Monday, October 10, 2011

Update on Joe 10/10/11

Joe is now in Medco Nursing Home in Paducah as of today. It was, as usual, a heartwrenching thing to do. I picked him up from the hospital. He wasn't medically qualified for an ambulance ride. Excuse my French, but fuck them for making me do this. Considering it's about $800 for an ambulance ride if you're not medically in need, which they didn't consider Joe in need of, I had to either drive him myself or pay the bill. Guess what, I drove him myself.

His mind isn't worth a dime, but his body just keeps on ticking. All he can think of is going home. He cannot for the life of him realize that he's had a stroke, he has Alzheimer's, he has a huge risk of falling, LIKE EVERYDAY, and that I simply cannot care for him at home. I cannot be calling neighbors over every day because he won't quit trying to go and falls down now.

When I pulled out of the hospital parking lot, he put his hands over his face and just cried. He was so glad to be out of there. He just wanted to go home.

Thank you Joe and the universe for making me bear the price of not letting Joe go home.

Every single person out there that reads this blog should stop and consider what plans you have for yourself.

  • Which child are you going to task with taking care of you when you've lost your mind? 
  • Do you have enough money to pay for that? 
  • If not, is that child hooked up with an elder care attorney to protect them and you from Medicaid? 
  • Did you take the time to educate yourself and them on what should happen?
  • Are you just simply trusting things will work out?
If you're simply trusting things will work out, you're setting your children up for a world of heartache. Get over yourself and take care of business and don't curse your children with that.

So I drove my sobbing father away from the hospital and across town to another facility for him to live in.

Since I appear to be bitter beyond belief at the moment, just let me end with saying I hope to have my emotions under control sometime soon, and I hope to return to just putting up factual documentation of how the days are faring. 

2 comments:

Barbara Sweeny said...

Jola -- I tear up just reading. The day we put my mother in a nursing home (against her will) was the worst day of all our lives. And I didn't have to do it alone. (my friend Cheryl sent me your address and sent you my blog about my journey with my mom).
Don't worry about getting your emotions under control -- just get through each moment. And you will. It's hell -- but you will get through it. You have every right to be angry and bitter.

Jola Gayle said...

Thank you, Barbara. Yes. Cheryl sent me your blog near the beginning of my odyssey, and I can't tell you how reading your own journey has helped me through my own journey. Your blog was the help in me deciding to blog my own. If my journey helps one person as much as yours helped me, it's worth it.