Respite Day Four

Today I:

*Took Ev to school and Nate to educational therapy
*Got my hair cut in a cute new do by the crazy hair genius Kelly Marie
*Worked with students
*Stopped by the house and filled in so my sis could shower
*Met with Dave with a rental management guy and then with a realtor
*Picked up extra garbage tags from the city for all our extra garbage
*Sent my sis out for a walk in the lovely spring weather
*Tried a new gluten free egg-potato bake recipe for dinner (keeper)
*Washed a load of laundry

Great day for me! Hard day for my sister. I don't know how much longer she can hold up. To paraphrase my good friend Mr. Vox, she's not broken but you can see the cracks.

This morning as we got ready to head out, I kept checking on Mom to see if she was up and ready for coffee. Then I heard Ev saying, "Oh! Hello." Mom had climbed into her wheelchair and was trying to wheel out into the hallway. She told Nate, "I'm just an old lady looking for a cup of coffee."

And it sounds like the day just got better from there. Mom was pretty cranky crazy all day. She didn't nap. Did. Not. Nap. She read Hunger Games and fussed at Karis for getting her started.

Mom: That's what you do to my LIFE, Karis! No more books!

Karis: Sorry for bringing you JOY!

Mom: Joy???

Karis: What's better than staying up reading a good book?

Mom: GO!

When the lovely Cassandra came to shower Mom, there was a whole lot of shouting going on. It seems Mom's catheter tube hurt whenever it moved. Ouch. Of course, even though she was squealing in pain, Mom would not say it hurt. She said it was "uncomfortable." Cassandra suggested calling the nurse, but that idea was nixed. A few hours later, when I tried to talk to Mom about it, she said the discomfort in the shower was from her bony bottom on the hard shower chair. Um, no. Gayle heard it, Meg heard it and texted me, Cassandra witnessed. I don't know if Mom is forgetting (she is definitely losing her snap), or denying.

As we all (Nate, Gayle, Mom and I) sat down for dinner tonight, Mom said, "I am irascible!" I said, "Good word!" Then she prayed a sweet prayer as we all held hands, thanking God for her family and for the food and asking Him to cover her personality. Later as Gayle was getting her ready for bed, I heard Mom apologize for being "bellicose." Where does she come up with these words? I had to look them up!

My personal opinion is that Mom has a bladder infection and the pain is making her cranky. And crazy. Or maybe it's the Big Evil. I don't know. I put a call in to hospice to make sure Nurse Christy will come tomorrow. Mom can forgo antibiotics if she wants. She can forgo pain meds if she wants. She can forgo anti-anxiety meds if she wants. But please not all three. If the bladder infection is going to rage unchecked, we must do something for pain. Or if not something for pain, at least something to mellow her out. Please.