This morning started off lovely. I sat outside with my cup of tea on the deck looking through Yankee Magazine trying to pick out a get away place for the middle of August. After that I decided to make an eggplant Parmesan, since it was cool enough to bear turning on the oven. After lunch my husband and I sat under our shady maple tree and I decided to start re-reading Little Women.
When I was young I had a relative who worked at the city library. She would bring me all the books that they were getting rid of and I recently found the copy of Little Women she brought to me when I was in the 4th grade! I really don't remember the details of the story except that one sister dies, so I thought it would be a good summer read. I got in the first chapter and a bit, before the phone rang and it was my mom.
Time to go rushing up to the hospital.
Today was the day that we needed to decide upon a discharge plan for my 88 year old dad. The doctors recommended rehab because my dad is just too weak to go home and my 83 year old mother just can't give him all the physical support that he needs. But my dad was telling the Dr. that his wife would take good care of him and he wanted to go home and that was FINAL!
So we had to be the bad guys and try to talk him into going. I can't even write about how frustrating and emotionally draining it was getting him to look at the whole picture. He finally agreed to go "to make peace" in the family, but even after he agreed he still argued with us for all the HOURS we had to sit and wait for him to be discharged. And he kept threatening to get his lawyer. Please........ can I just SCREAM??? ARGH!!!!!!!!
I know he is scared and I know how much he loves to be home, but he really made this a very difficult day. We had to drive him to the Rehab center and we didn't get him admitted until 8:00 P.M. just in time for bed!
They are saying that he will only need 1-2 weeks and he should be good to go home, but I know this will be a long and difficult two weeks for him and all relations!
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4 comments:
A feisty little devil, isn't he?
Yes, go ahead and scream. I know you all are bracing yourself for the next 2 weeks. A few weeks ago, when an RN came to evaluate Mom for insurance claim purposes, she reminded us that old folks have tunnel vision, and that their reality is the only reality.
My grandmother gave me a lovely (1947, Grosset and Dunlap) edition of LITTLE WOMEN, which I read and reread until it fell apart. I still have it, lovingly held together with an ugly strip of blue plastic tape. Some of my favorite chapters: Amy's Valley of Humiliation, Meg Goes to Vanity Fair, Domestic Experiences, Jo's Journal.
My edition is 1955 -Whitman Publishing company.
I am so enjoying the little that I read so far.
I'm sorry he's being difficult, but rehab really is so much better than his being a burden on your mom.
And I love Little Women. I can't even remember how many times I've read it. I think the first time was in third grade. I've seen all the movie versions too. Each is special to me in its own way.
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