Up around 8 a.m. this morning, and went ahead and put on my makeup, in case I'd need to dress to take Mother for a doctor appointment. About 8:15, I called the clinic and was given a 2:45 p.m. appointment time.
So I hopped into my exercise clothes, had breakfast, and then did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, but she was in no mood to go to her puzzle (anxious about going to the doctor this afternoon, I think), so she just relaxed for the morning.
Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house until lunchtime. It was Ramen noodle soup for Mother again, and meatloaf sandwiches for Hubbie and me. Afterward, Mother decided to work on her puzzle for a while, and I relaxed with the newspapers and my e-tablet until time to take Mother to the doctor.
Fortunately, we weren't kept long in the waiting room, nor in the exam room. Guess it was a slow day for the clinic. In examining Mother's swollen left leg, the doctor recommended she have a venous Doppler exam to check for blood clots, and she ordered an appointment at the hospital.
As for the headaches, she checked Mother's neck and upper back and found she had really tight muscles there that she said are causing the problem. She gave Mother a sheet of exercises to do to relieve the pain. She also suggested I do some muscle massages on her, but the way she reacted to the doctor's massaging, I doubt she'll let me do that. Also, she suggested a heating pad. I have a neck pad that can be heated in the microwave that would probably feel good to Mother.
When the exam was done, the doctor asked what activities Mother engages in, and she told her she works jigsaw puzzles. Of course, this means Mother has her head bent a lot, which causes muscle tension, and the fact that she has osteoporosis only increases the tension.
Also, when Mother is just sitting still, she falls asleep with her head bent so low that I sometimes fear she will fall out of her chair. This has to cause strain on her neck and upper back, but there is no cure for it, I'm afraid.
The doctor perked up when we mentioned jigsaw puzzles. She said she loves puzzles, but of course doesn't have much time to work them now. She reminisced about how when she was young, her family always had stacks of jigsaw puzzles to work while they were on vacation.
She said she has lots of them at home, and she now plans to dig them out and take them to her mother's house, so her kids and her mother can work them while school is out. She said she doesn't allow the kids to watch TV during the hours of noon to 6 p.m., so they need things to occupy their time.
The doctor looked really nice today in a pair of new khaki slacks, a green knit shirt, and a multi-colored green scarf, and I told her so. She said the outfit was a birthday gift from her fourteen-year-old daughter. I mentioned that her daughter has very good taste (which the doctor does not...and she's the first to admit it). She hates shopping for clothes, so her lawyer husband does most of it for her. I think her daughter would be even better at it.
Before we left the clinic, we stopped by the reception area to get the appointment for the Doppler exam tomorrow. It was set for 9 a.m. We could have gotten it for 8 a.m., but I wanted time to have breakfast and a cup of coffee before we go.
We were back home shortly after 4 p.m., and I immediately put leftovers from last night in the oven to heat for supper. Later, I made a little beef gravy, using canned broth, to go with the meal.
Hubbie was gone when we got home. He ran a couple of errands, to a grocery store, and to the WDCS (where he picked up more canning jars, lids, and rings). Between errands, he discovered a tire on the truck had gotten extremely low of air, so he took the vehicle to the shop. The problem was that the valve stem was loose. It was easily repaired, and there was no charge to fix it, since it was covered by road insurance.
Our supper of leftovers was as good tonight as it was last night. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV.
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