It is day 2 for Mom's tummy medicine.  She ate really well this morning so I am hopeful this will work.  She is tired, but doesn't seem as tired as last night.  She dozes a lot during the day.  She slept all night straight through too.  I halved her antidepressant.  She was so difficult yesterday that I was going to deal with that everyday, that would just suck for both of us, so I cut the pills in half.  Seems to have done the trick, she sleeps and is a bit more alert, which she wasn't yesterday.  Grace is sick today so she is going to have a makeup on Wednesday.  It is a stomach thing, so I don't think Mom or I want to be there.  Poor kid.  I hope she feels better this afternoon.  Those things are awful when they hit.  I have 4 more lessons later this afternoon, so it is a good day.

We had our annual wrap up meeting for MMA last night.  I wish meetings were more often, they are fun and sometimes the only way I see my MMA friends.  We got a lot accomplished and I think everyone was really happy with how the competition went in February.  Next year it is in Grand Rapids.  We should have the money to go since I will be saving starting in September.  I think I will ask Tillie to go again so she can watch Mom.  Someone will need to because she doesn't do well without me near by and that could be a problem at competition when I am so busy.  I wish it was Kalamazoo, only because then i would see Kathy and her family.  I am hoping to see them next month for a day trip to bring them the games we are giving them.  I know the boys will be excited about that.

It is pretty nice outside, unlike the cold weekend we had.  It is getting nicer out again, although I did wake up with a bad headache.  I am going to take a brief nap after I am done with this since my head was hurting so bad, it made me a bit tired.  I don't know if Mom will nap or not.  Two chances I guess.  So far, it looks like she has stopped wandering around the house right now.  I am not taking down the gate though because that would be the day she goes right out the door and that would be bad.  Very bad.  Extremely bad, especially if I am sleeping and don't know she is out.  I am going to get those door things later on, we don't need them right now, but I think eventually it would be a good idea.  Just another way to keep her safe.  

Mom is falling asleep at the table.  Her head is an inch away from it.  I have a headache and am feeling very crabby today.  I don't know why, I just am.  I think we are both going to take a nap after I finish this.  She was very difficult this morning to get going.  It drove me nuts.  i don't like feeling this way either and I am sure she isn't enjoying it either since she is the one I yell at.  I have yelled several times already at her this morning starting from when I woke up.  Not good, I know, but how do some people not yell?  How do they stay calm?  I'd like to know so I can do it.  We are both rather tired today.

I have a bad headache this afternoon.  I already took my medicine so I can't take anymore right now.  Mom has started her new tummy medicine and the new antidepressant last night.  I hope they work.  I am tired of her not eating and being sad.  Although, if this is what she is like with the new antidepressant, she won't be on it very long.  It was difficult to get her to do anything this morning and she is never like that.  So if this is it, forget it, she will be off it very fast.  I will try a couple more days and then we shall see.

I am heading upstairs now.  I gotta go and lie down now or my head will explode.  More later.

Here is the weekly link:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fma/fibromyalgiaaware_2009winter_v2/ 

We went to the doctor for Mom today.  She got 2 new prescriptions, one for an appetite stimulant and the other for depression.  I hope they work.  She weighs 94 pounds, so that is 10 more than I thought so that is good.  She is skin and bones though, although, hopefully she will gain a bit of weight.

She is eating dinner right now, one of those smart ones frozen dinners.  We like them.  She had 1/2 finished but I told her she needed to eat the rest.  It looks like she might.

I pulled her off the serax the Windsor doctor put her on.  It was making her lethargic during the day and more confused and she ate even less than normal!  I looked it up last night on the Internet and made the decision to not give it to her anymore.  She was having too many side effects and it wasn't that effective either.  I found out it was for anxiety and agitation, well, she already has medicine for that, she didn't need anymore for it.  I also researched more on stage 6 of Alzheimer's.  For the sleep disturbances, there is no medicine to fix that, at least none anyone has found.  At least she is still talking and eating (even though it isn't much) and can still enjoy somethings.  As long as I can keep her with me, I will be happy.  I plan to keep her as long as possible.  If I have to place her in long term care, I will reluctantly do it.  I won't do it willingly.

