Mom has flu... likely H1N1
 

Hi.

My mom has the flu. She has fever close to 102 which is only just dampened by acetaminophen extra strength. She has nausea.

She has been vaccinated for Influenza A so if she had managed to contract that, it would be much milder. This is not mild. It is not Influenza A. And it is not a cold. So, even though she hasn't been swabbed... that pretty much leaves H1N1... which is going around. She and dad had to go to the doctor's last week - good chance she picked it up in the waiting room. :rolleyes:

I'm a bit worried about her. She has a strong immune system in general so she should be ok. But still. My mom hardly ever gets sick and when she does not hardly with fever like this. :(

I'm a bit worried about dad too although he isn't showing signs for the moment. He has mild COPD i don't know why they didn't consider him in a risk bracket and give him the vaccine :rolleyes: but... anyway.

I'm eating a lot of raw garlic i'm not really worried about getting sick. But i'm worried about them.

Please send good thoughts and prayers. :o
Thanks.

~ waves ~

Dear Waves,

I'm sorry about your mom and I hear your worry about your dad.
'Sending prayers.

Mari

thank you
 

Thank you Mari. Your support means a lot to me.

~ waves ~

Dear Waves, :hug: :hug: :hug:

I know that you have concern for your mother as well as your father. :heartthrob: :heartthrob: :heartthrob:

But I have concern for you as well.
From what I remember and from what I found through a search, it makes sense for you to wash hands often and to clean the surfaces (door knobs, . . . ).

Standard rules about good health apply. Get sleep. Drink water.
See #9 for people who care for children (closest I can find).
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases...fluqanda.htm#9
Garlic works.

CDC info on caring for someone with H1N1 in your home:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/homecare/


The most important thing (sorry to sound bossy) for your mom is for you to remember that you are in in a city close to hospitals and major medical facilities. She is going to be ok. She will get better soon. She is sick but she is safe and has access to drs. I had read that people in their 50s and older have some immunity to the H1N1 because of the flu strains that went around the world when they were younger.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...efer=australia
I can hope for her that she will have a mild case.


I saw someone on another board in the US who got the H1N1 and developed Pneumonia. She tried to tough it out at home before checking in with her mdoc. She was even resistant to the first antibiotic they gave her. And because she was bipolar she refused the steroids. Probably she could have worked better with her pdoc and taken a temporary psych med along with the steroids.
My point is that you probably got the warning already from her mdoc about coming back if she gets worse / and or it moves to the lungs.


In the US, -- in general -- people who got very sick with this were children -- not grown ups. Her age can help her.


Mari

Hi Waves,

I nursed my little girl through H1N1, so I know it's frightening.

If your Mom's situation is stable, chances are she'll make a good recovery. However, if she's having any difficulty breathing, seek help ASAP. With your Dad's underlying condition, you might want to consider Tamiflu as a preventative.

The others have given you good advice on avoiding the flu yourself. I would add that your Mom should wear a mask, especially if she's coughing.

Keep us posted.

Thinking of You:hug:

Oh waves! I am so sorry your mom has the H1N1 virus, I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers, hang in there, she'll beat this. Definitely let us know how it's going as this progresses. 102 is kinda high for a fever. :(

sending some healing evergy and thoughts her way for a speedy recovery.
It is awful being sick.
bizi

thanks everyone
 

Thank you all for your support and feedback and information.

My mother's fever was less pronounced this morning but that is not very telling as she had just literally awoken - a time when it would always be less pronounced - and she took something and went right back to bed. she is having fluids. she doesn't really come near us too much and covers her mouth to cough.

we air out their room and really the whole apt pretty well daily. we only do it once daily because it is BELOW FREEZING and it is bad enough when we change the air once. all the "new" air is really KKKKKKOLD. i truly don't know how people manage in colder climates than this!!! (Like where you live, Hockey!)

i will have to get on top of disinfecting the bathroom daily...

right now i am worried about food. i guess i will have to go out today and get something my dad can/will/will want to eat for the weekend. can't afford to deprive him right now just in case he does get sick. he is a major red meat person and i cannot handle cooking red meat. perhaps i will offer to make a sort of burger-type thing with ground meat for him, which i can deal with. a good time to do them also because doesn't like these but isn't eating right now.

