Monday
Jun082009
Sandwich Generation Re-Visited
Monday, June 8, 2009 at 01:54PM
(** Have to post about that Grammy note later today...)
The Rebel Grammy (my mom) sprung herself from the very nice retirement community we had moved her to (and hoped she would stay) after 90 days of heart attack, two strokes, Emergency Rooms, long hospital stays, active rehab in a nursing facility and everything else. She moved herself back to her old apartment, a very diverse all ages community with no support and no services. (We told her if she wanted to go back, she'd have to arrange to do it herself and, by God, she did it!)(No small amount of stubborn in my female lineage, which is something to behold, I have to admit.)(Yes, we hid the car and are keeping the keys, pending medical authorization, but that's a whole 'nother story.)
She's still using a walker, she can't drive, can barely see straight and she doesn't remember what she did or said five minutes ago - and she's on the blood thinner Coumadin for at least six months, which is a terribly high risk for bleeding to death from a fall or accident.
I feel like I'm on the dark side of the Sandwich Generation at the moment, doing what I can, but there is only so much the adult child can do in this situation. She called me this morning at 10am to tell me she was 'home,' how WONDERFUL it was - and could I come pick her up to go grocery shopping? So I did...
Dear Hubby and I were at 12yo Drama Queen's end-of-season tennis party this weekend. It was an interesting conversation amongst the forty-somethings, after lauding the girls for a terrific season (City Finalists!!), while they ate cake and played more tennis...nearly every parent at that party had an aging parent/Sandwich Generation challenge they are currently working on - an impromptu Support Group.
Know that you are not alone in your struggles, fellow Middle-Aged Rebels!
The Rebel Grammy (my mom) sprung herself from the very nice retirement community we had moved her to (and hoped she would stay) after 90 days of heart attack, two strokes, Emergency Rooms, long hospital stays, active rehab in a nursing facility and everything else. She moved herself back to her old apartment, a very diverse all ages community with no support and no services. (We told her if she wanted to go back, she'd have to arrange to do it herself and, by God, she did it!)(No small amount of stubborn in my female lineage, which is something to behold, I have to admit.)(Yes, we hid the car and are keeping the keys, pending medical authorization, but that's a whole 'nother story.)
She's still using a walker, she can't drive, can barely see straight and she doesn't remember what she did or said five minutes ago - and she's on the blood thinner Coumadin for at least six months, which is a terribly high risk for bleeding to death from a fall or accident.
I feel like I'm on the dark side of the Sandwich Generation at the moment, doing what I can, but there is only so much the adult child can do in this situation. She called me this morning at 10am to tell me she was 'home,' how WONDERFUL it was - and could I come pick her up to go grocery shopping? So I did...
Dear Hubby and I were at 12yo Drama Queen's end-of-season tennis party this weekend. It was an interesting conversation amongst the forty-somethings, after lauding the girls for a terrific season (City Finalists!!), while they ate cake and played more tennis...nearly every parent at that party had an aging parent/Sandwich Generation challenge they are currently working on - an impromptu Support Group.
Know that you are not alone in your struggles, fellow Middle-Aged Rebels!
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