Health care and access for all......

Equal access for all. Gosh I wish that were true. Our provincial government keeps touting that they are providing equal access to health care for all British Columbians. Well I guess it all depends on your interpretation of access now doesn't it?

If you live in metropolitan Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna or even in the Fraser Valley, health care is readily accessible. Now move out of those areas and it becomes a whole different ball game. Here on the island it is certainly the case. I am not talking about access to services like MRI's CT scans, Angio's or cancer treatments....that's a whole different topic. What I am referring to is access to a medical doctor.

At the end of April I had the misfortune of losing my doctor. He passed away unexpectedly and I am sadden by his loss. Not only was he my doctor but he was my employer when I did the flu clinic at his office and he was my friend, when he purchased his motorcycle he was so excited he had me come out to the parking lot to look at it. His passing has not only left a void in my personal life but also from a medical stand point. You see with his passing there is no one to replace him. That leaves all of his patients looking for a new doctor. That's right, we were told that one of the doctor's who is semi retired would see patients on an emergency basis only and that if you needed a doctor that you had to go to the after hours clinic in the next town. That's not very good if you ask me, especially in my community that is primarily seniors who have difficulties enough getting to the doctor. Then have to find a new doctor and find a way to get to the next community. We don't have buses or taxis where I live, so if you don't have your own form of transportation you are out of luck. Sure there are volunteer organizations that if you call a week ahead of time you MIGHT be able to get transportation from them, but that is not for certain, so how can you book an appointment if you don't know how you are going to get there?

So now I am faced with the task of trying to find a new doctor. There are no doctors to be had in my town and in researching the College of Surgeons and Physicians for listings of doctors accepting new patients there are four listed in the next town, but when you call the office they say they are not accepting new patients, when you ask them if they know who is they say they don't know. I found a doctor up island in the community in which I work, when I called I was told she was only accepting maternity patients... I explained that I was long past that stage in my life but that I really needed to find a doctor as mine recently became deceased, she told me to call back later that week. When I called back she told me that the doctor hadn't been in that she was on holidays but that I should call later this week. So here I am another week gone by and I still haven't been able to find a doctor. You would think that working in the field I would have easier access, that certainly is not the case.

When I was at work yesterday one of the specialist mentioned that he didn't want to discharge a patient because the patient didn't have a regular GP. He then went on to say that as a specialist he can't be taking on new patients just because they didn't have a doctor that was not his role as a specialist. As it turned out the patient because she was admitted under the "doctor of the day" she became his patient. But again, here is another example. This patient lives on the outskirts of town, she was discharged from the hospital but has to come in twice a day for shots and bloodwork. She doesn't drive, she tries to organize things around her daughters schedule but that isn't always possible as was the case when she left the hospital today. I could go on about the accessibility to services but as I said that is a whole post in itself.

So it would appear that health care is not equally accessible to all.

The joy of it all......

Here we are at the start of another week. Today, I actually started doing some hands on nursing. Although I have been feeling disjointed, scattered and scared it did feel really good to be getting back to work after being off for such a long time. I was starting to feel like my brain was going to mush. Not a very good feeling.

I started talking to two of my colleagues today about how I was feeling...one of them told me how she felt when she had come back after maternity leave and that the biggest decision she had to make for the day when she was off was whether or not to mash or chop the banana for the kids. Then all of a sudden you come back to work and you change hats and put yourself in life saving situations....calculating drips, adjusting lines, medications, change dressings, follow protocols and be ready to run for a code if someone goes into cardiac arrest. Yes it is all a little unsettling, but with the help and support of my colleagues I am sure I will get my feet wet pretty quick.

Ok you men out there reading this...at this point you might want to plug your ears and go la la la......or better yet, maybe you might want to listen. The above discussion about returning to work and life adjustment brought the conversation around to how we are feeling about our lives in general. My colleague and I discussed about how we felt we were floundering with our lives...unsettled, an emotional mess ready to cry or scream at a drop of a hat, or how we felt like sometimes we were in a fog and just waiting for it to pass, but it never seems to lift. I said to my colleague that sometimes it's like if I could just take of my glasses I would see clearer, but that doesn't seem to help. My colleague told me that it has been bothering her so much that she actually has sought the help of a professional. She told me that after explaining how she was feeling to this person they said "welcome to menopause". Is that what it is? Is that why I feel like such a mess? I know there have been physical changes happening like the fight that is going on with the bed linens on again off again....but it is the mood thing...sometimes I feel so rational and other times I feel like a crazed person being deprived of something they so desperately want but really don't need. Oh the joys of it all...if this is the early signs of menopause can I send it back? Please!!!!! I don't mind getting old...but why does it have to come with all the hormonal stuff and hit you so hard when you least expect it? I don't know why I am so surprised I am ...uhhhhmmm.......46! After looking up menopause it would appear that I actually fall into the category of perimenopause....oh joy....the bad stuff isn't suppose to happen until I turn 51....oh even more joy

I am learning to accept that I am not in my 30's anymore that I don't rebound from injuries like I use to. I am also learning to accept that it takes me at least twice as long to lose 5 lbs as it did when I was in my 30's, that piece of cake that I use to be able to eat and then just run it off..not anymore...that piece of cake just finds itself nicely on my hips and takes up permanent residency...just not fare at all, but hey, as I have been told so many times...."life isn't fare!!!" so I guess I just have to get over it right? NOT....I don't want to accept that I have to be miserable and just accept that I am going to be moody, sweaty and oh yeah someone told me about the hair thing....no I just am not going to accept that. Call me stubborn, my mom use to say that about me, I use to challenge things all the time and well maybe if I just looked at menopause as a challenge I might be able to deal with it better. I certainly don't want to go on HRT so if black cohosh, ginger teas and evening primrose will do the trick that is what I shall do.

