And so it begins the downward descent into madness …
Life is not for the faint of heart. My mind is chaos. I had hoped to post something for book club today but I couldn’t wind down to read/finish my book. And it’s a GREAT story which would catapult me away where I could relax. Instead, my mind on overdrive, I thought, & thought, & thought about a wide variety of topics. My brain was a whirling dervish. Oh how I love that word.
Some of my pondering was exceptional like everything surrounding my baby girl’s birthday but intertwined with joy was so much angst, which if I had followed through would be subject for my get real series fodder. I could release the hounds without vagueness. And I’m trying to get help for this very niche problem but resources are seriously lacking. In absence of that, here is some other stuff on our plate that I do freely share. Get out the tissues y’all.
I don’t remember where I left off in this ever evolving story. It’s but one of many things we are dealing with right now – my mother in law’s continued decline. B’s mom, I wish I could add dear sweet adjectives but truthfully she was more manipulative. Notice I wrote WAS. Now she is just far gone. And it is sad. I would not wish her circumstances on my worst enemy. This all began in January of 2022 with repeated falls and trips to the ER. One very bad reaction to medication had us looking for long term care & we even had her signed up. LTC is in between nursing home where one is still somewhat ambulatory. She got off the meds, pitched a fit & never went into care. As months progressed, she saw times of improvement but morefall after fall, she was admitted then transferred to a nursing home. For her own good & safety.
Emotionally she did a number on PoPo & through guilt, she convinced him to spring her from the pokey. This was done with the understanding that they were trading the nursing home for in home health care. The caregiver showed up 3 days before she was “fired” because as we were told “all she does is sit & look at me”. That left PoPo who is not in much better shape to care for his ailing wife who is now 100% wheelchair bound.
The days all blur into one but a week, two, or three passed. B & (even me though I said I would never after the hell that was January when she accused me of trying to lock her away) are doing everything we can to help. All the things the home health would do, plus daily activities beyond the housekeeper who comes weekly. And we both work full time jobs.
This may seem stupid but my biggest worry is getting their mail. It is like playing frogger. Remember frogger? Splat! The mailbox is on the other side of the road that is frequently travelled by idiots speeding over the hill. One has to wear a safety vest when getting the mail in order to be seen. I want them to get a PO Box, they refuse. Or what about using our address? Still refuse. This is an accident waiting to happen & we always worried over PoPo when he was doing it & now he can’t.
For the past 4 nights, 3 of them had B running over to their place to pick MoMo up because she “slipped” while trying to go to the bathroom Last Saturday, when B was out of town, PoPo called the fire department who came & picked her up. We learned that tidbit after the fact. They didn’t want to guilt B for not being available & weren’t going to tell us but B found the paperwork.
Well last night, she didn’t just slip, she fell hard and busted her lips on the shower door. B runs over there, cleans her up, blood & everything else. PoPo & MoMo debated calling 911 but decided against it because she might be admitted then back to the nursing home. B stood by helpless, he tells me he can’t make them call 911 but we all know this can’t go on.
Anyway, I’m about out of steam, closing with this last little bit. We never know what anyone is really going through & the best we can do is be kind to one another. I need to remember that myself when I get upset, it could be worse. Not to minimize my pain but to deal with the realties & to redirect my thoughts to what is good in my life because there is good hidden in the shadows, dare I say there is pure joy which I only know because have experienced the opposite.
As always, more to come.
Featured image, her new ink … LOVE my baby girl.