Mama The Swatter

I'll try to make this quick, because the mama situation has such peaks sometimes that it is even less fun to read about than to write about or experience. 

I preface this by saying that we have had two good nights and ok days after her doctor prescribed a small amount of Seroquel to be given at night.

In addition she is recovering from hives caused by the two or three drops of CBD that she got two weeks ago. And her painful rash in her sensitive areas is quieting down. And the Influenza A is going away. The broken toe and joint inflammation in her foot? Who knows. She's stubborn enough to walk.

Remember that part in the last post where I said things were improving? This was apparently wishful thinking. Mom was acting out and provoking my visiting sister during her whole visit, yelling and calling her a liar and a bad person. When admitted to the hospital for the flu, she apparently was auditioning for the role of Elderly Emergency Room Insult Comic. She swatted anyone away who tried to help her, take drugs, administer medicine. She tried to rip a guy's pocket off his shirt, muttered stream of consciously about who was a bad person (hint: everyone) and looked at a guy and called him a "fat pig" to his face. Over at my house I was still trying to have a vacation, but being on the other end of the phone line from someone who is first-hand experiencing it isn't that relaxing either.

Jabber jabber jabber, as my mom would say when she's done hearing what I'm saying...

Anyhoo, she was discharged and came home, wouldn't stop crying, wanted me to come over, and my sister fed me bacon and red wine while I tried to get the mama to simmer down. I got the mama out of her clothes, tucked her in and she started to fall asleep. I went home. My poor sister had another whole day with her before going home. Yikes.

She was still off her rocker until I took her to the doctor, where she was a pussycat. We have a plan, the doctor and I, and things are better. Hammer (my sister) went home, she has declared herself "done" (definition to be provided later) and I went back to some gnarly days of work, either preparing for a film shoot, attending a film shoot or preparing for presentations and giving them. More long-term employees gave notice, which means more scrambling, and I am extra thankful for a Friday holiday.

Odd Vacation Activities

Relaxing also means reading the obits. Robert Pritikin, recently deceased, had a very full life. Among his many accomplishments? Recording an album that I actually own, called "There's A Song Inside My Saw".

I can't find it on Youtube, so you'll just have to imagine it. But while we're discussing Robert Pritikin, and while I was looking for the video, I found this:

Anyway, here's to lives thoroughly lived. To Robert Pritikin, and to Tom Gonzales, a lovely young colleague who left behind a wife and young children, and had so much more left to do had he been given more time.

May Vacation

I took a week off work so that I could have some downtime.

Let's say it didn't get off to a great start but things are swell now. 

On Saturday I was still feeling the effects of Thursday's Covid booster.

Sunday morning's Google Meet with a friend was interrupted by calls from two different caregivers, never a good thing. Most of Sunday was spent shopping for things needed by caregivers of "suddenly bedridden people who can't wake up", and then helping the caregiver on duty with things that require two people. When she suggested we get some Ensure because my mom wasn't awake long enough to eat, I began to panic a little. I'd never seen mom so helpless. She did wake up long enough to whisper "You've hurt me" after we were done rolling her over and the caregiver left the room. Caregiver T was amazing that day.

Almost all of Monday was spent communicating with my sisters and the local Wellness team, buying more supplies for mom. I found myself considering, for possibly the first time, whether she could actually be a woman who was dying, rather than a person who was most defiantly living. But good omens come in all forms, apparently. In her case it was poop in the livingroom. If there is poop in the living room she must have been awake enough to navigate there. Also this was a head's up that the new side-opening briefs I got her on Sunday were pretty lousy at retaining their contents. Today...

Everything seems fine. As recently as yesterday afternoon I was thinking about abandoning vacation entirely. 

Anyhoo, thanks for the trip, Lazarus! Just like my dad, I swear. He could be almost dead and then you'd go visit him in the hospital and he'd be acting like the mayor of whatever wing he was in.

By the time evening arrived yesterday, I was settling in to a night of watching sumo with clamdip and her husband, and things finally seemed to be turning around. Thank god for friends! And at this very moment I'm putting up a batch of lemon-lime marmalade that I'm giving away on my buy nothing group *just* because I want to make marmalade. 

Boy kitten is sleeping sweetly on a chair.

All good -- until next time.

Mother's Day 2022

This wasn't the only thing that happened on Mother's Day, but it was one of my favorite things.