[Jennifer]

Power bowls. easy to throw together based on what you have on hand and easy to change the flavour pallet to keep it interesting. I make a bunch of these up for lunches in the week for my  daughter and I and put some in my moms fridge

include -a grain: quinoa, rice, barley -veggies: kale, corn, roasted squash, broccoli, grated carrots, edamame, avocado, sky is the limit. use up leftovers pick your favs. -beans: black beans, chickpeas -dressing or sauce. go mexican or asian whatever you love. If you like meat throw in some chicken or whatever.

 

[Jennifer]

Hi I am new here.

My PALS is my mom. She lives alone still and my daughter and I are in the basement suite to be close and help when and however we can. I work full time and also help my grandpa who also lives alone at 95 years old.

I find the hardest part not being able to look ahead and be as proactive as I would like to be. My mom was diagnosed in October 2019 and is in denial. she went from we are giving everything away to deciding it’s not ALS it’s lyme. Lyme isn’t as bad because it’s treatable. I see the progression and want to take action to meet the next step instead of waiting until it hits and then scrambling to find solutions. My mom however insists she is going to get better, and even tells my daughter (16) that by spring she will be walking again.

Our house isn’t wheelchair accessible. We had a stairlift put in and she is kind of getting around a little with a walker, but I know that won’t be for much longer. As she is currently unable to step up even a few inches she is no longer able to get in and out of the house at all and we are having ramps installed. Just a stopgap though as I don’t know how we would do the lift into a chair at the top or bottom of the stairs…

She manages all my grandpas finances and is his executor and I am afraid of what will happen to him when she can no longer manage. She is not willing to discuss any of this and I am feeling at such a loss. I understand she is losing so much and has a need to maintain what control she can but I don’t know how to cope with all this either.

My mom can no longer cook for herself so I have been busy trying to stock her freezer with ready cooked meals. It means after working all day I have come home and spent hours cooking, trying to get ahead of the need. Even when she finally does allow home health to come in they won’t cook, only heat food up. I just wish she would let them come and start helping.  She has been falling more, and as I said I work full time, last time she was on the floor for 2 hours before I found her.

My mental health is struggling. I am doing the best I can but it just never really feels like enough. how do you find the balance?