The Old Biddy brigade

My mother & step-father live in an apartment complex that’s small, & the youngest resident there is my age. Basically, it’s a large senior group home. Everyone knows everyone else, & if there is trouble afoot, if one doesn’t know what it is, someone else does & will clue them in.

Mother has had the flu for about 6 weeks, that’s turned into pneumonia. I found out this morning that she was taken to the hospital last night in an ambulance & was admitted to ICU because of her status. When talking to Barbara, her sister-in-law, I was told that as the ambulance pulled out, there was an old biddy in every doorway, looking out. At this point, I had to laugh because I’ve seen the layout of the complex & they would all have amble viewing room. I’m sure that within 30 minutes, they were all caught up on who went & why. The same thing happens whenever Boyce is taken away in an ambulance.

Then I find out later in the day today that mother had a ’small’ heart attack, at least 2 days ago, according to the Chief of Cardiology at the hospital. Talk about panic time. But, I was assured they’re more concerned with the pneumonia than the state of her heart. I guess that’s some consolation. He told Barbara that her heart had started to stabilize, & she trusts him because he took care of her husband when he had his. She also told me that with his accent he’s very difficult to understand over the phone. She has to watch his mouth as he speaks to get the meaning. She’ll report to me what he says. And I can call the Nurses Station, as I’m the one she named as the person to make decisions for her if she can’t. At least I know what she wants. Unfortunately, this also means I’ll have to deal with everyone else too, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

In the near future, it may come to pass that I have to move them up here, to live with us. I’ll have to put in some form of lift for Boyce, as he can’t do stairs because of his stroke 17 years ago. It’s something that will just have to be done. This is what you do with aging parents. At least in my family, anyway. Always has been.

Please say a prayer for her. She’s not very strong, & needs all the help she can get. Her name is Sarah.