This last weekend was pretty rough. Friday was a hard day with grandma. Her mental status is declining at a rate faster then what we originally thought which is hard to keep up with not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. We can't tell her about anything ahead of time anymore (like people coming to visit or appointments) because she obsesses over them and asks a million questions (usually they are ones that she already asked and forgot that she asked and what the answer was). The hardest part of the day is probably the mornings although meal times are quickly catching up. Getting dressed is her biggest challenge mentally while her biggest challenge physically is probably eating. It's so hard to stand by and try and help when there's not a whole lot you can do. Some days (like Friday and, from what I hear, Saturday) she gets very angry and defiant. It's days like that when I can't help but feel annoyed which is usually quickly followed with extreme guilt. Friday I was impatient and it showed. Grandma even asked my if I was angry with her. I wanted to cry for making her feel that way and for not having enough patience. My name is now Michelle (according to grandma) because she can't remember Michaela. I've heard of other people's grandparents forgetting names and stuff but it's pretty heartbreaking when it happens to you.
I am really struggling with this but I know I'm not alone. We are having someone come in three days a week to help alleviate some of the added stress. And I am happy to see my family getting closer because of this. Please continue to pray for answers and wisdom from the doctors. And please pray for added patience for others both in my own life and in my family's lives.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, March 06, 2010
And So It Begins
So it's been about a month since my grandma moved in and we are still trying to adjust our lives to her needs which has become increasingly difficult these last couple of weeks. We have definitely seen a decline in her memory and just overall well being since she moved in. But we were able to get her into UCLA for some tests. I won't go into the details of the actual tests but the tentative diagnosis is Alzheimer's. This diagnosis will be pending until some more tests can be run including a 4 hour neuro-psychiatric exam. Grandma is in a bit of denial about the diagnosis and really doesn't want to talk about it ever. It's definitely a hard diagnosis to hear for us so I can't really imagine how she is feeling about it. She also went to the optometrist yesterday and he took a scan of her field of vision which has significantly changed in the last few months since the last scan. She now has to retrain her eyes to use a minimal portion of her eye to see. Please be in prayer for my grandma. It's hard to continue to hear all of this bad news and she is already pretty depressed as it is. Pray that we can get in and get the necessary tests done as soon as possible (right now the 4 hour test is scheduled for June but my aunt is calling UCLA everyday checking for cancellations so we can get her in sooner). We are really hoping that it's not Alzheimer's but from what we have been seeing, it's not likely. But God is in control and His plan is better then mine so I trust that He will give us the strength to do this.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sewing Snob
This week, I decided to get started on my T-Shirt quilt that I have been wanting to make for awhile now. I started it Monday and due to my ever growing OCD, I finished it last night. I am super happy with it but my body hates me for spending the majority of the week sewing...
My favorite pieces...
My new machine that was given to me... I love it!
The early stages of the project...
Oo Oo, The Sweatest Thing
One thing I have to say about my grandma living with us is how much family history I have been learning. My grandma is/was kind of a hoarder but in a good way. She kept a ton of stuff, including letters that my grandpa sent her when her was in the Marines. She also kept all of the letter she sent to him. Reading these has really been great and I hope you can enjoy them. You can see where I get my great spelling from...
Climbing Uphill
This last week I have felt like I have been climbing an uphill battle. My mom has been in Mexico with some OVS students so I've been trying to step up and help out more with the house and grandma. Friday Night I was on LAX sleepovers (some of the kids fly home alone when they go on break and someone has to stay with them). The couple kids I had were fun and it was a pretty easy night. Got the kids up early Saturday morning and sent them off with the bus driver to LAX by 6:30am. I made it home before anyone else was up. When Grandma got up she was super confused and the she progressively got more and more confused as the morning went on. Since the Dr diagnosed her with having a series of mini-strokes and because she was so confused, we thought she might be having a stroke so we took her to the hospital. We spent most of Saturday morning in the ER but by the afternoon, she was more alert and apologetic for "being so difficult" as she said. Sunday morning she woke up a little confused again and was worried that she might be having another bad morning so she went back to bed. My dad and sister went to church and I stayed behind to make sure she got up ok. She didn't end up waking up until close to 11 which meant I missed church on my only weekend off in February.