I know some of you are most probably saying oh just accept it, it's inevitable we all go through it...yes I guess we do...some are just able to manage it better or don't seem to get as affected by it as others. I've always been a fighter so why not take this on. I wonder what Maxine would say in a case like this......

For all you MOM's out there.....here's wishing you a very happy day!!!

The week that never seemed to end.....

Gosh this week just flew by....what's up with that??. I've had a busy week. Monday and Tuesday I was in my program and on Wednesday I went into work for my first day of the gradual return to work. Well true to form my employer forgot I was coming in and the arrangements that we had made for orientation went out the window. So I took it upon myself to review current literature...check out what was new and do some housekeeping stuff. Needless to say I was not impressed. After I left work I rushed home packed my stuff and caught the ferry for the mainland. On Thursday my youngest daughter had her annual oncologist check up hence the purpose of my trip to the mainland...it all went well. After her appointment we went and did a little shopping. She is so much fun to buy for...being so petite everything looks smashing on her. After our shopping adventure off to my brothers we went for coffee. He then asked if I could take him somewhere which I did and then youngest daughter and I made our way to pick up her sisters who were joining us for a visit back to the Island. The ferry we wanted to catch was full...it left over 20mins late which then ended up putting it an hour behind schedule....it was 1030 at night by the time we finally got home. Hubby had made us something to eat...and then it was off to bed for me as I had to be up early to go into work on Friday. After work I washed my truck and then middle daughter and I cut the lawn and trimmed the hedges.

Phew....I am out of breath.....today I am just going to chill...well maybe do a few chores but nothing big...the girls and I are going to get out and about....maybe the four of us will go for a run...and then find an adventure.

Well not much more to share.....I will leave you with photos of some visitors we had yesterday evening.......I think if you click on the photos you can get a closer look....in looking closer at this photo I see there are two Purple Finch in the photo.....can you find the other one?

American Gold Finch, Purple Finch male(that's the reddish one) and the Pine Siskin

American Gold Finch(males) top picture, Pine Siskin (striped wing and yellow) and Purple Finch

The Great Outdoors.........

By now most of you know how much I love being outdoors...and how much I enjoy birding. I still consider myself an amateur birder but maybe I am not as amateur as I thought. The other day hubby and I went to an open house at a fish hatchery not far from us. There were booths set up and one of the booth was from the Naturalists society in our area. We walked over and were checking out some of the nests they had on display and bird information, anyhow, I started chatting with one of the ladies who was tending the booth and described a bird I had observed in the tree the other day...I told her about it's plumage, where I spotted it and it's call....I think she was impressed with my description...she then went on to give examples of birds she thought it might be...but when she started saying their names...I was able to say...oh no it wasn't that I have seen that...and so on....it got me thinking....maybe I know a little more than I give myself credit. I still haven't determined what the bird was...even after looking in my bird books with one of those being Sibley's the bible on birding.

Anyhow, this lead us to a lovely discussion about birds and one common bird the Stellar Jay...our provincial bird. She and a few of the ladies around her were saying that they haven't seen hardly any this year...I told them they needed to come to my property....we have a high bird count sometimes as high as 14...but generally around 4. They were happy to hear that, as they say that they can be migratory and move out of the area.

I am learning to keep the camera close at hand, and now my binoculars so I can get a close up view of some of the birds that have been showing up around my place. Apparently, this has been an incredibly good year for small birds. I commented that I have been pleasantly surprised at the variation of birds and the increase in numbers. Yesterday was no expectation.... While preparing dinner I looked out at the bird feeder and here is what I saw....

Golden Crown Sparrow...notice the yellow stripe on the head...very distinct for this bird..along with the grey breast and the speckled wings.

As most of you know I live in a rural area....one of the things that comes along with that is you often see things that you just wouldn't see in the city. The other day hubby was coming home and just on the side of the road he observed these......

Can you see them? On a closer look.....

Aren't they just gorgeous.....they do have a home...but I guess they just decided they needed to get out for a stroll.

Where I've been

Another week has begun....my gosh how time flies....it seems like just yesterday I was rushing off to catch the ferry to the mainland...and here we are another week has passed and a new one just waiting to happen.

I have completed yet another week of the rehab program for my shoulder, as I have said in previous posts what doesn't kill you surely must cure you....that's certainly how I feel about this program.

I did a work site assessments with one of the kinesiologist's from the program and then we met with my employer and had a meeting to discuss my return to work. I am looking foward to getting back to work and some normalcy to my life...if you can call shift work being normal.

I am feeling stronger and healthier, all very good signs.

It was my mother in laws birthday the other week and we all went out for dinner....hubbies sister who has been down in California for the past 6 months was there so it was an extra special dinner. I know mother in law was very pleased and happy to have her daughter there.

I gather most of you have noticed that I have not been posting regularly. I thought it was that I was in a slump...but I think it is more than that. I will try to expand on what I mean.

My brother and wife are in Wales on a teacher exchange for a year. In this my brother chose to reignite his blog. He first started out sharing his travels and adventures...and then started to mix in he thoughts on the healing process from losing two of his children. He is an extremely powerful writer. Something I never knew. I am in awe of his writing, his emotions, his command of the English language. I am amazed at what he is able to share...and the way in which he does it. He has this innate ability to draw the reader into his writings, you his feel the pain, it's like you are experiencing life along with him. His Christmas in Ireland, his time in Prague..and his recent travels to Egypt which took him scuba diving in the Nile I think you would really enjoy reading a few of his adventures and journey through dealing with grief...if so you can find him at John's Blog I am sure you won't be disappointed.

So what does this have to do with my frequency of posts? Everything, in reading his posts I realized that my posts lacked substance. I had nothing to say and have often lived by the adage that just don't post for the sake of posting...post when you have something you want or feel you need to share...and as it has been of late I felt I haven't had anything terribly note worthy and as a result I felt that my writing skills would not have the luster and finesse to be post worthy.

