Thursday, September 13, 2001
Too Many Details? - To LTF
I know it is more advance planning than you're used to. It's not really my choice, either. Let's see, when was the last time I advance planned anything in my life when I was responsible for only my own care? Never, I think. Being an involved caretaker requires much advance planning, though. I would not trust my mother to a stranger. No one else in my family would trust my mother to a stranger. I have to work around the lives of those in my family who might be able to pinch hit for me. It's very weird. Believe me, there are lots of reasons why this gig does not compliment my overall psychological make-up, which is fairly vulnerable to despair under the best of circumstances. But, whatever. Maybe, one of these days my psychological make-up will give up and start complimenting this gig.
Yes, it can be cold then in Prescott. The nights always are. Unless there is a storm though, it's quite sunny. It can also be warm, relatively speaking, during the day; in the 60's here if it's in the 80's in Mesa, which is not unusual for that time of year. I know what you mentioned about you and the heat. It has been in the back of my (conscious) mind. Let me think on this awhile. The problem is twofold: First, although I'm not sure of this, I don't think I'm going to be able to get relief from anyone but MFS and she won't be available March through August. I'll see what I can come up with; second, for it to be as hot as you'd like, that would be when my mother and I are already up here. If you visited while I'm fully engrossed in being my mother's caretaker I can guarantee I would not enjoy your visit. You would become another guest I would have to negotiate while seeing to my mother's pills, pads, sleeping, creative memories (both short and long term), hazy grasp on moment-to-moment reality and need for company. You would be saying, as MCF said to me on Tuesday when she left, "You're a lot different around your mother. I prefer seeing you when you're not around her."
There's a possibility that I might be able to transfer her back down to Mesa and maybe get MPS to take her in for a couple of days, I'm not sure. Let me look into this. It hadn't occurred to me, despite what I wrote in the last e, that I might have to figure out alternate arrangements nor how difficult that might be. I figured, if a war interfered well everything would be different and maybe I could come up with something. But chances are it would be even more difficult with a war than without one. Again, let me think on this, for awhile. I'm pretty inventive. I have thought about the possibility of sending Mom to MFS for a visit. Although MFS has repeatedly assured me that their family is available to take over Mom's care, I haven't tested the waters about short visits and I'm unclear about how careful the airlines would be with my mother coming and going. She never knows where she, or anyone else is (today she was in Mesa, and MPBIL was on a carrier off the coast of New York). Trips to Jacksonville always involve stopovers and plane changes. Maybe, though, we could arrange something where I accompany her out to Jacksonville and MFS accompanies her back. I don't know.
Yes, it can be cold then in Prescott. The nights always are. Unless there is a storm though, it's quite sunny. It can also be warm, relatively speaking, during the day; in the 60's here if it's in the 80's in Mesa, which is not unusual for that time of year. I know what you mentioned about you and the heat. It has been in the back of my (conscious) mind. Let me think on this awhile. The problem is twofold: First, although I'm not sure of this, I don't think I'm going to be able to get relief from anyone but MFS and she won't be available March through August. I'll see what I can come up with; second, for it to be as hot as you'd like, that would be when my mother and I are already up here. If you visited while I'm fully engrossed in being my mother's caretaker I can guarantee I would not enjoy your visit. You would become another guest I would have to negotiate while seeing to my mother's pills, pads, sleeping, creative memories (both short and long term), hazy grasp on moment-to-moment reality and need for company. You would be saying, as MCF said to me on Tuesday when she left, "You're a lot different around your mother. I prefer seeing you when you're not around her."
There's a possibility that I might be able to transfer her back down to Mesa and maybe get MPS to take her in for a couple of days, I'm not sure. Let me look into this. It hadn't occurred to me, despite what I wrote in the last e, that I might have to figure out alternate arrangements nor how difficult that might be. I figured, if a war interfered well everything would be different and maybe I could come up with something. But chances are it would be even more difficult with a war than without one. Again, let me think on this, for awhile. I'm pretty inventive. I have thought about the possibility of sending Mom to MFS for a visit. Although MFS has repeatedly assured me that their family is available to take over Mom's care, I haven't tested the waters about short visits and I'm unclear about how careful the airlines would be with my mother coming and going. She never knows where she, or anyone else is (today she was in Mesa, and MPBIL was on a carrier off the coast of New York). Trips to Jacksonville always involve stopovers and plane changes. Maybe, though, we could arrange something where I accompany her out to Jacksonville and MFS accompanies her back. I don't know.
