Tuesday, June 24th

Today was pretty much a normal Tuesday, if you can call anything about living here normal.  Dinner tonight was edible - pinto beans, cabbage, potatoes, which Tracy fed to me.  Of course, I got my regular cottage cheese with fresh fruit and my "magic shakes", which are packed with protein. .  Most meals include some kind of meat.  The cook must have been on vacation today?

After I broke my hip at Carriage Hill in Bedford on December 31, 2012, I was moved to Friendship Manor in Roanoke for treatment in a skilled nursing facility.  I was making fair progress recuperating from that surgery but I was allowed to become dehydrated and spent a week at Roanoke Memorial.  I lost a lot of weight simply because I couldn't feed myself and no one was feeding me.  The nursing staff kept sending me for blood transfusions; I was losing blood, but how, where?  Tracy finally began bringing chicken livers (which I love) and my blood began to rebuild.  I lost a lot of my ability to communicate after the broken hip episode and I have been wheelchair bound since then.

Tracy is usually pretty satisfied if I eat 50-60% of my dinner.  She or Greg are here every day to make sure I receive the nourishment I need.  The staff supposedly feed me breakfast and lunch and Tracy has raised such a fuss with the staff that now my food is adequate and I stay hydrated. I've regained all the weight I lost, so no more forced feeding.  Thank Goodness.

This Picture was taken when I was living for a few months at Pheasant Ridge in Roanoke before moving to Carriage Hill.  These were difficult decisions with little choice, but my children have been devoted and dedicated to doing what's best for me.  I have to trust that.