My Best Dog Friend is sick

Lady McBeth is my ten year old lab. She started failing last week and I thought for sure we would have to put her down. She couldn’t get up by herself and she was getting weaker by the day. We took her to the vet expecting the worst, but found out that she was diabetic, and very dehydrated. I cried for 3 days straight hoping that she would get better one more time and she is sure trying to oblige me. She spent the last 2 days on IV at the vets and is now on insulin. She seems better, but could use some good thoughts sent to her like Tinkerbell got in Peter Pan.

Carol, or Grandmu to my girls, is settling in nicely in her new home in the Villages. We brought a truck load of her antiques, sewing stuff, and whatever else we thought might make her feel at home and it seems to be helping. She gets a bit confused and has some bad Tapes playing over and over in her head, but she seems to feel better when she talks about what is bothering her. She does not quite remember falling and breaking her arms, and wonders why they hurt sometimes. She had a similar fall many years ago, when the dog brought a skunk into the yard, and she thinks that is what happened recently. She also misses grandpa and forgets that he is coming down next week.

The bright side is that every day she amazes us. It has only been 6 weeks since her fall and she is doing just about everything for herself that she did before the accident. She has better card skills than most of us, and beats her opponents soundly at Euchre nightly, even if she forgets mid-game and starts playing a similar game (bid/pitch). She still remembers more about sewing than most of us will ever know. She is helping us make our Halloween costumes, and is going to Molly’s party with us Tomorrow night. She asked me if anyone there will know her, because if not she could just go as herself and no one would recognize her. Her sense of humor is sharp as a tack!

She is ready to go anywhere, anytime. She went out to lunch with us at Katie Bells this afternoon, and to Oktoberfest in the Square this evening. She was pretty tired when she got home but so was everyone else. I hope I can come close to keeping up that pace long into my eighties.

Elaine is here for three weeks, to help her settle in and Briana is her constant companion. It is a full time job for the four of us, but I can see her getting less anxious everyday. I am glad to be able to help her with her best chance for many more years of fun in the sun!

Welcome Mu!

My mother in law is arriving today. At 87 years old, 5 week her recovery from a fall breaking both of her arms just below the shoulder has been nothing short of miraculous! She is such a trooper. The day after the accident she was taking only Tylenol for the pain and not complaining one bit. She continues to amaze us all.

The topic of this blog is going to change a bit. I am hoping to chronicle the joys and pains of helping an aging parent, with many challenges. We are beginning a life phase that many others of our generation find themselves in. We are taking this new situation on filled with optimism, but tempered with realism. We know that some days will be better than others for Mom. She is facing big changes, some good some not so good. We hope this course we are on will allow her to have many more years of good life here in the sunshine.

I welcome anyone else who is or has been in this situation to share your stories and advice with us.