I want to say this will be a quick update but more likely it will be a long update with a little information on lots of things.
My mum is still in hospital, well really she's in rehabilitation but it's still a hospital. She is getting stronger and will be assessed to go home or maybe to respite in the next couple of weeks.
Dad, who we knew had some cognitive impairment but seemed to be stable or even improving, has taken a sharp downturn. He is living alone and capable of taking care of his basic needs, he does the laundry and re-heats the meals I provide and does a little shopping but he can be a menace, phoning all members of the family with random "urgent" single item shopping requests; many phone calls to me every day, calls to radio talk back and local shops and who knows who else. I do the best I can to get him to the hospital every day or most days, to treat him with dignity and patience and all the good stuff but there are days when I want to tear my hair out.
Caitlin arrived home from her round Australia adventure a couple of weeks back. On the same day Dad had a "panic attack" and not knowing exactly what was going on I had to call an ambulance. I thought i might not see Caitlin when she arrived, which would have been miserable. As it turned out, Dad's symptoms miraculously disappeared when he got on the ambulance stretcher and by the time he arrived at hospital he wanted to go home. It was a long night but I got to welcome my daughter.
Ten days after arriving home, Caitlin married her long time love, Brendan. Getting Mum and Dad organised to go was a feat of endurance, one nurse was deliberately obstructive and hospital communication and policy was sorely inadequate. We got there in the end and the best thing I did was to order a chauffeured car for the day. After all that stress on a very hot day it was blissful to sink into a cool and comfortable car with a serene driver lending me his calm.
I have for the last two months had a co-worker who didn't do a skerrick of work, he was always in the toilet, at the dentist, on the phone, out getting coffee, attending the weighing of his baby. He got another job and his last day was Monday. I'll be better off without the distraction.
It's disaster season in Australia and my phone is pinging every day with requests for me to go and assist in a cyclone or flood hit area and it is something I love to do but I am needed at home. It's a little disappointing but there will, unfortunately be more disasters.
I will do a proper post about the wedding, it was just lovely and deserves some time.
Right now I'm off to bed. I can't wait for better sleeping weather.
Take care!
kt
