Kathy's 70th Birthday and Christmas Bash

Happy Holidays to all Family and Friends,

Spent a good deal of time with mom on her birthday (December 24th) and mixed it in with a combination Christmas Party, as well.  Aegis had a nice acknowledgment for mom's birthday, although I am not sure she gave a damn about it.  Mom wanted me to thank Kris for the wonderful pull-over and lipstick.  Also, she wanted to than Margaret, Barbara Bale and Marilyn Fenneman for thinking of her over the Holidays.  As is usual, mom was entirely more interested in the Tasty Cakes that we brought over rather than all the presents that she received.  Mom took in a good assortment of needed items; sox, shirts, hat, pajamas etc.  That is what it is coming down to needed items for mom.

 As an Eastern Sage once coined:

"Take not gain or loss to Heart.  What man holds high comes to nothing at the End"   .

We truly only need what keeps us safe, warm and well fed.  The rest we make up to pass the time.

As 2012 comes to an end shortly and we all look forward to a prosperous New Year, if you are following this blog learn from Jim and I and make sure you spend as much time as possible with those that you love and cherish as long as you have them.  As the constant 'live here and live there' guy, I am regretful that I did not spend more time with my mother when she could remember me being there.   Happy Holidays to you all.

Be well,

Bill and Jim

Hot Rod Kathy and Margaret and Jerry

Hello all,

Margaret and Jerry stopped in to visit with mom.  Jeannette and I joined them all on the back patio at Aegis.  The visit was nice and Margaret brought a picture album from the 1940's and 50's and mom was identifying people from way back then.
Again we went for a long walk and mom ate my share of the apple sauce cake that Jerry made for us.  Again, we had wonderful weather for a visit.  

Update;  This week, I also took mom to the Dr. for her 4 month check up.  All her vitals were better than mine.  The Dr. lowered her medicine for the second straight visit.  She still is diagnosed with Alzheimers so not much has changed.  

Happy Holidays....

Thanksgiving with Kathy

This is a belated Thanksgiving from Kathy.  Maria, Jim and Jackson traveled down and spent the day celebrating Thanksgiving with Kathy.  We brought in Barbeque (it was actually the Friday following Thanksgiving) and we assumed mom was stuffed with Turkey.  Or maybe we just like BBQ better.
We went for a nice walk and the weather was wonderful.  Jackson found a cool tree to climb in front of one of mom's neighbor's.

Mom Wishes all her friends and family a joyous and safe Holiday Season.

Happy Veteran's Day,

I attended a Veteran's Day Memorial in Santa Clarita, California and then headed over to visit with mom.  I tried very hard to get mom to sit on the motorcycle for a photo op, without success.  The seat is as low as it can basically get but she did not want to put her leg over.   For those of you who don't know; Jeannette and I are going to take up biking for awhile (at least).   In a twist of irony, we purchased this 2000 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic from a Gentleman (He was a founding partner with Cheesecake Factory) who bought it for his wife.  His wife was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease a few years later and the man put the bike in his showroom at home where it has sat ever since.  The bike had 3,600 original miles. 

Mom wanted me to send a shout out to all members of the Military, past and present.  She always makes a point of telling a fellow guest, on every visit, that her son was a Marine.  Aegis had a little ceremony for a handful of vets who are her fellow guests.  We walked around the block and spoke with Jim via the cell.   The weather today in Southern California was beautiful but breezy (check the flags above) and very chilly if not in the sun.

Be well,

Bill and Jim

Hello to all and Happy  Belated Halloween,

Mom and I enjoyed a simple walk around the neighborhood with Chester.   Chester always enjoys walking with mom as you can see by the picture above.  We had a hot one today, November 4th, at roughly 85 degrees.  Felt more like 90.  Chester brought out big smiles with some of mom's neighbors during an educational class being given when mom and I returned from our walk.  Many of the residents were mellow enough so that Chesty would let them pet him.  He is very, very uneasy with strangers.  Too bad, because if he could relax he could enjoy their company.  Dogs have a way of making people feel good. 
Mom read to me a recently received postcard from Margaret and Jerry from Hawaii.  Also, mom was very excited to hear that the San Francisco Giants are World Champions once again.  Are we getting spoiled?  I would love to see more Championships but I am not done enjoying this one.  Unbelievable no quit attitude by the Giants this year.  It got me thinking that there is no quit in Jim and my's wonderful mother Kathy.  She has no quit in her.  Love you mom.  Thanks for all you did for Jim and I. 

