The New Year with Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad holding hands Christmas Day at Rehab

This has definitely been a year full of changes and adjustments.  Looking back, I can see the plan that God had set in place.  We moved to a bigger house near our kids and grandkids, but this bigger house may also be home to my parents.  I was laid off in August of 2011 and I thoroughly believe that I was given 3 months to myself at our new home to rest mentally and physically.  The time off also prepared me for my new job as caregiver for my parents.  This may be for the long term or it may be for the short term.  We are taking one day at a time right now.  

We were blessed to start the New Year with my mom coming home early.  She was doing so well at Rehab that they released her early!   She definitely has come along way.  Originally when she was first admitted to the hospital she could not move her right arm or her right leg.  Today she can walk (slowly) with the use of a cane.  She also has regained use of her right arm. 

mom and dad eating dinner in garage

As we finished dinner tonight, there was a discussion regarding the next step.  The next step here is the long term care for mom and dad.  Even if mom does recover completely, she will not be able to care for dad.  He needs constant supervision and this includes during the night.  Someone needs to get up with him and make sure he gets to the bathroom without falling.   He gets up about three times a night.  It does make for a long night.


Mom is on board with moving out to our house.  Dad wants nothing to do with it.  He is old and does not like change.at.all.  He wants to stay here and that is that.  This is where I tell him the rest of the story.  At this point, mom has not told dad about her cancer coming back.  I guess she could not bring herself to tell him.  So with her permission, I told him. 

I told him mom needs help with him, and that she also will need help herself especially if radiation is the treatment for her cancer.  He did not really respond, but he was listening.  I asserted myself (which was hard to do) and told him that this is the way it is going to be.  It is not all about him this time, it is about mom.  Mom needs to get better and she needs to not have to worry about him so much. 

Tomorrow we are all going out to my home and let my dad have a look around.  It will be his first time visiting our new home and I am excited for him to see it.  It will soon be his new home too.  I also presented to my parents the  financial aspects of this arrangement.  I think that went well too. 


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Busy Weekend

Does it seem to you all that the older you get, the faster time passes?  I try to enjoy each day and see the blessings around me.  Work is crazy busy and by the time I get home I am done physically and mentally. 
I am a sonographer ( ultrasound tech ) and there is more to ultrasound than just scanning pregnant women.  Many patients are ill, and when you are going through your scanning protocol and spot pathology, you then have to search more diligently to see what other organ may be affected.  That requires a great deal of "thinking" all while keeping a smile on your face so you do not alarm the patient. Our job is to take detailed images, not to tell the patient the results.  That is the radiologist's job.
This job is also physically demanding in that you are helping patients to sit up ( some patient are very large and not able to move by themselves).  Scanning does take its toll on your scanning arm.  You are always exerting a great deal of pressure with that are to obtain the best image. 

All that being said, I love my job!  I have the pleasure of meeting the nicest people everyday!  But as you know, some days are just more hectic than others. And time does seem to slip away faster and faster every week.

Yesterday was a day of cleaning and catching up.  I was able to whittle down the piles of "stuff" that tends to accumulate on my desk and kitchen counter.  Mail that needed to be sorted, bills that needed to be paid....Really a good feeling to get all that done. 

Oh yes... and a wonderful 2 hour nap.  That was  the best part of all.

Today, is J's (my son)  birthday and tomorrow is my husband's birthday.  After church, we are going to a local Bar-B-Que for lunch.  I am looking forward to that very much.  later this afternoon, we are again going house hunting.  It seems that the "short-sale" house we currently have a contract on is... well..... There are some shady shenanigans going on with the bankruptcy attorney that is helping the seller.  More about that later.  


I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

The Short Sale House Saga Continues

Lavender Kitchen and pink counter-tops

Since December 6, we have had an offer on a house that we want to buy.  We want to move to be closer to our kids AND our grandson, and there are some great prices on property out there.  We submitted an offer December 6th, it was accepted and the property being a short sale we knew we would have to wait.
Wikipedia defines short sale as the following: A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan.^[1] It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure, which involves hefty fees for the bank and poorer credit report outcomes for the borrowers. This agreement, however, does not necessarily release the borrower from the obligation to pay the remaining balance of the loan, known as the deficiency.<sup>[2]
  
So in essence, for the seller, a short sale looks better on their credit report than a foreclosure. And it appears a short sale is less expensive for everyone than an actual foreclosure.  But is is a process of making the offer, having the seller accept the offer, and then having the lender and or pre-bankruptcy lawyer accept the offer.  I find it all very confusing but am grateful that my Realtor is quite tenacious and keeps us up to date on everything. 


After a couple of Emails and phone calls yesterday (between the seller's Realtor, my Realtor and my husband), we decided to offer full price AND to pay the closing costs.  We are hoping that this new offer will be accepted by the seller's lender and that we will be able to purchase the new home. Short sales are definitely a waiting game.  But, we are patient. Well, we are trying to be patient. 
  

And who would not LOVE a Purple Kitchen in their new home??</sup>