In 2000 my husband and I decided that we should purchase a home since we had been renting for the 10 years that we had been together. I asked my mother if they would sell their home and move in with us. The response that I received was "absolutely not." I knew that I would be the only one here to be able to care for them in their later years and so I struck a deal. "Mother, if I let you go with the realtor and pick out a 2 family house, you pick out where you could live and James & I will buy it." She agreed and the house hunt began.
I loved the home that she picked out. 2 family, fully enclosed porches along the front, full basement and full attic with room to put Dad's painting studio. James and I moved in June 2000. Mother and Dad moved in July 2000. I cannot tell you the pleasure that I took from this house. Not only was it the first home that I had bought but also it was James'. The first thing that my parents bought was a porch glider that is still on their front porch. Our porch on the second floor however has turned into the "man cave." It has heat, cable, wide screen TV and filled with tropical plants. There are also twinkle lights all over the place and those different shaped lights that you line the outside of your camper awning with. It's also the smoking room. No smoking allowed in the house or car. So, James can keep his smoking friends out there. Works like a charm. Last year we bought some hanging lights that are blue and white snow flakes and everyone that sees them comments on our Hanuka lights. We are not Jewish but they do kinda look like a Jewish symbol.
On June 24, 2009 Dad fell down the stairs from the 3rd floor art studio to the second floor landing. He broke his shoulder and fractured his back in a couple of places. In June 2010 Alzheimer moved in with us. JW was taking the garbage out and standing in the driveway, down he went. They think that when he fell the year before he caused a stress fracture in his left hip, over the next year with regular use the ball that fit into his hip just snapped off. He had to have 3 metal rods put in this hip and went to rehab for 2 weeks. This was the start of my odyssey with Al. Somehow Al decided when JW had anesthesia during surgery it would be a good time to manifest himself. My Father came out of surgery unable to care for himself and completely dependent on other people. What in the world had happened? A man fully in control of his body and mind to a helpless human being in 2 hours. His primary surgeon told me that sometimes the drugs that are used brings Alzheimer to the front. All I could do was think, "You have to be kidding me." The rehab facility tried to keep JW a week past his prescribed time because MEDICARE will pay for 21 days. "No, I said, he will stay 14 and I will have someone come in daily and see him," My sister-in-law is a nurse and she can come in anytime and help. Then P.T. came in and worked with him. He is still mobile but when the time comes that he cannot get out of bed or out of his chair then we will have to cross that bridge when we get there.
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