I can't believe it is November.  Christmas and 2013 are right around the corner.  What a year!!!

PLEASE CLICK ON " NOSTALGIC PICTURES" BELOW TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND READ ABOUT THEM.

Nostalgic Pictures

Happy Octoberfest from Kathy, Jeannette and Bill.   A quick note to add to previous couple this month.  We stopped in and had lunch with mom on Sunday, October 15th.  It was a full house and you all know mom does not like lines.  We basically waited until everyone else was done eating.  Food was very good and Kathy ate.  The picture above shows her eating a nectorine and this was after a full plate of turkey, potatoes, gravy, vegetables, sausage and saurkraut and salad.  Did I forget three types of desert and a sip of beer, some decaf coffee and three glasses of water.  A lady named Helen stopped by our table.  Helen's mom, Laura, has been at Aegis for only four months.  I had the enjoyment two weeks ago of speaking with Laura who is 95 years young and was very talkative.  She is originally from Indiana and her parents and subsequently her owned a couple of grocery stores.  Laura's husband (Helen's father) served in the Air Corps during WW II and was shot down.  Helen and her husband run a 19 year old Italian Restaurant around the corner that we might check out.  It is good to know our fellow roomies..

Gotta Run...

Good Friday to all,

My last 'blog posting' garnered some feedback.  Some good, some funny and some retrospective.  I felt personal guilt with whether to post it like that or not.  I decided a little levity and humour were needed after the quick event.  Trust me, for an hour and half on that day, I was once again searching for my mom and searching for my sanity.  Most folks already know that some two years ago, on a visit from mom, she got herself lost and Jeannette and I spent over four hours searching for mom.  That day I will never forget until my last.  The other day brought back all the emotions of that fateful day two years ago.  Once mom was safe, I thought some fun was in order. 

Jim and can't relay the personal toll this is having on us on every posting, it would simply depress and wear us and the readers down.  The simple fact is we are losing our mother almost daily.  If not for the medication and arond the clock supervision, this situation would be un-manageable.   Her memory, in my opinion, is getting worse at every visit, albeit only a little at a time.  If someone who has not seen her for say 6 months or more vistits her,  I believe they would stand aback at the deterioration of mom's condition.   I just don't see it visiting twice a week. 

As we get closer to the Holiday Season, we will try have mom over and post some more pictures.  I have found another relatively flat train that we will be taking her too this Sunday.

Thank you for all the feedback.  As I emailed Carol Halter, 'it will make me do a better a job'.

Bill and Jim...

October 5th, 2012

Southern California is searching for 'gas' and stations are closing by the hour; out of gas... However, mom is resting comfortably at Aegis.  Weather conditions have turned in our favor, with daytime highs around 84 and mom stays even more comfortable in her air conditioned/heated room.  The week has not been that easy and many of you have received an email regarding an incident earlier in the week.  I will add a bit of comedy to what started and a real terror threat.

A Terror Threat Averted

It had been a long week already and it was about to get longer with Kathy's help.  Our protagonist rose from a slumber and was dressed around 6:45 on the last hot day; to date, on Wednesday.  As the Aegis staff prepared the other guests, mom took it upon herself to get her morning exercise by walking around the controlled 'memory care unit'.  At around 7:15 an Aegis staff member looking to 'round up' the group for breakfast, noticed that Kathy was unaccounted.  The staff checked her room and then the remaining 20 or so rooms.  An air of confusion and mysticism entered the staff members hearts.  Where could Kathy have gone? 

