Mom's Stroke

 February Journaling

1.     My grandson is 11 today. My husband’s coworker came out to church. Then we took him out for lunch. I’m down 21 pounds since July.

2.     Last night around 11 pm my mom had a TIA, a mini stroke. Her only symptom was aphasia which is difficulty speaking. She was trying to tell me something but 90 % were not even words. At least I happened to go down there right when it happened, or she would have just gone to bed not knowing, since she doesn’t talk to herself. I called an ambulance and spent the night in the ER. They also found her hgb was low, 64, so they gave her a unit of blood. Her speech improved overnight but then worsened again the next afternoon. They are doing CT’s, and MRI’s. It improved again by evening. I spoke with the neurologist. I’m so worried about her.

3.     Going to visit mom, then taking a new couple out for dinner. We brought food from home for my mom since she’s not eating so well. They moved her to a quieter area in the ER but still waiting for a bed on the stroke unit. The MRI showed a true stroke, not just a mini one. But thankfully there was no paralysis.

4.     Published another word search, this one on Medical Terminology.

5.     My mom was seen by speech therapy today. She has both receptive and expressive aphasia. I had her facetime with my aunt and that made both of them happy. At one point my mom looked at the clock on the wall and said, you need to go. It was one o’clock, which she knows is my nap time.

6.     Daily visit to my mom. She called my aunt again. Prayer meeting.

7.     My mom’s memory and speech are improving daily. She is starting to recall everyone who has visited. My cousin came over on her way back from a business trip.

8.     The grandkids stayed overnight and we celebrated their birthdays, 11 and 9. We are getting new bikes for them. They also visited my mom. She is remembering when we called the ambulance. She just wants to go home.

9.     Heard from the hospital today about mom’s discharge plans, it will be either tomorrow or Wednesday.

10.Published another word search, this one on Obscure Vocabulary. Now that I have five I’d like to know how to bundle them and sell them as a set on amazon.

11. She’s home!

12. First visit by the PSW; they gave her a shower which she loved. It’s been two weeks.

13. First visit by Occupational Health. I’m also trying to arrange home speech therapy. My mom can do her dishes, dress herself, fold laundry, and set up her coffee. She was playing cards, so she has some muscle memory for that, as well as for her CPAP machine, and about some of her medications. But her speech got a little worse, she has trouble finding words and understanding questions.

14. Valentine’s Day, or as they call it in Finland, Friendship Day. Not everyone has a sweetheart, but everyone has a friend. My car got clipped in the grocery store parking lot. Part of the fender fell off. I didn’t get her info, thinking it would be an easy fix. Now my husband says it may be costly.

15. At church, teaching Sunday School about the temptation of Jesus.

16. It would have been my dad’s 87^th birthday, but he died at 28. Today our church is doing a Family Day event at a community center as outreach. Everything is closed except the drug store.

17. Went to Walmart.

18. Chiropractor and massage appointment.

19. My mom is getting better at the simpler word searches I make for her. She is so proud of her accomplishment. I am going to make them more challenging. She is also trying to read.

20. So many appointments today. Three practitioners came to our home just this morning. My mom was rude, telling them to go home. It looks like I’ll be doing her speech therapy assessment and possibly her treatment.

21. We bought a new mattress and the old one is going into one of the guest rooms.

22. Church, helping to teach through the life of Christ. I bought a new bedspread for the guest room bed. Made a squid and a flamingo.

23. So many appointments, and the PSW was two hours late, hard to work around her when she doesn’t even call. I had to do my mom’s speech therapy assessment because she is uncooperative with people who come into the house. It doesn’t help me for her to tell them to go away.

24. Speech therapy appointment. My mom is not a fan of having people come to the house. But I can’t do it all.

25. Last evening my mom suddenly started speaking quite coherently in full sentences with only a few words not found. When she initiates it, she is better than if we ask her questions.

