12/4/04

I heard on the news that today
might just be a busier shopping day than last Friday, which has traditionally
been the busiest shopping day of the year. 
Well, that was after Annie and I had already made plans to go, SO . . . .
. . we will attempt to brave the crowds in search of thebestChristmaspresents
ever.  This will not be quite as
easy as it sounds, given the fact that Annie isn’t able to stand on her feet,
without doing her impression of a Weeble. 
(of Weeble’s wobble but they don’t fall down fame?) 

During my absence here, my
best friend had major spine surgery. 
She had been losing feeling in the lower extremities for a couple of
weeks, before she could get in to have an MRI, and once that was done, they
couldn’t get her in fast enough to see a neurosurgeon.  She had a tumor on her spine, and it was
pressing on the nerves.  The last
few days before surgery, she could not walk.  Long story short.  It’s been a couple of months since
surgery, and she can walk again, but she’s not altogether steady.  Today will be interesting. 

Yesterday I took my uncle for
his diabetes check up.  He likes it
when I go in the doctor’s office with him, and I appreciate knowing how he’s
doing.  This trip the Dr. told him
that his blood sugar is out of control, and he’d like to see him go in to an
assisted living home to start insulin injections.  I knew this message would not be
received well.  He was living in an
assisted living home when I first started hanging out with him, and he hated
it.  He was antisocial, and truly
appeared to have nothing to live for. 
When he made the decision to move back into his home, he was so excited,
and at the time said that he’d never go back to a place like that.  He wants to die in his home.  How can I argue something like
that?  He keeps his home clean.  He enjoys the wildlife surrounding his
home.  He cooks his own meals, and
does a great job of it.  I asked
about showing me how to give the shots, and also about having someone go to his
house to deliver the insulin.  We’re
going to get more info on that. 
Hopefully we can make it work, because I don’t know if I’d be able to
MAKE him leave again.  As long as no
harm comes to anyone else, isn’t it only right to let the elderly live their
last years in the way they choose?