Feeling really tired

My husband is having the CT Scan tomorrow. I'm really worried and I'm not well myself. My tooth is still causing pain, I know it's not the tooth itself once it already hasn't got the nerve but the surroundings. The face is swollen and hurting too. I hope the antibiotic starts working soon.

I've been very tired with pain all over my body, I just want to sleep, I'm really feeling tired.

Than there are those moments when I think that I must lift my self-esteem, and my mother calls me asking for my father's side bars for his bed (I'm taking care of this case) and she starts crying saying that two days ago she thought he was going to die because she sat him (he's in bed all day) he just rolled his eyes and was very quiet.

How can I be relaxed with all these problems around me. I feel I'm not giving my kids my full attention but I'm also so tired and sometimes I prefer to sit on the sofa instead of playing around the house with balloons or other type of active plays.

I really need to change my lifestyle, I can't go on living like this.

Dentist appointment

Regarding my dentist appointment, it was not bad, in fact I felt nothing. She was able to remove the nerve only with external anesthesia.

I had two options, remove the tooth or treat the tooth by killing it, meaning removing the nerve. Once I already had some teeth removed, it would be a great lose if I removed this one so I opted to treat the tooth and keep him for a few more years.

I'll have to go back there next Tuesday to continue the treatment and probably a third appointment will be needed.

It's so expensive. We don't have public dentists only private ones so we have to pay everything from our pocket. Thanks paid posts, you'll pay for my tooth treatment.

Laptop support needed

At night when I'm on my laptop I usually have it on top of my legs. The problems is that it warms up and it's a little uncomfortable to be like that. Usually I use a magazine to put between my legs and the laptop and it helps to prevent the heat from going to my legs, I know this is not a good solutions once the laptop needs to ventilate.

My BIL saw a computer magazine a support for laptops, they can be used everywhere even when we are in bed typing. It seems it's like a breakfast bed tray. I have to check it up in an office furniture store to see if I can find something similar that I can use while in the Laptop.

I'm going to have my tooth fixed today

I have many things to right about what is going on in my life but these last days, all weekend too, my tooth ache hasn't left me. I managed to get an appointment for today. I have t leave a earlier from the office once the appointment is at 17:30 (I leave work at 18:30).

I must confess, I hate dentists, not the dentist herself / himself but... I'm afraid. Once I was given a shot directly in the nerve (I was 16) and it was a trauma for life. I know they only give that shot when there is no other choice but I'm always scare. Let's see how it goes today.

Make dreams come true (only for some people)

My boss just accomplish a part of his dream. A Ferrari.

Although he always wanted a Rolls Royce he decided to have a Ferrari first. It's a Ferrari Modena and he bought it in second hand.

Now, he says he has only one dream to fulfill, spend a week in Rio Las Vegas.

He was told it is a wonderful Hotel with Casino and once he has already been all over the world he wished to go to Las Vegas to that specific Hotel. Remember, we are European so Las Vegas is like a dream to us.

We, employees, struggle to pay the bills with the paycheck.

Christmas Gift idea - Canvas

I know Christmas is four months away but lately I have been hearing about a very interesting christmas gift idea. I found out we can order Canvas from any photo we have, choose the size and the type of Canvas we want.

Usually on Christmas I offer a picture of my kids to the grandparents but this year I was thinking about something different. How about ordering a Canvas with a collage of several photos we took along the year. I think grandparents would love the gift.

At canvasondemand.com you can order online. You have several sizes available and also several effects. If you have an old already damaged photo you can require restoration, you can replace the background and do Sepia or B&W Canvas. You choose.

Eye of the Dolphin

Love has no frontiers. I always enjoy watching a love movie, even if the couple is a 15 years rebel girl and an orphaned wild dolphin.

Eye of the Dolphin is performed by Carly Schroeder (teens will identify themselves with her), Alyssa (15 years old), who will be forced to live on an island with her father, Hawk, (Adrian Dunbar) who is a dolphin research scientist. Being isolated on an island, she finds on a wild dolphin, her best friend. A beautiful and amazing relationship will grown between them and will bring Alyssa hope and strength to deal with her new family and living place.

