Do we see

Hello again

I will start off with this. I say I go and wash mom's hair or get her ready for bed. It is not as simple as washing her hair or just getting her ready for bed.

Mom is in a wheelchair, she can't use her left arm, it is stiff. Her body is stiff, legs and waist. So it is hard to move her about.

When I wash mom's hair, there is a process that I follow. I don't want to get the back of her wet, so I need to put a large bag around her, first. Then I put a towel around her, then anther bag. Now I need to lean her chair back as far as it can go. Without mom sliding out. The water has to be just right. And I need another towel to hold over her forehead to protect her eye's from getting soap in them. Use the shower wand, to rinse her hair, shampoo her head. Mom likes it when I massage her scalp as well as scratch her head. Now I need to put the towel on her forehead again, to rinse the shampoo from her head.  After this I need to dry her off and then style her hair. Oh yes to put gel in her hair as well. All the while mom can be fighting me. Everything has to be perfect for mom not to fuss. And perfection is not always easy. Or it doesn't happen all the time.

I have to hold my hands over her ears when drying her hair. As the sound of the hair dryer is bothersome to mom. And if I am not doing just so, mom will push my hand away and get upset.

If I don't get the back of her wet, it is a good day. I am getting much better at not doing this, but sometimes. And I have done this so much now, that it takes me less than 15 minutes to wash and style her hair.

Off to her room to change her into her nightgown.

This is not easy as well. Remember mom is stiff, so getting her clothing off is difficult at times.  I have learned over the years that I undress mom from the right and dress her from the left. Her left arm being very stiff and mom not being able to use it. Mom helps me out when she can, or her arms are not hurting her.  And since she is in a wheelchair, everything is more difficult. I need to move her upper body forward to get the clothing off and put the nightgown on. And it is a challenge sometimes. When mom is tired, she is very stiff and just doesn't want to bend. So I have to gently place my arm behind her back and bend her forward, so I can get the top off. Getting her pants off is another story. I have to grab one side and pull, then the other side and do the same thing. All the while trying to keep mom from sliding down in the chair. Yes this is done while mom is in her chair.

Then repeat the process to get her nightgown on. Dress her from the left and undress her from the right. I keep having to mention this to the care aids. And I have to keep mentioning that when they change her pad, they can't roll her over onto her left side. This seriously hurts her left arm.

It takes me 20 minutes to undress and dress mom each night before she is put into bed. And I have it down to a science.

All this is taking place with me, having a weak and shaking arm. It hurts to use it and I am having difficulties doing things that I used to do without any problems. I am in pain now. As tonight mom got sick.

I brush her teeth and tell mom not to swallow until I can get her a drink. But sometimes, it happens and mom gags and coughs. Tonight she just coughed and coughed. And we, the care aid and myself were changing mom's sheets. As they the care aids from the morning shift didn't do it. Put mom's sheets on her bed, I mean. Anyways, we had to move mom from side to side to put the bottom sheet on and I guess all of this movement did not sit well with mom. She started to gag. I heard this and new what was coming. I tried to sit her up. I was on the wrong side of the bed. So I had to use my right arm and this was difficult. The right arm is weaker than my left. She got sick. Just put on the bottom sheet. All over the place. I tried to catch it with my hands. But I made even a bigger mess.

We got her change again. Put new sheets on her bed. After we washed the mattress down. Then we got mom into her nightgown.

Let us not forget we washed mom's face, I held her up while the care aid washed mom's back. I cleaned her hair. And mom was finally settled in for the night. Feeling not the greatest. But not getting sick anymore.

I will be buying mom new toothpaste, Infant toothpaste. As it is not so harsh. And I will be very careful. It is rarely that mom swallows the toothpaste. But to be sure this doesn't happen anymore. Infant toothpaste it is.

Now onto something else.