Meanwhile, Bill, her son, arrived at Harrington Industrial Plastics, his place of employment around 7:30 in the Van Nuys area.   The work day began routinely with Bill shouting orders at his staff and demanding total allegiance or the threat of death to any subverts.  His staff was petrified and hoping he would be called out of the office and get off their asses so they could continue to drink coffee and play video games on one of many of their electronic contraptions.  To their bewilderment their prayers were answered at 8:15 when the phone rang on Bill's I-Phone.

"Good morning Bill, its Carolyni" (or Carolinia or Carolina.. Does anybody have a normal damn name anymore?) from Aegis "and I wanted to let you know that we can't find your mother".  She said it so calmly Bill thought he had done something wrong.  'What", he said.  She reiterated the tail above and told him that two crack, specially trained Aegis associates were searching the sourrounding areas for mom.  Carolina (sp)wanted to know if Bill wanted Aegis to call the police.  Bill responded absolutely.  What if mom was accosted by some Modern Family who would find out how much she is worth, kid-nap her and hold her for a month.  Some backward's ass California Law would then make mom part of their family and then they would become her heirs.  Bill would not hear of this.  "Call the Police" he demanded, "I am on my way".

It was roughly 8:30 when Bill arrived in the area of Aegis.  He decided to stop in the local shopping mall accross the street.  Mom, in the past, had a propensity for going into CVS Pharmacy and having her way with anything she felt she needed.  He searched the store and spoke with the manager and no sign of Kathy.  There is a local high school close to the mall area and high school kids were running, walking, skateboarding and biking in all directions.  Bill could not continue to drive and look for mom with all this pedestrian traffic.  He immediately headed for Aegis after walking all the stores in the strip mall.

LAPD was on the scene.  Four cars and five officers.  All Bill could think of was 'wow' what a slow day at the Devenshire Police Station.  He met with Officer Somebodyoranother, in the lobby at Aegis.  The Officer said they were dispatching a helicopter to assist in the search.  'Really', Bill responded, we better find her fast, and they better not charge us for the helicopter.  How much does a helipcopter cost, Bill digressed.  Holy sh__, I hope Jim some Genentech stock to sell.   Bill walked, actually waddled, down to mom's room and indeed it was empty.  He was assured that all the rooms were checked.
 
One problem, they forgot the check the BATHROOMS.

As the search began, another resident at Aegis had to take a crap or a pee or simply find a quiet place to collect their thoughts.  What a suprise to see our Protagonist sitting on their 'throne' unable to stand up.  We must back up a bit and tell the reader that Kathy had this happen on her own 'crapper' a few months ago and Bill (and Jim) purchased her an elevated toilet assist.  Back then Aegis found her sitting on her 'pot' stating her legs were asleep and she could not stand up.  Back to the story.... This Aegis resident, whose name will remain anonomys for security reasons, alerted staff members and Kathy was assisted off the toilet and led back to her room.

Bill was driving all over Northridge when the phone rang.  It was Aegis and Kathy was safe.... Bill returned to work to harass his associates.

Hi to all,

It has been a crazy month so my apologies for the delay in posting.  Congratulations from mom, Jim and myself to Michael Halter who finally got married at the young age of 44.  Jim and I attended and I took a video stream of Kathy to the Halter family congratulating Michael on his upcoming marraige and telling the Halters how important they are to the Reilly's.

Last Monday (September 10th) I took mom for her quarterly Kaiser Geriatric Visit.  There is this nice Nurse, Donna, who visited and evaluated mom for a half hour of so.  The team at Kaiser is great and have been very helpful as we deal with mom's deteriorating mental state.  Keep in mind, that this Geriatric Department Manages all of mom's prescriptions thru Aegis.  They communicate directly with Heather Retic (Nurse) at Aegis.  During the exam the team found that mom's 'white blood cell count' has dropped since she has had her prescriptions increased and monitored to keep her stable at Aegis.  Based on these WBC numbers, Donna, prescribed that we reduce the Depakote levels for the next three months.  Donna and I had already agreed to drop the Seraquil amounts (before getting the blood work results back) so we are monitoring mom's behavior closely.  We want to assure that mom maintains the stability we are enjoying right now, while trying to decrease her need for unnecessary medications.  Also,mom has lost 13 lbs since her last visit in late June and her weight is now at 159.  We would like to see it stay here and not drop any further.  Her blood pressure was solid 131/79 and her pulse was a strong 71 beats per minute.  Lung volume was good.  Mom answered that it was 1969 when asked what year it was.  Her memory continues to be our most concerning issue.  She thought it was January. 

