June already? and mostly gone!

Whatever happened to May? Posting once a month is pretty bad as it is, but missing a whole month is almost unforgivable. 

It was a busy month, of course. Seems like we did nothing but visit doctors, and that has continued through June, too.

My husband, Frank, was told several years ago that the day would come when he would need his aortic valve replaced. It appears that that day is almost upon us. So, many of those doctor visits were related to that upcoming event. 

A week ago Friday, we had to spend a couple of nights in a hotel in Kelowna because he needed to be at Kelowna General Hospital at 7am for an angiogram and was not allowed to go home until the day after the procedure. Tomorrow we have to go back to Kelowna (a city about an hour drive from Penticton, where we live) for a consult and more tests. Last time, we got my daughter-in-law to drive us to Kelowna and help us get settled in the Royal Anne Hotel, my son Dave came and helped us get from the hospital back to the hotel after the angiogram, and my daughter and son-in-law drove to Kelowna to bring us home. Tomorrow, my granddaughter will drive us to the Kelowna hospital from our Penticton home, and later in the day Dave will pick us up at the hospital and drive us back to Penticton.
As you can see, there has been a lot of focus on Frank's health. My health has also been an issue. I've been diagnosed with Caregiver Burn-out Depression. It's not clinical, so I'm not on medication. I do have Group Therapy sessions every two weeks, and can have one-on-one if I ask for it. So far, I've had only one of the individual sessions. I find the group very helpful, if only to prove to myself that my situation could be a lot worse. My husband's health is physical. Those caring for loved-ones with dementia have a much worse time. 

One more thing has happened that is good for both my husband and for me: He is now attending Adult Day Care once a week, which gives me Saturdays free! And he gets to visit with other people and participate in games, etc., instead of spending all day watching TV. (The Saturday program is for those who qualify for the day care, but do not have dementia.) It costs only $10 a day, and includes a very healthy lunch which would itself cost a lot more than $10 in a restaurant. A bus picks him up about 9:30 am and brings him back about 3 pm. Best of all, he enjoys it. Next Saturday, caregivers and spouses are invited to join the group (about 9 or 10 of them) to go to Agur Lake for a picnic. That will be $3 each extra. I think we can afford the $6. Especially since I don't have to prepare a picnic lunch--that will be provided, along with the transportation.