Gangsta Mittens
Words combined to express thoughts. Pictures displayed to convey emotion. Opening my brain to the world.

So they released my mom this afternoon… I should be happy… and to a certain degree I am, but i am also very concerned.  She’s headed home, to the house where she lives with my brother.  The house has two stories and a basement.  The main floor has the kitchen and living/dining rooms, and the upstairs has the bedrooms and bathroom. 

My mom is not able to go up and down stairs.  Her doctor has told her that she should not go up and down the stairs.  So she will have to decide: upstairs with the bathroom or downstairs with the kitchen.  That isn’t going to work.  Essentially she needs to stay upstairs for her own safety.  But she’s going to want to cook, and that will lead her to try to steps.  She’s hard-headed.  When I pointed out the potential problems she said “I think i’ll be ok”….  this is the same woman who falls but doesn’t tell anyone out of embarrassment.  It’s a dangerous situation. 

I think I’m most upset because I’ve been telling her for years, like at least 6 years, that they needed to move to a different house or an apartment.  At that time my dad wasn’t getting around too good and her arthritis made it painful for her to navigate the stairs.  Time has passed, she’s gotten worse.  My father is gone, but the stairs are still too much for her.  I watch her on the stairs on a good day… her judgment is off, she tries to go too fast, won’t hold on…  I know she values her independence, but she needs to learn to realize her limitations.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want her laid up in some bed for the rest of her days.  I know that being active is good for her, but I think she’s pushing herself too hard.  All she talks about is getting home so she can eat what she wants and start babysitting again.  I don’t think she knows that she won’t get to babysit on her own again… it’s just not safe.  I wish i could find something for her to do so that she wouldn’t feel like she didn’t have anything going on in her life.  I guess I need to add that to my never-ending “to do” list.