where HAVE we been?

I know you were all ready for the next post about alcoholism, and I'll get to that but most folks are asking why no posts this week? So okay I'll tell you about that.

On Monday afternoon after a month of uncontrollable bodily functions(hers not mine), I finally said "enough, I need help!" Mom had lost so much weight and was eating so little that my sister and I thought this might be the end of the journey. (or as people less frightened might say: Death.) So Mom was transported to an opening at the Scottsdale Hospice care center, a mere 80 mile round trip from my home.

My sister had planned on coming in for a visit that week and was allready here; my brother flew in the next day. Mom perked up with so many visitors, that included my son, daughter-in-law and my grand-daughter. The in and out of nurses, volunteers, chaplains and social workers gave her a whole new lease on life. As my brother said
"Maybe she just needed a bigger audience." She was adorable, funny and charming.....and totally symptom free. Go figure.

My Mom has always been a social being so it shouldn't surprise us that she thrived on this. My Dad always said that she could stand in line with someone and be best friends in five minutes.

Yesterday we came home;today,we are again dealing with some of the things that got her there in the first place. In addition, we took the advice of some of my professional advisors,some of my friends who are professionals and my just plain friends: my brother and I went to see a place on the list of group care homes....and they are lovely, with lovely people running them, but at this point, I can't do it. I can still handle everything that needs to be handled here, just not a whole lot else.

It was good to have my siblings here. We can laugh about alot of the past, plan for the immediate future, and disagree but with a sense of humor. I love them. They say how grateful they are for Arnie and I caring for our parents.We had so much of our parents time help in the years that our children were small. Without their help, I couldn't have finished college as an adult. It would have been hard to work a business without them to fall back on. So as this blog says,"Turnabout is fair play" and here I am.