Dec. 27 though today

After my father’s death in August my mother has wanted to move to Virginia. She sold her mobile home in Sarasota.
my husband and I felt she was moving too fast and she would really tell us after she made major decisions. Of
Course I wanted her to be happy and so we finally agreed. That takes up to the beginning of this story….

On December 27Th we left for Sarasota with a U-Haul and transport for her car. We loaded up the following day after
Have a wonderful meal at my Uncle Harold’s. I love being with my cousins and the extended family. They all came back
To moms and helped load the U-Haul. We left Sarasota on Jan. 29Th and arrived back at our home that evening. The following
Day we had my kids all together so mother could enjoy them. That afternoon we attended the wrestling matches of my oldest
Grandson Adam. Mom enjoyed it but began complaining about her hips and because she has a problem we just thought it was
her nerves there giving her trouble. The following morning (the 31St) we left for Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a smooth drive until
we came to the mountains and John fought high winds the whole way….we arrived just after dark and it was cold and windy.
There was a bit of upset with the apartment owners and mom was really quite upset. We asked her to stay inside but she just
slipped out to go to the truck. I was sitting in the mud room where I had been placed with the dog and I saw her fall down
outside the door. There was a step down but she thinks her hip fractured while standing up and the fall on the edge of the step
caused it to be a compound fracture. It was below freezing and soon became clear she had broken something and John felt
it was her hip. (We had gone through this with his mother before her death.) We called 911 and it took 15 minutes for them to come
and we added blankets to keep her from freezing. It was hard to believe we had only been there less than an hour and were on
our way to the emergency room following the ambulance. They had x-rays and results in less than an hour and we also saw she had
very thin bones. He felt that would keep her from having a hip replacement and so set up surgery for the next morning at 10 AM to
put in pins. It took 3 pins and she came through very good for her age.

Mom has had a hard time accepting this fall. She has never been in the hospital except for the lump taken from her breast
That was cancer. She asks why God did this to her…she wants to go and be with daddy. When someone calls she switches to a
More settled emotion. I am aware some of this is her age, the morphine speaking and some is just how mom is.

Today we moved her to the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. It is part of the community mam and dad lived several years ago.
How I wish they had stayed here. But hindsight is always best. Today was tough with the ambulance ride and settling in. She did not want
to do anything they asked but we urged her to and she tried. We went out after supper and she was in better spirits but very tired. We
only stayed a bit. I will be there with her each afternoon and John and I will visit together each evening. The mornings are for the rehab and the
doctors visits. We are required to meet her Jan 15Th at the surgeons so we know her progress and when we can take her home to Georgia.
That means we have to live in this extended stay motel until than. Of course she is worried about the money and so we are cooking
what we can here and being frugal. I wish we could supplement it but we cannot without work and now we will be here that much
longer.

I know the Lord has His reasons for this all and so we accept it and are asking Him to teach us what we need to learn. I am still missing
Dad so much and honestly am having a hard time dealing with this. Dad was my rock but mom and I never bonded and so I am
Searching deep inside of me just why I find her so hard for me to deal with mom. I love her with all of my heart. I have dealt with
The bitterness I saw beginning. I set boundaries in our relationship and it began to become some better. Now I will have to care for her for quite awhile.
I can do that through the Strength the Lord gives me. I want to do this. I know in reality I can do little that will please her but I am going to try.

Here is what you van pray about today….
The pain level will stay low so she will be willing to try.

That her depression and anxiety will be controlled. Her grief process has hardly began in losing her husband of 65 years.

That John and I will be patient and kind in all circumstances.

That John may find a job. We have our computers and so he will be looking. We are willing to move anywhere there is work.
But we have mom and one move is all we can do. She will have to rehab where we are. We are willing to stay in the area here is
This is where the Lord wants us to be.

I am so worn out from the travels and now running around here. My replacement is having a lot of pain. So I must relax some too.

I will update this blog each day. I will share my feelings and maybe this may help some of you that may face this down the road. I am
Finding it is very hard to be the parent to your parent and take charge.

Here is her address. I would love if you all shower her with cards. It will help her a lot.

Rachel Kraybill %
Oak Lea Nursing Home
1475 Virginia Ave.
Room 132
Harrisonburg,
Virginia
22802-2433

Her phone number is:
540-432-7243
John and I both have cell numbers and if you want them contact us.