Caring for senile old men was never my forte. Beginning tomorrow, I will be hosting one. My FIL suffered a stroke in August. He has been in hospital since then, with a tracheostomy and a feeding tube in his stomach.
He is barely conscious, bed ridden, exhibiting no responses other than him opening his eyes at random moments. He has also developed a bed sore, pneumonia, and other things. While his initial hospitalization was covered by insurance, the latter stay was not. We still do not know if he will recover.
So yes, things have changed at home. We cleared out a bedroom for him and his apparatus to be set up. My MIL would now be living with us.
I am still struggling with the idea of that disruption, and new order, and keeping the children away from bugs they should otherwise not be catching at home.
I have to keep up with balancing the hope of staying firm yet polite, squeezing in some space for myself and not freaking out at every thing (like I do, as my first response) with the amazing overt and covert interpersonal dynamics of having my in-laws here, with one of them gravely sick.
May the force be with me.
What a difficult and complex situation to find yourself in! Good luck navigating the future.
ReplyDeleteOooooh boy, that will be challenging. You might want to have a discussion with DH about how his parents are his responsibility in the main, so there will be no extra hours at work or the gym to avoid the situation. If you make it clear that you're willing to help, but will not bear the sole responsibility - and also, don't forget that you have two kids! - you might have an easier time of it. But unfortunately, women are always viewed as the caretakers, so you're going to need a lot of strength. Much luck.
ReplyDeleteOh no, how terrible! I'ma nurse but I would still find that sort of challenge overwhelming.
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