Helping David shower

Life in Gigi’s household continues, as always. I try to promote a safe and healthy lifestyle for both myself and David, always mindful that another accident could send David to the nursing home again. If that were to happen, the cost would impoverish us, as we don’t have deep pockets. I am doing everything in my power to keep him and myself healthy and safe at home.

The home therapy is drawing to a close. The therapists, bathing aide and nurse are departing within a week.

I will have to help David even more. I have begun helping David with his shower, and I think I’ll have to continue to do so indefinitely. Note that the occupational therapist turned the shower bench around. It now faces the faucet. This will give David more control. The sprayer has a pause button, which he uses to stop the water flow when he is soaping himself.

The shower bench:

The sprayer with a pause button.

David tries to hose himself, but I hose his back and head while trying to keep water off the floor. I finish by toweling his back and head, and he does the rest.

He still has difficulty reattaching his leg brace, particularly the bottom rung. I can’t stoop down to do it because of arthritis, so he has to walk to his recliner in order to finish the job. Before that happens, I remove the rug so that he can maneuver his walker safely to the living room.

Somehow, we are getting it done.

What a genius!

These days, the managers of the concert hall, the arena and the stadium prohibit spectators from bringing in food and beverages from home. People are expected to purchase refreshments at the venue and nowhere else. I think this is crazy and unreasonable.

My Uncle Harold figured a way out of this dilemma. He was fond of attending football games at the stadium, but didn’t want to buy refreshments there. So, he placed a can of Coke in one sleeve of his jacket and a roll of sushi in the other sleeve. Then, he tied the ends of the sleeves and carried his jacket on his arm.

For awhile, he got away with it until one day, he inadvertently banged the sleeve containing the Coke against a metal pole. The attendant immediately confiscated the Coke. That was the bad news. But, the good news was that he neglected to check the other sleeve, which contained the sushi. So, although Uncle had to buy his drink at the stadium, he was able to enjoy his sushi from home.

Haha. What a riot! I, myself, wouldn’t have considered doing what Uncle Harold did. What a genius!

Maria and Aaron to the rescue

Recently, my daughter, Maria, did me a huge favor. She used a sharp box cutter to shred the huge pile of boxes in my house and throw them into the blue bin for pick up by the City. These boxes came from Amazon and restaurants. Yes, we do recycle cardboard, plastic, glass and paper. Our refuse is picked up by the City twice a week at no extra charge.

I asked Maria to shred the boxes for me, as I have a torn rotator cuff and can’t make any sharp tearing movements with my right arm. Doing so would be very painful for me.

It took her 40 minutes to do this. Somehow, she managed to fit all those boxes in this tall bin:

***

Previously, I mentioned that the top handrails for the outdoor ramp were too short. David had a hard time walking into the driveway and transitioning to the walker.

This is how the top handrails used to look. See how short they were?

We hired Aaron, our handyman, to extend the top handrails. Instead of 5 feet, they now are 6-1/2 feet long. David now has an easier time walking into the driveway and grabbing his walker, then proceeding to his car.

***

Without Maria and Aaron, where would we be?

Entertaining guests

I truly admire people, who can cook fabulous food and entertain their guests in an equally fabulous way. If I were to have a second life, I would choose an AA degree in Culinary Arts over a BA in Sociology. It’s more fun and practical, in my opinion. However, I cannot see myself slaving in a restaurant, enduring the stress of being a busy chef, sweating over a hot stove. Ugh! No, thank you.

Rather, I see myself as the consummate hostess of elegant dinner parties. That’s when an AA degree in Culinary Arts would come in handy. The program at the community college would teach me how to fold napkins in a myriad of ways, such as a bird, fan or crown. It would also teach me how to set the table and present my cuisine beautifully. I truly would enjoy this type of curriculum. It would be very suitable for a housewife like me.

Haha. Just joking!

When I invite folks over for a meal, it is hit or miss. Sometimes, it’s a success; sometimes, not. Generally, I try to cook food according to my guests’ personal preferences. For instance, if they abhor red meat, then I’ll serve them sweet-sour shrimp or baked salmon. But, if they prefer beef, then I’ll serve them pasta with meatballs or stir-fried beef. If I am clueless as to what they like, then I’ll serve them chicken, which is safe though boring.

I enjoy entertaining at home. It sure beats dining in a restaurant, where it’s noisy and the waiter tries to chase you out of there.