i am thinking of getting some chicken thighs for mom and making her soup - i even happen to have some fresh ginger which will help. even if she just has the broth, the chicken will keep for a few days when maybe she will be better, and that will be a "light" food for her. dad won't eat this dish so i can't just make it for everyone... sigh. i did get mom to have have a tiny potato last night (highly digestible) at least to even out her sodium (she had been just having clear broth - from powdered kind!) so that is tentative plan. of course, that is, hoping i can find chicken thighs and ground meat.

my hair is so dirty i think it will all fall out of my head but i don't know when i can wash it with this cold and also go out. maybe now.

i am very worried about dad catching this because he has mild emphysema, even though he did stop smoking years ago... that doesn't just go away, and when he catches anything nowawdays, it goes straight to his chest. it is upsetting that he could not have the vaccine. or... who knows... maybe the doc didn't remember and my parents didn't remind him about dad's emphysema (they don't really keep charts here... not like in the US.) doc told them they did not need to be vaccinated because they probably had some immunity from the Spanish Flu - as your links say Mari. Dad was just as happy not to get his arm stuck. I will be very unhappy if he catches what mom has. Anyway I will try to go shopping today dunno if he'll want to go with... kinda hope not.

It's frikkin cold, i'm not looking forward to it, but I don't really want him out in it. As it is he might insist. We don't have a situation where we can buy a bunch of stuff and freeze it. izzz complicated to explain.

i heard coughing = mom is awake. i'm going to see if she wants anything and maybe dad will have tea as it is almost 10 am.

thanks again for all your support.

oh... the doc gave an antibiotic - not to use before 4 days have elapsed... i will post more on that after i check on mom etc... because i am very confused. we cannot just "ask for an antiviral" unfortunately... docs do not respond to patients requesting such things here. ok... be back soon.

:grouphug:

~ waves ~

cleaned the bathroom. about that antibio...?
 

i cleaned the tub last night coz i wanted a shower then didn't make it. just now i "traded in" my shower for doing the sink, the mirror the counter and the WC and the floor with all the respective disinfecting detergents and "rinsed" with alcohol instead of water. which removed the nice lemony scent but it's a double whammy germ-wise even though alcohol is not strictly a disinfectant it is a hostile medium to most things. degreaser.

i have more mental energy but my body is not used to doing all this stuff... it feels dumb and maybe it sounds dumb but my lower back really aches and my shoulder joint is sore from touchpad and almost went out doing the tub, and again just now with the floor. i stretched out my back and did some very light lower-ab-strengthening before sleeping last night, but it regularly starts to hurt after i stand or stay in certain positions... hopefully it will shape up soon. but meanwhile i think i need to do things within measure. i have been laid up so long... i am just... not fit. :(

i am feeling panicky... my thoughts starting to race. what if this how'm i gonna do that... etc. i feel emotionally paralyzed now. there are a couple of shows i sometimes watch on tv late morning (Father Dowling Mysteries, and Diagnosis Murder) ... i think i will watch those soon. feel guilty like i need to do more... do more.... :o

i need to breathe!

speaking of which, i already aired out the house - but for my parents' room as they asleep. kinda wish i'd done it AFTER the alcohol treatment though - ugh. i'll remember that tomorrow.

about the antibiotic:

unless there are clear signs of a secondary bacterial infection, i learned not to take them in the presence of a cold OR flu (1) not helpful against viruses, 2) can engender resistant bacteria, 3) lower natural immune response). so i don't understand the doc giving it "to use if things don't improve in 4 days." i think if things don't improve, or worsen, she should be EVALUATED/swabbed...

but they don't do that! My mom told me something: the ERs were overwhelmed at one point, so they now make everyone with H1N1 sx just stay home and CALL their doc. other family members fetch scripts if given. i suggested to mom she avoid the antibiotic unless her sx change in a manner consistent with bacterial infection. 4 day wait is up Sunday, but Monday am we could call the doc if the situation is murky... who knows... he might even be on vacation then and the other local doc subbing... she might have a different take on things. :o

i am having trouble looking stuff up right now because it makes me more panicky so if anyone has feedback on this antibiotic business (taking, not taking), i'd really appreciate it. Hockey, you already mentioned an antiviral, which makes more sense to me... but we don't have that option. :o:confused:

anyway... enough said. i will put up my bed now. maybe start ironing another shirt for dad before Father Dowling. i don't even know if i can concentrate on tv. dad is up. i hope he won't insist on going out again. he went yesterday.