26. I saw a naturopath today, so hopeful that we can discover the root problem to all my autoimmune illnesses. Today my mom decided she wanted to make Finnish pancakes so she did.

27. Made two peas in a pod, a drunken granny stitch pink ombre scarf and ear warmer, a small watermelon purse, and six more preemie beanies.

28. Women’s ministry breakfast then a young adult’s planning meeting at our house with pizza.

Back from France

January Journaling

1.     Happy New Year! Our youngest daughter is returning from France and her contract work in Lyon. Her husband had to go to the US where his parents live so he can work. They aren’t happy about being apart.

2.     Final day of the grandkids on Christmas break. We were using my school teaching materials for them to play teacher to us. We ordered in because it’s Friday. Made a strawberry turtle keychain and a few more preemie beanies.

3.     Cleaning up the house after the ‘storm’ of grandkids. So I have osteoporosis, and will start on injectable medication.

4.     Church. Then undecorating from Christmas.

5.     Dropping off my car because of an air leak in one of my tires. Then a massage.

6.     Pain clinic. First VBS meeting of the year. I made a giraffe snuggler and a baby seal pup.

7.     Getting ahead of tax preparation by adding up all my health care receipts. I spend over $300 a month out of pocket.

8.     My first children’s book was about to be ready for amazon when we found out it needed 7 more pages, so I prepped those today. I think it makes it more interesting.

9.     My mom’s stair lift is going back in today, then we can put the last of the furniture back in order. She’s happy about that.

10. Going out for dinner to Planta, the Vegan restaurant our daughter’s wedding was held at.

11. Going to publish another word search I have ready; this one is on Medical Terminology. Laundry day, and helped my mom shower. Her new bathroom is so nice.

12. Church.

13. Chiro appointment.

14. To the dentist for a new mouth guard fitting. I made my go-to teddy bear. Last year I made twelve of them.

15. Lots of snow, so our first class on the book of Daniel was canceled for tonight. Our travel buddies are safely home from their usual Christmas trip to Tenerife.

16. I was part of a panel at church for the teens to ask anything. Surprisingly, most of their questions were theological. It went well, though it went long, four hours.

17. Took a Nigerian family from our church out for breakfast.

18. Church. Made another teddy bear, this one from seven different colours. I call it a scrappy bear. Got a Costco order delivered. I spend less this way.

19. Dentist to pick up my mouth guard.

20. Housekeeper. It’s nice to know that my house gets properly cleaned at least once a month; I can’t do it.

21. Prayer meeting. Found out our prof at TBS fell and broke four ribs, so our class on the book of Daniel is cancelled. Too bad, it would have been nice.

22. Working on a rather big polar bear. My first one. It started as a panda but the pattern was ridiculous to follow so I had to wing it. Women’s Bible study starting up again today. Going for dinner at J & E’s and to discuss the trip. Purchased the thermal spa package for the entire cruise.

23. One of my winter tires needs replacing because of a leak.

24. Women’s breakfast meeting, then a Kids’ Church leader’s meeting. I’m starting to be a helper every three months starting in February.

25. My sister will come from B.C. to watch our mom for part of our cruise this spring. She is booking her flight. Church this morning. A big snow storm is coming. Morning service was online, the rest of the events were cancelled. We ended up not so bad out here but downtown Toronto got hammered with two feet of snow.

26. I made a light beige teddy bear. Working on my Bible study homework. We finished Ecclesiastes and started Song of Solomon.

27. I made a light sabre over a pool noodle.

28. Prayer meeting. Rejoicing that the government paused their plan to pass Bill C-9, criminalizing parts of the Bible as hate speech. But because it’s just paused I think they will call an election, and if they get a majority they will push it through then. They just don’t want to go into an election with so many people upset at them.

29. Bible study, starting the book of Song of Solomon.

30. Going to dinner at a friend’s from church.

31. Going to a meeting at church about possibly starting and ESL program there.

Five books published!