I started this post last week, and in reviewing what I wrote I am glad I didn't post it then.

I still feel as I did last week with regards to posting, but after reflection I realized that I will never be able to write like my brother I am me and he is who he is...that is what makes each of us unique and special. So I continue to post.

I start my return to work this week. The pain in my shoulder has not fully receded but it is considerably better, it is my left shoulder I worry about. It really flared up last week, I think I have resolved myself to the fact that is just how it is going to be.

Life has been busy and full, lots to chat about....but I will save that for another day along with photos. Thanks to those of you who sent me emails your thoughtfulness brightened my day!

My weekend....and Wet Coast Women.....

Well I had a whirlwind visit on the mainland. After rushing to catch the 3:00 pm ferry I made it to my sisters place just after 5:00 pm. I thought that was pretty fantastic seeing as it was Friday and I was dealing with rush hour traffic. Actually, the traffic only got bad once I came out of the Cassiar Tunnel....it was bumper to bumper, with the traffic merging from 1st Ave onto the so called Freeway.....(freeway my ass) that has to be the slowest route anywhere. You know I grew up and lived on the mainland for fourty-three years, so I am no stranger to the traffic....but my gosh how things have changed in the short time I have moved to the Island....the aggressive drivers....and I am talking all types of drivers from teenagers to grandpa's and grandma's.....pushing and riding your tail the whole time....it's no wonder the insurance rates are so high.....At one point I was letting a vehicle merge in......I left space....he didn't come in...he watited and wanted to sneak further ahead in line....still I left room...you know this driver stayed on the outside for as long as he could....but at the end of the day he ended up right in front of me.....it's a very interesting mentality these drivers have....things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm.

I arrived at my sisters...she looked surprised at my arrival.....I said to her it looks like you weren't expecting me...she said she thought I was someone else... she thought I didn't catch the 3:00 and was on the 5:00...I said SURPRISE!!! here I am. The person she thought I was, is a girlfriend of mine who I had arranged to come over for a visit. My girlfriend arrived about 40 mins after my arrival....we had a great visit, regardless of the thunder, lightening and snow storm.....

Saturday morning arrived....I am an early riser....I got ready to go for my morning walk....my sister decided to join me.....it was a tad chilly with the snow still on the ground...but we were not going to be deterred by the elements so out we went. Upon our return home sis and her roommate(who is also a good friend of mine) made breakfast.....after breakfast it was a dash to get ready to go meet my girls.

The girls and I planned to go shopping...but I had forgotten my bank card at my sisters so I had to go back to her place which cut into our shopping time....anyhow...got the card and we ventured off to the mall....which I call Metrohell(Metrotown). It is a very high density mall that twists and turns and goes everywhere....one can very easily get lost there. Now because of my silliness of forgetting my card it ate into our shopping time....so it then became power shopping....four women dodging people who were oblivious to the fact that we were on a mission. Part of the reason things ended up being rushed was that eldest daughter and middle daughter had to work by 4:00 pm and I really wanted to make sure they had something to eat before they started work. We split up in order to cover more territory, eldest daughter with youngest and middle daughter with me. Middle daughter and I were on a mission to find me a jacket....one wouldn't think it should be so difficult....but it was....challenging to be exact....the clock was ticking.....I needed roller skates.....my face begins to glow with perspiration....I loss track as to how many stores we were in.....but wouldn't you know it....the last store...we found it....I left middle daughter to go the shoe store to find shoes for work....I ran to meet up with eldest and youngest as youngest wanted this shirt and it was mom's treat so they needed me....I found them.....time is still ticking.....line up at the cash register...urgh!!! Saturday shopping at one of the busiest malls on the mainland...what was I thinking....anyhow....the purchase is made....now there are three of us making a mad dash back to meet up with middle daughter....we find middle daughter disgusted and distraught by the rudeness of others in the mall. She is incensed that people don't say excuse me..or pardon me....unaware that their parcels that they are swinging so freely are barely missing her head.....LET'S GET OUT OF HERE was the cry. I said ok follow me....single file we weave in and out of the people make our way to the escalator...and find our way to my vehicle and our little oasis.....we all breath a heavy sigh of relief. It's now time to get the girls to work.

Got eldest and middle daughter some food and then it was into work. Youngest daughter and I decided it was time we had a little nibble, so we had a little something at the restaruant the girls work at. It was then time to take youngest daughter home...and high tail it back to my sisters to get changed and to go meet up with women for the Wet Coast Women blog.

This was the reason I went to the mainland was to meet up with some of the blogging women from Wet Coast Women. I don't know how many of you ever noticed the logo on my sidebar...

Now I can appreciate it is an undertaking trying to get any group together but Crunchy from Crunchy Carpet who is also the creator of Wet Coast Women took it upon herself to organize a get together. There were five of us for dinner and another joined us a little later. It was so nice to meet all of these women and to learn a little bit more about them.....here are a few photos I took....

On the left is the author of The Love Blog and Crunchy Carpet is on the right.

On the right is Left Coast Mama and by now you know who is on the left......

And here is the lovely and charming JMB from Nobody Important.

And here are three of the lovely ladies together........I had a couple of pictures of the group together but one didn't turn out and somehow I deleted the wrong one so I am hoping I might be able to retrieve them and forward it along.

So there you have it.....my first meeting with some fellow bloggers....I look forward to continuing corresponding with them.

Sunday was a whirlwind as well.....after my walk it was time to pack up and dash to go see youngest daughters field hockey game...which her team won ....after the game I went to pick up middle daughter and we made a mad dash for the ferry home. I'm out of breath......how was your weekend?

Update and then some....

