What a long few days its been!
I had a great holiday with my family. After my 9 hour drive to get here I got to hang out at my parent’s restaurant and then spent the next few days at home relaxing for xmas.
Since everyone in my family knows I am going on this big trip they know I will need a whole bunch of random items for it. Therefore I got a bunch of random but very useful gifts this year - everything from a USB port light and extra battery for my laptop to a rechargeable jump starter and car lighter power adapters for my jeep. Really great stuff!! 
Being home has also been a little stressful. My Memere (grandma for you non-New England Frenchies) has Parkinson’s disease and over the past few years it has progressed so that now she is having trouble doing just about everything. It’s tough to watch as someone who is coming home for a visit - it’s even tougher on my mom and family who live with it every day.
But the time has come where we all know she would get better care if she lived in a managed care facility…yes, a nursing home.
Now that’s a tough conversation to begin with someone. No one wants my Memere to feel like we are “putting her in a home” or “shipping her off” - we want her to understand that the quality of her life and the lives of the family who care for her will drastically improve. She will make new friends and have someone available to do everything she needs. Right now she sits at home and watches TV and relies on aides who come in for a few hours a day and my family to do everything for her. My family - especially my mom - will be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that her mom is getting cared for 24/7. Also, since the nursing home is two blocks from the house she can visit my Memere at the drop of a hat.
It’s a tough conversation - and a tough decision to make - but it’s the right one. The right decisions are always the hardest.
So this has been a little draining.
Today I met with our family tax accountant and our family lawyer and went over the business model and plan and discussed options with them. Come to find out I have been doing a bang-up job with everything and there is little left for me to do at this point.
I have to make a few calls and change a few things over but all-in-all I’ve been doing a good job setting things up! Yay!
Also, I did a test run with a t-shirt and merchandise printing company and got the stuff at my mom’s house today. 80% of it looked great! It was good to do a test run to see what worked and what didn’t. Soon enough I will get the store up and running. Another big yay!
Well, that’s it for now. I’m hoping the conversation with my Memere goes well. And I’m driving home tomorrow and really hoping it doesn’t take me another 9 hours.
I hope you all are doing well! It’s almost 2006!
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Justin, good luck with the conversation with your Memere. I don’t envy you doing it. I’m sure your family made the right decision but I know that such a decision is never an easy one. The good thing is that the home is so close to your Mom’s house so your Memere should have plenty of visitors. That should help. Good luck!
Not surprised with the “bang up job” on the business model and plan. And it’s always good to get confirmation from an objective source.
I’ll be looking for the T-shirts. I’m going on a 7 day cruise in early March (Atlantis Events Celebrity Infinity to the East Caribbean). It’s a captive audiance so the shirt may be good advertising
(Of course, the “messenger” needs a lot of work - but hell, advertising is advertising LOL)
Have a safe trip back!
Hi Justin:
I know all too well the situation you and the family are in. My Grandfather suffered from Parkinson’s for years….and this was before all the medical advancements in the last twenty years or so. I know how draining and trying it is for everyone involved.
Hang in there buddy….I’m just an email away if you’d like to talk sometime.
I agree. The choice to put a loved one into a nursing home can be daunting at best. My Great Grandfather was in nursing home for his last few months of his life. Just be sure that the nursing home is the best possible. Trust me, there are some really awful places out there. Give my best to your family and Memere.
Sorry to hear about your Grandmother, seriously. My thoughts are with your family; I know what it is like to watch a loved one deteriorate before you. Sorry, man.
Chris (iheartvodka.blogspot.com) sent me over here… I’m from Medford Mass and I haven’t made the drive up there in years from DC (live here too) now I’m such a big baby… if I can’t fly I don’t go.
But reading this post is reminiscent of what we had to do with my Dad… I’m not going to get into it since it is different but I will say I empathize with you. It’s hard and often it’s the reaction of people around you that is the hardest - not that of the person who you are talking to/trying to help etc.
I don’t like to give advice around these sorts of things but from someone who has been through it my only advice would be to shut out everyone else’s comments and opinions. You and your family need to do what is right for you guys - all the unsolicited advice and opinions on what is right or not right may be well-intenting but it is rarely helpful. So even though I sound a lil tongue in cheek since I am giving advice - don’t listen to anyone, you will do the right thing regardless!
Good luck and happy holidays.
Thanks everyone for your comments. My mom said that after we had the talk my Memere started getting better about the idea of going. That’s a good thing. Sad, but good.
Hypoxic - I am going to work on the online store Tuesday. Hopefully you will be able to get a shirt soon after! I tested them and they look great!
WanderTOS - do you have a blog? Let me know I’d like to check it out!
Thanks again everyone.