peacecomesfromwithin
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 35
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 01/2016
- Country
- US
- State
- DC
- City
- Washington
Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing well and are in good spirits.
So, we did it. Miraculously, my mom and I organized ourselves and got a condo in DC and I moved her in on Sunday. I drove her from Santa Fe most of last week (we've gotten to a point where she probably shouldn't be driving) and spent all of Sunday unpacking and deciding what should go into storage. On the drive there I started to understand what it means to be a caretaker. I make three trips to and from the car to unload her stuff and my stuff and the animals. I find us appropriate food. I talk to the front desk and get her anything she needs. I try and hoist her up the one stair into a restaurant with her walker, but it doesn't work and the owner finally materializes with a ramp. We both kind of hate all of it.
In terms of moving, not only is it very hard to fit a lifetime's worth of stuff in a two bedroom condo with zero storage, she has reached this point where she doesn't want to throw anything away. Interestingly, before my grandma died she was the queen of purging things.
So, we are currently surrounded by boxes. Thank god I had friends come over to help unpack on Sunday! Thank god the comcast guy could come and install internet and TV to keep her entertained while I'm at work. Thank god InstaCart can do the grocery shopping for us!
But, the biggest news that I have to share is that I called the Neurology Department at GW University, which is the only ALS Association Certified Center of Excellence in DC and explained her situation to them. She is still 100% in denial and thinks she has copper poisoning and thyroid nodules and arthritis and and and... She refuses to request her records from the neurologist who diagnosed her. She is getting worse. I can hardly understand her when she talks and she has to take a breath for every word and the walking with the walker and the foot braces is even more slow and belabored.... and they got her an appointment next week! They were so nice!! It was the most amazing experience. I cried with relief. Now, to convince her to go and to try and remain patient and kind. Those last two, I wish I had more of.
So, we did it. Miraculously, my mom and I organized ourselves and got a condo in DC and I moved her in on Sunday. I drove her from Santa Fe most of last week (we've gotten to a point where she probably shouldn't be driving) and spent all of Sunday unpacking and deciding what should go into storage. On the drive there I started to understand what it means to be a caretaker. I make three trips to and from the car to unload her stuff and my stuff and the animals. I find us appropriate food. I talk to the front desk and get her anything she needs. I try and hoist her up the one stair into a restaurant with her walker, but it doesn't work and the owner finally materializes with a ramp. We both kind of hate all of it.
In terms of moving, not only is it very hard to fit a lifetime's worth of stuff in a two bedroom condo with zero storage, she has reached this point where she doesn't want to throw anything away. Interestingly, before my grandma died she was the queen of purging things.
So, we are currently surrounded by boxes. Thank god I had friends come over to help unpack on Sunday! Thank god the comcast guy could come and install internet and TV to keep her entertained while I'm at work. Thank god InstaCart can do the grocery shopping for us!
But, the biggest news that I have to share is that I called the Neurology Department at GW University, which is the only ALS Association Certified Center of Excellence in DC and explained her situation to them. She is still 100% in denial and thinks she has copper poisoning and thyroid nodules and arthritis and and and... She refuses to request her records from the neurologist who diagnosed her. She is getting worse. I can hardly understand her when she talks and she has to take a breath for every word and the walking with the walker and the foot braces is even more slow and belabored.... and they got her an appointment next week! They were so nice!! It was the most amazing experience. I cried with relief. Now, to convince her to go and to try and remain patient and kind. Those last two, I wish I had more of.