First, I want to thank you all for you comments and well wishes for my daughter. Here is an update. She has an appointment to see the neurologist on the 29th of this month...I will be taking her. We spoke today, the GP called her and told her the results of her blood work....looks like my daughter is also anemic and hypoglycemic......geesh!!! I had a long chat with her about diet and the importance of good nutrition....she told me this was a very good wake up call for her....I am so anxious to see her this weekend and bring her home with me for a few days....I will be doing a lot of teaching with her about dietary requirements and the importance of taking care of herself....I told her it's a good thing she is young and her body can bounce back.....we had a couple of good tears together....so I am really looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

This is a very busy weekend, not only am I looking forward to seeing my girls but I am also looking forward to meeting up with some Vancouver bloggers....Yup.....my blog friend and creator of Wet Coast Women blog has organized a get together....it's going to be so much fun...I am really looking forward to meeting some fellow bloggers......I will make sure to bring my camera.....

Lots has being going on in my life since my last posts......I have been busy at my rehab program which I attend 5 days a week.....I am very optimistic that I should be back to work by the beginning of May....Yippee!!! Next week we are going to do a job analysis and meet with my employer...and again I am optimistic that I will be able to start a gradual return to work. Wish me luck.

I don't know if I have mentioned, but my mother in law is wanting to buy a boat, and not just your run of the mill boat....but a 32' power boat.....she has been looking on the Internet and with my hubbies input she is getting a pretty good idea of what it is she would like.....last weekend we went out looking at boats....it was a lovely weekend...sun was shining...it was warm and finally Spring like......our travels took us to Port Alberni....it's a great community it used to be a lumber and fishing community but lumber being what it is today have effect the community significantly....anyhow, it is a very picturesque community with water on the one side and mountains on the other....you have heard me mention about Mt. Arrowsmith in previous posts...I have actually shared pictures of the mountain with you....living in Port Alberni you get to see Mt. Arrowsmith from a different vantage point.....here is what I saw.....

I apologize for the lack of clarity in this photo I took this while hubby was driving.......

I have also tried to relax and be creative.....I am not terribly talented when it comes to the craft department but I like to give it the good old college try. About a month ago I was at the thrift store and came accross a couple of grape vine wreaths. They were in need of repair but for 99 cents a piece how could I not buy them. I have wanted to make a wreath for the front door and thought if I got these wreaths and went and bought some silk flowers and makings I could make my own wreath. Well finally last week at got the project.....here's is a pictoral of how it went...

So here you have the grape vine wreath in much need of repair and the supplies I thought of using to make the wreath......and here is the finished product...

So there you have it....my attempt at the wreath....please ignore my reflection in the door....but hey, what can I say.....hope you all are keeping well......cheers!

My little rant......

Have you ever heard of the saying "I'm so mad I could spit" not very lady like I know, but that is just how I feel right now. Actually, I don't know if I am mad, upset with myself, scared or what it is I am truly feeling. You know it's not a good thing when you get a call from you ex unexpectedly. Such was the case last evening.

Last evening my ex calls and opens the conversation with "don't worry but....." As it turns out he had to go pick up my middle daughter from work last evening. Apparently she was having visual difficulties, then numbing in her thumb which eventually radiated up her arm, she was finding it very difficult to process information as she puts it everything was in hyper speed but her mind was processing it in slow motion and then when she went to speak she said it felt like her tongue was thick and she began to slur her words. Her co-workers noticed that she wasn't right and asked if she was ok....finally once she realized she could no longer function she went to her manager and sat in the back room until her father arrived, and this is what he calls to tell me.

My heart takes an extra beat, but I convince myself to stay calm. I asked to speak to her....she didn't sound to bad....tired and lethargic, I had her put her father back on the phone....I instructed him to do a mini neurological assessment on her and convey the findings to me as he did them...according to him they were all ok....I told him that if she has any of the symptoms that she had at work to take her immediately to the ER. I spoke to her again and reinforced to her to let her father know if she feels anything untoward. In speaking with her father I said she needed to get in to see the GP the next day(being today), and that he should consider going with her.

I called him first thing this morning, she had a good night....he hadn't checked in on her yet but was about to, he said that if she was ok he was going to go to work and that eldest daughter had an appointment with the doctor and that she would go with her. Ok call me crazy but I start to get a tad upset with this response, it's his daughter for god's sakes...but hey.

I contact both girls in the morning gave them love sent good wishes and told them to call me as soon as they had seen the doctor. I called them before they could call me. Here's what we know.

She has to go see a neurologist.....we have a very strong familial history for strokes in my family and I suffer from severe atypical migraines. We don't take this lightly, and neither does the family GP he did a thorough neurological assessment on her sent her for blood work and an ECG...he is treating her for complicated migraines and prescribed medication.....same as I take....and told her what to do but if all else fails go to plan "C" and that is go to the ER. But through the testing the ECG showed she has a heart block and needs to see a cardiologist(guess that would explain her syncope episode at work a couple of weeks ago). So my dear daughter has got her mothers unfortunate genes......migraines(hopefully that is all it is) and heart.....I just hope she doesn't need a pacemaker....not that it's the end of the world...I was 23 when I got mine and it was the best thing that ever happened to me....my nephew at 19 had a pacemaker....again a very strong gene in my family.

So back to the being angry. Now having found all this out, it would have been beneficial to have had a parent there to help explain things to her and or be an extra pair of ears...my eldest daughter again bless her heart stayed in the doctors office with her and while she was seeing the doctor....eldest daughter expressed her disappointment with her father as well...she felt he should have been there....I thought he should have as well.....actually I would have loved to have been there. I will be there when she sees both the cardiologist and the neurologist as she is seeing both the doctors that I saw when I lived on the mainland.

I am sad because I wasn't there for her.....if I was on the mainland I would have dropped everything and been there for her....I feel I let her down,and that breaks my heart. The only redeeming thing for me today is that in speaking with her she sounded good....scared but good....I told her if she needed me I would be there tomorrow...as it is I will be there Friday....she will then come and spend a few days with me.

You know it doens't matter how old your children are, they are always your children and I would never forgive myself if anything where to happend that I could have helped prevent.

