Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

Look at that sassy, sexy looking lady! Fluff galore! How wonderful!!:D:D:D
Did you say your name was Florence Nightingale?:)
I hope your Mom settles in nicely. I understand your stress. See me there on the right shoulder? Need a hug? It's yours any time you want it, as often as you want it.

Love,
Sus

Addy:
Praying for you and your mom. Blessings
Patti

Is it the night for our girlie drinks?? Hmm maybe not, only mid week, but we must have something to look forward to!! Hope your week is going well with no new surprises and you, your Mom, furry Zoe and Koko are just fine. xxxx

Oh thank you all I have not checked in, it has been a whirlwind here, and to see you all here with me means so much.

Mom is being discharged from the hospital today. My brother and I have worked night and day to clean out her Frail and Elderly wing apartment, find a new facility, make all the arrangements, some of the phone calls have not been pleasant from me to the old facility because they did not follow proper protocol which added to our stress. Long story short, somehow we pulled it all off and found a wonderful hospital bed to boot which was a four hour ride on Sunday hauling a trailer but gave me, my brother and spouses good family time together.

Zoe- my sister in law has not seen here for a few months, came to the house last night to help move a chair I purchased for mom. She could not believe Zoe's coat and of course, Zoe stood guard at the door, growling and barking as if the clock had been turned back two years.

She missed her monthly bath this weekend and I had to lock her up in the kitchen Sunday for over five hours while we went to get the bed. I was so scared to come home but she was perfectly find and did not even have an accident. I thanked God over a hundred times for that gift as I was near tears.

So, thank you all, a few more hard weeks as Mom adjusts to the new facility and then hopefully we will find our new routine.

I miss you all and think of you all everyday. Hope to catch up on all of you soon and am looking forward to those girlie drinks.:):):)

Oh Addy hugs! You know we all "get it" and want all the best for your mom, you and your family. Getting her settled is most important and not an easy task at all. I hope she likes her new place just fine. :)
Zoe just seems to be doing so well. I knock wood every time I type that out. LOL
Get your mom settled, spend some make up time with Zoe and Koko and life will eventually be a more settled calmer one I hope. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

I ditto Sharlene!
:D:)
Love,
Sus

Hi Addy, Hope everything works out just fine for your mom.
Hugs

Hi Addy

Hopefully your Mom is liking her new place and is all settled in. Gosh you have been super busy getting that all organised. So nice to hear the positive comments from your SIL re Zoe!! That little fur monster is doing great even behaving on her own... you go girl!!

I sure hope your life settled back down now, it has been a pretty stressful time for you, so you better be taking care of yourself too Missy!! xxx

Addy, I imagine you are exhausted from making all the arrangements for a new facility for your Mom, and moving her things out of her apartment. I remember when we had to move my grandmother to assisted living and clean out her house where she had lived for over 60 years, it is so stressful. I hope your Mom is adjusting to her new place. I'm so glad to read that Zoe is doing well, what a blessing. Thinking of you, and keeping you and your Mom in my prayers.

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper

Addy:
I am sure you are worn out from all you are doing. Remember to take time to take care of yourself. Hope Zoe is doing well. Blessings
Patti

I can feel the love:):):)

Things are still a bit stressful and I think it will take some time for my body to get rid of the extra cortisol it has been making from all the stress. Many hard decisions to make for mom.:( I have to take off work again today to take her to the new doctor to establish care. I have missed so much work and although they try to be understanding, they want it to stop. It is hard to make up the work and is just added stress. I keep trying to tell everyone I cannot keep taking off work every week. I put my foot down with the physical therapist and had her fax me the papers to sign.

I think Zoe had a mini seizure the other night. I cut back her Vetoryl in the evening. Koko has a weird growth on his neck that came from nowhere and does not look good and hubby is not well.

I managed to sleep the other night, sleep has been hard to come by.
I lost mom's medicare card and will have to replace it. It says since I am her agent, I have to go there in person, so that will be another day of work missed and I want to get Zoe in for her stim.

