Sigh

I am making the announcement now that on Saturday, February 16th I will be busy having a nervous breakdown. Don't call me.....I will be busy.

Well, it's a new year. It had been a fairly decent start to the year, I had actually managed to pay off a few bills and get caught up on a couple others without having to completely deny myself the essentials of life (STARBUCKS). I had plans laid out to pay off a few other things and start a savings account for emergencies. Specifically, we had decided that with my mothers bad health and both of MH's grandmothers not doing so well it would be a good idea to build up an emergency account for traveling. Sounds responsible doesn't it?
My brother called me on Friday to tell me that he was on his way to the hospital where my dad had been admitted. The mailman had gotten worried when he noticed the mail had not been picked up in a few days and went into the house and found my dad. Apparently my dad has been lying for well over a year to everyone and has not been in to see his doctor at all and has not been taking his blood pressure meds. He had a stroke. And it was a fairly major one. He has no use of the left side of his body at all at this time and the MRI showed a significant area was damaged in his brain. They also found something in his heart that worried them so they ordered an electrocardiogram to be done. Suprisingly his heart looks pretty decent so they are no longer worried about that but they are worried about his recovery.
My dad's home is ........well, let's just say that it's not very habitable. He has refused over the years to move or to even let us help him to clean it up. He no longer has a choice in the matter. My brother and I have decided that if he is able to go home again and live on his own then he will not be doing it in that house. I am trying to put off going up there for a little while until we can determine his recovery. He will be heading over to a rehab place hopefully by the end of the week if they can find someplace that will take him. I am hoping to head out that way by the end of the month and that we will be able to determine something. I sent my brother some money to get a storage place and we will begin to sort through the stuff in dad's home. He has already taken a few items out of the house which was a good thing since the house was broken into the very first night that dad was in the hospital. We will get anything that is salvagable into storage and then go from there. If dad can go home then we will get him an apartment near my brother where they can check on him more often. If not, well ....I guess he will be going to an assisted living facility since my brother cannot care for him in their home.
The next few weeks will be spent getting everything in order here to be able to spend a week in Missouri. The week in Missouri will be spent running from one nursing home to another to see both of my parents and trying to clear out my dads house. I am really, really, really needing to have that nervous breakdown.