Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Not Getting Any Attention

Again I didn't get to Ocean View to visit Mom until about 6:30 pm. I've been busy preparing to leave for a week's trip to the East coast. Today I took the cat to the vet and the Holiday Hotel for cats. (The cat had suddenly stopped eating and was diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease, so I was grateful that Margaret at the hotel even took her.)
When I arrived to visit Mom, she was sitting in her recliner in her nightgown, covered with blankets, her eyes closed. I always kneel on the floor and put my face in front of hers to talk with her.
"Hi, Mom! How are you?" I asked cheerily.
"Poorly!" she said, opening her eyes a little.
"Poorly? Why? What's been happening?"
"I'm not getting any attention," she snapped back, accusing me.
"Oh, I see. But Connie was here today. She took you downstairs to listen to the music," I argued.
"Yes, but I just want to see you."
"And you got a bag of popcorn to eat while you were there," I continued, having already had brief report from Connie.
"Yes."
"Well, I don't think you are doing so poorly," I said. "You look good to me."
After a bit more chat, I broke the news to her:
"I'm going to visit Ellen and check on her," I said. "In Connecticut, where she's in college again."
"So you're going to leave me," she commented.
"Yes, I will be gone for a week. But Connie and the others here will take good care of you," I continued.
I fussed over her, gave her some grapes, put some sugarless candy from the cupboard into her candy jar.
I wrote a check for a cash advance to Connie, so she can pay her property tax and not lose the home she bought a year ago with her husband, now unemployed. I'm paying her for the next 15 weeks. We did this on about December 1 too. She offered to visit Mom more often, because she needs the money, but I said no because Mom is running out of money. Her monthly income doesn't cover the cost of living at Sunrise. She needs an extra $2-3,000 per month from the money she has from selling her home in Boulder, but that amount is running low now.
I left typed notes with phone numbers and contact information to reach my sister and brothers on the door and in the offices of the Reminiscence Neighborhood and of the medical supervisor.
Then I left.
I will try to visit her tomorrow before leaving for the airport, but realisitically, I don't expect that to happen.

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