Tomorrow is the spring concert.  There will only be 6 students in it.  After this I have to make the program.  It will be a 1 pager that is for sure.  It will be the smallest concert ever, but since I couldn't change the date too many won't be able to attend.  It will still be fun and the kids will enjoy it.  There will be a total of 11 songs so it will be very short.  Maybe afterwards, the kids and I will go for ice cream, that would be a perfect end of the day.

It is a bit cooler today than yesterday, although still nice and sunny.  I have changed into my spring jacket and put mom in hers this morning.  She is only wearing 1 hoodie and the spring jacket, better than how much I had to layer her for the winter.

I was late for Frank's lesson tonight.  I lost track of time at Walmart's.  I was only picking up a few things and dropping the prescriptions.  Fortunately, I had my phone on and not on vibrate, so I heard them call.  They waited.  I felt so horrible about it.  I try to make sure I am on time for every lesson and not miss any.  He and his mom were fine, they said they are late a lot so it is no big deal.  I can at least say I rarely miss a lesson due to forgetting, but it does happen.

Pain is normal today.  I feel relieved knowing Mom weighs more than I thought and we have some new medicine to try for her.  She ate pretty well for her for dinner.  All in all, a decent day.

Mom ate her donut and 1/2 her muffin without too much trouble today.  I should have some answers by the weekend.  She is drinking water without me reminding her too, so that is good.  We are going to my friend, Heather's, for knitting today.  Calli has a half day so she will be there when we arrive.  She is so cute and sweet.  She is very excited about the concert on Saturday.  I, too, am excited about the concert.  I just have to make the concert program tomorrow and then print them up.  That won't take to long.

Mom is in the whispering mode again.  Being partially deaf, it drives me nuts because I can't hear her and she won't speak up so I end ignoring her because I can't hear her.  She just doesn't get it anymore.  She is afraid people will over hear what she is saying.  Like anyone, outside of me, cares?  She has always been a freak over this issue, but is worse now that she is older.  She does this too me quite frequently and I am getting a bit angry at it.  I can't hear her.  Plain and simple, I am partially deaf and whispering or talking so soft that I can't hear makes my head hurt worse.  I expect that when I remind her that I am deaf, for her to speak up, does she?  No, she does it again, then I get mad and speak harshly, which isn't so good.  I need prayers for patience.  I just am running out right now with all these issues.  Other than these two she really is easy.  I know what she needs help with and I help her.  She doesn't get mean, even when I am yelling or speaking harshly, she does what I ask (except for the 2 issues) she goes to bed easy now.  So I don't have a lot of room to complain.  She has even stopped wandering around the house.  I still gate her upstairs, in case, because I certainly don't need her wandering outside again.  Been there, done that, not happening again.

It is so beautiful outside.  I don't even need a coat on, it is close to 80 degrees.  How heavenly.  Even Mom was getting a bit warm inside Walmart and walking in and out of it.  I am putting on her light jacket when we leave for my friend's house.  Tomorrow is supposed to be wet and a bit colder, but spring, at last is here.

We have a sub division meeting tonight.  I enjoy them a lot.  We see our neighbors, talk about what needs to be done and have a good old time.  We will be in bed as soon as we get home though because Mom gets tired there, especially with her not eating enough.  I don't expect her to get fat or anything, just gain a few pounds so that she weighs at least 100 pounds, that is what the doctors want.

Pain is normal for the day.  I expect it to be a bit worse tomorrow because of the rain, but today is alright, it is doable.  Okay, a day without pain would be the best, but that isn't going to happen until there is a cure.  So let's hope there is a cure someday in the future!

Have a good afternoon and evening!

