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It's a Wonderful Life (not the movie at all) [1]

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Date: 2023-01-01

I heard from Duke If I meow like a kitten you will adopt me.

1. Last wed (Wed Dec 14th) Took mom to the base for a console and appointment for her Pace maker. The battery is getting low.

2. Didn't pay much attention to her running nose, and coughing, she has allergies to everything.

3. Went home that day. Thurs yhe next day I wake and wonder who the hell backed up over me with an 18 wheeler. Everything hurts, the eyes, the hair and so on. HURT.

4. I went yo sleep and was out for like 48 hours straight. Not so much sleeping, just out it and unconscious, Thurs, Friday, for a bit on Saturday.

5. Called my on Sat, once she didn't answer and I passed out again until Sunday.

6. SundayI wake up, doing great, was hungry so I was getting Breakfast and I nearly passed out again. It was massive dizzy spell, I dropped the paper plates, and nearly fell. Alarm bells going off in the head.

7. So I called Mom to see how she was doing and let her know that I got her stupid ass cold (it was actually that nasty little flu we have going around that has crammed the hospital with the sick.

8 No answer. Ok she was probably out cleaning the patio, with "stupid fucking cats" that she really does love, but piss her from time to time.

9. Called again with in 5 minute hoping she would hear the phone and answer. Nope.

10 Called again fifteen minutes later, by now she should have been in the house, but then she might have gotten Sister to take her someplace. Tried to call again, no answer. Ok, this is now the rest of the alarm bells are going off.

11.Told Magret who is starting a new regime of Chemo because the old Cancer mutated into some a little different, let go over and find out whats up. Figured she was sitting in the back bedroom feeling miserable and just didn't want to get up.

12. We arrived. Mom on the floor in a "Victim pose" like out of a crime scene the house looked ransacked, there papers, Book, tables and Chair overturned, and I yelled "what the FUCK?" I was thinking some had broken in, mom tried to stop them and they killed her and ransacked the house. I yelled "Mom" and I heard her "ROB" I stuck in bed and I can't get out. she soiled herself, and looked like she take a fall. Before Magrat gone in I turned and Yelled "Call 911, now", She was alive but delirious claim that that she was stuck in bed and could get out, and that someone had stolen her purse and wallet, I was like WTF. About the time Sis came in, she had finally answered the phone and she hear Mom say 'My purse was stolen call the police". Sis turned with raised eyebrow, and point to the table where he purse was sitting just fine.

13. Paramedics got there in like 5 minute cause the fire station in 500 feet down the road. They came in, I told them "I am estimating that she has been there for two three days (while I was so sick) and it delirious. This is 86 year old (who reminds me of Angua, the same feisty spirit. Had this been any other normal 86, with a pace maker Diabetes, and list of stuff the length of arm, no Med, no Food, no water, and the house was cold, they would have been dead.

14. Got to emergency, spent 5 Pm, till 10 PM with her doctors running around and all giving out information as could. Then I gave up and went to home. I Keep telling the staff "I know she has a cold or Flu and told them why" they were ok we will look into. and I went home.

15 the only good parts of this was Duke came in the house, came to me on the bed, and laid down beside me gave kneads and kitty kisses, At one point he actually gave me a cat bath with his tongue on the side of face. He was so adorable and he did spent the entire night by my side. He came back in today around 7 and went to the back bedroom and straight to the bed, where he is sleeping peacefully waiting for me to come to bed, which is where I am heading now.

16. I went in the morning to the hospital to give them the info on the pace maker so they could WiFi it and get the info. I spent morning feeding mum's some little bits of breakfast, she could barely eat. And the around 10 am when she finally went to sleep, I bid the staff goodbye and went to mom's house to finish cleaning up (she devastated about 1/4 of the house from one to the other. Sis had already picked up the papers and books reset tables, and such, I looked in the refrigerator and was wondering when mom started to give residence to aliens, who look strangely like vegetables with beards. So clean the Refeer space, we finished cleaning urine and bodily fluids and then I came home, while keeping in touch with the family so they know. Now I am go grab Duke Sand box, put it here in the computer room and get a plate of food for him his midnight snacks, take a shower and some meds and go to sleep.

The Story continues

Dec 20th or There abouts. They got Her a bed in the acute care wing . She looked death warmed over with a match. I wasn't sure she was going to make it. She could barely eat, barely drink with out help. We also found that hospital beds are horrible if your 5 foot nothing in height. She was constantly panicking saying she was falling in a hole in the mattress. It took me a couple of day to figure out what she was complaing about. Short story, the beds look fancy, the mattress sucked, literally. According to very single staff member, including the doctor who had admitted and stayed in one, the beds were the worst design possible.

21st to 27th repeat above 21st. Dailey diversions included staff dropping off breakfast out of reach, so mom wouldn't get to eat until lunch, by dinner too tired to eat, daily complaints about can't breathe, sit up, lay down, move her a chair, move her to the bed, back to chair, try to make comfortable, feed lunch, complain about can't breathe, and so on. Note: The staff was busting ass the whole time, with an entire wing of “Elders” around moms age. I won't go into details but the one next door, put my teeth in edge. She would call for nurses, then scream and cuss at them. The same went for the gentleman across the hall, he would hit the call button, and then start screaming “I'm dying” as she tried to climb out bed.

Needless to say that alone was unerving enough, and there was the emergencies, two strokes, one code blue, and some more.

The staff was a lot of Female, and AAIP and or I will say “middle Eastern ”and they would all come in with smile and what they could, to make life as best they could. I made sure to thank them dailey. My nerves were shot, but they kept moving and doing thier Thing.

OK last Tuesday the 27th they found mom a temp rehab home. If I was unnerved by hospital, whole jumping Jesus christ, I was nearly scared shirtless of the residents in the home, and this was short term care. oh and the two who were the screamers at the hospital, thier older brother was at the nursing home. He would start screaming at top of lungs . one thing I noted, A) most of looked old enough to Mom's very elder siblings or parent (she is 86) they looked like were way older, and B) everyone of them seemed to been severely Diabetic, the feet showed massive degeneration of the skin, and toenails were just unreal.

Dec 31st today Kind reached the apex. She is able to stand with assistance and once in her walker chair she can move. Yesterday the Physical Therepy guy actually surprised that she was able to do everything. So I ended up taking her out and home.

Side notes: ON the day before Christmas of course the power goes out, not unexpected as there has been storms all week long, and further to nobodies Surprise PG$E, After two years of supposedly inspecting the lines and equipment “They didn't have the equipment in supply” thier fall back line. So we spent Christmas Eve and Day without power. Now if can make it to next week, I can get my car back Check engine light came on and I borrowed the spouses car to come take care of Mom. So please excuse any tardiness of posting and replies, or a perceived sharpness, I am making three tracks for now.

However, as “Bad” as it has been, I was reminded this morning as I walked into the supermarket, that my life is still more blessed than many others, and I find myself wishing those without may find some relief.

Now back to our regularly scheduled service care.

[END]
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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/1/2142016/-It-s-a-Wonderful-Life-not-the-movie-at-all

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