Thinking of you
@Sandie33 - I hope and pray that your sister comes though OK. It seems to be one trial after another for you and your family. I really feel for you. Are still working out OK with the respite carer for your dad? At least that's a positive thing if it's still going well.
Hi
@John K , yes, that one was quite inspiring.
The sister is out of surgery and they have given her a hefty dose of pain meds with phentonal...basically drug induced mild coma so she will lie still.
She had gone in to the cardiac unit because the fluid was causing her heart to beat incorrectly and in the lungs difficulty breathing. She was set to come home and instructed not to get out of bed without help, yet instead she got up to pack up and slipped and fell. It was a clean break from what my neice tells me. With brittle bones though the docs say she could break a finger just trying to sign her name. yikes!
She's going to rest a few days, and by Tuesday they'll send her across the sky walk into the rehabilitation home for 6-8 weeks before going home. I've mentioned in my other bloggy spot about her shattering her shin, unfortunately the hip break is in the opposite leg. She'll be in a wheelchair for the remainder of her life the doc says. With the brittle bones she will not be able to support her weight any longer.
I deeply appreciate your sentiments John, thank you. I'm resolute that it's simply our family's year. We had escaped death visiting within the family for a long while. It's amazing we've had six from November...I was upset earlier today thinking my sister would be the seventh. I can't seem to shake those vibes either. Perhaps not immediate, but soon I feel. Her heart is not good, even after bypass, yet she hasn't taken her medicines for months. It seems as if she'd rather not exist, and that hurts my heart. Regardless of animosity between she and I, that's not an outcome I'd wish for her.
A note on my new helper, she is a marvelous asset. She's 70, so the gap between she and Dad in age is a decade. They find much to talk about. I was amazed, shocked really, that she talked him into two games of Yatzee on Monday evening when she was here. They had tea with the cookies I'd made, (peanut butter blossoms, they are a peanut butter cookie cooked until 2 minutes done then a Hershey's chocolate kiss pressed in the center and baked for the remaining time ... they are amazingly good! lol).
I'm blessed with her help. My sister is wonky because she had thought Glory her replacement, and in a way she was. With the constant inconsistencies from my younger sister I had to do something. She would schedule things then either cancel day of or over book herself with others. I have another I interviewed too. She's a tad more expensive and looking to earn a 5 day a week paycheck, I kept her info but I need occasional help and mostly companion aide not full on HHA...yet.
As for as Dad doing the program, he's not interested in a routine, so I've been slowly bringing pieces of the program to him.
He told his physical therapist not to try to get past the boss, meaning me, lol.
I just keep reminding myself it won't be like this forever and I continually reach for the good in the experience. Which this caregiving is easy-peasy from a relaxed state, yet terrible when I'm immersed and feeling as though I'm drowning in thick toxic soup. The CART introduction works in tandem with my mental reminders that Dad is having a hard time, not giving me a hard time.
Life is not for the feint of heart,
this
