WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
The moving saga has been on hold the last few weeks -- Real Life, as is wont to do, has thrown a curveball.
Follow below the twisted Cheeto for details...
For those who saw my WYFP comment last week, my mom-in-law (Mr. Scribe's mom) spent some time in the hospital. The previous Thursday she woke up with major confusion plus complaining about being unable to move. She was transported via non-emergency transport to the hospital; when they ran a urine test they discovered a UTI (urinary tract infection) which may have contributed to the confusion so they got her on an IV for both antibiotics and for fluids to keep her from getting dehydrated, as she also said she couldn't swallow.
Mr. Scribe and I got there early evening (I wanted to get there earlier but he was taking his sweet time getting ready). While he spent time calming Mom, I spoke with the nurse on duty and helped fill in some of the health details (yes, she hit menopause a couple of decades ago, no, she has not traveled out of the country in the last month), set up a password if we wanted to call for health updates, etc. Fortunately I'd had the presence of mind to bring along The Folder where we keep a copy of her advanced medical directives and the form that lists us with medical power of attorney (PoA) if she can't make her own health decisions (Mr. Scribe is first in line, I'm second if he's unavailable/unwilling).
On Friday she was obviously able to move -- enough so that she pulled the IV connection out of the needle in her arm so she ended up having to have round the clock monitoring. When Mr. Scribe got there that afternoon they were glad to see him as they were able to take a break.
By Sunday the infection had cleared up enough to send her home...perhaps a bit premature. Mr. Scribe was visiting her (also bringing back some laundry he'd washed) and while he was there she was brought dinner; instead of her preferred iced tea she got milk, so she took the plate of food and threw it on the floor. Mr. Scribe was able to calm her down before she threw anything else. Things have settled down a bit fortunately; she's since been a bit subdued so the doctor at the long-term center prescribed some anti-depression medications. She was unable to sign the form (her writing ability seems to have quickly vanished) so Mr. Scribe for the first time exercised the PoA to sign for her.
Her speaking style also has become a bit slurred and slow, but it's still understandable; it could be a side effect of one of the prescriptions. As for the depression, I'm not sure if it's related to the approaching 5th anniversary of her husband's death, or just the fact that she knows that her body is failing her.
Because she's unable to write clearly, we've taken over much of the financial work (exercising our financial PoA); back when all this started after Mr. Scribe's dad died in 2010, Mom put Mr. Scribe's name on her checks and gave us both access to the checking accounts -- it was my idea because my mom did the same with my oldest sister many years before after dad died -- so we can write checks on her account to pay her bills and such. When I looked at the checkbook register, I noted that while she'd written down the amounts she hadn't done any sort of bringing forward the totals, so I'm going to have my work cut out for me balancing the checkbook (I showed her how to do it many years before but she never really got the hang of it). So we've got that on our plate along with everything else.
The main FP now is just feeling like I'm waiting for the inevitable; every time the phone rings I jump wondering if it's The Call. While it would mean she's no longer suffering, I know I'll miss her as she's the last parent I've got left (we've always gotten along well -- no "mother-in-law" jokes around here), and it'll put a new set of FPs as Mr. Scribe is the trustee for her living trust (and since he doesn't have the head for that sort of paperwork, guess who gets to do most of the work?).
So, how's life by you?