BLOGGER IS DRIVING MUM FLIPPING CRAZY

Mum tried twice this week to post and both times blogger ate it. She also had to type that sentence twice cost blogger ate it first time!! She was trying to blog about all the problems she had about the new chair she bought. The salesman told mum she was buying a power chair. When it arrived, it was NOT a power chair. After several calls back and forth to the store -- the salesman told mum HE had made a mistake and the model she bought did not come in a power chair -- the only model similar in style would be $500 more!!!!!! His manager told mum that she could get a power lift chair for a little less than she had paid, but it would be 10-12 inches narrower. The main reason mum liked this chair was because of the width. Well, yesterday she spoke to another manager at the store. He went and tried out the model mum had bought. He also ran into the same "stiffness" problems mum had. He told her that it would "wear in". She immediately thought of the BritCom Are you being served where they are always telling the customer "It'll ride up with wear". Does anyone else watch that program and remember the comment? Well cos mum is going into hospital on Monday, she has decided to keep it for now and see what happens. This has been a very stressfull week for mum cos when she scheduled her surgery, the scheduler told her that she would be released from the hospital after 3 or 4 days to go home. Mum remembers after her original knee replacement she was in for almost 3 weeks (1 in surgical hospital and 10 days in rehab). The surgeon told her that what she is having now (revision total replacement) is more painful, etc., so mum was really worried. Uncle Vic has told her she can stay there with me, but he does not have a bed yet, and so she really didn't want to. Fortunately, when she went for pre-surgery testing on Wednesday, they told her that would not be the case, and that she would be go to rehab!!!! Krysta is going to take me over to Uncle Vic's on Sunday cos mum has to leave REALLY early on Monday!!! Mum is taking me for a visit to the vet tomorrow to check on my valley fever. BTW -- Abby Lab's mum -- thanks for the GoFundMe donation. I did get a notification from them, and it will go into my checking account soon. If anyone else would like to help me out, it would be really appreciated. The visit tomorrow is probably gonna cost me almost $200 and then her meds. Someone told mum about a program that Walgreens has where she paid for a membership and my meds will cost less. Unfortunately with the problems with the battery onn her chair, she has not been able to get there. She has to have an MRI on her neck this afternoon and the van will drop her off near Walgreens, so she is gonna go in there. The service tech was supposed to come out today to change the batteries, but he got sick so is coming tomorrow afternoon!! Mum has so much to take care of before going in the hospital. Krysta is gonna take care of my kitty sistahs and, as I said, Uncle Vic is gonna take care of me. Hopefully the wi fi at this hospital is working properly so she can make posts and read all of your posts!! Well, someone will be over shortly so mum has said I have to end this now. Hope to be posting again soon. ttfn and toodle pip Cookie

FINALLY, I HAVE A NAME TAG

The other day when we went over to Uncle Vic's, when they went out, mum bought a tag with my name and phone no. on it. Finally, today, between her and Krysta, I AM NOW WEARING IT!!! I am so relieved that mum wont get AS upset when I get out. When I first came to live with her and kept on getting out, she had a couple of extra long walking strings joined together and would put that on me when she went out. I was able to get to my bed and food and water bowls (and, of course, the couch) while she was gone. But when I stopped running out every time the door opened, she stopped tying me up. She is now threatening to start doing it again if I don't stop running off!!!! I am VERY selective when I do it, BOL. For instance, when the EMT's came to take her to hospital a few weeks ago, they had the door open, and I didn't even try to get out!!!! When mum had her surgery over Christmas, I stayed alone and Krysta came over and fed me and walked me and I didn't try to get out (except the scare I gave everyone when I hid the day mum went to the hospital, BOL). Mum has to find out whether she will be going to rehab or coming straight home as to whether I stay here or go to Uncle Vic's. The doctor has told her that revision surgery is much more extensive than the original knee replacement surgery, but the surgery scheduler told mum that they would only be keeping her in the hospital for about 4 days!!!! Given that she lives alone, she does not know how they can send her home in such a short time. She has to go for pre-surgery scheduling this week, and see what she can find out!!! What is kinda ironic is, mum says that when she went to the ER for her knee at the beginning of December, they were only going to release her to a nursing home and not directly home!!! However, by the time she had the bone scan, she was able to get around better, and so they let her come home!!! But, thank goodness for Krysta!!!! Well, just wanted to let you know I finally have my name tag -- mum said the other tags will come eventually, bol. ttfn and toodle pip Cookie

HOUDINETTE STRIKES AGAIN --BOL

Yesterday me and mum went over to visit Uncle Vic in his new apartment. It was nice to see them all again. Mum and Uncle Vic went out for brunch, etc. and when they came back (both in wheelchairs) I, of had to squeeze in to greet mum and, of course, squeezed past her and took off!! Mum said she was worried cos I still didn't have tags on, and I had never been to this complex before!!! Anyhoo -- I found my way back to the area, but wasn't sure which was the apartment, but then Uncle Vic came out and called me and I came back in. I is sorry to have upset mum but I just smelled some delightful pee mails and had to go read them!!!! Will write more later -- mum is waiting for a delivery from Safeway!! ttfn and toodle pip Cookie

