My intention ITT is to quarantine our personal stories re:Covid from news, views, and such.
Iām hoping I didnāt say goodbye to my dad this morning.
I am my 90yo dadās caregiver. I had kept him in almost compete isolation since late February. Now he has done gone and broken several ribs. Heās in the ICU. At least thatās what I hear. No visitors, of course. During non-pandemic times, a patient needs to stabilize for three days before they ship them off to a rehabilitation nursing home. Not now. They said theyāll ship him off as soon as he stabilizes, maybe tomorrow. No visitors in the nursing homes either, of course.
I fear.
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Hey Sabo,
Iām hoping for you, too. When he gets to the nursing home, call him and tell him you love him. If getting him on the phone is a possibility.
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Thatās terrible Sabo. Really terrible. Not being able to visit or even find out what is happening must be very painful. Damn.
Nationally, about 69 people die due to lawnmower incidents based on data from a 10-year period. The deaths were up to 100 in 2014. If you look at injuries, more than 250,000 people are hurt by lawnmowers each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.Feb 21, 2018
Abnormal number of Americans are killed by lawnmowers ā¦
Hopefully my dad wonāt end up adding to this count. Listen up folks, these can be very dangerous machinesā¦
My dad is an exerciser, and as exercise, on Monday was out cutting this Winterās foot high grass. Heās also had mildly trick back most of his life. That evening, he mentioned his left shoulder and back was bothering him. I gave him some Ibuprofen. He said he felt better. Off to bed he went.
Yesterday, same thing, except he didnāt go out and cut more grass. In the morning Tylenol also did the trick. That night, off to bed he went. But, this night he was squirming around a bit getting comfortable. I gave him an Ibuprofen, which seemed to do the trick. Untilā¦
About 1 am he apparently squirmed his way out of the covers, and onto the floor with the thud. He hit the back of his noggin in the process, and was making a mess with the bleeding.
So I got him up, dressed, and we walked out and got in the car. I drove him to a major walk-in clinic at a major hospital (Scripps Torrey Pines, for those who know San Diego). It was a surreal drive, heightened by the monolithic and under-construction nearby trolley extension. We saw only two other cars out and about. My dad was the only patient at the clinic for the entire four hours we were there. I was with him the whole time.
They did the brain scans, checked for concussion, they gave him a few stitches, and āas long as he his hereā threw in an x-ray of his sore shoulder. Everything came up ok, so they sent us on our way. I drove him home, we walked on in, and we each tried to get some rest.
About three hours later, they called me back up. They said, upon further review, the x-ray shows my dad had several broken ribs.
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I didnāt mean to make a thread about my dad. I had imagined other folks would post similiar āsmallā stories in this this large disaster. And maybe folks still might. Itās all good, and Iām in a good mood right now too.
Itās a funny story because it didnāt have a bad ending.
It turns out my dad broke the ribs mowing the lawn a day earlier, on Sunday, March 29th. On Monday, March 30th dad had a previous appt to get a vaccineā¦ and since we were there, I asked for a look at his āsore shoulderā. The insurance company disagreed with all of that, so he wasnāt seen. Wednesday, April 1 he fell out of bed, and cracked open his head. I took him to urgent care, who since he was there, threw in an x-ray of his āsore shoulderā. They said no concussion/etc and sent us home. A few hours later they noticed the broken ribs, and said come on back, and admitted him. The prognosis was a quick discharge followed by an extended stay in a SNF. A nursing home during a pandemic.
The story sinceā¦ my dad made such a strong recovery from the broken ribs, the docs said he could skip the SNF and come on home. Butā¦ right before they discharged him, his prostate swelled up, he couldnāt pee, so they put in a catheter. They discharged him on April 8th, but he didnāt physically tolerate the catheter, and because of his Alziemers, didnāt understand why he has this thing stuck into his penis, and didnāt understand why he couldnāt just pull in out. I took him back in after about longest 10 hours of my life at home. By the 10th, he could physically tolerate the catheter, and they released him again.
So, first it was the vaccineā¦ then that didnāt really matter. Then it was cracking open the headā¦ then that didnāt really matter. Then it was the broken ribs and punctured lung happened before the vaccine questā¦ then amazingly enough, that didnāt really matter very much. Then it was the catheter. And then we as a family were faced with the same dilemma: Medicare will pay for 2 weeks in a SNF to make sure he doesnāt pull the catheter out 24/7. Thatās a nursing home during a pandemic.
