Part of today was spent with one of the best elder care attorneys in the state. We learned heaps of things about how to protect as much of Mom and Dad's assets as we can and still provide a way to pay for nursing home care for my dad when it becomes necessary. I never would have imagined how many legal documents it would take to set all of this up correctly. I will be forever indebted to my lawyer friend for finding the elder care lawyer. She says she didn't really do alot by finding him. She is so very mistaken.

So, today, 4 days before Christmas, I feel like my head is again above water on the parent front.

As for my house, I'm able to breathe a bit easier there too. A dear lady from church came and helped me take control of the kitchen, living room and dining room of MY house today. We'll actually have a Christmas tree up for Christmas! We'll decorate it tonight as a family. We'll get time together which has been so rare lately and get the tree ready for Christmas.

Another good thing that happened today is that I was able to attend my oldest DS's Christmas party at school. I've done so few things at his school this year, that I was very glad I could be there for this today.

Homesick

Oh boy. Monday mom and I had a meeting w/ the psychiatrists at Parkland re: my dad. They thought he was stable enough to be discharged. We disagreed and it was an awful meeting. The resident was pissy and was miffed that I asked how to spell her name. The attending was really ***chy and didn't even stay for all of the meeting.

Move ahead to today (Wed) and Dad has been discharged and has already had a seizure -- which was most likely caused by a drug interaction between stuff he's already on and the new meds they started this week. Yet in their words -- "He doesn't really even qualify to be here." Tell that to my mom who's scared of my dad now because of how he behaved about two weeks ago.

Dad insists he didn't have a seizure at all. My mom had to put me on the phone to explain that since he'd had the seizure, mom couldn't leave him alone, so he'd just have to sit in the car w/ her and wait on his new prescriptions to be filled. I also told him that we would NOT make it up that he'd had a seizure! Oh the trials and travails of dealing w/ someone with mental illness.

Tomorrow is a visit w/ a new psychiatrist who is much closer. I've heard very good things about him and he's willing to discuss medications etc. with family members. We'll ask for psychotherpy for Dad as well.

I have a meeting set up w/ a lawyer for Friday to learn about Medicaid and how to qualify. A dear friend who is a lawyer did lots of leg work for me and found this guy that we'll meet with on Friday. We have to do as much as we can now, in preparation for a nursing home placement that unfortunately appears to be looming in the not-too-distant future.

At least we'll (hopefully) have one more Christmas at home.

The Wheels on the bus go round and round...

...round and round we go.

We had to have my Dad committed to the psych. ward in the county hospital on Wednesday. It was a dreary, rainy day -- it pretty much matched the way I felt.

His psychiatrist agreed with us that after the 'event' over the weekend, that going into the hospital would be the best way to adjust his medications.

My dad has access to a telephone and has called here at least twice a day every day since. He doesn't sound any better. He still sounds as wild as he did before he was put into the hospital.

My mom doesn't want him to come back home. She's scared of him. Ugh. Now I'm looking into long-term residential psychiatric facilities, nursing homes, Medicade, etc., etc., etc.

Some Christmas gift that is!

My weekend

Life isn't much different here. My dad is still sick, his moods are really wild and my DH and I had to go over to their house today and spend 3 hours and eventually realized that my dad wasn't rational. So, I had to call his psychiatrist and he upped the dosages of a couple of Dad's meds. Dad agreed to take the extra meds, but he's not good.

He's still not doing well tonight. I imagine that my week next week will be consumed w/ doctors appointments for us and for them. Daddy needs to see his psychiatrist ASAP, one DS has 2 cavities that have to be filled on Tuesday. We also have piano on Mon and Tues. Counseling for another DS on Tues -- I'm going to try to talk to the counselor this week too. Wed. I have lunch plans w/ a friend I have not seen in ages. I"m sure there's something on the schedule for Thursday, I just cannot remember it right now -- oh, yes -- speech therapy! Then my oldest DS only goes to school for half a day on Friday and then Saturday is my birthday.

And I still have not shopped for Christmas gifts for us. The house is worse that it has been in years and neither Christmas tree has been put up.

I'm too depressed to face cleaning and decorating. Maybe this is the year to just put up one tree and let the rest go.

Sunday --
Didn't go to church because both DSs are sick. DH has gone to a funeral for a distant relative on his side of the family and I've been calling my parent's house hourly to make sure that things are still relatively calm. I was awakened by a phone call from my mom this a.m. pleading with me to explain to my dad (who no longer drives) why going to church (in his confused mental state) was not a good idea. He really didn't like it, but I convinced him that it would be better to stay home and let the extra medication do its work.

He's still very belligerent, but it's been 24 hours on the upped dosages, so hopefully things will begin to improve tonight.

Well, I've enlisted the help of the DSs to declutter the kitchen and family room. Neither is thrilled, but it has to be done.