My Elderly Mom Is Killing Me
Caring for both a child and a parent is really stressful
Yesterday afternoon I got a call from my mom’s phone number. It was her good friend Carla on the line. This can mean only one thing. Something has happened to mom. Sure enough, Carla was calling to tell me that mom had been admitted to the hospital and she really wanted me to come see her. This is not the first time this has happened and it probably won’t be the last, but I felt my chest begin to tighten none-the-less. I live 1,000 miles away.
Carla gave my mom’s phone number at the hospital and I promised to call her as soon as we hung up. I also asked Carla if she would help me talk to my mom about moving into a retirement home; someplace where she could have somebody help look after her at times like these because as much as I want to be with her and help take care of her, it’s really hard on me and the rest of my family to have to drop everything when she’s ill and run up there. Many times it’s been hard on my friends as well because they have often had to pitch in and help hold down the fort while I’m away.
You see, I’ve already got an adult child who can’t be left alone, and now I’ve got a dog who can’t be left alone as well — Lars, a former street dog who has a lot of separation anxiety. At least my husband James has recently retired, so it’s exponentially easier than it used to…
