This was during the height of the ****** crisis when government nannies were ripping families apart and leaving loved ones with no advocates in horrible situations.
Mom hospitalized with COPD
I go to Dad to do what I can to take care of him.
Dad falls...a lot...can’t do his pills, won’t let anyone else do them either, failing fast.
Mom released to rehab in what we thought was a good nursing home. (So wrong)
Dad briefly hospitalized, sent to rehab, different wing, same nursing home.
Fire in a dryer at the nursing home. Mom wheeled over to Dad’s wing for a welcome visit. They hadn’t been apart for more than a day or two in almost seventy years. We were happy for them for a while...and then
Dad diagnosed with *******. Mom caught it from him during that little visit.
Dad recovers quite quickly, scheduled for next day release to a different nursing home. The original one had done things like leave Mom sitting with her legs swathed in soaking bandages, shivering with cold, and ignoring her until I called and made them go change them and get her a blanket. GRRRRRRRR I wonder to this day if she ever got her insulin.
I call the hospital and Dad’s room. No answer all day. Can’t get anybody.
Finally doctor calls, Dad has crashed.
Hospital calls, Dad has died.
I call mom, the boys, and family.
Hospital calls. Dad has not died, but probably will. We decide not to tell Mom until morning.
However, the doctor calls to tell her...rightfully I guess
Mom spends the entire night on the phone with the doctor exhorting him to save Dad.
“If you can’t save him, I am going to go too,”
They couldn’t.
He did.
She did too. .
The news story about the doctor in the story below took me back there this morning. I find that I am finally ready, after nine months, to share it with you. Thanks for reading.
I am sooo sooo sorry for this whole thing. Sigh
ReplyDeleteMy heart breaks for you, Marianne. Such a shocking, outrageous sequence of events, all happening so fast and so far beyond your reach or ability to give comfort. A trauma like this will haunt you, so it is good to speak about it. I pray that with each telling, the power these events have to continue to hurt you may lessen a bit. Please know that by sharing this story here, many hearts will be yearning to embrace you with love and many prayers will be offered that you will find comfort and peace.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, the remembering and second guessing gets to me way too often.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline, thank you. You nailed it...haunting....it just won't go away. Keep wondering what I should have done different to change things. Your kind words and thoughts mean a lot. Thank you twice for them.