kentuckypine

Notes From Kentuckypine II

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Notes From Kentucky Pine II (undated)
Comfort Measures Include:
1. A well-made, wrinkle-free bed.
2. Loose fitting clothing.
3. Frequent mouth care.
4. Sponge baths p.r.n.
5. Frequent peri care.
6. Body rubs p.r.n.
7. Fresh water or ice chips.
8. Food of choice (or no food.)
9. Fluff a pillow.
10. Hold a hand.
11. Laugh together whenever possible.
12. Listen and hear.
13. Pray p.r.n.
14. Comb or brush hair often.
15. Makeup or jewelry if requested.
16. Privacy.
17. Confidentiality.
18. Autonomy.
19. Favorite book, music, TV show,prayer, poem, story, photo, (read to, listen or watch with, whatever is required.)
20. Empathy.

Notes From Kentuckypine

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:33:00 GMT

I ran across some notes of Momma's and decided to post them here. The were written in a notebook in her own handwriting. I'll post more as I can. There weren't near enough, but her message is crystal clear. I know she wouldn't mind, and I know she would hope it is a help.

****

Notes From Kentucky Pine 6/10/98
Some of the things Iâve learned about being a Hospice caretaker:

1. Pray â often â for strength, not only physical but emotional and spiritual as well.

2. Remember that I am a guest in the home of the client and I shall try to do what is pleasing to the client, in the manner the client wishes it to be done â even if itâs not how I think it should be done.

3. Learn all I can about the illness so I will be prepared to recognize signs and symptoms which need to be reported to the case R.N.

4. Know my own limitations and be unafraid to ask for help when I reach those limits.

5. Ask questions about anything I donât understand no matter how trivial it may seem to be.

6. Come to terms with my own mortality. This helps me to calm the fears of the client and the loved ones the client may be concerned about.

7. Do not impose my religious beliefs upon the client but encourage the client to participate and/or rely on his/her own personal beliefs â religious or non-religious.

8. Encourage the client to participate as fully in living life a day, or sometimes even a moment at a time. Life does not stop with diagnosis or prognosis. We can help to make whatever time is given full of lifeâs many wonders, large and small.

9. Be kind to family members. Appreciate the help they offer â and accept it. They often have a need to be an intricate part of the physical care. Or sometimes they are simply unable to participate in any way at all. Accept that also. I cannot judge anyoneâs behavior or motives â thatâs not my job. My job is to be there for ALL members of the family and to help in any way I can.

10. Little things mean a lot, a smile, a hug, a pat on the back, holding a hand, a back rub, a foot rub, reading from a favorite book, writing a letter, making a phone call, a dab of perfume, a close shave, watching a favorite TV show, looking at old photographs, fixing a favorite food, accepting âNoâ as an answer, a kiss on the forehead, a funny story, a soft voice, a suggestion instead of an order, playing cards, a leisurely stroll if possible, listening to the same story over and over, saying âpleaseâ and âthank youâ, asking the simple question: âWhat can I do for you?â â then doing it, etc. â etc. â etc. âetc.

11. Be flexible â things donât always happen as planned â above all â be flexible!

12. Be creative â if the ordinary doesnât work, try something different. (Donât have a shampoo tray? Try towels and a garbage bag.) Use your imagination.

13. Be empathetic. Ask yourself what you would expect from your caretaker if you were the client â then do it.

14. Remember to bring your sense of humor with you. Laughter makes everyone feel better.

15. Be prepared for rapid changes and the unexpected.

16. Trust your instincts.

17. Keep it simple.

18. My most important tools are:
a. Compassion.
b. Empathy.
c. How to make a bed without wrinkles.
d. A thorough knowledge of procedures I am expected to perform.
e. Dependability.
f. Honesty.
g. Confidentiality.
h. The ability and the willingness to follow instruction.
i. An open mind.
j. A non-judgemental attitude.
k. A good sense of humor.
l. A great love for what I do and those I do it for.

the signs of hope...

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:02:00 GMT

As we drove to the hospital yesterday, there was a light snow falling. We passed a house and in the front yard, there was a large patch of daffodils in full bloom. Talk about a sign of hope..it was glorious!

All went well with the chemo..my test numbers are all good, most of them right up there where they belong. Another sign of hope.

My hair is growing back. It's pure white. I look like a dandelion after its bloomed and then turned to the white fuzz.
I remember as a child blowinhg on the white fluff of the dandelion and making a wish.

I've gotten so used to being bald, don't know if I want to go back to the business of hairdos. It was so easy to just hop in the shower, scrub the bald head and walk away..no gel, no hair spray, no curling iron. Maybe Ill just keep the white fuzz real, real short.

