Update On All The Things

I feel like I've left several threads of posts hanging here recently. When I have a problem, I post. When the problem gets resolved, Here I am, gone, as they say in these parts. Maybe they say that in other parts, too; I don't know.

Anyway, today is the day I catch up.

Meredith the cat: She is still eating and doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. I asked the vet to clarify some things. The "calcified mass" she mentioned was further described as "a bony tumour". The only option for further diagnostics is to take Meredith to Prince Edward Island to the vet college there, for a CT scan, also known as a CAT scan. The irony of the name would be amusing if I wasn't so sad about Meredith's condition. The scan is expensive and wouldn't do anything except potentially help refine the diagnosis and see if the cancer has spread. Even if surgery was deemed possible, it would be expensive. Meredith is thirteen years old. She is happiest at home. The travel would be hard on her, with probably no benefit, according to the vet. I want to do what's best for her, so I am torn about whether I should be going ahead and requesting the scan. But "what's best" also includes not making her miserable. I am still trying to figure it all out.

The roof: The insurance company sent their contractor to have a look. Quick does not adequately describe the response. The contractor was calling me before the insurance guy had even hung up the phone, and was there the next morning to check the attic spaces for possible water damage and have a look at the shingles. We have two attic access points, one in the master bedroom closet and one in the garage. Both of these required quite a bit of work ahead of time to make room for a ladder so the contractor could get up through the ceilings. And of course, general tidying of the house was needed to make it look less like a meteor had crashed on it. The contractor's inspection was good news: no water damage inside, the shingles were not blown off entirely, just the tabs (so probably no danger of leaking before the repairs could be done), and the contractor agreed to do the work plus repair a piece of fascia for the cost of the insurance deductible, and do it within a week. (This means I will still be able to make a "first claim" in the future without my insurance rates going up.) We still had shingles here from when my husband replaced the roof about seven years ago, so there was no need to worry about mismatched shingles. Best of all, the contractor told me the roof had been well-laid (before he knew it was my husband who did it); the issue was with the type of shingles that were used. I was glad to hear this, as I had been wondering if the damage was due to my husband's roofing skills. It was really comforting to hear that his work was considered well done. Today was sunny and warm and the roofing guys showed up and had the work done in no time. A big thumbs up for the contractor, who was dealing with a whole lot of other claims from the same wind-and-rain-storm that damaged my roof. There really still is good customer service out there, in case you doubt it like I did.

My Mom: Tomorrow is the day we go to see the geriatric doctor. Mom's a bit suspicious about this appointment but I just keep telling her it's a follow up to the visit she had last summer from "the woman who took your blood pressure". She remembers that woman surprisingly well, given her memory problems. Mom's BP was low that day, despite repeated checks, and she feels it was not actually her blood pressure but that "the woman" didn't know what she was doing or maybe her equipment was faulty. There were actually other possible reasons for the low reading, including that it was a hot day and Mom could have been dehydrated. Her family doctor was supposed to follow up and arrange for a visiting nurse to do a series of readings. I was in touch with Mom's doctor about this but the checkups never materialized, and in the meantime the doctor closed his practice for other reasons. So I am also trying to sell Mom on tomorrow's appointment by telling her the geriatric doctor will review her medications and check her blood pressure, both of which are things she has wanted done but had no doctor to do them. (She won't let me take her pressure with our home machine, despite being told by the pharmacy staff - where she takes their readings as gospel - that she could buy a home machine herself.) Anyway, long story short (oh, is it too late for that?), I am worried about this doctor visit tomorrow for a dozen reasons, and hope it goes smoothly.

My grief: I think this needs a whole 'nother post at some point. The terrible grey seemed to be lifting for a few weeks, and then it came back with a vengeance. It's helpful to me to write about it, and I hope it also might be helpful for someone out there who has yet to go through the loss of their spouse or partner. I've learned so much about all kinds of things from people who were willing to share what they were feeling and going through. Yet there are so many things I've experienced after my husband's death that I wasn't prepared for. And I thought I was prepared.

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How about some funnies? Some days this is all that keeps me going.

 

 

 

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How do YOU get through "those" days?