:confused::crazy::Sigh:

HALp.

~ waves ~

sorry
 

i realize i probably sound so infantile.

at another time of my life taking care of the house or shopping was trivial, and "collateral" to working.

now every little chore is a big deal. physically, but then because of that strain, also mentally, because i feel bad that i am so "unfit for my age."

my posts must sound so childish, i mopped the floor, i cleaned the sink. like so what. most of you must do those things thousands of times over without thinking about it especially those of you who have kids.

~ waves ~ feeling like a failure

Start Antibiotics four days after a flu starts??
 

Waves,
You're doing great just to hang in there.
I have been thinking about how you will take care of your father during this time.
But first I am looking for links for you regarding starting an antibiotic after four days of a flu dx.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
http://www.fitsugar.com/1082066 (scroll to the very bottom) I'm keepign this link in case I don't find much better. Apparently this is connected to what I understand from your posts -- that if the patient is not better in four days, she needs antibiotics.
When Is a Fever Too High?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pdf/4085.pdf
This is a good web source.
Here is a version of the four day rule. Go to the dr if the patient has a 100F or higher fever for 4 days.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
http://www.mcg.edu/flu/
Here is a five day rule of thumb.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
http://www.ga-gline.org/?p=306

These quotes might not be the same as your antibiotic instructions, but they seem to be in line with them. I hope that this helps. I think it is perfectly find to call the doc when you need more instructions than you got.

M.

triage
 

Dear Waves,

Pace yourself.
You might have to do this for a few days. It is possible that you can get stronger but it is also possible that you might feel worn out.


Regarding cooking for your Dad:
Can you buy the equivalent of sandwiches / or something else ready made. He'll be ok eating foods different from what he normally eats. Can you buy something he likes that you don't have to make (like his favorite soda or something equivalent)?


Regarding cleaning:
The most important thing is to care for the patient, your mother.
You are caring for 3 people right now. I changed my mind about mentioning earlier about cleaning. Do what seems reasonable to you while you are tending to them.

Regarding yourself:
It almost seems like you might be making three different meals for them. I'm suggesting you do what is easiest and comfortable.

M.

swab
 

Dear Waves,
I think you mentioned a swab.

In the US they were doing some cultures when the H1N1 first showed up. The swab in the docs office could determine Influenza A virus but not the strain (making a guess here that the office can determine flu -- but I'm sure about not being about to determine exact strain).

The H1N1 dx requires the swab being sent off. Hospitals and drs' office were not equipped with that test. So doctors are dx'ing probable H1N1 without even swabbing now. If the doc decides it is the flu, it is probably H1N1. The H1N1 has been crowding out the seasonal flu. So the assumption by the experts is that the flu going around is H1N1.

If the patient ends up in the hosptial, perhaps then the docs send away for the exact strain, but I'm not sure.


I'm going to go back and read your posts now and see if I answered a question that you did not ask. :confused:

M.

You are doing well.
 

Dear Waves,
Keep your father home if you can.
You both might be carriers.
As I write this, I am not sure of a scientific reason to keep him home for his own sake, but it sounds intuitive to keep him home. If he wants to go out, that is different. It is not like you could stop him.

Did you watch tv? That is a good idea -- to find something that is routine and that is helpful to you.

I hope that she is better soon.

Take care of yourself. Let your father do some of the work himself. He would be doing some things if you were out of town for example.


Please do not compare yourself to others.
We are each under different circumstances.

I will check in here if a few mintues and then will go to sleep.
'Will be back later.