I have visited with mom roughly every other day since the prescription dosage drops and there is not too much change in her day to day mental capacities.  However, each time I visit with mom, even before the Kaiser visit, she is laying or sitting down.  I am working with Aegis on this, but they assure me that mom walks more than any other resident by far.  Still, I am going to keep an eye on her a bit more frequently and closely.  It is not a big hassle or inconvenience because it is so close to the house.  Jeannette and visited with mom on Sunday and we did the usual walk about inside Aegis.   I will be stopping by this afternoon, as well.   The past four weeks have been dreadfully hot in Southern California with temps in the triple digits so walks outside are out of the question right now.  Looking forward to cooler temps. and we will get mom outside.

All the best,

James and Bill

Sunday August 27th, 2012:

Quick little visit with mom.  The day started with me 'Kathy Proofing' the pictures in her room.  Defined; that means putting them out of reach for her to take down.  It gave her room additional color and pizaz.  I took Mr. Poopers (aka Chester) on our visit and he brightened the eyes of all of mom's fellow neighbors and mom.  However, as many of you know, Chester is a a 'chicken s__t' and runs away and hides and freaks out when a stranger comes to pet him.  We need the Dog Whisperer to perform his magic on Chester. 
We took a quick trip to the local park and we walked until we ran into a creek crossing that mom was not comfortable with.  With Chester with us, I could not dedicate to both at the same time....

Mom is the greatest and we were walking out of the park she insisted that she wanted to buy me something.  Never to miss an opportunity I mentioned that the Porsche Carrera 911 S was voted Car and Drivers Best Driving Car of 2012.  Mom agreed that Jim should buy it for me.  Retail with Turbo $123,500.  Jim you better get to work on that. 

We have posted two (2) quick videos from my I-phone which is limited in size to email to about 45 seconds to a minute.  Hope you enjoy!!  I think the PING-PONG video of mom and Jim is better.

Till next time

Ping Pong Champs

Update to post from yesterday.....We were able to post the ping pong video  :)
Check it out in yesterday's posting below!

August 2012 with Kathy

Good evening to the millions following Kathy's blog,

We have been trying to post a video of mom with no luck.  Forgive us we are still new to 'blogging'.  How long are you going to let me get away with excuse?

Friday, August 10th, Mr. James flew into town and was able to spend a number of hours with mom (and me).   We 'rocked' the house and gave Aegis a new definition of Reilly Pride.  Jim and mom were engulfed in an exciting battle of Friday Afternoon Ping Pong which I was privy to witness.  The table was 'hot' and the action was intense.  There is this nice big room that has 'the table' along with a crisp 42" Flat screen and a large table with seating for ten.  We flipped on the 'tele', SportCenter of course, and sat down for a few games of Gin and Gin Rummy.  The action again was overwhelming.  A couple of walking tours ended out the evening and Jim and I left mom with her cohorts for the night.

James made a very observant statement that has stuck with me the past number of days.  He said, "Who would of thought we could spend three hours with mom and not have her yell at us once".  This simple statement cut to the bone.  Mom, aside from her memory, is having the time of her life; in her own mind, of course.  She is almost always upbeat and eager to be on the move.  It would be nice to watch a 2-hour movie with her, however, I don't believe that is happening very soon.  She would have to really be into the movie.

Sunday, August 19th, I stopped in early (it has been over 100 degree the past fourteen days) and I wanted to press my luck by bringing in the baseball gloves and real, yes real, baseball for a morning of catch.  We started across the street in an open parking area.  It went off without a hitch, so we moved to the back courtyard at Aegis.  Residents are 'stunned' at Kathy's muscle memory and ability to continue doing things like ping pong and 'catch'.  It was a blast.  Mom continually wanted to stop and get grandpa to join us.  That would have been awesome, if at all, possible.  For all of you who don't know, mom was the parent who most frequently took me, and Jim, out for 'catch' when we were learning to play baseball as young men.  I wanted to return the favor.

