Family emergencies

Forum category
Dear friends at SI,

I would appreciate your prayers for my family.

*Today I spent the day at the hospital and other places, procuring the legal authority to force my dad into a nursing home. He is refusing to go, but must while my mom (his primary care-giver) recuperates.

*Tomorrow, my mother will have open-heart surgery for valve replacement and double bypass. She is 75 years old. Your prayers for her rapid recovery will be appreciated, but we know her recovery time will be weeks, not days, in speaking of the ability to care for my dad.

*Tonight, ill timed though it was, I was also forced to have a confrontation with my young adult son about some changes he needs to make in order to continue living in our household while attending college. He was verbally compliant, but time will tell.

So, in short, many heavy burdens. Your prayers are appreciated.

Mike

Discussion

…tonight

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Thanks to all who prayed, and to our gracious Lord for His aid.

It was a marathon of a day, but the following has been accomplished:

1). My mom’s surgery went very well (though it was quite lengthy and involved), and she is in ICU (standard procedure after such surgeries) beginning her recuperation.

2). My dad has gone to the rehabilitation/nursing home willingly, and seems cheery enough. The paperwork/insurance/legwork was immense, nestled in between the mom thing.

3). My son has begun to implement the changes, as requested, and with a good attitude. We are prayerful this will be a turning point and not a temporary adjustment under pressure.

Now, tomorrow, more paperwork at the nursing home, visiting mom, and collecting my parents dog to stay with us*. Then it’s back to real life as a pastor and catching up on my other obligations.

Thanks again for praying.

*For your amusement, contemplate the oddity of caring for a my dad’s dog. My dad has been “disturbed” mentally for decades. He was at one time a masterful dog trainer. The result: the dog is terrified of tile, and must stay only on carpeted surfaces in the house. The dog only drinks water from a drinking glass being held by a human. The dog only eats food poured from her dish onto the floor (carpeted, of course). Some re-training over the next few weeks may be required. Sigh.

of all of this, remember to eat well, get some sleep, and take your vitamins. There is nothing like stress to knock the socks off your immune system, and there is nothing like caring for others (and their dogs) to result in the neglect of one’s own health.

Glad things are looking up.

Dear friends,

My mom’s recovery continues. She was released from the Rehabilitation home last Monday, along with my dad. However, it was a mistake to send him home with her, as I had feared might be the case. I listened to my mom’s compassion for dad, when I should have listened to my own judgment.

Today I had to have my dad forcibly committed after a violent attack attempt on my mom. This ends the experiment with him being home. Please pray for mom especially who, while uninjured, is greatly distressed. He will be hospitalized for a day or two, and then, back to the nursing home. He will doubtless challenge this in court.

I also need your prayers that this can be done with a minimum interference with my other responsibilities. This entire situation has already been like a “leave of absence” from work and life, and I MUST get back to a normal work load or some things will come undone.

Mike Durning

I’m sorry to hear about all of this and will pray as well. Keep us posted.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

Dad is now at a nursing home in Yale, MI, some 45 miles from his home. This is hopefully temporary, as we wait for a bed to open in the one near his home.

Mom cannot drive yet (still recuperating after surgery), so we are doing a lot driving these days.

Mom is at peace with this.

Pray for the bed to open in the nearby nursing facility.