As you can see from all my complaints, I am overwhelmed, mentally exhausted and the other night I had a major melt down.

I told hubby when I would have a major meltdown over Zoe I could always turn to my forum for support. I feel so alone trying to navigate through all of this.

Sorry for whining, I think I am not quite over my meltdown:o:o

Oh Addy sweetie, if you can't whine to us, then who can you whine to. ;) Not that you are, because it sounds like your plate is full and you have stress coming at you from all sides currently.

Oh dear, Koko, Zoe and Hubby too. You have a house full of stress right now, in addition to your mom and work. I just can't imagine how hard this must be for everything to be happening at the same time.

You just do what you need to do and feel free to come on here and vent it out whenever you need to. I'd have at Least a month long meltdown once this is all settled.

So, what are the chances that once you have things sorted, and Zoe and Koko and mom and hubs all set to rights that someone could come stay the weekend with Zoe and Koko and you and hubs could get away for just a couple days, maybe leave Friday and come back Sunday night. Just a mini escape. It sounds like you both need that sort of thing right now.

Wish I lived closer, I'd certainly lend you hand. *sigh* The problem with forums and the internet is that we are all so scattered across the world. Makes it hard when you want to just jump in the car, and say, no worries, I'll be right over to help. grrrr

Big hugs Addy. It will get better, even if you can't see that light at the end of the tunnel just yet.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Addy:
Can't you go online and print one out from the SS site there? I know you can do many things on there. Sorry to hear you have even more things to deal with, hope your hubby is ok. Has Zoe ever had a seizure before? Maybe the growth is just a fatty benign tumor hopefully. God Bless you as you have a hard road to travel right now.
Patti

It will get better, hang in there. As the saying goes, "It never rains but it pours". Sounds like everyone is feeling the pressure in your house but it will get better. As for work, you just do the best you can, there are times in everyones life where family has to come first, and a meltdown is more than entitled. We all get it, hell we all have them! So don't worry about it, if you can't whinge here, where can you?

Sounds like time for a bath and a nice glass of wine or hot chocolate and put your feet up for a bit. Take a breather, it will all hold for an hour while you take some time out for yourself. And while an hour is not long enough, if you can shut your mind off for that long and relax, things might just look a little easier afterwards.

Take care and big hugs.

Oh, honey. You have so much on your shoulders right now. :( I know your mom is ever so grateful to have you as her daughter and that she is very proud of the woman her baby girl has grown into. I'm glad, too, that your brother is helping with all of this....don't be ashamed to let him carry the full load from time to time. You need time to recharge during all of this. When he is reaching his limit, you can return the favor.

I agree with Naomi - it's time for a hot bubble bath, glass of chilled Chocovine, and a good book. Please take time to be good to yourself every now and then.

Many hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Dear Addy, I am so sorry, I know I don't post much here, but you and the family are always in my thoughts and prayers... I am always checking in to see how ya'll are doing.

Please vent as much as you need. We have to relieve the stress pressure cooker.

(((HUGS)))

So sorry Addy. I am always thinking of you and looking to see if you have posted on the forum and hoping everything is ok. Maybe it will settle down after this week and you can get back to just taking care of Zoe and KoKo and hubby and your usual jobs. Try to take care of yourself during this stressful time. Everyone on this forum will be thinking of you and waiting for things to settle down for you. Love, JoAnne

(((Hugs)))

Oh Addy. Vent as much as you need to. I have both my folks, so I understand completely. It does get nuts sometimes. You are being pulled in far too many directions. Sending you love, strength and healing energy to get you through. xxxxx

just got back from the doctor, they said mom is at a point in her life where she is declining. they want to know if they should have a do not ressitate order on her. i have the papers to sign. I sat at her feet when we got back to her room, and we talked about how nice she looks in red.

