THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORSE OF TIMES

I moved my older brother from the nursing home he has been at the past year into his own apartment yesterday.

And although it was a long, exhausting day, it went much better than I anticipated.

He hadn't really packed anything, besides knowing about the move for weeks in advance.

But he was dressed and ready and even in his wheelchair.

The staff hadn't even begun his discharge paperwork, despite being told the date the week before.

My brother couldn't find his insurance card - and I had five prescriptions to fill for him.

But the pharmacy, albeit over a six hour period, did help me get the scripts to him.

So it wasn't perfect.

But it could have been SOOOOOOO much more difficult.

And he's very happy to be in his own quiet room.

However, I am now anticipating a whole new set of problems to show up.... very soon.

ISN'T THAT JUST WHAT I SAID?!

My brother is still in a nursing home.

Like he has been for the last nine months.

And he's decided he is tired of it, and wants to move out.

Like TODAY.

And he thought that if he can get himself up into the wheelchair, and then into my truck, then I can drive him cheerfully and happy and drop him off at his new home with his niece and nephew (i.e. my daughter and son) for a carefree rest of his existence.

I can appreciate how weary he must be of the facility.

But this is the same man who refused any type of inpatient involvement for months.

This is the same man who used to curse out the staff when they couldn't get to his needs immediately.

And most importantly, this is a man who needs probably about an additional six months of physical and occupational therapy before he is in any manner ready to face the outside world.

So he asks me, this morning, what he needs to do to get out the nursing facility, "for real."

And I told him:


- Begin to participate fully in all physical and occupational therapy.

- Get out of bed, into his wheelchair, and get involved in activities.



- Show a willingness to jump through the hoops at the facility.

- And then get discharged.


He didn't want to hear ANY of this from me.

And he TOLD me this, in no uncertain terms (and a few terms that I would not repeat in polite company).

I suggested that he ask a staff person, then, and see what they said.

He called a nurse in, and guess what she told him?

Exactly what I had said.

And I mean, EXACTLY.

She also added one thing I hadn't been quite brave enough to mention:

Have a better attitude.

We'll have to see if that is possible.

CHOICE ROOMMATES

I've had my fair share of odd roommates.

My first roommate in college woke up each and every morning SMILING - it was horrible.

I had a roomie who planted marijuana in my terrarium without my knowledge (or permission).

But after seeing my brother's latest two roommates, I have nothing to complain about.

He is still in a nursing home recovering from and adjusting to his leg amputation.

And I haven't been all that sympathetic to his complaining about his roommate's serious coughing - I mean, the man's trying to breath, right? And it isn't that bad of a cough... well, at least when you don't have to listen to it 24/7.

So today I visited him for the first time in his new room, and was greeted cheerfully (which hasn't been the norm) by a fully dressed (even to his shoe) adult male.

I didn't realize that sleep deprivation had been effecting his personality so much.

And hopefully this will continue.  Because his roommate is borderline comatose.