Jazmee27 
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What would I do without my little birdie :)
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Reply #1581. Jul 06 12, 9:30 AM
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demurechicky
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Am so sorry to hear about your Grandma having a stroke. It does seem that she is doing well! I can speak from personal experience as I had a series of mini strokes 6 years ago. They do leave you feeling very fatigued, but it does get lots better! It's very early days yet and your Grandma is in the right place, where she can be monitored and given the correct medication, plus they can make adjustments of her other meds too.
Recovery from a stroke does take time, and there are different types. Mine was caused by a narrowed artery in the brain, which had been there apparently from birth. I had pioneering surgery and have a stent in my brain.
I know that it's a frightening experience and I sincerely hope that your Grandma is feeling lots better soon!
Reply #1582. Jul 06 12, 10:14 AM
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Jazmee27
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Thanks, demurechicky.
I called Grandma again to say I was thinking of her.
Did she feel any better? Not as tired as yesterday (the change in blood pressure meds must have helped some).
She had Physical Therapy this morning. “It didn’t last long.” No, I didn’t suppose it would in the beginning (evaluation and all that, and besides they’re not about to push her too much if she’s fatigued).
Did she have any visitors? Mom and Michael, and Rob called earlier. “He calls me every day.”
I talked to Georgette. The other day, I gave her the wrong idea (that we’d no longer be able to go to the picnic on the 21st. I was speaking to Mom the one day, and she said if we have to we’ll make alternative arrangements. (Georgette wanted to know what those would be, and I told her it’s too soon to tell right now what we’ll do.)
She wanted to come over tomorrow around the same time she did the other week. Since she’s diabetic, I inquired as to her lunchtime plans. She asked what I have, and I told her that I didn’t want to be rude or anything, but I wasn’t sure I had stuff she could have (I did make up two salads, but they’re divided among two containers and have Craisins in, which I think would be too sweet for her. Besides, I don’t use dressing—though I have some, but certainly not fat-free or whatever she uses.
Her Mom told her she neexds to save her money for a trip she’s making next month. (The three options we discussed were Wendies, Subway and A&M. Since A&M’s closest, and I told her that as they’re expensive I wouldn’t ask her to pay, that’s what we’re getting.)
At first, she wanted to get a salad *and a sub, but I told her to just dchoose one. “Remember, A&M’s expensive.” (The only time I *ever allowed her to get both when I was paying was on her birthday.)
Now, the plan is for her to come around 11.
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Reply #1583. Jul 06 12, 7:05 PM
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Jazmee27
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Approximately $25 for the both of us. Two subs and two drinks, plus Georgette got a side of breaded mushrooms which she paid for herself. I had a chicken hoagie sub, and her a grilled chicken.
Mom told me when I talked to her that she was neting Janice over at the hospital. She and Bill didn't intend to stay long, but they'll be back in the area next weekend as it's time for his annual picnic Saturday.
Three digital books in the mail, including #2 in the "Collegium Chronicles" trilogy
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Reply #1584. Jul 07 12, 12:24 PM
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Jazmee27
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Am curious to know why Mom said yesterday was so interesting. She was too tired to go into it last night.
Grandma spent an hour in Physical Therapy yesterday. She was tired, she said, but it went well.
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Reply #1585. Jul 08 12, 8:40 AM
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Jazmee27
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Mom’s car battery died, so we had to postpone the laundry. As I’d already stripped my bed, she went to Kmart after buying the new battery at Wal-mart and bought me another set of sheets. She’ll take my clothing home with her tomorrow.
I took out a bag of recycling and several bags of trash (I’ve been reading a lot more magazines, so when I’m finished they go in the trash). I also washed the dishes.
Mom has some food from the Market for me, which she’ll bring tomorrow as well.
I lost my composure a bit when she was explaining how Grandma’s vision was affected, and about the paralysis on her right side. “She thinks she’s ready to go home, but she’s not.” (The “”interesting day” Mom referred to yesterday was because Grandma was being argumentative. “She’s angry at me for taking her to the hospital.” I told Mom it’s a good thing she works around stroke sufferers because it helps her to minimize the fallout, so to speak. Still, it’s hard—and I apologized for crying. Yes, this is my Grandmother, but it’s her mother, and as such she’s likely having just as hard a time, if not more so, than me.)
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Reply #1586. Jul 08 12, 8:53 PM
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Jazmee27
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Dear Diary, Today I’m so furious with Grandma I could BREAK something!
Since Saturday, she’s gotten it into her head that, since she’s feeling a bit better, she’s ready to go home. She’s convinced the therapist told her (yesterday, no less, ON A SUNDAY (unless I’m missing something there *is no therapy on Sundays – the schedule is Monday through Friday, all day, and half days Saturday)… she claims her therapist was surprised how much her vision’s improving, and told her that he doesn’t think she needs therapy, and that he only mentioned it to let her know what’s available. So she decided she wanted Michael to come take her home.