The weather today is dark and gloomy. The sun is trying to come out but is over ruled by the dark clouds. Predictions are for sunny days later in the week. I'm anxious to get out in the flower garden and to get my humming bird feeders ready for the summer.

Feels like time for a nap..takes a couple of days to shake the effects of the chemo. Tomorrow I'll be ready to tackle the world.

Thank you all for your warm welcome back to JS..it so nice to see you all.

peace and love.

what's that white stuff ??

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:38:00 GMT

I can't believe it! I woke up this morning to see snow falling from the sky! Here I was, thinking that spring had arrived...well, that's KY for ya..if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it'll change. It doesn't look like any of the snow is gonna stick so that's a good thing.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday....Happy Easter everyone.

I remember one Easter in particular...back in the 60s when my kids were still small and believed in the Easter Bunny. Weather permitting, I would go outside and hide eggs everywhere so the kids could have a treasure hunt.

We'd had a party the night before, so I was rather late getting to the hiding chore. It musta been around 2 or 3 in the morning before I got outside.

I should mention that I was in my ratty bathrobe, with big, fuzzy purple slippers and pink rollers in my hair.

As I walked about the yard, basket of eggs in one hand and a cold beer in the other, I noticed red lights flasing from the road in front of the house.

Suddenly, scaring the beejeesus out of me, there stood a police officer shing a flashlight in my face and demanding to know who I was and what I was doing at "this time of night."

Probably a little influenced by the beer, I kinda shouted:
"Haven't you ever seen the Easter Bunny?"

Nedless to say, the boy in blue let out a big guffaw, shook his head from side to side and laughed all the way to his patrol car.

The things we do for our kids!

Since Red is going to market tomorrow, I will be going to my son's home tonight so he can take me for chemo tomorrow. I got a feeling it will be much better day for me than for Red.

peace and love and all that good stuff.

Howdeeeeeee!

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:33:00 GMT

Wow..its been a long time since I've been here!

I had kind of a rough time with chemo and sorta went into hibernation for awhile.

However, things are better now...the chemo has been changed and I'm feeling pretty good these days. I've managed to regain most of the weight I lost and even though I'm getting chemo once a week now instead of once every three weeks, my appetite is good and my energy level is pretty fair.

Spring is trying to poke itself into our days...some are sunny and bright while others are gray and rainy. As I walked around the yard the other day, I saw little green sprouts peeking up through the ground..a sure sign of good things to come.

Our cow, Red Meat has gotten fat and sassy over the winter and managed to escape, a couple of times, from her enclosure. Consequently, she will be making an early trip to hamburger heaven. She goes Monday to become pot roast.
I have mixed emotions about that...she sure was a cute calf and it was fun to watch her grow up so I have to remind myself that she was after all, an investment, not a pet. Fortunately, we won't be having her for dinner, she will be sold to someone else who doesn't have a history with her.

I want to thank all of you journalscapers for your notes, cards, gifts and comforting thoughts and prayers. You have no idea how much your caring helped me get through the bad days. I am so grateful .

Til next time....peace and love.

A Happy New Year........

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:05:00 GMT

Can't believe its been so long since I've popped in here!

It's been a rough few months, what else can I say. The last couple of weeks have been pretty good though, had a small break between treatments and I feel almost human.

Had an absolutely WONDERFUL Christmas with ALL my kids in the area at the same time..its been a long time since that has happened.

Netta and the GC made it up here Christmas eve...you can just imagine what that was like. If laughter is good medicine, I'm sure I got a big enough dose to keep me around for several years.

It was great to see the 3 girls together...some things never change and it was as if they were still little and still tormenting each other...all in fun of course.

The best Christmas present of all was getting all 5 siblings together for a photograph...something I've been begging for for years.

The photos, taken by my son-in-law came out great and are on the digital frame that Netta gave me...and I can look at them any time, all the time..if I want to. Whooopee!

I have to thank Tina for arranging the photo session...she got everybody together and found a great place to take the pictures.

Happily, everyone smiled on the outside and got through the whole thing without shedding blood...that's a good thing.

My grandchildren are beautiful...inside and out and its been such a joy to have them around...I'm gonna hate it when they have to leave. I told their Mom and Dad they could leave them, but they didn't seem to think that was such a good idea. damn!

Anywaaaay...this was one of the best Christmases I've ever had and I will warm myself with the memories for a very long time.

I want to wish you all a great New Year...I hope all your dreams and wishes come true, I wish you good health, good friends, oodles of love and lots of laughter.