Check out the movie website at http://www.eyeofthedolphin.net and take a first glimpse at the trailer:


If you want to win some free movie tickets you can enter the contest before August 26/2007 at http://www.eyeofthedolphin.net/contests.

My tooth ache is getting unbearable

The only one that has been health issue's free is my son.

I have to prepare a few euros for myself because I have a major tooth ache. I've been having it for two weeks now, but the pain is starting to be unbearable. It's a tooth that was treated about 18 years ago and was filled with lead. Nowadays the use of lead is forbidden but 18 years ago it was a normal procedure.

I already talked to the dentist and he told me he has to remove the lead and there are two options: he cleans the tooth and closed it (meaning I only pay one appointment) or there is no way the tooth can be treated and it has to be "killed" by removing the nerve (meaning I will have to pay at least 3 appointments).

More bills!!! I guess I'll get rid of my tooth ache and I'll start with a migraine!!! No more bills please!!!

My room needs a new look

It's amazing how long bedding lasts. On one hand it's good because I don't spend money in new bedding, on the other end, I'm getting really tired of watching it week after week. I have mine since I got married, 13 years ago, and I really think my room needs a new look.

Terry's Fabrics is a great place to find quality bedding articles at affordable prices. Here you can choose from the wide variety of models, materials and colors. From printed to quilt covers, from embroidered covers to quilted bedspreads, from white to rose, your choice will be difficult, believe me.

If you are looking for bedding you should check Terry's Fabrics.

Update on my hubby's health issue

After this dizzy husband incident he continued having the same nauseas and dizziness, my hubby ended up having to go to the ER. He had his blood pressure too high with very close values (minimum versus maximum values). The doctor prescribed him some meds and some exams.

He already did blood tests and a ECG. Due to the accident and cerebral trauma he had a few years ago, the doctor wants him to make a CT Scan to check the possibility of some brain problems related to the trauma he suffered.

I'm really scared because, even with medication he still feels a little dizzy a few times a day. He's having the CT Scan next Friday and then the result will only be known a few days later. I hate waiting!!!

All I need is a relaxed weekend

This is what I needed right now, a relaxed weekend, no food to cook, no house cleaning, a family weekend away from where I live, near the sea, no phone calls, no tv, no computer, just the four of us, yes, even a relaxed weekend means kids around. I couldn't go without them.

I found this photo in a site about Mendocino lodging and it really illustrates what I have in mind.

Dreaming is for free!!!

Update on Flower's Surgery

Lately I've been too tired to write. Jumping from doctor appointments, my father's disease, my work in the office, there is no time left.

Following my previous update on Flower's possible surgery, I went with her to the specialist in the private clinic I wrote about. I was a little afraid things didn't work out the way I wanted to but...they worked.

It is a big clinic with a wide variety of medical specialties, treatment and exam's rooms. In the waiting room there is a small room just for kids to wait and play at the same time. The walls of this room are covered with Disney theme posters, has two children size executive desks to represent a doctor's office and several toys available among them puzzles and Legos. It makes easier the wait for the doctor's appointment.

The doctor is a white hair men, very, very nice, special touch with kids and as soon as he saw the X-Ray he said: adenoids must come out, then he watched her mouth and said: Uau...tonsils are too big, must come out too. Then he checked her ears and here are the good news, he said there is no need to put the tubes once she has no problems with the auditive channel. When she says she can't hear well it's because of the sinusitis and that will be resolved or at least ease with the removal of the adenoids.

She's going to make some blood tests (poor Flower) probably Tuesday and as soon as I have the exams, I will schedule another appointment with the same doctor and he will set the surgery date. She will go under surgery probably middle October...for free, in a public hospital. I don't have to wait almost 2 years anymore. At least these are good news.

Create your own online quizzes, polls and surveys

Do you like to have fun on the net by answering to online quizzes, polls and surveys? At Quibblo you take, create and share them. You can take the already existing ones on the site anonymously or you can register and become a member so that your results are stored.