***

This was my last party with my family prior to David’s horrible accident and confinement. Nothing fancy, but we all had such a good time! (November 2023):

Strengthening David’s legs

You might be confused by the two types of therapy that David has been receiving. Casie, the occupational therapist, helps David perform tasks related to personal hygiene, cooking and eating, and chores around the house. Katie, the physical therapist, helps David strengthen his legs so that he can stand and walk.

Previously, I discussed how Casie, the OT, solved problems related to cooking in the kitchen.

Today, I would like to discuss how Katie, the PT, has been strengthening David’s legs.

On April 22, David tackled the steep outdoor ramp and has been trying to master it every time Katie comes. He doesn’t use the walker/stroller, as he is too unstable and might fall. He prefers to walk with both hands on the hand rails. It is very difficult, but he is doing better with every attempt:

Katie told us that the top hand rails should extend further out into the driveway so that David can walk into the driveway and transition to the walker/stroller. So, we have hired Aaron to replace the top rails with longer ones:

***

On April 19, Katie temporarily removed David’s left leg brace and had him stand and step forward and sideways. David’s leg was so weak that he could not do this simple exercise for very long. He will continue to wear his brace until he can walk without it:

What can be done to strengthen his legs? Katie recommends applying for intensive physical therapy at Straub Medical Center, as they have equipment that David doesn’t have. Once Katie trains David to get into and out of the car and step up onto the curb from the car, he will be able to go to Straub.

Meanwhile, she has him standing, kicking, squatting and exercising his legs. He also needs to practice stepping up and down by using the kitchen step. This will enable him to step onto the curb from his car when he goes to Straub.

These exercises are unbelievably difficult for David. He is out of breath and trembles with the effort. He is easily fatigued.

David tries to stand with hands free:

David tries to squat:

***

He also exercises other parts of his body.

This is David using a 5 lb. rehab bar to strengthen his upper body:

He also squeezes this tool:

He uses weights on his right ankle. The weights range from 1-5 lbs, depending on the number of sand bags he places in the anklet:

Once the brace is permanently removed, he will be able to use the ankle weights on his left ankle.

David: Therapy in the bathroom and kitchen

David’s occupational therapist, Casie, is an excellent problem solver. She truly is a gem. Earlier, I told you that she had resolved the problems inherent in giving David a shower. She conducted numerous rehearsals prior to the actual shower. The first shower was a success. Now, the next step is for him to shower independently without any help from the aide or me. That’s another challenge for him.

Meanwhile, Casie trained David to stand at the bathroom sink and brush his teeth. He told her he could only rinse his mouth using a straw and a cup of water. So, she got him a straw from the kitchen, and he was able to rinse his mouth. He was also able to floss his teeth.

Next, he will have to shave at the bathroom sink. Eventually, his paraphernalia will be moved from the dining table to the bathroom. I can’t wait for that to happen.

***

On April 26, Casie trained David to cook his breakfast. He made so many mistakes, because he was disorganized. Casie said the problem was there was no work station. So, she rearranged the kitchen. Note the toaster and egg cooker on the left. The sink is in the middle. And the Keurig coffee maker and Peet’s coffee pods are on the right. This work station is more efficient and will enable David to make his breakfast without too much effort. Also, the microwave and refrigerator are near by, which makes his task easier:

On this first attempt, David could not stand for very long. He felt like his legs were going to collapse. So, Casie brought him his wheelchair, and he prepared the rest of his breakfast while seated:

This was David’s breakfast: A bowl of sliced peaches (which I had prepared earlier), an omelet, 2 slices of toast with strawberry jam, and a cup of coffee. Except for the peaches, he had cooked everything himself. Bravo, David!

So, this was David’s first attempt at cooking a meal since returning home on March 18. His next goal is to bring his food to the table, using his cart. He couldn’t do this initially, because he was in a wheelchair.

Hopefully, David’s stamina will improve, and he will be able to stand and walk normally in the kitchen and elsewhere.

Kudos to Casie for being such a superb problem solver!

Tired of answering the door bell

The other day, I saw the first religious missionaries at my doorstep since the start of the pandemic. And, no, I didn’t appreciate their intrusion. One benefit of the pandemic was the scarcity of missionaries. What a blessing that was! I have to admit that I am impressed with their bravery. I know that I would not want to go door to door and have the door slammed in my face.

Grant (Maria’s husband) was a Mormon missionary in Tokyo after he graduated from high school. He still has friends there, who welcome him and Maria when they visit Japan. Grant is a good person. He never smokes or drinks and never uses foul language. He is respectful and humble. Best of all, he never tries to convert me to his faith. I wouldn’t want him to.