Some, who read this blog, have called me a bully. I prefer the word asshole. And I will be strong willed when it comes to taking care of mom. And looking out for her best interest. It is not my sister's who do this. It is not them, who is going from store to store to get what mom likes or to get her clothing. It is 3 to 4 hours for me to get to mom's during the day. I have to stop and get her fruit. Or go to the different store to look for clothing mom would like. Luckily I know what mom likes, as I have been buying her clothing for a very long time. I also am always looking around for something for mom.

I decorate her room. I have something in the works for her room now. Fall themed. I am the one making sure mom has what she needs for her safety. I make sure she has the right things for her chair.

Mom leans to the right. So I have been looking for something to put beside her to stop her from doing this. Can't find anything that is not under $100. so I am making something that will be comfortable for her and practical as well. It will stop her from leaning and she will still have full movement of her right side.

I bring all this up as I mentioned that I sought to get mom a ROHO cushion for her chair. To stop the sores on her bottom. I tell the worker at mom's to get one for mom's chair. She says lets try one out first to see if it will work. OK I say. Two weeks pass and what do you know, the sores have healed.

I tell the worker to order one. A few weeks pass and I phone and ask if she had done this. Yes I have. Well I always double check everything. So a few weeks go by and I ask her again. Yes it has been done, it is on her chair.

Now this cushion is $600 dollars. Yes that is right. Special individual chambers, that will make it as if mom is sitting on air.

Now tonight after they cleaned mom's chair. I guess they did it the night before. It is sitting there and I go and look at it. What do I find. A used ROHO cushion. Not a brand new one that is suppose to be on mom's chair, but a used one. Where oh where is the new $600 dollar cushion I say. Not on mom's chair.

I asked several times about thee purchasing mom this cushion and each time I am told that it has been done.

A used cushion in place of a $600 dollar ROHO cushion. I am livid now. This is the kind of thing they do. When I replaced mom legs rests on her chair. They took it upon themselves to take the old leg rests and use them for someone else's chair. Without even asking. When I bring this up, they tell me that this is what they do. So it doesn't cost someone who can't afford it, to have use of them.

Where is the brand new cushion. Not on mom's chair.

I will be writing the PGT and asking if mom's account has been billed for a new ROHO cushion.

I could be exaggerating this or miss understood the worker telling me she purchase the cushion. But I do know that it is a used cushion on her chair. I took pictures. And I know I said to go ahead and purchase this cushion. I know mom was getting sores on her bottom and I went searching for an answer to stopping this. It was I who approached the worker about getting mom this cushion.

OK I am in serious pain now, after writing all of this. I used to be able to write for hours before this accident. And I am even having to have to keyboard right up against me to write this and anything else.

Still no place to live

GOD bless and good night

Kristopher Schmuland

I just don' believe it

Hello agian

Mom saw me today and a huge smile came upon her face. I just love it when she smiles like that. Makes me feel good knowing mom knows I will be there for her.

We got everything out of the fridge. But I needed to empty my bags. Very heavy. It is hard to carry now. I really need to be living out their.  I needed to stop and get mom more fruit and some drinks. Heavy.

Unloaded this and gave mom something to drink, as I usually do when I arrive. I guess they don't give mom anything to drink. Because she is very thirsty when I get their.

Got everything ready for dinner. As usual, as soon as mom grabs my hand, her eye's close, she starts to fall asleep. She started to lean, meaning tired.

She ate, not as much  as usual. But her diaper was also full and she was uncomfortable. Stomach was full. But she did eat, and her dessert.

And did the dishes as usual. Got her ready for bed.

Before I did this I put all her clothing away that I washed the night before. Including her nightgowns. 2 of them anyways. I looked for the one I put on her the night before.  And guess what, they put it in the wash again.. I had to go and dig it out.

I really am done with this nonsense. I guess nobody knows how to read. Well if they continue I will file a complaint. And if anything goes missing they will get a bill

I am sick and tired of repeating myself.  The sign is on the wall. I keep telling the nurse but she does nothing about it. What can she do. It is the morning staff who don't know how to read.

And again, being new is no excuse.