You can also create fun quizzes or even a certain survey to gather information about a certain product, site or service and add it to your own blog or site. There are even personality badges for those taking personality tests

The important thing is that you for sure will have a great time on this site.

Update on my daughter's possible surgery

Following this post about my daughter's possible surgery and once public hospital so far no news, meaning we are still waiting for a public observation appointment, I'm going to try another approach to this issue.

There is a private clinic about 75 minutes away from where we live that has a specialist who also makes surgery in a public hospital. Usually, he makes 2 or 3 appointments and tests in the public clinic (where we have to pay for the appointments) and than he manages to "sneak" the kids into the public hospital and he preforms the surgery without we having to pay a Euro € / $.

This doctor is against hospital waiting lists (that can take up to 2 years wait) and he manages to sabotage the system and helps the kids that are in worse health conditions.

My daughter is having huge problems breathing while sleeping and I'm getting really worried specially with the approach of autumn and winter when colds and flu attack and congestion of the nose makes it even more difficult to breath.

I just hope I'm lucky and he can preforms the surgery as soon as possible.

My nephew's asthma crisis - again

Once again my nephew was taken to hospital with a asthma crisis. He always was a very healthy kid buy three years ago he started having making asthma crises out of nowhere, he can be fine now and in an hour he's begging for air. This time he arrived at the hospital in very bad conditions, the pulse oximeter showed very low values of oxygen on his blood and he had to be on oxygen for a few hours and at the same time making the inhalations with sabutamol.

I had the same problem with my two kids when they were real young but an homeopathic treatment has put asthma's crises away, fortunately. I should continue to check every year with the homeopathic my kids conditions so that the crisis don't come back.

Unfortunately there are people that don't believe in alternative medicines and don't even give it a try.

Time to play with neighbors

This weekend (saturday afternoon) we had four kids aged 8 to 13 years old and three kids aged 3 in the play room in our basement. We have several games there, most them for indoors and special for small spaces. Also the tent was used as a "pretend to be" camping game. Some of the toys are in boxes and although they tried to put everything in place, some games are mixed.

For instance I have golf balls in the snooker game box and some pirates figures in the Robin Hood castle box. Some games have small pieces and it's normal that they don't find the right place for them so they just put them in the box they think they fit

It's good to have kids around having fun but sometimes the "after play" can be really annoying because we have to put all back in the right places.

A dizzy hubby

Yesterday, I was really scared. My husband, who is never sick besides a simple cold, or flu and this surgery, yesterday he got up at 7 am to go to work and as soon as he got up from bed he just fell against the room's door. He could barely stand up, he was nauseous, feeling dizzy.

Once I have the blood pressure monitor at home I took his blood pressure and the values were too close. I gave him a glass of water with sugar and he just lied down again. Although still a little dizzy, he was able to arrive at work at 9:30 am.

In the afternoon values were within normal range and today the same, but he still is not really ok. If it gets worse he'll be seeing a doctor.

I'm having a strong headache myself today, I don't know if it has something to do with the weather, financial issues or my father's late health issues. Maybe all together are messing me up.

Sing your Troubles Away Video Contest

Yesterday I wrote a post about the bank increase interest rates and how it affected my loan monthly payments and my life in general. Well it seems I can earn some money by singing my troubles away.

You might wonder, what she's talking about. Well, YouTube is featuring a "Sing Your Troubles Away Video Contest" based on songs about our daily troubles. I would sing something like:

I need to get out of debt
please tell me how
I need more income
but I can't figure how

Check the GotTrouble.com’s Video Promotion and get an idea how it works. You must have an account with YouTube in order to upload your song.

The best part of this contest, beside having fun "singing the pain away", is that the best song wins a prize of $5,000.00 in cash. This would get me out of debt and my headache would be gone. But I'm not selfish, sign up, upload your video and participate.

My wireless connection is not working

I don't know what's going on tonight but my Laptop is not getting the wireless connection working. I was already in bed with my laptop on my legs, ready to blog and...no internet connection. I had to come downstairs and I'm typing from my desktop right now. I hope this is just a Friday night issue.