Fortunately for my dad, he is privileged enough to be able to pay for 24/7 sitters at home for a short spell of a couple of weeks. So thatās what we didā¦ he paid mid 4-figures for what Medicare already covered. The health care pros that treated him were in 100% agreement that that was a wise choice.
He got the catheter out Sudnay. Today he got a final discharge on all the above. Heās still a 90yo man in the midst of a pandemic. But he ādodged a bulletā here for sure. End of this story.
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Iām not making any jokes at that guyās expense.
Now that heās healed up, sounds like he could still kick my ass.
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My dad is also 90, my mother is 78 and my b-day was March 29th. I also lived in San Diego for a few years, 6 or 7, and I know Torrey Pines Scripps and also Scripps in Chula Vista. I also know the traffic on the 5 and 805. I canāt imagine them free of traffic.
My huge concern is that if one of my parents gets it, they will both get it and I could lose them both without seeing them and with no funeral service and closure. Their risk of catching the virus is effectively doubled because there are two of them.
And my mother is adding to the risk. She got her oil changed yesterday and sat in the gas station lobby. I told her before to wait a month or 2 to change her oil, but she wouldnāt listen to me or my father apparently. She was an only child.
After she got her oil changed, she tried to visit Dunkin Donuts, but it was closed. She then went to Whole Foods and then dropped off a mask at a friendās and then didnāt make it home for another 2 hours. She wouldnāt tell me where she was during that time when I interrogated her.
I was pretty steamed about this and had a long talk with my dad later in the evening trying to get him to keep her in the house as much as possible. I told him that Dunkin Donuts is non-essential and thatās why it was closed. I told my father that I would call the police and have her arrested if she continues to go out and flaunt the governorās stay at home order (actually itās an advisory, not an order, but there are civil and crminal penalties attached to the advisory, apparently).
On top of all this, my mother did all that after having her first session of radiation treatment for endometrial cancer, which required the removal of her uterus at Mass General just last month. (As an aside, I asked her if I could keep the uterus seeing as I was inside it at one time. I thought it was funny, she was grossed out and didnāt see the humor. The uterus was sent out for biopsy and complete examination).
My father and I attended all pre-surgery and surgery appts at Mass General through the month of February, with the surgery performed by Mass Generalās Chief of Ob/gyn Oncology at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital where Mass General has a cancer clinic with robo-surgery on Feb 28th. What baffles me now is that there was no Covid awareness at either hospital from early Feb to Feb 28th. My father and I were able to go right up to pre-op until they wheeled her into the operating room. By Feb 1st, Massachusetts had reported a confirmed covid case at UMass-Boston. A month later, near the end of March, when we returned for her follow-up exam, my father and I werenāt allowed into the hospital and could not accompany her to her appt, at which she would learn the outcome of her surgery and biopsy. It could have gone either way, and my father and I obviously wanted to be there. Fortunately, she got good news: Stage I, Tumor Grade 3. The doc believes he got it all, but because the tumor was a Grade 3, instead of a better 1 or 2, he recommended radiaton to ensure it doesnāt come back: radiation 5 days a week for 5 weeks, which means she will be out of the house and on the loose for the next 5 weeks. And we can not go with her to radiation to keep an eye on her when she gets out.
My mother is no wallflower and she rarely takes āNoā for an answer. Did I mention that she was an only child? She brags about how spoiled she was. I canāt ground her. Canāt punish her. But I guess I could call the cops if she keeps this up. Itās funny, but itās not.
But I do feel lucky that they are both alive still and that I live close enough that I can spend a lot of time with them and attend doctor appts with them. I just wish my mother would listen more. I think she feels invincible after she mostly dodged the cancer bullet. This covid virus is more like an automatic machine gun, however.
I miss San Diego. A lot.
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Update on our situation:
My mother-in-lawās nursing home has been on the Rachel Maddow show twice in the last week. Tonight we learned that 50 residents have died from the virus, which is over 35% of the population. Over 85% have tested positive. Somehow, my MIL is one of those that tested negative, and is doing fine. My wife regularly gets Skype calls facilitated by her caregiver, which is good for both of them. MIL is pretty stoic in general, and also has dementia, so sheās not really scared, just a little confused. Itās quite staggering to think about this happening over the course of less than a month. We knew the possibility was there, but now itās happening.