So that is my rant....needed to get that off of my chest.......my hubby says I shouldn't blame myself, that I was there although via phone and giving instructions.....I know he was trying to make me feel better, but it didn't really.....what would have made me feel better was if her father would have gone with her......guess that is one of the reasons he's the ex........

This and that...

Well this post will be a hodge podge of things......

First: Regarding my previous post and the terrible error I made....father in law went to the bank and it turns out that we will be able to get the money back...it takes a few days for everything to clear but yes we get the money back......Praise the Lord and pass the peanut butter....actually I am breathing a big sigh of relief!!!!

Second: I have been very remiss in acknowledging awards that I have received....feeling very sheepish right now...but I truly want to thank those who gave me the awards...it was very kind of them.....so without further adieu....

I want to thank Claudia for her award

I feel very honoured to get this award as Claudia is the one who got the "Acts of Kindness" roll going and through her blog has encouraged me to remember to perform some act of kindness everyday....thank you so much Claudia.....so I would like to pass this on to some great bloggers...who's hearts are so big, I swear they will burst.....

grandmocha this lady has a heart of gold...she always seems to be there for her children and grandchildren babysitting often and trying to fix the wrongs of the world

Jeni this woman seem to have more energy than sense...she loves genealogy and researching the history of her family and town....she is a grandma who is always there...helping raise two grandchildren with Autism and not only that but she is doing a walk and raising funds to raise awareness for Autism.

The next award I received was from my dear blogging friend Leslie now Leslie is a go getter as well. A recently retired teacher, learning to slow down a "bit" and I use that word lightly, and enjoy all that life has to offer....she is an avid reader, a new photographer and her photos keep getting better all the time...a new grandma with the 2nd grandchild being born in March....she loves to read and is wanting to write some children's books....so I don't think there will be an sitting around for this fine lady....she bestowed upon me the following award which I truly don't believe I meet the category but I am very appreciative of the award....

So I would like to pass this along to:

Josie...now this lady is very artistic and loves and appreciates art, culture and the wonders that surrounds her....Josie appreciates good literature, music(classical) and fine art....I have learnt so much from Josie...her blog is a real pleasure to visit...

Tomcat now TC as I like to call him is someone who is very passionate about the political arena in the US...he always seems to be right on top of the current events especially surrounding the upcoming US election....TC does sway occasionally away from the political arena and steers towards religion which he did a great series on questions and opinions about religion...I think TC's blog really rates right up there for the big "E".

Akelamalu gave me this award today, which prompted me to make this post.....this lady is very busy....working full time...recovering from knee surgery,and helping care for her aging father...she loves to travel...and LOVES her grandbabies.....oh and she plays some of the greatest tunes on her blog....she is a very avid short story writer...basically a gifted well rounded woman...I feel honoured to receive this award from her....

Well I don't know if I can "Be the Blog" but gosh I will try.....now I will pass this on to....

Carver....now this lady is an avid photographer and has many interesting experiences that she shares....I always enjoy visiting her blog, she loves to get involved in memes' like the photo hunt, sky watch and the likes...just a very enjoyable blog to go visit.....

Misty Dawn now this sweet young lady has a heart of gold...she is a very busy lady...loving life....is passionate about photography as well...loves her dog(hence the big birthday bash she had)she's not afraid to try something new....just a bundle of energy...

So those are my picks....all great blogs to visit.....again thank you to all of you who visit my blog and leave your great comments I really appreciate them and to those of you who gave me the awards I am humbled.

There's more but I think I will save that for another day.....hope you all had a terrific day!

You'll never guess what happended.......

I think I have mentioned in previous posts that in order to save some money and to conserve energy we heat our home via our wood burning stove. With this being one of the colder winters in many years and what seems to be the longest, our wood stove has been going almost 24/7, and yesterday morning was no exception.

Yesterday hubby and I had to go out and do some errands, but before going out I wanted to get some of my house chores done, and this is where my story takes a turn for the worst.

On Friday, hubby had picked up the mail and left it on the counter by the stove. I need to preface this with I don't like clutter...I like things in their place....generally when the mail comes I sort it and put it where it needs to go, but on Friday I was so exhausted from the rehab program and volunteering at the seniors home I didn't have the energy to do anything with it so there it sat. Yesterday being Sunday the pile of mail, and junk mail was still on the counter. Seeing as I was in the cleaning mode it was time to sort and get rid of what wasn't needed. Because I had done a cursory look at the mail on Friday I knew most of it was junk mail and knowing that I had already paid all the household bills for the month I wasn't expecting any bills, so I took another quick look at the mail and what I thought could get burnt got burnt, and I continued on with my chores.

After the chores we got ready and were heading out in my truck when hubby remember he had forgotten an enveloped that had a money order in it that he needed to drop off. So I drove down the drive and in the house he went......he called out to me....."Hon, what did you do with the stuff on the counter?" my immediate response was "Nothing, there was nothing there".....back into the house he went....he couldn't find what he was looking for.....he headed out to his truck thinking he had left it there...it was when he was making his way to his truck, a little light went on......"Honey" I shouted....."are you looking for a CIBC envelope?" "Yes" was his response......."I burnt it!!!!" You know how you get that sick feeling in your stomach when you know you have you done something wrong. I knew then that I had burnt the envelope that he was looking for and that the envelope contain a money order for $400.00!!! Can you say "Up in smoke" that was one of the most expensive fires I have ever had! I wanted to cry. I apologized profusely, but can you imagine, oh I was beside myself.

Fortunately, hubby had cash stashed away at home so we were able to do what he needed to do....to add insult to injury in the envelope was the receipt for the money....I am only hoping that the bank has some record and that we can go and sign an affidavit and have it cancelled thereby getting the money back. Even now as I type this I feel sick about what I have done. But as hubby and I said and I don't mean to sound trite about it...but it is only money...it's not like something terrible happened to either of us....so when you put it into perspective it kinda helps a bit....not much....but a bit.