I thank you all who have been so kind to me with your thoughtful gifts and cards....you are wonderful friends.

peace.

the big bitch is always lurking.....

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:26:00 GMT

Apparently patience is not one of my greatest virtues.

Today was chemo day, a process that should take about 4 hours at most...it took closer to 8. If there's anything that really ticks me off, its waiting...that act alone brings out the big bitch.

Wait for results of blood tests. Wait for a phone call to the doctor. Wait for the nurse to order the meds. Wait for the pharmacy to send meds to the floor. Wait for the nurse to enjoy her coffee break. Wait...wait...wait!!!!!

But...its done, full dose this time, and I'm glad to have it over. I don't even mind spending the next couple of days with my head in the bucket cause I know it won't last forever.

However, it was not the waiting that brought out the big bitch today....it was the compromise.

As I mentioned before, the Predisone kicked my ass and I vowed never to take it again. My sweet little Doctor Hitler had other ideas. She was so pleased with the results of the few days that I did take it, she insisted it was the best way to get the platlets back to normal.

Upon hearing my complaints, she said that it was not an allergic reaction, it was just a "few" side effects and she was sure I could live with them.

I assured her I could not. So then she started haggling...

well...take a half a dose...see how that works.

No..I'm not taking a half dose.

How about just 30 mg?

Can't you hear me? I'm not taking that sh*t...its killing me.

Oh c'mon...you're tough...you can handle it...look at how good its working...your platlets are up from 23 to 75..isn't it worth a shot?

NO ITS NOT!

Yes it is...I'll make you a compromise...try 10 mg for 7 days....if you're still living...take 20 on the 8th day and then in a week we'll test the blood again.

What could I do? I reluctantly agreed too try the 10 mg.

If I turn into a penis bearing wherewolf with a nasty disposition it will because my inner bitch was just not strong enough to say NO this time.

We'll see.

----------------

One of my favorite things about this time of year is that the catalogs start pouring in. I got 6 of them today...It amazes me...the things you can find in a catalog.

I always make this ginormous list of the junk I wanna buy when the catalogs first arrive. Thankfully, sanity returns sometime before the middle of November and the list grows shorter.

The Swiss Colony catalog is one of my favorites...chocolate...chocolate...chocolate...that list usually grows.

I also like Harriet Carter....such good junk and gadgets.

LLBean...what can I say?

I like to shop by catalog...beats fighting the crowds in the stores and the items usually come with a fitting box so I don't have to cobb together a way to wrap them.

Its hard to believe the holidays are getting so close...this year has gone so fast. I have vowed to have all my shopping done by the end of November...but, I've done that before and still found myself at the counter in the Bargain Outlet on Christmas eve. Ah well...the theory is good.

My little bucket is calling....talk to ya soon.

hugs to all.

a need to whine....or is that shine?..

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:41:00 GMT

I have been in a dark hole for the last week...as a result, I owe email, phone calls, thank you notes and gawd knows what else to everyone.

I don't know how athletes do it...steroids. The doc put me on Prednisone last week...supposed to build up blood platlets or some damn thing. I thought I was gonna die and go straight to hell.

The cure is worse than the illness. I can't remember ever feeling so sick. I decided yesterday not to take them anymore...I'll see the doc Wednesday to find out if she has something else to offer in their place. I just know I'm not taking that s*it anymore.

I won't even attempt to describe the side effects...too gruesome...the last straw was when it affected my vision...that did it.

Okay...that's enough whining.

My daughter Tina is talking about re-doing my room for me, so I've been looking at color charts, trying to find something soft and calming. Any suggestions?

Its been over a year since I've moved furniture around...guess you could say I'm in a rut. The only thing that scares me is what I'm gonna find under the bed, in the closets and behind the furniture. Like Netta, I'm a bit of a pack rat...should be interesting to see what I absolutely HAD to save.

Fall has come to the hill...the trees are getting a tint of color and the evenings are cool and crisp. My favorite place is the front porch and sunset the prettiest time of day.

I'm looking forward to a visit from my friend in a couple of weeks and it looks as though the timing will be good...with chemo this Wedneday, I should be in pretty good shape by the time she arrives.

I guess that's enough babbling, I just really wanted to let y'all know that things are going okay...not great, but okay and I know tomorrow is gonna be a better day.

Y'all are in my thoughts.

xoxox

life's little pieces

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sun, 4 Jun 2006 01:42:00 GMT

I see life in little pieces...I don't do well with the BIG picture.

I told y'all about the saga of Buford..well..he hasn't made an appearance anywhere that we know about, so I'm just assuming he moved on to his next job.