Mom ate a small plateful of chicken and mashed potatoes for the first time in 2 weeks.  We were at Tillie's and she had her bath and Teri said Mom looked like she lost another 5 pounds this week.  Well, of course I flipped.  I was not a happy camper, that puts her at about 85 pounds with clothes on.  (Since she was 90 pounds with clothes on when I weighed her a couple of weeks ago)  Tillie pointed out that if she keeps this up she will end up in the hospital.  Mom was upset by that.  She is afraid of the hospital because she is afraid that the hospital will then move her into the nursing home.  I am afraid of that too.  I want her with me.  She drank a full ensure at Tillie's, so I am happy with what she has eaten today.  I am taking her to the doctor tomorrow because the physician assistant for my tummy doctor said there is medicine to help her increase her appetite.  I will ask about that.  She does take a multivitamin now.  It is a chewable.  I wonder if this lack of eating is normal for Alzheimer's.  I haven't read anything about it, but that doesn't mean it isn't normal.  Mom has always been weird over food to begin with, so now she is just weirder about it.

She is all spiffed up from her shower and hair wash today.  I will be asking for a prescription for a shower and hair wash over here to make it easier on me and hopefully we will get it 2 times a week.  She likes getting all nice and clean and it is very hard for me to help her with that.  So I spent last week researching and finding out what we can do here and how to do it.  I figured it all out and now I will enact upon it.  Anything to take care of Mom.  That is my first priority, Mom.

Pain is high today, not surprisingly though because of the lack of Mom eating these last two weeks.  When I worry about her, I ache more.  I have a medium size headache tonight and my arm is pretty sore too.  I am also rather tired.  

This weekend is the spring concert.  Should be rather short since about 6 of my students aren't going to be in it because of illness and schedule conflicts.  I planned it a few months ago so I can't change the date especially since the store where we have it at  is completely booked for the month of May, which is when I usually have the concert.  I figure it will last about 1/2 hour.  I am getting used to short concerts, unfortunately, the length of the concert doesn't change the price of the room.  It is still $125 to use whether it is for an hour or a 1/2 hour or 2 hours.  I don't really miss the 3 hour concerts we used to have because I had so many students.  I do miss having that many students, just not how long the concerts were.  I hope in the next few years I have my student roster grow.  I am going to take some of the money we found and place an ad in the newspaper, a regular ad, not a classified.  I tried 6 weeks of classified and they didn't work.  I will see how much it is to put in a small regular ad, maybe I will be able to put it in for more than 1 week.  We shall see, all boils down to the dough, how much does it cost.  That is what matters.  I am putting it in the little C & G newspaper, we only need our area so I won't be putting in ads in more than one newspaper, just the Shelby News.  I like the newspaper, it has pretty much only local news.

It is getting warmer again!  yeah!  Sunshine!  I am so happy spring is here.  Mom loves the sunshine.  I don't know how much we will walk since she is so tired all the time.  After we fix this little eating problem, we will try to go for our nightly walks.  I take the scooter, and she walks next to me.  She really enjoyed it last year, she would get restless if we didn't go unless it was raining and then she didn't want to go (smart lady, my Mom!)  I hope to hear from Richard soon to know when he is coming to visit.  Mom and I are anxious to see him.  I haven't seen him in over 1 1/2 years, way too long!  Way, way, way too long of not seeing the big brother.  I miss his kids more than him though, I don't know if they will be coming or not.  As he is in and out of work, like so many in this country, it all depends on cost.  I hope they do, but I am not holding my breath about it though.

It has been a rather trying day, I hope your day was better than mine.  Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully a better day for me.  I have knitting with my friend tomorrow.

