Further boat-rocking, and Birthday plans

I hate to sound like an alarmist but...

We have to keep in mind that Mom recently started (or is about to start) taking the antidepressant Zoloft. While we can be hopeful that this will eventually be a good thing, it will likely be a bad thing for a few weeks, maybe a very bad thing. Antidepressants are famous for making depression worse before it gets better, and we all know how Mom has had adverse reactions to almost every medication she's been put on, anyway.

I'm speaking from personal experience here. When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my doctor put me on a low dose of an old-fashioned antidepressant (Nortriptyline) in order to regulate my sleeping patterns. I wasn't depressed before I started taking it, but spent the first month after starting it extremely depressed. And then there are Matt's two nephews who committed suicide soon after they started taking Zoloft or Prozac.

I don't know if this means we should be rethinking our current visiting habits in order to keep a closer eye on her, or what. But it might affect how she takes Danny's news.

Regarding Mom's birthday... Is the plan just to meet at BG again? I can bake a cake. Or did we want to take her out anywhere? Maybe she'd like a beer to wash down the Zoloft.


This is just something to consider

The boat is about to be rocked

Wish me luck y'all...and keep Mom and I in your prayers today. This evening, I'm paying her a visit and breaking news to her of the plan to sell Yarmouth. I'll try to put a synopsis of the visit on the blog when I get home tonight.

New post was needed...'nuff said on last one.

Quinn, I'll check regularly for the Medicare correspondence and get it to you a.s.a.p.
And if I forget to ask when I drop it off, can you remind me to collect my Dad relics? ;)

Stuart, I don't need any recovery time from this weekend. In fact, the bro's all discussed meeting you half-way for next year's winter camp. What say ye to a mountain rendezvous in a VA or WV state/national forest next February? Man enough? ;)

I'll start to spiff up Yarmouth a little each trip there. Stuart, can I borrow that real estate sign post you left there to rig a FSBO sign when Yarmouth's ready to show. Would y'all prefer to NOT be around when I break this to Mom? I think that doing it during a regular Sunday may be a tad overwhelming or distracting for her.

Changing Mom's phone number.

Mom called me early this morning (looking for Quinn). She was upset about a phone call she received last night from a mean person. She thought it had something to do with a credit card. To avoid telemarketers/creditors from calling, I suggest that we have her number changed and only give it to her friends and family. This would also avoid the doctor's offices from calling to confirm appointments too.

Otherwise, she sounded good. When I mentioned her doctor appointment yesterday, she told me that she was happy to hear it. She thought that she had been to the doctor's, but she couldn't be sure. She said that she just doesn't trust her brain anymore. Hey, at least she's admitting it...for the moment.

Love to all - Levelle

Borneo Holiday

I finally got around to adding the photos of our trip into photobucket. I still have to cut some of the out but most have captions now. If you are interested: http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k89/Zippsy/2009%20Borneo/?albumview=slideshow (click on the post title for the hyperlink)

And I spoke to Mom the other day. She sounded quite good although a few words were hard to come by. For some reason, however, she thinks the flowers from Leland were from only me. Did one of you call the florist to change the note?

Just to start a new Post

We did have fun yesterday. Mom was a little aggitated when we got there. She was already eating lunch and seemed to be in a bad mood. I sat there while she ate lunch and we chatted a little. She really brightened up when Jamie and the boys came in. We all went upstairs to the community room on her floor room and just had a little party for a few hours. We played Apples to Apples and Mom won! She and Matt seemed to be the experts at that game. We had a few residents and employees come in for a cupcake. It would be nice to engage even more people.
As we were leaving, Mom was telling Quinn and I some story about her frustration with the Mass schedule at the Mother House. I can't imagine what went on in the morning but I bet it involved Mom making several trips over there, trying to get the straight scoop on when Mass was. I'm sure that was what she was mad about when we got there.
Not sure we could do that scale every week (BGT staff looked worried as we trooped in with coolers and party fixins), but I'm willing to do something on Sunday afternoons. I like Danny's idea for outings, too.
We checked the sign-in book on the way out and Mom did have a few visitors last week: Paul, Mackie Lawrence and Joan Spurrier. God bless them, everyone.
Have a great week,
Lel

Nice Visit Today

Jim and I spent a few hours with Mom today and she was in a fine mood. She thinks she's in trouble with someone based on an incident last night, but she doesn't know who it was. She could not explain what happened, but she wasn't upset when she was trying to tell the story. We had lunch with her, and then we chatted and looked through the photo album while Jim napped (big surprise).
The only thing she said about leaving BGT, was as we were standing to leave, she said someone had wiped her out last night (talking about her pens) and that she had to get out of there. I said, "Yup, it's time for us to get out of here." And we left.
I fixed the TV channels so only about 10 show up. Levelle has the original remote, which you would need to add channels.
We're going to try little or no visiting this week and then all come for a dinner on Sunday. Should we ask about using the 3rd floor kitchen?
Take care,
Lel