GRRRRRR-BLOGGER DID IT AGAIN

Can anyone tell mum why sometimes the blog she has just typed on my behalf will disappear and will then appear a few days later ready to post??????? IT JUST DID IT AGAIN, and mum does not feel like repeating it all. Suffice it to say that the reason we have not blogged for about a week is cos mum has not been feeling 100%. As you know, she had surgery over Christmas, so was recuperating last week. Uncle Vic invited us over to spend New Year's Eve with him a Coco in the new digs, but mum has been having problems with the battery on her chair, and did not want to chance getting stuck!!! We went to the store on Saturday cos there had been a mnixup on her pain meds!!!! It is less than 3 miles to go to the store, wander around and come back -- the chair looked as though it was gonna die on us!! Sunday morning mum was lying on the bed watching tv and her knee started hurting again!!! This was as bad as in December. She didn't wanna go to the ER because she knew that all they would wanna do was put her in a nursing home!! We went to Fry's cos she needed some stuff that Safeway doe sn't carry. It is not much further to go to Fry's and, again, by the time we got home, it looked like the battery was gonna die on her!! The chair is supposed to go about 10 miles on a full charge -- and IT IS NOT DOING IT!!! Mum finally got hold of someone at the chair place on Monday and they are ordering new batteries -- at last!!! Anyway, going back to sunday -- Mum decided to go out to get her mind off the pain (the Percocet was already helping somewhat -- bol) and also cos when she takes me to the store, she likes that everyone makes a fuss of me. They know me in both Fry's and Safeway, so everyone says hello to me -- in fact if she goes without me, she says they ask where I am and if I am ok!!! Anyway, aside from the problem with the battery, the trip itself went fine!! However, when we got home she had a terrible time unloading the perrishables!!! She leaves the other stuff cos Krysta will put it away for her!!!! There is not enuf space to use the wheelchair in the apt, so she tried using the walker -- it was not very easy, but she did manage to get the perishables put away, and then went back to bed, where she pretty much stayed the rest of the day. On Monday, mum had to go for her post-op visit to the surgeon. When she goes to that doctor, it is all the way over on the northwest side of town, and if she uses a "will call" for the return, she can wait forever, so she tries to time it. Well, this time, the van was on time and got her there very early, which meant she got out early. She tried to get an earlier return trip, but couldn't -- of course she did not take me with her, so I could not entertain her!!!! She says they have a good expresso coffee stand in the lobby of the hospital, which is just across the parking lot, so she went over and got herself a nice Caramel Macchiato. Of course, I was glad to see her, but the trip wiped her out cos of the pain in her knee. Of course, when Krysta got here, it started raining, so she could not take me out for my usual walk to the mailbox!!!!! BTW-- the surgeon was very pleased with mum's recovery and she doesn't hae to go back unless she has more problems. On Tuesday, the casework that arranges for Krysta came over for a routine visit. He has dogs so I was sniffing him most of the time!! Anyway, mum was telling him some of what was going on, and he said he was gonna see if he can arrange for mum to have Krysta for more hours!!! Since this last surgery, mum has been having a visiting nurse come a couple of times a week. That was all arranged by the surgeon!! On Wednesday, mum had an appointment to see the knee surgeon. She was outside waiting for the van and when it arrived, she realized that the gates were closed -- they are usually open during the daytime. Fortunately, the driver came back for her!!!! When the knee doctor heard about the "episode" on Sunday, he told mum what she expected to hear!!! Rvision surgery of the knee -- there is no way we can wait any longer. Well, mum went over to the Scheduler, and she is scheduled for the surgery on Jan 18 with pre surgery stuff the week before. The scheduler told her that she would only be in the hospital for 3-4 days and would be discharged home!!!!! There is no way mum can take care of herself after such major surgery, and Uncle Vic is still not completely satisfied -- it will be ok for me, but not for her, so she is gonna try to see about rehab afterwards!! Mum also called my dogtor and I am supposed to have a followup visit this month -- mum is gonna make it before her surgery!!! Oy gevalt -- so much going on here!!!!! Sorry for that garbage , but mum was trying to re-post the GoFundMe picture, but this is what she got!!! If anyone wants to help mum with some of these problems, please e-mail her at jskhackney23@hotmail.com and she will get back to you for any assistance you can give us!!! Well, I think mum has bored you enuf, and she has to make some phone calls. ttfn and toodle pip Cookie

Really just a quickie

Happy New Year to all of Blogville and friends, etc. Over to you mum: As most of you know I am not a US Citizen (I'm from the UK) but am here legally, paid taxes while I was working, etc. However, not being a citizen, I cannot vote over here an generally feel that because of that, any opinions I may have, I keep to myself. However, this Presidential election has raised some issues that really upset me. I have just come from reading the post from the young girl who was upset at Trump. I lived in the NY/NJ area from 1982 through 1999 and so saw and heard many things about Trump. Most of which I could ignore. However, I cannot keep quiet about some of his immigration policies. When I came over here in 1962 it was very easy for a British citizen to get a visa/green card. I understand that it is not so easy now and so I REALLY appreciate being able to keep my citizenship and take advantage of being a legal immigrant here. I am sure that many people will ask why I never became a US citizen -- expecially since my ex worked at NASA and had high level security clearance. A short answer is that my ex and I had an agreement -- if my being a UK citizen should affect his clearance, I would become a US citizen. It didn't and so I didn't. I have been divorced since 1978 so it is a moot point. Another point that is brought up is why I don't move back to the UK. Believe me, there have been many times I have considered it, but I just haven't. If my lawsuit ever gets settled satisfactorily I may go over there for a few months -- but at my age ...... Sorry to be such a party pooper on new years day, but ...... So, saying that I will now say HAPPY NEW YEAR and ttf and toodle pip Cookie and family