Road Trip!!!! (s) Last post was in April and I had a bunch of stuff happen that just sort of absorbed several months without me noticing. The biggest things were two trips up to South Dakota.
Four years ago my grandparents were in a pretty bad wreck and my grandmother never really bounced back from it. She has been in a slow decline since then. At first she was home, but kept fading. Then into a nursing facility where all they did was ignore her, despite supposed to be providing physical therapy. Grandpa moved into an assisted living apartment in town, thanks to Dad's help. (Dad has been up there for many months helping out--he has the patience of Job.) So Mom and I decided to go up and visit them over a long weekend. I can move a day around at work and mom can take a half day to make it a five-day trip without losing too much, if any, work. 14 hours on the road each way, but we pretty much have it down to a science: She drives at midnight when she gets off of work and I drive once the sun comes up and get us the rest of the way in. On the way home I just drive the whole way in. I don't mind driving at night, but one of my meds plays havoc with my alertness if I take it. On the way home I just move it out a bit.
So the first visit went well. Got to see Grandma and Grandpa. She was in pretty rough shape and could barely move to a chair. Wasn't eating. Just was fading into the ether. Grandpa, of course, was worried as well. I understand that feeling. But we had to keep the visit short since we had to turn around and get back home.
A few weeks ago we made the trip again, expecting Grandma to be in the Apartment with Grandpa since she could walk a little better and get around with help. Weeeeeell...life intervened. The day before we got there Dad had wrist surgery, so he was feeling under the weather (but his hand was better than he had before the surgery!) Two days before we were set to go up she fell and broke both her hip and wrist. So we got to meet her at the hospital after she had her surgeries instead of at the apartment. Fun fun. And we all know what I think of hospitals at this point. I no longer dread going into them, it's just not pleasant.
Mom got to be with her partner-in-crime-brother for the weekend and got some time to just catch up. It was good for them since they only ever talk to each other every year or so. Not by conscious choice, just how it is. I am the same way with my brother for no good reason. Anyway, after a weekend of Grandpa trying to pick fights, which Mom and I artfully dodged, it was time to go home. He would rather leave mad than sad, and both Mom and I know how this works with him. Hence the dodging. Uneventful drive home.
Update to the drama, Grandma had gallbladder surgery so now she can actually eat! It is amazing what nutrition can do for your body. We can tell that she is doing a lot better since now she has the strength to give the nurses hell when they want her to do something. She's in an actual rehabilitation home where she is required to get up and move and do strengthening exercises for her hip and legs. She's being dragged kicking and screaming back to life. It's up to her whether she wants to work at it or fight and fade again. She's of an age where that is her choice at this point. Grandpa wants to live to an expiry date of 97. Not quite sure why, though that may be how long his father lived. Grandma has no set expiry date.
But on that note, I think I should leave it at that and make more updates later since this is already a novella.
