Is it naptime yet? The mysteries are overwhelming....

Yesterday my husband's father had to go to the emergency room because of chest pains. The assisted living place called an ambulance for him and called us. They had called about 20 minutes before to talk with my husband about how things are going with them out there. They told my husband how his dad was just the nicest guy and everyone just loved him, but not so much with my husband's mother. They suggested we still not come around for a while because my mil gets so upset and gets wanting to go home.

We went to the ER to meet his dad and find out what is going on. At first the ER doc didn't think there was too much. We talked with her and she took a history. At last a doctor who cared enough to ask some questions. I don't have a high opinion of his personal physician. Anyway, they kept him overnight and will keep him again tonight, and his cardiologist will see him tomorrow. They are treating him with IV Lasix, because there is some swelling of his ankles and lower legs. He had a heart attack in 2005, but for some reason hasn't been to see the cardiologist in a long time. All the turmoil of the past couple of weeks is taking its toll on him, actually all of us. My mil has not been very kind lately and is continuing without stop telling anyone within a hundred miles that she wants to go home.

My husband does not want his father in the same room with her when he goes back. There is an Alzheimer's unit and in our opinion that is where she needs to be. My fil is much worse mentally than he was just a couple of months ago. He is not making any sense anymore. Hopefully that is caused by the fluid and the strain he has been under lately. He still recognizes us, and lights up when we come in the room. However, he was unable to answer any of the doctor's questions last night.

Regarding my mil, I have no idea why they do not call her physician and get something a little stronger...like Haldol or some other anti psychotic. When the assisted living placed called her doc when she was being so nutty about having to move out there, he prescribed Xanax every 8 hours. That is a drop in the bucket compared to what she needs. I truly feel for her that she had to leave her home and everything there and go live somewhere that isn't like home at all, but that is the only alternative. The problem is that they are no longer in any shape, form or fashion able to care for themselves. We thought they were eating when we were bringing food over, but they would eat what we brought and then just act like everything was fine. We found there wasn't anything much in the house they could remember how to cook and to eat. There was plenty of food they just couldn't figure out what to do to get it to a state they could eat. Peanut butter and crackers was all they could manage we discovered while they were telling us they were just fine and all.

It has been a difficult couple of days for everyone after all. Our daughter called and she was in town visiting a school friend who is very ill in the hospital. The doctors aren't too sure what is wrong with her, but she is hemorrhaging and her white count is low. The docs don't know, but think possibly it is cancer. Our daughter came by this morning to visit for a few minutes and have breakfast. Pedro called on the phone this morning to tell us he was doing the in-laws yard today. I tried to get him to not do theirs and come do ours. Nope...he will do ours on Thursday. That is our day. I finally just gave up and said ok. I hope he is here when the daughter who is mysteriously fluent in Spanish gets here. She says he doesn't speak Spanish very well...another mystery in a life filled with them.

It has just got to be naptime soon.

PS-I hope Pedro has a blast raking all the leaves while they are wet from the rain on Wednesday. I'll remind him I wanted him to come on domingo and not el jueves. Pedro just wouldn't listen to me.