All the things are crazy: let’s add BEDBUGS

[LucyStoner]

So in the last year for us, like for many others, it’s been one thing after the next.  To the point that having our car totaled registered more as a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things because hey, it was insured.  

Things (be it extended family, our 18 year old son, my health, my dad’s health, work, school stuff) keep coming every which way and we do our best to sort them into “on fire” “urgent” “probably shouldn’t wait” and “can think about tomorrow” “can think about never”.  For some lunatic reason, I took a staff job in December but I don’t have anyone to blame for that but myself.  And benefits after years of self employment are kinda nice.  So we are getting by. 

A couple weeks ago, my dad ends up in the hospital, dehydrated and undernourished because it apparently started hurting to swallow and rather than tell anyone about this, he just stopped swallowing stuff. The reason it hurt to swallow?  He cancelled necessary medical procedures last year and forgot to take his GERD meds.  

So he can’t live alone but the wait time for home services evaluations is…long.  We are working on it.  As such, he’s moved in with us.  Which is less than ideal but we aren’t willing to let him die of starvation and it’s easier to take care of him here than drive back and forth between his apartment and our place while juggling everything else and WFH.  

So to cap it all all, we got bed bugs from my dad’s apartment (which is one factor in why it’s easier to have him here- he’s in a high rise low income seniors building and their bedbug issue is bad right now.)

We cleaned and cleaned and treated and cleaned some more.  Finally we gave up an hired a company that costs $$$ to do a heat treatment to get them all.  

The heat treatment worked.  Nothing from my dad’s place comes here without being treated or decontaminated.   We are working with his building to see if they will heat treat his place so we don’t have to trash most of his stuff.  They get in everything people.  Everything.  

This post is mostly because:

1. I know a lot of you care for elders yourself.  
2. Celebrate that I didn’t burn my home up to get rid of the bugs.  Believe me, the thought crossed my mind.  
 

[Starr]

I can't even. Hang in there and thank goodness you got rid of them!

[MercyA]

Wow, I'm so sorry, Katie! That's rough. I didn't know there was a heat treatment for bed bugs. Glad it worked!

I admire you for taking care of your dad, and it's good to see you back on the chat board! 🙂 

[mommyoffive]

Oh man that is horrible.  I am glad you found a way to get rid of them.  I am sorry.

[Ausmumof3]

Ugh! Crazy how now matter how bad stuff is vermin can still make it worse. Fingers crossed for long term success in keeping them out 

[Tanaqui]

Bedbugs are the absolute WORST, and on top of all that - ugh! I'm glad the treatment seems to have worked, although I still recommend following up by liberally spraying gentrol everywhere, or at least in the baseboards and on the feet of the beds. It doesn't kill bugs, but it does keep them from reproducing, and there is very little that isn't worth it to make sure sure sure that bedbugs are gone gone gone.

Bedbugs. SO awful. I hope your father can also get the help he needs.

[Frances]

I’m sorry to hear about everything you’ve been going through, but very glad you were able to get the bedbugs taken care of effectively. I hope everything calms down soon and your dad’s health improves. I’m sure he’s so thankful for all of your help. And congratulations on the new job! It’s great to see you back posting again.

[LucyStoner]

1 hour ago, Tanaqui said:

Bedbugs are the absolute WORST, and on top of all that - ugh! I'm glad the treatment seems to have worked, although I still recommend following up by liberally spraying gentrol everywhere, or at least in the baseboards and on the feet of the beds. It doesn't kill bugs, but it does keep them from reproducing, and there is very little that isn't worth it to make sure sure sure that bedbugs are gone gone gone.

Bedbugs. SO awful. I hope your father can also get the help he needs.

The company that did the heat treatment came back around and applied spores to the baseboard and various hidey holes.  Apparently the spores make any bedbug that comes in contact with them toxic to other bedbugs.  Then they come around twice more with a bed bug sniffing dog to make sure they aren’t there anymore.  There’s a warranty as well meaning they will treat again if necessary.  We will definitely be monitoring closely.  

When my husband retrieves anything from my dad’s, he wears plastic and sprays his shoes.  Then anything that comes out of the apartment is sealed in a bag until it is washed and dried.  Then immediately washes anything he was wearing and showers.  It’s a lot.  If his apartment building won’t heat treat and really kill them off, I am going to press the place that runs it to at replace his electric recliner and adjustable bed.  

Edited April 20, 2022 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

The irony is that after all that cleaning, my normally clean place was messier than it’s ever been because the people who do the heat treatment rip everything apart to make sure they get everything.  My extra shoes from my closet ended up in a laundry basket in the kitchen.  My jewelry landed in the bathroom.  A stack of client paperwork turned up on top of the fridge.  My husband and I are still finding clothes in each other’s drawers.  The blinds all ended up on the patio.  The overall effect made it appear we had been raided by the feds. 🤣

[Melissa Louise]

Wow, that's a lot! Glad you didn't have to burn down the house. Hope you can get the recliner and bed sorted. 

[Kassia]

What a nightmare!  I'm sorry too.

[Elizabeth86]

Bedbugs are a nightmare. I am so sorry for all that has been going on. I had that kind of year in 2019. Everything was awful, but it was just a phase of life. Hopefully your phase of unfortunate events will be over soon! 