I've had this problem a couple of times and I really can't figure out why this happens. No machines on, the microwave is not working, probably some neighbor doing some after hours work with some sort of machine.

My home blood pressure monitor keeps me under control

Being a chronic anxiety sufferer, it's always very complicated when I have something serious bothering me in my life. These last two weeks have been particularly stressful due to my father's disease and the changes it made in my daily family routine.

I have some pills to put under my tongue each time I feel I'm loosing control. Sometimes I just try to control myself but it's not always easy.

As I've been once hospitalized due to cardiac problems due to anxiety crises, I have a blood pressure monitor at home to control the heart beat and blood pressure. Checking your blood pressure and heart beat at a doctors office is not always accurate. I get more stressed when I have to get a doctor's appointment and the values are not always correct.

Using blood pressure monitors at home it's much easier once you are not under pressure and you can even check the values several times in the space of a few minutes and keep controling during the day.

When I'm not feeling well, I always use the blood pressure monitor at home and depending on the readings I control the values with the medication I have.

Not Again!!! bank interests rate rising again

I can't believe it. No, no, this is not a paid post about loans and mortgages.

Due to the US real state crises we, Europeans, are being affected by all that crisis. I was checking my bank account on the internet and I just realized that my monthly payment to the bank for the house loan has increased again. It's the 3rd time this year that this happens.

How am I going to survive...the money is not enough for the bills anymore.

I've some medical appointments to come up in September and October, insurances to pay and I really don't know how am I going to do it.

Forgive me those that are against the 5$ opps but if I have...I will take them. 5$ it's more than the minimum wage/hour here.

I wish I could have a smile plugin but as I haven't: @+*@@§$$

When travelling remember you might need medical assistance

My cousins that live in Germany are taking a two week vacation near their family in Portugal. They arrived at the airport on Wednesday, rented a car and they are willing to spend some time on the beach but the weather is not helping. Yesterday it was windy and cold, today it's hotter but in the news they are already saying that it's going to rain of Sunday.

Well I just hope they have a good vacation this time without incidents. I say this time, because two years ago they were here and my cousin broke a leg. It was a major problem once they didn't have any papers stating they would be here on holidays. Usually we have to fill out some forms before leaving to another country so that we can have medical assistance. This time, just to be secured, they contacted an insure company before traveling and they bought a medical travel insurance that covers most types of accidents that can happen.

Of course they expect to have a great time, with no accidents, but at least they are more "secure" this time.

Color doesn't matter

My son, who is 8, already started asking the curious-sometimes-hard-to-answer questions.

Although we live in a multiracial country and we have many color Portuguese "brothers" in countries like Brazil, Angola and Mozambique, it's not very common in our city, which is a small city, to see multiracial couple.

Of course we have come across many color people, but for me they are just people on the street. Yesterday my son saw a multiracial couple kissing on the street when I was driving home, and the question pop-up: Why don't they kiss people from the same color?

Having no racial issues this one was easy for me to answer, people love each other, no matter the nationality, race, color, social status, etc. They are just two normal people that love each other.

Then I asked him about a school friend that is a color boy, don't you play with him, don't you laugh with him, and my son said that he had never paid attention to the fact that his friend was not white, meaning color doesn't really matter when it cames to friendship and love.

Let's wait for the next hard-to-answer question!!

Interracial dating site - love doesn't have color

I have in draft a conversation I had with my son about racial issues and I just come across a related site that I would like to mention.

Nowadays, having a multiracial relationship is a natural thing. We live in a multiracial world and love is all around.

If you would like to have a interracial romance or if you want to increase your friends circle you can check the number one interracial community on the internet.

It is a interracial dating site, that you can sign up for free. There are many other interracial singles like you, willing to know you and contact you. You can make a search on the database in order to find someone with the same interests and you can even schedule a date and get into a great relationship.

