April Frugal Chatter 2016

[SassyAshley]

Andit thoughts and prayers for your Mom

[coupon girl]

-andit prayers for your mom
-son came over for lunch with ashlyn -papa took her for a walk in the wagon (some neighbours down the street gave it to me)
-lunch was grilled cheese and a pear -don't have much food as I haven't gone out 11 days now trying to keep my strength up

-supper tonight a small chicken ,mashed potatoes and veggies -then I will make more soup out of the bones and meat left over as I am down to my last freezer bowl

[jasperandchar]

@coup o girl take it easy, that's a big meal to make when you are not feeling 100%
@Andit good luck with your mom

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Holy snitzel where did the day go??? Just noticed the time and I took nothing out, no easy peasy meals in the freezer so it will be grilled cheese and soup etc for supper. I was busy vacuuming the new bedroom, washing the back door from front to back, etc. I even made a fire as the house is chilly, I may regret my decision once the house warms up but we can always open windows

DH is getting the drywall tonight on his way home as the contractor starts tomorrow.

Wishing everyone a wonderful afternoon/evening.

[coupon girl]

jasper -I actually laid down on the couch -no outdoor gardening and wearing myself out -and popped the chicken in now with carrots cut up around it -not much work -I wont make the soup tonight -I will freeze the leftovers then not as much work right
-we have to eat a decent meal didn't cook at all last week
-anyway thank you for thinking of me

-yeah walked over to mail box and my 50.00 gas card came from aeroplan already just ordered it last week -free gas awesome

[sweet sparrow]

As of Thursday, my mother was rushed to the hospital. She's stable but feels nauseated all the time, but hungry, yet can't eat in case they have an opening for her condition worsening/tests/surgery. She was in a great deal of pain and is currently on medication, so that temporarily fixes that. They need to do tests now to find out how soon the surgery needs to be done and the extent of the problem, but there is a long wait for the doctor, the scheduling, and then the surgery.

Poor mum. English is not her first language, so hospitals and doctors can be quite scary. Actually, they're quite scary for those of us who do speak English as a first language.... So her doctor is Indian and speaks with a bit of an accent. Her usual doctor is on vacation. They left a barely legible paper on her bed and she can't read any of it (being in her mid-eighties).

There should be a law that people who don't speak English shouldn't be told that their heart could stop without a family member nearby to translate. It sent Mom in quite a tizzy. Dad is in a state as well. LO decided to call on that fateful Thursday to find my dad in bits. She kept asking to confirm that he was crying.

What a week. I'm exhausted from work, where my supervisor retired and now I'm the only person in all of Canada who can respond to certain things. At home, it's been non-stop laundry and cooking. Needless to say, I did not get any curtains this week. Absolute chaos....

[coupon girl]

sweet sparrow -ahhh hang in there hon -I had my gallbladder out many years ago -now its a small incision -hope your mom does okay
-well, haven't been out in 4 days when I went to get prescription -needless to say hardly no fruit in the house 3 apples ,no pears no bananas
-told hubby I will pop out have to pay his income tax at the bank -and then I will pop into fortinos -not running over to walmart to price match as I want to keep my strength up as I babysit the next 2 days

-just saw hydro bill on line wow it was 5.92 cheaper than 2 months ago so I am happy it isn't really higher

[Natalka]

sweet sparrow - sure hope everything turns out well for your mother.
Perhaps you could speak to the nursing staff and doctor to ensure that you want a family member is there to translate when new information is being presented - and that it be noted in her chart.

Happy Tuesday, everyone - another sunny day here in the low 20s.

enjoy the day!

[Angela273]

I'm planning on having the kids outside in the yard this morning. We'll see how ambitious I am feeling. I have baskets of clothes that need folding, but I can't do it with the twins undoing it all. I also want to bake and do some weeding in the yard. We'll see what wins out in the end.

Yesterday morning we went to visit a grandma. She lives really close to the CO-OP, so we stopped in on our way home. The twins were both cranky most of the day.

We got pictures taken of all three kids at Wal-Mart with them dressed in their superman shirts. With the Smile Card you get a free sheet of pictures each time you go, plus a big picture for their birthday, and a big 3x3 picture frames collage for free too after going a minimum of 3 times in a year. We had this done from 4-16months with our oldest. It hangs by our entryway.

