MY SUN DAY NEWS
February 11, 2021
As a part of my annual physical exam, my doctor ordered an EKG. My results indicated a 50 percent blockage in one of the arteries in my heart. I assumed that would mean surgery; however, my doctor recommended we start with medication. Although I am fortunate that I havenāt had a heart attack, this past physical gave me pause.
My wife and I are in our late 70s and live alone. Although I would be lying if I said that we havenāt felt our age encroach upon our lifestyle in recent years, we are rather independent. We live in a two-story home that only has a half bath on the main level. While we can navigate the stairs, we try to avoid going up and down multiple times in the day.
Iām writing because I am very concerned about my mother-in-law. She lives alone in an apartment and frequently forgets to drink water. She recently celebrated her ninetieth birthday and is somewhat frail.
I am at a loss for what to get my grandmother this year for the holidays. I typically give her something for her home, such as tea towels or candles. However, she moved to an assisted living community last January and no longer can use my go-to gifts. Iām not fortunate to live nearby.
I am the primary caregiver to my aging parents, and to be frank, I am exhausted.
I have a routine doctor appointment scheduled for this month and am considering canceling the appointment. Iām an 84-year-old male and have diabetes. I typically see my doctor every four months, but my last appointment was pushed back due to COVID. I know Iām due for blood work but am worried about being exposed to COVID while in the doctorās office. Do you have any advice?
My husband and I are in our 70s. Weāve made some wonderful memories with our grandkids this summer with social distancing visits outdoors. Now that the weather is turning cooler, weāre concerned that our visits wonāt be as frequent.
fter having to postpone their summer wedding, my grandson and fiancĆ© have decided to have an intimate wedding this fall. While they are keeping the wedding party and guest list small, I still have reservations about attending. Iām in my late 70s and am relatively healthy, aside from suffering from seasonal allergies.
My wife and I are in our late 50s and retirement is on our minds. We do plan to continue to work for a few more years, but weāre nearing the next season of our lives. We have three children, one in high school, two in college. We feel that they are adequately set for their futures, now we want to focus on us.
Within the last few years, Iāve noticed that my fingers arenāt working as they used to. Iām in my 80s and have always enjoyed crafting. Since I can remember, Iāve held knitting needles in my hands, creating scarves, blankets, sweaters, and more, for friends and family. Iāve since put my knitting aside, however, I recently learned that Iāll have a great-grandchild early next year.
My elderly mother has had a recent fall. She fell in the middle of the night, trying to find her way to the bathroom. While sheās doing fine now, itās evident that we need to make some changes to her bathroom to prevent future falls.
As we continue to watch southern states see a rise in COVID cases, Iām concerned about what our area will look like this fall.
My mother is scheduled to have her hip replaced in a few weeks, after suffering from chronic pain for many years. Her surgery has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she can hardly wait to be relieved of her chronic pain. Sheās in her mid-70s, and her care team seems hopeful for a quick recovery.
Iām a senior who lives alone and am wrestling with disappointment as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Iām having difficulty sleeping at night, Iām lonely, and Iām over virtual visits. I just want to hug my children and grandchildren, but donāt know when it will be safe to do so. My family lives out of town, so a social distancing visit isnāt possible right now.
It has been about five weeks now since weāve spent time with my aging parents due to COVID-19. This is the longest that weāve spent apart, given that we live near each other and are used to visiting at least once a week.
I am a very concerned daughter who is worried about her mother. My mom, 68 years, has been on self-quarantine since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. I unfortunately live states away. My sister lives nearby, but because she continues to work in the hospital setting, she has chosen not to visit our mother during this crisis. My mom is used to spending a lot of time with my sister and her family throughout the week. She feels cut off and isolated.
Iām a senior who was recently targeted by a scammer. I answered a phone call and was greeted by a young gentlemanās voice. He proceeded to tell me that a warrant was out for my arrest because I neglected to show up for jury duty that day. He sounded legitimate and alarmed me for a moment. I panicked while he began to tell me the consequences for not appearing for my jury summons and asked me to confirm my social security number so he could begin processing my arrest.