I will give Zoe only 10 mgs of Vetoryl again tonight, she seems better. Koko cant get in to see the vet until the 26th, since I cant ask off again for work.

hubby is going to see his doctor tomorrow. hopefully it is a pinched nerve.

i love you all and thank you so much.

Im heading for that hot bath and some chocolate now:)

Yes dear Addy,
Right to the bath and the chocolate. :p Lots of it!!

You are a superwoman Addy. You are going to get through all of these challenges because you are extremely capable. We will all be by your side every step of the way to offer support. Well maybe not in that bathtub, that would just be plain creepy!:D Did I bring a smile to your face? I hope so.

With much love,
Kathy

Bath tub and chocolate....the perfect combination for relaxation and an increase of endorphins :)

I'm glad you found time for a bath and some chocolate. Just unwinding sure can help a lot.

Sending you tons of love to fortify your strength. I know this probably wasn't an easy day to have to have talk with the doctors.

Have you seen photographer Tom Hussey's series called Relections? It completely touched my heart, and I thought of you and your mom when I saw it online. It is the elderly looking into a mirror and the reflection is how how they still think of themselves, see themselves as they were younger. This was one was striking, but actually everyone of them is good. Valerie might like it too.

http://www.tomhussey.com/#/SERIES%20%20/Reflections/8

Thinking of you, Zoe, Koko, hubby and mom!
Hugs Addy,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sharlene,
I looked at the pictures. How beautifully people dressed back then! Not the ripped jeans and sleezy fashions today.

I still see my mother this way as we have several pictures of her when she was younger.

Hugs to you Addy Make sure that you say all that you want to your mother now. I've heard and this was the case with my mother, she became very lucid and was able to say full sentences near the end which had not been the case because of the stroke. I have no doubt that she knew exactly what was happening.

At one point, after they started morphine, I told her that we would take care of my father and that we knew that she was tired so it was ok for her to go and go without worry. She passed right after that and I will never forget that moment as difficult as it was.

Omg. Two years have passed and I still cry thinking about it all.

My advice to you Addy, is to say all that you ever wanted to say to her and let people be here for you. Whether you know it or not, you will need them.

I have no regrets as to how things were handled during mom's final week because I knew exactly what she did and didn't want and I made sure that everyone followed, no exceptions. These were the final things that I could do for mom after all.

Hugs.

Hi sweet
Just popping in to give you a big old hug and a shoulder to lean on if you need it... pleased to hear that Zoe has perked up. Hope that turn was nothing serious and Koko's lump is just a lipoma that we see loads of here. Honestly Addy, I wish I could take some of your worry about but I really hope things in your household gets back on an even keel quick smart and you might need a few of those chocolate + bath each day to keep yourself centred. Take Care Addy, you know we are always here if you need to talk xx

Thinking of you this morning Addy and I know you will handle everything with kindness and love as you usually do. Glad Zoe is doing weill and KoKo will be fine. Hope hubby finds some help. Love, JoAnne

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a time at present. I remember when they told me that my mother had at best 6 weeks. They were right on the money with that. I also had to sign a DNR however in the end they actually did it anyway on the way from the nursing home to the hospital by ambulance.

I certainly empathize and sympathize with the meltdown, and the more tired I got the easier they came.

Try to keep up your strength and we are here to listen anytime you need to just let it all go.

Hugs !!

So many hugs to you Addy, I just want you to know we care and are praying for you and your mom. Blessings
Patti

Well I did have good news. The weird lump on Koko was an engorged tick:eek::eek:

In all my years of having critters none of them have ever had a tick. This morning I took Koko outside to get a better look at the "thing" in the natural light. Something in that mental filing cabinet clicked and I ran to the house and called emergency clinic 15 minutes from my house. They are a small division of the specialty clinic we go to. I told them who I was and that I needed to know if this was a tick and how to remove it. They said bring that little boy right up here, we are not busy. So I raced up there in the car and it was a huge engorged tick and those were scabs all a round it So he showed me how to kill it first with Vaseline and then he pulled it out when it died and cleaned up the scabs and the blood.