Night Diapers still being worn

Coming back to the night diapers issue after this post and this post, Flower keeps using them. Before she could stay 4-5 days without a wet diaper, now it's one day dry, two days wet, so I don't even try yo take off the diaper for now. It's not probably her timing yet.

I was checking some articles about this subject and end up and found this article on parentcenter.com : Bed-wetting

If your child consistently wets the bed at night, he may have a small bladder or may not yet have developed the ability to wake up in response to a full bladder, but this problem will probably pass as he gets older.

So, I'm not worried, my son stopped using night diapers at the age of 4 so, she's 3 years and 5 month, I guess she's just not ready yet.

We're never too old for Body Piercings

One of the things I desire and haven't accomplished yet is having a body piercing. I don't want anything very noticeable, a small thing would be just fine.

I was checking freshtrends.com and they have several body jewelry at very competitive prices.

I prefer simple but yet fashionable jewelry. No tongue or eyebrow piercings, I leave that to young people. I'm 38 so I guess a cartilage ear piercing jewelry would be interesting.

My problem is that my 8 years old son already told me he wanted a ear piercing and I think he's too young for that, but I guess he would like to have a modern and pierced mother!!

If you're looking for Body Jewelry you should check frenshtrends.com, for sure you'll find what you're looking for.

It was a rainy holiday today

Today it was a public holiday...we didn't work!!! The weather was terrible, cloudy, rain, cold you name it.

I did some laundry, hubby cleaned the turtle aquarium and I expected to have a quiet day.

The kids did some paper, scissors, glue activities. In the afternoon my son spent some time playing with a neighbor, I played outside with Flower in the wet sand when it wasn't raining but after 15 minutes it started raining again and I asked her if she wanted to go to a warm water swimming pool. Of course she said yes and we both went to the bath (small swimming pool...I know) and we had some fun playing in the water.

We went out after dinner to watch the sea and drink a cup of coffee.

Ceiling fans can be dangerous

My neighbor has a covered barbecue on the back yard where he gathers the family and friends and spend a lot of time specially on weekends.

A few days ago he asked me if I knew where he could find ceiling fans because he wanted to put one on the covered barbecue to easy the heat on hot days.

Today he invited me to see the new ceiling fan and I must say, I was scared. The ceiling is a little low and I guess if someone jumps underneath the fan will have his/her head cut in the middle.I told him that and he was a little concerned. I guess he's going to replace it with another type of fan or ventilator.

Being helpful at a high price

Today my hubby had to go twice to my parents house.

First: 14:00 because he had to help my mother to put my father in bed (he was on the couch where the nurse and my mother had put him early morning)

Second: 18:15 because he had been very active and aggressive and wanted to leave the house. As he is in bed, he just kept moving his body until he fell on the floor. My mother wasn't able to put him back to bed (he's too heavy) and she phoned us. We leave 3 km away, so...it's 8-10 minutes drive.

I feel my life is falling apart, I shake when I hear the phone ringing, I shake when I have to visit them. I leave home at 8:30 in the morning arrive at 19:00 at home. I need some rest. If I don't have some peace on weekends and holidays, I'm going to freak out. I need time to be with my husband and kids, not worrying about receiving a phone call that will separate us even if it is for a few hours.

Will this mean that my 13 years peace time went away?

Homeowner loans for those that want to have fun and don't have the money

Some people take loans to buy houses (like myself), others to buy cars, motorbikes or even a boat. I have a friend who took a loan to be able to pay a dentist to fix her son's teeth.

To buy my house I took a secured loan once it gives me the chance to pay it in many years (until I'm 75 years old). In secured loans we have to offer the bank the security of our house, if I stop paying, they will keep the house for themselves.

I wish I could have taken a loan to go on vacation this year. There are homeowner loans that are used for entertainment reasons and they have low interest rates, but, as I already have to pay for my secured loan, I can't afford another loan right now.

I encourage people to take loans for pleasure, to travel, to buy an expensive jewelry, just be careful and don't take too many loans!!

