PRAYER REQUEST -- please pray for my sister, Wendy ... her boss was very negative at their meeting yesterday; and has been sending her negative emails almost daily. They are trying to get her to retire early (before her full pension kicks in). They have been increasing her work load every month; and even asked her to do another extra project for a bonus later in the year. Then, her boss suggested she take a stress leave for awhile. If that is GOD's will for her, pray that He will show her that clearly; and for protection. Needlessly to say, she is very depressed about all this; but she is doing her best regardless. I know she is concerned about me going back home with DH all alone, but I am confident with the help I have in place now, that things will be much better for him. I am praying for supernatural peace for her over the next while along with wisdom about this important decision.

Rosebud I will be praying for Wendy's work situation that it will all be worked out to the glory of God.

Prayers for Wendy!

PRAYER REQUEST #1 -- for our BIL who hurt a disk in his back; it was getting better but he aggravated it and needs to be well enuff to drive us home on Wednesday (so he is resting it today).

#2 prayer request is for his daughter ~ she & her husband are Christians, and they have been trying to have children for some time with no results. She is quite saddened by this and is concerned about having them too late. Please pray about this for her; they have tried different ovulation drugs and nothing has helped so far. We have counselled her to stop "TRYING and WORRYING" -- just live normally; and maybe something will happen on its own (as anxiety can interfere with fertility sometimes).

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS, WARRIORS -- our family has so many needs right now ... :hug:

Prayers sent:hug:

Prayers sent for Rosebud's BIL and his daughter and her husband.

Prayers for all

THANKS, GALS -- you are so faithful and I feel so grateful to have such wonderful prayer warriors praying for my family and I. My SM (stepmother), GRACE, had her surgery as you know. PRAIZE GOD the cancer was contained to her bladder. The bag she has is called a urostomy. She will be going into the hospital tomorrow for them to remove the drainage tube(s).

I was just talking to my DAD and he says she is a bit weak right now. They only have a homecare nurse for 1 hour a week -- how does our government expect her to get by with that? She is trying to learn how to take care of it herself but she still hasn't recovered from the surgery enough yet, so my DAD is helping her. He sounds tired, so I think they both could use prayers for added strength and healing right now. He is going to try and find someone who will come in at least once a day, but of course they will have to pay for that themselves. THANKS for your prayers ... :hug:


PS -- we are heading home tomorrow -- am so excited to be going back to our house. It is so lovely here so I know that I will miss waking up in this beautiful place and looking out at that glorious lake; but, friends & neighbours are asking about us all the time; and there is so much that I have to do. THANKS for your prayers for our trip too ... :hug:

Prayers going up! I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Prayers continue for all.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS EVERYONE -- we had a pleasant ride home. It was so nice to come home to find the grass cut; the guy worked so hard to get it done (it took him 5 hours in terrible heat). May GOD bless him for doing that for us. I have been so busy since we have been back home getting the place cleaned up, sorted out, etc and I am still not finished yet. I have been taking one room at a time but am making great progress.

^PRAYERS^ continue for you and yours ... :hug:

Rosebud, glad you are home again and I hope your situation is improving
I've got something going on, I have developed double vision and I will be having an MRI to see what is causing this. Prayers will be appreciated.

Rosebud Glad you are home safe and pray everything goes well.

Bargoo You are in my prayers.

I have a very special unspoken prayer request for me. All I can say is that I'm feeling depressed and low. Not happy at all. Not sure I can explain it to anyone. Thanks.

Trish, I am praying for you. Remember no matter what the problem is, God is greater.

Rosebud-- I know you must be happy to be back in your own home.. Glad for you.

Bargoo, saying prayers for you that they can determine what is causing your double vision and correct it. Sending good thoughts.

