I'd like a break

Yeesh, someday soon I hope to have something happy to write about! In the meantime, this is certainly a low time in my life. What was supposed to be a happy event on Saturday (my cousin's wedding) quickly turned scary. In the middle of her reception, there is a lot of activity going on at the table my parents are sitting at. My mom is in a panic, and my dad is extremely pale. His eyes are closed and my mom tells me he's very dizzy, having trouble seeing, and he can't stand up.

My mom is about to lose it, and she tells me to call 911 (which my uncle has already done). Before I know it, a zillion EMTs, paramedics, and hotel staff are surrounding my dad. I've never been more grateful to have a husband for a nurse. He was calm, did some basic assessments, and made me feel much better about everything.

After a trip to the ER and a CT scan, they decided it was vertigo and "near fainting" and they sent him home. A much better diagnosis then the stroke they were worried about, but still very stressful.

Sunday was spent packing up my grandma. About a year ago my mom and uncles moved her from her huge house into assisted living. A few months ago she was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's Disease, and in the last month she has deteriorated rapidly. She's blind from macular degeneration (sp?), and she's no longer able to find the bathroom on her own. She is easily confused, and her care facility has been doing a very poor job of caring for her. She pays a whopping $5,500 a month to basically be neglected, so my mom found a great new place for her. The new home is run by a mother/daughter pair, and they have 3 people maximum. Right now there is only 1 other person.

Thankfully she is happy to be moving, but packing her up is so sad. She is confused about a lot of things, and she can no longer do the things she loves (sewing and quilting) because her brain can no longer process how to sew. She wouldn't even answer the phone while we were there because she "couldn't find it" even though it was right next to her.

On top of those things, I'm dealing with a potential job offer in Denver (to move or not to move?), a husband in the throws of S.A.D. and a job that makes him miserable, and my own job stress. I'm trying to be supportive of my mom who is dealing with both my dad and her mom, but I'm trying to maintain my own sanity in the process. It remains to be seen if I'll be successful! I'm looking forward to 3 week of 4-day workweeks. This Friday will be spent moving my grandma, but the next two Fridays will hopefully be relaxing and spent with a good book.