Mom and Dad

Let me tell you a story about my Mom and Dad.  I’m sitting around one day drinking some wine – the day that my Dad came home from a 5 day hospitalization for bronchitis.  And all of a sudden, I realize that I haven’t been crazy worried about my Dad this week.  Not that I didn’t care.  I did.  I called and talked to him every day.  I got a blow by blow from him on what medicine he had taken, the bowel movements he’d had, and the Doctors prognosis and how they came to that conclusion based on these tests that they performed and an update on his latest roommate and what condition he was in and that he had overheard the nurse asking this interesting fella about where he was from . . . (and on and on and on . . . ) 

and I chit-chatted with Mom as she ran errands in her cute little car and her cute little outfit and “Wouldn’t it be nice to get a coke on ice?”, and “I have to get my hearing aid checked when I leave here”, and “Did you know Madison is still running a fever”, and “How’s Riley doing since his vet appt yesterday?” . . . . (and I got regular updates from Mom on how they were both doing.)

And then he came home, and you’re all like YAY – Dad can get in his recliner and take a long nap, and Mom will bring him soup and remind him to take his medicine, even though he had already set his alarm for when he needed to take his medicine and that alarm had already gone off and he had already taken that medicine.

AND then I remember back when Mom was hospitalized last year for like 5 days i.e. an  - eternity . . . . . and the world’s axis tilted a little bit.  What was the Doctor saying?  Had they gotten a second prognosis?  What’s her pulse?  How long will they be keeping her? I can’t live without her.  Mom – come home, Mom.  Mom – I NEED YOU!  Mom – I’ll never be able to recover from losing you.  Mom – Have you talked to Dad?

            So, while Dad’s mourning and trying to maintain the household while Mom is hospitalized, “Hang on – I just got groceries, Hang on – I’m just picking up Wendy’s to take home, Shhhhhhh – I got a Frosty, Hang on – I need to fill this new Prescription that I’m taking, and Mom said she’d call me at 8:30, Oh, Shoot! – I forgot to lock the car.  Gotta Go, hmm-mmm, Bye bye.”

And, THIS is why I worry about my Mom when she’s hospitalized and I have legit panic attacks when I call and she doesn’t answer, and I wonder what kind of life saving technique they’re having to perform to keep her alive at that precise moment.

And, THIS is why when Dad’s hospitalized, you worry about him, but you don’t worry that the world is crumbling around you.  Because, she’s that ROCK keeping it all together!  You know that she’s got this, you know that she can handle this PLUS anything else that comes her way.  She’s gonna take care of herself and make sure Daddy is comfortable and that the Doctors are keeping up to her standards and you know she’s still getting in those 10,000 steps, and Mom – Have you talked to Dad?