AND HE DID NOT CHARGE ME ONE PENNY:):)

how stupid am I:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Hubby had tears in his eyes when we got home, he was so relieved.

So hopefully now he wont get some tick born illness from it.:(:(

First tick ever for Addy's house.

So glad to hear that Koko's lump turned out to be nothing serious and was a tick instead. :eek: Those are nasty parasites :mad::eek::mad:
On a brighter note, that was so kind of the clinic to not charge you...wow!!

Dear Addy
Make yourself a Vienna ice caffee-dark coffee, scoop of vanilla ice cream(optional) top off with whip cream and top of with a chocolate cookie, then breath.
We are hear for you. I went through the same with my Mom, the doctors, etc. kept looking at me for all the appointments, etc., when I got mad and said I still work. I was running to rehab everyday and working late at night. One day a nurse pulled me over, said Sonja you look exhausted, take a day off and we will watch over your mom. I pray your mother is doing better. Listen to your gut. When my father was dying of pancreatic cancer, I decided to visit him despite his wife telling me not to. I whispered in German that he could let go and we all loved him, gave him a kiss and a hug. He died that night. It is just too much for you know with everything. Try to take a little bit of quiet time to rest if you can.
Hugs Sonja and Angel Apollo

Whew, I glad it was just a tick. Nasty little buggers! :D xxx

Sending hugs and prayers Addy..

A Tick! That is a relief and nope, no way, not getting any ticky illness from it either.
Now Zoe is going to continue to do well, Hubby is going to get something for inflamation of a pinched nerve, your mom is going to carry on just fine thank you. You aren't going to miss any more work days (that you don't WANT to miss) and the sun is going to shine after it rains.

There, I think I covered it all and put the order in, paid extra postage for fast delivery. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly muffin

I hate ticks!!! As a retired groomer, I have seen more than I even want to think about. Little suckers used to jump on me....:eek:

When I came home after doing a tick infested dog, I would strip down in the mud room, throw my clothes in the washer... with bleach and then jump straight into the shower and scrub my skin off.

Then I would go into my grooming van and set off a bomb and have to clean and sanitize it.

I hate Ticks !!! ....... and Fleas !!!!

Wow! A tick!
Easily removed and no charge.
One stressor off your plate Addy:-)

Jeepers a tick :eek::eek: another bug we do not have here in NZ! Phew glad that is one worry ticked (get my little joke?!) off the list :D:D Hopefully tomorrow brings another problem solved for you guys xxxx

Addy:
I am so glad you found that tick. I hate those little blood suckers. Tipper picked one up as a puppy, on her face so I was able to see it right away and get rid of it. Glad your hubby is getting help. I hope you are trying to rest and take care of you. Blessings
Patti

The tick was gross -so engorged with his blood it was huge and Koko had scabs around it from his own blood they said:(:(:( He received many extra cuddles last night, my little tick boy.

They ruled out heart issues with hubby, they think he has frozen shoulder, he is in much pain.

They turned on mom's phone yesterday, I called her and let her hear Zoe barking and told her about Tick Boy. She liked that. I was glad she laughed and answered her phone. There will be good days and bad days same as Zoe.

Zoe seems better on her lower dose of Vetoryl, problem is this morning when she awoke, she went to the kitchen to drink some water. That means her cortisol is higher that it should be. I need to strike the right balance for her. Her right front leg (her bad leg prior to Cushings) had been trembling at night.

Love ya

Addy: Glad things are settling down for you. Sorry hubby is in pain. Sounds like your mom is settling in to her surroundings. Zoe and KoKo seem to be doing ok. Maybe you will have no emergencies for awhile and you can just enjoy the quiet for awhile. I hope for no more emergencies for you, just fair weather and many happy days wiith all your family. You so deserve it. Love, JoAnne