Having elderly parents (and why it feels like a House of Cards)

It's been a while since I last blogged - and I make no apology for this. Real life has gotten in the way. These days I'm feeling quite meh. I'm alternating between going to work each day, hibernating inside the house because it's too revolting to do anything outside, wasting time on Facebook (far too easy to do really),reading books on my Kindle, which I love to pieces - and feeling terribly guilty because I keep putting off writing my current story due to lack of inspiration.

But all of these things are unimportant today because my 91 year old father, who is my 86 year old mother's carer, was admitted to hospital on the mainland last week with terrible abdominal pains. Suddenly, everything about their lives is falling down like a house of cards.

 Lynda, my sister, has been staying with Mum this past week because she is such a high falls risk while Dad has been having multiple scans and a biopsy in search of a diagnosis. He's been dehydrated, constipated and generally pretty miserable throughout and we still don't have a firm diagnosis (although we have a pretty good idea what it is - and it aint good.)

 Of course his specialist wanted to discharge him today (Sunday) but my sister has managed to put that off until at least tomorrow. We share grave doubts that he will be able to manage an upstairs bedroom and a downstairs toilet - if you get my drift. He reckons he can sleep in his recliner in the downstairs living room - which is closer to the bathroom.

 Hah!... is what I say to that.

Since he is 'Gold Card positive' - an affectionate term which means that he has generous entitlements from the Department of Veterans Affairs - he may be able to have a week of convalescence at a Nursing Home before coming home. But we still need to arrange emergency Respite Care for Mum while he's away. She actually has some regular respite coming up in mid July - but that's still two weeks in the future.   A lot could happen in the meantime.

Somehow, I see a trip to the mainland in my immediate future.

 I also see the possibility of having to help place both parents in a nursing home and disposing of the house they have lived in since 1963 with its accumulation of nearly 50 years worth of chattels. They still own a beautiful oaken radiogram from the 50s and several 100 78rpm records in pristine condition. They also have EVERY issue of Choice magazine since God knows when. What the hell are we supposed to do with them?

My head hurts when I try to think about it.(OK we chuck the mags - but surely the others are museum pieces?)

My sister is tired. She's been sleeping on a mattress on the Living room floor because it's next to Mum's room. But she needs to get back to her own family. We agree that we mustn't waste our respective leave allocations because this business could go on for some time. I may have more leave up my sleeve but I'm also on the other side of Bass Strait. I can't simply hop in a car and drive there at the drop of a hat. This is very frustrating, especially as we still don't know what's coming next.

Aaaaghhh.

 I guess it's a case of watch this space.