M.

i think we go through periods of emotional and physical exhaustion that we are really too disabled to take care of anybody including ourselves. I am so sorry you are in this situation. I am just hoping you and your father don't catch the flu. I think a lot of it is low grade depression....after a while we don't recognize it and we sort of give up hope for tomorrow. how do we get hope back? I think bipolars need a special type of therapist that can start on restoring hope in us. It is so insidious. we don't realize it is happening. Yesterday I talked with an older aquaintance and she said she really didn't like to talk much to most people since her sister just died two months ago...her other sister died two years ago and she just lost two close friends in the past few months and she had a bout with cancer two years ago and she just had dental work and no insurance but she is okay financially and she has a very loving son and grandchildren. I started thinking that her defenses were primitive but maybe she was right...but she was shutting doors and not opening any new ones.
i am so confused. i wish i could give you hope. i wish i could think of some great volunteer job for you that would give to you a lot more than it would take and bring you and your gifts to the attention of some great people and somehow bring hope from there. i haven't posted yet what you said about anger but i have been thinking about and so glad you posted it. you don't know how happy it made me feel to have you post that. sometimes this forum seems so sanitary. ...like we are not really human with human feelings.
love you
bobby

so tired.....
 

Dear Mari,

i will try to pace myself. i am, but then there is this sense of "oughtta" which i "oughtta" know better than to listen to... how's that for an oxymoron? but i am watching my tv shows.

the good thing is dad is really not sick yet. another good thing is he cooks. i on the other hand am low-maintenance foodwise, especially under these conditions... i will go to all measures to not dirty things lol, and i'm not eating much meat. he has been having leg/hip pain on and off which is why i didn't want him out in the cold but he proclaimed early on he wasn't going out today so that was good. i got the shopping done. he had left over meat he made when i went to therapy when i had said i would eat separately. so i ate separately today too. he even cooked himself lunch using some of the veggies from the same dish! as for getting him ready made/easy stuff... hah!!! no way. he just wouldn't eat it. seriously. and if there was nothing else he'd go hungry or eat a hunk of cheese. he's really really REALLY picky and hard-headed about food. but, hey, he cooks so that really helps.

i got the shopping done for the two dishes for tomorrow. both are dishes i am fairly comfortable making, other than handling the meat but there is a limited amount of that. for the burger-thing, i will wear gloves. the chicken soup will stretch into several days/meals for mom, so it is not really just a dinner. then monday dad and i can have an "easy" dinner" like eggs or something. and maybe one will cook and one will wash. if he wants to cook lunch though, i will decline and let him cook/wash his lunch stuff, then i will do the dinner cook/wash.

some more good news. my mom's fever is responding better to the acetaminophen now. she is still coughing and very tired which is natural. and the fever still goes right up as the acetaminophen effect goes out. but it takes her temp down more, and for longer. so that is a promising sign. she was actually micromanaging my trip (drove me batty today) - a good sign.

i know... crazy isn't it. mom driving me batty is a good sign. seriously. she was too wiped out before, poor thing. so this is encouraging.

thank you so much for all the information. :hug: it put things into some perspective for me.

~ waves ~

Dear Bobby

thanks for your support and i'm glad my post on your thread was helpful. in a weird way i feel like having my parents sick - and right at this time when i was trying to do other things - not just Christmas stuff but more - is kinda like boot camp! i actually thought for a while i might have low grade depression - very disheartening. until i tapered almost half my benzo dose (holding still at current dose during holidays now). i have much more energy. doing so much more... and "getting on things" - even procrastinating less. my pdoc agreed that the benzo coould be causing apathy. which you know can look like depression. my situation is not something one would jump up and down about anyway. any normal person would have some anxiety and probably vascillate between anxiety and trying to wriggle into a better place - which i have been doing, for ages now. but with so little energy the wriggling didn't last long. i really think this med reduction has been an awakening experience in more than one sense of the term, and that at least part of my problems until now are likely iatrogenic in origin.

now my eyes are closing ... eeks. gonna go sleep.

love

~ waves ~

HI Waves

I personally find that you are doing a great job taking care of both your
mother and father.

I also think you need to pace yourself too. But I think you have been doing
a good job of listening to yourself. Weird as it sounds.

I really am paying attention even though I just got it read today.

I have been busy, but just really figured out I haven't been feeling to good.

Donna

Waves I'm sorry that your mother has the H1N1 Flu. I hope that she feels better soon.

