Well, God really does answer prayer - even ones that are only thought and not spoken. Tomorrow I will be starting my new job as a marketing assistant for Advent Christian Village. This came out of nowhere last week. Bob heard about the opening, mentioned it to me and had HR pull my resume' to give to the opening manager, Karen Thomas. Karen called me for an interview on Friday and yesterday I was in talking to the new CEO, Craig Carter, about the position. I was not looking for a job and this definitely was God telling me that there was a better solution than me going to Sarasota in August to take care of Bob's mother. Now she will be coming up here to stay with us while Darlene goes back home for a spell. We will pick her up and Darlene will the get her on her way back from her visit north. I guess God knew that I would not be able to handle that situation and steered me in another direction that would make more sense all around.
Of course, the sisters all think that I did this on purpose. I told Karen about the possibility that I would have to be gone to Sarasota for about a week and a half - and she was seriously concerned about that long time of being gone and being new to the job. Bob talked it out with Darlene and the new scenario developed so that if the job came to be, mom would be up here with us and Bob will take half days in the afternoon to be with her. Bottom line, a long term solution needs to happen since she cannot stay by herself and Darlene cannot be there indefinitely. She really needs to go to assisted living so that she can have the help that she needs to get dressed, bathe, and fix meals. Her RA is so bad in her hands that she cannot open things most of the time and cannot zip or button clothing. She is strong otherwise and can get around with her oxygen but just cannot really do everything for herself and needs the help. It is just plain crazy for Darlene to be there 24/7 for months on end. Another solution needs to come about with all four of the kids (Bill, Diane, Darlene and Bob) agreeing to a permanent location for their mother and then getting her to do it. Maybe with her coming up here, we can have her see what the Village is like and then get her to agree that assisted living isn't so bad after all. If she needs to sell her place for the expense of assisted living - so be it. It is for her care and health anyway. She only weighs 96 pounds soaking wet and if she gets sick with anything at all, that will probably be the final straw for her. Just pray that this whole thing gets taken care of in the long term.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Fun 4 day weekend
We decided to go to Sarasota for Friday and Saturday to visit with Bob's mom and sister Darlene. Darlene has been the caregiver since April for his mother since her knee replacement surgery. She is healing very well but with the emphysema now and the rheumatoid arthritis, she just can't be alone. She needs oxygen 24/7 now and has portable tanks that she is supposed to take with her when she is out anywhere, but...... she is one subborn old woman and her pride gets in the way. She says that she wants to keep them for reserve in case the power goes out (which is almost never) and that she is fine to leave the house without the portable oxygen. Besides it only gives her about 2 hours on the portable. She gets so worn out without the oxygen helping her to breathe and the one in the house is set so low she is still struggling if she gets up and moves around much. She refuses to set it up higher so she gets a stronger concentration and tires herself out contstantly.
Darlene asked Bob if there was anyway that we could help take care of mom in August while she goes back up to Illinois to be with her hubby for about 10-14 days. Darlene is getting a car and driving to Diane's and then they will be going to the Knepp family reunion in Indiana and then Darlene will go on to her home in Illinois to be back with Joe for a break. She could either drop mom off at our house on her way to Diane's or we could stay at mom's house while she is gone and take care of her there. Well, since Bob is working and can't get that much time off, the only logical solution to this is for me to go to Sarasota and stay with Bob's mom. They all were so very thankful and kept saying that I was a saint and going on and on... well, I told them not to be so thankful just yet because mom hasn't survived Janet yet. It will be a real challenge to say the least to be the one who has to help out the family. The up side is that there is a pool and fitness area where she lives and I can go there everyday to get a break. No way could she survive coming up here and with no real hospital around - it would be just too dangerous for her to be here. So picture me taking care of an elderly, stubborn old woman who is a remote control hog and runs the TV constantly flipping channels to watch the gorey health programs, with a cockatiel bird that makes messes all over and crawls up your leg to get to your shoulder, who also refuses to really do what she is supposed to do to breathe better but has the stamina of a horse because of all the vitamins she is taking. This is going to be a real challenge for me and for his mother (she will not know that this is going to happen until about the day before Darlene goes to get the car). His mother works herself up into anxiety attacks and the longer she has to think about Darlene leaving, the more likely she will guilt Darlene into not going. Like I said, they better not be too greatful just yet - we all have to make it through August and see if there are any survivors to this reality challenge. (HA HA)
From Sarasota on Saturday afternoon, we headed back north and made a stop in Brandon to see where Keith and Yolanda moved. They had just moved from Live Oak on July 2 and everything was a T-total mess but they said to stop in. The neighbors were having a July 5 holiday party for the neighborhood and lots of people, cars and music welcomed us to the Smith's new home. They really loved it that we stopped in and brought Cinnamon with us. Cinnamon just had to go poo in Alfies new yard (she hadn't pottied since she left Live Oak on Friday, except to pee) and she made herself right at home. Their house has a natural fed pond behind them and all sorts of fish and ducks are there. It was so relaxing to sit out back and enjoy the view and to enjoy the neighborhood noise and to see where they are living now. We stayed for dinner and then they wanted us to spend the night so we did and it was just so nice to enjoy their hospitality and friendship. We all went swimming in their pool and just totally had a great time. We then left for Live Oak Sunday morning about 9:30 a.m. and headed back to our place. It started raining and it poured off and on about 3 times before we made it home by 2 p.m.
