Mom & Me Three Archive

Mom's Blood Pressure:

    First of all, I've completed the project to which I referred earlier: An averaging of her blood pressures per month and per period for as long as I've been taking them. I've posted the results here at Mom's Daily Tests & Meds.
    I got the idea from something her PCP said when we discussed her blood pressure and I talked about how I'd been upping her dose of lisinopril based on the BP's I'd been taking two to four times a day. He was overwhelmed with the numbers. We both acknowledged that she appears to need a bit more lisinopril to keep her blood pressure in order.
    At this point I asked if my concern for her BP was "out of hand".
    "Yes it is," he said, "and let me tell you why." It seems that the value of BP readings are most valuable when taken on an average. "Don't compare apples and oranges; look at all breakfast readings, all lunch readings over a period of time."
    So, I decided to average her BPs over all the months for which I have at least three readings for each meal per day, per month. You can definitely see the tighter control with lisinopril obvious in the steadily declining averages.
    The PCP also told me that doubling the dose of lisinopril usually accounts for only a few points of a drop per indicator. Thus, he wrote Mom an Rx for 10 mg lisinopril/day once a day. "If, on a particular day, you think she needs it, you can also administer another 10 mg at dinner." He also explained that most of his patients who are being treated for fairly high BP are on 10 mg/twice per day, so Mom is well within not-overmedicated range. He is happy with her averages across the board, though.
    I asked him about how often I should check her BP.
    He surprised me: "No more than a couple of times a week. Then take them for all periods and wait a couple of days, unless you see something unusual over that day."
    I'll try, hard, to do this.
    I need to get that prescription filled today. Yesterday I made sure she got 10 mg lisinopril in all (two 2.5 mg tablets in the morning, two at night, since they are not extended release).

Shots:

    Yeah, I was blown away that the pharmacy up here has flu, pneumonia and tetanus shots and her doctor's office did not. She won't be able to get a pneumonia shot at the pharmacy. Under Medicare they only give the pneumonia shot every six years. So, Mom can get that one in April at her doctor's office in 2006.
    Hmmm. I just called the pharmacy about shots. It seems that the shortage that affected my mother's PCP's office is not affecting the pharmacy. Although there were times in the last week when the shot table was free for long periods of time and there was not a run on flu shots it seems that "the shortage" (this is the first I'd heard of it) is dictating that the pharmacy does not have its inoculation tables up this week and is hoping to do one more run 11/5 from noon to 1800. But call, she cautioned.
    As for the Rx for lisinopril so soon after the last one, she explained that since Mom is on TriCare the Rx may override the last as a new Rx, in which case I'll have extra if she needs more than 10 mg on a particular day, and I can experiment with anywhere from 2.5 - 10 mg if this should happen. I'm always looking for a way to use the least amount of medicine possible.

Ears:

    The nurse did indeed perform "ear lavage" on my mother's right ear (the problem ear), four times in a row until Mom acknowledged that, yes, her ear was developing some tenderness.
    The nurse also invited me to peer into Mom's ears. She used the left as the control ear, since it was clear. I could clearly see the plug of wax in her right. It was much tinier than I expected.
    "It doesn't take much to block one's hearing," was the nurse's response to my amazement.
    Although full removal was unsuccessful at the office the plug was apparently loosened enough so that her hearing was restored yesterday morning and remained so all day. I'm assuming the plug drained out.
    The nurse suggested that if it didn't drain out we could come back in "a couple of weeks". I explained to her that I'll use Debrox again before we take another trip down and up the mountain so soon.

    Let me check my previous lists to see if there's anything else I can fill in off the top of my head.

Bowels on the Run:

Is explained in the only post for November 1, 2005, at Mom's Daily Tests & Meds.

