Wow, how time flies!  Seems like we just welcomed Spring into our lives only to have the first day of Summer fall upon us on June 21^st.  I wanted to give you all an update regarding my Mom, my health and what we’ve been up to over these past few months.

Adventures!

In late March, my friend, Kim, and I took my Mother to the gorgeous flower fields in Carlsbad.  It was a beautiful day surrounded by thousands of blooming ranunculus flowers.  Mom truly loved it!

Day at the Spa

Mom’s hair needed a tune-up.  She didn’t much enjoy the “spa” process – having the hair dye put on, waiting for it to process or washing it out.  As many of you know, my mother is German – that day I heard every swear word there was in the German language.  Yes, she was adamant about expressing her feelings!  Then after all was done and hair trimmed, she was happy with her new coif and forgot any of her foul language.

Planted a vegetable Garden

On April 5, Kim and I planted vegetables in the elevated bed at Mom’s Board & Care.  It was a gray day but planting the new plants put us in a good mood.  Mom, of course, was giving us directions as to where they should be planted and added her two cents to the whole project.

We planted 6 tomato plants, 1 zucchini, 1 squash, as well as one catnip plant- this was for my cat, Kona, who goes crazy for this feline favorite.  Be sure to check out the AFTER pics of the garden – it’s gone crazy!

Good News from my Doctors

In mid- April, I had follow-up appointments with Dr. Toosie, my breast surgeon and Dr. Rash,my radiation oncologist.  Both stated that I was doing great and everything looked clear. Next step – follow-up 3-D Mammogram in November, 2019.

Nails and Make-up Days

Mom loves the bright red color polish and the lipstick that matches.

Mother’s Day – spent some quality time appreciating my mother, as well as all the other mothers in the world, who’ve sacrificed so much for their children.

Those darn UTI’s – Unfortunately over the past month, Mom has had two urinary tract infections.  These have worn her down a bit, making it harder for her to walk and weakening her stamina.  Luckily, both have been treated, but as we know, people with dementia are more prone to getting these infections.  I have her on a special homeopathic blend called UT Defense.  It has worked wonders for my patients and now also for my Mom.

Exercise and Chair Yoga

Mom is moving slower and using her walker for stability.  The physical therapist comes twice a week to help with her muscle strength, balance and flexibility.   I’ve also added Chair Yoga to the regimen which will now be done on a weekly basis.

Here’s my friend, Kelly Wislar, showing how to do the chair yoga.  Mom really enjoyed the breathing and following the poses!

Look at the zucchini from the garden.  They were huge!  And, the plants are flourishing.

Building Blocks

Mom loves building architectural designs with her colorful building blocks.  Placing the blocks on top of each other can be quite a challenge – especially with the tremor that she now has.  Yet, when the blocks fall down and her project crumbles, she just laughs and shakes her head.

Lessons Learned

Over these months and years, I’ve continued to learn so much from my mother, as well as from my patients, who constantly encourage me to have more fun and be less stressed!  If she could verbalize it, I think she would advise us to live more in the moment, be grateful for the little things in life and remember to take it all in stride- even when all of the blocks come tumbling down.

In health and happiness,

Dr Diana