Cough, cough here - hack, hack there

We are not having a good luck health wise this week. Mollie and I have just had colds and I’m nearly over mine, thank goodness. But Nick is feeling rough. He nearly passed out in the shower yesterday morning and once he made it back to the bed he woke me and asked if I’d get him something to drink and some medicine. Considering this is only the third time in over thirty years that he asked me to get him anything, I was a little worried.

Nick’s funny when he’s sick. Where I hear so many men turn into babies Nick goes almost in the other direction. I swear if he broke his leg he’d hop to the Advil before he’d ask Mollie or me to get it for him. And please don’t think I don’t ASK – I’d get him anything he needed, but he won’t let me.

He seemed to be feeling better by afternoon, but we also worried about his folks. His dad has bronchitis and is having a terrible time keeping his sugar level where they need to be. Where he was out helping load wood into the truck a few weeks ago he can now barely make it to the bathroom with a walker. Nick’s mom is having problems too. Her memory problems are becoming more serious and life-changing decisions will soon need to be made for them.

There are five children and they are all wonderful people who will do anything for their parents, but that still doesn’t make things easy. When I went through this with my parents it was tough. I was here with them and my one sister was several hours away. I think it was easier being able to make all the decisions myself. My sister helped every way possible, but she left the final decisions to me. I think it was easier that way, even if everyone on a committee wants what’s best, it can still be hard for a ‘committee’ to move forward with a decision, rather than spend all their time discussing options that none of them want.

We’ve been so lucky with his folks – they are ninety and ninety-three, they still live alone, but it can’t go on forever. But we’re all worried now.