All ~ma to ltc and family.

The last decade or so she has gently taught my step-dad to cook, do laundry, and other stuff. She still takes care of the bills, but I can see she is involving him more there too. She probably hasn't driven in 20 years, but still renews her license! Of course it isn't easy to watch her short term memory fall away and her increasing physical challenges, but it is a whole lot easier than a sudden deterioration.

This type of transition is what was happening with my parents as mom got more and more incapacitated and Dad was taking over more of the household duties, and then he got his cancer diagnosis and was gone a month later. He wasn't the one that was supposed to go first, alas, that's the way it goes sometimes.

I still miss him every day.

sj, lots of ~ma to ltc.

I'm sorry, Drew.

Kidney~ma for ltc.

{{Drew}} and others who are missing parental units or coping with the debilitation of aging; it bites.

Sorry to be all whiny here again, but if I post this on Facebook, then my mother will start worrying, and I don't need her worrying. My hip is hurting so badly. I really have no idea why -- I haven't been doing my PT exercises quite as often as I should, but that's never gotten me in this kind of pain. The only way I'm even slightly comfortable is if I lay on my side, but all I can do in that position is watch TV -- it puts my arms at the wrong angle to use the computer or read a book. I've got a ridiculously long day tomorrow -- almost certainly at least 12 hours at work, and possibly more -- and most of it will be spent with other people, and at least partially on my feet. And I can't really take any painkillers beyond Advil while I'm teaching. I'll wear my TENS, and keep a lot of Advil on hand, and use my walker, but I just really hate starting a new job like this.

Lots of health~ma to ltc and Hil and whoever else needs it, and healthy aging~ma to everyone's elderly parents. And special ~ma to your FiL and everyone, Steph, for the transition.

and then he got his cancer diagnosis and was gone a month later. He wasn't the one that was supposed to go first, alas, that's the way it goes sometimes.

Wow ND, I sometimes forget how similar our experiences were. Yeah, losing the caregiver parent first is such a blow, over and above the blow of losing a parent that you love and that you thought would be around for a long time.

Thanks folks. Yeah, it sounds like we've been through similar things Burrell. Somehow Mom is still going. She's now officially on hospice, but she could be on that for a long time the way things have been.

ION, classes have started on top of everything else and I think I mostly have my stuff prepped for tomorrows class at one school (second class meeting on this one) but I still have to put together my syllabus for the other class which meet on Monday at a different school and I just can't get myself to do it.

I finally found people who could cover my classes on the High Holidays. That took much longer than it should have -- a lot of the people I asked never responded, even to say no.

Not sure how much sleep I'll get tonight. Every time I move, I end up at least wincing in pain. No way I can get through tomorrow without people noticing.

I'm sorry you're in such pain, Hil. May it calm down and let you get through tomorrow easier.