6.17.2003

6.17.03 Barbara email to son

From: barbara lochner
To:
Sent: Tue, June 17, 2003 5:45:35 PM
Subject: my mother

Mother fell down a couple of days ago and has a
hairline crack in her left shoulder.  Her left arm and
hand are bound in place so she does not have a lot of
movement and is now dependent on daddy for help with
getting dressed, shopping, cooking, eating, etc.  So
while you are there you should expect to take care of
yourself re food, cleaning up. I am sure she will want
to make corn bread & other favorites - and maybe she
will have all the ingredients on hand and can do this
-but, also, maybe not.  Help them out as best you can.
Love, mom.

=====

6.17.03 Barbara email to friend

From: barbara lochner <
To:
Sent: Tue, June 17, 2003 8:34:40 PM
Subject: catch up

My parents are not good.  83 & 84 years old.  Still
independent but not very.  Wayne, my brother, is
building a house next to them and gets an emergency
call about once a day.  He is loosing his sense of
humor.  My dad runs the tractor into the fence, my
mother falls down and has to go to emergency, my dad
falls off the tractor, my mother runs the car into a
building, my dad blindly punches the buttons on the
remote and wipes out the tv, my mother looses the
phone, starts a fire in the micro and locks herself
out of the house.  The biggest health worry is that my
dad has colorectal problems and will not go in for a
test.  Will not.  Has a million reasons why he puts it
off and mother continues to claim she has no control
over him..never has had. Daddy's father acted the same
way with prostate cancer.  Only went to see the Dr
when he could no longer stand the pain. By that time,
of course, too bad.  One could make the case that he
was 84, but still.  I have lost two friends (54 &
76)to colorectal cancer in the past two years and know
more about it than I care to. It is essentially
painless until it is too late. 

More later.

6.15.2003

6.15.03 Barbara email to son

From: barbara lochner <
To:
Sent: Sun, June 15, 2003 7:44:14 PM
Subject: daddy's health

This whole subject of daddy's health has become
impossible to follow.  Mother is now saying that daddy
does not actually have an appointment for the
colonoscopy, but an appointment with a Dr who may
recommend that he have the cs.  All previous
discussions re procedures, etc., re this test have
evaporated into thin air. All previous appointments,
missed and otherwise, have slipped off the page. 
Wayne is on the scene and having a hard time pinning
both mom & dad down. I think he thinks this is a setup
for yet another skipped trip to the Dr...  
Maybe you can get to the bottom of it when you are
there.  Wayne & Sheila are busily painting and
cleaning up the little house for you.  
I have been quite sick since returning from Va.  In
bed several days with the flu..12 days later, still
not right.  Think this same thing happened on my
return from Mexico.  Could be a coincidence...or the
air quality on the planes these days.  
Hope all is well with you guys & you are enjoying your
summer.  Love, mom