I've been to my states capital city,and the pharmacies that I went to didn't have the vaccine. I went to the health department in my county,and I still haven't received any calls from them. Gosh! BF:hug::hug::hug:

Hey Waves,

I am sorry about your parents being sick. That H1 bug is at my work place. I have to make sure I just do not touch my face and wash my hands a lot! Usually you would get in within 24 hours of exposure (meaning you touching your facial area after them coughing on you or something. I see you as low risk. I talk to the pharmacist and he just said that we have to stay calm and not be afraid of this nasty virus. I had to work with my co worker who had it and she was at work! I work side by side with her that day for a few hours. So far so good knocks on wood. I put on my imaculate heart of mary necklace and pray for good health. I believe you will fine Waves. I also think that your mom will be fine too :)

I pray for all your anxieties to leave you and that you will feel peace.:hug:

Sharla

There was one shot left at the Walgreens store. The pharmacist knows me and told me that he can not give it to me because it is the live virus and that it might trigger my bipolar or anxiety. So Monday I am going to get it in my county and if they do not have it, well I did what I can lol

:p

If I get it, I get it. I have hand sanitizer at this rate.

Dear Waves,

How are you handling things?

How is your mother doing today?

That's good news from yesterday about your mom's fever responding to the acetaminophen.

You're busy.

I hope that you can keep your equilibrium.

Mari

hi everyone
 

wow, thank you all... Donna, Steve, Sharla, and again Mari.

you guys put smiles on my face right now. i will post a little more later but i am going to go put the soup on now. if i can get that done before lunch, mom might have a little of it then too. and also, i will have a time slot when i can finally to get that SHOWER (if it is overwhelming, i will wash my hair separately at that point - it is a PITA too doing that but it really needs it!) then i have dinner to prep. but probably a break between the prep and the cooking.

righto. so i will check in later again...

i am doing ok. i have been stretching my back at night and also this morning since the lumbar area felt bad. but all in all it seems like it might be getting stronger.

and last but not least:

so far dad is not showing any flu symptoms!

AND

mom's temperature did not go up as high even after the acetaminophen lost effect. so i am relieved about that. i am not too worried about getting sick myself... even if it does hit younger people. i'm not a teenager or young child, heheh. big concern is for dad... because of his COPD, albeit mild, and he shares a room with mom.

here the vaccine is NOT AVAILABLE to the public. only to high risk groups. he probably should have had it but it is too late now anyway since there is a 14 day window and he would only get sicker if he got infected during that time with "strong live and plentiful bugs" on top of the vaccine (weak live bugs).

bla bla bla. ack!!! it is 10!!! i need to get on that soup!!!! chop chop! (literally... first thing is chop celery onions and carrots!)

thank you all so much for your wishes... i am sure they are helping! :) i *know* they are helping me!!! :):)

:grouphug:

~ waves ~

another thing....
 

Steve and Sharla, good luck to both of you in obtaining the vaccine!

Sharla since you are already exposed on a frequent basis, i might check with your doctor as to the safety of being vaccinated at this stage... same reasoning as what i said about my dad... whether it could make it worse.

Steve for you i think the issue is different... i.e. you probably don't have high exposure like Sharla, but if you catch the thing you do live in a remote area making it harder to get to health services in a hurry, should you need it. I hope you can get the vaccine.

=====================
another other thing (UPDATE):

Mom just came with precise instructions as to how she wants her soup/chicken done. Bossy bossy micromanaging... hmmm... yep, she's feeling better alright. :rolleyes::)

WELL. just go dampen my creativity, mom, thanks! But... hey... she's the one eating it so i told her i would do her soup whichever way she wanted. (and her idea of going about it is easier than mine... so... oh well! :p i will save my "creative forces" for dinner.)

~ waves ~

three burners going
 

soup on one

bacon (needed using up)-wrapped endive with shallots on a second

and mom's soup on the third (nearly done).

found a yellow and a red pepper that were starting to wrinkle... needed using before they go to waste. so i chopped those up too and they are soaking in salt water for 10 mins.

i set a timer... after that i think the soup should be done, and the peppers will be done soaking and can be put on. have already stir fried some onions for them - pan is ready.

i had whole tomatoes steaming with the endive but they cooked much quicker (oops! i could have foreseen that! :rolleyes:) so i had to yank them into a side dish to save them from becoming sauce. :p

timer went off! end of my break! by the time i opened the windows etc... and got my butt planted... darn... that was one short break! :o

~ waves ~ cooking up a storm

Mother getting better and Father fine. That is good.
 