We had lunch with new people today.  We see them all the time at Tim Horton's and today I invited them to sit with us.  They are very very nice.  Mom enjoyed it too, she told me so.  She, as usual, is falling asleep in her chair, only she has her coat still on.  If I don't take it off, she won't for hours, but she wanted it left on today, so I left it on.  She is now standing for a bit, she says.  She goes back and forth between standing and sleeping all day long.  Poor thing.  Must be hard to have Alzheimer's.  I would think so anyway.  It's hard on me and I am not the one who has it.

Mom and I will be visiting Kathy in a few weeks.  I have some games I wish to give them.  We aren't going to play them anymore (Mom just can't - and I get tired of playing for her).  I think her boys will like them a lot.  I am going to bring them some monopolies, sorry, trivial pursuit, and checkers.  

Katie is sick today so she won't have her lesson.  Frank will be having his on Friday instead of yesterday since he was out of town all last week, and apparently he had a cold the whole time they were gone.  Poor kid.  Nothing like being on vacation and ill.  Those two words should never go together, know what I mean.

I am very tired today.  I may take a wee nap in the living room.  I didn't get up early or anything, I just am more tired.  My head is sore more than normal today too.  Stupid head.  That's all I have to say about it.  I have to find something better to do with my time than what I am doing.  I don't know what, but I have to find something.  I would like to find a job that I work at home doing so I don't have to put Mom in daycare, but so far I haven't any luck.  The best thing would be more students!  That would be the best.  I am debating on whether or not to take some of the money we found and use it to place an ad for lessons.  Even if I only get one, it is worth it.  I have to find out how much the ads are though.  I am planning on calling this week.  Ads might work for more students.  I know this isn't the season for a lot more students, but maybe one or two would be interested in learning.  We shall see.

We are now onto season 10 of JAG.  I love that show.  We will begin watching it this weekend on Saturday afternoon.  Then we will move onto Walker Texas Ranger season 6 and then season 7.  We enjoyed that show too, a lot.  After that, we are out of shows to watch so we will watch something we already have.  Mom doesn't remember them, so it doesn't matter and often I am doing something else too besides watching the TV (Nintendo DS Lite!!!! or knitting).  It gives us something to do together and she likes it, so why not?  I don't really watch much TV, and could often care less if it was even on, but Mom likes the noise of it.  It can get really quiet here in the house and she doesn't like that.

Julie will be here this weekend and she is going to help us with Mom's clothing issue.  She is going to go shopping with me and Mom after tax season.  She is a tax prep person, so you can only imagine how busy she is right now!  No one sees Julie during tax season, she is also very good at what she does.  I have to ask her to do the sales and use tax returns for 2007 and 2008 for the store too.  I forgot to ask how much that would be because I really need it done.  The state keeps asking me for it, like every month since I lost the store.  I don't miss the store anymore.  With Mom in the shape she is in, it is a bit better now that we don't have it.  We are paying our bills and not being late with most of them.  I am about to pay a car payment that will bring me current with the car and no more late fees!  Yeah!  About time!  I hate paying late fees, it is like burning money to me.  I can waste money easy, I don't need any help by having to pay late fees.

It is sunny and it is getting warmer again.  It is suppose to warm up as the week goes on.  I hope so, poor Mom is just so cold.  It is also getting closer to when Richard is coming to visit.  I can't wait to see him!  I miss my big brother.  It is also getting closer to when we are taking a day trip to see my little brother, Andrew.  I miss him too.  My brothers just live too far away from me and I don't like it.

I hope your day is going well and is sunny out too!  I have had enough of this rain.  Although I tell myself often: April showers bring May flowers and I love May flowers!

I was wrong!  There IS a season 12 of Murder She Wrote!  I don't know when it comes out, but it will be soon, I imagine.  Season 11 came out in February.  Even Amazon doesn't know when it comes out.  Dancing with the Stars is on right now.  It isn't as exciting without Donny Osmond.  I just love him, he is so entertaining to watch.  It could be because I am also pretty tired today.  I had 4 lessons which is normal for a Monday, but I woke up tired for some reason.  More than usual.  Mom is pretty tired today too.  Although I think the new sleep medicine isn't helping her too much and it is making her drag during the day.  That is why I didn't want prescription sleep medicine.  She is tired enough.