She also claimed that MOM YELLED AT HER AND HUNG UP ON HER, which simply isn’t true. Having worked around this sort of problem before, Mom knows how best to handle it. (She was firm, which Grandma didn’t like, and it sounds to me like GRANDMA may have hung up on Mom, or even if she didn’t, MISINTERPRETED firmness for yelling.)
Mom and I both feel she’s made a serious mistake, but there’s nothing we can do (certainlym, expressing our frustration can only make matters worse). And THE ONLY REASON her therapist might have said anything EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE to what Grandma claims he saoid is because *she was demanding to go home – that she wouldn’t stop complaining, and kept “using her rights,” so to speak. (She flat-out told the staff *not to tell Mom about discharge plans.)
As Mom told me about things, I felt a surge of anger and frustration, and told her that I’d feared Grandma might do something like this. (I went dow for the mail thinking that she wouldn’t be able to handle her home in the condition she’s in – it’s a two-story, for one, with a rather large yard.)
I did call to check in on her, but in some ways that made it worse. (I hope she has enough sense not to mow the lawn anytime soon, but knowing her I wouldn’t be surprised by anything.)
I find myself doubting my faith again, like I used to in years past. How can the One who loves us so, as we’re led to believe, allow something like this to happen. (As I write this, the tears of frustration and fear are falling even more than I allowed yesterday. I don’t want to think like this, but… As for this idea that it’s some sort of test for me, all I can say is, unfair.
HERE’S COMCEPTS THAT WILL MAKE IT INTO MY WRITING—irony is, they’ve sort of been in the stories already, but now they’ll be more defined. EXPERIENCE? Isn’t that what people say to base at least the majority of your writing on? Well…
By the way, Mom didn't come over tonight. She had to get some exercise in before she killed someone (I related perfectly)
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Reply #1587. Jul 09 12, 7:00 PM
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Jazmee27
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Mom told me to call her at the office if "anything squirrley" happens on the phone with Grandma tomorrow
On the bright side, I spoke to Ida at Compeer about a solution to the problem of how Georgette and I ar getting to the picnic. She said she'll e sending out mails to the volunteers t see if anyone would be willing to pick us up. It could be a whie until I hear anythin, as Jodie's off this whole week and Ida herself is taking some days starting Wednesday, but both will be in the office Monday.
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Reply #1588. Jul 09 12, 7:35 PM
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Jazmee27
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Oh, sh*t! Have got to do something about this sleeplessness thing... bloody, bloody *stress!*
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Reply #1589. Jul 09 12, 11:06 PM
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| lesley153
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Good luck. Stress isn't fun and not sleeping is awful.
Reply #1590. Jul 10 12, 5:24 AM
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Jazmee27
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Thanks, Lesley.
Finally drifted off around 1:30. Awake again around 9:03. Can't seem to stop thinking about Grandma, and her unwise decision. In her mind, she didn't refuse treatment because they *told* her she could go home! (Like I said yesterday, she better stay away from the lawn mower--and her car.
I really can't believe she'd do this; it's not fair to Michael, or to Mom, or to me. It's apparent she's only thinking of herself (and the worst part is, no one can say anything to *her* about it).
Last night, she did manage to relearn how to use the call waiting feature on her phone (that's simple, though, and it took a lot of anxiety and frustration on her part before she got it, as well as some on mine as I wished I could help - but I don't have call waiting, and besides I know all phones are different (at least somewhat).) WELL, MOST ARE.
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Reply #1591. Jul 10 12, 7:12 AM
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Jazmee27
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Grandma dialed me early this morning (by accident). She was trying to ring the pharmacy, as she was unclear about some of her prescriptions (either someone botched the discharge plan or Grandma just plain wasn't paying attention (both, likely).
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Reply #1592. Jul 10 12, 12:36 PM
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Jazmee27
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Mom brought over hamburger helper, chili, macaroni and cheese, and chicken fingers.
I get groceries delivered tomorrow.
Weird call this evening:
ME: Hello?
CALLER: Hi, Jaymee (with the accent, it sounds like “Jimmy.”)
ME: Hi? [All I can say is, I was confused!]
CALLER: How’ve you been?
ME: Who is this? [Getting a bit alarmed now, as the confusion’s wearing off somewhat. Foremost in my mind was, who is this? Second question was, how ddid this person get my number?]
CALLER: [I think he repeated something of the same, but I’m not sure.]
ME: [more demanding this time] Who is this?
CALLER: [Mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like “I don’t know,” and hangs u p.