Trish, I'm sorry that you are feeling so bad. Remember there is no problem that God can't handle.. Sending good thoughts your way

BARGOO -- ^Prayers^ going up that the doctors can get to the bottom of your eye problem; that's no fun. I remember when I first had to start wearing glasses: I was wondering what was wrong with my eyes. Turned out to be just age-related sight change. Have had a bit of a time getting glasses that I like as they keep changing them from the ones I pick when I go into the place. They always have an excuse; why don't they just show me the right ones from the start? :shrug:

TRISH -- ^Prayers^ going up for your needs today as well; I can get down a bit when the chemo meds kick in (like right now). I am so sore and achy but then have trouble sleeping. Wanna get something done, but it takes a lot of effort, so can't wait for all the side effects to be gone permanently. I was upset about how much weight I gained from the steroids today, so I had to keep praying for the proper perspective and strength to stick to a healthy and balanced eating plan. We all have our up days and our down days ... :hug:

First thing this AM, DH and I went out to rake some more of the hay in the back yard. ;) I started raking while he gathered it in our wheelbarrow; then we spread it around our berry plants as mulch. The big blueberry trees came back, as did the raspberry bushes; and one blackberry bush. Maybe I can get the second one to come back later this year or next year, we'll see.

Then we went indoors before it got too hot; and I started sorting our clothes out -- from summer to winter stuff. Some stuff, I tossed; some I packed for later use; and the rest I put into a bag for goodwill. Plus, I did some basic cleaning as I went along as well. Now I am trying to relax a bit for the rest of the evening.

Had a light dinner -- a cup of l/o soup + fish + a salad. I am trying real hard to get back into my plan; and even though I have had some slip-ups, I am going to keep at it and pray that it will fall into place as a I go along.

UPDATE ON MY SM (GRACE) -- my DAD called with good news from Grace's doctors that she won't have to have any chemo therapy. There tests show that that all the cancer was contained in the bladder itself -- PRAIZE GOD!!! I know that has made them all so very happy and relieved as she continues to heal. My DAD says that he is gonna teach her how to use the bags and look for ways to save a bit $$$ on them as well as they are pretty expensive.

^PRAYERS^ continue for you and yours ... :hugs:

Had an MRI Friday and Saturday got informed by my doctor that my cancer has spread to my brain. Starting radiation tomorrow. Some of you know I am in cancer treatment. I had breast cancer many years ago and in recent years it has spread to the bone and my treatment for that has worked well, so far. A few days ago I developed double vision and that is where we are now. I have no idea at this point what lies ahead. I am trusting in the Great Physician.

:hug: :hug::hug:BARGOO -- I'm sure you thought what I thought: how in the heck did they miss that? But more importantly, we will be sending up diligent prayers on your behalf as usual, my friend. May GOD BLESS you with his peace and comfort at this time, and during your treatments. I know they are not easy to go through but you are so brave. What a great warrior you are: in this trial and as a prayers warrior and encourager. I know that you are loved by all of us and the LORD for your faithful work here ... so :hug: to you once again!!!

PRAYER REQUEST FOR MY DH -- (forgot to add this to the other post) Prayers needed that DH will be comfortable and at peace, now that he is back in his own home once again. Every day since we have been home, he has let our dog loose (twice on one day); and he has been losing important personal possessions like his glasses and his new electric razor. Ask that the angels will help me find them and a way to keep our furry baby from getting away on us; and blessings to the two young fellas that grabbed our boy for us yesterday am ... :)


EDIT2ADD: plus that our neighbours will be more understanding that DH's illness is progressing so fast that he will have to be put into care soon. Pray for wisdom & insight for me on how to best handle this; and what to do with our home when the time comes. MAY GOD's WILL BE DONE in all these matters, as I put all my trust in Him for our future. THANKS, friends ... :hug:

Bargoo :hug:You are in my prayers as you go through this new struggle. I pray the Lord will comfort you and give you peace.

Rosebud Will keep you and DH in my prayers.

Prayers continue for all.

Bargoo--- you're in my prayers as you go through this. Praying that the Lord will be with you and help you.

Rosebud--praying for you and your DH. I know this has to be hard on so many. Praying that the Lord will be there for you.