Not much going on, just the usual, pay a few bills, make dinner, clean up dinner, and make Mom drink more water.  I think it is just the let down after a busy day.  I was hoping to talk to Richard this weekend, but he was busy and didn't call me back.  I tried again today.  I will try later this week, he may be working out of town this week for all I know or he could be working at home.  Like I said, I didn't get to talk to him so I don't know.  I am looking forward to seeing him soon.  I want to take Mom to Seattle during the summer, but that isn't going to happen, Mom won't be able to handle it.  She had a hard time just going to Tillie's.  We are heading there Wednesday after my doctor appointment.  Then we will be coming home after dinner.  She will have an appointment next Wednesday, so we won't be going to visit that day.

I am glad spring is finally here.  It is a bit warmer today than last week but not quite warm enough for us to be able to take walks in the evening.  I can't wait.  Mom really enjoyed it last year so I am hoping this year she will like it too.  It's hard in some ways because she was so much better last summer than she is right now.  She could handle so much more.  Now she really can't.

Pain isn't so bad today for a change, especially since I am so tired.  Usually that means much more pain.  My elbows are a bit sorer than normal though.  Weird I know, what can I say?  I have a weird illness.  So many of my friends have the same one, it is nice to know people know what I mean.

It has been an okay day despite the exhaustion.  I hope your day is doing well too.

Not much going on today.  I spoke to Kathy for, oh, about 1 1/2 hours on the phone!  Glad I get so many minutes a month and weekends are free because man, can we talk!  It was fun.  Mom was drinking her ensure while we were talking.  She is almost finished with it.

I had to return the cute shoes I bought her.  I noticed as I was about to cut the tags off, that they were wide and she has narrow feet.  Oops!  I will look later this month with Julie for cute shoes for Mom.  Julie is going to go with me after we figure out what Mom needs in clothes for the wedding.  She she help Elyse plan the wedding, it works out perfectly.

Mom isn't eating good again.  She is trying but, she needs to eat more.  I almost lost it at Tim Horton's for our breakfast.  She only ate 1/2 of her soup instead of all of it.  Last time she at 3/4 of it and I was happy.  I told her she only had to eat 1/2 though because she kept saying she was full.  She also ate a donut.  She loves her donuts.  She now weighs about 90 lbs.  She will get weighed when she sees the doctor again.  I have to make the appointment (I will be doing that tomorrow)  I also need to send a check into them too!  I will be writing out bills this evening after I check our bank account again.  I check it everyday so I know how much we have, what has gone through, what hasn't gone through, you know, stuff like that.

Mom is pretty tired today though, she was sleeping in her chair when I was talking on the phone.  We have to go to Border's later today for a book for book club.  I may wait and get it next week when the new coupons go out.  I have until May 22 to read the book, so time is not an issue.  I have plenty of it.

We are going to watch New Moon today and some more of the last disc of Murder She Wrote.  It is almost over.  :( :(  We have watched almost all 11 seasons now.  When we finish disc 5, we will have watched the entire series on disc.  Mom really likes that show, although I think sometimes she can't see the TV so good so I will bring down her other glasses for her.  She is stretching now, she does this all day because she sits a lot.

I got some new books for my birthday.  We went to the used bookstore and they had some oldies, but goodies.  I got six new to me books.  I have read 2 of them, but I love them.  They are some of the books that got mixed up and went into the rummage sale last year.  There was one box that wasn't for the sale (it had my favorite books in it) but somehow it went too even though I marked it NO.  Things like this happen a lot it seems in the Paxton house.  