So how was your Sunday?

They're trying to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go.....

Are you familiar with that song by Amy Winehouse called "Rehab" When I think about how my body is feeling I think of that song. My body hurts...my mind tells me it's ok it's a good thing....I just wish my shoulders and quads could hear what my mind is saying.

I started on a rehab program last week for my shoulder. This isn't just any old program...it's more like boot camp. My first day there was spent filling out forms and having my assessment done. Day 2 started out with a 5km walk then back to the program centre for 45 mins of stretching. After the stretching I was shown what would be my gym routine working specifically on tasks that I would do in my work environment...the tasks and exercises I did there were to help strengthen the muscle groups that are specific to my job. After that, it was like time circuit training doing 6 different exercise activities within a certain time frame..ending the day with 20 mins. on the treadmill. Day 3(Friday) we met at the pool. It was pouring rain but we walked the track for an hour...I opted to run part of it...after the track we went in and went to the gym ...this is where we do a lot of the weight training...another hour in the gym lifting, stretching, squatting doing core exercises...we get a 15 min. break and then it was into the pool for water exercises for 1 1/2 hours! I was tired and hungry but feeling good.

I attend this program 5 days/week 6 hours a day. Can you imagine 6 hours basically exercising....I tell you if I am not in shape by the end of this program I am in trouble. I was a little hesitant at first. I wasn't very optimistic that they would be able to do anything for me, seeing that I had already been going to physio. Now after 3 days of the program I am feeling optimistic. But would someone please tell my body we are doing the right thing. It's off to the pool again tomorrow.

The beginning of the Amy Winehouse song starts with her saying....They try to make go to rehab but I won't go go go..... I think I will change the words a little.....instead of I won't go it's more like...."They made me go to rehab and I am sore sore sore....."

Today I think I shall just work on some of the core exercises they have taught me....read a book...and just chill. Hope you all have a peaceful and enjoyable Sunday!

Just some thoughts.....

Many thoughts have gone through my head after reading the comments from my last post.

One such thought has to do with comments made by those who have loved ones in nursing homes, and the angst they felt. In some cases I sensed there was a component of guilt and for others a sense of loss. In my training and experience as a nurse both those feelings are very legitimate for the families and for the loved one moving into a nursing home.

There is a huge adjustment period that takes place for all. If you have ever read anything by Kubler-Ross, you will recall the 5 stages of grief. Generally these stages are used when referencing death of a loved one, but they can also be used to reflect the loss or ending of an event or stage in one's life, some call this a "change model". In the case of moving a loved one from the family home to a nursing home, those involved may experience some if not all of these stages of grief and loss. The 5 stages that Kubler-Ross identifies are denial,anger,bargaining, depression and acceptance. Now this does not mean that everyone will experience these stages and they most certainly do not have to experience them in any set order.

Some may go right to acceptance....but in my experience I have not seen that, often it is the anger, then bargaining, then depression and finally acceptance...but again there is no set order.

From a personal experience, it was the most heart wrenching thing having to move my mom into a home....but even with all of the supports we had put into place for her at home, she was still not safe....and safety was paramount.

I can not speak for how the process works in other countries but where I live there is a very long waiting list for nursing homes...so when someone is identified as needing to be "placed" in a nursing home, the families are told to go out and pick at least 3 facilities that they believe would be suitable for their loved one. Mom ended up at our 2nd choice facility. Although the staff were very nice and accommodating, mom had to share a room....we felt awful about that...it's not what we wanted at all. Long and short of it, a room became available at the facility that we thought would be best suited for mom and was in close proximity to family so we could visit her easily. This was a multi level facility. What that means is, if the individuals condition changes so does their level of care. This meant another move for mom, but it is what we thought would be best for her in the long run.

Through the adjustment period, mom thought she was just visiting and often asked when it was time to go home. Mom presented as being high functioning, but she required allot of redirecting and prompting. On one occasion mom thought she could go take the bus and go home...she wondered off....police where called...mom had gone missing for four hours....my sisters and I searched the alleys, asked people on the street if they had seen her....you can't imagine the guilt and worry we all felt. She was finally found....cold and wet...she had walked and finally got tired and just sat on someones door step....they brought her in gave her some tea and called the police....the police brought mom back....I was in tears....how could this happen....after that mom had to wear a device around her ankle so if she wondered near any of the exit doors an alarm would sound. That was one of the adjustment periods, and a terrible time for all of us. Mom although suffering from dementia was going through anger and denial. Anger because she wanted to be in her home with all of the things she remembered and denial because she didn't realize that she could no longer safely care for herself. Unfortunately that was not the end of incidences with my mom. In the first 6 months she had managed to wonder off, and fall and break her hip. It was finally determined that mom would benefit from being on what we reference as a "Special Care Unit". This unit is a unit where all of the residence are at varying stages of their dementia and or Alzheimer's. The wonderful thing about this unit, mom finally felt secure and safe. She slept better, she was cooperative with staff....the staff were wonderful with mom.....we finally got to acceptance both for mom and for the family.

For those of you who have gone through this know exactly what I am talking about, for those of you who might have to deal with this in the near future, try not to take it personally. You are doing what is in their best interest. The anger is natural. Think about it, how would you feel if all your life's possessions are taken away and you are left with a few tokens for memories of what your life use to be. It can be a very difficult process but there are many things that you can do to help minimize the stress. While your parents or loved ones are of sound mind, ask them what it is they want, where they would like to be....as things progress you can have them participate in the search for their new home....you can take them there for tea and check out the facility....meet with the staff, see what activities the facility has to offer and one day take them their to participate in the activity. There will always be an adjustment period....be honest with your feelings...and allow them theirs.....but redirecting them doesn't hurt either.