On Monday, July 7, we went to WILD ADVENTURES theme park in Valdosta GA. It was a really small park with a water area called Splash Island. We spent most of the time there and really enjoyed the tubing lazy river attraction and the wave pool. We even went down the water slide in a double tube that flipped us over when we came to the bottom. Just another thing that I can flip. It was tons of fun and we had a blast.
Today, Tuesday - I will be heading to the vet's to pick up the dogs and do the laundry and Bob has gone back to work. We are just praying that the house sells soon and that we can get moved back to the Brandon area to be where we really want to be.
Darlene asked Bob if there was anyway that we could help take care of mom in August while she goes back up to Illinois to be with her hubby for about 10-14 days. Darlene is getting a car and driving to Diane's and then they will be going to the Knepp family reunion in Indiana and then Darlene will go on to her home in Illinois to be back with Joe for a break. She could either drop mom off at our house on her way to Diane's or we could stay at mom's house while she is gone and take care of her there. Well, since Bob is working and can't get that much time off, the only logical solution to this is for me to go to Sarasota and stay with Bob's mom. They all were so very thankful and kept saying that I was a saint and going on and on... well, I told them not to be so thankful just yet because mom hasn't survived Janet yet. It will be a real challenge to say the least to be the one who has to help out the family. The up side is that there is a pool and fitness area where she lives and I can go there everyday to get a break. No way could she survive coming up here and with no real hospital around - it would be just too dangerous for her to be here. So picture me taking care of an elderly, stubborn old woman who is a remote control hog and runs the TV constantly flipping channels to watch the gorey health programs, with a cockatiel bird that makes messes all over and crawls up your leg to get to your shoulder, who also refuses to really do what she is supposed to do to breathe better but has the stamina of a horse because of all the vitamins she is taking. This is going to be a real challenge for me and for his mother (she will not know that this is going to happen until about the day before Darlene goes to get the car). His mother works herself up into anxiety attacks and the longer she has to think about Darlene leaving, the more likely she will guilt Darlene into not going. Like I said, they better not be too greatful just yet - we all have to make it through August and see if there are any survivors to this reality challenge. (HA HA)
From Sarasota on Saturday afternoon, we headed back north and made a stop in Brandon to see where Keith and Yolanda moved. They had just moved from Live Oak on July 2 and everything was a T-total mess but they said to stop in. The neighbors were having a July 5 holiday party for the neighborhood and lots of people, cars and music welcomed us to the Smith's new home. They really loved it that we stopped in and brought Cinnamon with us. Cinnamon just had to go poo in Alfies new yard (she hadn't pottied since she left Live Oak on Friday, except to pee) and she made herself right at home. Their house has a natural fed pond behind them and all sorts of fish and ducks are there. It was so relaxing to sit out back and enjoy the view and to enjoy the neighborhood noise and to see where they are living now. We stayed for dinner and then they wanted us to spend the night so we did and it was just so nice to enjoy their hospitality and friendship. We all went swimming in their pool and just totally had a great time. We then left for Live Oak Sunday morning about 9:30 a.m. and headed back to our place. It started raining and it poured off and on about 3 times before we made it home by 2 p.m.
On Monday, July 7, we went to WILD ADVENTURES theme park in Valdosta GA. It was a really small park with a water area called Splash Island. We spent most of the time there and really enjoyed the tubing lazy river attraction and the wave pool. We even went down the water slide in a double tube that flipped us over when we came to the bottom. Just another thing that I can flip. It was tons of fun and we had a blast.
Today, Tuesday - I will be heading to the vet's to pick up the dogs and do the laundry and Bob has gone back to work. We are just praying that the house sells soon and that we can get moved back to the Brandon area to be where we really want to be.
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