I bought a new electric kettle because the cord got thrown out with other stuff when the kitchen was being cleaned.  That actually made me mad because that was about $23 to re-buy when I had a perfectly good one.  I am tired of buying stuff that I already have, like Mom's clothes.  She had a perfectly good outfit with a cute blouse (a high collar one because she thinks her neck is too thin), it had a jacket, vest, and a skirt.  Mom looks very nice in it and I knew she would want to wear it to the wedding.  Well, the blouse and the skirt are gone, they went into donations along with most of her blouses, skirts, jackets, and sweaters.  All her church going clothes and some of her pajama pants and sweat pants too.  Basically, she has the one pair of jeans she wearing, some t-shirts, and her new hoodies left.  I wasn't that happy about it, I was pretty upset.  I didn't get a chance to look at anything they donated because they didn't ask me and I didn't realize they were upstairs, so all in all, not good.  I am not as mad as I was, but it still bothers me when I think about it.  I will get over it, that is for sure, but I have to have some time.  Sometimes Mom wants to wear something other than jeans.  Fortunately, her dress pants are still there, 2 red blouses, and a few jackets.  I should be able to come up with something for her to wear at the wedding.  She also may want a new dress for the wedding and in that case, let's go shopping!

I do have to get her new shoes because all her old ones were heels and she can't wear heels anymore.  Those were donated too.  (That was the good part)

It is nice and sunny and a bit warmer out today.  I am liking the weather!  Hope it stays like this for a few days before the rain comes back.  I hope your day is good, mine isn't too bad right now.  More later!

Here is the weekly link:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fma/fibromyalgiaaware_2009winter_v2/ 

We went to the Olive Garden for dinner.  Mom ate 3/4 of her soup.  I was impressed.  She usually only eats 1/2.  I only ordered her soup though because I didn't want to waste any money by ordering her a dinner.  She also drank some milk, I brought the rest home since I ordered a child size.  It was really big, for a child size.

We had book club today and it was fun.  Maggie and Debbie were there.  Aggie is very ill this weekend so she wasn't here and I think Katie was at work or she is still ill too.  Not sure.  I will ask on Tuesday when I see the young lady for her lesson.

We talk about so many things at book club besides the book although we do discuss this in detail.  I have liked most of the books we have read, only one I didn't like and didn't finish.  Which I consider pretty darn good.  Debbie picked the book this month.  I asked her too because next month is her last month before she moves out west.  She has a great opportunity to move to Seattle and I am glad she is taking it even though I will miss her a lot.  She is such a neat young lady.  She is now 23.  (she turned 23 on Saturday last week).  

We are supposed to see Hayley possibly tomorrow.  I certainly hope so.  I didn't really get a chance to talk to her the last two times she was here because she was on her way either to or from Tennessee and the kids were in the car.  So I am hoping I get some time with her tomorrow.  We might see her here or we might see her in Port Huron, either way works for me.  She likes to shop around here.  I don't really like shopping at all unless I am on vacation or in the book store or the Disney store or at Disney World, then, I like shopping.  I am hoping to go to Disney World in 2011 with Kathy and her family.  All depends on the funds and when they are going and all those type details, but I do hope I go, it will be a blast.  We (Kathy and I) are planning to have the girls get made up like princesses at the princess boutique.  Aggie, Jacqueline, and I did the hair and make up last time we were in Disney.  It was a blast.  Mom didn't want to get her hair done, I found out later she thought we couldn't afford it.  I felt horrible because if I had known that was the reason, I would have gotten her hair done for sure.  The twins will look adorable in princess dresses and their hair done.  The boys will be off on the big rides with their Dad.  They will have fun.  I don't know what I will do with Mom for a week unless I can bring her with me.  I am not sure how that will work.  I will figure all that out later.

It was sunny today, although a bit chilly with the wind.  I really didn't appreciate the wind, but I did appreciate the sun.  I hope it is sunny and warmer tomorrow, I am sick of rain already as it rained so much this week.  Rain makes me ache a bit more and often gives me a bad headache.  Not a happy camper with that, that is for sure.  Anyways, I hope your day was good like mine!