I am torn

thank-you my friend. The hospital won't permit the children to be there. My mother is staying in a campground as the hotel was costing her 490 dollars a week after discounts. I will ask mother if it would be putting too much strain on her for us to stay at the campground with her or if I should get a nearby hotel room. I mentioned it to the girls about the same time I started this topic and my 5 year old is still bawling "I want to be with my mama" she is making herself sick. I asked how they felt about staying with a neighbor. The neighbor lady and her husband are also quite ill and I am not sure they could actually handle the extra burden either. The other option is my 73 year old friend who is raising her 9 grandchildren (1 is wheel chair bound and has the mentality of a 5 month old) as well she takes care of 4 brain injured (one due to accident, 3 due to disease) adult children. My son has 1 month left to school, out of state - it is his senior year...augh.

thank you, you are so right. I have doctor's appts tomorrow for myself, when that is done I will come home and pack. husband can arrange for someone from work to take him and drop him off, I am sure. I think he has this coming monday off and again friday, so he only has to get a ride 3 days next week, I am not sure how long I will be gone for but he will figure something out.

May God help you. My prayers are always with you.

Thank you, Modestah, for the BR. I read a post from earlier this week that your dad is out of ICU, and getting better. Please keep us updated on his situation, and we'll keep praying for your family. :)

That's a big spleen! I'm glad that he's getting better and you can talk with him. Just hearing your voice probably makes him feel much better! :) I hope the pnumonia clears up quickly. I am assuming that he's on some kind of antibiotic to help him out a bit with that. Is your mom doing OK? There is a lot of prep work, it sounds like, before he comes home. (((((((((hugs))))))))))) to you and your family!!

I was able to talk with him a bit tonight. He has pneumonia so the doctors want him out of the hospital as soon as possible - so that he will be more ambulatory and also less risk for further infections. They are shooting for thursday of this week. at which time he will reside in their camper a few blocks from the hospital and still get his daily care necessary. mom just hopes there is room for him and all the pumps etc. He had his spleen removed a few years ago, so is rather susceptible to infections (immune system is very comprimised without a spleen - I forget what his spleen weighed when removed but it was 15 inches long! this is because of the myelo prolific blood disorder. he suspects he has this blood disorder from his career in the air force and handling radioactive material.

I'm so glad everything is going well and that you're able to keep in touch with your mother as you have. I have brothers and sisters all over the US and I live fairly close to my parents. When things happen to them its like I'm the liaison for them to contact everyone. Luckily I have an older sister that lives a few houses away and can be there immediately if necessary to help too. I wish you all well and pray everything works out for the best.

thank you Juls. Mom is keeping me updated, I can not leave until at least Friday night as I have to get a CAT scan done Friday that can not be put off. Dad is finally showing some improvement and mom sounds a LOT better. They took out the intubation tubes today and he is breathing on his own. He is confused, but has been highly sedated so that may be why. He can speak at a low whisper and has said some things appropriately. Tomorrow will be 1 week, they are talking about possibly moving him out of ICU tomorrow and into a med surg room. So, right now it does not seem as overwhelmingly urgent as it did a few days ago - thanks be to God.

oh, dear, there is no way I could consider asking my mother to leave the side of her husband in order for me to be there with him. He is like the breath of her lungs - the sparkle of her eyes. After my doctor appt tomorrow we are going to look at a few vans so I can have reliable transportation for the long drive and dh can still have a vehicle at home to get to and from work. I called the hospital and they said the 12 year old could stay in the waiting room, but not the 5 year old...not even if an adult is with her :( . my mother said that while she would love to have me there she would probably feel like a mother hen worrying about me and the girls and she really does not need the extra burdens. She understands how I am torn though and she feels the same way. Like I said she is staying in a camper near the hospital, she does not want to ever leave my father's side but she also has her little dog at the camper so needs to go back to take care of her. Maybe the 12 year old can watch the 5 year old safely in the camper while I visit my father a couple of times a day. so long as I leave the cell phone with her. my husband seriously thinks I should go, but also that I take the girls with me. I need to get the results of my medical tests tomorrow before I make any concrete decisions, but it is definitely weighing heavily on my mind and heart.

yes, he is in intensive care - so that is probably why they would not be allowed. I am going to give the hospital a ring here in a minute or so and find out details as far as if they can be in the waiting area while either mom or I are with them.

thank you for your kind charity. no, we have no family here. My brother lives 2000 miles away - but even then he has brain injury. Extended family is spread out few and far between. I have decided that I will be going and I will take the girls with me, and will figure something out when I get there. I can not leave till after Friday because I need some more medical tests done on me that can not be put off, the earliest they can see me is Friday. :( I will put off some other medical things till after I get back, but this one is going to have to get done.