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Saturday, June 16, 2012

A Day in the Life of an Elderly, Retired, and Disabled Clergyperson



I used to do this several times a year and post the results in the newsletters of congregations that I severed. I think I may have also reported in my blog like this. I'll check... My memory was correct! It was for my birthday in 2007—a rather mixed day emotionally as I remember it:


Nick's Bytes post of 2-14-2007
Sooooooooo... here is my Friday, June 15, 2012, kinda like it happened:




4:56 AM—I’m awake but not bright eyes, maybe a bit bushy tailed though. Again I slept in my recliner and was awakened several times by Anne in the kitchen making wee morning hour snacks. Makes no difference; if Anne hadn’t awakened me something else would have. Alex, as usual, spent his sleeping time on top of me:


5:19 AM—Morning mediation and stretching exercises’ completed and Alex and Sugar given their breakfasts (separately, or Alex will eat Sugar’s before he eats his own).

Sugar awaits my topping up of her bowl
Quick breakfast as Alex eats his

5:50 AM— Prior to my breakfast, I took my “vital signs,” as directed by my MD2U physician.  All O.K.:

  • Glucose = 122
  • Blood Pressure = 118/77
  • Pulse = 86
  • Blood O without machine oxygen = 86
  • Blood O with machine oxygen = 92
  • Temperature = 96.9 F



6:30 AM—Breakfast  consisted of 6 Ritz crackers, a bit of peanut butter, my morning pills, and 2 glasses of water. I need a bit of to counteract the meds and stabilize my blood glucose As usual for the last several months, both Anne and I are out of money by the middle of the month. This month, I had to pay bills of about $250 more than usual. Also, we have had Anne’s new girlfriend, Lyndia, living with us, which has drastically increased our use of food.


8:20 AM—Awakened a second time after falling asleep as I was watching BBC World News; cleaned up, dressed, and began a series of phone calls attempting to solve:
  1. Diagnosis of submachine gun-like thumping underneath the floorboard on my car: is it the exhaust system that was just repaired, or does the differential need fluid, or is it something else. Need the car on a lift to find the problem, but I could find no one who’ll do it free.
  2. Contacted Almost Family, who the Veterans Administration contracts to provide 9 hours of home health care services to me a each week. There has not be a caregiver at my apartment for 9 days. My ability to keep the place (and myself) clean is about stretched to the end. I was informed that Almost Family has no staff to send me, but are in the process of hiring more workers. (I can write a couple of blog posts just about this).
  3. Made calls to VA hospital regarding continued problems with my left eye following surgery a few months ago, attempted to reach patients advocate regarding actions taken on a couple of matter, and attempt to get a referral for the MRI my MD2U doc has recommended.  I wasn't successful in any of these. [SIGH] 

10:30 AM—Drove Anne and Lyndia 4 miles to catch a bus into Louisville for Anne’s medical appointment. Sad that, because of the problems with the car, I couldn’t drive them.


11:08 AM—Meals-on-Wheels lunch delivered. The quality of the food seems to have progressively decreased over the years. Although they help me because standing up to cook is painful to my left leg, I am beginning to wonder if their cost is worth what I am receiving.


12:20 PM—Awakened from post-lunch nap, played with Alex and Sugar while watching BBC America..


2:00 PM—My daily telephone call to my 89-year-old Mom.


2:25—Read and responded to emails, Facebook, and Twitter stuff. 


6:18 PM—Awakened from afternoon nap. For the first time in my life the arthritis in my hand is doing more than its occasional stiffness. This afternoon it is painful. I really don't like the intrusion of hand pain into the other body pains that I experience. Blue-Emu and the 800 mg Rx I usually take for my leg calmed the arthritis, but I still don't like it.



7:00 PM—Took meds scheduled with supper while finishing off the last of the Ritz crackers. Fed the kitties, snuggled Alex while playing Farmville on computer.



8:20 PM—Read a bit of my current mystery book, Dust, by Martha Grimes. I generally read three books at a time: a mystery, a novel (TheComplete Illustrated Works of Lewis Caroll), and a non-fiction work (a reread of William Barclay’s  Jesus as They Saw Him).



11:00 PM—Watched the Chelsea Lately TV show. I have read all of Chelsea Handler’s books and always watch Chelsea Lately at 11:00 PM, except when I am napping.








I don't know when, but I decided to finish this post on Saturday and went to sleep.

10 comments:

  1. and now i feel i have spent a day with you! you need more and better quality food, that is for sure! that plate that was delivered to you looked horrid

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  2. I don't think I ever saw why, if you ever posted it, that Ann (or Lyndia now) can't do the cooking and cleaning for you.

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  3. You sure do a lot for a dude to takes so many naps! ;)

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  4. bookfloozy: I’m glad you were with me! The meals-on-wheels used to be prepared by one of the best restaurants in Louisville. However, something has changed in the past 18 months. Yesterday’s lunch tasted just like it looks. Of course, it also came with a half-pint of skim milk and a plum—be best parts of the meal.

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  5. HI,Zippy, Sadie and Speedy! Thanks for visiting and leaving your comment. I’ll tell Alex—who really needs to post on his blog—that you dropped by.

    Actually, Anne does a lot of cooking and cleaning, when and as she is able. However, she and Lyndia are both disabled and there are times that Anne is unable to do either. I don’t believe that Lyndia can do either without help.

    And, of course, there are some chores that none of us can do physically, such as carrying the garbage the 500 or so yards to the disposal thingie.

    As I lose weight—did you read that I just discovered I have lost about 27 or so pounds in the past 6 weeks!—I hope to do more of both. However, that really depends on how long I am able to stand on my leg and how much energy I have before I need to rest. I take lots of naps!

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  6. I sure do take a lot of naps, Ex-Louisville Guy! And, if I lived in Arizona like you, I would probably take more! Thanks for dropping by, old friend.

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  7. Hey Nick,

    I haven't been online much and I went off FB for work related reasons. It's good to catch up with your life and it reminds me of how much I miss having you in my life, no matter what format communication comes. I'm glad to see that Alex is still loyal--if I ever upgrade to a smartphone, I will send you and him pictures of Artemis and my Christmas kitten, Cupcake!

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  8. Glad to catch up with what is going on in your life, SSN. My good things be with you and ALex and the others in your dwelling.

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  9. Susan! I’m so glad that you came by. I’ve already visited your new site. Alex and I have missed your thought-filled words and stories about young Artemis, who must be a mature kitty by now. I hope that we’ll not lose contact again, my friend.

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  10. My dear Lucky Owl! It has been a while since I spoken to you as well. Have you ever begun a blog? If so, please send me the address. OK?

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