gurgle

My schedule has been kind of crazy lately, what with spending two weekends in a row driving my daughter back and forth to camp (twice) and going to DC for my job.  So I made an effort to see my brother on Sunday morning to take him to breakfast.  He didn't look great, but there's not a lot I can put my finger on.  He just looks like he has less energy these days.  And he still is hoars, and seems to have a permanent gurgle now.

I got a call from the nursing home that he has signed up for the next excursion they have planned which is good.  The fourth of july is on a Wednesday this year, which prevents any three day holiday, and I am spending some time thinking about what to do about my brother.  I really don't want to spend my one day holiday visiting, but on the other hand, I think he is going to be lonely.

crisis over (at least for now)

The day after the nursing home called me to tell me they had put my brother in isolation because he had loose stools, he was back out of isolation  It sounds like this was a false alarm.

This weekend I had to go take my daughter up to Michigan so she could be  counselor at camp.  I got back later Saturday afternoon, but my husband and I decided to go to the movies, and figured we might as well take my brother.  He would enjoy it, and then I wouldn't have to spend my Sunday visiting him.  So we did.

The movie was the Most Splendid Marigold Hotel (or something like that).  It was about British senior citizens who retire in Indian because it's cheaper to live there.  The entire audience was pretty old.  We got to the movies just in time and were able to snag the last seats for the handicapped.  But there were lots of people there in walkers, and a lot more senior citizens who were women than men.  I notice this kind of stuff a lot more now as I am getting closer and closer to that age.

diarrhea

Today the nursing home called me to tell me that my brother has diarrhea and loose bowels.  When the phone rings and they say it is the nursing home your stomach always clenches.  They told me they had to put him in isolation until they find out if he has some kind of infection, but that his stool was so runny they couldn't get a sample yet.  I called him and he said he was ok, he was feeling fine. 

I have to take my daughter up to her counseling job, about 4 hours away, 8 hours round trip, tomorrow evening and the next morning.  I hope a crisis doesn't develop while I am away.

feeling better

My son is in town for my daughter's graduation.  I took him with me on Friday morning to have breakfast/lunch with my brother.  We surprised him. My brother had lsot about 7-8 lbs from the increased lasex and looked a lot better, and the gurgle was almost gone.  He was in a good mood, and talkative, at least for him.

I felt guilty because I am not inviting him to the graduation festivities.  It is just too much work, too much driving, and too much caretaking, too much special services for his disabilities.  But I feel bad about it.  Not bad enough to include him, just bad.