Today..as we were driving to the post office to mail a package, we saw a small dog trying to cross the street. He was dragging his hind legs and appeared to be struggling terribly. Cars ahead of us and coming toward us slowed down, but nobody stopped to help the poor creature.

Somebody had hit him just minutes before we got there and just sped off. I can't bear it when people are that uncaring, not to stop and see if there's anything they can do.

We drove a few feet on to the post office, I mailed my package and then we turned around and went back to see if we could find the dog. There he was, poor little thing, laying by the side of the road. We stopped, picked him up and took him to the vet.

We had grocery shopping to do, so we didn't wait, we asked the vet to call us on the cell phone and give us the prognosis.

Sure enough, about an hour later he called. The dog had a broken pelvis, a fractured femur and a displaced rectum.
We agreed to pay the costs to fix him up...in the neighborhood of $500, which we will split 3 ways...my daughter, my daughter-in-law and myself.

We should be able to bring him home Tuesday. We will put up posters, place an ad in the local paper and call the radio station to find his owner. He had a collar, but no tags.

If we don't find the owner, we will of course keep him. He's a small dog, mixed breed, black and white and looks to be about 3 or 4 years old. A real cutie. We've already given him the name Pizon...a bastardization of the Italian word for friend.

Lord help me, its all I can do not to hate the person who hit this defenseless little creature. To me its just as bad as if a child had been struck. What the hell's the matter with people that they can't spare a moment of compassion for such a helpless little soul?

So, keep your fingers crossed for little Pizon, willya?

wouldya lie?

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sat, 3 Jun 2006 02:37:00 GMT

As I was watching TV today, I noticed several commercials which featured "the little white lie". It got me to thinking...how does one define a lie these days?

If your best friend comes to you, fresh from the beauty parlor, and her hair looks worse than it did when she went in...do you lie and tell her it looks great? Or do you tell her how awful it looks?

You're at a friend's house...the phone rings...she asks you to answer it and say she's not home. Do you agree to tell the lie? Do you refuse to answer the phone?

When you file your income taxes, do you take deductions you know you're not really entitled to?

You get the drift...when is a lie a lie? Is it more important to spare a friend's feelings, or to tell the absolute truth?

Does one lie lead to another?

Would the world be a better place if everyone spoke nothing but the truth?

Just curious.

June is busting out all over!

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 10:46:00 GMT

Yep..half the year is gone...another half comin up. I've given up trying to figure out why time goes to quickly.

We've had lots of rain, lots of sun and everything in between for the last week. Like they say here in KY...if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it'll change.

My flowers are doing very well...sunflowers are over a foot tall already.

Even I'm growing...wide..not up. I chastised myself severely today and promised I'd lose this excess baggage. A walk up and down the driveway (Its a very long driveway)twice a day...no junk food in the house..smaller portions. Its either that or I'll have to apply for the job of Blimp for the Super bowl!

The glutton birds have returned in full force...lordy how they eat! I have two feeders hanging between the two oak trees on the front lawn. If I fill them in the morning, they're empty by the time the sun goes down! I'm still awaitin the hummingbirds...the scouts have been around but I haven't see too many of them yet.

The swimming pool is all set up and ready to go. My daughter took the first dip yesterday..I hesitate..the body in the mirror doesn't seem to fit into last year's bathing suit. Not that anyone would see me, we're pretty isolated here on the hill...but I don't wanna scare the dogs.

Wishing y'all a fun filled summer. :)

here comes da judge.......

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Wed, 31 May 2006 09:46:00 GMT

I've always thought of myself as a non-judgemental person. The truth of the matter is, I'm not...I judge everybody.

Most people do, I think. How else do we choose our friends and avoid those people who bring negativity into our lives?

This has become more clear to me in recent days. One of my kids is having an ongoing problem with a co-worker. The guy, in my judgement is a rat. The scary part of that statement is that I don't even know the guy personally.

However, the mother instinct to protect my young kinda kicks into gear whenever I hear that one of mine is troubled in any way....and I make judgements.

She's not a child anymore, granted, but she is still MY child....so, I wanna run over this guy with a Mac Truck!
Now, that's pretty judgemental wouldn't you say?

It occurs to me that he probably has a mother...he probably tells her that he has a co-worker who drives him crazy. His mother probably wants to squash my kid. Its only natural.

Which of us is right...and which is wrong? To settle that issue, we'd have to bring in a neutral third party to make a judgement.

I don't think the sin is in the judgement itself, its more a question of how the judgement is made. What is the basis for my like or dislike of a certain person?