Thanks, for all the prayers, they are so appreciated. I am well into radiation, now. It is not too bad but really makes me tired. I come home and take a nap, yesterday I also had a migraine. I have been on steroids 5 days and have gained 4 pounds.

Bargoo-I was just able to catch up on the postings, so hadn't seen your post until now, but God had you on my mind and I've been praying, even though I didn't know the entire situation ( I always find it amazing that God sends people to our hearts and minds when they need our prayers). You'll be in my prayers for healing, peace, comfort, strength. Our God, the only true God, IS the Great Physician, as you said, and He's got your back :hug:

Rosebud-Praying for your DH and you, especially for clarity in how to handle him and lost items, plus understanding from your community. Is there a community outreach that could help those who live around you understand and possibly help by keeping eyes open and call you if they see him or your doggie somewhere they normally wouldn't expect them to be?

Prayers for all.

BARGOO -- oh, I hear you on the steroids issue -- I couldn`t believe how fast they made me gain weight. It was shocking!!! No wonder Rachel refused to take them. I'm working hard to get that back off and can feel that my clothes are getting looser every day. I try to do some house or yard work each morning and go for a walk after dinner too. So far so good despite all the emotional issues going on around me.

The PGT is still controlling our money -- calling yesterday to say they are diverting our money for August to Toronto, then going to deposit only some of it back into our account to pay the bills. The whole thing is so ridiculous to me and everyone who hears about this situation. I still was not given a clear explanation as to why this happened; no-one wants to fess up. I was told that a letter is on the way from the trusteeship board, but not what the contents are.

RE DH: he is so upset by all this that it goes from bad to worse. I'm not sure how long I can go on with the way he is talking and acting now; we had hoped being at home would make him feel better and it did -- until this trusteeship crap started again. These people have no idea how much they have hurt both of us with this unnecessary measure. I have to answer all their questions; then he hears it and gets upset. I tried to go outside with the phone on the last call but he just followed me there and said that he wanted to hear what was going on.

He has been upset ever since; and I get all the fallout from it. They sit in their ivory towers and play with people's lives and money, and don't care how much trouble and stress they have caused for us; and all without good reason. I am going to see my lawyer next Thursday to discuss this issue, plus my POA and WILL which I have to totally rethink now. More money down the drain that could have been avoided. I answered a 5-page full-scap length questionnaire with detailed info plus documents, AND the 22-page application with more financial details. Talk about overkill for two people who are on a low fixed income with minor assets; it's outrageous really.

I wanted to do a POA and WILL before we left for my surgery but DH refused to as 1) he doesn't accept that he has Alzheimers, 2) he can't bear to talk about death, his or anyone else's; and 3) he doesn't want anyone else controlling him, his stuff, or his money, esp the government becuz he doesn't understand how it all works -- but can you blame him after hearing what has happened now? I have always consulted him on every financial decision I make, big or small.

Even worse, he is now so confused that he thinks that I must have made a mistake about something, and blames me. That's just one more thing to add to my already over-stressed life. First he blamed the doctors, then the government, and now me ... I pray that GOD will bring an end to this crazy situation and soon. I now have to rethink what I need to do for both DH and I in the very near future. :shrug:

RONNI -- I wish there was; so far we have been fortunate to catch him or he comes back for us. We have neighbours but the very one we thought cared the most has pulled away from us, saying that DH was bothering them. Heck, we had only been home 1.5 weeks and she invited him over for a pop & a chat at least twice. So I called to apologize, and asked if he was bothering them to just send him home. When I heard her complaining to another neighbour not 12 feet in front of me, I made sure that DH has not gone back there again. I was so dismayed and DH was devastated, again blaming me (why, I don't know; I think I'm just handy). Geepers, I'm batting a thousand for the wrong team lately ... :lol: Please tell me that this is just not another twilight zone episode from Rod Sterling ... ;)

rosebud, this I just so un believable, I can hardly bear to read it. I will continue to beseech God for a solution to thiss insane situation.

