Trying times

This past two weeks has been the most trying time of my life.  My Mom has Parkinson's disease and has been rapidly declining since this past summer.  Well, a month ago she started acting very agitated and mean, telling me what an idiot everyone was and how I've done such a bad job taking care of her.

Of course, I took it to heart even though I knew something wasn't right with her.  I instantly thought she had a bladder infection and started begging her to go to the doctor.  She was so confused, agitated and mad at everything and everyone that she refused.  I begged for days and when we finally went, she told the doctor that I beat her and scream at her constantly.  This, after I quit work just to stay home and take care of her and do everything for her.  The doctor said she had a bladder infection, which causes extreme confusion and irritation, making people mean. 

She took her medicine and kept acting stranger and stranger.  She told us that some people come get in bed with her at night and kick her out, she asked a painter to paint the inside of her garage red, she wanted to call the police to file a report of breaking and entering because she found goldfish food at her house.  Weird stuff.  She kept acting more irrational and more irrational as the days went on.  Finally, yesterday morning, she agreed to go to the hospital because she felt so sick. 

Guess why she was acting odd.....because her SODIUM was low.  Apparently, low sodium causes the brain to become agitated, confused, fuzzy and to hallucinate.  Who knew?  I couldn't believe it and when her levels went up she started acting more like herself. 

I still really want her to go to an assisted living and she refuses which absolutely kills me. I'm terrified of her living by herself and falling.  No medical facility will help us place her either because she refuses. 

I honestly don't know what we're going to do to get her in a safe place but this has been the worst time.  So confusing and no answer in sight.  Taking care of an aging parent is more difficult than I every could have imagined.

School's Started Already-8th & 6th Grade

Today was the first day of school for the not so little guys.  T started 8th grade (he's now the oldest grade in his building) and H started 6th grade (he's now the youngest grade in his building but with an 8th grade brother). 

When they got home, H said he ran into his big brother five times in the hallway.  That makes me feel better knowing that he'll have someone watching out for him.  They both loved their classes and had a great time seeing their friends again.  I really hope this year turns out to be a great one!

 T - The 8th grader doing what he does best-playing XBox Live with his buddies on the internet.  I couldn't take his pic this morning because he had to leave at 6:30 am for football.

H - The 6th grader who hates that I ask him to pose for pictures before the first day of school - ha!
I was terrified and he was completely non-chalant as always about starting school.  Typical!

H and I sat outside last night enjoying the last sunset of summer. 

We also spent all last night worrying about our puppy Boomer.  We let him outside yesterday morning to play for just a little bit and noticed after about 30 minutes that he was laying on the ground not moving.  He was panting horribly and wouldn't even walk.  We were so scared.  We ran him to the vet and he was suffering from heatstroke.  His internal temperature was 107 degrees.  We felt so bad but the vet said we did nothing wrong.  It's that scary to have a dog outside when the temperature is close to 100.  Boomer spent the night at the vet getting fluids and we just picked him up.  Seven hundred dollars later and he's doing ok but we will be so careful when he's outside from now on.