Not so Cooperative Joe

Before I begin Joe's blog this week, let me say that I am the grandfather of 3 (soon to be 4) grandchildren. In the profile it says two, but that is old news. Unfortunately, I don't know how to edit the profile and nothing else in it has changed anyway.

This has been a difficult week with Dad. As I have pointed out before his mind seems to run in cycles. He used to have 4 major items that would cycle through seemingly once a week. One week to each item. Those items have all faded away from his mind, except his money, and that he doesn't pound on like he used to. Now he has a new item. He doesn't want to go to adult care. That is now beginning to become a cycle. First he will complain a little, then a lot, and then he will make the grand pronouncement that he is never going back. That is how last week went. He doesn't remember all the things we have discussed about this in the past, so each time it is a new major trauma for him and then for me.

This past week he made the announcement on Friday. After much talk on the subject he remained adamant. At supper he stated it again. On Saturday he brought it up again and was more adamant than on Friday. Sunday morning he reasserted his position. That is the longest he has held out and dug in his heals. I was rather convinced that I would have to spend all this week looking for a nursing home. But!!! At church I asked some friends to pray with me that this could be resolved by this morning. Last night Dad asked me to stop and visit with him in his room. He was still adamant that he wasn't going and that I was just wrong headed in thinking that he had to do so. Then God just began to move and by the end of our conversation he said that he would go back. This morning he was up and on the bus without comment. On my part, I was exhausted from the weekend of dealing with this crisis.

What is ahead? If the cycle runs true, he will be back to not going and adamantly refusing to do so about the end of October or the first of November. The last time this was an issue was the first of September. A month's reprieve from the big stuff so we can deal with the little stuff day to day. He is back for now, though, and that is my sunshine in his descent.