I'm so sorry to hear about your surgery, Elaine. That must have been harrowing. But I'm glad to hear you're safe at home. And I hope your DH is pampering you and taking care of you with all the love, good food, and general perks you deserve!
My life the past 8 months has been devoted to keeping my mom, who's 94 with Alzheimer's, out of a care facility where we wouldn't be able to visit her every day due to covid lockdowns. It's been exhausting physically as well as emotionally for both DH and I.
I can attest that retail therapy, particularly purse therapy, really helps! I have a collection of tote bags in a wide range of colors that help me through the challenges of each day. There is the Mom's Medical Visit Tote Bag (includes medical POA, mom's medical history, extra clothes and Depends, copy of Elizabeth Bishop poems and essays for soothing nerves). There is the Mom's Emergency Snack and Drink Tote Bag. There is the Mom's Hairstyling Tote Bag (dryer, curlers, shampoo and styling gel because mom keeps tossing those things out as she can no longer identify them). And then there are all the laundry totes.
I make it a point to wear a Cute Outfit (with scarf!) and jewelry every day when I check in on mom in her quasi-AL residence and take her all the places she needs to go. I am truly surprised--and immensely grateful that neither of us has contracted covid considering that nearly every day takes us to medical and dental clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other random public places where mom absolutely insists she needs to go (beauty shop, McDonald's, ice-cream shop, etc) and being a good daughter I can't refuse her.
I have no idea what the next stop for her will be. I try not to think about that.
I know what you must be going through. It's horrible what age does to wonderful mothers, isn't it, Elaine?
Dear Sue,
I’m so sorry to hear about your mother’s decline. I have experienced something a little similar with my mom. She has dementia and ended up in a nursing home after falling and breaking her hip. It has been so hard to watch her progression as she gets confused and forgetful. She doesn’t understand why she can’t just leave the facility and sometimes gets angry. Of course our being unable to get in to visit has made it worse. Thankfully we are finally being granted access again but it’s not full access. We have to make appointments and the times are limited but I will take what I can get for now.
Thinking of you, @BigPurseSue ❤️