September 11 – “Kicked out of school”

Well, there’s a first.  I can’t say it ever happened to me.  It sure puts her one up one me.  Mom got kicked out of school yesterday.  Let me hasten to explain.  See, there are some things you have to search for humor in so you won’t start crying, right?

We started calling Mom’s experience at Libbie’s Place “School” so Cailyn could better understand when we took her there.  Yesterday Libbie’s Place called about mid-morning and asked if we could come pick Mom up.  It’s happened before.  She reaches a point where she refuses to participate in any of the activities.  She sleeps all the time.  Of course she does.  She has to rest up so she can stay up all night and play with Chris.  OK.  Play is not the right word by any means. Her routine is to start getting up around 1 a.m., and she stays up until almost 5.  Then she takes a brief nap and is up for breakfast by 7 or so.  It’s like breakfast has become a late-night snack.  She does her best sleeping in the morning. 

Which brings us back to Libbie’s Place.  If Mom won’t participate in any of the activities, that means she needs someone to deal with just her.  They aren’t equipped staff or equipment-wise to handle her, or anyone, one on one.  So they said it was best if we removed her from the program.  They gave us a list of possible private duty nurses and aides that we could call to help us out at home.  Not that Chris would allow just anybody to do that.  I’m sure we’ll just further curtail our activities and put Nathan and April on standby.  Maybe this will inspire our other sitter to recover faster from her ankle surgery (Come on, Jennifer).

Mom is also not drinking very much during the day.  Chris is doing her best to really push the fluids.  Oh, and last night was especially disconcerting.  The last time she got up, without her walker of course, she walked right past the bathroom and our bedroom.  When Chris got up to check on her, she had taken a tumble in the den.  She insisted that she had just sat down and missed the couch, but she did have some bruises on her arm and knee and even her face.  Of course that made Chris feel bad for not getting to her in time.  I assured Chris that it was not her fault.  After all, I didn’t even hear anything.  She had to come get me to help get Mom up.  Chris understands that, but it still doesn’t make the whole experience any easier.  I guess getting kicked out of school is the next phase in Mom’s approach to heaven.  And from that perspective, it’s a good thing.

Psalms 73:25-26 says, “Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Father, we trust you.  Take care of Mom in this next step.  Amen.