Prayers continue for all.

BARGOO -- yes, it just gets better & better, doesn't it??? :dizzy: Well, sadly DH had a breakdown of sorts and is in the hospital for the next few days while they try and find some meds that will help his hallucinations and fears. They'd better do something. They gave him a shot as soon as he got there to calm him down; it worked too, but I don't have that kind of thing available to me at home. When he is in a super-agitated state, he won't take his meds. Does this sound familiar, Ronni???

Sometimes I think that all these mental/brain disorders are related; now we just have to find the right meds to manage the worst symptoms. I had to get the police to take him to the hospital as he was yelling in the street at 6 am that our house was going to blow up from a gas explosion. Oh boy....

They were very helpful and kind; did a great job in handling him. He respects them so much, that made it easier too. We are going to visit him again right now to take some slippers and such. Hopefully tonight, he'll get some rest and I can get some sleep without being frightened.

THANKS for your prayers everyone ... :hug:

rosebud, a number of years ago I had an elderly neighbor man. I thought he was just a mean, nasty old man. He would yell at me about watering my lawn or washing my car , stuff like that. Turns out that this was a man with Alzheimer's and sadly came to a very tragic end. I don't want to alarm you , but is it time to make a change ? Your life is so difficult right now and you don't deserve all the trials you are getting. I continue to pray for peace for you and wisdom as you go through these battles. God Bless You.

Originally Posted by :
I don't want to alarm you , but is it time to make a change ?

Could you expound on what ideas you had about this. Here I had the police take him to the hospital to keep him there until they find a way to manage his symptoms better becuz he is not only scaring me and the neighbours, but it is so stressful for me to live with him like this.

Now they say that they will only keep him there for 3 days for observation and look at other meds. H E L L O ............ people. That isn't long enuff to do a drug trial and gee, thanks for the long break. One nurse said that the hospital is going through some kind of crisis presently; so hopefully that can be straightened out soon so they can do more for people like him and me. There is a terrible shortage of beds here; and about 2/3 of the hospital has very ill long=term elderly people in it (including those with terminal cancer and other conditions). The government hasn't planned this out well enuff at all -- we need more licensed beds NOW ... :^::^::^:

rosebud, I have relatives that live in assisted living situations. They are safe and can't harm anyone else , I have no idea what a situation like this would cost. He may not need to be hospitalized but he does need care, and I am afraid it is getting to be too much for you, physically and emotionally. Is there day care available ? I know some friends that have done that with their spouses. I am not at all familiar with what Canada has to offer , but I think it would be worth it to check it out. Any senior organizations that can give you info ? I am not any kind of an expert but getting as much information as you can seems to be called for. I know you are doing your best but you are under a lot of stress.

Rosebud I'm sure Bargoo is right. I had to put my aunt in a nursing home years ago because she had alzheimers. She wasn't dangerous to others, but I was concerned for her safety. I had to work and had total responsibility of her. I would feel impressed that I needed to check on her and find her doing things like getting into the bath tub when alone. I was so worried about her. Many times I would go to see her everyday because I didn't want her to feel alone. Although they told me that she didn't even know I was there, I told them "I know I was there". I had promised never to put her there, but I had no choice so tried to compensate by going to see her every day.

Those decisions don't come easy, there comes a time in certain circumstances that we have no choice. :hug:I will be praying for our Lord to give you wisdom as He gives you direction on how to handle this. I agree that you don't deserve all that you are going through, but we have to remember Satan NEVER plays fair. He throws a lot at us, but God gives us the victory. It difficult to believe anything good can come out of these type of situations, but He did promise that it would and this is when we have to just put our trust in Him.

Prayers continue for you and you DH and all you are going through.:hug:

Bargoo I am praying for you and your situation as well.

I appreciate all the prayers for me. I am feeling much better. Not sure why I was so depressed but I've spent time in the word and praying and it seems to have lifted. Thanks everyone.

