Lord almighty, you guys! I keep hoping things will calm down around here, but alas and alack, still running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I know some of you can totally relate, right? At least there’s some small hope that I’m not alone.
So I made progress on getting those pictures together for you of our summer fun and camping – I finally downloaded them off my memory card. Yes, that’s progress, isn’t it? But now I still have to sift through the 300-and-some-odd to pick out the ones you actually want to see. So yeah, still not yet ready for it.
Part of the whole ‘busy’ thing is we’ve been helping my mom out as she tries to purge all the junk that’s accumulated over the millions of years she and my dad have been living in their too-big-to-manage house and property. My dad is a packrat (and yes, I have absolutely inherited that gene) so there is So. Much. Stuff. to go through and get rid of so she can get the house on the market.
Oh, wait – I’m getting a little ahead of myself, aren’t I? I haven’t given you guys an update on my dad lately. So those of you just tuning in, my dad, who turned 73 in March, was up on an 8-foot ladder back in March attempting to clean off one of their carport roofs. He really had no business being up on that ladder, but he’s stubborn and hard headed (another inherited trait I’ve acquired) and even though he’d slowed down some with his stroke about 10 years ago, followed by having a stent put in to drain the water on his brain, he was unstoppable.
Until he fell off that darn ladder, dislocated and broke his shoulder, that is. Of course it’s the shoulder of his ‘good’ side – the stroke reduced his left side drastically, though he still managed to do most of the stuff he used to do, like tinker with engines and mow their 3-1/2 acres of property. He, of course, broke his right shoulder, so obviously that reduces even more of his ability to do stuff.
Long story short, the emergency room didn’t see the shoulder break on the x-rays, put his shoulder back in place and sent him home. He was still having a lot of pain a week later, so my mom took him to his regular doctor who also did x-rays, didn’t see a break, and referred him to an orthopedic doctor. But that doctor’s appointments were several weeks out, so when my dad was having too much pain and growing weaker, my mom called an ambulance and took him to the hospital, where they finally saw the break and admitted him for a few days.
Over the course of the past few years, we noticed he seemed to be in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s – it was exacerbated after the fall and his subsequent injuries, so he was transferred to a rehab facility a few blocks from the hospital to recover from his injuries (and so they could do some testing) before he’d be able to go home. Since my mom has rheumatoid arthritis in both hands and feet plus Fibromyalgia, she was not going to be able to give him the care he needed in his current state.
He was then transferred to an adult care facility when the rehab place ‘could do nothing more’ for him, and his Alzheimers really started to manifest itself in his behavior and state of mind. He was put on different medications to help with his depression and angry outbursts, but nothing seemed to be helping.
I’m going to be brutally honest here – he was transferred to the psych ward at a local hospital a few weeks ago because he was getting out of control in his attempt to stab himself with whatever he could get his hands on. There, at least, he has been able to be on medication that actually works for him, the last few days he’s apparently been ‘on a cruise’ – so as long as he’s happy, right?
We’re not sure what the future holds, the Alzheimer’s or Dementia seems to be getting worse by the day – my grandpa (his dad) had Alzheimer’s when he died many years ago. His status is he’ll be in the psych ward for another week or so, then transferred back to the adult home – if they’ll let him come back, after his last huge outburst where he was brandishing a knife (his explanation was that he needed to defend himself).
The outbursts have been reminiscent of a child throwing a temper tantrum – with the exception of the knife brandishing. The outbursts are something that is apparently common with Alzheimer’s patients. This is a whole new strange world we’re traversing through – your prayers are always welcome.
Meanwhile, my mom can’t manage their big house all by herself, so she’s working on what they’d talked about for many years – downsizing all the excess and getting ready to sell the house to buy a smaller, more manageable one (with no stairs, of course).
So she hired an estate sale company to come organize and handle the huge estate sale that will be happening in the coming weeks, and we’ve been helping fix things around the house to get it ready for sale. My sister even came out from Kansas not only to visit my dad, but to help my mom – I’m a little jealous she got to use a tile jackhammer to get the old tile up from the entryway and bathrooms, and lay new tile – that would have been a fun thing to do!
