My mom is away this week. At about 5 this evening she texted me. Her husband had taken a bad fall and was in extreme pain. A neighbour had been called to attend to him, as had the ambulance. Would we please move into her house for the weekend and take care of the assorted livestock? So, we packed up hurriedly, and headed down. We remembered the kids’ laundry, but forgot our own. Probably forgot other stuff, too, but havent found that, yet.

Anyway, I made supper (way late) while husband fed and bedded down the assorted fowls and goats, we got the kiddos to bed, and settled in for a quiet evening….and then the phone rang…

Even before the COVID hysteria, the “healthcare” system here was in bad shape. Not enough doctors. Not enough nurses. Then they fired nearly half of them for personal choices. Now, it is an utter travesty of a joke. Case in point: a late-70’s man, transported BY AMBULANCE with possible broken hip sat in Triage for 5 hours, in a wheelchair, not able to go pee or anything, and was then told “we’re very busy. You’d best go home. We’ll send your xrays to your GP and they can follow up.” This is what passes for healthcare, currently. They stated verbally that the hip “seems broken”, but hey, go home. We’re busy. You’re inconvenient. Go away.

So, I drove to Town to fetch him while husband stayed with the kids. (He and husband arent great friends). He’s taller than me by quite a bit. Getting him up out of the wheelchair and down into the car took some doing. On the home end of things, husband helped lift/haul/support/carry him into the house and onto his bed. Pillow, blanket, pee bottle, phone. Then about an hour later, from the bed to the chair because the bed hurt too much. Repeat pillow et al. Hopefully, he can rest a bit, although the pain is high and they didnt give him anything for that, either.

It’s 1am, and I am having a quick bath before bed. I will do the mom-sleep thing and sleep with an ear open in case he needs something.

This week was clearly lacking excitement