I'm tired of cooking/preparing 3 meals a day. It's just the two of us but boy oh boy can that woman eat!! She stays slimish, I get fattish. It's bad enough I do everything here much less start making her one thing and me the other. At times I feel guilty when I buy her fast food cuz of the nutritional value....not to mention I eat it too.
I have nobody around to help.Cant calm down, cant sleep.
What do you mean when you say nobody around to help? If you want people on this forum to help you please elaborate.
There is a definite difference in Mama during the early morning and the afternoon and into the evening..like two completely different people...she keeps me running these days...and the digestive issues are getting worse and worse.....I am concerned about there as something seems very wrong...BUT...at her age and given all the circmstances...I would NEVER want to even think of starting anything invasive at this point...I hope I am right in that regard..I just think it would put her through an awful lot that actually could shorten her life, if she was even able to withstand it in the first place...no...just no.
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But you are right Hope. Upbringing is important. Children need to be taught manners.
By the way, when my brothers were around when I was struggling with mom, I remembered snapping at them to help me. One brother was watching me change mom’s pamper all by myself. He didn’t even get up to at least hold mom on her sides while I cleaned her bottom end. However, he did have the nerve to Tell Me While I was cleaning her, How To do It Better. I snapped. Stopped. Turned to him. And said in an angry voice, “Do you want to take over?” His eyes widened, and he shook his head no.
Gershun, just be careful, Even if there are other adults around. I learned this - by watching that show, "What Would You Do?" I learned how so many people will walk away or pretend nothing is happening. There were a few where NO ONE even called 911!! Just be careful...
Gershun, I am glad you spared those poor ducks further harassment. I am always leery about saying anything to kids because nowadays the parent often gets angry at the person saying something to their misbehaving kids. What kind of a society is this going to create...people who can't be told anything will never learn and develop into mature responsible citizens...It is scary. Relatives in Europe tell me it is the same there...kids can't be told anything. Our movies often depict adults as screaming morons and kids see us that way...not good. I wish things would change where there was more respect all around.
I visited the UP once when I was young with my family...it was lovely and maybe someday I can visit again. I do have a list of places I would visit if I could. A long list....
I would argue that over the last couple decades the state of young people has gotten decidedly worse. In the US sex education, planned parenthood have become dirty words. School boards are terrified by the religious right. Parents, many who should have never had kids in the first place, are working two, three or more jobs just to get by. Kids aren't planned they just happen. The world in which many of my generation grew up is long gone: Dad went to work for a good wage, produced all the stuff that we now import from low wage countries, had insurance and a pension, Mom stayed home, kids were given attention and provided for and usually were exposed to decent role models. That life is now gone forever in our new Walmart world.
And it not just the great masses of the poor and unwashed who are popping out sociopathic kids. Some of the worst are the overindulged suburban brats who are terrorizing the neighborhoods and weaker less affluent kids.
So when it's time to Vote got your school board, county commissioners, state legislature, take a look at who is willing to do the right things for future generations, not the person that will only represent a tiny, reactionary minority.
How's that for a whine.............
What's worrying me about the health of society right now is the hell-for-leather drive for open all hours seven days a week *everything*. In the UK they're about to relax retail regulations so that 24/7 opening will become the norm. On top of that, our Dear Leader - who, to be fair, has substantial personal experience of caring for a sick child - is throwing his weight into a fight with the doctors' unions to enforce 7-day working on senior hospital staff (good luck with that. Trying to force these people to do anything they don't want to doesn't usually end well).
At first sight, whoopee. We can shop at three in the morning if we want to. We can break our leg on a Friday night and expect a top orthopedic surgeon to attend us at the double. But what bothers me is not just that we're becoming a society that never sleeps; it's that we seem to be destroying all sense of collective rhythm.
I know it's not fashionable to approve of the ten commandments, or the direct equivalents thereof that are common to *all* of the major religions as far as I can tell; but there is a good reason why a sabbath of some sort appears in every one. Healthy societies work to an accepted pattern, and give their members a schedule for work, reflection and rest.
Take away structure, and some people will take constructive advantage of their additional freedom of action - and others will be lost, and get into a mess, and never feel sure of how they ought to be organising their time. I haven't done the research so I can't say; but I suspect that the majority of average, normal ordinary people fall into the latter category.
And our politicians have just awarded themselves a 10% pay rise. No, really, they have.
Yeah, the sabbath. I'm not religious but always liked a day off. One of the many in the republican clown car primary race, Jeb Bush, (amazing that another Bush could be president ) made some sort of noise that Americans need to work longer hours.
Every weekend,these 2 boys in their 60s go hiking and then on Sundays,they show Mother all the pictures on their phone of the pretty waterfalls,swimming with their dogs,laughing with friends in the sunshine having a wonderful time.While luckylu "gets to" do a million chores in pain,staring at death before my eyes 24-7.They have always been extremely selfish and seem to enjoy hurting me over and over.They both own one third of this home of my parents.They never do anything on the yard or home for its upkeep.My husband does all the yardwork and they dont even thank him.I can only pray God has seen and heard it all and they can tell their lies to Him or maybe there is karma.But Mother has always been able to count on me to come through for her and I will have few regrets.Tonite marks 1,100 nights Ive slept on the couch beside Mother.
Sorry you have a selfish brother too.Hope you are able to get off the island....Mothers calling!
