As the day turns

I thought my days were fairly boring a few months back... not so much anymore. I still don't get anything done but for different reasons now. Once I longed to be home 24/7. Of course that had a dream of productivity attached to it, but I digress. These days I am caring for my sister in law full time and it has its' rewards and its' challenges.

Last night the challenge was keeping her safe. She was up and down doing this and that, nothing out of the ordinary so I dozed off and tried not to worry. I then heard her muffled voice calling out. Upon entering the room I found her in a somewhat similar position albeit face down and more under the bed.  After trying to get her up sans assistance the strategic positioning of some pillows allowed me to roll her over and let the sleeping continue. I reasoned with 6 falls in 2 days, the floor was safer than the bed. I am sure she did not fall this time. There were too many things rearranged that indicated she may have been reaching for something and got down there on her own or fell from a short distance as opposed to two nights before when it was straight backwards from a standing position. All that and she had a pillow under her face.

So many things happen in one day and if I don't blog right away I am sure to forget a thing or two. Last week we baked and made English muffins. The muffins were such a hit that we made them again this week only they weren't quite so well done as the first ones. Sorry no pictures this time. Yesterday was a bust, we had an appointment to go see a Day Center that she could go to while I work and an appointment for the Neurologist. I could tell as we left home that things were not going to go well. She had packed a backpack full of clothes.

I made our usual small talk on the way to town, she remained silent. We pulled into the Day Center first and got out of the car as we approached the door she panicked and pulled away from me. She made tracks for the parking lot accusing me of trying to do something to her. At first she refused to get into the car to leave. Without too much prodding but a whole lot of persuasive speech she got into the front seat... that was my mistake. We let Google guide us to the neurologist's office... that was my second mistake.

As we approached the building we passed not one, not two but three Emergency Room signs. She noticed these and began to panic. First she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to get out. Being in the righthand lane, I turned the car off and got out to shut her door. After waving at cars to go around me and shutting her door multiple times a total stranger stopped and offered help. 

To my surprise my SIL went one city block with a complete stranger. I did realize once I failed to keep her in the car it was over. I still was taken back by the kindness of the stranger and the ease in which SIL went with her. The drama continued in the office with her arguing with the front desk personnel on whether it was really a doctor's office or not.

The point of sharing this at all is the hand that God played in getting her into the office safely and allowing me to get the car out of traffic and the stranger to allow her car to remain in the road and walking her without regard. Inside the office even the doctor realized the gravity of her condition. The outcome is that future visits will include an escort to ensure the safe arrival at our appointments.

Today I got a much needed outing to pick up the kiddos at school and then a quick trip to the commissary sans children thanks to my son-in-law. On arriving home I discovered all was well except that #9, the 11 year-old had a temp of 103.3, let the good times roll. Oh! The icing on the cake? With all the excitement and stress of yesterday, I forgot that today was a status hearing related to the adoption of the girls😓

I think this is enough drama for one day and SIL is in a manic phase, unable to sleep so I will close and stay up with her as long as I can.

:)