I went to go visit the gentlemen yesterday that I spoke about in my previous post. He wasn't there, he was out with his son. However, while I was finding this out one of the other residents took a liking to me and she wanted me to walk with her. We walked the halls more times then I can remember, but what was great about that is that others joined in...before you knew it we had our own little walking group. After an hour or so of walking the halls I decided it was time to sit in the big hall and just relax and maybe try some singing....well it was only suppose to be this lady and I...I started singing....next thing you know the nurses and care aides were bringing other residence around and before you knew it there was about 12 residents there....so there I was trying to sing songs that I thought they might be able to participate with...it was a hoot....I attempted to get them to sing the "hokey poky" with me having them do the movements as well....yes it was great fun. I saw that they had a CD player...thank god I can stop singing.....I found some upbeat Irish music.....so for those residents that were wheelchair bound I danced with them moving their arms and encouraging them to move their legs while they sat....finally some of the frowns were turned upside down and some who weren't enjoying things at the beginning finally started to smile. I really didn't go prepared to be singing or dancing with them.....next time I think I will have to bring some song sheets so I will know the words to some songs they can join in with.

As a volunteer there are some many things you can do. I have opted to do what I do as it is familiar to me as well as it is something I feel passionate about. The opportunities for volunteering are endless...remember it can be as much or as little as you like.

For me being a full time shift worker I volunteer when I can. The bonus to working with the folks that I do, they wont' remember me, so I will always be a new face to them....and the other bonus for them is they won't remember my terrible singing........LOL!

Volunteering.....

Well I haven't been around for a couple of days...not much to post about....if truth be known I got engrossed in a book and well couldn't put it down....finished and here I am. It was actually an easy read one of Jonathan Kellerman novels....not one of his better ones I thought...but enjoyable all the same.

So what have I been up to. Well had the in laws for dinner the other night so was busy cooking and baking up a storm on Sunday night. After dinner we decided to play some cards....you folks who live out east will be familiar with this game....Euker....strange game....I still haven't grasped the concept about picking up the card and going alone as they call it.....we played best out of three... the men won...boo hoo....but it was fun all the same.

Yesterday I went and met up with the Volunteer coordinator at the nursing home in town. I have volunteered as a Hospice worker and assisting in vigils when someone is palliative and near life's end...but those vigils thank goodness don't happen that often...so when I met with the Vigil coordinator I asked her if there was something else I could do, she connected me with the volunteer coordinator. So I went and met her yesterday. I told her what I wanted to do...she asked me if I would be interested in doing home visits.....of course I said....you should have seen the smile on her face. They have a client out in the community that they really need a volunteer for but folks in town don't want to make the drive....guess what,turns out this person lives only minutes from me. So I spoke with the community person today and well I am meeting her and the client tomorrow. Anyhow, today I went in and met with the Activity liaison person at the nursing home. There is this older gentlemen in the home who recently became a resident. He is has dementia but is very high functioning, because he lived alone(wife in hospital and family out of town)he was becoming a safety risk and his thing was to be on the phone all the time....calling the hospital about 100 times a day about his wife...calling his daughter just as many times and then apparently he was also calling the police. Long and short of it he now is on a Alzheimer's unit and I was asked if I wouldn't mind visiting him and taking him out for walks. So, today being a beautiful day I thought about him and I thought I would go and see if I could take him out for a walk. So I went and met with the activity person, we went over his care and concerns.

Apparently this man at the spry age of 79, still rides his bike, walks all the time, loves to swim, and apparently he use to be a life guard amongst other things. After discussing his care I went to visit him. He was happy and angry at the same time. He still has the where with all to know that he is in a place he doesn't want to be. He feels he is being kept there against his will, that his daughter is taking his money...yes he is an angry man...but can also be redirect easily. So that was my approach redirect his thought process and encourage him to go for a walk.

Well it didn't take much coaxing at all...the mention of a walk and he had his coat on and out we went. We had a great walk....not knowing how he would function I sort of paced things...listened to his breathing as they told me last time he went out he got short of breath....the only shortness of breath I noticed was from him talking a mile a minute. Turns out he worked for the railway for 35 years...and the stories he could tell. In my little town there is a train station and museum...so without even planning it we ended up at the train museum...oh he was so delighted....he showed me stuff about the train...he really enjoyed it. After that we gradually made our way back to the nursing home. As we neared the home he said, there it is, there's the prison. How sad I thought. We got back to his room, and he shared with me some of his photos, he has a lovely big and bright room overlooking the garden. We talked about gardening and birds, said he liked gardening but said he wasn't going to do their work for them....I laughed....I said well maybe when the time comes you and I could go out there and pick a part of the garden and make it your own and we could plant whatever you wanted. That made him smile.

The activity person told me that they delivered his bike today....he asked me if I cycled I said I love to cycle....so he said it's a date...we have to go for a ride.....so looks like I have my work cut of for me with this gentleman. Actually, I am really looking forward to it...I think it will do us both a bit of good. I 'll keep you posted.

Earth Hour

I can successfully say we did it...we participated in Earth Hour. I had my doubts about hubby. I hadn't mentioned anything to him about it...I was going to wait till it got closer to the time...but Google did it for me. Googles version of Earth Hour and Lights out was to use a black screen on their site...anyhow...it got my hubby thinking...so I told him that I wanted us to participate.....he thought I was only asking him to have the lights out....but oh no I wanted him to shut down his computer... and have the TV off....nothing except the lights from the candles that I was going to light and the fireplace.


