Yesterday, Friday, November 21
This was the day we planned to empty Mother High’s apartment in the independent living area of Landis Homes Retirement Community. We decided to continue with our plans even though we had very little sleep because of spending four hours in the ER with her during the night, where it was discovered that she has pneumonia.
A short reminder of why this move is necessary: Cerwin’s mother fell and broke her right hip on Thursday, October 16, and after hip replacement surgery and six days in the hospital was moved to Pleasant View Retirement Community for rehab. She was doing well and the teams from Pleasant View and Landis Homes determined that she only needed a few more days of rehab before going back to Landis Homes. However, she can no longer live independently – the reason it was necessary to empty the apartment where she has lived for almost twenty years.
Her almost empty living room
Back to emptying her apartment. There were five of us – Cerwin’s brother, Elvin, our brother-in-law Mel, our grandson Josh, Cerwin, and me. Cerwin’s sister Velda had to work (she is a personal care-giver) and when finished she spent the afternoon in the hospital with Mother. Velda had done her part in packing boxes several days earlier.
I mostly emptied cupboards, drawers, and the refrigerator in the kitchen – preparing boxes for the men to take down the hall on carts and dollies, then down the elevator (she lived on the third floor), and into Elvin’s racecar trailer. This is where the items will be stored until we know which pieces of furniture she can use in her new room. After that, children and grandchildren can choose items at our Christmas supper. The rest will go to a re-use-it store.
As I went through cupboards, drawers, and the entrance closet, I was reminded of the mindset of those who lived through The Depression. There were lots of empty boxes and bags – that she might use some day.
A kind of amusing thing happened when we were finished (mid-afternoon) and called a Landis Homes employee to inspect the room. We were unsure if a closet floor rack was Mother’s or the Home’s, because it matched a shelf that we knew belonged to the Home. The employee said it was ours, so when I went in the closet to remove it and hand it to Elvin, one more small, empty box fell to the floor. It was the kind that a small pie or cake would have come in.
When inspecting the bathroom, the employee found two white clothespin-style hooks that I missed. I put them in the box. Then there was a small medicine cabinet hidden behind a side mirror that I missed. The items fit perfectly into the little box. I smiled and said, “Mother knew we would need this box someday.” 🙂
At the time of this picture, everything is gone from her bedroom but a few bed slats.
By the end of the move we were weary from work and lack of sleep and as I was returning to the third floor in the elevator, I stood there and thought, “Am I coming up or going down.” Then looked at my empty hands and decided I was going up. 🙂
On the next ride there were several of us in the elevator and as we stood there talking and laughing, Mel realized that the elevator wasn’t moving. He forgot to push the third floor button. 🙂
Some decorative grass I saw on the way to the hospital.
When that job was finished, Cerwin and I went to Pleasant View to empty her room in the rehab area. It didn’t seem wise to pay for her room there while she is in the hospital.
At this point we don’t know if she is going back to Landis Homes or Pleasant View.
Before supper Cerwin and I visited her in the hospital (7th floor) and were assured that she is doing well. We also stopped to see Jeff Baxter, TFC’s Executive Vice President, who is in the same area of the hospital (4th floor). He was in a traffic accident on Tuesday. A car hit him head-on when it passed a garbage truck. He is doing well, but is waiting on surgery to repair his kneecap and broken leg. There is still too much swelling.
Today, Saturday, November 22
Cerwin and several other guys left early this morning for a hunting trip in West Virginia. He called later in the day to say they had arrived safely.
I went to the hospital to visit Mother.
The view from her Lancaster General Hospital room.
Mother is recovering nicely, and we are hearing varying things from doctors and nurses as to when she can go back to rehab – from one week to a few days. One doctor thought she may be ready to leave the hospital tomorrow.
The helicopter pad is just outside her room. I would have liked to see one land while I was there, but that would have meant someone was in serious physical trauma, so I was satisfied that it stayed empty.
I spent a few hours with her this morning and enjoyed talking to her day nurse, helping Mother with her breathing therapy, and reading a devotional to her.
I also visited Jeff Baxter who wasn’t feeling quite as well today. I had flowers for Kellie (his wife) and a small glass dish for him and asked what kind of candy he likes. I had a variety in my hospital bag. He said that he likes any kind, but could really use something with mint since he was feeling kind of “off”. I was glad I had some individually wrapped peppermint Lifesavers and a York peppermint patty to put in his dish.
Before leaving, I prayed with him, thanking the Lord that He is with us and cares for us even on days when we feel “crappy.” That made him smile. He said, “You got that right – crappy is how I feel.”
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This afternoon I did something I do about one time a year. I went shopping at Park City – a local mall. I do not enjoy shopping, but needed a pair of shoes, and most of all, needed to go someplace where nobody knew my name. 🙂
On the way home I stopped at McDonalds for a chicken sandwich. Now I am enjoying a cup of decaf coffee, and my very tired feed are propped up on my La-Z-Boy footrest.
What a lot of cleaning out you all did over the last few days. I was fortunate that my mother had pretty much cleaned out her house before moving, and took very little with her to Assisted Living — my sister finished cleaning out the house after she had moved out. I’m glad you took the time to go shopping — a place where nobody knows your name can be wonderfully therapeutic! Time to take care of yourself now for a day or two! Still keeping Jere’s family in my thoughts, and I’ll add you and Cerwin and Mother High to that!
Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts.
As I read this, I couldn’t help but be amused at the snow shovel in Mother’s room — I hope you didn’t have to plow snow when taking belongings to the trailer!
That came from her patio. I doubt that she ever used it.
This sounds all to familiar as we’ve had to downsize my mother three times since she and dad moved from their large home to a senior living center. It’s a lot of hard, emotional work. She also had a fall and broke her hip a year ago but she has recovered nicely, uses a walker and is dong fairly well at this point. She will be 93 in a couple of weeks. Trusting things will work out for your mother-in-law and you as she recovers from her pneumonia and as you take the next steps in getting her into a new living situation. Blessings —
Thank you. I just came home from the hospital. She was having severe pain in her right knee during the night. We are waiting for the results of an x-ray.