Dear Waves,
That's a lot of cooking activity! I wish I could be there to share the nice smells in your kitchen. http://bestsmileys.com/cooking/6.gif

I'm a little curious about how you will put together the bacon, endive, and shallots and tomatoes. Maybe the onions and peppers go in the same dish.
Well, I think you have talent. :)

I use the timer too -- whether I am in the kitchen or in another room.

You sound good today. Maybe you are feel less concern than you did initially with your mother coming down sick.
Stay rested. Stay steady.

'Keeping my fingers crossed and sending lots of good thoughts.

M.

just had lunch
 

Dear Mari.

Thank you. :)

i loved the chef icon hee hee.
two different dishes. the endive is not my recipe - either mom's or dad's dunno.

the bacon-wrapped endive with shallots and tomatoes is one dish. the bacon-wrapping is also optional - it can be made completely vegan, and is very good either way. :)

1/2 large onion (must have been cut lengthwise)
3 stems belgian endive lettuce.
6 strips bacon (opt)
3 small tomatoes
3 shallots.
olive oil (about 1 tbsp)

1 shallow pan with cover, large enough to accomodate 6 endive halves in a single layer.

Instructions

1. slice the onion half into very fine half-rings.
   
2. saute the onion with a dab of olive oil, initially ensuring pan bottom and all onion pieces become oil-coated... cover and heat very gently. Check/re-toss occasionally, until onion is clarified. turn off heat. (you can start on 3 meanwhile...)
   
3. prepare the endive: rinse endive and strip any outer leaves of the endive that are bad. rinse again. cut in half length-wise cut a V out the bottom end to remove the "tougher" core. (i did not do this V thing... one can always cut off anything that is too tough in the plate.)
   
4. skin the shallots. remove the first outer layer so each shallot divides into two "cloves."
   
5. wrap a slice of bacon snugly around each piece of endive. (optional)
   
6. assemble dish in pan: remove onions. place 4 pieces of wrapped endive in pan in a row, alternating the direction of leaves/stems. lay the remaining two pieces horizontally, above and below, one with leaves facing left, one right. stick the 6 shallots cloves in nooks between the endive. scatter sauteed onions evenly over endive.
   
7. cook covered on medium-low, leaving a small fissure for steam, about 20 mins or until endive is almost done. turn half-way to cook evenly. while it is cooking....
   
8. prepare the tomatoes: wash and cut out stem end of the tomato. cut a small cross into the skin at the bottom end of the tomato. (this is for getting the skin off)
   
9. complete with tomatoes sitting them side by side between the stems of endive in the central row. allow to cook until the thickest endive trunk is soft (check with skewer).
   
10. Serve in a covered casserole dish. transfer using a large spatula retaining the formation. if you have a microwaveable casserole dish, you can cook the stuff early, and microwave it just before serving.

i am too tired to explain the peppers the same way... but basically...

same procedure for the onion. cut peppers into thin striplets (1/4 inch), soak for 10 minutes in lightly salted water for better digestibility. dump peppers in with the onions stir very well and cook covered on medium at first, until they heat up, then low, stirring frequently. when cooked to desired texture, add desired amount (if any) of: salt, pepper, marjoram (fresh/dried) or basil (fresh). if you want to use dried basil, it needs to go in about 5 mins before the peppers are done. to use garlic instead of onion, chop the garlic as you like it, and put the oil (max 1 tbsp), the garlic and peppers in for cooking all at the same time, no pre-saute phase.

the peppers can be eaten warm or refrigerated for up to a few days for use as sandwich fillers/garnish. to preserve them a little longer, put them in a jar with raw garlic cut into big pieces (easy to pick out/avoid when eating) and add enough uncooked olive oil to cover them completely. optionally you can add a little vinegar as well for taste - my parents like them that way.

Yes i am in a good mood even though my back hurts like the dickens after 3 hours of cooking... and now i have soooooooooo many dishes to do... coz the folks wanted lunch (soup)... dad too... at table... means using underplates. normally i would put those away if not dirty, but with my mom sick i figure better wash anything that could be a "settling" point for this bug that i could then end up serving to dad with dinner, lol. sigh.

i am sleeping... but the rested is tough. i can't seem to keep up. my back is already killing me and i have a kitchen piled with dirty (and clean) dishes to wash... and burger-thingies to make. more like meatloaf in burger format.