[momof5boys]

As of Thursday, my mother was rushed to the hospital. She's stable but feels nauseated all the time, but hungry, yet can't eat in case they have an opening for her condition worsening/tests/surgery. She was in a great deal of pain and is currently on medication, so that temporarily fixes that. They need to do tests now to find out how soon the surgery needs to be done and the extent of the problem, but there is a long wait for the doctor, the scheduling, and then the surgery. Up for debate is whether or not they will be removing her gallbladder.

Poor mum. English is not her first language, so hospitals and doctors can be quite scary. Actually, they're quite scary for those of us who do speak English as a first language.... So her doctor is Indian and speaks with a bit of an accent. Her usual doctor is on vacation. They left a barely legible paper on her bed and she can't read any of it (being in her mid-eighties). She heard something about her heart possibly stopping if she didn't do something, so she was rather freaked out about the contents of the forms. As it turns out, she has a potassium deficiency among other things, but at least they can correct it with some vitamins.

There should be a law that people who don't speak English shouldn't be told that their heart could stop without a family member nearby to translate. It sent Mom in quite a tizzy. Dad is in a state as well. LO decided to call on that fateful Thursday to find my dad in bits. She kept asking to confirm that he was crying.

Yesterday, my dad boarded the bus to visit my mom in the hospital. There are two buses in the entire town, one going east-west and the other going north-south. He was so panicked out about boarding the wrong bus that he left the water boiling and the gas stove on. The bus takes about an hour each way, not counting visiting time at the hospital. Dad came home to find a funny smell in the entire place and saw the stove on in the kitchen. Luckily nothing happened and all was well.

Mom told Dad not to visit because she wanted a house to come home to and she'd feel better if Dad stayed home.

What a week. I'm exhausted from work, where my supervisor retired and now I'm the only person in all of Canada who can respond to certain things. At home, it's been non-stop laundry and cooking. Needless to say, I did not get any curtains this week. Absolute chaos....

Hugs - knowing exactly the pain you are going through. Do you have siblings that can help? My parents are also both in their eighties and I am the primary caregiver - I know the exhaustion. I also have a sibling that criticizes my care for them - it was a process but I have learned to let go and just not update him any longer on what is happening with our parents.

[SassyAshley]

Sweet Sparrow **hugs** and prayers for your mom.

Like others have suggested I would speak with the hospital, my grandmother was hearing impaired and so confused they had a note that either a family member or head nurse had to be present when the doctor came to spoke to her and no medical decisions could be made until my Mom was consulted.

[lizzie bargain]

Yippee-it is supposed to reach a record breaking high of 28 today-I feel like it should be July! Hugs to all those with ill family members!

[sweet sparrow]

sweet sparrow -ahhh hang in there hon -I had my gallbladder out many years ago -now its a small incision -hope your mom does okay

sweet sparrow - sure hope everything turns out well for your mother.
Perhaps you could speak to the nursing staff and doctor to ensure that you want a family member is there to translate when new information is being presented - and that it be noted in her chart.

Hugs - knowing exactly the pain you are going through. Do you have siblings that can help? My parents are also both in their eighties and I am the primary caregiver - I know the exhaustion. I also have a sibling that criticizes my care for them - it was a process but I have learned to let go and just not update him any longer on what is happening with our parents.

Thank you everyone.

@Natalka: I think it's just a wish on my part that they could call to speak to a family member while in the room with the patient. All of us children are at least an hour to two hours away so it's not easy to have someone present. If one of us was able to communicate Mom's questions and concerns, that would be ideal, but doctors don't seem to have the time. I don't know what it's like, but in Ontario, it seems like doctors are always rushing to the next patient. The only ones that have time to answer questions are doctors seeking patients and that seems rare. Thank you for your kind comment.

Test is done and they seem bent on going ahead with the surgery. Yesterday, the doctor came in while I was on the phone so I picked up a few details and the doctor said there was a chance of no surgery depending on the results. She just had the MRI done but the doctor hasn't looked at anything yet.

[Frugalbigmama]

Thank you everyone.