I can only report that she is doing pretty darn well.  Fitting in and enjoying the ride.  And then forgetting it... 

Quick Follow-up to last post

Hi,

Mom's Dr's appointment went well.  Her 'vitals' are awesome (better than some of us 30 years younger than her), and she was in good spirits at Kaiser.   Dr. Burke (Mom's Primary Care Dr.) authorized a Pneumonia and Shingles Vaccine for mom which we did during the visit.   I have a much different appreciation for Kaiser since being involved with mom these past few years.  They genuinely seem to care at all levels.  Up until taking mom, I was always afraid of Kaiser, but they are very good.

Jim is coming to town next week and we are planning an outing at a Park, with Chester and  Jeannette.  We will be able to post some new pictures at that time.

All the best,

Bill and Jim

Summer, somber, days.....

Greetings to those who follow-up on mom,

Jim (Jimmy to family, James to Co-workers and 'brother' to me), visited with mom on Tuesday for a couple of hours.  They enjoyed a game of scrabble and multiple walks around the facility.  As is customary, Jim spent much time putting back pictures on the walls that mom keeps taking them down everytime we leave.   Please feel free to send me 'framed pictures' (that you are willing to lose) if you would like me or Jim to put on the wall.   Jim was also, was kind enough to, bring some treats for mom which she enjoyed. 

I showed up during the last few minutes of Jim's visit (as he was cleaning the room), and found mom walking the hallways.  I asked her who was visiting with her and she said, Bill Morry (?sp).  I pressed her and she could not remember that Jim was right down the hall.  When I said Jim is here, she said he was not there.  This day mom could tell Jim that Ella was his daughter but could not remember Jackson.

This is a good facility for a person in mom's condition.  People say 'hi' to mom constantly,by her name, and she fires back.  There is social interaction which makes it comfortable.  She is safe and that is most important to everyone.  Her memory is going away and there is nothing we can do about that.  Jim and I are preparing ourselves for the inevitable day when she can't remember our names. 

On a side note, we have a family living in mom's house on Woodgrove Lane.  They seem very nice, although they are English and we won't hold that against them, I guess.  We emphasized to the Rental Agency that we wanted a nice family to 'keep up the Woodgrove Tradition' and add to the neighborhood. 

I will be escorting mom to her first appointment with her Primary Care Physician today at lunch.  If anything comes out of it that I think you all need to know I will post.  

All the best,

Bill

It is very 'hot' in Southern California.  100 degrees F, give or take.  Jeannette and I entertained Kathy (mom) for a Mexican lunch fiesta on Sunday afternoon (July 8th) at our home.  Jeannette created a low fat turkey and corn soft taco with spanish rice and black beans.  Delicious!   Mom enjoyed the chips and salsa to excess and we all enjoyed sun-tea together.  For those who have not seen our house (lately or never) here are a few clues to our living conditions. 

Mom is still quite aware of her environment.  However, she continues to think I am taking her to see her parents.  I wish I could.  Her room at assisted living is empty of the pictures we continually put back on the walls.  Some are missing and some are hidden.   Mom is a bit of a petty thief, as I believe I have mentioned in past postings.  There is always something new in her room that appears to be someone else's.  She meanders the hallways but on the past few visits she is always glad to see me and tells us mostly good things about her daily doings. 

On each visit, I run through a battery of question and answer items, usually while we are walking. Mom still remembers most family members but, at times, needs assistance.    She will usually get the President and the Governer of California, but not always, and she never gets Biden.  It is difficult to watch this happen to our mother, but we are glad to be participating, as best we can, through this time of her life.

All the best to Everyone.... 