I know he's my father but how can he be so mean

Yesterday I had a terrible end of day. I know lately I've been talking about my father's Alzheimer's but my life is getting in a mess because of him (or "it" the disease).

Yesterday, after leaving the office after 8 working hour I went to my parents house to check on my father. Well...why did I go there???

My father was lucid and that means...trouble.

For you to understand the situation, I must state that my father always was a violent men, more verbally but also physically, specially to my mother. I saw and heard a lot of things as a small child, teen, grow-up that I shouldn't. The happiest day of my life was on may 7th, 1994 when I got married and left my parents house. No more fights, no more aggression...I got some peace. I knew the aggression (mostly verbal!!) continued but I wasn't there.

For 13 years I wasn't present during the aggressive behaviour of my father, so yesterday when I arrived at their house, my father, although in a bed and without behing able to stand up, was lucid and agressive. He had already tried to hit my mother even kick her. He was calling my mother all those bad, ugly names he used to, it was not the disease talking, it was himself, the aggressive men I knew from the past.

He was screaming, complaining, threatening my mother...he was lucid.

It was terrible for me. While I was driving home I started feeling my heart beat raising, I started shaking. I arrived home, I wasn't able to even grab the fork to eat, my whole body was shaking, all the memories I tried to keep away from mind for so many years, just pop up on my mind and I felt terrible.

I wasn't able to write about this yesterday, that's why I'm doing it today, even so, tears are rolling down my face.

I want and I will continue to keep my kids away from this type of situations and behavior. I will only take my kids to their house when he is calm, I don't want them to watch what I watched for 24 years.

I know he's sick but...he was lucid yesterday.

I need a gift for a 12 years old

Almost every week my son has a birthday party. This month he already attended one and already has two more invitations.

Fortunately he is becoming a little more selective when it comes to friends, and some of the parties he just doesn't want to go. I spend a lot of money in gifts and I have to reduce those bills.

This month we have our nephew's birthday and that party we can't miss. He's turning 12 and he practice Judo, he loves this sport. I really don't know what to offer him and I was thinking about a Judo techniques' book.

What do you think? Any ideas?

Lighting issue

Today, when I arrived home after work and tuned on the garage light switch, the light just made a strange noise and didn't work.

We use a 4ft 2 light fluorescent lighting once the garage is in the basement and as few natural light. The problem is already fixed once we had two spare lights at home, just in case.

We also use the same type of lighting in the other room, located in the basement, and in the kitchen. Although we have natural light in the kitchen, it is there that we spend most of our time while cooking, eating, sometimes playing with the kids in the kitchen table, and besides being cheaper, fluorescent lighting is more friendly.

Keep them busy and happy

With two kids with 5 years apart, sometimes it's difficult to keep them busy and both enjoying the same activity.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• salt
• water
• imagination
• kitchen wall

Mix very well the first 3 ingredients and put the 4th ingredient in action.

Use the 5th ingredient to finish the work of art.




Afterwards, time to clean up the mess.

Sum up...better...sum down

I made some sums this weekend and I'm really worried about our house situation. Bank interests keep rising and our monthly payment is increasing every 3 months. I need more income but we both work full time so, it's difficult to work more than we already do.

Moving is not on my plans since the situation is similar all over the country. Sell my house will be very difficult once real estate is a mess. I just have to wait for better days.

If you are are in the US and thinking about moving to Wilmington area you must check this site http://www.seacoastrealty.com/. Here you can find useful information regarding Wilmington NC real estate. Beautiful area, homes and properties.

From the Saturday

Saturday I stayed with my father while my hubby and kids where shopping. The kids prefer to be away from my parents house and I really understand them. When awake my father says nonsense things, sometimes we can't figure out what he is talking about we just have to play along. The kids don't find that funny.

When I arrived at my parent's house saturday after lunch, my mother started complaining about my father's behaviour, always calling her, asking for strange things like a knife to cut the sheets, that she's tired, etc. etc. etc. The only thing I can do is say that that is normal behaviour for an Alzheimer patient. I did some research on the net and the symptoms are the same.

