Over the weekend, both my parents were admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. They’re in rooms on the same floor just two numbers apart, and both are on oxygen.
Mom, whose general health is fragile, and who has developed a loathing of hospitals and doctors over the past half-century, is pissed off, feels lousy, under stress, and chronically confused (probably the lingering effects of her stroke and oxygen deprivation). She’s also mule-stubborn and wants to go home, gravely ill or no. And she hasn’t had a cigarette since last Friday. Yeah, she’s cranky.
Dad was so busy taking care of mom he wasn’t taking care of himself.
One of my sisters drove out to Detroit this weekend to check on mom, and wound up putting dad in the hospital, too. She’s got things under control for now, but she has to get back to medical school.
My other sister is going through a divorce, has no car, and has two kids she can’t leave along overnight, and who are too rambunctious for recovering senior citizens. She could rent a car and drive out during the day, but she can’t stay over.
So I’m going to Michigan in the near future, so I’ll be able to help them when they’re discharged from the hospital. Because my one sister can stay until Tuesday, I’m going to work today mostly to arrange leave from my job.
>sigh<