I gave him the 5 minute warning...he proceeded to tell me he had a few more minutes. I had all the candles lit....the fire was roaring....it was really rather romantic....all we needed was a nice bottle of wine....but since we didn't have any wine Soda and Crystal Light were the beverages of choice. It's 8:00 pm PST lights were out....hubby comes into the living room.....so now what do we do he says....I said we could play cards.....or chat.....chat he says....about what....I said tell me a story.....he couldn't think of one....the man who is full of stories couldn't think of a story....so I started in...talking about some of my life adventures...things I have done over the years....things that I have felt proud about....accomplishments...times I really enjoyed...it was while I was recanting a childhood memory that I heard this "gurring bubbling flapping" sort of noise coming from his direction, I looked over only to realized that my story was so stimulating that hubby had proceeded to fall asleep. At 8:40 he woke up and said is it time yet.....I laughed....only 20 mins to go..., it's 8:59.....hubby awakes...it's time....he grabs his lap top and starts googling....I turn on the TV, I opted to leave the rest of the lights off and candles lit....oh did I mention it had started to snow around 7:00 pm? Well by 9:00 pm it is snowing heavily...and I mean heavy, it was that wet big flakes kinda of snow.....it was pretty but hey it's the end of March we are not suppose to be getting snow!

It was 9:30 and I was in the washroom when the lights started to flicker....hmmmm. They go out momentarily then come back on....flicker again....come back on.....flicker one more time...and they are out, thank goodness I still had candles going in the washroom. Hubby got a good chuckle about me being caught in the washroom with the lights out....I told him I had candles which gave the room some ambiance....LOL. So there we were ready to settle into our routine of watching some Saturday night TV and hubby playing on his computer...but no it was not meant to be. So now what....hubby decides it was time for some dessert so off to the kitchen for him....I sit on the couch contemplating my options....I really don't have enough light to read, knit or do much of anything....I was feeling tired and had a headache so I opted to make it an early night.

I hadn't lit any lights up stairs, I generally have my night lights...but with the power out it was pitch black.....we keep a flashlight in our room just for these occasions(we get a lot of power outages here) I managed to make my way into our room, I found the flashlight on our dresser, I turn it on to help me find my way around the bed ....I get all settle in.... I hadn't been there more than maybe 5 -10mins at the most, when I heard this crash downstairs...it sounded like a candle or something had fallen over. I call out to hubby...no answer, I call again...still no answer...so with my trusty flashlight in hand I make my way downstairs...again calling out for hubby no answer. I get to the bottom of the stairs and start looking around I notice Bert who generally greets me at the bottom of the stairs is no where to be found either....I check every room in the house both for hubby and for what was the cause of the crash...I make my way back to the living room and through the window I see a light out in the shed..it's hubby. We have three of those portable shelter tents...with the heavy snow hubby was out there pushing the snow off of the tent roofs. I don't know why I didn't hear him leave the house....I generally hear everything. So now I have found hubby, but still I haven't found the source of the noise. I search some more. Finally, I find the culprit there on the floor was a candle, not lit of course....hmmm .... to strange .... I look at where the candle landed and where it came from, that was a long ways for it to fall.....I wondered how it could have fallen from the holder(which I had reinforced that morning)across the table, missed landing on the chair but behind the chair.....hmmmm....very strange........does anyone remember me telling you about the laundry soap incident, this reminds me of that incident. Hubby comes into the house we chat..he said "I thought you were going to bed"....I told him what happened...he makes spooky sounds at me and laughs....I get a blanket and curl up in the Lazy boy chair and nod off.

At 1130 the power comes back on......hubby is sound asleep on the couch.....my neck has a bit of a kink in it from the way I was sleeping in the chair....I get up to go around make sure everything is off and candles are out, I head upstairs to my bed....it's ok now I have my nightlights on....I'm a big girl now....I can do this.

So there you have it our Earth Hour......what did you do for your Earth Hour?

Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is HIGH. When I saw that the theme for this week was "High" I immediately thought about our trip to Mexico in September when my daughters and I all went parasailing.......

Here they are getting me ready.....

Here they are giving me my final instructions......as you can see the sail is filling with air

here I go it's take off time.......There I go.....

Up Up and away............

Do you see that yellow speck in the sky....that's me........

Here I am coming in for my safe landing......

Just so happy to be back on land!!!!

If you would like to join in on the Photo Hunt please check out tnchick for all of the instructions. Happy Hunting all!!!

I got tagged.....

Leslie from The Pedalogue has tagged me for this meme....it was kinda of fun....

What I was doing 10 years ago: Working as a Critical Care Nurse in the ICU on the Mainland, very involved in my nurses union attempting to negotiate a new contract.

Five things on my to-do list today: Do my house chores, excercise, go grocery shopping, call the volunteer coordinator to set up a meeting,watch the SNOW fall urgh!!!

Snacks I enjoy: I'm into eating a lot of fruit these days so I like to make fruit salad and have it with yogurt,caramel rice cakes,cheese any type,Chinese crackers,frozen blueberries

Things I would do if I were a Billionaire: Make sure my family is taken care of, build a hospice facility, assist in increasing services for children with learning disabilities,buy my hubby his favourite fishing boat,see more of Canada,learn how to fly and buy my own plane

Three of my bad habits:being impatient,worrying to much about everything and everyone,controlling

Five places I have lived:I have only ever lived in BC so here are the cities I have lived in, Burnaby, Langley,back to Burnaby, Qualicum on Vancouver Island.

Five jobs I have had: A&W car hop(age 15) Server for a catering company(age 15-16)worked at a dry cleaners(age17)Federal government (age 19-28)Registered Nurse (age 30- current)

Five people who I would like to tag: hmmm, let's see - I really don't know...I say who ever wants to do this should do this.

A little while ago as I was blog hopping one of the bloggers had mentioned that it would be nice to see photos of where some of the bloggers live. Well, the other day hubby and I decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood and with camera in hand here is a look at some of the things we see in our neighbourhood.....

This is taken on the hydro line trail across the property from us, you are looking north at the Island mountain range in the background

This is off of the trail heading down the road which leads to our house, you are looking east towards the mainland and coastal mountain range.

Deer are frequent on our property...this fellow was paying us a visit on Easter Sunday

And then there were two......

Happy Friday All!!!