Prayers continue for all.

THANKS TRISH & BARGOO -- yes, I discussed that with the doctor as well; actually, he mentioned to me at first. We are trying to get the right drugs to give him peace of mind for now, while we search for the best living arrangements for the future too. :hug:


EDIT2ADD: we have very limited services up here in the north. The only places we have are the hospitals and nursing homes or manors as some are called; and they are overwhelmed at this time. I wish we had more senior group home-type places like they have in the south. These house maybe 20 or so residents in a home-like setting (like a large home with many bedrooms); and require less staff to run them. I worked in two such places for seniors & mentally ill patients when I was younger (they combined them together). One is down south and still operating and the other was here but sadly, closed down when the owner retired. I wish we had one here again as the patients preferred them to the nursing home type; and that would be good for seniors like my DH. I may be able to get some support work, but I don't know how much or what they would help me with. I am looking into that presently. If the cost isn't covered that would make it impossible for us to afford.

I know our town wants to build a senior's complex but I think it is like an apartment type; and it still isn't built yet. I guess it takes a lot of research and finding the funds and so forth before anything gets done; so it has been in the works for at least a few years now, but no dirt has been turned over yet. ;) It would be great if the town could add a manor with that for those that need assisted care; then they could just transition from one place to the other as needed. Ok, I'm dreaming again; but you never know -- maybe it could happen some day with a little vision.

Rosebud-Yes, your situation sounds very familiar and I do know that many of these mental illnesses and other diseases of the brain can be related or very similar in nature. Sometimes, one illness will morph into another, like my mom's bipolar disorder changing over the unmedicated years into schizophrenia. And, yes, 3 days is the general procedure here, as well, unless there's some evidence that the person is an 'imminent danger' to themselves or others. That's how Mom ended up in the hospital with meds ordered each time-she tends to threaten people when she's in the middle of her delusions. She also has a history of suicide attempts. I was advised that, here, in our county, sometimes the delusion itself is enough to get a court ordered committal for treatment, as, in mom's case, the delusion includes the belief that her foods have been poisoned and she won't eat. I feel for you, Rosebud, in fact, my heart breaks that you and your DH are going through this. You're in my prayers daily and more often when God brings you to my mind. :hug:

Bargoo-You're very wise and giving good advice to all of us. Prayers continue for you and your treatment. How are you doing? :hug: for you, too!

Ronni, I do appreciate your prayers and concerns. I may not mention you by name every time but I do remember you in prayer as I do all requests.

RONNI -- thanks for explaining that to me (the 3-day drug trial rule); I wasn't aware that's how they did it these days. So I guess we'll hear something from the doctor on Monday AM when we go. Most of the workers in our hospital are wonderful; sadly, there is always one that takes their position a little too seriously. Thankfully, things were OK today.

DH was much more coherent today; and although there were some of the minor issues still there, he was a lot calmer for sure. He seemed a little obsessed with one subject while we were there which was very embarrassing, and I hope that stops once he is back at home. ;) These drugs will not reverse his Alzheimers or other related symptoms, but we just want to see him calmer and more at peace on a daily basis while we look for and arrange long-term care for the future (that takes a long time here). My biggest concern is whether these drugs will help him in the long run or will the old symptoms just reappear? I guess only time will tell, so we'll have to wait and see. It makes me nervous to bring him home again for that very reason. I feel like I am walking on eggshells all the time.

THANKS for your prayers everyone; they mean a lot to me ... :hug:

Well, DH started the day out in a good mood, then had a nap in the afternoon. I got him up to have his dinner which he enjoyed, then I gave him his homemade muffin and pop that I brought for him as well. Then other visitors came, but I noticed that he was a little ornery tonight; and some of the old symptoms were back -- being contrary, arguing things we said, being a tad flippant, and the sexual mashing returned towards both me and my friend. That concerned me as he seemed a little out of control IMHO.