Happy Summer Days to all,

It has been a quiet month around the campfire with mom.  She is slowly, but surely, starting to enjoy her sourrounding, her neighbors and Aegis in general.  Margaret and Jerry visited with mom a couple of weeks ago, while passing through Southern California.  Scrabble was the game of choice.  Margaret offered some suggestions that I passed on with the staff at Aegis.  I had not visited with mom for two weeks, so on Saturday I stopped in unannounced and found mom like she is in the below posted pictures.  She looked ready to go and I said lets hit the road and do some nature hunting.  She was very excited and we had a very successful outing. Mom did very well walking throughout the park and was willing to continue on when I had us turn back for fear that she would not make it back out.  I will work on increasing her distance at this nice little park about 3 miles from her home. 

All in all, I was very happy to see mom's physical condition is doing well.  She is still active, however not trying to escape every fifteen minutes.  Mentally, she appears to be holding her ground.  The proper and consistent medication mix could be helping this along.  

Everybody have a safe summer,

Bill

Hello again,

I took mom in for her PET scan, as discussed on our latest blog posting.  Our assigned Doctor in the Geriatric Department called us last week and discussed the results.  He was very pleased with the results.  His words, 'I expected to see extensively more damage to the frontal portion of mom's brain based on the results of our initial interviewing of Kathy'.   Clinically, he believes mom has Early Onset Alzheimers Disease.  Based on the PET he is confident that his department at Kaiser (Geriatric) can assist mom through this time in her life.  We will have a follow-up with his department in July.  I have not seen mom since I took her for this Exam last week and I have not heard from her Care Facility (and that is always a good thing).  

Best to everyone....

Hello to all,

Mom has had a rough and difficult 7 days physically.  Please keep in mind, that even when mom has a bad week physically her mental happiness stays in pretty good order.  Last Wednesday (may 23rd), Jim traveled down to spend some time with mom.  When we arrived that evening mom was sitting on the toilet and could not get up.  Jim and I got her up and mom was able to walk around the facility for well over an hour.  We had a great visit with her.  She made no attempt to 'flee' even when standing in front of the lobby door.  However, mom's ability to get up and sit down progressed negatively throughout last Wednesday night and on Thursday, Jeannette and I took her again to Kaiser for a check-up.  Mom had Edema in her lower extremities, as well.  The Kaiser Dr. generally felt that the amount of medications that mom is on, namely the Depakote and Aricept were too high, and that this may be causing the insecurity in walking, progressive shaking and possible the edema.  Over the past weekend, she had what was called an 'assisted fall' from the wheelchair she was sitting in.  No injury occured. 

I met with nearly the entire wellness staff at Aegis yesterday to adjust mom's care to include shower and bathroom oversight (for the time being).  Mom is walking now, but still requiring assistance with getting up and sitting down.  As the Depakote levels lower, we are hoping she can get up and down on her own. 

Today (Wednesday May 30th) I will be taking mom for a PET scan.  This was ordered by the Geriatric Doctor at Kaiser when Jim and I took mom a few weeks ago for an all day exam.  This PET will allow the Doctors to determine how extensive the disease has progressed with mom.   I have copied, from WebMD an overview of exactly what a PET scan does:

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a test that uses a special type of camera and a tracer (radioactive chemical) to look at organs in the body. The tracer usually is a substance (such as glucose) that can be used (metabolized) by cells in the body.

During the test, the tracer liquid is put into a vein (intravenous, or IV) in your arm. The tracer moves through your body, where much of it collects in the specific organ or tissue. The tracer gives off tiny positively charged particles (positrons). The camera records the positrons and turns the recording into pictures on a computer.

PET scan pictures do not show as much detail as computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because the pictures show only the location of the tracer. The PET picture may be matched with those from a CT scan to get more detailed information about where the tracer is located.
A PET scan is often used to evaluate cancer, check blood flow, or see how organs are working.
See pictures of a PET scanner and PET scans of the brain .

Why It Is Done

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is done to:

• Study the brain's blood flow and metabolic activity. A PET scan can help a doctor find nervous system problems, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease, stroke, and schizophrenia

For now, I hope all are well and will keep the postings coming.

Bill and Jim


 

A couple of pictures of mom on Mother's Day, as well as picture of Jeannette and mom yesterday (May 20th).  Mother's Day went quite well.  The Aegis group throws a pretty good party.  Inadvertently, the caterers delivered Beef Ribs instead of Prime Rib.  The Ribs were much better than the Prime Rib we had on Easter.  It is really quite cool, to be able to have Brunch with mom and just put our bill on her bill.  If you get that, We get a free out of the dealio. 