My hubby, a muscle men, put my father in one chair, it was a try we give him, but my father isn't able to support his neck anymore as well as any part of his body. As soon as he was in the chair he just fell asleep and they had to put him back to bed.

They left to the supermarket and I stayed to look after him, my mother was afraid to leave him alone, but he just slept all the time they were away from home.

We came back one then and again I was exhausted, not for working but from the anxiety I feel every time I have to go to my parents house. I didn't connect the computer.

Save space and money with digital pictures frames

On one wall of my library room I have several pictures of my kids, my nephews, ourselves all over the wall. I have many other pictures that I would like to frame and put on the wall so that I could look at them every time I walk into the room. There is one problem, no more space on the wall and I have to choose the ones I prefer to be there.

Well, my problem will be solved as soon as I can buy a digital picture frame. The digital frame allows me to have several pictures in one frame, continuously. I was also confused at first but it's very easy to use.

We just have to transfer the digital pictures we have in our computer to the frame card reader through a USB connection and soon we will have all our pictures slide showing in the digital picture frame.

You can find several models at Digitalframez.com. This is an online electronic store where you can find LCD digital photo frames made of wood, aluminum coated, crystal, etc. There are also several sizes available.

You save space: you have all your pictures in one place
You save money: no printing, no ink, no paper needed

I can breath a little more peaceful now

Things are getting back to normal. I mean not normal, normal. My father continues in bed, not really aware of who and what surrounds him, hallucinating or remembering his younger years events, not even turning around in bed, etc. etc.

When I mean things are getting back to normal is that I'm not rushing to call 911, go with my father to hospital, not calling every single hour to ask my mother if everything is ok. Rush from my house, to daycare, to my parents house, to work and all the way back again. I can breath now.

We don't know how long he is going to be like this, if he's going to get better (I doubt it) or worse soon. If he continues like this at least we know what to expect from everyday life. Of course I would like to see him walk again but for sure with Alzheimer's that is not going to happen, so, having him stable, breathing and eating even if it is in a bed, makes me more comfortable in my everyday life.

I can dedicate my fully attention to my family at home although there are some tasks I will have to make for my mother like tomorrow stay a little bit at her house to check on my father while she's going to shop for food and other items she needs.

Let's see how we spend the weekend.

Today, after dinner we have a birthday party, a small one, just to eat a slice of cake and drink a cup of coffee.

My father's health condition - Alzheimer's

My father has Alzheimer's and Parkinson (I already wrote several posts about it).

Around 3 years ago he started having some physical problems and it was when he was diagnostic with Parkinson. A few months ago he started showing other type of symptoms, typical of Alzheimer’s.

This last months he already had difficulty in walking, eating alone, washing and dressing himself. My mother had to help him in the daily basic tasks. He also started showing brain problems like forgetting names, saying he wasn’t at home, wanting to run away from home, calling bad names to my mother, being aggressive, etc. etc. All these symptoms have been increasing every week.

Last Friday it was chaos, my mother wasn’t able to take it any more, he was completely out of control and we had to call an ambulance and take him to hospital. Diagnostic: normal symptoms from Alzheimer’s. More medication and was sent home.

Saturday it was his birthday (78), we bought a cake and had lunch there, but he was asleep all the time. We returned later and he was sleeping again.

We sang him Happy Birthday on Sunday but he wasn’t aware of that at all. We did it because of the kids.

Monday morning, I was at the social assistance office to look for some advice, when my mother called me saying that he was getting worse. I told her to call 911 and once again he was taken to hospital. When he arrived at the ER his pulse was very weak and he was in very bad general conditions, but an hour later he was already screaming, doctors said it was normal for an Alzheimer patient. Once again he was sent home with a little medication change.

Now, that person that last week was able to walk (although very slowly) to the coffee shop near his house with his daughter (myself) and grandchildren, is now in a bed, not able to turn around, being fed like a baby, with diapers and not aware where he is.

I just called my mother and she told me he had headaches during the night so, I don’t know if he’s going to get worse or not. There is nothing we can do to help because, as all specialists say, it is normal for Alzheimer’s patients to have this behaviour and health conditions.