[Elizabeth86]

5 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Bedbugs are the absolute WORST, and on top of all that - ugh! I'm glad the treatment seems to have worked, although I still recommend following up by liberally spraying gentrol everywhere, or at least in the baseboards and on the feet of the beds. It doesn't kill bugs, but it does keep them from reproducing, and there is very little that isn't worth it to make sure sure sure that bedbugs are gone gone gone.

Bedbugs. SO awful. I hope your father can also get the help he needs.

Yes! Sometimes the heat treatment alone doesn't work even if it seems to at first. Everything I read said you should follow up with spray.

[Soror]

I'm so sorry 😞 That sounds like a nightmare. 2019-2021 was our "fun year" (with a capital FU). You have to laugh or you'll cry. Here's hoping you are on the other side very soon.

[Katy]

Ugh, I’m sorry that’s a lot. I hope things turn around for you soon. 

[livetoread]

7 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

The overall effect made it appear we had been raided by the feds. 🤣

That might have been preferable to bedbugs! 

Edited April 20, 2022 by livetoread

[Spryte]

Bedbugs, ouch! Talk about insult to injury. I have heard great things about the heat treatment, so fingers crossed for you.

ILs here had bedbugs in a senior complex, and the building went with chemical. That worked as well, but it was slow going. And ILs replaced everything. And threw away almost everything—all the “memory boxes” they were saving for DH, with childhood photos, etc. At the time, I was thinking heat treatment might have saved them from losing all their stuff.

May more and more of the issues in your life fall under “can think about tomorrow/never”!

Good to see you here! Hope all is well with the family.

…In a funny truth, I never make/eat pies without thinking of you. 🤣 Your pie making skillz have hit mythical proportions here!

[LucyStoner]

Imagine the sound my head as it exploded on learning that that Dad had been denying his building entry into his apartment for months when they came around to check for and treat for bedbugs.  🤦‍♀️
 

They are treating now.  I was like “why is that an optional unit entry and why didn’t y’all call me to let me know this was happening.”

Needless to say, he looks waaaaay better now that he’s not getting eaten by bugs and he’s taking his meds so he can consume food and liquid.  Fortunately he’s not really a hassle to have around.  There was some initial confusion over “why are you on the computer all day, I wanna go to the store” but he now understands that when I am clacking away on the big computer it’s because I am doing my job.  The fact that one can do their entire job through a computer still rather amazes him.  He’s on the waiting list for an apartment closer to us (actually on the same block as us).  That would be close enough he could walk over for meals if he wanted and we could walk over there to ensure his pills go down his gullet but give us all more space.  

Edited April 20, 2022 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

59 minutes ago, Spryte said:

…In a funny truth, I never make/eat pies without thinking of you. 🤣

 

 

This aptly sums up the kind of year I’ve had:  I BOUGHT PIES FOR THANKSGIVING.  

[Spryte]

5 minutes ago, LucyStoner said:

This aptly sums up the kind of year I’ve had:  I BOUGHT PIES FOR THANKSGIVING.  

You totally deserved the break.

 

However: where’s the fainting emoji we used to have here?! It’s blasphemy!

[LucyStoner]

Just now, Spryte said:

You totally deserved the break.

 

However: where’s the fainting emoji we used to have here?! It’s blasphemy!

I would have bought everything else for Thanksgiving had I thought to order it in time.  🤣

[BusyMom5]

I am still traumatized and processing my Bed Bug Fiasco.  I am sorry you have had such a rough time.  I would wash/dry and clothes, but all soft furniture I'd burn.  Seriously.   For wood beds, wash and put out in the sun for weeks- we left ours in the garage and moved it outside on hot days.  Books and papers- be ruthless.  Whatever must be saved,  put in boxes and  lay out on hot days this summer.  You can open them back up in a year or so.  

[Pam in CT]

Oh my. That is A LOT.

Glad your father is on the mend and the bedbugs are on their way to exterminated.

[Spryte]

39 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I am still traumatized and processing my Bed Bug Fiasco.  I am sorry you have had such a rough time.  I would wash/dry and clothes, but all soft furniture I'd burn.  Seriously.   For wood beds, wash and put out in the sun for weeks- we left ours in the garage and moved it outside on hot days.  Books and papers- be ruthless.  Whatever must be saved,  put in boxes and  lay out on hot days this summer.  You can open them back up in a year or so.  

Yep.

I vaguely recall something I read about microwaving books. Then again, that sounds like a quick path to a house fire, so maybe not!

[Farrar]

I live in deep fear of bed bugs. I'm so glad the heat treatment worked.

[sassenach]

Lady, the overall tone of this post is the most relatable thing I've read in months. While I don't have bedbugs (yet? God knows what tomorrow holds for us), you have my deepest, heartfelt sympathy. 

Good job not burning it all down. You're doing great.

[Mom_to3]

Oh my - yes bedbugs on top a bad year is...the stuff nightmares are made of lol! We once managed to get control of a bed bug invasion - but we noticed shortly after purchase of the (new) blanket (thankfully I reacted in a classical way) and were able to guess what the offender was. Nevertheless, weeks and weeks of cleaning, steam treatment, dryer. Going through every page of a large number of books and work papers (found some baby bed bugs which we could only see because they were moving!!). For several weeks we spent every free minute on bed bug control.