Forgetting an Anniversary and a warning to Caregivers to take care of "their" health!

Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 6:37am my Dad passed away at home under Hospice.  I know the time, as that is when the Caregiver knocked on my door.  I went to him and placed one hand on his shoulder and with my other placed my hand into his.  His finger tips were warm.  I said some things, said a prayer and talked to him.  I do recall saying "you are now home with Mom",  I then said "Dad, it was my pleasure and privilege to take care of you and Mom over the last several years".  I then spoke to my Caregiver who had only been with me 2 nights.  She was rattled, so I had her call her employer.  We talked some more. I did not have her clock out until her ride came. I then called Hospice.

I totally forgot until a few minutes ago.  I had to go online to check the date from the Obituary.  I am totally floored.  Note:  I remembered Sunday, June 25, 2017, later in the evening, when I started to write this.

Now, for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say:

Thursday, June 22, 2017 I woke up at 3:06 am, knowing something was not right, went to the kitchen table, quickly checked my BP and called 911.  It was 50/ over something. Records from Comcast:

"911-Emergency Wednesday | June 22, 2017 | 3:13 AM PDT | 2 minutes 17 seconds".  Ambulance was here within 4 minutes. Barely had time to grab my "go" bag, grab my shoes, lock the door and step outside.  I have inside kitties and did not want to lose them.

I have an A-fib like condition and the first time it happened was 2007. It is a "when, not if" condition. That time they put me under in the ER and used the paddles to shock the heart. Ended up in the Hospital that time.

And this year have been working with my PCP on yo-yo'ing BP issues since March. 

I was very dizzy and felt I was going to fall as I went down the hall, but I was able to move my body in a way that I slid down the wall and did not hurt myself.  I decided to crawl to the kitchen table where the BP machine was. No problem getting up into the chair.

In the ER they did the shock thing again, but had to do it 4 times this time.  I was then admitted.  I came home Friday afternoon the 23rd.

They kept asking me in the ER if I knew what time it was, day of the week, month. I could answer the year.  I think those were diagnostic questions. They were asking other questions too. I had no problem answering those. They also kept asking if I had passed out, They asked that more than once.  I had not.   I did tell them I did fall.

I did move to Washington a couple years after 2007 to take care of Mom and Dad and moved back to Oregon after Dad's passing and the completion of the Estate work.  I have all the same Drs. now that I had then. PCP, Cardiologist, Foot Dr., Dentist, etc..  PCP and Cardiologist know each other, even my Cardiologist in the Hospital knows them.

Why did I forget the 3rd Anniversary of Dad's passing and only now remember?  And just hours before he had passed, I had this heart thing happen?  How I woke up was very strange, I immediately new something was wrong and something was guiding me to take decisive action.

Now I am trying to figure out the significance of all these happenings. The 21st had been a good and normal day.  I do have a more definitive diagnosis and treatment plan, though.  I think we finally found the root cause after 10 years.  Like I said I have had BP and dizziness issues since March.  And, even though it has been only a few days, I have never felt better.  Was Dad and Mom reaching out to me to make sure I was well?  Did they know that all of the Drs. would line up and had established relationships, so they could work as a team? Did they know I would have the Ambulance pass up 2 Hospitals to go to the one I went to in 2007?  One of the best in town for treating conditions such as mine? Once I explained that to the EMT's they totally understood and made it happen.  Were they clouding my memory as to time, so I could concentrate on the process of healing myself and I could remember Dad's anniversary later?  I do believe in a higher power and He was involved too.  Well, I will just leave this here.

Dad passed at 95 and Mom at 91, so I have a ways to go.  The Dementia's they suffered from hit them very late in life and they were very healthy and active up to that point.

Thank you for reading. It has been very cathartic and eye opening.

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Its origins:  Rick Phelps was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease (EOAD) on June 30, 2010, at the age of 57.   Memory People was started by Rick Phelps on Nov. 25, 2010 @ 4:38 am. This just happened to be on Thanksgiving!  Member 16,700 was added on June 5, 2017.  There were under 3,000 Members when I joined.

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Memory People™ is an Alzheimer's/dementia and memory impairment Support and Awareness group. We are patients, caregivers, advocates, family members and professionals sharing our journeys with each other, seeking comfort and understanding, and receiving support and helpful information.

We don't talk about miracle cures or false hopes here. We share about the reality of dementia and memory impairment, and through support and education we find the ability to take another step each day in this journey.

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Note:  This was written on Sunday, June 25, 2017, late in the evening, when I "remembered" that I had forgotten the Anniversary of Dad's passing.