When we were there this past weekend helping out, my mom gave me a box of my old old stuff – I mean we’re talking throw back, including my old homework from my senior year. I got a kick showing Princess Nagger that stuff, especially since back then I used to write really tiny to fit more words into a small space – I was wordy even then!
There were some packets of pictures I’d taken back in the late 80’s early 90’s (you know, when we actually used film cameras instead of digital ones) so I thought I’d share a few gems with you today:
Yep, that’s me – late 80’s or early 90’s with my hair pulled back in a pony tail. And here’s me and my brother (he’s making a goofy face):
At least he didn’t make a face when posing with his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Roxann:
This is a great picture of my older sister, Kimn, with my mom:
And these pictures of my mom and dad will always be special:
As they both combat the sands of time, they’ll always be indelibly etched in my memory just like that.
That’s a wrap for this week – you know the drill, link up and join in the fun, everyone is welcome, random or not. And that means even if you don’t have a specific Random Tuesday Thoughts Rebel post posted, you can still link up, I’m not picky. You don’t even have to add the badge, just link up so I can come harass you on your blog. I promise to play nice.
.
Link up your Random (or not) here:
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
Keeping the random alive (barely) – feel free to snag a badge and play along – one for my wino friends:
And one for my non-wino friends:
.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I haven’t had to personally deal with anyone that’s had Alzheimer’s, so I can’t relate but I can definitely empathize. It’s always fun looking back through old photos.
Stacy,
Witnessing our parents go from vibrant to nearly incapacitated is hard. Getting old stinks! Once the body fails to perform for what ever reason other things seem to go quickly. We initially saw this with DH’s dad. When my MIL passed, he was 91 and by golly did he ever surprise the socks off us with what he physically could accomplish for his years. In the days, weeks, months following her death in 2014, my FIL slipped drastically in health. I think things are stabilized in his health. It is what it is. He has a live-in caregiver (and her family) which I believe helps his mentally. It gives him staying power even though he can’t repair or build something. He celebrated his 94th bday in March and I wonder if he’ll live to see his 100th birthday. His mother was 97 when she died and he has only younger (4-years) sibling living.
You’re talking about your mother down-sizing. That’s really an excellent idea, especially moving into a place with out stairs. That’s one thing that made me really nervous for my FIL after losing my MIL, watching him traverse the staircase was unsettling and I prayed for him all the time (still do). Elderly people don’t realize just what we’re seeing with their inability to maneuver going up and down stairs safely. They have a fair sized home with two storage buildings on their property with every nook filled. It’s going to be a difficult job to get divide and get rid of stuff in the end with all the kids living out of the area.
Hopefully, your folks will have many good years left together after your dad gets back to normal life again to live in their new smaller home. They need to focus on enjoying every day doing what makes them happy with out a lot of material things to concern them because it will. They will begin to think, I want her to have this and him to have that and… If I’m honest, sometimes you learn things at the end of your parents’ lives that you NEVER expected possible with your siblings and it’s heartbreaking. I pray you’ll not experience any discord with yours.
Yikes, my comment is a bit of a downer! I wouldn’t blame you if you deleted it and I totally would not be offended but these are the words flowing out of my brain before…THAT’S it, I haven’t had my coffee yet! I need to go flip the switch to get it brewing and maybe I’ll feel better. 😀 Have an awesome day and don’t fret over the photos. All things in good time, right?
Happy randomising! 😉
What a good looking family! Yes, i will keep your father in my prayers, and all of you as you go through this time.
I will keep you and your family in my prayers. I hope things with father gets better and that your mother is able to find a smaller, easier home for her and your father.
Those are great photos. I am so sorry your Dad has declined so much, I am sure it is hard to see your father in that condition. My thoughts and prayers are with you. XO
I read your post yesterday and kept the tab open, hoping I would find some words, but I haven’t. Just know I am thinking of you and your family as you navigate this new and often difficult terrain