Dem Old Bones

Mom is simply no longer comfortable in a car if she has to fold and unfold herself as she enters and exits. No more low to the ground cars. Even with the aid of my "hootchie kootch" stretch that I do immediately after getting out of a car and through a modified version of which I direct my mother once she's straightened out up exiting a car. Of our cars, the truck is more comfortable than the sedan except that the design of the seat, itself, is uncomfortable for her: It throws her back and makes is hard for her to sit on her but rather than her spine. It's weird.
    So, I don't know, I think about this every year or so, maybe we'll look into purchasing a "new" (new little used cars are a possibility, too, especially if the warranty travels) car, trading in our two cars on one. We'll see

    The Air Up Here vs The Air Down There

    The city smell was much stronger on this trip, even though the air was tinged with blue. Mom didn't notice it but she used more oxygen than I was expecting. Through most of the appointment she was on oxygen and didn't mind it. I noticed her mouth breathing more than last time. Although during lunch, right after we hit The Valley, she did fine while sitting without oxygen. She could have used it every time she moved, though, but the walker was a tight fit for the bathroom. She used it on the way in and out, though, although not on continuous. She breathed fairly well through her nose on pulse, which sometimes doesn't happen up here.

Cigarettes and MCF's

    As it turned out she only had about 6. She, of course, didn't smoke while she napped, no one made a big deal of it and cigarettes were cleared from the table several times during the evening for appetizers, the meal, the giving of gifts, dessert. You know how it is when it's your birthday.
    I slapped continuous flow 2/lpm oxygen on her for the trip up after the cigarettes. She was an animated companion. She did want a cigarette when we'd finally settled at home and the door was no longer due to be open for unloading. I lied and said she only had one left in the pack and she could have that. I figured it would relax and daze her enough to get her to bed, which it did, around midnight I think.

Manicure Kit

    No one carries the type of manicure kit I have in mind anymore. So, I'm going to look for it on the web. We did, however, replace her collection of manicure tools that have broken or rusted beyond repair.

"Family" Discussion

    I am glad and we are lucky that Mom and I are so comfortable with MCF&Family that we plan like family. MCF's family owns a cabin in the southwestern mountains around Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Cabin Elevation: Around 9200'. Anyway, she had her photos from a recent visit and passed them around the table. The place reminded Mom a lot of Spearfish Canyon, SD; more than reminded her. When it was suggested that maybe Mom could tolerate that altitude for a few days, I noticed her gently phasing into Spearfish Canyon, at a somewhat lower elevation, and announcing that of course she could, she'd been "there" many times. Anyway, both MCF and I think that in a warm season, late spring, summer, if she's up to it in a little less than a year (you never know), we might be able to do this. Mom became very excited, phasing all over the place, wondering if we "might run into any of the folks" while we're "there".

Miscellaneous Stuff:

    Mom's excitement about Christmas was more than evident. She volunteered some of our plans without confusion. On the trip back she suggested that we plan "a shopping trip to the Valley". I'm in favor of this, even though it will mean another down-and-up day. I'm thinking maybe I can plan one on one of MCF's off days in the middle of the week, we'll throw in the wheelchair this time for Mom's and our convenience and hit the Chandler Mall and maybe a few other places.
    Once during the trip while we were in Ulta she demanded, "Where's my purse?!?". She's ready to shop.

    Yesterday was a lost day, a recovery day. Today might be, too, since we don't have to go for shots today; can't, in fact, until Saturday, now. She may or may not want to go to Barnes & Noble with me. I have a birthday gift certificate for that store burning a whole in my pocket. As well, I have several small home improvement projects planned for the house and have my information from MCBIL about which electric drill and bit set to buy. Maybe I'll do that today, too, if it looks like it's going to be a slow, sleepy day for Mom.
    My primary plan is to deliver nutritious meals to her today, cut waaaay back on the sugar and monitor her hydration.
    My secondary plan is to drink lots of coffee.
    Oh. If you click on the link above regarding Spearfish Canyon and scroll down the page about two third of the way, you'll see two paragraphs headed, respectively: Savoy and Roughlock Falls. In the one about Savory you will read mention of Latchstring Inn, which my maternal grandparents owned and ran for a couple of decades. Roughlock Falls is "about a mile up" from Latchstring Inn. We would frequently hike "up there" and spend a few hours during the day in the summer when we visited. The canyon, by the way, is enchanting in the winter. Used to be hard to get into and out of but my understanding is that the roads have been rebuilt and that problem is fairly well solved. Apparently there are places in the Canyon, now, where one can jet ski. Makes me shudder.
    Later.