I banned my grandmother from asking the family for help from this day forward, I’ve asked for help, and so has my grandmother. A year and a half ago I decided to go back to school because I wanted to be a physician assistant so I had to restart the whole process. The degree I received back in 2011 is kind of a sham, as the school decided to shut down right in the middle of the school year, but I was able to graduate. Yay… Sanford Brown College.

I went to college for two semesters before my grandmother fell too much, or couldn’t find her glasses, or wasn’t eating or whatever the case was. My phone was always blowing up and I’d always have to rush home. My grandmother thought it would be a good idea to again… ask the family to come for a couple hours while I was in class. That fizzled quickly, after two semesters I had to drop out.

So no I didn’t have to go out, I wanted to go to school. I’ve been taking care of my grandmother since I was 21 and it would have been nice to have something other than an associates degree to show for it.

Also, I would take the time to go grocery shopping, get gas, or maybe take my children to the park.

Now James does the grocery shopping, and I no longer have the joy to go back to school, so it works out. 

I've Never Slept in My Own Room.

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve never slept in my bedroom. When I moved in, I slept on a twin sized mattress in my son's room, then as my grandmother's health declined the kids and I kinda moved into my grandmother's room. Before we combined our home and moved into this beautiful home, my grandmother had a stroke, but she didn’t become symptomatic until she had another T.I.A. This stroke messed me up, not only was I in college, but she didn’t know English, and I was in the hospital twelve hours a day because she couldn't communicate with the doctors and nurses and it was  uncomfortable for her. So I would get the kids ready for school and go to the hospital, then go back home to get them off the bus and when James was done with work I would go back.

I felt like death, and I was literally alone… Everyone was busy with their lives while I’m here with everyone’s mom and grandmother. Other than two aunt’s no one called her. She had a couple visits but a few minutes here and there is hardly a reprieve for me. I got sick into the third day because it was either hospital food or starve. There are so much vending machine meals a human can take. As my grandmother got better she was switched to a different floor, and the kids were finally able to visit. After the kids got out of school we’d stay at the hospital until the staff kicked us out (they were nice about it).

Even when grams was in the hospital I didn’t sleep in my room, I think I was too depressed. Crying my self to sleep didn’t help. The kids were already used to sleeping in grandma’s room since we moved my little bed in there too. The feeling of being alone sucked. I can’t quite explain it but my grandmother not being around, kind of felt empty and I wasn’t ready for it.

She came home and required a lot of help for me, but I couldn’t get more help than I already was getting for her which was a home health aide 3x a week for one hour each day. Which is fine, I’ve been always grateful for any help I can get, as I took that opportunity to get groceries.

Grams can’t get up on her own, she requires help all the time and she kinda “forget’s” that she has a walker. I’m her walker, and my waist always has black and blue marks where she holds on. Yep, I’m her walker.

Honestly, I want to applaud my husband, my best friend. No one else would ever understand the devotion I have to make my grandmother comfortable. It’s hard, so hard and he gets it.

Resources I use for Blogging

Here is a list of websites I continuously use for resources on my blog.

Free Stock Images

Mazwai: http://mazwai.com

Gratisography: https://gratisography.com

Stock Video:

Videvo: https://www.videvo.net

Pexels: https://videos.pexels.com



More websites I use:

Canva: www.canva.com

Research and News:

http://science.sciencemag.org

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com

https://www.sciencedaily.com

https://www.psychologytoday.com

https://www.livescience.com

https://phys.org

https://www.seeker.com

Cleaning may add years to your life

New research that was recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that women above the age of sixty-five who consistently engage in household chores are likely to live longer and healthier lives. This is because of the physical activity, which reduces the risk of disease and death.

There was also research done that revealed that thirty minutes of light physical activity every day lowers the risk of mortality by thirty-nine percent. It’s recommended that older adults engage in at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity such as brisk walking.

Resources:
Sandoiu, A. (1970, January 01). Getting chores done may add years to your life. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320110.php

So...What is a mini-stroke?

Today I wanted to write about strokes. My grandmother had a mini-stroke a year ago, and it brought about some changes in the household.
First I want to write about Transient Ischemic Attack is also is known as a TIA or "Mini-stroke." This is what my grandmother had.
When a stroke occurs there is A temporary decrease in the blood supply to the brain which causes the following symptoms:

• Dizziness
• visual changes
• weakness, numbness in one or more limbs
• difficulty swallowing

The TIA only lasts a few minutes to a few hours

A Cerebral Vascular Accident or a CVA  is a Stroke that is caused by a clot in a blood vessel or bleeding inside a blood vessel in the brain.
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures and its also known as a bleed.
After a stroke there may be Behavioral changes which are:

• Depression
• Tearfulness
• personality shifts
• apathy

Sources: 

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113
2. http://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/what-stroke
3. https://www.medicinenet.com/stroke_symptoms_and_treatment/article.htm
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7624.php