Upset Mom by not asking who it was when she buzzed in [I was expecting her…]
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Reply #1593. Jul 10 12, 8:40 PM
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Jazmee27
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Forgot to mention I spoke to Tiffany last night for two hours
And *her* grandmother's in the hospital with an infection!
She and her family go camping starting today.
And her brother hasn't spent any time at home (they bought the house together) in at least three weeks (he's got a new girlfriend, and it's assumed he's staying closer to her)
Tiffany's dog is making more of an effort to behave, it's thought because Dante's worried she'll leave like Kyle did.
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Reply #1594. Jul 11 12, 7:31 AM
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Jazmee27
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One really good sign is that Grandma's keeping her medical appointments, and doing her exercises. She just told me this morning that she has to see the cardiologist (did she say tomorrow? Or is it next week?)
This seems to indicate that Tiffany's assertion is right, and that Grandma refused treatment as in rehab due to her pride, believing that going to rehab would have been a sign of weakness (that's likely why she's so upset Mom took hher to the hospital).
Tiffany suggested thatGrandma would be more likely to keep any follo-up appointments and whatever.
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Reply #1595. Jul 11 12, 1:29 PM
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Jazmee27
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Mom went down to Grandma’s to take her a loaf of bread. “She said something to me, and I acted as if I didn’t even hear,” Mom told me later. “She said she doesn’t feel well enough to drive yet, but she went out and started her car.” Hearing this, I got very still, and then told Mom that I’ll behave should Grandma decide to drive anytime soon, but it’ll be hard to hold my tongue. “I was going to suggest she have someone with her the first few times” (well, then I wouldn’t be quite so nervous).
While there’s some improvement, Mom and I still don’t think Grandma should be home alone (which she is, for the most part, as much of Michael’s time is spent either at work or his house).
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Reply #1596. Jul 11 12, 8:02 PM
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Jazmee27
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Just wrote a new story (well, rough draft of it) called "Abduction II."
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The nine-year-old’s breaths came in frightened gasps and his thoughts tumbled around each other like children terrified of a horror film.CAN’T BE HAPPENING. WOULDN’T HURT ME. MUST BE SOMEONE ELSE. B UT IT ISN’T! SHE FOOLED YOU ALL! He felt like crying, but was completely empty inside. He couldn’t even feel the surface pains from his earlier injuries, couldn’t believe that person who’d fought his captors so hard had been himself. It all seemed unreal.
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Reply #1597. Jul 12 12, 1:45 PM
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Jazmee27
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======
A low chuckle caused him to focus his attention, with difficulty, on the room. TO YOUR LEFT. He turned his head, and found himself gazing into the coldest, blackest pits for eyes he’d ever seen. SILVIA HAWTHORNE. FAIRY EMPRESS. SUMMONED ME HERE. Forget, for a moment, that she hadn’t touched him herself. DIDN’T NEED TO. PLENTY OF UNDERLINGS TO DO DIRTY WORK. Preferred to watch the handiwork of others. COULD BE MASTERMIND. DON’T KNOW. Nothing mattered save for the demon pinning him to the cold floor, and the sound of Silvia’s cold laughter ringing in his ears. “Feeble, Qqori, very feeble. Even Qodi can fight better than you.”
His heart thudded painfully in his chest. UNFAIR COMPARISONS. Hard to breathe. Vision blurring. Strength leaking out of him like a lake emptying into the sea.
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Reply #1598. Jul 12 12, 1:46 PM
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Jazmee27
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======
Two days before. Lunchtime. Exchanging insults with twin. Off to classes. So much homework he was overwhelmed by it. Struggling through lessons. Qodi offered to help, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He didn’t want special treatment. Just work hard, do your best. All will—
Late for Language. Worst subject ever. No sense whatsoever. Everyone better than him.
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Reply #1599. Jul 12 12, 1:47 PM
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Jazmee27
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======
So lost in thought, didn’t hear older boys approaching. Knocked him down, tied up, and taken… where? No clue. Too dark. Lying on flat surface. No longer bound. Captors standing above him, waiting for...
What?
“You have a slim opportunity here,” said a gravelly voice, “a chance in which to fight us. Who knows, you could get away.”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who freezes up when it looks like you’re about to be polished off,” whispered a voice. The younger boy, he thought vaguely. WHY DOES HE CARE? WOULDN’T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. COULD KNOCK YOU OUT. EASY. INSTEAD… Without knowing what he was doing, the nine-year-old shifted his weight until he was standing. EASIER TO SEE NOW. Two burly teenagers, one more compact than the other. Hard, cruel smile from the older; strangely, younger appears torn between bolting and staying to help.
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Reply #1600. Jul 12 12, 1:47 PM
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