Two Feet of Snow Later...

Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 10:45 AM   I have lived in Colorado for 12 years. This is probably the second or third worst snowstorm we have had during that period. The snow was supposed to have stopped falling last night, but a change in the weather pattern has prolonged it until later this afternoon or tonight.   We have approximately two feet of snow on the ground. They are calling for another three to six inches before it comes to a halt. That will be sometime late tonight. In addition to that, we have to contend with strong gusty winds ranging from 19 to 40 mph.   As I look out my patio windows, just about the only thing I can really see is mounds and mounds of pure white snow. The sidewalks around my apartment have been plowed several times, but the newer heavily falling snow seems to quickly cover them back up in hardly any time at all.   My CNA's came to put me to bed last night shortly after five o'clock. One of them came before the other, and she was kind enough to fix some dinner for me. She had also bought some bottled water with a lid that I could open easily and then close. I needed something like that, which I could keep in bed with me so that I could take my medications at the appropriate times. That was a lifesaver.   To my surprise, both of my CNA's arrived at my apartment at the normal time this morning despite the inclement weather outside. I was told that as far as they knew, I would be going back onto my regular bedtime schedule tonight. I have no complaints about that.   I seem to have developed a skin breakdown because of having to stay in bed for nearly 16 hours. It is being treated with something called duoderm, which works similar to having a second layer of skin. Now that I am up in my wheelchair, I can tilt the chair back now and then, which will take the pressure off my skin whenever I do so. I am hopeful that this will not only prevent the skin from actually opening, but will also decrease the pain being caused by the sore.   I just received a phone call from the head of my home healthcare agency. She said that because of the weather, she wanted my CNA's to come here early to put me to bed for a few days. They are supposed to come here at six o'clock each evening for an unspecified length of time. I told her that I knew they needed to make some changes during this type of weather, and that I was trying to cooperate with them. She was kind enough to say she knew how I felt, and that she really appreciated my cooperation, which I always give them.   While I'm not entirely happy about this, I know that it is necessary because at nighttime, the roads and highways become covered with ice and snow.