Monday was a fun day. Amber and Ryan had jury duty so I got to watch the girls for a bit in the morning before taking Sage to school. Aspen and I hung out for a few more hours before I dropped her off at Gina's. Grandma really liked seeing the kids in the house. She actually ended up having a really good day as a result. She ended up having an appointment with Dr Amordiguy who said that she needs to get more sleep and that her episode on Saturday was probably a result of not enough sleep. Tuesday she ended up sleeping in until about 9:30 which made me miss my first full day of school this semester. When she finally got up, we had to rush a little to get her ready to go to the Dentist. She's been getting sores in her mouth because her dentures don't fit so they put in a soft pallet to make them more comfortable. Unfortunately that meant that she was without her dentures for almost three whole days. It was really hard to see her without her dentures. She just looked and seemed so sad and depressed that it just ate away at me. I ended up studying in my room for the majority of the evening.
The rest of the week has just been emotionally an uphill battle, but I do have to say that I feel slightly stronger because of it. It's kinda like working out. You have to tear down the muscles in order to build them back up stronger. But have you ever pushed it too hard and you just feel wrecked for days after? That's how I feel about this week. My emotions have been pushed to their very limit and it is taking me a little while to get back on my feet. But I am getting there.
Please continue to pray that we can find some answers to my grandma's confusion. My mom wants to hire someone to come in a couple days a week to hang out/make lunches for my grandma so please pray that we can find someone reliable that my grandma can feel comfortable with (if you know of anyone who needs a job, let me know). I'm hosting at camp this weekend so I am hoping that I can recover from my week long uphill battle and come back refreshed and ready for another week.
Monday was a fun day. Amber and Ryan had jury duty so I got to watch the girls for a bit in the morning before taking Sage to school. Aspen and I hung out for a few more hours before I dropped her off at Gina's. Grandma really liked seeing the kids in the house. She actually ended up having a really good day as a result. She ended up having an appointment with Dr Amordiguy who said that she needs to get more sleep and that her episode on Saturday was probably a result of not enough sleep. Tuesday she ended up sleeping in until about 9:30 which made me miss my first full day of school this semester. When she finally got up, we had to rush a little to get her ready to go to the Dentist. She's been getting sores in her mouth because her dentures don't fit so they put in a soft pallet to make them more comfortable. Unfortunately that meant that she was without her dentures for almost three whole days. It was really hard to see her without her dentures. She just looked and seemed so sad and depressed that it just ate away at me. I ended up studying in my room for the majority of the evening.
The rest of the week has just been emotionally an uphill battle, but I do have to say that I feel slightly stronger because of it. It's kinda like working out. You have to tear down the muscles in order to build them back up stronger. But have you ever pushed it too hard and you just feel wrecked for days after? That's how I feel about this week. My emotions have been pushed to their very limit and it is taking me a little while to get back on my feet. But I am getting there.
Please continue to pray that we can find some answers to my grandma's confusion. My mom wants to hire someone to come in a couple days a week to hang out/make lunches for my grandma so please pray that we can find someone reliable that my grandma can feel comfortable with (if you know of anyone who needs a job, let me know). I'm hosting at camp this weekend so I am hoping that I can recover from my week long uphill battle and come back refreshed and ready for another week.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
My Papa!
My Papa is still the strongest man I know! To celebrate turning 50, last Saturday he set another California State record for bench press by lifting 407.5 lbs. The American record is 418 lbs and he assures me that he will be breaking that soon! Love you Papa!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
What's New?