Is it financial status...social status, color, religon, education, personality, looks?

Am I as kind to the homeless beggar on the street as I am to the person who drives his Lexus to the country club?

Do I invite the unwed mother to my home for tea as easily as I would the nurse who delivers her baby?

I have no honest answer...I try to judge people by who they are, not what they have or what they can give. But, what bothers me is...how do I get to know the beggar...or the unwed mother? Am I brave enough to take the first step?

Sometimes yes...sometimes not.

Life is never perfect...all we can do is...all we can do.

a cheesecake and a phone call...

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Tue, 30 May 2006 09:16:00 GMT

The day is nearly done...and it turned out to be a pretty good one.

After I had my little hissy fit on loneliness, I went into the kitchen and made a chocolate cheesecake...my favorite. I tucked that away in the fridge to set for a few hours and went outside.

It was a beautiful day...hot, but not humid. My daughter and I transferred a rather large vine from the side of the front porch to a space further down on the lawn. The thing grows and grows and grows, so it got to a point where it was eating the porch swing...that was the reasoning behind the move.

The lawn got mowed, the swimming pool got set up and filled.
I checked my flower containers to be sure they were all doing okay. I was sooooo surprised at the sunflowers, seems like overnight they grew 6 inches!

I came back in the house sporadically...did a little knitting, watched an old war movie and put together a fresh, crisp tossed salad.

Happily, two of the out of towners called me and that brightened my day considerably. I would have preferred to see them in person so I could give em a big hug, but a phone call did nicely.

I guess it just goes to show, if you just get on with the business of living, things will always work out. I think maybe I get in my own way too often.

I just let the dogs out for their evening piddle and thought I'd pee MY pants...there, sitting in the middle of their water dish was a great big ol frog...he just sat there for a moment looking as surprised as I was. A couple of hearty barks from Cash and he was outta sight. Pretty funny I thought...guess you hadda be there,:)

Life IS good.

BTW - the cheesecake was delish!

loneliness is a disease

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Mon, 29 May 2006 23:17:00 GMT

Lonely - saddened by being alone, deserted.

Do you ever feel lonely in a crowd of people? I do, and I'm not sure why.

I have been feeling especially lonely this weekend. I miss my kids..the ones who don't live nearby...there are 3 of them that I don't see but once a year...I hate that.

There are two kids nearby and I see them often, but its just not enough.

Most of the time I do well with this empty nest crap, but today, for some unknown reason, I'm feeling lonely.

I have a lot of things to do today, so I'll try to keep my mind occupied, maybe that will help.

I might even go in the kitchen and fix some lucious, delectable, sinfull dessert!

you can tell summer is here..

annetta.ribken@gmail.com (kentuckypine) — Sun, 28 May 2006 04:50:00 GMT

Yep, you can tell summer is here. It was scorching hot today..in the 90s. I love my air conditioner!

In spite of the heat, my daughter got the swimming pool up and ready to fill. Its not very lavish in size, or form, but its good enough to give us a cool dip when the sun blazes.

We had kind of a fun morning...went to do a little grocery shopping...got some steaks for the b-b-q tomorrow.

As we were coming home, we passed by a little fabric store in the middle of town. Just a little hole in the wall, but fabrics galore. The couple who own it are, I would guess in their late 60s or early 70s..very country and most pleasant.

I was sad to learn they are going to have to close the store..when I asked if they were retiring, they said no, not voluntarily. They said they just had no customers anymore. The big stores (WalMart, K-Mart, JoAnn Fabrics) have just taken all the business away.

I asked her what she intended to do when the store closed and laughing aloud, she said: "Sleep!"

It saddens me no end..I love that little store. They have no computers, not even a cash register. They total up your purchases with a pencil and a little invoice pad. Its like stepping back in time 50 or 60 years.

I asked what they intended to do with their inventory and was told that, of course, they were gonna sell as much as they could but had plans for all that was left over.

She had been in touch with the Red Cross and was going to see about donating it to victims of the tsunami that hit so hard some time ago. She heard the same area had been hit by a volcano eruption and she felt she wanted to do something to help.

I thought that was quite admirable. They may have made a few dollars if they auctioned off their stuff, but elected to put it to good use. Ya gotta admire country folk.

We also stopped for breakfast at a new greasy spoon that opened a few months ago. Food wasn't bad..matter of fact, it was pretty good. It was kinda like a Waffle House with class.

Of course we made our obligatory stop at the Dollar Store..I never NEED anything when I go in there but always manage to leave with a bag in my hand...I think its a disease.

I'm surrounded by dogs looking for their supper..better go feed em before they attack!