Thursday, October 1, 2015

Long Overdue Update

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted, so you might guess that things have been happening.  Where do I start?  I'll begin with the present and work back.

On Thursday, September 10, my mother fell out of bed.  She wasn't hurt or even bruised but the new "protocol" of the latest administrator is that they be sent to the hospital. This has happened before, when they were leaving her in bed too long after lunch.  Once they started getting her up when she woke up, the problem was resolved. About three days later, the same thing happened again, including the trip to the hospital.  When they called to tell me she had fallen again, they also informed me that they could not accept her back due to the level of care she required.......all of that in the three minute conversation!  When I hung up, I just stood there thinking "what just happened"?  I was stunned!  They would allow us back long enough to make other arrangements if I provided 24 hour sitters to be with her.  So, I stayed with her 12 during the day and paid someone to be with her at night. Needless to say, that was not inexpensive. 

In the middle of all that, my mother took a bad turn and there were two days that I didn't think she would make it through. She began talking about forgiveness and saying things like "I can't cross that river alone", all of which made me think she had decided it was time to go.  Tidewater Hospice was wonderful in helping both of us get through all of that and help me place her in Ridgeland Nursing Center, which is about 35 minutes away.  It is also a Medicaid-friendly facility, which should take the financial strain off me if she is able to quality.  I'm hoping to complete the application before the week is out.

RNC has a good reputation and thus far they have lived up to it.  It is a very different facility from Bloom - an older building, a more diverse population (not all gentrified-white-folks). It is skilled nursing, which my mother needs.  It reminds me very much of the nursing home back in Wadesboro, which may be more comforting to her.  On my first visits, it was obvious that she was being checked more frequently.  They had lowered the bed almost to the floor, all rails were in place and the mat was down.  One of Tidewater's CNAs whom I know from Bloom will be there 5 days a week.  The Director of RNC also worked for Tidewater at one time, so it was good to see some familiar faces.  So far, the only drawback is the distance, but I've been lucky to have her this close for so long. By the end of this week I hope everything will have settled out and I can get back to normal, whatever that may be!


Immediately before that saga began, I had a visit from Pauline (Reynolds, wife of Phil).  She visits her son and his family in New Hampshire yearly and this time decided to come for a short visit beforehand.. I was concerned about the weather, which has been crummy for much of the summer; but, we managed a very nice day at the beach, which I totally enjoyed (and neglected to take photos). We saw lots of local sites...
Palmetto Bluff
Bluffton Farmers Market and Lunch
Beaufort with Carriage Ride & Lunch
Hunting Island Beach
......and just generally caught-up. It was great to see her after about 15 years and I hope she will stop in again and not wait for another 15 years to pass!


As you know, before Pauline's visit I adopted Rosie, who is just adorable!  She is a real character and such a great addition to the household. My favorite thing is when she shakes everthing.....those big ears make her sound like she's twice her size, and sometimes she shakes them so vigorously that her back legs lift off the ground.  She reminds me of a helicopter about to take off and I can't help but chuckle.  Another cute thing she does is try to find a place to bury her treats.  Until she finds the right place to hide it, she walks around whining, with the treat in her mouth.  Once the right spot is selected, she tries to cover it up with her nose. She's so funny!  We missed the last two puppy classes due to everything else that was happening and Rosie was neglected more than I liked.  I'm hoping things will settle enough to get her back on schedule.  




As you can imagine, I have stacks of laundry, little food in the fridge, and have just been getting by from minute to minute and am behind in everything.  September is a big birthday month for friends and family, so I hope Carolyn, Sandra and Laney will accept by belated wishes for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and good wishes for the coming year.  Make it a great one!  While I wasn't able to be in touch on the day, you were in my thoughts.