Problems, Problems, Problems

I’m home again and my wife has been going back and forth between regretting her decision to come home and being glad she came home. At this point I’m backing her decision to be home more than ever.

This is not even half of what’s going on, but it will give you at least some sort of explanation on why my adventure ended so suddenly.

Picture three locations. Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Each location is about a ten to twelve hour drive from each other, which puts Louisiana very close to the center of all the action.

At the center of it all, in Louisiana, my wife’s niece has been desperately ill for years. The doctors have performed surgery after surgery and not much has helped her. She is in indescribable pain 24 hours a day, every day. The doctors have flat out stated that all the major drugs she’s been on have been the only thing keeping her alive for years now. But she won’t get out of bed, or do anything except make everyone else miserable. She also has two young boys that need caring for.

Also at this center point are my wife’s parents. Both are well into their eighties. They have done most of the job of raising the two boys I just talked about. But… my wife’s father is now getting very senile. There are times he gets so confused he doesn’t know what’s going on, and sometimes he gets belligerent. My wife’s mother is doing much better, but it’s easy to tell that she can no longer do nearly as much and she gets so angry and downright frustrated constantly. She has good reason, my wife’s father can not be left alone at any time so she has to be with him all the time.

As attempt is being made this week to “dry-out” my wife’s niece from some of the drugs she’s been on and it’s not going well. My wife was asked to come to help take care of the boys. But…

Ok, let’s look at location number two which is Texas. This is where the niece’s mother lives – my wife’s sister. Yes, normally she would be heading to Louisiana to help out but she suddenly got gravely ill and the first two blood tests came back very bad news. The doctors are still working on what’s wrong with her, but words such as leukemia keep popping up – or worse.

So anyway, things in Louisiana were going ok, we thought , till the niece decided she wouldn’t stay in the facility any more. We were all under the impression that her husband would be bringing her home again. So…

Oh, I didn’t give you the last part of the equation, here in Georgia where I live. Also in Georgia are my wife’s two kids (all grown with families). Our son’s wife’s father was diagnosed this past week with prostrate cancer. Two days later they had found out that it has spread. That is the son that I have been supporting for the last billion years (and dollars). They have a huge family (4 kids – one of which is now pregnant). The son works like a demon to support them, but it’s just too much for him. Anyway, they need my wife’s help too to take care of the kids during school break so that their mother can be with her father during his cancer tests and treatment.

We thought things were done in Louisiana, but they’re not. The niece stayed in the institution to continue drying out and the result is that everyone is now heavily blaming my wife and making her feel guilty. But… all is not what it seems either.

To make a long story short, my wife is needed everywhere – but only just a little bit. None of it is all that desperate. And everyone’s anger level has been turned way, way up lately. So I think it’s better if she’s home for a little bit.

Sorry for the confused description. There’s a lot going on – far more than I’ve mentioned here. But I’m hopeful for more adventuring in the future.

Karen