to visit her today, so that was good. They so seldom have a chance to talk with just the two of them ever since my nephew's been born.

I'm feeling less stressed. I'm sure the ativan is helping immensely. But also, every night I soak in a hot tub with healing garden bath salts. I use the green tea mixture, supposedly for mental refreshing. I find it incredibly soothing. Its got sandalwood, peony, & everlasting in it. You can find it in Walgreens stores, or you can order it straight from the web site. You can also get free samples of healing garden 'waters' from their web site -- which is also very relaxing, but takes a few minutes to load if your connection is as crappy as mine is (26400 bps). And since you're there, you might as well calculate your biorhythm. I'm going to be in a triple slump on the 29th, the day of my EMT exam. Lovely.

Free sample of lasting finish lipstick is available from their parent company, Coty. Free is fun. =) I like receiving little presents of health and beauty products in the snail mail.

Olay keeps sending me rejuvenating pads to wash the face with. I already have a $10 box of them that I paid for, but it's the thought that counts. If you go to their site, browse around to the different products to see what you'd like to try. They have some great skin care products.

look! cute little kittens! blogjam random kitten generator

This made me smile. I haven't done that in about a week.

First thawed transplant success Rat becomes pregnant from frozen ovaries.

I have been calling Mom 2 or 3 times a day to check on her. E has called, also, but not been able to get to the hospital, and Mrs G (Mom's best friend) has had a virus, so Mom hasn't had much company.

When I talked to her today, and yesterday, too, actually, she said she had told the physical therapist that she didn't feel up to walking. They have just exercised her leg for her while she lies in bed. I find this lack of cooperation on her part alarming. Her excuse today was that they had given her a suppository and she was nauseous, but still... it is starting to be a pattern. Oh, the suppository is because she's constipated. Yesterday she didn't want to walk because she was dizzy, so she just went to the bathroom and back many times. She is having to wear an adult diaper, which I'm sure is demoralizing.

They are supposed to move her to Diagnostic Hospital some time today to get her into "Rehab". She may be in the hospital quite some time if she doesn't start exercising and cooperating with the staff. I am also alarmed about her blood sugar, which has been so up and down. They're trying to control it with insulin, & it's not working . I am just worried about her, and want to be there with her. I'm afraid I couldn't study well, though, and I really want to pass this test the first time so I can get a job at a hospital.

I am thinking about driving from Temple to Houston on Tuesday after my test, & then coming back to Austin in time for classes on Thursday. That's probably what I'll do, if she's still in the hospital. Well, she might need me when she gets out, too.

Why not? The Friday Five:

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear? Jeanne of Beverly Hills

2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex? Joop!

3. What one smell can you not stomach? bergamot

4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird? my dog.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? studying for the EMT-Basic Texas Dept of Health Certification Test on Tuesday.

Here's a picture of my mom and grandmother this past Xmas at the nursing home where my grandmother lives now. .

What a day. I've been calling Mom twice a day while she's been in the hospital. Tomorrow they'll be moving her to a Rehab hospital for a few days. She seems to be ok except for her blood sugar zooming up and down for no apparent reason. They've been giving her insulin injections in addition to her regular diabetis meds. They're not doing a good job at the present hospital (Methodist) of giving her a diabetic diet; supposedly they're better at Diagnostic, where she goes tomorrow.

I wish I could go down there this weekend, but I just have to do more reviewing for my state certification exam, and the trip would be 3 1/2 hours in each direction. Plus recovery time. I just don't have that much time. My sister hasn't made it to visit my mom in the hospital yet, and she's been in there since Monday.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to do some running around with L and her partner A. Fish store and library. Probably food will be consumed at some point, as well.

SpiritProject presents the Palmistry! Have a try!

I'm back... I didn't go to Death & Dying on Thursday, but my professor hasn't mailed me a syllabus, either, so I'm pretty clueless about that class. Trying to read A&P this morning. My concentration is not wonderful.. This is several degrees of magnitude less interesting than EMT stuff. My test in Temple is a week from yesterday, so I will switch over to studying that when I finish the current A&P chapter.

Mom's surgery went well. They started out with an epidural, but her legs started to twitch during surgery, so they had to knock her completely out. Now she has a new right knee. They got her to stand up yesterday, and had her walk to the bathroom today. Later today she'll be headed off down the hall. She's allergic to the pain killer they've got her on, so they're giving her benadryl in addition to it. She's also allergic to codeine, morpheine, methadone, lidocaine.... all the good drugs, really. Plus cinnamon.

She didn't die, which she and I both were afraid might happen. She has reactive airway disease (asthma), and is diabetic, so she is a bit of a high risk patient. She didn't get sick from the anesthesia they used, which is a NICE change and we were happy about. When I talked to her on the phone this morning, she said they were going to keep her over the weekend to do Rehab, so I won't be needed down there and can study for my EMT exam. I felt embarassed when she kept introducing me as her daughter who is an EMT -- I'm not certified yet.

Watching Top of the Pops on BBC America. Kylie Minogue has some great legs.

WebMD - Dreams May Hold Key to Beating Depression

WebMD - Tests Begin for Diabetes 'Cure'

Adequacy.org || Britney Spears' Six-Inch Secret She's a man! Did you know?