I have no brothers or sisters so when something happens I’m the one that has to go and check what is going on, leave work suddenly.

I just hope that this situation gets to a stable status because my kids were aware of my anxiety, my worries, and they really started requiring my attention.

I know my mother needs someone to talk to, although she has neighbours and other family members, but I feel I also need to call her and stop by their house to check on my father’s condition, but every time I do so, I get nervous, anxious and upset. I also have my kids, my hubby, my problems, one broken car, the water heater at home is not working well, I work 8 hours a day on my full time job, etc. etc. Fortunately my hubby helps with everything but I miss some peace in my life.

I’ve been very tired, exhausted physically and psychologically and as soon as I get a bed, I just fell asleep. My computer at home as been turned off because I had no time or patience to write. I guess I'm getting back to "normal" now (I have to) and I will start writing more regularly now.

Thanks for those that stopped by wishing to know some news. I special kiss to Holli.

Smorty

Since March 2007 that I've been writing paid posts to earn some extra money. I also do it because I like to write and I also learn a lot from what I write about.

Smorty is another blog for money company that just approved my blog. I already write for them on my http://www.buylivebetter.com blog and now I expect to get some work on this blog too.

Smorty pays bloggers to write about services, products or sites which are willing to increase their traffic and get known worldwide. This is called blog advertising. Some posts are products or sites reviews others are announcements or what I call "get to know" posts, meaning there is a new site/forum around that wants to reach the public and we just help them out by writing about them and linking to them.

I must say that this all paid post experiences has been great for me because I get to know great sites with useful information that I use in my everyday life.

My absence from my blog

Due to my father's major health problems and his serious condition I've been away from computers, internet and work. Later today or tomorrow I expect to continue updating my blog.

Yesterday I thought it was the last day of my father's life but...he keeps hanging in there and today he's a little better.

I'll be back soon.

Itchy days

For the last 3 weeks I've been having my bi-yearly or yearly allergy. My son has it for two weeks now. This is something I have since I was a little girl and no one has ever discovered what it is. Unfortunately it seems my son has the same problem, each time it appears on my body it appears on his too. This appear all over the body but usually in concentrated areas. On the back never shows up. Usually there are at least 6 to 12 new bites every two days. Interesting...

I already made allergy tests twice and the results were negative, meaning they don't know what it is. These are similar to a mosquito bite and are itchy has hell. Although taking meds for the itching we have terrible nights.

My son is better now and I thought I was too because 3 days without any new bite I thought it meant no more but...today I had 3 more. I couldn't believe it.

Today I went to the doctor, a different doctor to get one more opinion, and what she told me was: very white skin people are more exposed to exterior factors like the sun and mosquitoes and what we have are several (dozens) bites of small insects like mosquitoes and mites. We can't notice them because they are too small and they can enter into our clothes during the sleep and bite us.

Ughggg ... now I have bugs entering into my clothes??? Who gave them permission?

Of course it makes sense and for several times I thought about the mites. Mosquitoes...only if they survive the electric device we have turned on all night.

Well, there is little we can do. Just get rid of some itching with meds, keep the house and especially the mattress real clean and wait for this to go away.

I wish I had an university degree

There are days that I think that I should have taken an University degree. There are jobs that require a PhD or an specialization and I have none.

First it was the lack of money of my parents that were not able to pay for my studies when I was 18. Than, after I started working I took some English Certificates through a Language institute that worked with Cambridge University in United Kingdom (English as a foreign language). I also started University studies at night (I worked 8 hours a day) but I had a breakdown and only was able to finish first year. 5 years later I started second year and again another breakdown. My head was too weak to manage a 8 hours job +5 hours at school + studying + exams (a day).

Lately I've been thinking about it because I've heard about Capella University, an online school. I could even take a distance learning phd program from home. I would have access to everything from home, no need to leave home for classes. Of course with a full time job, two kids and a house to take care of it would be real hard, but, it's something I'm thinking about.