I am at a point where i WANT a shower!!! :eek:

THANK YOU. :hug::hug::hug:

~ waves ~

about them peppers
 

without the bit in red (missing in post above), afraid you'd end up with pepper soup... and probably salty too... yuck! correction:

~ waves ~

cooking
 

Dear Waves,
You are doing well.
You've got the food and the timing down pat. http://bestsmileys.com/tropheys/3.gif
And I'm guessing that you are interacting a lot more than you usually do. Also, you are making more decisions and sort of half running the place for now as they lean on you. This sounds like the potential to be exhausting. I hope you are ok.

Thanks for typing out the directions for the escarole dish. It sounds delicious. I'll write more later. I still haven't gone to bed.

For now, can you come up with a plan that does not involve cooking 3 hours in the first part of the day with more cooking to come later?
You are a hero! Save some of the heroism for tomorrow.
Are you standing on a hard floor to cook? Are you more or less barefoot? ( I'm not sure what people in cold places do for footwear. Sometimes I wear sneakers when I cook -- more support for feet/ back?)

I remember you said that the soup might be enough for tomorrow so cooking might be less involved the next day.

'Sending you some magic and good vibes http://bestsmileys.com/magic/4.gif


Your mom might want to be in the kitchen soon -- maybe to cook a dish or uncomplicated meal. I can see that. She might cook and then go back to bed. That might be good for her.

My recommendation is to forget about cleaning the house or washing your hair. The food seems to be consuming lots of energy.

I hope you can rest and sleep.
You mentioned sit ups in another post.
Doing something like that helps the back of course. So does stretching. . . . .already doing that I know. I'm thinking of suggestions but I do not have good ones right now except to exhort you to rest when you can.

Take care.
She's getting better and you are doing a fantastic job.
M.

I am so glad your mother is feeling better! That's awesome! Thanks so much for keeping us posted waves, I am delighted to hear your father didn't get sick...what a fortunate thing that was! :D

Dear Waves,

Thank you for explaining
--the endive shallots tomatoes bacon dish
and
--the pepper and onion dish.

That would be good --especially with the care you seem to put into your cooking.

M.

Hurray! Waves mom is feeling better! I am glad! <3

Sharla

How Goes It?
 

Dear Waves,

How are you and your household? Did the soup last for a day or two?
Did you make a new pot?
:stirthepot:

How about rest and sleep? http://bestsmileys.com/sleeping/11.gif
Did the pace slow down? I think by my count you have been cooking and running things for 3 days --maybe four.

I hope that you feel protected (dunno why I chose that word "protected" but I feel that way sometimes. I think I mean that I feel that things are working according to plan and that the plan and I are at one.)

Did your mom get back in touch with the doc?
I hope that went well.


Sending hugs. :hug: :hug: :hug:


M.

Hi there
 

Pam & Sharla :) Thank you both for your continued support! :hug:

Steve, i see you seeing the posts, too! :) Thank you for being here with me also. :hug:

Mom is doing much better today. But dad was sneezing... happens often... what does not happen often though was i heard him cough :( i hope he does not come down with it. :eek::eek::eek:

:grouphug:

~ waves ~

Hey Waves,

I'm so glad your Mom appears to be on the mend.

Give his lung problems, I hope your Dad doesn't get it. God forbid, do you have a rescue inhaler on hand? As you know, this thing can progress like lightening.

Aside from the fatigue from being the world's greatest nurse, how are you feeling? Don't feel you're doomed to catch this. I know lots of people where one sick family member didn't spread it to the rest.

Take Care:hug:

questions and answers
 

Hehe Mari, your illustrated posts are doing a good job of keeping me entertained! :D No new pot - chicken was used up for the previous one. i should have used a bigger pot though, to get more broth out of it. as it is mom has not been up to eating much ... she graduated from just potato / white toast yesterday to include the veggies from the soup, but none of the chicken. finally had some of the that today, with the remainder of the broth. i had to have a chicken sandwich for brunch :eek: because it will not keep past tomorrow... i should have put it away differently oh well too late. may make another pot further on in the week if mom is still not up to "regular" food.

