I Have Returned

I haven't updated the blog for a very long time, because Mom went into the hospital at the end of March and did not come home until the end of May.  It's taken me two months to get some kind of balance in our lives.  There are three things that helped get me back on track:  reading; praying; and following a low fat, low sodium diet--lost 8 pounds since May. 

There were two books about parent/child relationships that gave me insight into my Mom.  The first, "Outcasts From Eden"  is about Louisa May Alcott, and her father, Bronson Alcott.  Bronson Alcott was the Mr. Micawber of the Transcendentalist movement--hatching grandiose schemes for daily living, but always having his schemes explode.  Part of what drove Louisa May Alcott as a writer was the need to earn money to support the family. 

But, as usual, I digress.  The point was, as a young adult, Louisa had very little respect for her Father.  As she aged, she began to realize that he may not be a breadwinner, but did have courage, and idealism.  She came to appreciate his good qualities and not obsess over his weaknesses. 

I've gotten to that point with Aged Parent.  Mom can be very self centered--her early morning 'what time is it?"  calls are  annoying as hell, especially at 630AM.  There are mornings when she needs help getting out of bed, but those can be followed by more mornings when she gets herself out of bed and into the wheelchair without any help. 

So, I am developing a protective exoskeleton, and learning to be patient.  Think of all the times she had to take me to doctors, put up with my childhood neuroses.  the least I can do is do all the legwork to get her to the surgeon's office for a badly needed checkup.  The leg with the shunt in it gets quite swollen, and never looks normal.  I want to know if this is normal, or does the shunt need to be replaced?  Can a low sodium diet, and moderate exercise help her conditon.

Tune in tomorrow, folks