What do people ask you when you see them? Hi! How are you? What's New? What kind of question is that? And how are you supposed to answer it? I mean, sometimes (depending on who's asking you) you can actually fill people in on the daily changes in your life. But to be honest, it's so hard to fill someone in in the two minutes of shop talk that you usually get with them.
So What's New? Well, my grandma moved into our house yesterday. She has been having some trouble remembering things for the last couple months and has been having some health issues and she can't really live alone anymore. My mom went with her to the neurologist on Wednesday and got some semi-good news. Well, the scans showed that most of her medical issues and mental issues can be attributed to mini-strokes that have been occurring for some time now. While that might not sound like the best news ever, it's actually the first real concrete answer we have gotten about what's actually causing her problems. For now she is living with us and trying to gain some weight and sharpen her declining brain functions. Please be in prayer for her. Pray that her meds will work and reverse the memory loss. Also pray for her because she is slightly depressed from crazy family stuff.
On a more fun/happy note, I about died in my Math and Fine Arts class today. My professor (who happens to be the head of the Math dept.) came into class and started lecturing. It didn't take long for me to notice that the back of her skirt was tucked into her tights. Now it was a long skirt so it's not like her butt was hanging out for the whole class to see, but you could definitely see up to about her knees. I really wanted to tell her that her skirt was messed up but I didn't really know how. Normally I would whisper to someone to let them know without embarrassing them too much, but she literally lectured the whole time. So what did I do? Absolutely nothing. I know, I am a jerk and I am sure one day something like that will happen to me. I just hope someone is nicer then me (and the other 29 people in my class) and they'll let me know.
So What's New? Well, my grandma moved into our house yesterday. She has been having some trouble remembering things for the last couple months and has been having some health issues and she can't really live alone anymore. My mom went with her to the neurologist on Wednesday and got some semi-good news. Well, the scans showed that most of her medical issues and mental issues can be attributed to mini-strokes that have been occurring for some time now. While that might not sound like the best news ever, it's actually the first real concrete answer we have gotten about what's actually causing her problems. For now she is living with us and trying to gain some weight and sharpen her declining brain functions. Please be in prayer for her. Pray that her meds will work and reverse the memory loss. Also pray for her because she is slightly depressed from crazy family stuff.
On a more fun/happy note, I about died in my Math and Fine Arts class today. My professor (who happens to be the head of the Math dept.) came into class and started lecturing. It didn't take long for me to notice that the back of her skirt was tucked into her tights. Now it was a long skirt so it's not like her butt was hanging out for the whole class to see, but you could definitely see up to about her knees. I really wanted to tell her that her skirt was messed up but I didn't really know how. Normally I would whisper to someone to let them know without embarrassing them too much, but she literally lectured the whole time. So what did I do? Absolutely nothing. I know, I am a jerk and I am sure one day something like that will happen to me. I just hope someone is nicer then me (and the other 29 people in my class) and they'll let me know.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Back in the Habit
Spring semester started last week and I can now say that I am quickly getting back in the habit of being super busy. How you might say? Well here's my current daily schedule as it stands:
Monday - Day of rest/Homework day. Babysit my neighbors kids in the afternoon. Homegroup in the pm
Tuesday - School from 8am - 1pm (at the earliest... it can be anytime really from 1 - 4). Tutoring from 6:30-7:30pm
Wednesday - Take my neighbors kids to school. Catchup day. Whatever I didn't finish over the weekend that may be due tomorrow. Housework. etc. Babysit my neighbors kids in the afternoon. Youth Group in the evening.
Thursday - Take my neighbors kids to school. My school from 8-4pm. Tutoring from 6:30-7:30pm.
Friday - Housework. Cleaning the house for the week to come. Getting ready for work. 2:30pm work.
Saturday - Work
Sunday - Work; 5:30pm get ready to do it all over again.