Anyway, after I dug the nightgown out of the laundry, I sat down and read to mom while waiting for the care aid to come in and get mom into bed and change her diaper. I do say mom was not impressed that she had to wait that long. Sitting in her own filth.

I have said this numerous times. You would never let your baby sit in it's own filth for hours. They do.

Mom just loves her nightgowns. Makes her feel more at home. This is what I try to do.

Now I packed up quickly so I could spend time just standing there holding her hand. Which I did. For half and hour. She loves me doing this and I love it too.

Got to go now

GOD bless and good night

Kristopher Schmuland

Two days

Hello again

So the last few days mom has slept great. She loves her new night gowns. 100 % cotton and very soft and comfortable. Easy on and easy off. I say anyways.

Now I have put up a sign asking not to put any of mom's laundry into their wash, that I take it home and do it. The sign is at eye level and right beside mom's bed.

And what do they do. They put in the laundry anyways. I had to go and dig it out. And I needed to repeat myself again and again, saying not to put the clothing in the laundry. They tell me they might be new.  Well I mentioned that new is no excuse not to be able to read.

Anyways mom is happy. She has been eating well.

I did her hair tonight and styled it nicely.

Since there is casual staff, mom is not getting to bed on time, therefore I am not able to spend the time I like to spend with her, just holding her hand.

Working on this.

Other than what is above is what is happening at the moment.

I tried to use only my right arm today. What a successful disaster I was dropping things all day. Because of the shaking, things were flying all over the place.

Still no place to live.

GOD bless and good night.

Kristopher Schmuland

Mom is Happy

Hello again

So mom's nightgowns are back from being labeled. I found this out when I was about to put the hospital gown on her. I thought, maybe I will look to see if they are back. Yes they were. I grabbed one and put it on mom.

Mom was a little grumpy tonight, but when the gown went on her, she became calm and smiling.

It looked very good on her. She was comfortable. Now she is in her own nightgowns, her own sheets and comforter. Almost like her own bedroom. As close as I can get.

This made me very happy to see mom smile like this. I almost started to cry. Mom looked so good.

GOD bless and good night.

I am tired and worried about not finding a place. In pain

Kristopher Schmuland

It is just another

Hello again

Today I picked up the night gowns. They are down correctly this time. I don't think I will be writing the papers. They just did what was right to do. They wrecked the gowns, so they should go and get new one's. They did not go above what they could of done. Just what was necessary to please me. But nothing more. No discount on future work. Nothing but what was expected of them to do.

So mom was excited to see me today, as she usually is. Big smile on her face when she see's me. Mom ate allot tonight.

On my way to see her, I got hungry, I am not eating well, at all. So I stopped at this place in Vancouver and picked up a vegan energy bar. They are really good. I only ate half. They are very large. And saved the other half for mom to try.

I gave her a piece and she just loved this. They are very good. On top of her dinner and dessert, mom ate the rest of this bar. Good, something else to get for her that is very healthy. Inexpensive as well. For what you get. Very heavy as well. $3.00. Excellent deal.

And after dinner I got her ready for bed and then read to her for a while. As the care aid to her sweet time coming to put mom to bed and change her. We have an understanding that mom  is to be put into bed before 7 pm.

I need to leave by 8 to make it home at a decent time. 11 pm. I also need to be able to just stand and hold mom's hand for a while,. While she falls asleep.

OK I hate to be rushed. They all know I live in Coquitlam and travel by bus. They know it takes me 3 hours to get home at night.

And by the way. It is between 3 and 4 hours for me to get to mom's during the day. Stopping to get mom this or that. And I try to do it so everything is on route. Get off at one station, walk to the store, then walk to the next station. On my way.

Anyways mom was put to bed. Then I have to pack for the travel  home. Her dirty laundry and everything else has to be packed up as well. I need to put all her drinks in the fridge, in the family room.

I really hate being rushed. Not fair to mom. She likes me to hold her hand while she falls asleep.

Time to go, very tired. Kept waking up every hours last night. I will try to eat something. Not hungry.

GOD bless and good night.

Kristopher Schmuland