Yesterday, while I was a little down, Jeannette encouraged me (and her) to go and visit mom.  Very convenient having mom so close.  Mom was napping on our arrival, but quickly got up and gave us a good hour tour of the facility.  We also played a bit more ping pong, suprising many of the guests and staff at how well mom could play.

James (Jimmy, Jim) is coming down again this Wednesday to have dinner with mom.  Maybe we can get her out of the building for spell.

To all who keep an eye on this blog and mom's well being we truly appreciate and encourage you to keep looking so it keeps me motivated to keep posting.

Bill

Kathy's Day with Jim and Bill

Hello everyone (from Southern CA).  Today Bill and I spent several hours with Mom at Kaiser's Geriatric Department.  Over the course of about 4 hours, Mom had a comprehensive evaluation by a Nurse Practioner, Nurse, Pharmacist and MD.  Overall, the visit went well and they will be making some changes to her medication regime over the coming weeks.  Mom now has an entire specialized team from Kaiser that will be managing her ongoing care with Aegis.  We feel very good about the care and attention she is receiving from Kaiser. Mom was in good spirits during most of our time together.   She did have a few moments of anxiety, but Bill and I were able to distract/redirect her.  After Kaiser, we took mom out to lunch and enjoyed the great weather here.  Mom seemed very calm when we dropped her off at Aegis and our transition was uneventful.  Bill and Jeannette will be spending Mother's Day with mom at Aegis and mom is set up for a comprehensive manicure/pedicure on Monday.  That is it for now!  All the Best, Jim and Bill

Just a quick note to follow-up on Sunday's post.  I happy to report that I picked mom up from Northridge Hospital this afternnon.  She had not been outside for many days.  We walked around a bit and then drove her back to her room at Aegis, where she quickly grabbed her purse and said, 'lets go'.   I told her I had to go back to work and she said she didn't care.  Sounds like mom.  I am very relieved.  Let's hope it lasts.

Bill

Hi to all,
Sorry for not posting in a number of weeks.  We have been hoping to have some good news to tell and brush aside the difficulties we have been running up against the past few weeks.  Jim and I have never wished to alter the truth or give false information about mom's day to day conditions.  Her transition has hit a second roadblock, as she confiscated a wrench from one of the maintenance men at Aegis and threatened to hit somebody over the head.  Although, I don't think any of us believe mom would ever hit anybody,  Aegis has to cover itself.   Mom is presently in a Psychiatric Facility under the direct care of a Psychiatrist at Northridge Hospital (just a few blocks from or house) and has been there since Wednesday April 25th.  Jeannette and I visit her daily during visiting hours (posted picture is Friday night).  The most dificult task at hand is getting mom to settle down.  She continually wants to be on the move, to where she has no direction nor destination.  This is the main goal of the Doctor.   A quick example, when Jim drove mom down to our house in Los Angeles last month with mom, all she could do was talk about being with us at the house.  Once she arrived (driving over six hours) all she wanted to do was leave.  

Back to the present, on my visit yesterday (Saturday) the staff informed me that mom would be there for a while, that her physician put a 14-day evaluation hold on mom.  I have been assured that this does not mean she will be there for 14 days but that it allows them the time to evaluate.  I will be visiting with her Dr. and a State representative on Tuesday with the goal of getting her out of there as soon as possible. 

Mom and I played a couple of hands of Gin (the card game) today and we walked a bit, as well as, I went through the battery of family and close friend questions.  I try to keep re-addressing with her important facts of her life.  She is having trouble with a number of these and I just try to reaffirm them with her.  Even if she can't answer, I tell her the answer, and then we talk a bit about it.  Of course, she still loves chocolate.    

All the best and lots of love,

Bill 

Kathy (mom) Update April 16th

Hi,

We were asked to stay away from mom for a couple of weeks, to assist her in transitioning so no pictures on this update. Mom, on occasion, has been swearing at other patients and staff. These outbursts, according to Aegis, take place within 24 hours of my or Jeannette's visit. They want to give her some time to feel like this is her home (which it is, but mom thinks she is always going home when we show up).

