FAMILY

[TrekGTO]

I want to thank all the C5 members that have supported me privately and in threads this past year or so. Mother is doing well and back at Apollo Care Home from yet another few days in Hospital. I know this is part of life we all experience one way or another. Some times the loss is quick but can be very painful and drawn out, like with Cancer or Alzheimer's, I have close friends that lost parents to both and know how bad it can be. In Mothers case she had 2 strokes this past year and complications that required Hospital but she continues to bounce back and we spend quality time every day.

I would like to tell you a little about Mom, she is nearly 91 and lost her first born (Steven) at birth, then in 49 Paul Bradford was born, then in 59 I came along and in 60 my Father (Paul Edward) was lost to Cancer from a hereditary disease, in 99 my brother was lost to complications from same disease that took Father. She has 3 grand children and 7 great grandchildren. Mother worked minimum wage jobs for the most part to support us alone and continued to work as long as she could. One thing she drove a car from a very early age as her Father never drove and her Mother was very bad driver as I was told. Mother never had a ticket or accident until 05 when she hit a parked maintenance trailer and willingly gave up driving. My brother started working at a Grocery at 12yrs old to help out until he was drafted to Vietnam, served his 2 yrs and started his own family.

In 71 we moved to FL so all our family is still in IN. I am happy with the care she receives at Apollo and the staff is caring for the most part, we were lucky she was sent there and got a good room with a view out front. She receives a little therapy, that try's to restore walking and lose of her left arm from the Strokes. We play cards and I try and think of things to talk about mostly her past and family. It took 9 months for Medicaid to get approved after her insurance ran out. She has no assets yet Medicaid was turned down and took an appeal to get approved. All but $35 of SS goes to Apollo each month so hopefully my out of pocket expenses will be picked up now by Medicaid. The BS government put you through tying to improve care and therapy is unbelievable as well as at Apollo, don't get me wrong I still am happy with Apollo but thing could be better.

I know many C5 members are currently taking care of Parents or have in the past I thought this could be an outlet for others to post up.
Thank You David Spurlock

[Muscle Car Lover]

You are doing right sir. All my best wishes for your Mom and for you.


We have an expanded In-law apartment at our house for my mother In-Law. She is 84 and had a severe heart attack about 10 years ago. She needs plenty of care and to be honest it's hard, but she is a tough chick and there is not really another option.

On the bright side, the garage situation due to this brought me to buy a new Camaro instead of a Buick Grand National! So that works!

[PalmerGA]

Similar situation to David's here. My Mom is 93 and living in an assisted living home in Pinehurst, NC. My sister and her husband live there and Mom was living with them until she got to where they were afraid to leave her alone. She has Alzheimer's. Thankfully is has not progressed any for several years. The home specializes in Alzheimer's care and they are really great.

Her vision in her left eye has been worsening over several years (glaucoma) to where she is basically blind in that eye. The other eye is good though, but her depth perception is really bad. She uses a walker now but got it hung up on a chair three weeks ago, fell, and broke her right shoulder. She's right handed and they have the shoulder immobilized, so she struggles to feed herself - again, the folks there are taking good care of her and helping her with that. She had a lot of pain for the first couple of weeks, but as the bone heals the pain is letting up some and she can hold light things in her right hand now. Check up in another week to see how it's healing.

So sad to see her suffer but she is of that special generation that just keeps pushing on and toughing it out. Wishing the best for everyone's Mom -they are so very special and precious.

[T-r3x]

I'm very happy that your mother is having a good care in the hospital. Get well soon.

[2013 ZL1 #7860]

That generation is a special breed indeed and it makes me sad to think that any of them who make it this far in life have to struggle over silly things like money or the government. You work hard your whole life and make it past 70, you should be able to do whatever you want without worry. Let the young ones like me worry and sweat over the details.

This is my Fiance's Grandpa just a few weeks ago.
The stories he tells from WWII are amazing.
Far better than watching any history channel show about it.

http://www.timescall.com/longmont-lo...ool-diploma-68

My Grandma is 75 and is still working a 45 hour a week job. That lady is 4' 11" tall and 80lbs and she is as tough as anyone I know. Loves to ride on our Harleys, goes almost every weekend to the track with us and carries a .38+P. I remember as a kid coming home from school and her climbing a 45 foot tree to retrieve our kite. (She was 65 then) She is a cancer survivor and will likely out live me the way things are going.
This picture is her over 10 years ago now but she is still as tough.



Just hard working, never quiet, tough, no BS kind of people they are.
I don't describe many people in my generation that way. (I'm 26)

I recently caught a lot of flak from family members because I nominated her for the Ice Bucket Challenge. They said it was mean and they were worried about her having a heart attack.

I said she was mad at them all for not including her in the fun and if any of them think a silly bucket full of ice water is gonna take her down, they don't know Grandma.

[TrekGTO]

2 years now Mother has been in Apollo, she no longer gets therapy for walking and stays in bed much more, she is not able to stand or support her weight at all. They won’t pay for therapy unless you are recovering, therapy to maintain your health is not covered. Her dementia is worse but varies and still has good days. Her 92nd birthday was 7/26 and I didn’t remind her at all so it was a total surprise and I had to convince her it was really her birthday. The infections she get cause her condition to deteriate, they said she was near death about a month ago and didn’t recommend Hospital but she came around again and is doing better. 7 days after her birthday my nephew became a grandfather so mom is now a Great Great Grandmother! She understands and I keep reminding her she just says Stephen is too young to be a grandfather LOL









Born 8/1/15 Stephen Jack Spurlock

[TrekGTO]

For those of you following Mother 92 passed Tuesday in her sleep. She was in Apollo 3 years since her first stroke and went to emergency 5am Friday, I was with her till I was ready to drop @ 5pm. They wanted to intubate her and put her on a breathing machine; this is not what she wanted but was not covered by her DNR. I stopped the procedure and let her pass, after Friday she slept the entire time and I was with her as much as possible.

[Dreamcar16]

amazing, amazing story. sorry for your loss, atleast she passed peacefully in her sleep. but the fact she got to live to be a great great grandmother is mind blowing.

[Donald]

RIP sorry for your loss.