Sigh.
Where to begin? Nevermind, this will be a short post.
I already knew last week that as far as Mondays go, today would be a challenge. And today proved me more than right. Work provided plenty of stress and difficulty on its own, wearing me down pretty effectively. But then around 3 p.m., I get a phone call. My grandmother has suffered an apparent stroke, and was admitted to the hospital.
That news is bad enough, but it gets better. I've alluded to our ongoing legal and guardianship battles involving my grandmother here in the past. The short version: A smooth-talking renter convinced her to sign over power of attorney to him (in secret) some years back, and then proceeded to transfer all her worldly wealth to himself. Because of this, we were forced to have my grandmother declared incompetent and gave the state of Texas guardianship. It's a long story, but a longer ordeal. But because of this drawn out fight, the hospital cannot legally release her medical condition to her family, nor are we allowed to visit. The current state worker serving as guardian is, to put it kindly, traditionally unresponsive to any and all attempts at communication.
So now all we know is that my grandmother is in "stable" condition. Whether that's stable following a massive, life-threatening stroke or stable following a minor episode of dizziness and incoherence... your guess is as good as mine.
Seriously, people, if an elderly relative of your begins showing signs of Alzheimer's or dementia, have them tested and declared incompetent if necessary--even if they hate you for it. You will be saving them, yourself and your family extended grief. I wish I hadn't been so averse to confrontation about five years ago, because I'm sure paying for it now.
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Jayme, sorry to hear you've got this kind of trouble. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be kept at arm's length from your own relative like that. I wish I had some advice, but the best I can offer is a voice of support.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jason. We now have visitation, so that's something. Ironically, although the hospital can't release any information on her current medical condition other than "stable," they didn't have any problem calling me to get information on her medical history. I resisted the urge to point out the irony.
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