Friday, March 24, 2017
My Sister
I thought it time to update about my sister. As you know she had a stroke a couple of years ago. She is paralyzed on one side and unable to care for herself.
Her speech is back so it is easier to have a conversation with her on the phone. She has breathing problems because she is bedridden but she is given treatment whenever she becomes uncomfortable.
My sister has resigned herself to being in the nursing home... pardon me... long term care facility. She hates being there but she is dealing with it.
Her husband was helping my nephew move into a new apartment. He stepped wrong on the edge of the sidewalk and broke his foot. Poor guy. But he still visits her every day.
Recently she was taken to the hospital a couple of times because her blood pressure dropped so drastically. They have determined that she has had at least three small strokes. There does not seem to be any permanent damage from them but they are certainly not a good thing.
I am afraid she is giving up. She does not say so but I get the feeling that she feels like she is nothing but a burden. She is tired of not being able to do things for herself. And she really misses being in her own home.
So that is where it stands now. I hope to have good news next time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I am sorry to hear about your sister. Care facilities are certainly important (and necessary) when a person cannot care for themselves anymore, but they are not particularly good at caring for the emotional side of their patients.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can gather they are actually quite good to her there. Her husband shopped very carefully for a good place for her. Her husband and her son visit her every day. I think it helps when the staff at the facility know the family is watching too.
DeleteIt can be a huge adjustment at a long term care facility. I hope it works out well for your sister in the long run.
ReplyDeleteShe has come to terms with it I think. She has always been fiercely independent and she is having a rough time having to rely on others. I understand that.
DeleteI hope she finds some reason to improve, but if not, it's her decision. The title, "My sister" could just as well have been "My brother." Good luck to her.
ReplyDeleteThank you. She called me yesterday and is looking forward to a visit from her daughter in a couple of weeks. Little steps.
DeleteI'm sorry to read about your sister. My mother began spiraling downward toward the end. There was very little joy left in her life. She couldn't hear much, practically blind, her tastebuds had abandoned her.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy her while you can.
R
I will. It is so difficult to see a vibrant strong person become someone who needs to be taken care of. So far just her limbs are not working and her lungs are not up to par but the rest of her is good. Her spirits need an occasional boost though.
DeleteI'm ever so sorry about your sister. I can understand her feelings even if I haven never gone through something so traumatic.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I understand them too. I have instructions for my children to not use heroic measures to prolong my life if I am infirm. The problem for me is that she is my little sister (I have two) and it is not natural for my siblings to go first.
DeleteI do feel very much for your sister. I know you must be a great comfort and support for her.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how much I do for her because we live so far apart. I am the oldest of all the siblings and since our parents are gone I think the rest of them look to me. That is the way it is in most families. I do know that she will ask her husband to help her call me when she feels afraid.
DeleteIt is hard to know that a beloved family member, such as a parent or sibling, is not doing well and yet being such a distance that you cannot stop in to visit as much as you would like to. That said, I am sure that your sisten greatly appreciates your calls.
ReplyDeleteWe don't speak as often as we should. That is my fault. I don't want to bombard her either.
Delete