Iām an elderly senior who lives alone. I have two daughters who live nearby and pop in as often as they can. However, I recognize that they have their own lives and I donāt want to be a burden to them. I have a few prescriptions that I take, as well as a few vitamins and supplements that my friends have recommended. Iām struggling with managing my medications.
As Valentineās Day approaches, I find myself more and more down and gloomy. I knew this holiday would be difficult since losing my spouse, but I hadnāt realized just how challenging it will be for me to get through this day. Do you have any suggestions for how I can face this day without the love of my life?
My dad, age 83, is currently in the hospital due to pneumonia. His doctor wants to keep him for a few more days to monitor his oxygen levels. In the meantime, Iām a daughter feeling helpless. My mom, 79, insists they donāt need any special treatment, even though I can see her age starting to slow her down. Do you have any suggestions for how I can help, without it coming across as help, so that my dad can recover fully from pneumonia and my mom not wind up in the hospital from overexerting herself?
I am a senior living alone. My adult children and I are close relationally, however, two of them live far away. My one daughter that lives nearby is an accountant and is very busy this time of year. My closest friend spends the winter months with her daughter in Florida. December always keeps me busy as I prepare for the holidays and have opportunities to spend quality time with my children and grandchildren. January leaves me feeling empty and isolated, even though I just had a wonderful holiday season. Do you have any suggestions for those struggling with the post-holiday blues?
My family and I recently relocated to my husbandās hometown and are grateful to live within minutes of his grandparents. While itās nice to be able to pop in with our little boys and visit them at the drop of a hat, seeing them slowly decline in health is bittersweet. Recently, weāve noticed that they seem to have less and less energy and arenāt up for large crowds or long visits.
My elderly parents are relatively healthy. They live on their own and can navigate their lives with little help. While Iām grateful that my parents are doing so well at their age, I still get concerned about their health. My daughter is expecting her first baby later this month. My daughter has expressed concern over my parents, her grandparents, meeting their first great-grandchild because sheās a first-time mom and worried about protecting the health of her newborn.
For the past fifty-five years, my elderly parents have always hosted a large Thanksgiving family dinner. Including everyone, there are over four nuclear families represented and nearly forty people in total. Everyone looks forward to this event and everyone chips in something, regardless of my momās insistence to take care of it all.
With Veteranās Day approaching, I struggle each year on how to teach the significance of the day to my teenaged children. My dad, their grandfather, served in the military. He lives locally, so we usually take him out to dinner or stop by his home for a visit on Veteranās Day. While I think he appreciates my intentions, I feel like Iām not doing enough to educate my children and to show our sincere appreciation for his service.
My elderly mom has been showing some signs of dementia in the last year. She lives alone and prefers to keep to herself. While she lives in a decent neighborhood and knows her immediate next-door neighbors, I worry about her on Halloween. She loves the holiday, always made our costumes as kids, still helps to make her grandchildrenās costumes. She gets such joy from giving candy to the trick-or-treaters and seeing them in costumes.
My teenaged son was over at my parentsā house visiting when he called me in a panic. My mom had mistaken the glass that contained her Efferdent denture cleaning for her glass of Alka-Seltzer and drank it. Both were tablets that fizzed, and she had put them side by side on the kitchen counter. My son didnāt know what to do, so I quickly called poison control.
My dad is approaching his 80th birthday. While he is in somewhat good health for his age, my mom worries about his health. He hasnāt had a physical exam for a few years now. He claims he feels great, aside from a few aches and pains that come with age. When he has a cold, he refuses to see a doctor, saying heāll just take it easy.
I am at a loss when it comes to making conversation with my grandpa. I have a good relationship with him but was always a little closer with my grandma. She passed away a few years ago, and since her passing, my grandpa seems a little withdrawn. He moved to assisted living about two years ago, and while he is doing well health-wise, he has occasional memory lapses. He lights up when I come to visit, especially when I bring my family (he loves watching my little ones toddle around the halls), but after the basic, āHow are you, whatās new,ā I find myself searching for conversation topics and ways to connect with him. Do you have any suggestions on how I can better engage my grandpa in conversation?