That particular person however pushed the envelope too far with me and after he threatened to kill me in front of some of the other neighbors I let our property management know that if he came near me again or I was injured in any way I was coming after all of them legally because we had all dealt with that crapola for way too many years...That man and his family had to move....When I remember a lot of the stuff that happened down there, it makes me actually happy that I am no longer there...you should be able to come home and have some peace..if you can't be at peace in your home then you need to find somewhere you can.....I had lined up several folks who were going to take the ducks from the pond because I did not want to leave them there to be tormented in my absence..Sadly, the second I had to move home, our property management came in and "relocated" the ducks...(things is, it is illegal to relocate muscovey ducks here) I found out they had in fact killed my ducks...It almost killed me.....but they will get theirs one day..I hope...the only solace is, from what I understand, they were given something that made them just go to sleep....I pray that is true because as horrible as it is...being stuck at that place and tormented on a daily basis, being injured and left to fend on their own.....would have been worse imo...
Well as a former employer I know exactly why they go for the overtime rather that hiring extra workers.They don't pay benefits to the part timers
and the extra work the full time people do does not increase the costs of their benefits. Nothings fair in this world, but probably never was.
I too would keep far away from other peoples kids but if i saw them throwing rocks at the ducks I would walk a safe distance away and call 911. go Jude go you know your neighbors and it sounds as though the kids actually have responsible parents.
Thanks for the replies on the hospice nurse. I can't say too much about her because she was so great with my mother, they all were. The reason it's so hurtful to me is SHE was right beside me as my mother took her last breath. She explained very quietly what was going to happen in then next 30 minutes. She had tears flowing down her face as did I. She new I was afraid of being alone when my mother passed. So yeah, I just found it hurtful since she's always going to be special to "me".
Hope, I am wondering if while your mom is at the respite house they might come up with a reason why she has runny bm's and maybe fix it? Wouldn't that be nice?? Does your mom understand where she's going? Mine didn't...
lucky, I always have to chuckle when we talk about our siblings, especially when they are in their late 50's n 60's. They are NO longer boys but men yet they act like boys when it comes to helping out. Since I'm 9 years younger than my oldest brother I will always think of them as boys... since apparently their emotional mental level is that of boys.
I don't like bratty kids either. Gershun, I would have told them off too. Some kids find such joy in torturing animals. If it wasn't against the law and I'd get in trouble, well, there's been many a bratty kids I would have loved to take aside and torture them as they tortured the animal.
Ok. I need to figure out how to get a life here in this small town. Suggestions?
I am going to talk to the nurse again about the BM's...but for one thing, since all she has is the totally ensure diet, even with added fruits and such, blended..but all she "eats" is what she drinks...so they have told me repeatedly that she is not going to have anything other than the loose BM's...I don't fully buy it because I know at some points it has not been that way. Without being more graphic than I already have been here at lunch time..(sorry folks) but in all honesty, the odor of this situation is similar to what I have smelled in my rescue efforts when dogs have parvo...and I'm not joking...that is the closest way I know to describe it. I have been doing this so long I am not squeamish by any means, but it is almost unbearable even for me...it is horrid. I have long feared colon cancer...as her abdomen is always puffy and swollen. I have pointed this out on many many occasions, even before we were on Hospice when she had her regular doctor. I am guessing at her age they know there is nothing that would be doable that would not be even worse and cause even more pain. She has moments of smiling and laughing a little but not often and by no means anywhere near how she used to be when we would joke and cut up. It is horrible...it is killing me...the sadness is completel overwhelming to me and it feels like I am being eaten alive by something I cannot describe...I went through losing Daddy for an extended period and that was horrible as well...but he didn't get this way until right at the last...This has been almost four years of this and the past year and a half has been especially bad...kind of like dreams I used to have as a kid where I wold see my Mama or someone close to me sick and I would be crying uncontrollably in my dream and it seemed to never end and then finally I would wake up and be so glad it was just a dream..But this is not a dream and is all too real..The pain is almost unbearable...And not wanting to get back on my woe is me jag again...it is just about more than I think I can take anymore....I sometimes wish I would die so it would just end.
Lu if you keep this house together girl and you do all the upkeep them let me give you a kick up the arse - when are you going to send them the bills?
You may think ah but I live there free - YOU DO NOT. You living there is not even remotely compensated for by the work you do for your Mum - I record my work just in case I need to prove anything - last week I did over 92 hours one on one care/support/house hunting for her not including the laundry, the dishes, the cooking cleaning and gardening so please don't tell me you get to live there free.
You need to have a little chat with them about sharing. Now as I see it they have 2 choices well possibly more.
Either
PLAN A
Mum pays you to care every week for the hours you do over an agreed amount (Count number of siblings note how many hours you do divide total number of hours by total number of children (include yourself) and that's YOUR hours - your contribution - she gets that care because you stay in the house free - if you contribute financially then that is ruled out completely and plan B comes into play).
Or
PLAN B
she pays you for every hour and you pay her rent to stay there. Caregiving can for some people be financially ruinous and it is not wrong to want payment...moreover it is wrong NOT to want payment. So either there is a payment made from Mum
OR
PLAN C
They pay you to do their share of the care ....now they don't have to pay you money they could pay it you on Mums death when your bills could be enacted as a larger share of the house - but either way you are not left destitute while they have lived the life of Riley enjoying themselves.
Caregiving is not a fairy tale like damned Cinderella - Its bloody hard responsible work that deserves to be honoured by all who receive it and all who dump their share onto their siblings.
Sorry to makes me bloody furious when siblings do sweet all to help then expect a full share as a bloody right. I would rather leave my home to a dog shelter quite frankly than let them have any part of it...but I suppose you're going to tell me how she thinks the damned world of them and yet treats you like Cinder effing Ella (seem to recall that line from pretty woman film)
Sorry for ranting Lu but I feel very strongly about this 'do it for love' garbage - it's a job; it takes the place of the job you used to do so you MUST get paid for it.
Hang on let me come over there and march in front of the White House with you all