My aunt, who works in a nursing home or similar facility, has tested positive, and is doing fine at home. Unfortunately, her husband/my uncle came down with a fever and atrial fibrillation, and is in the ICU in a small hospital in Maine. He tested negative for the virus both at home and in the hospital, but they are treating him as if he has it. Heās not in great shape, overweight and drinks a ton. I hope he pulls through by another miracle.
The extended family is checking in on Facebook and through occasional group video chats for birthdays. Sister and BIL are both laid off, some others are still working outside the home, some WFH, and some getting paid to stay home. One is extremely pregnant in Texas somewhere, so I hope she gets in and out without catching the Rona.
Going to have a call tomorrow with my son, who is working in western MA at McDonaldās. He hasnāt received a stimulus payment yet, and not sure whether heās paying rent. His hours were cut, so I told him to apply for unemployment benefits. I told him way back that he could move home, but he wanted to stay. Thatās his choice, but makes it difficult as a parent to see him make potentially bad decisions. Nothing new under the sun. OTOH, our county leads the state in cases, so maybe heās better off out there.
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Iām okay with it. He sounds like an okay dude.
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Iām guessing that must be the county that Portland is in? Last time I was up there was when Germany won the World Cup. We had a place for a week on that long peninsula that goes south and starts just past Portland, near Bowdoin. Great spot. The fishing was horrible tho. I caught nada, zero, zilch. I said I would bring lobster traps next time.
Thatās the last time I was all the way to Portland, but we get up to Ogunquit a couple times a year. I love the architecture up there. Iām in western mass now. Born and raised.
And best wishes to your family. So far noone in my rather large family has tested positive and I donāt know anyone who has, except for an 83 or 85 year-old woman from Norwalk, CT, who I met once. She died. She was supposed to go to Poland next month for World Senior Games. She held like 3 or 4 world records in the Senior Olympics. She caught it at Church or Costcos, most likely. I think church. Thats a horrible place to teansmit germs. Pass the peace or whatever. Coffee hour. A bunch of hugs and kisses. Singing a bunch of songs and spitting all over the people singing in the pew in front of you. Disease factory.
Theyāre farther down east, in the Penobscot Bay area. I think you were near Popham Beach. Not sure what county, but definitely not Cumberland. Maybe Waldo or Lincoln. My favorite is Sagadahoc, and I always say it out loud when we enter it.
so whoās broken down and had their spouse cut their hair yet? Links? 
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Does cutting my 90yo dadās hair count? And eyebrowsā¦ WTF with real olds eyebrows.
He doesnāt know URL.
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I routinely go a few to several months between haircuts, so this is no big deal. But, if it comes to it, itāll be my daughter. She cut my hair once when she was about 12 and did an ok job. Sheās good at stuff.
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Same.
Iām due. Iāve begged the wife to do it (for a year plus) but she doesnāt want to screw it up. I tell her Iāll just buzz it if it doesnāt turn out but I think she knows thatās how itāll go anyways. Sheās not going to be my huckleberry on a foolās errand.
If I had my daughter do it and then buzzed my head, an argument would ensue.
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Me!
I ordered clippers in early April, they went out of stock immediately, and I finally received them last week. Wife cut my hair out on the driveway and it turned out pretty good. Used a 3-guard on the sides and back and just a 4-guard on the top, so there was no real need for blending or styling. Other than probably switching to a 2-guard on the sides/back next time, Iām very happy with how it turned out.
Certainly better than my hair starting to grow over my ears - that was driving me nuts.
Havenāt cut my hair since mid Feb, going strong I might just let it grow to 80s rocker length. The top is probably around 6" right now so it will take a while but Iāve always wanted to have really long hair, could never convince myself to make the journey though.
Go for it!
Seriously, we gotta grab the good with gusto(r) in the midst of a pandemic. For those inclined, this is the perfect time to let their LARP freak flag fly!
I had long hair early in college. I was in the Pacific every day, and it was terrible split end hair hair that was twice as wide at the small of the back. Got laid the day I had it cut. Never had long hair since. Now everyone says I look like a retired Marine.
By the time I was 30, my hair had gotten really curly. I tried growing a āpig tailā when I had hair down to collar levelā¦ and I did. But unless I pulled it down, it just curled up with the rest of my hair, and nobody could tell. When I decided to cut it off, I hustled a fool at the bar. He bet me I wouldnāt cut it off, and I won twiceā¦ the hottie bartender cut it off for me, and the fool bought me a beer.