not really. six hours sleep last night if that. first thing this morning clean the lettuce for tonight. then pretreat laundry and let it wash while watching my two detective shows during the commercials of which mom "explained" the specifics of the grocery list... i will go out in the afternoon... then come home and cook dinner, then dishes, then tv.

still no dang shower for yours truly :( wanting to wash my hair AND cut it... really give it a shape-cut this time. i am to the point that i would even take a chance at a pro, but i can't afford that right now.

mom is starting to annoy me by doing stuff as claims not to feel steady on her feet - also don't want her breathing on everything till we are sure her fever is permanently down. but her temperature is finally normal now, without use of antipyretics, and i understand she is sick of lying in bed. she is normally very active.

i feel confused and like everything is hap-hazard. :o

yes thanks, she did this morning and he said not to take the antibiotic since her temp was consistently coming down - only to take it if at some point it quit going down. that seems reasonable to me. today is her first day with normal temp... we shall see if it lasts 24 hours ... that will be telling.
thanks can always use those :)

laundry's done gotta go rescue it from the washer...

~ waves ~

thanks Hockey and... about dad...
 

yah... i hope not... we don't have any such thing and he was allergic to the last one he was given... a steroid type thing. mom told me yesterday tho that his dx was not written down clearly... they spoke of emphysema but things are kind of murky. he doesn't normally have breathing problems so if he actually has it, it is still symptomless... still. he had a checkup when we moved here, but the specialist's writing looks like eeg output - even our doc couldn't read it. :mad: so much for that.

World's greatest nurse? Whoa... from a MOM... don't swell my head now!!! :D

I don't feel fatigued as such... but my very very unfit body - esp lumbar area - complains from doing a lotttttt more standing/bending/lifting than i am used to any more. However, as i don't want serious back trouble, i do take my sit-down moments, and stretch at night. Need to get back in shape. :rolleyes:

It is encouraging about the contagion not being such a "given" within the family, thanks for that. I really hope dad doesn't get it. I don't think i will get it even though i have been forgetting to eat and/or eating with dad and forgetting my raw garlic :p:eek:. Ya think that could be why i don't have a boyfriend??? :D:D:D Seriously, i don't get out much or i could not eat it as much as i do... heh.

Dad.... sigh.... he can be so hard-headed. He INSISTED on taking the garbage down today - went outside - in just a regular suit jacket (no overcoat!) and cotton baseball cap... and we are below freezing. he said he can "move" better. ARGGGGGHHHH... :Bang-Head: There is just no reasoning with him. And he made 2 trips despite my telling him i could take the next load out when i go to the store...

i am running late. the two of them hung out in the living area so i couldn't air out... doing that now. started ironing now i need to finish up i guess.... sigh... i feel like i am running behind in everything... and getting micromanaged very irritating. i take things out to use mom puts them away. :rolleyes:

well, it is snowing again now... hah! with some "luck" that will mean the 3.30ish bus will be late! :cool:

:hug:

~ waves ~

Nurse Waves

Is doing a fantastic job. I think you need to quit worrying about whether
you are behind or on time. Other than for the bus or things like that.

When someone is sick it isn't easy to stay on a schedule. And the reason
for being behind this morning was in my opinion a good one.

I think you are doing fantastic.

Keep it up.

Donna

so kind, Donna.... (perhaps too kind, lol)
 

LOL ;) Thanks Donna. You are really sweet. I don't know if mom would agree with you. as she continually improves, she keeps interfering in what i'm doing and yesterday i lost my patience with her a good few times. Now that is normal between us but i feel badly because i know she is ill. A good nurse should not get mad at the patient, even if that person is standing in the most obstructive spot of the kitchen for no good reason...... just when the "nurse" is trying to wrap up dinner/cooking/table setting/sides/a little pre-washing up... i.e., needing to get to every other spot in the kitchen and having a patient-obstruction standing in the "crossroads"...sigh. And nobody DARE stand there (or even be in the kitchen) when she is doing dinner! :rolleyes: BUT she is sick... feel like i should curtail my reactions, but i have not been doing such a great job there. :(

Well. thanks. Although it was not without a lot of objection again, on my part. :o

Lol. thanks. i am doing well with the food and getting some other household stuff done i think. Dad liked my "special" burgers the other night, and also last night's dinner. I'm trying to keep it up. :)

Thanks so much for the encouragement. :hug:

~ waves ~