His doctor finally came by in the afternoon, and said that he may be able to come home in a couple of days, but my friend and I were concerned about him returning home so soon. He was making some violent overtures once again; and that is the most concerning for me, then the inappropriate sexual behaviour and talk second. That is one step away from the hallucinations and such. He was talking to the mirror again too; all the peculiar stuff he does at home.

On the positive side, he was more coherent, and could talk better -- finishing his sentences and responding correctly to our comments some of the time. I just hope that the difficult behaviour goes away but am concerned that life at home will be just as stressful as before if that doesn't improve. His sister put him in time-out in a Geri-chair for about 30 minutes and that helped for a little while. I tried to get him to brush his teeth but he was not interested in that; just something else ... oh dear! :dizzy:

This only proves I'm right that 3 days are not enuff time to tell how a drug will be for a patient in the long term. By the 4th day, old symptoms are already reappearing, just as I suspected they might. His doctor is going away on holidays tomorrow so my doctor may be taking over. When his doctor retires, my doctor may take him on as a patient and it should help having the same doctor for us both, esp since my doctor is already aware of his issues.

So we'll see how he doing tomorrow; thanks for your prayers ... :hug:

Went up to see DH at noon to help him with his lunch, but he was too tired to eat (just had a mouthful so the nurse said he'd bring him something later when he woke up). He confirmed that he was agitated all last night and didn't sleep; they finally had to give him something to settle him down. The signs were there all last evening.

So hopefully after a good sleep, he will feel better tonight. A friend took me there and back; she is the hospital's new chaplan. We had a great talk while we were there. GOD bless them: she and her son have offered to help me and DH out as needed. Her son cut our grass this week and it looks great; and offered to help look for some stuff in the basement the next time he comes. He will keep DH busy while she takes me out for a break -- that is so nice of them to do that.

Now the doctors just have to find a way to help DH with his moods and hallucinations. We'll see what happens; they may have to try different meds to find out which ones work best for him. That may take longer than they think and I will be talking to my doctor about this when I see him next week.

I came home and did a few loads of laundry indoors as it has been :rain: ing all afternoon; but my flowers and bushes sure love it and are looking so lush this year. Bit by bit I am getting things sorted out and all the laundry caught up; just have some blankets and a comforter to do now.

I have a whole chicken roasting with baby new potatoes, green beans, and cauliflower for dinner and it will be ready any minute now. Can smell it all through the house today and it sure smells good. Time to go enjoy the fruits of my labor or the ovens in this case ... ;)

^PRAYERS^ continue for you and yours ... :hug:

Rosebud-
You and your husband have been in my prayers. Everyone else here, too. I haven't been posting much, but I check the thread every day and pray for you all.

THANKS DEE -- I appreciate that a lot. I never got to talk to any doctors the whole time DH was in the hospital, but my SIL talked them into letting DH come home this afternoon before I ever had a chance to see him or them. That concerned me somewhat as I wanted to see how he was but she said that she was tired of going to the hospital to look after him. So I told her that meant he would then just come home where I would have to look after him by myself 24-7. :shrug:

Thankfully, DH wasn't as groggy today, but the first thing he said after they left the house was that there were people in the basement and he had to get them out. I tried to assure him and had him go check for himself. He had a coffee and a snack then decided that he wanted to have a nap.

I am so glad that someone has offered to help me with him at least a little bit in the future; and I will look for some more help from the public care agencies tomorrow. I have to go to my lawyer to arrange my POA and will, and discuss the Trusteeship as well. I couldn't get an appt before now. So I have been walking my poor legs off and they are so sore and tired.

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS EVERYONE; let's pray that the new meds they have DH on will help ... :hug:

Rosebud I'm surprised someone else could talk the doc into sending your DH home. That is a decision that could never be made by someone other than the spouse here. Is she listed as a person able to do that? I pray that the meds will work and things won't be so difficult for you. I hope you get the help you need with him and also the help you need from your lawyer. Prayers continue for you.

Prayers continue for all.