Despite already feeling the need to play catch up in every aspect of my life right now, school is going well. All of my classes (not the online ones) I share with this girl named Amanda who was in my Calc 1 class last semester. It's nice to go to class and know someone. It's also nice because I know I can't ditch that often because she may think I am a slacker. So far my classes are good. Calc 2 is hard but I think I am understanding the concepts and keeping up with the homework so far. Logic is dumb and the professor is an arrogant D-bag, but I am trying to have a good attitude about it. Math and Fine Arts is awesome! It's pretty much a class about geometric shapes that create art. It sort of feeds my OCD monster a little which is kinda fun! My online classes are good despite there being a lot of work that I am already a little behind in, but I plan on using today to catch up.
I've been fighting a cold these last two weeks which has taken a lot of energy out of me. But other then that, things are ok. We had a plumbing issue yesterday which was a pain in the butt. Lately it feels like the shit just keeps piling up on us (pun sort of intended but also very true), but God is still faithful and continues to provide our literal daily bread.
Monday - Day of rest/Homework day. Babysit my neighbors kids in the afternoon. Homegroup in the pm
Tuesday - School from 8am - 1pm (at the earliest... it can be anytime really from 1 - 4). Tutoring from 6:30-7:30pm
Wednesday - Take my neighbors kids to school. Catchup day. Whatever I didn't finish over the weekend that may be due tomorrow. Housework. etc. Babysit my neighbors kids in the afternoon. Youth Group in the evening.
Thursday - Take my neighbors kids to school. My school from 8-4pm. Tutoring from 6:30-7:30pm.
Friday - Housework. Cleaning the house for the week to come. Getting ready for work. 2:30pm work.
Saturday - Work
Sunday - Work; 5:30pm get ready to do it all over again.
Despite already feeling the need to play catch up in every aspect of my life right now, school is going well. All of my classes (not the online ones) I share with this girl named Amanda who was in my Calc 1 class last semester. It's nice to go to class and know someone. It's also nice because I know I can't ditch that often because she may think I am a slacker. So far my classes are good. Calc 2 is hard but I think I am understanding the concepts and keeping up with the homework so far. Logic is dumb and the professor is an arrogant D-bag, but I am trying to have a good attitude about it. Math and Fine Arts is awesome! It's pretty much a class about geometric shapes that create art. It sort of feeds my OCD monster a little which is kinda fun! My online classes are good despite there being a lot of work that I am already a little behind in, but I plan on using today to catch up.
I've been fighting a cold these last two weeks which has taken a lot of energy out of me. But other then that, things are ok. We had a plumbing issue yesterday which was a pain in the butt. Lately it feels like the shit just keeps piling up on us (pun sort of intended but also very true), but God is still faithful and continues to provide our literal daily bread.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Report Card
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99 Red Balloons...
Maybe they weren't red and there were definitely way more then 99, but last week I filled the president of OVS's bathroom with a TON of balloons. Every year as a staff we play Secret Santa and this year I was lucky enough (haha... lucky...) to get the President. Luckily (for reals) my mom's friend Keri got his wife so we decided to mess with them a little and gave them both the same presents everyday, including filling their offices (or office's bathroom) with a bunch of balloons. It was super fun and I really enjoy our staff Christmas parties... It's nice to see everyone without the kids around.
Keri and I buried behind over 200 balloons... We loaded these bags into a school van and then drove them over to the school.
My best friend the Air Compressor... I couldn't have done this without you! I blew up the first 100 or so with the AComp. before getting some back up to help tie the balloons. We drove the 200 balloons over and still ended up blowing up an additional 100 or so balloons... All I can say is Praise the Lord for young, healthy lungs!
72 Aqua Balloons...
Keri and I buried behind over 200 balloons... We loaded these bags into a school van and then drove them over to the school.
My best friend the Air Compressor... I couldn't have done this without you! I blew up the first 100 or so with the AComp. before getting some back up to help tie the balloons. We drove the 200 balloons over and still ended up blowing up an additional 100 or so balloons... All I can say is Praise the Lord for young, healthy lungs!
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