The Year Of Different

This has been the year of DIFFERENT; from mid March on, everything we do has changed. From the way we shop, travel, and interact with people, nothing is the same. Masks are just another form of apparel now and we don't leave the house without them. 

We cancelled our trip planned AN ENTIRE YEAR AGO to Cannon Beach from right after Christmas through the New Year. Covid was the main reason due to travel restrictions but I still wouldn't have wanted to go due to Mom's situation.

My younger brother was going to come up for a few days but Mom wasn't real comfortable with that due to travel restrictions and him having to fly in a germ box. Then his mother-in-law passed away and his wife's niece had emergency surgery for a brain tumor.

We had Thankgiving the weekend before because Faith was cat sitting at our favorite house. I really miss being there but I'm glad she is available and feels comfortable to do it. I've blocked out a month at a time of sitting away from home because I just can't do it. Our own personal Christmas will be 2 days before because I will be at Mom's on Christmas Eve. It will feel very off not having everyone there but Tony and Faith will have a wild dog at home who wouldn't be suitable to take to her house. I'm sure my brother and sis-in law won't come because they're already there enough. Tony will spend Christmas day with Mom so no nice dinner for us. We only put up our small tree because no one is really in the mood. Outdoor lights will stay in their box in the basement. 

Our schedules have changed at Mom's. My Sis-in-Law had to cut back to only one day a week and my brother will do one. I had hoped to cut back to two nights and have a service come in to fill in some spots, until I found out the price. At 33 bucks an hour, a 24 hour shift would be almost $800. I can't even fathom her spending that much money per day so I decided to take 3 nights and enlisted Faith and Tony to each take one. The good thing is that I will get two days off in a row over the weekend. That feels like Heaven! 

Grocery shopping will now be on Friday and not Thursday. Popcorn night will be on Wednesday instead of Friday. Everything else gets fit in whenever I can get around to it.

They had to change her anxiety medication because it just made her feel so sick and she couldn't eat much. The new one has made so much difference and she hasn't had an attack since. It has calmed her brain so much that she is more forgetful and repetitive of things but I will take that over anxiety any day. She was making our her grocery list for me and said that she forgot how to spell banana, she had gotten as far as banna and asked if there was an h at the end. We got a good laugh out of that one; at least she still has her sense of humor. 

I've got to say how awesome VNA of Providence Home Health has been. She has used them in the past and they have been so helpful in all aspects. One nurse has opened the door to discussion about assisted living. We couldn't bring this up before because of her anxiety so I was very grateful. On Thursday their social worker will personally come to see us and discuss options on how to find a good place for her (I'm hoping for a smaller group home). Mom knows she can't stay alone anymore and we can't continue forever with this schedule. I believe she sees the writing on the wall; she saw it the moment she fell. I'm hopeful it will be a productive meeting and if she isn't crying at the end, I know I will be.

So yeah, it's been a sucky effin' 2020 and just so damn different from normal. I know this post sounds jumbled and disjointed but that's just my life for now.