I found myself sitting on my couch this evening clutching a bottle of wine like it was my life line to sanity. which is exactly what it was. I did not have the grace or etiquette to use a glass or even a straw. Instead I was sucking every last drop of liquid valium straight from that bottle. I had managed to finish off the first bottle of wine Last night and I was very thankful that I had a back up supply for tonight.
I do not deal with stress very well as is very evident from the contents of my recycle bin. I think if I was a psychiatrist trying to get to the root of my patient's problem I would check out their garbage. My recycle bin makes so much noise when I drag it out to the street thanks to all the bottles and cans. I'm sure the garbage man has my name written down for the police in case anything crazy happens in my neighborhood I'll be the first house they visit looking for suspects. And rightfully so because I am on the verge of loosing it!
Three, 8 hour days in a row of sitting in a hospital room with Cousin Lucille is cause for the Pope to drink. God help my family and friends if I become my cousin when I get Old. (Please note that I have at least 20 years to go before that ever happens.) The nurses and other hospital staff are saints to deal with any of these senior citizens living in Florida but I do think the "Treasure Coast" of Florida has more than their share of wacko's. For what ever reason Port Saint Lucie attracts these characters of a certain age and they have filled the area to overflowing. There are five major hospitals within 10 miles of each other just to accommodate the area population. It is a good possibility there are no maternity wards in any of these facilities. Just rooms and rooms of walkers, canes, commodes, adult diapers and Gin. I'm not sure if the gin is for the patients martini's or for the staff sanity. I only spent 3 days in one of these hospitals and I needed 2 bottles of wine to get me through. Last night when I finished bottle # 1 I really did not think I was going to make it back to the hospital today but I am such a wuss and can not say no to the cousin in need. As much as I hate driving over 100 miles round trip I feel for Lucille and don't want her to have to get through her hospital stay alone. The crazy thing is, the woman has eight gazillion friends when it comes to going some place or playing bingo but once you are scooped up by an ambulance the friends scatter into their dens like a hoard of roaches when the lights go on. I have gotten numerous phone calls voicing much concern about the condition of their friend Lucille but I really think it is just a matter of who is going to get the juiciest gossip first.
Today I told Lu I would not be coming up there tomorrow because I ran out of wine . . . NO . . . just kidding. I have an appointment with my chiropractor that I refuse to miss since I have been doing nothing but sitting for days. (My back and neck feel like the Boy Scouts have been practicing their knot tying with my muscles.) I can not begin to tell you the conversations between me and my cousin for the 4 hours following my announcement regarding the fact that I would not be at her bedside for a full day. Here is a sample of what I am dealing with . . . I arrived in her room this morning at 10:05 AM. Lucille was being attended to by 3 nurses and an aide. As I walked in she wailed" OH MY, I'm so glad you're here. Where have you been?" I was very tempted to walk out right then. she then went on to tell me about the pain she was in and how awful the BIG operation was yesterday. He quote was, "'THEY' said I had such a mess inside me it was terrible." I promptly corrected all that mis information and reassured her it was a minor surgery and all is looking very good. She had no comeback for that but I'm sure her story is the one that makes the "Kings Isle Gazette" in the next edition.
I just have to go to sleep tonight knowing I have done all that I can for now and I DO have a life of my own that I am permitted to live which does NOT include "child" care for Lucille.
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