Backup of David's Livejournal

My mom had surgery three years ago, and came out of it with a severe stroke.  It devastated the family, and my dad's been taking care of her.  It takes everything he's got.

This past week, he went in for open heart surgery himself.  The next day, there was fear that he, too, had a major stroke.  That's not the case.  (It's not over, though.)

I spent a day having to accept and move forward on the assumption he had the stroke.

Dad, mom's care provider, is out of commission.  And he is in as bad a state as her.  Neither can reliably answer questions.  What are mom's medications?  When do they expire?  What commitments are they going to miss?  Which ones will cause harm if they're missed?  (Like physical therapy...)  Who needs to know first?  Who can help?  Are any bills late?  What are they paying?  How are they paying them?  What kind of care will Dad need?  How do I find and assess the options?  What medications is Dad currently on?  If they're both stroked-out and wheelchair-bound, where do they want to be?  How do I explain this to them, now that they're like children?  On and on and on.  My world collapsed.  This, of course, affects my original dependents, my children.  But my parents live on the opposite side of California.  Something was going to break.

Although Dad tried to give me some critical information before surgery, it was terribly inadequate for the scenario I was facing.

This post is a plea to do the responsible thing.  Take care of yourself.  (Do self-exams.  Get checkups.  Exercise.  Eat well.)  Document the important things in your life.  It's not enough that you have godparents for your children.  Have current documentation for them to refer to.

For the sake of those you love, have guidance prepared for them for when they have to help you when you cannot speak for yourself.