 December Journaling

1.     I have an appeal health questionnaire by phone this evening because they denied my application for life insurance for our line of credit; that’s the first time it ever happened. I appealed because I have stable chronic illnesses, nothing life threatening. And so many of my health symptoms have improved.

2.     Pain clinic.

3.     Received an updated copy of the Legacy Project to upload.

4.     Bible study. Put up the Christmas tree. I made a moose snuggler and more preemie beanies.

5.     Got our Covid shots. Elders’ and Wives’ Christmas dinner. I brought apps.

6.     Our church Christmas party. I’m bringing Caesar salad and dessert. Sold $100 in toys just like that.

7.     Church. No evening service.

8.     I’m down 16 pounds. Will continue on this dose.

9.     Seeing my family doctor today. I made a big blue triceratops for a friend’s grandson, and four flag colored mushy pops. Not a fan of making custom orders, it takes the fun out of it.

10. Doing homework. Prayer meeting was focused on praying against the proposed bill C-9 which sees parts of Scripture as hateful and people who use it liable to prosecution.

11. Bible study, last one till the new year.

12. I made a lion stuffy and a smaller Christmas silly goose, and more mushroom poppers.

13. I’m cleaning my mom’s kitchen cupboards and drawers and lining them with shelf paper. I also made a gingerbread man keychain and another teddy bear. My husband is at a men’s breakfast.

14. Church. Had blookdwork at the doctor’s office and all 31 results came back normal. First time in 13 years. So thankful.

15. Got an x-ray and bone density test to see why I have bone pain. With all of the different kinds of chronic pain I’ve had, bone pain was never one of them. The concern I have is that after the technician did the three required x-rays of my spine, he did a chest x-ray. As a cancer nurse I know that those are done to check for spread of cancer to lungs. It made me wonder if he saw something as he was doing it that made him think they’d be asking for it and went ahead and did it. Most people wouldn’t notice the difference, but the same thing happened in 1998 when my husband had bone cancer in his leg. He even knew what it meant because of me, and wondered, ‘why, I don’t have cancer,’ but he did.

16. Publishing a Spanish version of The Legacy Project. Making a big giraffe. Botox today was rescheduled since I was literally trapped inside when my garage door opener broke.

17. Getting the garage door fixed. Chiro. Ordered copies of the Spanish Legacy Project to give as gifts for Christmas. I made a blue light sabre over a pool noodle.

18. Final electrician check for the basement apartment. Potluck at J & E’s.

19. Daughter’s family coming to help with the clean up and move back into my mom’s apartment.

20. Mostly moved in, we just need to clean up our area, covered in dry wall dust. Also her stove didn’t fit because the top of it widens, so we had to buy a new one. She is beyond happy to be back in. Also made a neon green curvy snake to replace the one that I sold. Sent cash to Uganda for their Christmas, and am spending the day cleaning the basement.

21. Church. The illustrator has finished the children’s book, so I can get that formatted now. I currently have another wordsearch with him in production. It’s a culinary word search for foodies. I gave out books I wrote as gifts.

22. Got to buy some food for Christmas. My Spanish language version of The Legacy Project is ready.

23. Cleaning lady. The basement is 90% back to normal. We will have to get the stair lift put back after the new stove arrives.

24. Christmas Eve, aka Finnish Christmas. Candlelight and carol service at church.

25. Our eldest daughter’s family hosted Christmas and they did a great job.

26. Cleaning and writing and crocheting. I enjoy two out of three of those things. Guess which two? Made three teddy bears this week.

27. My mom’s new stove is coming today. Then we are going to Jysk to buy her a table and chairs. My next book is ready to upload; A Giant Culinary Word Search for Foodies.

28. Church. Made a squid and a snake. My husband cleaned out the fridge. I love him for that.

29. Year-end stuff. Made some preemie beanies for the local NICU.

30. Botox. Grocery shopping, ready for grandkids for three nights.

31. The kids went to play with friends for a few hours. Got copies of all my books now.