I really am not interested in learning more about God. As a child, I was indoctrinated in the Roman Catholic religion. “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” I’ll never be anything else.

These days, so many salesmen come to my door. They try to sell me solar, Spectrum, school fundraising tickets, food, and, of course, religion.

I am getting mighty tired of answering the door bell. Maybe, I should glue a “No Soliciting” sign on my door. Somehow, I don’t think it will keep these pests away.

Impact of the military on Hawaii

We do need a strong military to defend our country. Look at what is happening in Ukraine and Gaza. So many people are being killed, and so many towns are being destroyed. If we don’t have a strong military, then we will be vanquished.

And, yet, it is the military that is impacting Hawaii in a negative way. Military and war-making chemicals, like explosives, perchlorate, benzene, and other chemical weapons, seep into the soil and groundwater systems. Such is the case at Kapūkakī, or Red Hill, a military fuel storage facility built to hold up to 250 million gallons of fuel—much of which is used to support RIMPAC.

In 2021, the spillage of jet fuel at Red Hill sickened thousands of people. Due to the ensuing lawsuits and outcry, the Pentagon ordered the closure of Red Hill, which contained dozens of fuel tanks, sitting just 100 feet above our precious aquifer. The fuel has been drained from the tanks and is being stored in other areas of Oahu (aargh!!!), the Philippines, Singapore, and California. Of course, I am concerned that the fuel is still being stored on Oahu. What if it leaks again?

Meanwhile, Kahoolawe remains uninhabited, because it was once a bombing target for the Navy. Bombs destroyed the island’s sole aquifer. Without drinking water, no one can live there. Such a shame, really.

The military has a long history of pollution and environmental degradation in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor, once a pristine area for fishing and diving, is so severely contaminated that it’s an EPA-designated Superfund site.

The PFAS in Kunia’s water likely comes from five Army installations in the immediate vicinity that send their wastewater to the privately owned Schofield Barracks Wastewater Treatment Plant. The tainted  waters are re-used for agricultural purposes, likely causing groundwater and surface water contamination.

Oh, the list goes on.

Yes, we do need a strong military to defend our country.

But, why does the military have to be so stupid and irresponsible?

The pursuit of happiness

Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

***

It’s been a long time since I went to the beach. The last time was in November 2012, when David and I snorkeled at Hanauma Bay. Now, I have such a hard time walking (even with a stroller), so the beach is out of the question.

I am not in good health. There are so many things wrong with me. My most urgent issue right now is high blood pressure, probably due to the stress of being David’s caregiver. My BP hits 170/100. So, Dr. Ricalde has taken me off Telmisartan and has prescribed Hydralazine. Let’s see if it works. I can’t take Amlodipine (causes leg swelling) and Lysinopril (chronic coughing). He also took me off Hydrochlorothiazide, as it decreased my sodium to below normal level.

If I die of a stroke, then, too bad. Adios, amigo. Nice knowing you.

My friends are still traveling the world. How I envy them! Karen just returned from Dubai and Egypt. Suzanne returned from Japan. And Vicky will be spending a month in France. These friends are all my age (78), but they are in better health.

Meanwhile, I pursue happiness in a less aggressive way. I have my music (violin and stereo), TV (Asian dramas), computer (blogging), and luncheon guests (family and friends).

Nothing spectacular. Haha.

David: First shower in a month

David had his first shower since coming home a month ago. He no longer takes sponge baths in bed.

This is what the bathroom looked like after his first shower:

It was quite miraculous. I cannot believe how the occupational therapist managed to solve the problems inherent in giving this big man a shower. Believe it or not, numerous rehearsals had to be accomplished before the actual shower took place.

First, the wheels of the walker had to be turned inward in order to squeeze through the tight doorway.

David had to approach the shower bench, then turn the walker to the right, sit, swing his legs over the tub, and slide. Then, Julie, the bathing aide, had to remove the left leg brace. Then, she proceeded with the shower. She told David to shampoo and soap himself. She then sprayed him with water, trying not to get water on the floor.

After the shower, David was dried with a towel. Then, 2 bath mats were placed on the floor. He then slid along the bench and swung his legs over the tub while leaning his right hand on the vanity. Then, his brace was placed on his left leg. Then, he stood up, holding the walker. The bench and David’s butt were dried with a towel. Then, he sat down and was dressed by the aide. Then, he leaned on his walker, stood up and walked out of the bathroom.

Whew! All of this took an hour. David was absolutely thrilled with this amazing feat.