@Natalka: I think it's just a wish on my part that they could call to speak to a family member while in the room with the patient. All of us children are at least an hour to two hours away so it's not easy to have someone present. If one of us was able to communicate Mom's questions and concerns, that would be ideal, but doctors don't seem to have the time. I don't know what it's like, but in Ontario, it seems like doctors are always rushing to the next patient. The only ones that have time to answer questions are doctors seeking patients and that seems rare. Thank you for your kind comment.

@momof5boys: I think our dad is the most exhaustive one. The siblings are willing to help but my dad is more stubborn than a mule. They currently own a house near most of us, but my dad favours independent living and is quite proud of his ability to have only himself to depend on. He's even refused medical attention after he fell off a one-story ladder knocking himself unconscious on concrete and slipping on ice and breaking his collarbone. Mom is of the mindset that he is getting a bit senile in his decision making, but he is still the head of the family and she will abide by whatever he decides. It drives me bonkers that he will do things like blindly sign contracts with dodgy energy providers to show that he is still capable of his own decisions, based on what the salespeople say.

Mom is a little more savvy, but she is not confident to speak up when salespeople are around. She lives with the values that she was brought up with during the depression. She will go where he goes and do what she can to mitigate the fallout.

Test is done and they seem bent on going ahead with the surgery. Yesterday, the doctor came in while I was on the phone so I picked up a few details and the doctor said there was a chance of no surgery depending on the results. She just had the MRI done but the doctor hasn't looked at anything yet.

Been there with a stubborn parent. We all have to be proactive for our parents care. I won't tell you the horror stories about when my father was in the hospital. A long list. So we started making sure someone was there at different times of the day. In the end I am thankful for all the quality one on one time I had with my father.

[sweet sparrow]

I guess I'm happy that the only things on my list last week were yogurt and dirt. Well, I never got the dirt but ran around after LO while DH washed the car. LO screamed as we tried to put her down to nap. I thought she was just being overtired, but LO did get up only half an hour later and refused to be put back in the crib.

I got out to WM for a few things but found they charged me for 1.7 kg of ginger. I had to get that one corrected by CS but it took awhile. Then to SDM, and one more grocery store to pick up the groceries that I couldn't find at WM. I don't like shopping there, but with RCSS being so far and getting more restrictive with PM, I'll be there more often. RCSS won't PM Giant Tiger now, but I haven't seen the full list posted.

I tried a successful noodle dish on Sunday. DH and I liked it, but LO wasn't a fan. There was no meat in it and DH suggested adding chicken or shrimp. That totally defeats the point of vegetarian night and saving on the cost of the meat.

I've been looking hard for a hat that doesn't look too silly and is functional. I checked WM, and picked up a $1 cap with a wide brim, a $3 bucket hat that looked a bit like my old one, a $4 visor, and a $10 cap with wide brim. The only other hat there wasn't washable and also more expensive. I returned the $1 cap for being too flimsy, the $3 bucket hat for having a liner that was much lower than the hat (making it look oddly tall), the $4 visor (hard to wash), and kept the $10 cap for now. I think I'll return it because it has no neck protection and ordered three from MEC.

The MEC hats are crazy pricey, but I suppose it's worth it if I'll wear one of them. It's not a deal if you can't use it. I ordered three in the past and had to return them all as they were all too small. Thank goodness they have an amazing return policy.

[jasperandchar]

@sweet sparrow - you poor mum with the language barrier and the thoughts of the unknown. If you don't mind my asking language does she speak? Hugs & prayers
@coupon girl - take it easy

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We awoke to no power so dh called contractor and he had no power either so he will start tomorrow instead of today.

Supper tonight is chicken breast w/ pea and rice.

We only need to pickup paint for the walls and that should be it (fingers crossed that's the last of the reno materials). Going to do a tally but it's way more than we thought BUT grateful I didn't have to defer any of the materials at Home Depot = debt free reno.

I'm going to book the contractor for mid November for the powder room downstairs and to get him to do the mudding/sanding/painting of the drywall in basement ceiling and tile my vestibule + paint the walls, ceiling and door. Don't want to embark on the dining room wall at that time of year because THAT'S CHRISTMAS DECORATING SEASON