Tuesday, June 3, 2014

It's Tuesday, therefore I must be speaking to Mom's Doctors

Getting old isn't for sissies.  Being the child of an aging parent who is responsible for their medical care isn't for sissies either.  I know I've said it before, but NOTHING prepares you for being the child of an aging and ill parent.  And so it goes.

It's Tuesday.  Usually, I spent an hour or two getting caught up with stuff around the house and then work from home.  I knew that was probably out the window today as Daughter 2 is having her last day of school  It is a half day.  That means I have to pick her up in car line.  The only good side of this is I don't have to deal with car line until September.  We are now entering the time of year where I am the subject of a three month long psychological experiment where we see how long it takes for me to lose my mind because I never have a minute alone in the house.  Dear Hubby has his office in the basement and works from home a few days a week.  Kids are now old enough that they don't want to do day camp.  By the end of July, I want to hurt someone.  But, I digress.

So, I should have known that today was going to be challenging.  It started with a call from Mom about a health problem last night.  It's not really a problem, it's a side effect of the cancer she is dealing with and she just refuses to accept that this side effect isn't going to go away.  So yesterday, she went to see the nurses at the lovely continuing care community to see if they could "fix" the problem.  (There is no fix, but again, Mom doesn't remember that is the case.)

About 8:20 am, along with my second cup of coffee as I'm figuring out the game plan for the day, I get the phone call from the Lovely Nurse.  Mom was up there yesterday.  She was confused.  (Again, that is a constant state.)  She could not describe her symptoms.  (Again, normal for her.)  But, they think she might have a urinary tract infection so they took a urine sample and called her primary care physician.  The same Doc I have a call into about the side effect of the cancer and whether there is anything to be done about it.

Lovely Nurse think mom needs an antibiotic.  She is going to ask the Doc for one, but my gut says this doc, who is new to mom because Beloved Doctor is now a hospitalist has only seen mom once and doesn't really get the whole picture yet, is going to want to see her.

So, I'm opening the pool -- when are we going to get the call about the appointment and when will we get an appointment?  Today, when I'm supposed to pick up Daughter 2 at school, take her to lunch to celebrate the last day and go to the bookstore (her favorite place IN THE WORLD)?  Or tomorrow, when I have to be at work?

I'm a wee bit frustrated today and just needed to get this off my chest.  No looking for sympathy.  Just needed to vent.

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