Loyal Readers will remember that life here at The Freehold has, well, been forcibly reorganized due to the medical and other needs of an aging set of parents. While my parents have not gotten any younger, we are making some progress.
My Dad is doing much better. So much so, he’s getting to be a bit much to try and deal with. Not impossible, just back to his normal, stubborn self. He wants to do everything for himself, even if it kills him. Luckily, I can reason with him if it’s done in small doses, over time.
I’ve also been able to make certain improvements in his household. We now have most of the necessary, proper equipment to care for someone who is bedridden, as my Mother is. I’ve also managed to change her doctor to someone who doesn’t have a bone through his nose. (Don’t *even* get me started on her old doc. F’ing quack.)
My Mom’s new doctor has already made some changes, including getting a physical therapist in to see if we can get her back on her feet, even just enough to get out of bed and into a wheelchair. That would be a huge improvement for her “quality of life” and make it a lot easier to care for her as well.
I have also persuaded my Dad that he needs much more help than before to care for my Mom (and keep an eye on him, although I haven’t said so). And trust me, private duty CNAs are much less expensive that a service. (Buying factory direct as opposed to wholesale/retail, I suppose.) I now have a spy in place for 60 hours a week. That is quite a load off my mind and body, as well as his checkbook. He can support this expenditure for the foreseeable future, and he needs to. At 81, burning the candle at both ends just doesn’t work.
Things are starting to settle into a new normal, although I expect more ups and downs as we progress.
I’ve been able to get some time (last Sunday in particular) to catch up on the home front. Right now, I’m just bone tired. Some of that is mental, some physical (lack of sleep, mostly) and some is just plain old stress. I’ve also been able to get back to work on a regular basis. Luckily, I have a lot of accrued leave time built up; at least I haven’t missed any paychecks during this period.
Weather cooperating (they’re calling for sleet, snow and ice Saturday and Sunday), I’m going to go to a gun show over the weekend. That will be a nice change and a big move toward resuming a regular life. Hopefully I can get back to doing some blogging on a more regular basis as well. Oh yeah, and sleep! I want to sleep an uninterrupted 8 hours once again before I die. 🙂
Good night, all.
