Some resources for us all

Believe it or not, you don't have to be by Marcie's bedside to be a caregiver. I have added some links to my Link section (left side) to help everyone get information on hospice care, caregivers and other tidbits. I hope none of this is necessary for any of you for a long time to come, and I am largely providing it to help any visitors searching the web for help.

Weekend and the busy Marcie

So here is hoping that this weekend will be more placid than last. If I could have whatever I wished for Marcie (and myself), it would be a couple of days without undue fuss and without the parade of family last weekend featured. She seemed to have a great time, but then she slept for practically three days straight.

On another note, the Kaiser people make a mess every time they come. I know they are health care people with too many patients and not enough time. What the hell... could they try to not spread open wrappers and gloves around? Maybe they could not scrunch everything together when they use the table for charting?

I have a lot of cleaning up to do, some rearranging of things for her care area, and I probably need to get out for some exercise. Marcie is snoring. It's comforting, somehow.

A visitor!

I just finished lunch (a trip to Vons for supplies), and want to extend my special thanks to Soek-Fang Sim, the young woman who rents behind us with her husband. Soek Fang came over and spent time with Marcie.

The two of them watched Layer Cake together, mostly because it features Daniel Craig, the man from the "edgier" James Bond iteration of Casino Royale. I left the two of them to drool over the guy in peace and got the shopping done.

Marcie is a little slow with the appetite. There's nothing to worry about yet, but I want her to eat more. I'll keep you all posted. Back to the work with me for now...

A Good Early Start

Marcie does not seem to be queasy this morning. She had a big smile for me as I fed her grapes before her morning medicine. She was perfectly able to feed herself, but... hence the smile. She's just that kind of gal. I'll be listening for her to call all day as I work on projects for the district, but I think it might be quiet. She's asleep again, but she was "with it" and clear, which makes for a good forecast. We'll see.

A Rough Night

Hi, folks. Marcie is having some trouble keeping food down. I have tried to feed her today but I can only get enough down to give her her medication. She's lucid but nauseous, so I hope she will wake up hungry, and more stable, later (as she is napping right now).

Thankfully, I am home all day tomorrow, though I will be working my normal hours via telecommuting. I think she'll need me. F.

Marcie's status for Thursday

So that everyone knows, Marcie has been bed-ridden since an overnight change of condition two weeks ago that took her mobility away and left her in and out of consciousness for a few days. She was at a hospital in Poway for about five days, then brought home. She has her own hospital bed and we have converted our dining room into her care area.

Marcie needs around-the-clock care and monitoring. I have managed to get her back into consciousness again over the last week, and am serving as her caretaker while holding down my job at the school district. I am just a few minutes away when she needs me, and her mom is helping (by helping her eat and monitoring her for seizures) when I cannot be home.

Marcie is sleeping well and she has an appetite. I have set up a computer for her to watch DVDs and cable television by her bed, which she is using and enjoying. My goal is to get her legs back in enough shape to have her sitting in her wheelchair within a week or two, if possible. We'll see.

Why we are here and what will follow...

Hello, friends and family members. I am Frank Pruett, Marcie Stoddard's loving husband and caretaker. I'll be using this blog to share information on Marcie. You will read about how she's feeling, how she's eating, what she has to say and whether she is getting better or not.

I welcome you all with hope, and relay fond greetings from Marcie. Today, she is sleeping hard and resting, but I will try to do two updates a day, morning and night, more if I want to share my own thoughts and feelings, or respond to yours.

Over the coming days, I intend to improve the site a bit and add elements like pictures, etcetera. Please leave some input on what you expect here and what you might appreciate on this little blog.

Again, welcome. F.