I did take mom to the Doctor last week and everything is good with her physically. We have a Psychiatrist for her and she is monitoring all medications that Aegis is making sure mom takes regularly. Hopefully, we will see some slowing down of the symptoms she is experiencing.

All the best to everybody,

Bill

Happy Easter to all our friends and family, Wishing you all the greatest of happpy egg hunting and chocolate eating a day as you can have. Low and behold, we found a purpose this morning and spent Easter with mom and all the other folks at Aegis. As usual, upon our arrival, we found mom's room all packed and ready to go. Presumably on some Grand Adventure to untold lands. Jeannette and I, as has come to be expected, began putting everything away and resetting mom's room. We have attached pictures on this post (possibly to another posting because I am having mucho problems with this blogging BS) which illustrates how her room should look as we leave it. And should I remember, I will post pictures of what it looks like on our next visit later this week. Usually quite the contrast. Today began with a bountiful Brunch put on by Aegis and paid for, at least our part, by mom. Thanks Mom. Aegis throws a Brunch every first Sunday of the month and this was it. It was less attended then our first Brunch last month, but there was still a very good showing. Aegis folks even tell us that neighbors attend the brunch (I don't know if I buy that one because it is $16.95 a person). The food, however, is excellent. Turkey (cut from the carcass), Ham and Prime Rib (overcooked) and a great choice of desserts.
Mom identified that 'The Fonz' (aka Henry Winkler) and Sean O'Callahan (Bay Area people only) as being in attendance, as well as, Monsignor Kennedy (again). I am getting to know the Monsignor very well because he is always in a Dodger Hat and we talk a little baseball each visit. At the time of this post the hated Dodgers are 2-0and the Giants are 0-2. Ouch.
After lunch, we set about the facility. Aegis has encouraged us not to take mom outside for a period of time and they reiterated it again; so we stayed inside. Mom enjoyed playing ping pong and attracted the attention of Aegis staff at her ability to play very well. Mom and I played for about 20 minutes I would say. Later we stopped by the movie theater and watched 15 minutes of 'Traffic' and then moved back to mom's room for the remainder of our visit.
We informed mom that Mike Wallace (60 minutes), as did the artist Kinkead passed away. Mom and I reminisced about how much grandma and grandpa Miller loved watching 60 minutes.
Our visit lasted just over 2 hours.... At somepoint, I am going to bring a baseball and two gloves and really scare the staff.....

See ya,

Bill

A little Scrabble.

April Fools Day to Every body.

Mom and I got on a little game of scrabble this afternoon. And as expected, she won. I have posted the Scrabble board to show that she can still put a game together very well. 195 to 154 in her favor. I also put up her San Jose Picture and a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge in her room. You may notice a lack of pictures laying around and that is because everytime you put a picture up, mom quickly shoves it in a bag. We are hoping that this will lighten up or go away over time. Last Wednesday, Jeannette, Chester and I went over and visited with mom after lunch. Mom really enjoys seeing Jeannette and Chester.

I know everybody who is keeping on mom is a grown-up and I don't want to 'sugar coat' a super happy woman. She still remembers and thinks Jim and I 'pulled a fast one' on her. Which in somes ways is absolutely true. However, mom is very safe and this is the number one reason Jim and I made the decisions we did. Mom thinks her parents are alive, that she (mom) is in San Jose and for all of you who are from San Jose she continually introduces us to a gentleman as Monsignor Kennedy (I think the guy might be Jewish), but he does not seem to mind.

The new medications that we started her on and she has been taking fastiduously, thanks to Aegis Staff, have up to a four week improvement schedule. Meaning that she should show better and better signs of improvement up to four weeks and then that is what you get.

The folks at Aegis gave me a book written by their founder and on my next posting I will do a little bit on the folks taking care of mom.

By the way, please feel free to post a note/message/story about mom. You can't possibly want to just read my stuff.

All the best and thanks for keeping an eye of our beloved mother.

Bill