Dateline Dayton – Last Friday we were able to move Pauline’s brother Joe to a rehab unit at Mercy Siena Woods.
Prior to that, I had transferred some of his belongings from his garage to ours, which already has our son Chris’s property stored there. Trying to keep room for Pauline’s car is becoming more difficult.
On Friday, after getting settled in, Joe needed materials from his house. I took the opportunity to move more of his belongings.
Remembering that this is the Midwest in December, my car’s windshield wipers have been a problem. On this trip, they went berserk. Since it was raining and the wipers were stuck or broken, I decided to make the return drive in Joe’s car.
The next day, Pauline, Chris and I went out for breakfast and then returned to Joe’s house to pick up my car. We loaded both cars with more of his stuff that was going to our house.
Chris had an eye appointment the afternoon, so Pauline and I went to our granddaughter’s basketball game. It was exciting. Our side won by one point. Afterward, we took Julia, Madison and their dad, our son Jon, out for ice cream.
Sunday was church followed by breakfast. Once we home, I went to work on the garage, spending the entire day trying to restore order. Pauline went to see her brother, and what she found was not good. He didn’t want to do anything but sleep. She stayed for a few hours and came home.
On Monday, after Pauline had breakfast with a group from church, she was on her way to visit Joe. En route, Mercy Siena Woods called to say Joe had been taken to the hospital with a virus. She went to the hospital to learn that he had pneumonia. No wonder he didn’t feel well on Sunday. I really believe his doctor has let him down. He should have been seen when he first came to our house, after being released from the hospital instead of just calling in a prescription.
Here Comes a Freight Train
If you think the care we are receiving now is bad, just wait. With ObamaCare, it only will grow worse. As more doctors become fed up with all the regulations handed down by the Obama administration and the pressure placed on them already by the insurance industry, more will be leaving the profession. Add to this all the individuals who will want to receive the medical care promised to them by President Obama, and it will be Katie, bar the door.
Monday normally is my evening to rest and watch my shows on television. Once Pauline got home from the hospital, she was in no condition to cook. Chris, Pauline and I went out for dinner to our favorite restaurant for chicken. It was great. Even Chris agreed, and even he wasn’t able to eat all of the serving. We both had leftovers for lunch on Tuesday.
Tuesday morning Pauline had breakfast with a friend and then was off to a doctor’s appointment. Back at the hospital, she found little improvement in Joe’s condition. In the evening her cross-stitch group held its Christmas party. With all that has been going on, she was unable to complete her gift for the exchange.
My high school class’s Christmas party the next day was at Buffalo Jack’s in Covington, the next town over from where I grew up. We had a white elephant exchange again this year, a lot of fun. Table discussion was something else, ranging from politics to lifestyles, with a little holiday conversation mixed in.
Once we left the restaurant, we went to Joe’s house to collect more items. We want everything out by the end of the month. A friend who deals in books stopped by and examined his book collection. His suggestion was to donate the collection, which I felt was going to be the outcome.
When we visited Joe, he still was not doing well. They x-rayed his knees and drained them.
We are taking this turmoil one day at a time, praying everything will improve. Sometime in the next few days, we will need to get into the Christmas sprit and decorate. It looks like a gift card Christmas for our kids, spouses and grandchildren.
Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net
